Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
2002 Year in Review: What is Hot Online
Aired December 28, 2002 - 09:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, pop culture time. You know, we do that a lot at the end of the year, beginning of a new one, because, quite frankly, it's a very slow news time. So we look back.
And to do that, we check in with Regina Lewis who is with our sister company, America Online, to take a look back at what is hot online, specifically on AOL.
Regina, good to see you.
REGINA LEWIS, AOL: Thank you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: First of all, let's talk methodology here for just a moment. When you -- all these categories that we're going to talk about, when we look at our year in review, how is it determine who's hot and who is at the top of the list?
LEWIS: It's based on extensive AOL data, factoring in both search terms, meaning people typing in these exact words looking for information, and message board activity, that's people posting messages on these topics, as well as chat room activity. So it's a cross-section of all of those things, keeping in mind AOL's got 35 million members, spending on average an hour a day, 70 to 80 percent participate in this kind of thing.
So at some level, you can't argue with that many people.
O'BRIEN: All right. And so we -- there's a group of guys that go through all this stuff, and a little bit of black magic, and out comes what we're about to see on the screen, right?
LEWIS: Exactly right.
O'BRIEN: Something like that, yes.
All right. So with that prelude, let us get right to it. Year in review, who is hot online? And this would be in the category of what?
LEWIS: Top males.
O'BRIEN: Top males.
LEWIS: Top males. O'BRIEN: Top males. And let's look at the list, shall we?
LEWIS: Absolutely. This methodology could only get you this result. Number one is Eminem, who had a very big year, both as a musician and, of course, with a movie debut in "Eight Mile." Here you see him. He was the chart topper.
Interestingly, this list is dominated by both musicians and actors. Here you see him in the movie as well. Nelly was number two. Now, Nelly is the guy who dominates the radio airwaves. If you don't know him, you know his music, because it's the music you sing to in your car. And interestingly, on his site the opening page says, "Warning, explicit material inside. Enter at your own risk." I'm thinking that might help, not hurt, the traffic numbers.
O'BRIEN: Ah, yes, yes, that's good, that's a good idea.
Josh Hartnett, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
LEWIS: He's a Hollywood heartthrob, Vin Diesel, also an actor. And the last one, Lil Bow Wow, is a 14-year-old rapper who started when he was 5. He's the guy who plays, I want to be like Mike in the movie...
O'BRIEN: Yes, yes.
LEWIS: ... and has a big preteen following.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well, that gives you a sense of the demographics...
LEWIS: Yes, yes.
O'BRIEN: ... of which we speak at the moment now. Lot of people at home are scratching their head going, Who is Lil Bow Wow?
LEWIS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: But anyway, all right, let's move into the female category, shall we? And...
LEWIS: It does give you a sense for the demographics.
O'BRIEN: That's...
LEWIS: And here we're going to, we're going to do it again with the female list.
O'BRIEN: I think the top choice here is evident where we're at.
LEWIS: Yes, the reigning champ for several years in a row is Britney Spears. And even as she takes a step out of the limelight, that being a relative thing, a lot of people are, of course, interested in her career, a lot of young people.
And I think you do get a sense here that young people certainly are living their lives online. They also treat the Internet differently in they are seeking this stuff out, versus adults, who kind of click on whatever's on the front page.
O'BRIEN: Now, Oprah, that's -- she's reaching out to other generations, clearly. Good for her.
LEWIS: Yes, good for Oprah. Oprah is successful in all mediums. She does something very smart, and we'll talk about that when we talk about TV shows. But she extends her show by a half-hour on the Web only.
O'BRIEN: Ahh.
LEWIS: It is one of the most successful Webcasts online. I think it's a real prelude of things to come as broadband kicks in and we all move to a high-speed environment.
O'BRIEN: Slick idea.
J-Lo (ph), we understand that. Martha Stewart, now, I wouldn't imagine her appealing to the teen or preteen set necessarily. Why?
LEWIS: Well, I think, you know, again, we're talking about demographics. Teens drive some of these top leaders, but there's a lot of women online, 52 percent of AOL members...
O'BRIEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
LEWIS: ... are female. And there was a big scandal. A lot of people wanted to know...
O'BRIEN: Oh, yes, yes, that's it.
LEWIS: Yes, remember that?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
LEWIS: About her history, what is Omnimedia. Wait a second, I want to know more about this woman who became quite fascinating.
O'BRIEN: There is an Omnimedia, yes, yes.
All right. And then Pamela Anderson.
LEWIS: Yes, you know, photos.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that kind of -- yes, let's leave that out. We don't need to go any further into that one.
Now, next category, on the tube, and brings back our friend Oprah.
LEWIS: Yes, Oprah, again, she hits it out of the park online. I think it's a testament to just a very successful convergence media strategy. Number two is interesting, because reality TV is so big online. "American Idol" was number two, followed by "Big Brother," number three. Same concept there. They were actually precedent setting in that they have a 24/7 Webcast for that show. So if you can't get enough, you can watch it...
O'BRIEN: Oh, boy.
LEWIS: ... all day, every day.
O'BRIEN: Oh, boy.
Now, tell me about the "Today" show. That's an interesting one, a very traditional old-line broadcast, and there it is.
LEWIS: Yes. They do a very smart thing, they really involve the audience in their program, particularly for special features like, this couple is getting married, we're going to chronicle their experience throughout the week. Which wedding cake do you think they should have? Vote now. And people log on in droves to participate in that kind of programming, something you see lots of shows do. They do it the biggest and the best.
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's go quickly to the next one, because I think most of our audience isn't going to know a lot about these people. Tops on the charts, you know, it -- top 40, as we knew it growing up, doesn't exist any more, does it?
LEWIS: It really -- well, I don't know about that. But one of the things you see online is a real grassroots marketing effort. And make no mistake, we might not be familiar with these names, but they do a very smart job of cultivating online fan bases who are extremely loyal. It's a strategy.
If you go to any of these sites, for instance, you'll see them lobbying for awards. It will say, call Carson Daley (ph) at MTV now and tell him we want to be on "Total Request Live," or, Vote for the AMA Awards, or, We hope to see you at the Grammys. And it gets their fans really excited. So I think it's part of, you know, don't underestimate the power of the Internet when it comes to some of these...
O'BRIEN: All right.
LEWIS: ... bands who might not be big names.
O'BRIEN: All right, we got to hurry, because we got to get to "The Osbournes," or we'll be in trouble. So first of all, most search news stories, I think we can guess the number one, being the 9/11 and so forth
But number two surprised me. And this goes back to what you were talking about a few moments ago.
LEWIS: Yes, Martha Stewart scandal. Transportation security was real practical, people wanted to know what are the travel regulations. O'BRIEN: Yes, yes. That's good.
LEWIS: Is it true that I can only carry two suitcases? Which is true.
MCI WorldCom, another scandal. People were after the photos, they wanted to see the perp walks, they wanted to know more about the numbers.
And lastly, elections. Again, really practical, the midterm elections were a big hit online. I think that's a prelude of things to come in terms of the role that the Internet could have moving forward on voting.
O'BRIEN: All right. Quickly, favorite first family member. Of course, POTUS gets number one, and we're glad of that. But what's interesting is, the first lady doesn't get number two.
LEWIS: Yes, it is interesting that Jeb stole the show there. It might have something to do with that election situation.
O'BRIEN: A little election thing, yes.
LEWIS: Yes, that, and even more interestingly, I think, is that Noelle, Jeb's daughter, is in the number four slot, even ahead of the Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara.
O'BRIEN: All right. And the moment you have been waiting for...
LEWIS: Well, I...
O'BRIEN: ... the favorite Osbourne online. Who did -- wait, before we bring up the screen, who did you predict it would be?
LEWIS: I actually thought it would be Kelly, again, because of the generation...
O'BRIEN: Yes.
LEWIS: ... and the fact that she's really...
O'BRIEN: Yes.
LEWIS: ... broken through.
O'BRIEN: Sure.
LEWIS: But we're judging this over the entire year. I think she had a big end-of-the-year push. So it was Ozzy.
O'BRIEN: Ozzy wins, he's the top favorite Osbourne. I know you've been dying to know. Then Kelly, then Sharon, then Aimee (ph), the Jack, submitted for your approval.
Regina Lewis of AOL, thank you for sharing with us...
LEWIS: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: ... what's going on in pop culture. We appreciate it.
LEWIS: Take care.
O'BRIEN: See you soon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 28, 2002 - 09:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, pop culture time. You know, we do that a lot at the end of the year, beginning of a new one, because, quite frankly, it's a very slow news time. So we look back.
And to do that, we check in with Regina Lewis who is with our sister company, America Online, to take a look back at what is hot online, specifically on AOL.
Regina, good to see you.
REGINA LEWIS, AOL: Thank you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: First of all, let's talk methodology here for just a moment. When you -- all these categories that we're going to talk about, when we look at our year in review, how is it determine who's hot and who is at the top of the list?
LEWIS: It's based on extensive AOL data, factoring in both search terms, meaning people typing in these exact words looking for information, and message board activity, that's people posting messages on these topics, as well as chat room activity. So it's a cross-section of all of those things, keeping in mind AOL's got 35 million members, spending on average an hour a day, 70 to 80 percent participate in this kind of thing.
So at some level, you can't argue with that many people.
O'BRIEN: All right. And so we -- there's a group of guys that go through all this stuff, and a little bit of black magic, and out comes what we're about to see on the screen, right?
LEWIS: Exactly right.
O'BRIEN: Something like that, yes.
All right. So with that prelude, let us get right to it. Year in review, who is hot online? And this would be in the category of what?
LEWIS: Top males.
O'BRIEN: Top males.
LEWIS: Top males. O'BRIEN: Top males. And let's look at the list, shall we?
LEWIS: Absolutely. This methodology could only get you this result. Number one is Eminem, who had a very big year, both as a musician and, of course, with a movie debut in "Eight Mile." Here you see him. He was the chart topper.
Interestingly, this list is dominated by both musicians and actors. Here you see him in the movie as well. Nelly was number two. Now, Nelly is the guy who dominates the radio airwaves. If you don't know him, you know his music, because it's the music you sing to in your car. And interestingly, on his site the opening page says, "Warning, explicit material inside. Enter at your own risk." I'm thinking that might help, not hurt, the traffic numbers.
O'BRIEN: Ah, yes, yes, that's good, that's a good idea.
Josh Hartnett, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
LEWIS: He's a Hollywood heartthrob, Vin Diesel, also an actor. And the last one, Lil Bow Wow, is a 14-year-old rapper who started when he was 5. He's the guy who plays, I want to be like Mike in the movie...
O'BRIEN: Yes, yes.
LEWIS: ... and has a big preteen following.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well, that gives you a sense of the demographics...
LEWIS: Yes, yes.
O'BRIEN: ... of which we speak at the moment now. Lot of people at home are scratching their head going, Who is Lil Bow Wow?
LEWIS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: But anyway, all right, let's move into the female category, shall we? And...
LEWIS: It does give you a sense for the demographics.
O'BRIEN: That's...
LEWIS: And here we're going to, we're going to do it again with the female list.
O'BRIEN: I think the top choice here is evident where we're at.
LEWIS: Yes, the reigning champ for several years in a row is Britney Spears. And even as she takes a step out of the limelight, that being a relative thing, a lot of people are, of course, interested in her career, a lot of young people.
And I think you do get a sense here that young people certainly are living their lives online. They also treat the Internet differently in they are seeking this stuff out, versus adults, who kind of click on whatever's on the front page.
O'BRIEN: Now, Oprah, that's -- she's reaching out to other generations, clearly. Good for her.
LEWIS: Yes, good for Oprah. Oprah is successful in all mediums. She does something very smart, and we'll talk about that when we talk about TV shows. But she extends her show by a half-hour on the Web only.
O'BRIEN: Ahh.
LEWIS: It is one of the most successful Webcasts online. I think it's a real prelude of things to come as broadband kicks in and we all move to a high-speed environment.
O'BRIEN: Slick idea.
J-Lo (ph), we understand that. Martha Stewart, now, I wouldn't imagine her appealing to the teen or preteen set necessarily. Why?
LEWIS: Well, I think, you know, again, we're talking about demographics. Teens drive some of these top leaders, but there's a lot of women online, 52 percent of AOL members...
O'BRIEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
LEWIS: ... are female. And there was a big scandal. A lot of people wanted to know...
O'BRIEN: Oh, yes, yes, that's it.
LEWIS: Yes, remember that?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
LEWIS: About her history, what is Omnimedia. Wait a second, I want to know more about this woman who became quite fascinating.
O'BRIEN: There is an Omnimedia, yes, yes.
All right. And then Pamela Anderson.
LEWIS: Yes, you know, photos.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that kind of -- yes, let's leave that out. We don't need to go any further into that one.
Now, next category, on the tube, and brings back our friend Oprah.
LEWIS: Yes, Oprah, again, she hits it out of the park online. I think it's a testament to just a very successful convergence media strategy. Number two is interesting, because reality TV is so big online. "American Idol" was number two, followed by "Big Brother," number three. Same concept there. They were actually precedent setting in that they have a 24/7 Webcast for that show. So if you can't get enough, you can watch it...
O'BRIEN: Oh, boy.
LEWIS: ... all day, every day.
O'BRIEN: Oh, boy.
Now, tell me about the "Today" show. That's an interesting one, a very traditional old-line broadcast, and there it is.
LEWIS: Yes. They do a very smart thing, they really involve the audience in their program, particularly for special features like, this couple is getting married, we're going to chronicle their experience throughout the week. Which wedding cake do you think they should have? Vote now. And people log on in droves to participate in that kind of programming, something you see lots of shows do. They do it the biggest and the best.
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's go quickly to the next one, because I think most of our audience isn't going to know a lot about these people. Tops on the charts, you know, it -- top 40, as we knew it growing up, doesn't exist any more, does it?
LEWIS: It really -- well, I don't know about that. But one of the things you see online is a real grassroots marketing effort. And make no mistake, we might not be familiar with these names, but they do a very smart job of cultivating online fan bases who are extremely loyal. It's a strategy.
If you go to any of these sites, for instance, you'll see them lobbying for awards. It will say, call Carson Daley (ph) at MTV now and tell him we want to be on "Total Request Live," or, Vote for the AMA Awards, or, We hope to see you at the Grammys. And it gets their fans really excited. So I think it's part of, you know, don't underestimate the power of the Internet when it comes to some of these...
O'BRIEN: All right.
LEWIS: ... bands who might not be big names.
O'BRIEN: All right, we got to hurry, because we got to get to "The Osbournes," or we'll be in trouble. So first of all, most search news stories, I think we can guess the number one, being the 9/11 and so forth
But number two surprised me. And this goes back to what you were talking about a few moments ago.
LEWIS: Yes, Martha Stewart scandal. Transportation security was real practical, people wanted to know what are the travel regulations. O'BRIEN: Yes, yes. That's good.
LEWIS: Is it true that I can only carry two suitcases? Which is true.
MCI WorldCom, another scandal. People were after the photos, they wanted to see the perp walks, they wanted to know more about the numbers.
And lastly, elections. Again, really practical, the midterm elections were a big hit online. I think that's a prelude of things to come in terms of the role that the Internet could have moving forward on voting.
O'BRIEN: All right. Quickly, favorite first family member. Of course, POTUS gets number one, and we're glad of that. But what's interesting is, the first lady doesn't get number two.
LEWIS: Yes, it is interesting that Jeb stole the show there. It might have something to do with that election situation.
O'BRIEN: A little election thing, yes.
LEWIS: Yes, that, and even more interestingly, I think, is that Noelle, Jeb's daughter, is in the number four slot, even ahead of the Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara.
O'BRIEN: All right. And the moment you have been waiting for...
LEWIS: Well, I...
O'BRIEN: ... the favorite Osbourne online. Who did -- wait, before we bring up the screen, who did you predict it would be?
LEWIS: I actually thought it would be Kelly, again, because of the generation...
O'BRIEN: Yes.
LEWIS: ... and the fact that she's really...
O'BRIEN: Yes.
LEWIS: ... broken through.
O'BRIEN: Sure.
LEWIS: But we're judging this over the entire year. I think she had a big end-of-the-year push. So it was Ozzy.
O'BRIEN: Ozzy wins, he's the top favorite Osbourne. I know you've been dying to know. Then Kelly, then Sharon, then Aimee (ph), the Jack, submitted for your approval.
Regina Lewis of AOL, thank you for sharing with us...
LEWIS: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: ... what's going on in pop culture. We appreciate it.
LEWIS: Take care.
O'BRIEN: See you soon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
