the buzz log
Stick It, Flanders! Simpsons’ Stamps Unveiled
First there was the top-rated TV show. Then there was the blockbuster movie. Now there's, wait for it, stamps. Stamps? That's right. The Simpons' are finally getting the recognition they deserve. In thumbprint-sized, adhesive form. Mmmm, adhesive.
You may remember stamps from previous activities like bill paying. Thank-you note writing. Wedding RSVP-ing. The Simpons' stamps are the perfect way to say: I could have gone for something classy, but didn't. D'oh!
The 44-cent stamps of sticky goodness have each of the five electric-yellow faces of the animated family. You can even vote for your preferred character at the post office website. (More of a Homer fan? Bart may want a word with you).
America's favorite dysfunctional family may be getting this honor for outlasting, outplaying, and out-annoying viewers for 20 long years. Maybe in another 20 they'll get their own molecule. Excellent.
Election Collection, What's Your Affection?
I'm just a bill. Yes, I'm only a bill, and I sit here on Capitol Hill.
If those words have triggered an incessant yet pleasurable hum in your brain, you belong to a generation exposed to Atari video games, Shaun Cassidy, jelly sneakers (when they appeared the first time around), and "Schoolhouse Rock."
Musical cartoon shorts or "educational interstitials," the '70s-era "Schoolhouse Rock" comprised enlightened breaks between Scooby Doo adventures and Bugs Bunny reruns, and put topics like multiplication, grammar, and history to a jazzy uptempo or moody folk beat. Culling from that vast repertoire, Disney (which now owns the cartoons) has repackaged an election special DVD this week, to help a new generation get in tune during a presidential year and induce random lyrical outbreaks among older folks.
Oh, we were suffering until suffrage.
Not a woman here could vote no matter what age,
until the 19th Amendment struck down that restrictive rule.
Oh yeah!
As with all seemingly good acts, ABC's motives to air "Schoolhouse" weren't entirely pure: Consumer activists rebelled against the inordinate advertising time on Saturday mornings targeting kids, and the FCC decreed children's programming had to have an educational component (a ruling lifted during the Reagan years).
Oh, elbow room, elbow room,
Got to, got to get us some elbow room.
It's the west or bust, in God we trust,
there's a new land out there...
After a long absence, rock versions of the songs were released, Disney bought the franchise, and attempts at a musical have been made. While the math and grammar lessons still hold up, Time magazine's TV blog Tuned In took Tuesday's DVD release to muse about these segments as a post-Watergate "kind of socio-political time capsule," and how they couldn't perhaps be made today.
We're gonna elect a president! (No more kings)
He's gonna do what the people want! (No more kings)
We're gonna run things our way! (No more kings)
Nobody's gonna tell us what to do!
All the more reason to brainwash a new generation, although serious reviews suggest getting the comprehensive 30th Anniversary edition, released in 2002. After all, in any good election year, you also got to know some choice interjections.
Hallelujah. Yea.
Filed under: TV, Politics, Videos, Animation, Cartoons, Kids, Animated Characters, Elections
Buzz Multiplex: A Knight's Tale
Swedish pop counterprogramming sounds like a good idea, but it's safe to say that "Mamma Mia!" (PG-13)—and the "DVD-destined "Space Chimps" (G) combined—won't have the throngs that a long-awaited, much-searched comic-book thriller will amass. In any other week, making the top 2,000 searches would be respectable, but a singing Meryl Streep probably won't attract the disappointed dregs who couldn't score Batman tickets. Then again, there could be spontaneous singing in the ticket lines, if the rising interest in "abba lyrics" (+239%) is any warning.
A darkness, however, has shrouded the Buzz Multiplex, to the hysterical delight of audiences. The question isn't whether "The Dark Knight" (PG-13) will sweep past "Iron Man" (pre-premiere searches for the Batman movie searches just edged past what the Robert Downey Jr. vehicle commanded before its May 2 opening). It's whether Nolan's vision will blow Spidey records, a feat perhaps limited only by running time (152 minutes) and number of theaters (4366).
From the mind of "Memento" director (well, also his brother and the guy who wrote the "Blade" series) comes a comic-book noir thriller that, among other things, delves into America's war on terror and a what-if ethical dilemma called the Trolley Problem. Nolan and titular actor Christian Bale may have resuscitated Batman but it is the late Heath Ledger who breathes life into this big-screen outing. His online appeal surpasses that of the entire stellar cast combined, including Bale, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cillian Murphy, and Gary Oldman. Although Ledger reaps most of the rapturous accolades, his villainy is not the only one: People have also been looking up "dark knight two face" and "batman scarecrow."
All this frothing adoration has yielded a not-unexpected dark side: The few film critics who dare to sound any low notes, most notably New York Magazine critic David Edelstein, have suffered fanboy attacks. Others who may need a protector include those from the Washington Post ("Ledger the only bright spot in a dull tale"), the Sacramento Bee (the movie "never reaches Ledger's level" or that of "Batman Begins..."), and the Wall Street Journal ("muddled plot"). If it's any consolation to these professionals, people have been seeking "reviews," perhaps likely to confirm that this is indeed the most lauded movie of 2008, if not of any big-screen comic-book adventure.
"The Dark Knight" is sure to be among the select few films to linger in theaters. Still, given the fervor, latecomers might want to get advanced tickets for the next few weekends... and learn a few lines of "dancing queen" (+25%), just in case.
Filed under: Movies, Batman, Comic Books, Space, Cartoons, Musicals, Monkeys
Buzz Multiplex: Kill or Be Cute
Yin-yang rules the Buzz Multiplex this week in another double-release, as well-intentioned assassins face down a lovable trash compactor. This could get ugly-cute.
1. "Wanted" (R). The massive Angelina Jolie appeal has been probed at length, so let us move on to why else the "brotherhood of assassins" might have a killer box-office weekend. For one thing, Russian-Kazakh director Timur Bekmambetov brings his cult-following cred. Besides Jolie, star power also glows in Search for James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Common, and Kristen Hager. Finally, while Newsweek calls the film's "overamped style... oppressive," outlets like Rolling Stone unashamedly embrace the addictive trash.
2. " Wall-E" (G). A strong second, but the animated entry could pull in the bigger audience this weekend, given critical superlatives: AP says "boldest," Roger Ebert adds "enthralling," and the Hollywood Reporter says the Oscar race can now begin. The excitement has also spurred searches for the entire Pixar library, especially "Ratatouille" and "Cars." Overall searches aren't in the same league as Iron Man's pre-premiere following, but the family movie of the week still hovers near the top 1,000 searches.
Filed under: Movies, Cartoons, Angelina Jolie
How to Win the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest
Every writer wants to be in The New Yorker. Now, Patrick House reveals how you can do it. Granted, House's recipe for success applies solely to the magazine's Cartoon Caption Contest, but who's picky?
Writing for Slate magazine, the (one-time) challenge champ offers such guidelines as aim for the "mild chuckle," "keep it lower case," and know your audience (in this case, the cartoon editor's assistant). Follow these prescripts for winning, and triumph—and a New Yorker byline—just may be yours.
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.
For more detailed information, visit our FAQ.