the buzz log

The Big Brother franchise is truly a global property. And no other show in the international series ranks as high in Search as "Pinoy Big Brother."

When "Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition 2" premiered this week, buzz on an already strong presence rose an impressive 282%. Queries for "pinoy big brother" landed in our top 1,200 searches, while generic "big brother" and the U.S. version, "big brother 8," remain mere distant cousins in buzz.

The popularity of "Pinoy Big Brother" is a welcome reminder for us that buzz isn't always sitting in our backyard. While queries for PBB register in smaller scales in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C., it's the tidal wave of international searches stemming from the Philippines that lifts "pinoy big brother" so high in our rankings.

Thus far, the biggest related spikes have been for contestants Riza Santos (+388%), a Miss Earth-finalist, and hunky model Victor Basa (+221%). Due to a slight language barrier, we can't offer play-by-play reports on the 11 other housemates holed up together on this outing of "PBB Celebrity Edition." Nevertheless, we are convinced that—no matter what language we speak—Search may yet reveal that voyeurism and celebrity obsession are innate in the human race.