Reddit’s general manager Erik Martin has a message for his fans voting him to place at the top of Time’s 100 poll: thanks, but no thanks.
“I’m not nearly as influential, accomplished, or Cumberbachtian as the other nominees, but thank you nonetheless. It’s been weird and fun to be leading the poll,” wrote Martin in a post on r/movies Monday. Martin remains on top of Time’s poll results with 120,000 votes.
Although gracious for the support, Martin said fans should vote for Asghar Farhadi, an Iranian filmmaker behind the Academy Award-winning film, A Separation. Farhadi is currently in second place in the poll with 73,000 votes.
Martin was hesitant to share his opinion, but since Reddit helped him get to the top spot, he said it “felt wrong” not to speak out. He added that he has no connection to Farhadi but feels that it’s “fitting” that the director should win:
“I saw Farhadi’s most recent film A Separation for the second time last night, and as I was walking home I kept thinking about the film and art’s intangible influence. No matter the subject or language, good storytelling can touch our empathy and emotion in ways that have no equivalent in political platforms or twitter followers.”
It might sound absurd that he has received the most votes, Martin wrote, compared to celebrities and world leaders. It sounds even “more absurd,” he also wrote, to rally behind a film that many will not see, a country that many of us won’t visit, and to “indirectly support” an industry that was the target of Reddit’s wrath months ago. Still, he hopes that Farhadi wins.
“Yet, that is sincerely the way I hope this small story ends,” wrote Martin, adding thanks once again for the attention the vote has given him and Reddit.
Voting ends this Friday, so we’ll see if Martin’s seemingly heartfelt letter changes the tide to Farhadi’s favor.
Photo by Aslan Media
