Sprouts at Disneyland?

Watching the "Today Show" as I am getting ready for work in the morning is often disgusting and/or terrifying.  First of all, every morning seems to feature some sort of segment about germs. According to Matt Lauer, there are an exponential amount of germs that we encounter in our day-to-day lives about which we don't know.  Today, I discovered that there are germs EVERYWHERE at the gym, which gives me yet another reason (in addition to "lazy" and "would rather watch TV") not to go to the gym.

There are also a large number of stories about obesity in America, and how ridiculously unhealthy we all are.  Disney, which appears at #8 on this week's Lycos 50, has adopted a healthy food initiative for its theme parks.  They plan to offer "appropriate kid-sized portions" at parks, with no more than 30% fat in main and side dishes, and 35% for snacks. In addition, saturated fat will be limited to 10% in all foods, and added sugar will be limited to 10% in main dishes and 25% in snacks. 

I have mixed feelings about this intiative.  A day at Disneyland is really a celebration of being a kid.  As an adult, when I go to Disneyland, I always drop the diet and treat myself to one of those amazing chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches.  Must we worry about our weight everywhere?  However, it is true that the unhealthiness of American kids is getting out of control.  Kids need to learn proper nutrition, and it is responsible of Disneyland to provide healthy (if, I'm sure, still ridiculously overpriced) options.  The sad thing is that it seems that enough kids are not adopting healthy habits at a young age.  They simply gorge themselves on fast food and sweets, rather than treating themselves to a few cookies after a balanced meal containing vegetables.  Perhaps preventing the intake of junk food at Disneyland is actually necessary, although I still don't really see why America seems to have lost the concept of "moderation." 

On a related note, Britney Spears lost 26 pounds in a month!

 

I love gossip.

I love gossip.  Particularly about people I actually know, but celebrity gossip is pretty delicious, too.  Remember this summer, when Mel Gibson was arrested?  And, like, it was the same week that the CEO of Morgan Creek sent Lindsay Lohan a letter about how her partying was disrupting filming?  That was such an awesome week. It was like a six month early Christmas for gossip fiends. For your edification, here are some of my favorite gossipy websites to help procrastinate your work day away:

Defamer - http://www.defamer.com/ 

Perez Hilton - http://www.perezhilton.com

Pink is the New Blog - http://trent.blogspot.com/

Go Fug Yourself - http://gofugyourself.typepad.com/

 

A long time ago, we used to be friends.

Veronica Mars appeared on our Movers & Shakers with a 150% increase from last week.  The season premiere aired Wednesday night on the new CW network.  Any doubts that Veronica would experience growing pains with her transition to college, as Buffy did before her, were laid to rest.  The first scene of the episode featured our heroine in a Criminology class where we could see that she's lost none of her edge.  Three minutes into the show, Veronica had already solved a case and made an enemy (As Keith pointed out, "It is a day ending in Y.").

The new characters struck the right notes.  Wallace's roommate, Piz, although maybe a bit dim to leave his car door unlocked, is laid-back and funny.  Its refreshing to see Wallace with a guy friend.  Though I expected to hate Mac's roommate, I found her eager-to-please and open personality likable, and the reveal of her rape at the end of the episode was certainly jarring.

The case-of-the-week, while maybe not the most riveting the show has produced, served as a excellent introduction into what college life will be like for the Neptune gang.  I admit, I was relieved to find out that Logan and Veronica had not split over the summer.  Whether playing lovers or antagonists, Jason Dohring and Kristen Bell have a fantastic chemistry, and Logan's obvious adoration of Veronica is one of this character's most endearing traits.  Logan, who had always seemed so broken, appeared to have stabilized somewhat, probably due to Veronica's influence.  It is Dick who ricocheted out of control after the death of his brother, and the end of the episode saw him collapsing into Logan's arms. (Clearly, Dick will be suspected as the rapist.)

The episode was not without its weaknesses.  The Keith storyline seemed too confusing, and, really, Keith outsmarted by Vinnie Vanlowe? No.  I suspect that Kendall is not dead, but hey, we never saw a body when Lynn Echolls jumped off of the bridge, either.  My biggest issue was with the remix of "We Used to Be Friends." Why?

I am hopeful that the new format that has the show featuring three mystery arcs over the course of the season instead of just one will allow this season to be more streamlined than season two.  The "Who killed Lilly Kane?" mystery arc was one of the most brilliant and emotionally resonant I've ever seen on television, and "Who caused the bus crash?" just didn't measure up. 

Regardless of some weaknesses here and there, Veronica Mars is one of the best shows on TV.  If you don't already, tune in on Wednesdays at 9 on the CW.

 

 

 

Britney and Christina - Friends at Last!

Britney Spears, number two on the Lycos Music List, has reportedly ended her feud with Christina Aguilera.  I was not even aware that they were feuding, to be honest.  I thought Britney's only feuds these days were with, say, the paparazzi, footwear, and proper nutrition. But she and Christina apparently harbored a great deal of animosity for one another until Christina sent Britney's son, Sutton Pierce, a gift basket. I find that expensive presents go a long way in making me hate people less.

Team Aniston or Team Jolie?

 

Despite the fact that its been almost two years since Brad and Jen split, the Jen/Bran/Angelina/Vince quadrangle is still making news.  I admit to having a shameful stack of trashy magazines on my coffee table, including Us Weekly, In Touch, and Star. (What can I say? I love celebrity gossip.  And looking at the outfits.)  In one given week, two of the magazines will simultaneously proclaim statements like, "VINCE AND JEN: ALTAR-BOUND!" and "VINCE AND JEN: RELATIONSHIP-ENDING FIGHT AT WHOLE FOODS!"

With both Angelina and Jen as Lycos 50 favorites, it made me realize that I truly believe that everyone has chosen a side.  Sure, you can claim that you only read Proust and watch foreign films and that your TV is black and white and tucked away in a closet and you only plug it in once a year to watch election results, but still.  You are on Team Aniston or Team Jolie.  Admit it.  Everyone has a favorite, much like as in the Matt/Ben debates of yesteryear.

 As for me?  Team Aniston.  I have no problem with Angelina; she has an adorable family and does excellent humanitarian work.  But Jen has always seemed completely relatable to me, like she would be a fun companion with whom to watch "Dawson's Creek" reruns and drink beer.  She's had an endearing, lasting friendship with Courteney Cox, and seems to face the same self-esteem issues we all do.  Also, she has a great head of hair, and her dad was on "Days of Our Lives."  I just like her.  I always have. She is my Imaginary Celebrity Friend.

So, despite the fact that I have a great deal of respect for Angelina, its Jen with whom I would eat an entire carton of cookie dough in post-breakup comfort. 

How about you?

 

Trick or Treat.

This week sees Halloween making its return to the Lycos 50.  Perhaps popularity on the Lycos 50 will give us early indication of what costumes will be big this year.  I suspect that we will be inundated with Supermans and Jack Sparrows, but will we see little girls trick-or-treating as Paris Hilton or Pam Anderson?  Will guys at your Halloween party be decked out in Clay Aiken garb?

What are you going to be this year?

MEDIA FRENZY FOR JONBENET RAMSEY CONTINUES ONLINE, WITH SEARCH ACTIVITY JUMPING 2,000 % OVER PAST 72 HOURS

MySpace trumps Pam Anderson to take over top spot with web users

 

The Lycos 50 for Week Ending Aug. 19, 2006

 

Notes of Interest:

JonBenet Ramsey (#30) returns to the Lycos 50 this week, following around-the-clock coverage of an apparent break in the 10-year-old murder investigation and the confession of John Mark Karr. News of Karr’s admission to JonBenet’s killing and his subsequent arrest sent web users scouring the internet for more information on Karr and rekindled interest in the Ramsey killing. Search activity began to heat up on Aug. 18 and 19, pushing searches for Ramsey far ahead of web celebs like Angelina Jolie and Lindsay Lohan. Although search interest has not pushed Ramsey ahead of web darlings Pam Anderson and Paris Hilton, search activity has increased 2,000 percent over the past 72 hours, generating more search queries for JonBenet Ramsey than Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff combined. In fact, searches spiked over the weekend on Aug. 19 and 20, when ironically, most search activity slows down. Searches for JonBenet outnumber searches for her alleged killer nearly 20 to one. 90% of search queries also spelled Ramsey’s name correctly, with only 10 % misspelling Jon Bennet vs. JonBenet, indicating once again how media saturation and attention continues to draw U.S. audiences to this story. The most popular JonBenet Ramsey search related queries include: JonBenet Pictures; JonBenet Autopsy Photos; JonBenet Ramsey official site; Ramsey killing; Ramsey Ransom note; and Ramsey death photos. The most popular John Mark Karr related searches include: John Karr ex-wife; John Mark Karr pictures; and John Mark Karr Thailand.

Other Notes of Interest:

In a huge move to the top spot on the Lycos 50, the social networking site MySpace captured the crown from Pamela Anderson (#2), who had held at number one for nine consecutive weeks. If web search activity is any indication, MySpace users are most curious about free MySpace layouts, which dominate all MySpace-related search queries. Meanwhile, Anderson’s online popularity continues as she pushes to make web users aware of her new site, PamelaPoker.com.

Not Your Daddy's AM Radio: Podcasts up 500%

Podcasts barely missed making the top 50 this week, but saw a noteworthy jump of 500% in search popularity since they were introduced on iTunes last year. Podcasting, a method of multi-media distribution for playback on personal computers and mobile devices like iPods, has become increasingly popular in all fields of interest. Users can download everything from a curator-narrated tour of the Tate Britain Museum, to an informational discourse about alpacas. The increase of searches for Podcasts can be attributed to the popularity of more general or comedic Podcasts, like "Keith and the Girl", a humorous commentary and #1 on the Podcast Alley Directory.

Drop Offs

World Team Tennis 2006 finished in July, and with it, tennis champ Anna Kournikova leaves our list this week, after enjoying 39 weeks on the 50. The file sharing site KaZaA also fell from our list, while similar sites like LimeWire and eMule saw increased popularity.

Pam Anderson continues to dominate web searches on Lycos
Pam Anderson's PETA Crusade Keeps Her on Top of List for Second Straight Week

Web users profess passion for Pilates

Ingrid Vandebosch, Katie Cassidy and Star Jones, Big Search Gainers

The Lycos 50 for Week Ending July 1, 2006

WALTHAM, Mass.—July 6, 2006—Lycos, Inc.(www.lycos.com), an entertainment destination for creators and consumers of quality content, today announced the following information from The Lycos 50™, the 50 most popular Internet search results for the week ending July 1, 2006. For a complete list of The Lycos 50™ and for in-depth text of The Lycos 50 Daily Report, go to http://50.lycos.com. Readers of The Lycos 50 can also share their thoughts on Internet trends and pop culture on The Lycos 50 Blog located at https://lycos50.tripod.com/blog/.

Biggest Movers and Shakers over the Past Week Ending July 1, 2006:
1. Independence Day 367 %
2. Fernando Torres 286 %
3. Ingrid Vandebosch 281 %
4. Lucas Neill 274 %
5. Katie Cassidy 266 %
6. Star Jones 264 %
7. Wimbledon 231 %
8. Brandon Routh 229 %
9. Bebo 224 %
10. Kate Bosworth 210 %

Notes of Interest: Pamela Anderson (#1) continues to hold the top position on The Lycos 50 as she continues to make waves during several PETA appearances. On June 28, Pammy and a few of her model friends stripped off all of their clothes and stood naked in the window of Stella McCartney’s boutique, Mayfair, in order to protest the fashion industry’s use of fur as she protested, “I'd rather bare skin than wear skin.” As part of her PETA appearance, Anderson singled out stars and models who have been seen wearing fur, scolding Jennifer Lopez (#21) and Beyonce (#38) for promoting the fur industry by wearing fur in fashion shoots.

Other Notes of Interest:
The exercise craze Pilates (#49) makes its debut on this week’s list. Search activity for Pilates is up 200 percent over the past week, generating 95 percent more search interest than yoga. The most popular Pilates-related search queries include: Pilates equipment, Pilates DVDs and Pilates studios.

The Lycos 50™ Top 10 Search Terms for the Week Ending July 1, 2006:
1) Pamela Anderson
2) Paris Hilton
3) MySpace
4) Poker
5) RuneScape
6) Spyware
7) Britney Spears
8) Pokemon
9) NFL Football
10) WWE

Pam Anderson's Naked Pose for PETA Pushes her to top of Search List on LYCOS
Web Users continue love affair with American Idol reject Elliott Yamin,
who sees biggest jump this week

The Lycos 50 for Week Ending June 24, 2006

WALTHAM, Mass.—June 28, 2006—Lycos, Inc.(www.lycos.com), an entertainment destination for creators and consumers of quality content, today announced the following information from The Lycos 50™, the 50 most popular Internet search results for the week ending June 24, 2006. For a complete list of The Lycos 50™ and for in-depth text of The Lycos 50 Daily Report, go to http://50.lycos.com. Readers of The Lycos 50 can also share their thoughts on Internet trends and pop culture on The Lycos 50 Blog located at https://lycos50.tripod.com/blog/.

Biggest Movers and Shakers over the Past Week Ending June 24, 2006:
1. Used Cars 313 %
2. Anna Benson 233 %
3. LSAT 231 %
4. Wedding Gifts 228 %
5. Wicca 212 %
6. Mary Jo Eustace 209 %
7. Yoga 207 %
8. Rhianna 197 %
9. Rhyme Dictionary 195 %
10. Crystals 193 %

Notes of Interest:
Pamela Anderson (#1) and Paris Hilton (#2) have been hanging out at or near the top slot on The Lycos 50 over the past few weeks, engaging in new projects, continuously keeping them in the news. Anderson’s latest crusades involve raising publicity for HIV Testing Day (June 27), as well as preparing to strip naked with a group of other models in the window of Stella McCartney’s London boutique as part of an anti-fur demonstration for PETA. Meanwhile, Paris is gearing up for the release of her new album, which is due later this summer. The first single, “Stars are Blind” was released last week, and is currently riding high on the charts. The song is in the iTunes Music Store’s Top 10 most downloaded chart and it was the weekend’s most-requested song on a number of Top 40 radio stations across the country. And it appears web users just can't get enough of “American Idol” reject Elliott Yamin (#12) who saw the biggest jump this week, up from number 21 last week.

Other Notes of Interest:
The biggest sporting event in the world is still hanging tough on this week’s Lycos 50, with World Cup coming in at number 8 this week. Soccer is down a few points at number 21, but newcomer FIFA enters the 50 at number 42. FIFA -- the F?d?ration Internationale de Football Association -- is the world governing body for the sport. Does the U.S. audience really care about World Cup? Check out a totally irreverent look at World Cup with "Balls," produced in conjunction with Emerson College, only on Lycos TV, available at http://worldcup.lycos.com. Meanwhile, as the animated Pixar feature “Cars” speeds straight up to the number 18 slot on this week’s Lycos 50, the new Adam Sandler comedy “Click,” also makes its first-ever appearance on this week’s list at number 39. And although it hasn't managed to crack The Lycos 50 just yet, the new "Superman Returns" is causing a big stir online, with search activity up 40 percent over the past week.

The Lycos 50™ Top 10 Search Terms for the Week Ending June 24, 2006:
1) Pamela Anderson
2) Paris Hilton
3) RuneScape
4) Poker
5) MySpace
6) Spyware
7) Pokemon
8) World Cup
9) Britney Spears
10) Naruto

Balls, Balls, Balls
Live from Emerson College in Boston, it's BALLS! If you haven't seen it yet, you have to check out BALLS, now airing daily on Lycos TV at http://worldcup.lycos.com. Poking some fun, Balls gives you an irreverent look at why Americans just don't seem to care about World Cup. The show is produced, directed and written by TV students at Emerson. It looks and sounds great!