2008 Olympic Games

U.S. Summer Olympics, Dane Cook and Bigfoot, Among Big Search Gainers on Lycos

The Lycos 50(TM) for Week Ending Aug. 16, 2008

Lycos, Inc., a leading provider of social publishing, media and search services, today announced the following information from The Lycos 50(TM), the most popular Internet search terms and trends for the week ending Aug. 16, 2008. For more information on this week’s list and commentary, 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 http://lycos50.tripod.com/blog/ and the Under the Red Carpet Blog at http://redcarpet.tripod.com/blog/.

Biggest Movers and Shakers for Week Ending Aug. 16, 2008:
1. Michael Phelps 880 %
2. U.S. Summer Olympics 725 %
3. Dara Torres 630 %
4. Madonna 600 %
5. Isaac Hayes 533 %
6. Bigfoot 505 %
7. Dane Cook 445 %
8. Jake Gyllenhaal 360 %
9. Hayden Panettiere 310 %
10. Nick Jonas 225 %
Search Gainers:

Gold medal record swimmer Michael Phelps (#20) makes a big splash online, entering the Lycos 50 for the first time ever, jumping 880 percent in search activity over the past week. According to NBC, nearly 40 million viewers tuned in to watch Phelps race for his eighth gold medal, drawing more viewers than this year’s “American Idol” finale and the Academy Awards(R) broadcast. And while TV ratings for the 2008 Summer Olympics are scoring record numbers for NBC, search activity indicates web users are glued online as well, with search interest in the U.S. Summer Olympics increasing seven-fold. In addition to Phelps, U.S. swimmer, 41-year-old Dara Torres (#33) also makes her Lycos 50 debut, top of mind with web users this week, up 630 percent, after winning two silver metals. Meanwhile, comedian Dane Cook hits this week’s Movers and Shakers list, rising 445 percent following his blog post criticizing the recent promotional poster for his upcoming movie, “My Best Friend’s Girl.” Cook held nothing back, listing the top 10 things he disliked about the poster promo, calling it “boring and odd.” And the alleged Bigfoot discovery claim by two Georgia residents, which turned out to be a hoax, generated enough buzz to propel search interest in the creature up 505 percent. The supposed Sasquatch discovered in a freezer box in upstate Georgia was actually a rubber ape costume.

Source: Lycos, Inc.