the buzz log
Buzz Week in Review
Not all was about financial lows and jittery panic this week. Good news slipped in among the black yawning chasm of bad news, as celebrities made pitches for motherhood, college football fans exulted in pigskin hotspots, and lawmakers got to yell at Wall Street executives. Here now is the week in Buzz.
The Economy Just Needs a Mud Bath
Timing is everything. The Buzz Log reported an incensed surge for "aig spa" searches, but no, not for recommendations. AIG, which may have to dip back in taxpayer pockets after last month's $85 billion bailout, was handed a clue during this week's Senate hearing, when lawmakers chewed out execs for a $440,000 spa trip to reward "top-performing" life insurance agents. The Wall Street firm cancelled another junket and the plan to pay for pricy ads to apologize. Now free: $400/night rooms available at the Ritz Carleton in California's Half Moon Bay. Still wanted: Apology.
Hot Magazine Mamas
Motherhood isn't just sexy, it's high fashion. Halle Berry, the Oscar winner who also tortured audiences as Catwoman, now wears the Esquire crown of Sexiest Woman Alive. Berry's acceptance essay pondered hip dysplasia, the ripe smell of her man's (Gabriel Aubry) car, and how she feels sexier after motherhood. Meanwhile, 2004 honoree Angelina Jolie has received props from advocates like La Leche League International for being W magazine's breastfeeding cover woman for November. No essay, but she talks up pregnancy and her beau Brad Pitt.
Something to Cheer About
At least there's always college football. USA Today lowered its head and ran with its list of "10 great places to stand and cheer college football." Among the stadiums, Neyland got kudos for passion, Husky for its views, and Camp Randall for its deep-fried cheddar balls.
Also buzzing this week ...
• A 92-year-old tradition ended in a sad pun when Mother's Cookies baked its last Circus Animal cookies. Even NPR couldn't resist the crumbling metaphor, when the private equity firms that bought the company three years ago now declared it bankrupt.
• Markets may fall, but the two wheels keep turning: The Economist reports pumped-up bike sales worldwide, thanks to gas prices and the battle of the bulge.
• Forget staycation. People hankering to get away from the madding crowd found budget travel sites devoted to the cause of relaxation.
Filed under: Football, Finance, Business, Celebrities, Transportation, Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, Week in Review, Cookies, Wrap Up
The Greatest Mustache of All
Voters have a big decision to make this fall. How big? Let's just say that it will largely determine the future of facial hair fashion. The choice: Who will win the 2008 Mustache of the Year Awards?
The award, also known as "the Goulet," is a big deal in certain circles. Folks place their votes with the American Mustache Institute, an organization dedicated to the advancement of the hairy lip. The award aims to recognize the most "impactful mustached American." This year's nominees include both treasured celebrities like swinging cat Pat O'Brien and "regular folks" like Sgt. Jon Alvarez of the U.S. Army. Other honorees include the entire staff of the Boston Phoenix newspaper, which implemented a mandatory mustache policy, and ex-baseball player Rich "Goose" Gossage, who has been rocking the 'stache for as long as we can remember.
Buzz on this prestigious award is building in anticipation of the October 25th ceremony. Articles from a variety of sources are picking up steam and searches on "mustache awards" and "best mustaches" refuse to be trimmed. The winner will be announced in a few weeks, so be sure to vote soon and have your voice heard. It's your patriotic duty.
Buzz Top 5
- "W magazine" (+8,647%). The fashion mag's November ogle-worthy issue has Angelina Jolie on the cover, "apparently breast feeding" one of her new-born twins, according to USA Today.
- "Neiman Marcus christmas book" (+1,366%). Dear Santa: All we want for Christmas is a limited-edition BMW. The $160,000 price tag looks almost reasonable compared to the Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course for a cool million. Buzz platinum users cruised over to the online catalog to take a look: Luckily, that's free.
- "Alexander McQueen" (+1,360%). The English high-fashion designer was trending up in Buzz after Project Runway judge Michael Kors told contestant Kenley that her wedding dress was a ringer for a McQueen design just off the runway. See for yourself.
- "Cheap weekend getaways" (+609%). Staycations are so last summer.
- "Mother's cookies" (+446%). Sentimental searches surged for the pink-frosted treats from childhood. The cookie company crumbled today, citing the cost of ingredients and the credit crunch, according to NPR.
Buzz Multiplex: Beefcakes on the Menu
Beefcake's the main entree served up at the Buzz Multiplex this weekend, with A-list actors and historical sports figure. Of course, movie offerings also include the tasty family-film appetizer amd the guilty pleasures of junk-food horror. Feast your eyes upon the top four menu options based on Searches in the past seven days.
1. "Quarantine" (R). Horror movies usually draw lots of online interest, especially from the kiddies too young to catch an R-rated flick about reality TV show hosts caught in a quarantined building. Likely destined for the DVD bargain bin, the movie's also getting some traffic for its site, Contain the Truth, as well as stars Jennifer Carpenter, Jay Hernandez, and Columbus Short.
2. "Body of Lies" (R). So what stirs people's curiosities when Leonardo DiCaprio pairs with Russell Crowe in a spy film? DiCaprio's offscreen and onscreen lady loves, including Bar Rafaeli, Kate Winslet (in "Titanic") and his current romantic lead, Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani (+96%). War on terror films have garnered mix reception, and this one gets mixed critical feedback like "excessively intricate and extremely dull" to "throat-gripping urgency and some serious insights." The title does intrigue males and females 13-54, enough to reach the top 5,000 searches and claim the honor of political family movie of the week.
3. "City of Ember" (PG-13). Inspired by the novel of nearly the same name, the fantasy delves into the lives of two teens who try to figure out how to save their dying underground city. A 38% chunk of online lookups hails from the under-18 set. Teen stars Saoirse Ronan and Harry Treadaway may save the day, but only Ronan's getting the time of day among searchers. Among the old-timers, Bill Murray and Tim Robbins have been getting a gratifying bump in their online profiles.
4. "The Express" (PG). Don't be deceived by the fourth-place ranking in Search: Lookups for "ernie davis" (+131%), the first black man to win the Heisman Trophy, are five times as popular as the movie and higher than "Quarantine." Davis is also more popular than DiCaprio, the top searched actor of the week. As for star Rob Brown, the relative newcomer is making only a tiny Search ripple, while Dennis Quaid as the coach gets more love. Guys (especially those from the Eastern shores of the U.S., Texas, and California) make up two-thirds of the interest for the we-shall-overcome-feel-good-historical-sports movie of the week.
Filed under: Movies, Football, Literature, Horror
Dress Code at the Voting Booth
Both Barack Obama and John McCain have passionate supporters. Oddly, on Election Day, that enthusiasm could work against the candidates.
According to several sources within Yahoo! Buzz, voters who wear a candidate's t-shirt to the polling place may be told to take a hike. NPR reports the law "requires poll workers to keep political displays away from the voting booth." A "political display" could include a shirt, button, hat, unitard, whatever.
This rule has been on the books for years, but some predict that this will be the first time it is widely enforced. Supporters for both parties, but especially those who back Obama, are known for wearing official shirts and buttons. If they show up to do their patriotic duty while adorned in such attire, there could be some drama.
Or maybe not. Other articles within the Buzz point out that, at worst, the poll worker could ask the voter to turn their shirt inside out or remove the button. Odds of a riot are extremely slim. Our advice: No matter who you're voting for, stick with a plain white t-shirt on November 4. Or, if you prefer, a non-political themed unitard.
Filed under: Elections, Barack Obama, John McCain
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oddest Jobs | Breakout! |
| 2 | Vivienne Marcheline And Knox Leon | Breakout! |
| 3 | Shwayze Song | Breakout! |
| 4 | Cell Phone Etiquette | Breakout! |
| 5 | Your Home Page | 17280% |
| 6 | W Magazine | 8647% |
| 7 | Christie Brinkley | 8361% |
| 8 | Selma Blair | 5953% |
| 9 | Nashville Star | 2758% |
| 10 | Neiman Marcus Christmas Book | 1365% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leryn Franco | +244 | 456 |
| 2 | Holly Madison | +288 | 351 |
| 3 | Halloween Costumes | -17 | 222 |
| 4 | Hi-5 | +8 | 220 |
| 5 | Kellie Pickler | +101 | 200 |
| 6 | Jamie Lynn Spears | +80 | 180 |
| 7 | NFL | +0 | 136 |
| 8 | Barack Obama | -1 | 119 |
what's the buzz?
A subject's buzz score is the percentage of Yahoo! users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant to make the number easier to read. Weekly leaders are the subjects with the greatest average buzz score for a given week.
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