Wikipedia:Top 25 Report/May 22 to 28, 2022

Most Popular Wikipedia Articles of the Week (May 22 to 28, 2022)
Prepared with commentary by, , and an anonymous editor

Death (#1, #11, #24), shootings (#2, #5, #10), war (#12), disease (#14), and abuse (#3, #4, #21)...Wow, this one's depressing.


 * {| class="wikitable"

! Rank ! Article ! Class ! Views ! Image ! Notes/about Take my breath away...]]''
 * 1
 * Ray Liotta
 * 3,574,274
 * Ray Liotta Deauville 2014 3.jpg
 * An actor who worked for decades with a shameful start (video clip) and varied roles (as quoted by him in the "Personal life" section, "I've done movies with the Muppets. I did Sinatra. I did good guys and bad guys. I did a movie with an elephant."), albeit his more famous involved criminals, such as Goodfellas and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Liotta died at 67 in his sleep as he filmed in the Dominican Republic.
 * 2
 * Robb Elementary School shooting
 * 2,184,027
 * Robb Elementary Memorial.png
 * Just a week and some change after a mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York grocery store, as well as another mass shooting at a Taiwanese church in California (which received considerably less press attention, due to a lower death toll). Right before noon on May 24, an 18-year-old shooter walked into a Texas elementary school and opened fire on a single classroom, killing 19 children and two adults and injuring nearly as many. Not only is this the umpteenth mass shooting this year, but it's also the third-deadliest school shooting in the United States, ever. It's reignited some much-needed but likely fruitless discussions about the state of gun control in America, and also called into question the necessity of law enforcement in shootings like these, following revelations that police officers on the scene didn't apprehend the shooter for up to an hour after he entered the building, and stopped parents who attempted to save their children while officers went in to go save their own.
 * 3
 * Amber Heard
 * 1,484,469
 * rowspan=2|Black_Mass_11_(21268540588).jpg
 * rowspan="2"| Although these star-crossed star exes have been at the top of this list for Depp's highly-publicized defamation trial against Heard for weeks now, it seems their star is fading now that the trial has come to a close.
 * 4
 * Johnny Depp
 * 1,435,657
 * 5
 * Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
 * 1,421,229
 * Sandy Hook Memorial 12-26.jpg
 * Mass elementary school shootings are a fairly rare type of tragedy, so when one does take place, it's not surprising that people might flock to read about the last major one. This one, which took place in 2012, had an even higher death toll than the above entry, claiming the lives of 20 students and six staff members, and parents of its victims were predictably outspoken about the recent shooting.
 * 6
 * Stranger Things (season 4)
 * 1,379,860
 * Stranger Things logo.png
 * The final season of Stranger Things ... is not here yet, as is the current trend the season has been split in two parts and this is only the first part of season 4. The seven episodes are extra long. The final two episodes are due to be released in five weeks time on July 1, 2022.
 * 7
 * Top Gun: Maverick
 * 1,259,132
 * Fleet Air Gunnery Unit planes El Centro NAN3-59.jpg
 * 36 years later (a few of them due to pandemic delays), Tom Cruise's Maverick again takes us on a highway to the Danger Zone on his Mighty Wings across the sky, and critics and audiences alike were willing for some Playing With the Boys, with glowing reviews and over $100 million on its opening weekend.
 * 8
 * Uvalde, Texas
 * 1,004,871
 * Uvalde courthouse.jpg
 * This small, Hispanic-majority town a few dozen miles away from San Antonio was probably not hoping to enter the headlines this week for the reasons it did (#2).
 * 9
 * The Great Gama
 * 939,737
 * Gama1916.jpg
 * This Indian heavyweight, who went undefeated for all five decades of his wrestling career, was honored with a Google Doodle for his 144th birthday.
 * 10
 * List of school shootings in the United States
 * 878,739
 * Opperguncontrol.jpg
 * You probably don't need a whole morose list to remind you of this fact, but in case you somehow forgot, there's been a lot of 'em, including #2 and #5.
 * 11
 * Deaths in 2022
 * 860,443
 * The_Reaper,_by_Thornton_D._Skidmore.jpg
 * Given our #7: ''[[Take My Breath Away|Take my breath away
 * This small, Hispanic-majority town a few dozen miles away from San Antonio was probably not hoping to enter the headlines this week for the reasons it did (#2).
 * 9
 * The Great Gama
 * 939,737
 * Gama1916.jpg
 * This Indian heavyweight, who went undefeated for all five decades of his wrestling career, was honored with a Google Doodle for his 144th birthday.
 * 10
 * List of school shootings in the United States
 * 878,739
 * Opperguncontrol.jpg
 * You probably don't need a whole morose list to remind you of this fact, but in case you somehow forgot, there's been a lot of 'em, including #2 and #5.
 * 11
 * Deaths in 2022
 * 860,443
 * The_Reaper,_by_Thornton_D._Skidmore.jpg
 * Given our #7: ''[[Take My Breath Away|Take my breath away
 * 11
 * Deaths in 2022
 * 860,443
 * The_Reaper,_by_Thornton_D._Skidmore.jpg
 * Given our #7: ''[[Take My Breath Away|Take my breath away
 * Given our #7: ''[[Take My Breath Away|Take my breath away
 * 12
 * 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
 * 848,585
 * Destruction of Russian tanks by Ukrainian troops in Mariupol (4).jpg
 * Finally out of the top 10, but still awful.
 * 13
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV series)
 * 838,289
 * EMP SW 2015-06 Obi-wan.jpg
 * The first two episodes of the six-part series introduced us to Jedi-hunting inquisitors and a kidnapping plot. Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi reluctantly returns. #6 and #7 will likely dominate public attention and squeeze the ratings of the show, which Disney+ needs to be good if they are going to court sponsors for an imminent advertising-supported tier.
 * 14
 * Monkeypox
 * 809,178
 * Ngarai Sianok sumatran monkey.jpg
 * This shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S! (Sing to the tune of "Hollaback Girl", or its Kelly Kapoor rendition.) Just when we thought we were over the hump with that damned COVID -- newsflash, another hump is probably on the way with that one -- a new challenger appears! It's just as smallpox-y as it sounds, but its name isn't very apt: although the disease was first discovered in lab monkeys, it supposedly spreads mostly through African rodents, hence why an outbreak took place in Nigeria in the late 2010s, causing it to become endemic there. This month, some guy from the UK went on a trip to Nigeria and brought back monkeypox as a souvenir, and it's become the gift that keeps on giving. It's made its way through Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and North and South America, and like disease scares of yore, it's mostly spreading among sexually active gay men. Thankfully, no disease has ever been stigmatized to vilify any members of a race or sexuality, so we should be good on that front, right? ...Right?
 * 15
 * Top Gun
 * 787,845
 * Filming of Top Gun movie (01) 1985.jpg
 * Described as the most expensive Navy commercial ever, this movie by the late Tony Scott was the biggest hit of 1986 in spite of reviewers being unimpressed with the parts not in planes. A long belated sequel (#7) has arrived, bringing back Maverick (#17) and Iceman (#20), but the girl does not even get a cursory mention.
 * 16
 * Natasha Lyonne
 * 784,795
 * Natasha Lyonne 2014 (cropped).jpg
 * The critically lauded season finale of Saturday Night Live was hosted by this smoky-eyed, smoking-voiced New Yawker, whose comedic skills as the star of the fantastical comedy-drama Russian Doll, the second season of which was just released on Netflix, proved to be a perfect match for the vaguely humorous stylings of SNL.
 * 17
 * Tom Cruise
 * 759,664
 * Tom_Cruise_(34450932580).jpg
 * Hollywood's outstanding case of an actor dedicated on doing his own stunts, albeit the Navy denied having him actually fly an F-18 in #7. And next year he returns to his showcase of suicidal fare in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
 * 18
 * Stranger Things
 * 737,367
 * Stranger_Things_logo.png
 * Netflix's throwback to the 1980s (both horror and family films) just made its return (#6) after three years away.
 * 19
 * Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
 * 715,563
 * Tabu LFW 2017.jpg
 * K.G.F and RRR are off the list, but Indian cinema still holds a place through this comedy-horror film from T-Series.
 * 20
 * Val Kilmer
 * 679,028
 * Hail-Bacchus Val Kilmer.jpg
 * Despite having lost his voice to throat cancer, Kilmer returns for #7.
 * 21
 * Kate Moss
 * 664,433
 * KateMoss.jpg
 * This week, supermodel Kate Moss testified in the... um...Johnny...trial...abuse...stairs...zzz... Amber...rain...stairs...zzz......HUH? What? What did I miss? Is the trial over yet?
 * 22
 * Anthony Albanese
 * 644,726
 * Anthony Albanese portrait (cropped).jpg
 * The leader of the Australian Labor Party was sworn in as Australia's 31st prime minister this week, and then immediately flew off to meet a bunch of other world leaders at the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.
 * 23
 * Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
 * 643,797
 * Igromir 2016 (29967018111).jpg
 * The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film has received a mixed response from audiences. Raimi's signature comically absurd body horror added flavor to the MCU shenanigans, but the writing and pacing have been criticized. The film has been commercially successful ($800 million and counting) but without a release in China is unlikely to break through the €1 billion worldwide gross mark.
 * 24
 * Andy Fletcher (musician)
 * 624,452
 * Andy Fletcher t.jpg
 * After Stranger Things and Doctor Strange, Strangelove, strange highs and strange lows in the recently deceased keyboardist of Depeche Mode.
 * 25
 * Travis Barker
 * 610,791
 * Travis Barker 2019 by Glenn Francis (cropped).jpg
 * I heard the Blink-182 drummer married a Cardassian. I may have misheard.
 * }
 * 22
 * Anthony Albanese
 * 644,726
 * Anthony Albanese portrait (cropped).jpg
 * The leader of the Australian Labor Party was sworn in as Australia's 31st prime minister this week, and then immediately flew off to meet a bunch of other world leaders at the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.
 * 23
 * Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
 * 643,797
 * Igromir 2016 (29967018111).jpg
 * The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film has received a mixed response from audiences. Raimi's signature comically absurd body horror added flavor to the MCU shenanigans, but the writing and pacing have been criticized. The film has been commercially successful ($800 million and counting) but without a release in China is unlikely to break through the €1 billion worldwide gross mark.
 * 24
 * Andy Fletcher (musician)
 * 624,452
 * Andy Fletcher t.jpg
 * After Stranger Things and Doctor Strange, Strangelove, strange highs and strange lows in the recently deceased keyboardist of Depeche Mode.
 * 25
 * Travis Barker
 * 610,791
 * Travis Barker 2019 by Glenn Francis (cropped).jpg
 * I heard the Blink-182 drummer married a Cardassian. I may have misheard.
 * }
 * 25
 * Travis Barker
 * 610,791
 * Travis Barker 2019 by Glenn Francis (cropped).jpg
 * I heard the Blink-182 drummer married a Cardassian. I may have misheard.
 * }
 * }