The ladies continue to prove that they hold all the search power. This marks the first time in the history of The Lycos 50 year-end list, that three women make up the top three most-searched terms of the year. Paris Hilton generated more searches than any other search term this year, as she consistently seems to mesmerize web users. Whenever Paris makes headlines offline, search activity skyrockets for her online. And 'get your mind out of the gutter,' people continue to search for more than just the infamous Paris Hilton sex tape.

Paris couldn't turn her head without folks searching for her. Then again, she's offered enough fodder to fuel a dozen search engines: Her brief fling with an exotic pet kinkajou (she is again toting around her tiny Chihuahua, Tinkerbell); her real feature film debut, (not that video!) House of Wax, in which she bites it; her not-my-best-friend-anymore feud with Simple Life co-star Nicole Richie; her fashion, perfume and even a watch line. That doesn't even touch her revolving door love life, from her engagement to Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis, then the inevitable break up and on and on...And there is more on the horizon for the hotel heiress when she drops an upcoming music album.

Right behind Paris is Pamela Anderson, who recently won acclaim as the most popular search term of the past decade, when we announced the top 50 search terms of the past 10 years in September. Paris and Pam routinely jump in and out of the top spot on our Lycos 50 weekly list and Britney Spears is never far behind.

Eminem is the most-searched man of 2005, generating 25 percent more searches than his protege 50 Cent, and 36 percent more popular than Usher. Some of the top men who normally appear on the year-end list are missing this time around. George W. Bush, Orlando Bloom, and Kobe Bryant have been replaced by Brad Pitt, Andy Milonakis and Bow Wow. Due in part to his break-up with Jennifer Aniston and his relationship with Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt makes the top 10 list of most-searched men for the first time ever.

The Simpsons dethrones American Idol this year, taking over as the most-searched television show of 2005. Search interest in American Idol dropped 63 percent compared to this time last year. Former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson sees the biggest jump in search interest over the past year, although shy of making the top 10 women list.

Hurricane Katrina is the most-searched news event of 2005, edging out the Tsunami which came in at number 15 on the overall list. This marks the first time since 2001 that a news event makes the top 10 list of most popular search terms. This also marks the first time in three years that the War in Iraq did not generate enough search interest to make it the number one news event of the year with web users. Search activity for the Iraq War has dropped 90 percent over the past year. Searches for President George W. Bush also decreased 82 percent, with the president dropping from number 81 in 2004, to number 359 this year, generating less interest online than Scooby-Doo.

ONES TO WATCH IN 2006:
The following terms had strong showings in 2005. Based on growing search queries, The Lycos 50 predicts these are the ones to watch in 2006: Bird Flu and the fear of an Avian pandemic...Reggaeton rapper Daddy Yankee is leading the new music charge online...Bow Wow's girlfriend and singer Ciara...the 2006 movies already generating buzz online are all based on comic books including, Superman Returns, starring the relatively unknown, Brandon Routh...Ghost Rider, starring Nicholas Cage, the man who, along with his wife, welcomed the birth of their son and took the honor of wackiest celebrity child name of the year. The couple has named their son Kal-El, Superman's birth name but we digress...and X-Men 3...Recycle craze, Freecycle.org...video game Kingdom Hearts 2...singers Pharrell Williams and Natasha Bedingfield...Rap group Threesix Mafia...rapper Young Jeezy...golf phenomenon Natalie Gulbis...and teen TV drama, Degrassi, The Next Generation.

KEEP WATCHING:
That's not all for the Web's Most Wanted Awards. Tomorrow we reveal the Top Women of 2005 and Monday the Top Men of the Year. Check the content box on the top right for our other lists including top TV and movies, sports and more ones to watch, updated through December 23rd.

Dean Tsouvalas can be reached at dean.tsouvalas@lycos-inc.com