Time has just published its annual list of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.” Most of the names you expect are there — Barack Obama, Kim Jong-un, the lady who invented Spanx — but here at Flavorpill, we’re especially interested in the magazine’s picks within the cultural realm. Along with the obvious choices (Adele, Harvey Weinstein, Stephen Colbert), some intriguing trends emerge. All five of the actors on the list are women, for example, and the only two filmmakers come from Muslim countries. See who made the cut after the jump, and be sure to click through and read the blurbs by celebrities who are just as noteworthy as their subjects.
Actors: Viola Davis — blurb by Cicely Tyson Kristen Wiig — blurb by Judd Apatow Jessica Chastain — blurb by Gary Oldman Claire Danes — blurb by Valerie Plame Wilson Tilda Swinton — blurb by Sally Potter
Authors: E.L. James — blurb by Belinda Luscombe Ann Patchett — blurb by Elizabeth Gilbert Walter Isaacson — blurb by Madeleine Albright
Visual artists: Christian Marclay — blurb by Geoff Dyer
Filmmakers: Asghar Farhadi — blurb by Richard Corliss Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy — blurb by Angelina Jolie
Producers: Harvey Weinstein — blurb by Johnny Depp
Comedians: Louis CK — blurb by Joan Rivers Chelsea Handler — blurb by Kathy Griffin Stephen Colbert — blurb by Gary Trudeau
Musicians: Rihanna — blurb by Stella McCartney Raphael Saadiq — blurb by Elton John Adele — blurb by Pink
Cartoonists: Ali Ferzat — blurb by Matt Wuerker
Designers: Sarah Burton — blurb by Sarah Jessica Parker
TV Personalities: Matt Lauer — blurb by Howard Stern