the buzz log

In a week of untempered remarks and a freefalling economy, the Buzz took time to coo over secret weddings and July babies.

I'm Sorry, Were You Listening to Me Speak?
Once in a great while, the desire to speak freely takes over a politician—it's just the timing isn't always right. That impulse hit former aspiring presidential candidate Jesse Jackson when he threatened Barack Obama's machismo during a Fox News interview break. The reverend, whose searches catapulted more than 35,000%, issued multiple mea culpas. And while Obama accepted the apology, Jackson's own son wasn't so forgiving. Meanwhile, contender John McCain put a 10-foot pole between himself and remarks made by former senator (and current adviser) Phil Gramm, who described America as a "nation of whiners." McCain apparently learned from the jab wife Cindy gave him after his Iran cigarette wisecrack, something President George Bush could have benefited from before his G8 Summit joke, "goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."

In Case You Didn't Notice the Recession
In another sign that the recession gods are miffed, the Dow dropped to a new two-year low after worries over new oil price highs and the precarious positions of mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. More good news/bad news hit with a report that foreclosures this June were up 53% over June of 2007. As Congress inched closer this week to approving bailouts for homeowners, those trying to buy are finding lending practices far too onerous.

First Comes the Carriage...
OK! Magazine had a cover story with Jamie Lynn Spears revealing why motherhood is all worthwhile, without once mentioning the reported $1 million payoff for first pics of her baby. In new baby news, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban (this week's sole wedded parents) sprayed their girl with whipped cream, sprinkled nuts, and plopped down a maraschino cherry. Well, OK, they just named her Sunday (as in the day) after she was born on Monday. Camila Alves and Matthew McConaughey named their Monday child Levi. Meanwhile, please stop bothering Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

...Then the Celebrity Marriage (and Divorce)
DeAnna Pappas ended this season of "The Bachelorette" with her choice, but she doesn't have to stick with him—as 2003 "Bachelor" Andrew Firestone showed in marrying Ivana "no-I'm-not-Jen-Schefft" Bozilovic. Among higher ranking celebrities, secret weddings were in, as in singer Olivia Newton-John's two ceremonies on the sly and Ethan Hawke's June wedding to his kids' former nanny. Hawke's ex-wife, Uma Thurman, celebrated her recent engagement and retracted her "I'll never get married" vow, now taken up by newly divorced Christie Brinkley.

Filed under: Weddings, Politics, Celebrities, Recaps, Housing, Babies, Week in Review, Economics

"I now pronounce you spouses for life." With those words from San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, 87-year-old Del Martin and 83-year-old Phyllis Lyon wed... again.

Technically, the first words allowing their same-sex marriage came from the California Supreme Court on May 15, who ruled that "the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right (of marriage) to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual."

If the couple of 55 years had to save on wedding expenses, they could've safely cut wedding photographers and videographers. Local and national media, including the San Francisco Chronicle and KTVU, covered the ceremony and cake-cutting here and throughout California. As more gay and lesbian couples register to wed Tuesday, sites such as the California Report have created special pages to monitor the legal, nuptial, and social upheavals. Within the Buzz mix, different regions have been considering gay marriage's impact, whether it be the Midwest, Georgia, or California itself and its November face-off over a proposed marriage amendment.

The issue, at least in Search, had been in a lull the past two years, except for the spike surrounding the court ruling. Last week's online interest in "gay marriage" mainly hailed from California and New York.

On Monday, however, the term leapt up more than 200%, as searches from Missouri, Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio, and Michigan squeezed between these two coastal states. Texas rounded out the top 10 states, but surprisingly, Massachusetts didn't number among the top searchers. Perhaps Bay State newlyweds recognize that political triumphs don't always guarantee marital harmony, as the New York Times reported.

Other related terms spiking Monday included "gay rights activists" and "gay rights movement." Searchers for these terms, as well as "gay marriage" and "california gay marriage," were split evenly between females and males 13-64, with teens well-represented in this mix.

What do these numbers mean? Based on search spikes, the issue doesn't seem to resonate as strongly as it once did, except on special occasions. This could change as the marriage amendment and presidential vote draw nearer. In the meantime, expect San Francisco and the rest of the state to enjoy its 21st-century summer of love, complete with rose petals and protest signs.

Filed under: Weddings, San Francisco, Gay Marriage, Law, California