Age: 46
Occupation: Television host
Previous TIME 100 Appearances: 0
Beck commands an audience of 3 million strong for his afternoon political talk show on Fox News, on which he alternates between showing tearful concern for the fate of the country and outrage at what he sees as the threat of socialism and expanding government. Ever unpredictable, he helped drive Obama adviser Van Jones out of the Administration, and he draws viewers with a combination of emotional pyrotechnics and occasionally provocative positions.