No.
MoTM is overrated. It's all a popularity contest.
I will agree with you on the statement that MoTM is a popularity contest, but where we differ in opinion (which I assume based on the tone exhibited from your post) is that I do not believe this to be anything remotely negative. I say this considering people are usually popular and well liked due to performing gestures and actions towards others that yield positive outcomes and emotions. I've never known or heard of any such person who is popular due to negative things, only infamous people. If anyone can name me one please feel free to do so because I cannot think of any.
Here on a message board, everyone's journey begins at the exact same starting point, so why is it that such a small percentage of those members become "popular" and are always voted and in the running for surveys and polls such as MoTM? Here's a little, yet basic, hypothetical scenario: Member A and Member B join PC on the exact same day and time. Member A is occasionally active, only posting once or twice a day and never really attempts to make a name for him or herself. They make a friend or two that shares a common trait, but that is about it. Member B posts twenty times a day, is extremely active throughout the forums, is always kind and open to anyone who approaches him, and is always ambitiously making an effort to introduce himself and make friends. One year passes and one of these two members wins an award on the message board based on the votes of his or her peers. Who do you think won it? Of course, Member B. Why? It isn't just because they put themselves out there more than Member B, but throughout the process of making themselves as available as possible to others, they were altruistic. I know this lesson, somewhat, based on past experience. I was a staff member here at PC back in '04. I had one of the largest post counts of any member and I was active all day, every day for a year, easily. Every one knew who I was. Every one. But here's the thing: I never won MoTM. I attempted to gain the title of PC President at least one time (that I can remember) and many thought I was, initially, a favorite to win, but I didn't even come close towards the end. Members with way lesser post counts and lesser, for sake of not knowing a better term at the moment, celebrity were beating me. Why? Throughout these past few days of my return I have gone back to look at some of my old posts and I was shocked and upset at just how arrogant I was back then. I originally started out as a nice member, but once I became one of the top posters, and thus well known, it just stopped. It went to my head and, it appears, I felt like I was better than the majority of members here. I was extremely well known but by no means was I popular. (And, by the way, I am not even close to being like that anymore, so please to not think that I am a vain person. :embarrass)
So yes, some people may have chosen to vote for a certain person because they are popular, but it goes so much deeper than that. It boils down to that person's kindness and generosity and, from what I have seen just from some of BeachBoy's post history (considering I do not know him), he has shown nothing but those two coveted traits.
Oh, and while I'm at it, another point I want to make is: What happened to just being happy for someone when they earn or accomplish a feat? Perhaps, instead of attempting to lessen someone else's gains, we should try to understand how they came about doing what they did and, thus, undertake an endeavor to emulate those actions and qualities to become, in my opinion, a better person.
*gets off soapbox*
(I did not in any way, shape, or form mean this as an attack directly towards you, Kishoku. I was just attempting to voice my opinion in as diplomatic of a way as possible, so please don't take the above as anything personal. :nervous:)
