Comebacks of 2010

Comebacks of 2010

From the 88-year-old who hosted "Saturday Night Live" to the QB who uplifted his team and town, several people have come back bigger than ever in 2010. Meet the following folks (and one company) who overcame adversity to achieve dramatic success.

Betty White

Betty White

Then: Underemployed icon of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Golden Girls".
2010: At advanced age, kills as "SNL" host. Appears in new sitcom and has a book deal.

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock

Then: Moving into a perilous age for Hollywood, she slogs through low-buzz films.
2010: Nabs Best Actress Oscar for this movie and hits this box office record.

Jerry Brown

Jerry Brown

Then: Ex-governor of California who ran thrice for this job and failed.
2010: Decades later, is re-elected California governor against rich opponent.

Conan O'Brien

Conan O'Brien

Then: After a short stint, O'Brien leaves dream job. Transcript of farewell speech.
2010: Pockets settlement, joins Twitter, launches new show, scores huge ratings.

Cher

Cher

Then: Last movie? 1999. Last album? 2002.
2010: Outshines "Burlesque" co-star half her age. Rocks fishnets in magazine.

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Then: After losing historic election, she quits governor's job.
2010: Power broker; best-selling author; reality TV star. And, big question ...

Harry Reid

Harry Reid

Then: Racial comments about future President Obama. Tough re-election looms.
2010: Held on to his Senate seat and will retain his powerful position.

Jeff Bridges

Jeff Bridges

Then: Appears in 1982's "Tron". Are the Dude's best roles behind him?
2010: Wins Best Actor Oscar for this movie. Appears in "Tron: Legacy"

Aaron Sorkin

Aaron Sorkin

Then: His "West Wing" ends. Creates short-lived Matthew Perry show.
2010: Writes "The Social Network". Directing true tale of unfaithful politico.

Julie Taymor

Julie Taymor

Then: Director of 1997 Broadway smash releases Beatles movie to mixed reviews.
2010: Teams with legendary rockers to bring "Spider-Man" to Broadway.

Eminem

Eminem

Then: Overdosed on this drug in 2007. Tense relations with mother and ex-wife.
2010: Releases album "Recovery" with hit single with Rihanna. Grammy nomination.

Ursula Burns

Ursula Burns

Then: As president of an ailing corporate giant, Burns had to swing the hatchet.
2010: Named CEO last year; assumed this title in May. Why is this historic?

Jonathan Franzen

Jonathan Franzen

Then: Declines to chat with Oprah Winfrey, who does this. No big book since 2001.
2010: Critics praise his best-selling novel. Appears on you-know-who's book club list.

Ford Motor Co.

Ford Motor Co.

Then: Reports staggering loss for 2008. Joins other automakers in requesting this.
2010: After refusing federal funds, Ford announces this for first time since 2005.

Joan Rivers

Joan Rivers

Then: Losing gigs to this star-bashing comedienne. Resigned to reality TV.
2010: After winning reality-TV contest, revives career with acclaimed documentary.

Drew Brees

Drew Brees

Then: After returning to Hurricane Katrina-hit home, Saints fail to make '07 and '08 playoffs.
2010: Leads Saints to Super Bowl win. His charity helps kids affected by Katrina.

Rihanna

Rihanna

Then: Could she ever top "Umbrella"? Boyfriend sentenced for abuse.
2010: Wins "Run This Town" Grammys. Hits No. 1 with "Only Girl"

Chilean miners

The Chilean Miners

Then: While mining for this, 33 men were trapped underground. What went wrong?
2010: After more than two months, all were rescued.

Mark Twain

Mark Twain

Then: Been dead for how long? "Huckleberry Finn" too edgy for children?
2010: Twain autobiography published. Author hits amazing milestone.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry

Then: Sexy pop song is song of summer 2008. One-hit-wonder alert?
2010: Confirms star status with two summer hits: "California Gurls"

Bing The top Bing searches for 2010

Bing The top Bing searches for 2010

Pregnancies, affairs and mischief kept the celebrity news abuzz on Bing in 2010. Also this year, people continued to have unrest about this fragile part of American society, which is how "free" and "Wal-Mart" sneaked onto the list. It could also be why a resurgence by this party had many evaluating the job President Barack Obama's doing. Here's a look at the top Bing searches of the year.
Kim Kardashian

Rank on Bing Engine: No. 1
It seems that it's hard to keep up with the Kardashians, even in the world of search. The reality star was the most-searched-for topic on Bing for 2010, beating out this former reality TV queen, among others.

Reasons folks searched for her:

Her love life
Her changing appearance
Her foot fetish business
Her foray into the credit card business
Watch the 'SNL' skit mocking her


Sandra Bullock

Rank on Bing Engine: No. 2
She's been a sought-after Hollywood success since starring in this early-'90s action movie and recently took her career to a new level with her role in a football biopic. Bullock was the second-ranked topic on Bing in 2010.

Reasons folks searched for her:

Her split from Jesse James
Her new family addition
Her high Hollywood salary
Her first Oscar win

Tiger Woods

Rank on Bing Engine: No. 3
The once glossy image of Woods was sullied in late 2009 when it was discovered he had cheated on his wife. As the fallout continued into 2010, Woods' name stayed at the forefront of people's curiosity as it was constantly in the news.

Find out what people wanted to know about Woods in 2010:

His cheating scandal
His divorce settlement
His public apology
His return to golf

Lady Gaga

Rank on Bing Engine: No. 4
The reigning queen of pop not only dominated the Billboard charts, but she also worked her way into the top five overall searches on Bing.

Reasons people searched for Gaga:

Her Monster Ball tour
To sing along to her hits
Her wacky fashion
Her "attack" on Santa
Her stance on gay rights

President Barack Obama

Rank on Bing Engine: No. 5
For many, 2010 was a chance to evaluate the president's job as he approaches the two-year mark of being in office. Obama rounds out the top five most-searched topics on Bing.

Reasons people searched for President Obama:

Health care
Tax cuts
His fat lip
State of the Union address
Oil spill

Hairstyles

Rank on Bing Engine: No. 6
This past year was one of evolving fashion statements, and perhaps none more than hairstyles. In the era of the iGeneration, people are always looking for ways to be unique, and that usually starts with the right hairstyle.

Reasons people searched for hairstyles:

Celebrity 'dos
Snooki
Retro
Inverted bob
Wedding
Prom

Kate Gosselin

Rank on Bing Engine: No. 7 overall, sixth-most-searched-for person
Kate moved up, after ranking here in the top 2009 Bing searches. It seems people can't get enough of the celebrity television star. Gosselin's rocky personal life continues to dominate tabloids as she stays in the top 10 of most-searched-for topics on Bing.

Reasons people searched for her:

Her camping trip with Sarah Palin
The expulsion of her children
Her hair
Tummy tuck
Bodyguard
"Dancing With the Stars"

Wal-Mart

Rank on Bing Engine: No. 8
A store with these types of deals often finds itself both in the throes of controversy and still at the top of many consumers' shopping destinations.

Reasons people searched for Wal-Mart:

Racist announcement
Class action lawsuit
Black Friday
Declining sales
To find the nearest location

Justin Bieber

Rank on Bing Engine: No. 9 overall, seventh-most-searched-for person
Bieber fever continues to sweep the world. The pop star has turned the music industry on its head since this megastar artist discovered his homemade videos in 2008.

Reasons people searched for Justin Bieber:

His hair
His hit single 'Baby'
His ties to Kim Kardashian
Twitter
American Music Awards
Watch Bieber videos

Free

Rank on the Bing Engine: No. 10
The experts say this troubling time is over, but in good times or bad there's nary a more pleasant word, in the ears of the American consumer, than "free."

Reasons people searched for 'free':

Online games
E-cards
Ringtones
Music downloads
Credit reports

Jesse James

Rank on the Bing engine: No. 11 overall and the eighth-most-searched-for person on Bing
Prior to 2005, James was known mostly for this monster hit reality show. In 2005 he married this actress, but how did a reality show host work his way into the top 15 Bing searches in 2010?

Reasons people searched for Jesse James:

Affair
Divorce
New girlfriend
Motorcycles

Lindsay Lohan

Rank on Bing engine: No. 12 overall, and the ninth-most-searched-for person on Bing
The 24-year-old actress, singer, model and target of these celebrity chasers continues to fascinate the American public, essentially for this reason alone.

Reasons people searched for Lohan:

Jail time
Rehab
Hit-and-run
Her alleged stalker
See pictures of Lohan

Jennifer Aniston

Rank on the Bing Engine: No. 13 and the 10th-most-searched-for person on Bing
Her popularity rose as a star of this friendly show, and it's clear that Aniston has stayed just as popular, even a decade later. Fans continue to be curious about her love life and just how she manages to look so young.

Reasons people searched for Aniston:

Pregnancy rumors
Her party with a prince
Her friendship with Chelsea Handler
See pictures of Aniston

Michael Jackson

Rank on the Bing Engine: No. 14 and the 11th-most-searched-for person on Bing
A year after his mysterious death, the King of Pop continued to be a hot topic. In 2010, details concerning his death continued to unfold, and fans continued to pay tribute to the man who revolutionized the pop music scene and dominated its charts for more than three decades.


Reasons people searched for Michael Jackson:

His new album
Neverland Ranch
His father
His children
The doctor charged in his death
Watch classic MJ videos