Our celebration of independence from the English is just days away -- witness the rise in searches for fireworks (#47) -- but the English are having a hard time declaring their independence from Lycos. As we've seen in the past, a number of Lycos searches come from the United Kingdom, and this week a number of British subjects make themselves known on the Lycos 50.
Start with the world's most famous tennis tournament, Wimbledon (#9), which places in the top ten for the first time. This year, the London press is making a star of Barbara Schett, a 25 year-old from Austria who lost in the third round to fellow tour hottie Jelena Dokic. Schett searches more than triple this week.
A British tennis magazine poll recently named Schett as the sexiest woman on the WTA Tour -- above even Anna Kournikova (#21) -- and her appearance at Wimbledon was sponsored by the London tabloid The Mirror. You can check out this picture to decide for yourself if the woman known as "Babsi" is worthy of Anna comparisons.
VENGEANCE: Another British story making waves online is that of the James Bulger killers (#28). Eight years ago, the Liverpool toddler was kidnapped and gruesomely murdered by two ten-year old kids, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. The two kids were convicted but are now 18 and were granted release, according to British law, on June 22.
The release of the boys has the U.K. in an uproar, with many threatening vigilante action. In response, the courts have given Venables and Thompson new identities and slapped a lifetime injunction on any media outlet reporting on the murderers' whereabouts. The problem? A British court order cannot prevent information from being placed on the Internet in other countries and found through non-British search engines (including Lycos).
Roughly two-thirds of queries on the case ask for Bulger, while the other third ask for Venables, Thompson, or a combination thereof.
MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE STATES: The U. S. Postal Service (#36) is back thanks to searches related to recent rate changes for postcards, magazines, and business mail. Also, the IRS is up #14 due to continuous searches for information on the tax refund. In fact, taxes nearly make the Lycos 50 again, and that has never happened in the months of May through December.
Hey folks, the check is in the mail. If you don't believe us, check this cartoon.
FURIOUSER AND FURIOUSER: In the in-depth study of movie searches we've undertaken this summer, we have noticed that movie searches seem to peak the week after the picture opens. Searches for The Fast and the Furious (#7) are no exception, as the surprise hit makes the top ten this week.
The racing action of Furious drives a good number of the searches, with many queries such as Fast and the Furious cars. Also related to Furious: this week searches for street racing triple, enough to rev up the engines of more Lycos users than Viagra. And Vin Diesel continues his Furious-powered dash to superstardom by entering the Lycos 50 at #31.
POUND FOOLISH: As always, searches for minor celebrities explode in the face of controversy. In the grand Robert Blake tradition, this week's winner (or, shall we say, loser) is comedienne Paula Poundstone (#23). Poundstone was charged this week with sexually molesting her 14 year-old adopted daughter and endangering her other four adopted and foster care kids. Remember, she's presumed innocent until proven guilty, unless you are a morning radio host.
SCHOOL'S OUT: The end of the school year seems to have had a major effect on this week's Lycos 50, as a number of subjects associated with kids drop a bit. Pokemon goes from #8 to #13, skateboarding falls from #21 to #33, and Britney Spears falls to #3, leaving the #2 slot open for tattoos.
Can tattoos make it to #1? Not likely. Even though #1 Dragonball also lost about 25 percent of its searches this week, it still gets almost twice as many searches as anything else.
SHORT SUBJECTS: Be on the lookout for Big Brother (#18) which has been on the Lycos 50 thanks to overseas interest and debuts season two in the U.S. this week? We have no idea why Napster (#4) rebounds five spots while the surging Morpheus (#19) falls back a bit? Lycos users spent all next week searching for the winner of the California Lottery (#6) before retired grocer Alcario Castellano came forward Thursday.
NEW THIS WEEK: Wimbledon, Paula Poundstone, James Bulger killers, Vin Diesel, U.S. Postal Service, music swap software iMesh, fireworks.
DROPOUTS: Father's Day, Swordfish star Halle Berry, Tomb Raider character Lara Croft, Star Trek, rap group D-12, Game Boy Advance, Moulin Rouge.
BIGGEST RISE: The NBA, up 22 places to #25 thanks to draft interest. The top-searched draftee was Shane Battier of the Vancouver -- no, wait, Memphis -- Grizzlies.
BIGGEST DROP: Pearl Harbor, down 22 places to #35.
ONE YEAR AGO: Harry Potter debuted at #29 on the Lycos 50. He hasn't left the list in a year and this week stands at #17 thanks to anticipation for the November movie, which will take in so much money that new money will have to be printed.
FINALLY: The death of actor Jack Lemmon attracted about 50 percent more searchers last week than the deaths of Carroll O'Connor or John Lee Hooker did the week before.
TOMORROW: The Anna K. of squash.
