the buzz log

File this under the Halloween Tricks or Treats: Once again, three politicians made the top 10 most searched personalities this month. Considering all the campaign spending and debating and "Saturday Night Live"-ing they had to do, they deserve it.  Ponder also how the Dow proved manic-depressive and baseball pitted underdog against underdog, in this overview of October searches on Yahoo!.

Debates, Infomercials, and Plumbing Issues
When a political candidate calls his own 30-minute ad an infomercial, you know we're near the end of the slog. October politicking, however, started with a long-awaited meeting of the minds—okay, a rubbernecking event to see which political vice presidential pick would implode first. More bickering followed, in which one name stood above all: Joe the Plumber. The media lavished attention on the undecided, but searches surged for "early voting," "absentee ballots," local polling locales, and last-minute registration.

Losing Interest
Bailouts turned into multiple rescue plans this month, as the U.S. government made an unprecedented move to inject cash into banks. A benumbed public had the energy to summon up one more burst of outrage against AIG's spa retreat, and triggered the beleaguered company's profile to leap 656% into the top 300 searches. Meanwhile, the Dow whipsawed historic turnabouts. The Fed cut the interest rate to 1%, but at least one blogger is zeroing in on nothing.

Willies Over the Phillies
What a game, watching the Chicago Cubs go against the defending Red Sox champions, in a match that... excuse me, what? Um, so this season's performance will be brought to you by the understudies. The boys from Philadelphia and Tampa played a nice, albeit lopsided game. Blame it on the rain, but the series made trivia as the lowest-rated in history. Online nostalgia meanwhile pumped up for series 1906 and 1956.

October 2008 Fastest Movers in Search
Search Terms with the Biggest Percentage Changes

1. If I Were a Boy (+67,708%. Beyonce takes on gender issues in her newest single.)
2. Sophie Okonedo (+441,537%. The Oscar-nominated actress opened in "The Secret Life of Bees.")
3. Early Voting Locations (+41,706%. See above.)
4. Kristin Scott Thomas (+39,463%. The actress got critics' tongues wagging with her prison take in the French release "I've Loved You So Long")
5. 2008 World Series Schedule (+535,864%. See above)
6. Howard Stern Wedding (+26,706%. The radio show host exchanged rings with galpal at a New York restaurant)
7. Pumpkin Seed Recipe (+22,437%. Halloween hysteria monopolized searches this month, as did gourd recipes.)
8. Bernard Hopkins (+19,125%. Another scrappy Philly, "The Executioner" proved 43 can still be tough when he schooled 26-year-old Kelly Pavlik.)
9. Pumpkin Designs (+18,166%. Even Jack-O'-Lanterns went political this season.)
10. California Fires (+18,111%%. The annual Santa Ana winds spread wildfires in southern California.)

October 2008 Top 10 Personalities
People with the Most Searches Overall

1. Sarah Palin (+13,527%)
2. Britney Spears (-20%)
3. Obama (+42%)
4. Jennifer Hudson (+448%)
5. Miley Cyrus (-40%)
6. Gina Carano (+112%)
7. Angelina Jolie (+84%)
8. Jessica Alba (+8%)
9. Kim Kardashian (-2%)
10. John McCain (+8%)

Filed under: Politics, Boxing, Monthly Wrapup, Baseball, Elections, Presidents, Wrap Up, World Series

Boxing has lost its allure in the U.S., but that doesn't mean individual fighters don't have strong followings. Take boxer Manny Pacquiao. The favorite son of the Philippines, Pacquiao is a sure bet to belt the Buzz whenever he steps in the ring. After his weekend knockout of Jorge Solis, the Super Featherweight champ became a Buzz heavyweight.

Searches on the beloved boxer jumped 350% over the last week, and he's punched his way into our top 5 sports searches. Over 45 Pacquiao related queries battered the Buzz after he retained his belt. Searchers who didn't shell out to pay for the fight looked for "pacquiao vs solis result," "manny pacquiao latest news," and "pacquiao solis video." Fight fans from around the world also were busy looking for "manny pacquiao pictures," "manny pacman pacquiao," and "manny pacquiao video."

We checked searches emanating from the Philippines, and found that while Manny is among the top sports searches here, over there he's #1. Not just in sports, but overall. The top search. Not bad for a featherweight.

Filed under: Sports, Boxing, Manny Pacquiao

It's hard to believe that it was more than 30 years ago that Muhammad Ali was at the peak of his career and one of the most well-known figures in the world. During Ali's Rumble in the Jungle with George Foreman, the crowds in Kinshasa chanted "Ali! Bumaye!" and not a soul in the world doubted that Muhammad Ali was truly the greatest of all time. Despite whispers of ailing health due to Parkinson's disease, several recent signs confirm that his greatness endures.

This week, Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Bush's award renewed already healthy interest in the boxer and punched up searches on "ali" (+13%), "muhammad ali" (+30%), and related queries.

Bells are ringing in the Buzz for Ali's daughter Laila as well. A great boxer herself -- 21 wins, 18 knockouts, no losses -- she hits hard both in the ring and in the Search box. Queries on "laila ali" are up 242% this week. We can point a glove at rumors about Laila Ali's love life for much of that buzz. Here again, she seems to be a lot like her father, both in and out of the ring.

With an upcoming dedication ceremony at the new Muhammad Ali Center and no shortage of books and movies covering his legendary career, we're confident that the Greatest of All Time will continue to knock us out for many more rounds.

Filed under: Sports, Boxing, Muhammad Ali