Last week, Yahoo announced that Britney Spears topped the portal’s 2007 list of its users’ top 10 search queries. Other individuals in the top 10: Paris Hilton (No. 3), Beyoncé (No. 5), Lindsay Lohan (No. 6), Fergie (No. 9), and Jessica Alba (No. 10). Which made me wonder: what would the list look like for EW.com’s search engine this year? According to our internal tracking, these were the 10 most popular searches this year on EW.com:
1. Lost (pictured)
2. Heroes
3. The Office
4. Stephen King
5. Sopranos
6. "Doc Jensen"
7. 24
8. Harry Potter
9. American Idol
10. The Hills
Britney doesn’t appear until No. 49.
What does this mean? First, that you guys really, really like Lost. (No. 6, of course, refers to EW.com essayist Jeff Jensen’s Lost-centric "Doc Jensen" columns.) Second, you really like TV, more than movies (only Harry Potter — and maybe, Stephen King — count in that direction) and more than music (only Idol qualifies there). Third, you’re much more interested in projects than in celebrities; the only real-life individuals in the top 10 are both EW columnists. Finally, you’re not much interested in gossip.
Tell us, who or what have you searched for this year on EW.com? What pop culture searches do you find yourself conducting most often, here or elsewhere?
Comments (1-30) of 163 Add your comment
Well, I’m guilty of searching for Lost, Jeff Jensen, and The Office. Anytime Jeff has a new article up about anything I’m inclined to read it.
It also reflects stuff that may not be intuitive and easy to find on your site.
As for me, I’ve been an EW subscriber for over 10 years (and not People, US, etc.) because of the quality of the writing, articles, and features. If I want gossip, I’ll go read Perez, but where else but EW can I get my geek on for some Dalton Ross????
I have to say, it made me sooo happy Lost topped the list!! I miss it so!
Other than Lost, I’ve searched Dalton Ross for the Glutton, and I know countless movies to just check out what you’ve said about them.
It’s not very shocking that this was the top 10. EW isn’t a gossip rag. As for my searches, I usually look up music/book reviews if I see something in the store and want to know if it’s worth checking out.
i usually check out Lost and Doc Jensen. When I get bored I look for book reviews. I hate the gossip bullcrap. I used to have a subscription to Premeier magazine, but when it went under they started sending me US weekly. I cancelled it immediately. I wanted to know more about movies, not Brit’s hoo-ha.
I think this list reflects people looking for TV recaps, which only appear online. I read my paper mag faithfully every week, so I rarely have to seach or reviews or articles that already appear there.
I definitely don’t read EW or EW.com for gossip. I’ve noticed you’re making the front of the mag a little more like US Weekly (with the “week in entertainment” feature); maybe your list of top searches will cause you to rethink that approach?
I search for Battlestar Galactica, The Office, and books I am interested in.
No joke, the only things I have searched for are Harry Potter, Stephen King, Lost, the Office and Doc Jensen. That’s half the list right there. Weird.
I search for TV recaps. The writers’ sarcasm is so much fun.
I don’t know if anyone at EW reads these, but can I point out that “Oscar” didn’t make the top ten? As much as I love EW, I grow tired of how it seems every other cover of the mag has some headline having to do with the Oscar awards.
I always have to search for The Glutton because it’s never on the homepage!
I like EW because it focuses on entertainment news, not celebrity “news.” I hate that E! News Daily has daily features about how many tacos Britney ordered at the drive through or where Lindsey was spotted drinking bottled water. I DO NOT CARE. I love entertainment news, trivia and pop culture in general and am happy the EW has not turned into a portal for gossip and trashy reporting. There’s a good mix of real news, reviews and fun stuff (pop watch), which is why I visit the site daily. Keep up the good work.
I’m a TV Watch junkie.
Am I the only one who hates the new ew homepage layout? Oh well, I hate every time they change the mag’s layout. I’ll get over it.
Survivor recaps.
I am pleased that no reality shows were in the top 10; perhaps you’ll stop paying attention to them? With the exception of AI, of course!
TV Watch might be my drug of choice. I’ve learned never to drink or eat while reading Dalton R, Micheal S and least of all the truly hilarious Josh Wolk. (Amazing Race in Amsterdam?! HA!)
Joe C, you forgot the Hills. Although I’m not so anal about some reality TV getting covered (particulalry for Survivor, ANTM, Hell’s Kitchen and for the moment, Kid Nation), I could do without the American Idol overexposure. Besides the pre-lim rounds, the show bores me to tears. I wouldn’t so much mind if EW doesn’t turn the website into American Idol central, but hey, I’ll take some things I hate (the constantly changing interface, the aforementioned AI overload from January to May) with the good qualities of EW.com (the well written articles/reviews and the lack of gossip fodder).
Amen to all the commenters pointing out that this list shows there is a HUGE demand out there for an entertainment magazine that focuses on entertainment, NOT gossip.
Seriously, that is why I continue to read EW – I love that you cover entertainment and NOT celebrity. There is a huge difference. Give me the scoop on plot lines in shows, who’s signing up for what movie, and reviews of what to listen to/watch/read. Bring me fresh, fun voices like Dalton Ross, Stephen King, and Jeff Jensen (could I suggest you hire Chuck Klosterman while you’re at it?).
But most of all, avoid celebrity worship and gossip. No one cares! (Or, at least, no one here cares) We want to be entertained, not exposed to every nook and cranny of these people’s lives outside of the roles they play.
I’ve only used the Search feature once (that I can remember) and it was just recently to read the article about Craig Ferguson (“Great Scot!”) because i realized I had thrown out my magazine before I had a chance to read it…I love CF!!
And thank you for noticing that the Pop Watchers do not care for Britney Spears, we do not wish to discuss her here…(leave that to Perez Hilton, he does it best)…Please keep her out of your magazine if at all possible, we are on Britney Overload BIG TIME out here and only have a few safe refuges from her…EW is one of them…we flock here for the smart and interesting writing and debates and we like it that way…
I only come on this site for TV news so that list sounds about right
I google new Kelly Clarkson just about evday when i come in to work. LOL to see whats new with her if anything. . .
I’ve this search engine for Kelly as well. . .
I search for Lost and Doc Jensen articles mostly followed by tv recaps and movie reviews. I truly appreciate the fact that this is a well-rounded entertainment news site, so count me in with those who hate gossip (and those who hate the EW frontpage makeover—it was fine the way it was).
Wow, I’m quite proud to be an EW fan right now. What a shock that there are plenty of us actually more interested in news and projects and content than how many hours Lohan spent in jail.
Oh, I love Lost!! EW’s coverage of the show (especially Doc Jenson) is the best out there. I would love to see you do more in the off-season. I’ve been forced to search out other sites such as thetailsection.com but they have now become embroiled in their own internal drama. Maybe EW could begin covering the mobisodes? Just a thought…
We can get the gossip anywhere. What most of us love about EW is the information about how things come together. The creative teams behind the TV shows, films and music. I love debating the merits and thinking behind the scenes. I also love a place to have a rant or two about pet peeves. This site is more interesting to me than say, eonline or perezhilton because it covers more than who’s doing what to whom.
To agree with mostly everyone here, I’m sooo glad EW doesn’t resort to filling its pages with petty gossip (the “OMG here’s what Beyonce had for lunch”). I wait eagerly for my print version every week and use the website mainly for the blogs and to look up older movie/TV reviews. I LOVE the LOST coverage, too!
I’ll also sing EW’s praises for not littering their pages with celebrity crap. There’s one magazine that has a section where they show how the stars are ‘just like us’…”They tie their own shoes!” “They walk to their own cars!” “They breathe their own breath!” Wow! I’m just like Paris Hilton!!
But, I digress…
I come here for TV Watch and PopWatch, and I love that many of the writers here are a lot like me..unapologetic pop culture junkies. I can come here and gush about Heroes or ANTM and not be ridiculed. I feel like there’s kindred spirits here.
I’ll also sing EW’s praises for not littering their pages with celebrity crap. There’s one magazine that has a section where they show how the stars are ‘just like us’…”They tie their own shoes!” “They walk to their own cars!” “They breathe their own breath!” Wow! I’m just like Paris Hilton!!
But, I digress…
I come here for TV Watch and PopWatch, and I love that many of the writers here are a lot like me..unapologetic pop culture junkies. I can come here and gush about Heroes or ANTM and not be ridiculed. I feel like there are kindred spirits here.