Oprah Winfrey's October 4 show about "carbohydrate addiction" generated intense public interest and dominates this week's Lycos 50.
Carbohydrates debuts at #35 on the Lycos 50, Oprah rises to #20, and the low-carbo Atkins Diet jumps all the way to #19. The episode was so popular that Oprah brought her guests, authors Rachael and Richard Heller, back yesterday for a return engagement.
Meanwhile, last week's big craze -- Melissa Joan Hart's layout in Maxim magazine -- has faded fast. Maxim drops far off the charts, and Ms. Hart slips 10 spots to #26.
Other notes from the newest 50:
GHOST FEVER: Halloween continues its impressive runup, jumping past Britney Spears and Dragonball Z to grab the #2 spot three full weeks before the holiday's arrival.
NEW THIS WEEK: Rugby, Australia, witches, Atkins Diet, Oprah Winfrey, carbohydrates. The Rugby World Cup is underway in Wales, and the rise of Australia may be related to that country's rugby prowess. The rush on witches is, we suspect, Halloween-related.
DROPOUTS: Maxim, frogs, the band Foo Fighters, actress Traci Lords, the IRS, and the Dreamcast game system.
BIGGEST RISE: Mariah Carey jumps 14 spots to #32, apparently boosted by PR for her new album. Marijuana (#38) wafts up 11 spots, as does the band Limp Bizkit (#24).
BIGGEST DROP: Barbie (#50) tumbles 18 spots. The Matrix drops nine spots to #43.
MOVEMENT: 21 terms moved up the chart, 20 moved down, and 9 were unchanged.
GOODBYE, FROGS: The magic is over for frogs. The amphibians were confoundingly popular in September, at one point rising to #33. Now they're off the charts. We'll see if they hop back on next week.
