the buzz log
Strollers in the City: It’s Twin Girls for Sarah Jessica Parker
What with all the brou-ha-ha over the reality trainwreck "Jon and Kate Plus 8" stars announcing plans to divorce, you could easily overlook the birth of just two. Just. "Sex and the City" actress Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick welcomed twin girls, immediately sending Web searches on "sarah jessica parker" soaring.
If you're thinking that you hadn't noticed a baby bump on skinny SJP: You're right. The couple, who made public their challenges in expanding their family (they also have a six-year-old son), had decided to engage a surrogate.
The woman carrying the twins became a subject of unwanted media attention after their decision was made public. The glare of the Paparrazi led to the investigation of two police chiefs for burglarizing her Ohio house in a quest for juicy tidbits to sell to the tabloids. Yikes.
But all's well that end's well. E! Online reports that the babies are named Marion Loretta Elwell Broderick and Tabitha Hodge Broderick—family names from Parker's side—and are "doing beautifully."
While we're sure the celebu-family would shun a reality TV show, we're thinking the twins might have a series of their own someday. "Second Graders in the City," anyone?
Filed under: Actors
Kristen Stewart: What’s With the Hair?
Not every movie star has to compete with her costar for best hair. We hardly remember to look at "Twilight" actress Kristen Stewart when lush-locked Robert Pattinson is anywhere near.
But this new Stewart 'do seems like a serious fashion don't. The kinder posts have likened the style to Joan Jett's famously choppy cut, but it sure looks like a mullet to us.
If you can't imagine the "New Moon" celeb walking into a hair salon and requesting the "Joan Jett," there is a reason for the hairstyle. Stewart will play the rocker in the upcoming biopic "The Runaways." What we do for our art.
People.com asked fans to weigh in on the cropped cut, and comments run the gamut. There's the distressed: "The new hairstyle is a total, epic fail" (ouch). And the more understanding: "I don't like it for her but I think it's great for the part." The gossip site Hecklerspray holds nothing back, calling Stewart's style "half tatty scarecrow mullet and half barely-alive lawnmower-mangled crow." C'mon guys, tell us what you really think.
Buzz about the star is topping the charts. One-day searches on "kristen stewart" were spiking almost 500%.
Love it or hate it, the new 'do sure has our attention.
Buzz Multiplex: Funniest Men This Summer
This season looks like a generational hand-off period, with movies pairing the likes of boys-at-heart Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, or the oddball pairing of sweetly frenzied Jack Black with sweetly deadpan Michael Cera.
But the old(er) guys still get their share of laughs and popularity. Be amused, be very very amused, with the top 10 funnymen in fairweather films out now (or out soon).
Top 10 Funnymen This Summer Movie Season,
past 30 days based on Yahoo! searches
- Sacha Baron Cohen ("Bruno," July 10). His "Borat" blast left a nation either in an uproar or in uproarious laughter. Cohen has once again set the punk'd bar high — or low — with his posterior plant on Eminem during the MTV Movie Awards. Will there be one more stunt before Bruno's big-screen debut? Keep your eyes peeled.
- Ryan Reynolds ("The Proposal," June 19). A little nepotism might come into play for Reynold's Web appeal — after all, he can call Scarlett Johansson the little missus. Onscreen, his romantic comedy unites him with the reigning first lady of the genre: Sandra Bullock. Another reason for Reynold's popularity: People, wanting to know how to get his "Blade:Trinity" abs, have been searching for "ryan reynolds workout."
- Will Ferrell ("Land of the Lost," June 5). He helped Conan O'Brien in his new time slot. He contended with Bear Grillys on "Man vs. Wild." Ferrell's one of the rare "SNL" superstars, and his remake of TV schlock into big-budget gold proves his box-office alchemy. But he should watch out for costar Danny McBride, who's gaining a following of his own.
- Adam Sandler ("Funny People," July 31). Sandler as a famous, embittered stand-up with a deadly illness? With Judd Apatow as director and Sandler's gross-out brand of humor, expect a do-or-die experience. No matter how he ages, Sandler manages to retain the male youth audience, and his costars Rogen (#9) and Jonah Hill ("Superbad") make a scarily fitting match.
- Ben Stiller ("Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," May 22). The son of TV icons Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, Stiller has always managed to surround himself with top-flight actors, creating modern classics like "There's Something About Mary." His writing's stronger than his acting chops, as proven in mega-hit "Tropic Thunder." Stiller's museum pieces are more feel-good family nods than knee-slappers, but he'll always be a part of comic history.
- Bradley Cooper ("The Hangover," June 5). His movie's billed as an Apatow alternative, but he's also been getting attention for being the good-looking comic cad, most notably in "The Wedding Crashers." He started off a decade ago in "Sex and the City" and has done steady work ever since, but this one may kick him into a new comedy realm.
- Eddie Murphy ("Imagine That," June 12). The third "SNL" alum on the list, Murphy's transition from "Raw" comic to family man has included fat suits, stinker movies, and Oscar-worthy musical numbers along the way. His gig as a financial exec who enters his daughter's imaginary world sounds like a sweetheart deal.
- Seth Rogen ("Funny People," July 31). Frank Capra had his Jimmy Stewart, Martin Scorcese has Robert DeNiro, and Apatow has Seth Rogen. Call the schlub a charmer, a freak, a geek, or a muse, but Rogen's run has been hot...in that awkward, stumbling, doped-up kind of way. Now as a Sandler protege, his reign over boy audiences will be complete.
- Mos Def ("Next Day Air," May 8). Okay, so Mos Def isn't really known as a funnyman (except among Dave Chappelle fans), but his all-around talent as a music artist and dramatic actor ("Cadillac Records," "The Woodsman") makes Dante Terrell Smith a contender (and an award nominee) wherever he goes.
- Michael Cera ("Year One," June 19). The yin to everyone's yang, Cera (who turns 21 on June 7) has managed to be a romantic lead (and a fertile one in "Juno"), a male-bonding partner ("SuperBad"), and a presence to look out for. He matches wits — or something — with Jack Black as they remake history.
Hunk-O-Rama Roundup
Summer blockbuster season hovers like a mutant from a helicopter and that means no better time for a hunk-o-rama roundup. What are the qualifications for hunkdom?
- Command online interest, as determined by number of searches in the past 30 days.
- Star in a movie with a spring/summer premiere. (Sorry, Matt Damon and Dwayne Johnson.)
- Execute a punch, crash a vehicle, glower balefully or dance real pretty...all without intended comic effect. (Sorry, Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen.)
- Be a man. (Sorry, Beyonce and Angelina Jolie.)
- Be in "Twilight," even though the sequel's not due until November. (Sorry, non-"Twilight"-ers.)
Now let's hunker down and get to the list:
- Robert Pattinson. As the movie's moody and glistening vampire, Pattinson hasn't budged from the top 100 searches on Yahoo! since " Twilight" migrated from book shelves to big screen. Even his fanged alter ego Edward Cullen's searches would have merited a No. 7 placement. We don't argue with bloodsuckers.
- Zac Efron. Another pretty boy, Efron got honors graduating from Disney cable to the multiplex. His latest, "17 Again" (April 17), not only kicked once-hunk Russell Crowe ("State of Play") to the curb, but also booted Miley Cyrus from the box-office top spot. Smooth moves.
- Brad Pitt. For a while there, the Sexiest Man Alive of 1995 and 2000 was downsized to Angelina Jolie's partner, but his stud roots do go all the way back to "Thelma and Louise." Now with renewed Oscar nominee cred, he'll be the great blond hope to restore director Quentin Tarantino's credibility in WWII action flick "Inglourious Basterds" (August 21).
- Jamie Foxx. Foxx is classic Hollywood, given his range in stand-up ("In Living Color"), music ("Dreamgirls" and a recording career), and drama (matching only Al Pacino with a double Oscar nom in one year for "Collateral" and "Ray"). "The Soloist" (April 24) is the rare serious entry in a frothy blockbuster summer, but he has the guts to pull it off.
- John Cena. The longest-running WWE world heavyweight champ followed The Rock into movie land, and brought his famous "attitude adjustment" technique to crowd-pleasers like "12 Rounds" (March 27). The ultimate entertainer (he even raps) really showed his muscle on an NPR quiz show.
- Taylor Lautner. Our second "Twilight" hunk, this karate-trained actor shows his lupine charms as the Native American Jacob Black. He's buffing up for the "New Moon" sequel by attending wolf camp. Yes, yes, all the girls will howl.
- Vin Diesel. Ol' Vinny's hot streak cooled off some in his last three movies, but his loss is "Fast & Furious" (April 3) fanboys' gain. Eight years may have gone by since the original, but his bald pate, gargling-with-gravel voice, and forearms of steel haven't changed a bit. Now that the ol' gang's back, maybe audiences will give "Find Me Guilty" another shot. Viesel, take the wheel.
- Johnny Depp. Deep down, we have a sneaking suspicion that Depp's kind of like Cary Grant—he just plays variations of himself over and over. Still, we get suckered for his aloof charm every time. He'll pull the wool over our eyes again as outlaw John Dillinger in "Public Enemies" (July 1).
- Channing Tatum. Tatum was the Robert Pattinson of 2006, grinding on the dance floor in "Step Up." The sequel didn't quite deliver the same oomph, but he got serious in the critically well-received "Stop-Loss." He's unleashing himself this season in three movies: "Fighting" (April 23), "Public Enemies" and "G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra" (August 7). With that line-up, Tatum can afford to sit pretty for a while.
- Daniel Radcliffe. Some of us prefer our hunks bespectacled and astride a broom. Radcliffe carved his place in movie history with the "Harry Potter" series, but dared to break away with a theatrical run of the disturbing "Equus." "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (July 15) will hit theaters just eight days shy of his 20th birthday.
- Hugh Jackman. Who knew that within the beefcake beat the heart of a ham? The Aussie admitted this back in 2006, and proved it on Broadway, in the puffy failed epic "Australia," and his Oscars hosting gig. But once he dons the pointy hair and claws, he's a ragin' bull. Well, unless "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (May 1) bombs. But he'll always have Sexiest Man Alive.
- Jason Statham. So, at the risk of repeating ourselves, we're going to repeat ourselves: "Crank" had no business being remade, except for promoting Statham's star power. "Crank 2: High Voltage" (April 17) confirmed the Brit's reign as the world's biggest B-movie action star. And what other man can complain about doing a sex scene with Amy Smart, yet have no aspersions cast upon his manhood? Go ahead, do it. To his face. We dare you.
Filed under: Movies, Actors, Celebrities
Buzz Multiplex: Statham Cranks Up the Love
Most Searched Movies on Yahoo!, Opening This Weekend
- "Crank: High Voltage" (R)
- "17 Again" (PG-13)
- "State of Play" (PG-13)
Political thriller "State of Play" may be the most thoughtful offering, and "17 Again" star Zac Efron may be prettier to look at than "Crank" lead Jason Statham (judging from the tenfold lead the boy's got in searches on Yahoo! over the past week). But, Statham's the one who is bringing the action to the Buzz Multiplex. Scenes unscreened, "Crank: High Voltage" pulls in double the Search interest of Efron's memory-lane re-do.
Profile of a He-Man
So what is it about Statham that draws panting parallels to being "a force of nature" and "the world's biggest B-movie star"? That his equal-opportunity (45% female/55% male split in "jason statham" searches) makes him the perfect date-movie compromise? That the former perfume seller's is searched along with peers like Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon, Josh Duhamel and Eric Bana? That when he complains about doing a sex scene, men actually weep and form Statham "Simulated Sex is Hard" support groups? (Ok, maybe just weep. Quietly.)
Yes, his movies of late require a brain-check at the door (Statham himself reviews his highs and lows with EW). But the Washington Times describes his potency as "the rakish European suave of Sean Connery, the cocky confidence of a rap star, the martial-arts skills of Jet Li, the receding hairline of Bruce Willis," updated for an Xbox generation.
Check out Television Without Pity's wish list of remakes that Statham should do. Our addition: Wesley Snipes' classic "To Wong Foo." Who wouldn't want to see Statham do a turning side kick in a nice dress and heels? Weigh in with your own Statham star vehicle, below.
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Worst Airports For Delays 2009 | Breakout! |
| 2 | How To Survive A Recession | Breakout! |
| 3 | Ice Cream Calorie Counter | Breakout! |
| 4 | Jayson Williams | Breakout! |
| 5 | Alexandra Kerry | Breakout! |
| 6 | Chaz Bono | 10707% |
| 7 | Kelly Osbourne | 3298% |
| 8 | Jennifer Hudson | 3218% |
| 9 | Nicole Richie | 2075% |
| 10 | Thierry Henry | 1125% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Friday | +413 | 1016 |
| 2 | Elizabeth Lambert | -677 | 263 |
| 3 | NFL | +66 | 235 |
| 4 | New Moon | +74 | 213 |
| 5 | Bing | +83 | 209 |
| 6 | Kelly Osbourne | +193 | 199 |
| 7 | Hulu | +7 | 139 |
| 8 | Nicole Richie | +124 | 130 |
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.
For more detailed information, visit our FAQ.