the buzz log

A beauty queen with a cause. A torturous debate between talking heads. And a blunder from Joe Biden. It was a week of words on the Web. Join us for a look back at those stories and more with the Buzz Week in Review.

Miss California goes to Washington
Carrie Prejean was the face of California. But now Miss California has become the poster child for marriage between a man and a woman. Miss California buzzed up to national news at the Miss USA competition after she gave her opinion on gay marriage (she's against it). Searches on the beauty queen surged over 1,000% in this week alone. Her denouncement caused an uproar and most likely cost Miss Cali her chance at the Miss USA crown. Now the runner-up is number one with marriage defense groups, and she's crusading across the country to defend "traditional marriage." Pageant officials, meanwhile, were miffed that the beauty queen is neglecting her official duties.

War of words
TV show pundits tend to be all talk. But a prime-time war between MSNBC's liberal Keith Olbermann and Fox's polar opposite Sean Hannity has become torture. Really. The TV hosts hold opposing views on waterboarding: Hannity doesn't think it's torture, Olbermann does. Their dispute may lead them to put their money where their mouths are. Sean Hannity offered to undergo waterboarding—for a good cause. Olbermann volunteered to apply the advanced interrogation technique. If it doesn't really sound like good fun, it would at least be for charity. Olbermann seems just a little too eager to try out this procedure he supposedly hates, but Hannity hasn't taken up his competitor's offer. Yet.

Foot in mouth disease
Yes, everyone is worried about the global spread of the H1N1 flu (swine flu), but in the president's 100-day press conference this week, the unflappable Obama told us not to panic. One guy who definitely did not get the message was veep Joe Biden. The second-in-command made an off-the-cuff remark that he had advised his family to stay off planes and subways for fear of infection. Immediately, searches on "joe biden" and "joe biden swine flu" surged. The airline industry reacted in outrage, and administration staff quickly clarified his remarks.

Also buzzing this week…
• A parrot who can boogie is catching buzz—and scientists say proves that birds got beat.
• Sarah Jessica Parker's latest accessory: A surrogate to carry her twin girls.
• And finally, get your latest updates on the H1N1 flu here.