Top trends in 2012 according to our favorite social network
Don’t remember what exactly we all were in love with in the beginning of the year? That one book that too over or that song that Olympians covered? Facebook is here to save the day with its recap of 2012.
Facebook has released its 2012 year in review, and with around one billion monthly active users, we were fascinated to comb through their findings. The social media site already gave us numbers on what our“likes” say about our political leanings and stats on the election, and now they’re wrapping up the year with a look at the most popular topics, people, and entertainment of 2012. We pulled out some of the most interesting trends from Facebook’s overview, so click through now to see the top politicians, movies, books, and more!
Best of 2012: Who’s the Sexiest Man of the Year
Fifty Shades of Grey
Suzanne Collins took the top three spots for most-read books of the year with her Hunger Gamestrilogy, but the steamiest book of 2012 would have to be No. 4 — E.L. James’s erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey. Women young and old (and even some men) were enraptured, or at least curious, about the sexy love story of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, and the series was responsible for entering “BDSM” into our everyday topic of conversation. With a movie in the works, the phenomenon is only going to grow in 2013!
Other top books included:
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, No. 5
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett, No. 6
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, No. 7
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, No. 8
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, No. 9
2012 Election
The most popular event in the US was the US presidential election, which pitted incumbent Barack Obama against his Republican rival Mitt Romney. It was a victory for Obama, who was reelected for another four years in office. The election took the top spot from Super Bowl XLVI.
Other top events included:
- Death of Whitney Houston, No. 3
- Superstorm Sandy, No. 4
- London 2012 Olympics, No. 5
- Aurora Shootings, No. 8
- Obama’s Endorsement of Gay Marriage, No. 10
Carly Rae Jepsen
The third-most-listened-to song of the year was Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” If you had this catchy pop song stuck in your head all year long, this will come as no surprise. The Canadian singer inspired numerous parodies, memes, and lip-synced versions of the upbeat tune.
More top songs included:
- “We Are Young” (feat. Janelle Monáe) by Fun, No. 1
- “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye, No. 2
- “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction, No. 4
- “Home” by Phillip Phillips, No. 8
- “Boyfriend” by Justin Bieber, No. 9
The Hunger Games
The hottest movie of the year was The Hunger Games, an adaption of Suzanne Collins’s young-adult trilogy of the same name (No. 2 was the superhero flick The Avengers). The dystopian film stars Jennifer Lawrence as the bow-and-arrow-wielding Katniss, who must survive a battle to the death against other children and teens. With more movies in the series in the works, this franchise is sure to be popular for years to come.
Other top movies included:
- Magic Mike, No. 3
- The Vow, No. 4
- Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, No. 5
- Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, No. 8
- Skyfall, No. 9
Honey Boo Boo
While President Barack Obama took the No. 1 spot for most popular public figure, we found it more interesting that the pint-size “booty” queen Honey Boo Boo made it into the top 10 as No. 7. From breakout star of Toddlers and Tiaras to reality TV royalty on her own show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, we knew she had become a big deal when her ratings were higher than those for the Republican National Convention. You better redneckognize!
Other top public figures included:
- Barack Obama, No. 1
- Mitt Romney, No. 2
- One Direction, No. 3
- Madonna, No. 6
- Paul Ryan, No. 9
Barack Obama
Just like in the election, Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney out for most popular political topic, but Mitt did take second place. We were happy to see “voted” take the No. 3 spot, and other hot-button issues like gay marriage and Obamacare in the top 10.
More top political topics included:
- Four More Years, No. 4
- Paul Ryan, No. 5
- Rick Santorum, No. 6
- Gay Marriage, No. 7
- Obamacare, No. 8
Downton Abbey
We found it a little odd that Duck Dynasty topped themost popular TV show list, but we were happy to see one of our favorite shows — the British importDownton Abbey — come in at No. 5. The third season airs in the US in January, and we can’t wait to see the drama that will unfold both upstairs and downstairs. Free Bates!
Other top TV shows included:
- Honey Boo, No. 2
- Game of Thrones, No. 4
- Breaking Amish, No. 6
- Wife Swap, No. 9
- Two Broke Girls, No. 10
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
We know that the final Twilight film, Breaking Dawn Part 2, was hot in the States, but we thought it was interesting to see it as the second-most-talked-about topic in France (after the country’s president, François Hollande). French Facebook users must be just as big Twi-hards as Americans!
Other French favorites included:
- François Hollande, No. 1
- The Voice, No. 4
- Titanic 3D, No. 5
- Project X, No. 7
- The Death of Whitney Houston, No. 8
More TrèsSugar Links:
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“My Only Relationships Are Online”
Photo credit: Flickr / danielmoyle