American Exceptionalism Debunked

Yahoo! Has released its list of the Top 10 Searches for 2010, and a quick glance through will completely debunk any fantasy we may have of American Exceptionalism.  There is nothing exceptional about what is attracting us daily to the World Wide Web.  In order:

1. BP Oil Spill
2. World Cup
3. Miley Cyrus
4. Kim Kardashian
5. Lady Gaga
6. iPhone
7. Megan Fox
8. Justin Bieber
9. American Idol
10. Britney Spears

http://yearinreview.yahoo.com/2010/us_top_10_searches#Top%2010%20Searches

Pathetic, right?  I recognize that this list of 10 represents an average of ALL Americans who use the Yahoo! Search engine, and that this is a rather small sample group (let’s face it, we Google things, we don’t Yahoo! them).  Totals from such a small group may not represent a true snapshot of how we real Americans think.  I thought that it might be more instructive and enlightening to look at the Top 10 Searches by some individuals who truly represent this great nation.  This is what they actually typed into the search bar.  Let’s see what we can learn from the research:

Sarah Palin

1. Nordstroms return policy
2. Katie Couric naked pictures
3. Inspirational tweets by Founding Fathers
4. McCain video bloopers
5. Grey’s Anatomy
6. Hawaii statehood proof
7. Communism synonyms
8. Sarah Palin
9. Ben Franklin Presidential Library
10. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire tickets

Tiger Woods

1. Swinging in golf
2. Girls of Waffle House calendar
3. Apartment rentals short term FL
4. Confidential auto glass repair emergency
5. Deleting a Craigslist account
6. T-Mobile complaint department
7. Cayman Islands
8. Ball washer
9. Shower caddy
10. Norwegian translation of “my bad”

LeBron James

1. Miami Vice DVD Box Set
2. South Beach sushi restaurants leg room
3. Security system install Cleveland area
4. Hypnosis nail biting cure
5. Kazaam director’s cut
6. Big really tall shopping options
7. The Bird Cage
8. Reality definition of
9. Chris Bosh who is
10. Changing light bulb repair instructions

Obama

1. Sensitivity trainers DC area
2. Best beer brands reconciliation mood
3. Biden blog author
4. Bracketology
5. Hypnosis large group techniques
6. Bipartisanship snopes.com
7. TLC schedule Alaska
8. Paperwork legal name changing
9. Clinton speech texts 1994-1996
10. Hope

Lady Gaga

1. Madonna 1980-1985 style
2. Kabbalah
3. Meat related rashes cures
4. Cher
5. Costume sales Star Wars bar scene
6. Ryan Seacrest
7. Real estate license classes LA area
8. Pants comfortable elastic waist
9. Wizards of Waverly Place
10. Ripleys Believe It or Not

Rudy Giuliani

1. Derek Jeter
2. 9-11
3. Jorge Posada
4. 9-11 
5. Joe Torre
6. 9-11
7. Mitt Romney appearance schedule 2010
8. Mariano Rivera
9. 9-11
10. Florida Florida Florida

So, have we learned anything we didn’t already know?