We are in a technological age like no other. Not only is every imaginable piece of information at our fingertips, but we've gotten to the point where this information is available almost instantly. Sometimes the information is released before the facts, but that is due to the fact that news sources are all trying to be the first one to break the story. The story is key, the facts, they can be filled in later or changed. Being first is what counts.
So where do we go when we need information? For most of us, it starts with a search engine. The preferred method around the world is the all knowing, all powerful Google. Now some have said Google has taken on a bit of a bias when it comes to certain searches, but that being said, it's still an important tool. Now we've had some big stories this year in the U.S. The Election, Hurricane Sandy, Benghazi, The Fiscal Cliff and Felix Baumgartners epic descent from space (or damn near close). Then the year ended with what ended up being the number one news story of the year, even bigger than election. Our country was devastated by the horrid acts of one man, who for whatever reason, decided to take his mother's life, then drive to a school and kill 26 innocent people, twenty of who were school children, before taking his own life. The nation was rocked and gun control advocates and the NRA soon after went to war through the media, both social and network preaching their causes. This was easily the top story, right? Not so fast.
Google reports on searches at the end of the year and comes up with a top ten list. So you'd think an election, a hurricane, Benghazi, the dreaded and misunderstood fiscal cliff, a human jumping from a spaceship and one of the worst mass murders would flood the list, right? Well let's see.
10. Kony 2012 - The Ugandan cult leader of the Lords Resistance Army was brought to light early in 2012 by a documentary. As of yet, despite his being searched for by different countries, including the US, he has not been caught. He is guilty of horrible atrocities to children in the area, such as child sex slaves and forcing them to enter combat at very young ages, to name a few.
9. Michael Clarke Duncan - the actor died way too early, but we're not talking Al Pacino or Robert Deniro. We're talking MCD. He didn't jump from space. He didn't win an election. He's the number nine search by all of America (and the world)?
8. Gangnam Style - There are no words to explain this phenomenon and while I enjoy the silliness of it, I'm happy to see that this wasn't second like it was on the World's search.
7. Amanda Todd - I have to admit, I had not remembered who this was and had to, yes, Google it. She was the 10th grader from British Columbia who was bullied and harassed so much that she took her life. She had made a youtube video with flashcards documenting and explaining her torment. A sad case, which brought bullying to the forefront. Unfortunately, more people were interested in the morbid youtube clip than the bullying epidemic and the cries for stopping it seem to have weakened.
6. Olympics - OK not much to comment. it's a world event and I honestly expected it to be #2.
5. Jeremy Lin - This is where my blood starts to boil. An average athlete who happened to be Chinese and went to Harvard makes the Knicks and this interests the entire country? They called It Linsanity. I say we leave off the "L" and take a hard look at what matters. The world's #5 was a video game, so maybe it's a draw.
4. The Hunger Games - now I'm assuming it's because of the movie and not the god awful books (I've only read excerpts, but it's written at such a low level, I can't believe the books generated as much buzz as the movie. It's a god awful movie by the way, so that makes it even worse.
3. Election 2012 - OK, so I get it. It was huge, but the hurricane and the shooting got more hits. I can deal with it, but why wasn't Obamacare on here Why wasn't each candidates platform. Why wasn't Paul Ryan on here, since nobody had ever heard of him before. Why wasn't Congress on here? I get it I guess. Maybe everyone clicked links once they typed this in. Fine.
2. Hurricane Sandy - The devastating storm that rocked the eastern seaboard costing NY, NJ and other states upwards of $100 billion dollars worth of damage and left some areas, quite possibly, destroyed for years to come. Between the stories, the photographs, videos and places to donate, this doesn't shock me at all. It was even the #3 trend in the world.
So, did the world join us in our tragedy? Did they share in the American loss of life and suffer the anguish that we did? You're damn right they did and that's why the number one trending topic on Google was
1. Whitney Houston - for the love of......, what the fuck? Are you serious? A drug riddled loser who flushed a wonderful career down the toilet and got paid even to let us watch her destroy herself is the what the world is most interested in? 20 beautiful babies and six brave teachers all gone and we care about this bitch? I'm embarrassed to be an American. Fuck it! I'm embarrassed to be a human. Humanity no longer should have human as it's prefix, because we've lost that right. I could have guessed 400 things before I ever would have guessed Whitney Houston. Climate Change, LGBT rights, Mass Shootings, Poverty, but this is what we have become as a society. I for one am ashamed for all of us and if there is a god, let him please not have mercy on our souls. We don't deserve it.
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