Googling ‘Santorum’ Leads to Nationwide Ewwwws

Americans looking for information about strong Iowa finisher are about to get a gross surprise

Americans who take to the Internet to learn more about Rick Santorum following his strong finish in the Iowa caucuses are about to discover his Google problem.

It comes courtesy of sex advice columnist and soon-to-be MTV star Dan Savage, who in 2003, in response to comments Santorum made about gays, asked his readers to help come up with a disgusting sexual reference to be named after the then-Pennsylvania senator.

Also read: Rupert Murdoch Praises Rick Santorum, Disses Glenn Beck and England on Twitter

What they came up with was this, which is now the top Google response for Santorum, and is posted at the website spreadingsantorum.com:

"Santorum 1. The frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex. 2. Senator Rick Santorum."

Readers of Savage's column, "Savage Love," have spent years clicking on the site to move it to the top of Google's results for a search of Santorum's name. Some commentors have joked that Santorum may only be running for president in the hopes that new stories about him will lead to more flattering Google results. (He has asked Google for its help in changing his results, but the company said it couldn't help.)

Santorum, who served two terms as a Pennsylvania senator before being defeated in 2006, was unknown to many national voters before he finished a very close second to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in Iowa. The successful finish suddenly and dramatically raised his national profile, and he was the second-highest search term on Google Wednesday morning.

Savage, host of the upcoming MTV advice show "Savage U," began his campaign to besmirch Santorum's name after the social conservative said in an interview with The Associated Press that he had "a problem with homosexual acts."

He elaborated: "In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be. It is one thing. And when you destroy that you have a dramatic impact on the quality –"

His AP interviewer then interjected, "I'm sorry, I didn't think I was going to talk about 'man on dog' with a United States senator, it's sort of freaking me out."

Many people who Google Santorum this morning will learn about the interview for the first time — that is, if they don't stop searching after they come across that definition.

Comments