PARADE and omg! from Yahoo! Reveal Pop Culture Poll Results

36% of Americans Would Like to See in Politics: George Clooney

Hollywood’s Sexiest Celebrities: Jennifer Aniston and Ryan Gosling

NEW YORK & SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Which entertainment headlines made us shout OMG!? Who were the sexiest celebrities? Which TV antihero do we love the most? Which book series made it to the top of our reading lists? PARADE magazine teamed up with omg! from Yahoo! for the second year in row to reveal how Americans reacted to the year’s events in popular culture.

At omg! from Yahoo!, people can view the latest celebrity news, photos, and videos. PARADE Publications is a multi-brand media company providing entertainment, information, and inspirational human interest stories to millions of Americans.

The Pop Culture Poll was conducted online in August 2012 among a sample of more than 56,000 respondents.

Below are just some of the key findings. To read more, please visit: omg! from Yahoo! and PARADE Online.

What was the biggest OMG headline in the first half of 2012?

- Whitney Houston Dies at 48	50%
- Kristen Stewart Cheats on Robert Pattinson	21%
- Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Divorce	14%
- Jersey Shore’s Snooki Announces Pregnancy	6%
- Anderson Cooper: ‘The Fact Is, I’m Gay’	3%
- Demi Moore Seeks Treatment in Rehab	3%
- Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Engaged	3%

Which celebrity should enter politics?

While George Clooney may dabble a bit in politics, Americans want to see him enter more formally. Sadly, Alec Baldwin, who has said he would run for office in New York City, got only 6% of the vote.

- George Clooney	36%
- Oprah Winfrey	27%
- Matt Damon	12%
- Elisabeth Hasselbeck	10%
- Ben Affleck	9%
- Alec Baldwin	6%

Whose wedding would you most like to see happen?

Will the newly engaged Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux walk down the aisle next? Or will it be young loves Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth? Only time will tell, but respondents are most looking forward to the nuptials of Jennifer and her new beau!

- Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux	42%
- Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield	21%
- Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth	15%
- Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively	13%
- Kim Kardashian and Kanye West	9%

Who would you cast as a celebrity “Bachelorette”?

America’s sweetheart was America’s choice for a celebrity rendition of the popular show The Bachelorette.

- Sandra Bullock	24%
- Mila Kunis	21%
- Taylor Swift	20%
- Rihanna	16%
- Charlize Theron	11%
- Katie Holmes	8%

What is your favorite book series?

While women across the country are raving about 50 Shades of Grey, it was the young adult favorite Harry Potter that was voted favorite book series with 33% of the vote compared to 50 Shades (23%). Hunger Games and Twilight followed with 22% each.

Who’s your favorite TV antihero?

It seems that being bad makes for some good TV this season. It was a close race between antiheroes Dexter Morgan of Dexter and Emily Thorne of Revenge.

- Dexter Morgan (Dexter)	31%
- Emily Thorne (Revenge)	30%
- Don Draper (Mad Men)	18%
- Walter White (Breaking Bad)	13%
- Nucky Thompson (Boardwalk Empire)	8%

The Sexiest in Hollywood?

It’s no surprise that Ryan Gosling (35%) and Jennifer Aniston (29%) top the list for sexiest man and woman in Hollywood. Watch out, Ryan! Channing Tatum is right on your heels with 33% of the vote.

Sexiest Man:

- Ryan Gosling	35%
- Channing Tatum	33%
- Brad Pitt	13%
- Robert Pattinson	8%
- Taye Diggs	7%
- Jon Hamm	4%

Sexiest Woman:

- Jennifer Aniston	29%
- Blake Lively	20%
- Angelina Jolie	17%
- Jennifer Lopez	14%
- Beyoncé	14%
- Kim Kardashian	6%

About the Survey:

PARADE and omg! from Yahoo!’s recent Pop Culture Poll was conducted online in August 2012 among a sample of more than 56,000 respondents. Survey results have been rounded as necessary to total 100 percent.

About PARADE

PARADE, the most widely read magazine in America, has a circulation of 33 million through its distribution in more than 640 of the nation’s finest newspapers, and a readership of 63 million each week. Its content is carried on 500 newspaper websites—the single most trusted and most visited source of local news and information—and reaches an online audience of 50 million. Each Sunday in PARADE and every day at Parade.com, our mission is to connect emotionally with Americans about the issues they care most about and move them to action. For more, visit http://www.parade.com.

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! is focused on creating deeply personal digital experiences that keep more than half a billion people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the globe. Yahoo!’s unique combination of Science + Art + Scale connects advertisers to the consumers who build their businesses. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the company's blog, Yodel Anecdotal (yodel.yahoo.com). Yahoo! is the trademark and/or registered trademark of Yahoo! Inc.