Entertainment
Google's Most Searched Person Of 2017 Is Here & You're Going To Feel Weird About It
Now that 2017 is coming to a close, it's time to look back at the year behind us, and as it turns out, a really good way to sum it up is by seeing what people have searched for on the internet this year. On Wednesday, Google released the most searched celebrities of 2017, and while the list definitely isn't too surprising, it showcases the best and worst this year had to offer, from the horrifying and heartbreaking things that happened in Hollywood to even the happiest, most exciting moments in entertainment.
2017 was difficult for a lot of people, especially women. After Donald Trump was inaugurated in January, many women felt that their rights could be threatened and were especially dispirited since a man who had been accused of sexual assault had been elected as president. (The president has always denied the sexual assault and harassment allegations against him.) But the year would only go on to see an avalanche of other assault allegations against many celebrities and public figures. And the buzz around all of these accusations has certainly shown up in what people have been Googling this year.
In fact, several of the people who have been accused made it to the top of more than one of Google's most searched lists, which isn't exactly an honor.
In the "People" category, Matt Lauer is number one on the list (likely because of how shocking his firing from the Today show was after allegations about him surfaced), along with three other men who have been accused of sexual assault: Kevin Spacey (who responded by saying he was "beyond horrified" to hear Anthony Rapp's story, an incident he claimed he could not remember; his rep then said he was seeking treatment and evaluation after other claims surfaced), Bill O'Reilly (who denied the claims) and Harvey Weinstein (who revealed his plans for therapy and denied any nonconsensual sex). This trend also showed up in the "Actors" category, which included Louis C.K. (who admitted to his sexual misconduct), as well as Spacey once again.
As horrifying as it has been to have these allegations showing up in the headlines week after week, these search results show that people are paying attention. Hopefully, it means that people are educating themselves about how rampant an issue sexual assault is for women (especially in Hollywood and in the workplace in general) and maybe, these people will help put a stop to it — or at least help women feel more comfortable reporting their assault.
Politics also played a theme in searches this year, but then again, how could it not? Melania Trump, Milo Yiannopoulos, and Kathy Griffin all made the "People" list; Griffin presumably because of her bloody Trump photos that stirred up so much controversy when they were released in May. Interestingly enough, Trump himself was missing from the same list.
It wasn't all negative, though. Many of the searches focused on the biggest, most interesting moments in pop culture this year. Meghan Markle topped the "Actors" list and made number two on the "People" list, thanks to her relationship with (and now engagement to) Prince Harry. And of course, Danielle Bregoli has made the list, too, because who could forget the "cash me outside" meme that took over the internet for weeks earlier this year after her appearance on Dr. Phil?
The "Bands and Musicians" category also called back to what some of the biggest stories of 2017 have been, including some of the most heartbreaking. Linkin Park claimed the top spot after the death of Chester Bennington shocked fans over the summer, and Montgomery Gentry is present as well after Troy Gentry died in a helicopter crash. Jason Aldean made the list, too, obviously after the Las Vegas shooting during his performance that left 58 people dead and hundreds injured.
And then, there are artists like Cardi B. who can also be found on this list who took 2017 by storm — especially after she became the first female rapper to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart since Lauryn Hill.
And speaking of women smashing records, it seems like people are finally paying attention to women who are doing incredible things in general. 2017 was truly Gal Gadot's year as she stepped into the spotlight as Wonder Woman, and she claimed top search numbers in both the "Actors" and "People" categories. Meryl Streep and Mille Bobby Brown were also highly searched. 2017 was rough, but it wasn't all horrible — we had Stranger Things, the meme of Streep yelling, and a female superhero finally giving little girls someone so cool to look up to. These things may seem small, but to so many, they were actually so meaningful.
For a lot of people, 2017 felt like an impossible year, and at times, it really was. But ending the year on a list like this one is a sign that even more progress might not be so far away. More than ever, people are becoming politically aware and are educating themselves on the more disappointing, heartbreaking news we all faced, while still taking time to celebrate the smaller, happy things that kept us all going.
It's hard to predict what 2018 will bring, especially considering how wholly unpredictable so many parts of 2017 have been. But whatever it is, people will be poised at their keyboards, ready to learn about it.
Here are the full lists for people, actors, and musicians below:
People
- Matt Lauer
- Meghan Markle
- Harvey Weinstein
- Michael Flynn
- Kevin Spacey
- Bill O'Reilly
- Melania Trump
- Kathy Griffin
- Milo Yiannopoulos
- Gal Gadot
Actors
- Meghan Markle
- Kevin Spacey
- Gal Gadot
- Louis C.K
- Meryl Streep
- Bill Skarsgård
- Millie Bobby Brown
- Tom Holland
- Maia Campbell
- Tommy Wiseau
Musicians and Bands
- Linkin Park
- Cardi B
- Lil Pump
- Joyner Lucas
- Jason Aldean
- Danielle Bregoli
- Post Malone
- Aaron Carter
- Remy Ma
- Montgomery Gentry
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit online.rainn.org.
