Lycos: Hudgens is Hot Web Topic

Fueled by a nude photo scandal, Hollywood actress Vanessa Hudgens became one of the most searched-for topics on the Internet last week, Lycos says.

The 18-year-old High School Musical star is the first celebrity to make it to the top of the search engine’s list of biggest movers and shakers because of the unauthorized release of sexy pictures, since American Idol contestant Antonella Barba did the same the first week of March.

The second topic to get a surge in attention last week was opera great Luciano Pavarotti, who died in Italy last Thursday, followed by Russell Crowe’s new western, 3:10 to Yuma at No. 3; the MTV Video Music Awards at No. 4 and Crowe’s Yuma co-star, Christian Bale, at No. 5.

Rounding out the Top 10 were the Super Bowl, al-Qaida, the New England Patriots, comedian Sarah Silverman and The Office star Steve Carell.

The movers and shakers list is compiled according to how interest in a topic has increased from previous weeks.

The Lycos 50 Top 10 Search Terms for the week ending Sept. 8 were poker, Vanessa Hudgens, golf, YouTube, MySpace, fashion, Naruto, Disney, NFL and Pokemon.