the buzz log
Court TV: Sotomayor Stumped
The Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor may be a "wise Latina," but she needs to review her TV triva, stat.
Sen. Al Franken (formerly of comedic fame) finally found a line of questioning that floored the otherwise unflappable high-court candidate: A test of her childhood love for the TV drama about defense lawyer "Perry Mason."
The former TV show comic brought up the TV show to the nominee. And Perry Mason style, his aim was a "gotchya" moment. The question was simply: Perry Mason won all his cases, except one. Which? Sotomayor drew a blank. "Didn't the White House prepare you for that?" Franken asked. Oh, snap.
Amazingly, the White House actually did respond with the answer Sotomayor flubbed: "The Case of the Deadly Verdict," which aired on Oct. 17, 1963. (For the record, Franken didn't know the answer either—which is why he claimed he asked.)
We're guessing the judge won't forget that episode anytime soon.
Filed under: TV, Supreme Court
Sonia Sotomayor: No More Clubbing
First, the Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, was pilloried by some on the right who called her a "reverse racist." Then, the Latina judge from the Bronx faced more criticism for being part of an exclusive women's club. So rather than letting that little gem become yet another comment-bomb during the confirmation process, the nominee quit her membership with the Belizean Grove.
According to the AP, Sotomayor admitted to being a member, but had defended her participation in the all-women's club because it did not practice "invidious discrimination," since men attended events and no man had ever wanted to join.
She might have added that the elite women's club was a response to the elite men's Bohemian Club, the one that the ex-presidents join. On its website, the female version bills itself as: "A constellation of influential women who are key decision makers in the profit, non-profit and social sectors." And yes, they do travel to Belize.
The Belizean Grove dropout can comfort herself with this: Although she can't be a part of her women's club, if she gets through the confirmation process, she'll be a part of the most exclusive group in the land: the Supreme Court.
Filed under: Politics, Supreme Court
May 2009 Buzz and June Forecast
Despite automakers hurtling towards bankruptcy court and unemployment lines breaking quarter-century records, a strange unfamiliar air of optimism wafted in as economists spoke of an end to the recession, swine flu proved less deadly, and even the Hubble Telescope got a tune-up. In lighter news, runner-ups became front-page news (but winners still count on the sports pages). Here now the buzz that was, May 2009 edition, followed by a June buzz forecast:
On the Docket This Month
Given Guantanamo's legal complications, President Barack Obama's pick for Supreme Court justice pick must've been a walk in the park. Sonia Sotomayor, a George H.W. Bush's appellate-judge appointee, was the only person on Obama's short list that he "didn't know personally," but their legal minds turned out to be in accord. More reluctant candidates for the court system were automakers Chrysler and GM, and their bankrupcty woes have rippled to dealerships across North America. Meanwhile, California's Proposition 8 proponents prevailed in the state's Superior Court, but the same-sex marriage issue is making strange legal bedfellows: The opposing lawyers in Bush v. Gore have filed a federal lawsuit arguing same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional.
The Race for Second Place
Double trouble, Susan Boyle bubbled in a meltdown over mean reporters. Human reaction aside, her Cinderella tale set the world abuzz, and her runner-up status on "Britain's Most Talented" put her in "contrarian" company with odds-on favorite Adam Lambert on "American Idol." Their drama though couldn't quite compare to Miss California Carrie Prejean and her soapy drama involving missing tops in lingerie photos, pageant master Donald Trump's forgiveness, and past pageant contestants expressing outrage (resigning Miss California pageant director Shanna Moakler) and support (Alaska governor Sarah Palin). The only time winning counted was the ring with Manny Pacquiao, at the races with Kentucky Derby's longshot Mine That Bird and the Preakness's first-time filly winner (in 85 years) Rachel Alexandra, and in "Jon & Kate Plus 8" ratings thanks to dysfunction gone tabloid.
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Fastest Moving Search Terms (biggest percentage changes compared to April)
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Most Searched Terms
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Will Gay Pride Month may get marriage-minded (June 1-30)... Conan gets to sleep earlier (1)... Not just another graduation speech for Barack Obama (4) ... The Belmont Stakes are high (6)... Salute the flag (14) ... Expect energetic conversation at the EU Summit (18-19) ... Leave the ties at the store for Poppa (25)... Dubious honors for ugly canine mugs (26).
Filed under: Reality TV, American Idol, Politics, Supreme Court, Celebrities, Monthly Wrapup, Recaps, Horse Racing, Gay Marriage, Wrap Up
Is Sotomayor the First (or Second) Hispanic Pick for the Supreme Court?
Sonia Sotomayor, President Barack Obama's pick to fill David Souter's seat, could be the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court. That is, unless legal scholars get picky about defining one Benjamin Cardozo as Hispanic.
Legal-minded searchers haven't forgotten Justice Cardozo, who sat on the bench from 1932 to 1938. But his Portuguese heritage gives him the ethnicity asterisk: The Washington Post calls him the "disputed Justice Benjamin Cardozo" on the subject, although outlets like National Journal and The Wall Street Journal ask if Herbert Hoover beat Obama to the historic punch.
Hispanic civil rights organizations like The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and National Council of La Raza are calling Sotomayor "The One." Columnist Ruben Navarrette hedged his bets earlier this month by paying his respects to the "New Yorker of Portuguese heritage" and then calling for a fresh Latino face.
So does Cardozo deserve his place in identity-politics history? Let's look at his lineage, courtesy of his biographer: The Portuguese part of his Portuguese and Jewish ancestry is the stuff of "family legend," but without firm documentation. His forebears do boast names like Mendes, Gomez, Riveiro, and Navarro. Plus, they went a roundabout route via the Netherlands and merry ol' England before heading to the 13 colonies.
Of course, the whole "Hispanic" question itself can be a little messy: The Census outlines the term's definition, then gets a little vague on the matter by leaving people to self-identify. National Journal took a shot at defining the demographic when George W. Bush had to find someone to fit the black robes (No. 43 appointed John Roberts and Samuel Alito during his term).
Whatever Cardozo's heritage, at least his fascinating history gets a second look. According to Wikipedia, he was apparently so well-regarded that Justice Harlan Fiske Stone offered to resign to make room for him. And not only was he a Democratic appointed by a Republican president, but he was a twin. That ought to be a first.
As for Puerto Rican Sotomayor, the woman who grew up in a Bronx housing project gets to be the first Latina considered for the highest court in the land. That's almost better than her earlier title as the "Baseball Savior." Almost.
Filed under: Politics, Supreme Court, Legal Cases, Barack Obama
Does Memory Serve Justice?
It's not often that buzz gets all high and justice-minded. So when searches on Justice Clarence Thomas (+97%) started to rise, we passed a swift judgment. Something salacious must be going on! Turns out, we prejudged the situation. Thomas' new biography (+69%), "My Grandfather's Son," is the real reason for the searches.
Served up with a $1.5 million advance, Thomas' book is stirring more than new searches—it's also opening up old wounds in the case of his "mediocre employee" Anita Hill (+18%), the woman who accused Thomas of sexual harassment 16 years ago. She's by no means sitting idly by as Thomas finally recounts his version of his senate confirmation hearings, as her recent op-ed in the New York Times bears witness. Other related searches in the Buzz include "supreme court justices" (+31%) and "thurgood marshall" (+22%), who Thomas replaced in 1991.
Still, the book's release means it's Thomas' moment in the spotlight. For his conservative fans, now may be the time for the judge to get the respect he deserves. For critics, Thomas' memoir offers a deeper look inside the man they love to hate.
Filed under: Supreme Court, Books, Law
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford 400 | Breakout! |
| 2 | Indonesia Ferry | Breakout! |
| 3 | Jordan Chandler | 3481% |
| 4 | Evan Chandler | 2322% |
| 5 | American Music Awards | 1841% |
| 6 | John F. Kennedy | 1529% |
| 7 | Turkey Stuffing Recipes | 1361% |
| 8 | Liam Hemsworth | 1172% |
| 9 | Lou Dobbs | 1142% |
| 10 | Hendrick Motorsports | 888% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Friday | +340 | 1290 |
| 2 | NFL | +489 | 670 |
| 3 | Jennifer Lopez | +451 | 515 |
| 4 | New Moon | -67 | 250 |
| 5 | American Music Awards | +236 | 249 |
| 6 | UFC | -36 | 239 |
| 7 | Miley Cyrus | +66 | 169 |
| 8 | Hulu | -11 | 154 |
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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