the buzz log

Some rumors start slow and build. Others hit the Web hard, seemingly out of nowhere. That's how the latest zinger came at us. Without any perceptible warning, we were blasted with buzz that actors Duane Martin and Tisha Campbell-Martin were divorcing because he is gay.

Is it true? We have no idea. Media Take Out seems to have inflamed it. Many blogs reject it. TMZ—usually a font of tawdry celebri-news—won't touch it. Regardless, the Web is aflame with the idea. Over the past week, searches for "duane martin and tisha campbell divorce" pitched upward more than 1,200%.

And it didn't stop there. Demand for "duane martin divorce," "duane martin gay," and "duane martin comes out" rushed the Search box like paparazzi at La Lohan. Buzz on "tisha campbell divorce" swelled 225%. Lookups of "duane martin gay rumors" proliferated.

Some searchers did pause to inquire politely: "is duane martin gay" (+130%). Others took the time to investigate what exactly Mrs. Martin looks like, boosting "tisha campbell-martin pics" upwards 266%. Maybe that will clear things up. Or maybe, if Duane and Tisha are lucky, a new rumor will have hit by now—and searchers will be off after a fresher slice of hearsay.