the buzz log
June 2009 Buzz
As if to make up for the relative quiet of May, June brought news of transportation mayhem, historical revolutions, political scandals, and celebrity passings. Below, the stories that reverberated on Yahoo! Search and beyond.
In Memoriam
The word icon was invoked repeatedly with shocking deaths, sad passings, and unexpected departures. In the TV arena, David Carradine's apparently accidental hanging exposed a startling private life, while Ed McMahon's end reminded us the importance of sidekicks. Farrah Fawcett's strength to the end underscored the sex symbol's dignity. The unexpected death of pitchman Billy Mays brought in many tributes. But, it was the King of Pop's passing that stunned the world. News and questions persist over his death, but the loss restored the luster of his legacy.
International Relationships
President Barack Obama reached out to the Muslim world at Cairo University, managed to find destinations for Guantanamo's Uighurs, and pulled out troops from Iraq. That might've been enough drama on the world stage, but Iranians took to the streets and online in a historic protest over presidential election results, putting the country's theocracy in doubt. Leadership issues also explain North Korea's bristling stance (with two American journalists embroiled in the morass), and a coup in Honduras.
Domestic Affairs
A superstitious mind might start considering the label 'possible 2012 presidential candidate' a curse, at least among the GOP. The first extramarital confession came from Nevada senator John Ensign, but his startling admission was soon overshadowed by the mysterious case of the missing South Carolina governor. Mark Sanford's reapperance and rambling confession of an Argentinian liasion gave new meaning to hiking the Appalachian trail—and finally pushed "Jon & Kate Plus 8" from headlines. All these scandals made Alaska governor Sarah Palin look good, especially after her victory in a (TV) late-night spat.
Search Terms with the Biggest Percentage Changes
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Filed under: Politics, Celebrities, Death, Scandals
The Web Mourns the King of Pop's Passing
Even in our real-time world, people barely had time to register the news that Michael Jackson had been rushed to UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles before doctors called the King of Pop's death at 2:26 p.m. Within hours, searches on Yahoo! transitioned from "breaking news michael jackson" to "is michael jackson dead" to "r.i.p. michael jackson."
Generation X was still mourning Farrah Fawcett, and the two became the most searched people on the Web—even at times linked ("michael jackson farrah fawcett"). But 50-year-old Jackson spanned multiple decades, and his death may be the most searched in recent memory.
One of the most telling queries that people looked up, however, may have been "elvis died." Elvis Presley died at age 42, bloated, sick, addicted to prescription drugs. Even if Jackson hadn't married Lisa Marie in the '90s, he had already inherited Elvis Presley's throne. Now, he has passed away in the same way as the icon before him—too shocking, too soon.
The obituaries and eulogies didn't take long for Jackson, not for a man who led a supersized life. Below, a snapshot of the Search stream, as people followed a king's passing.
His Death
- Jackson rushed to hospital, michael jackson in ambulance, tmz michael jackson, michael jackson on twitter, michael jackson 911 call, coma, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest heart attack, condition of michael jackson, live michael jackson coverage, did michael jackson die, has michael jackson died, ap michael jackson dead, age of michael jackson, demerol, king of pop dies, michael jackson 1958-2009, michael jackson alive, michael jackson autopsy
His Family, Friends, Mistaken Ties
- Jackson 5, Janet Jackson, Prince Jackson, Janet Jackson Jermaine Dupri, Joe Jackson Michael, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Samuel L. Jackson, Randy Jackson, Lisa Marie Presley, Priscilla Presley, Elvis Presley Biography
His Peculiarities and Places
- Plastic surgery, wacko jacko, Bubbles, Jackson fire, glove, Holmby Hills Mansion, Neverland Ranch, oxygen chamber, Bahrain.
His Life and Legacy
- Jacko, "Bad," "Billy Jean," "Thriller," "Dangerous," dance moves, moonwalking, comeback tour,Facts, michael jackson fan club, greatest hits, record sales, pop star, pop giant, tributes to michael jackson.
Filed under: Music, Celebrities, Death, Michael Jackson
Fawcett: A Generation's Poster Girl
Farrah Fawcett's swimsuit poster is one of the most iconic images of '70s pop culture. Perhaps the decade's equivalent to Marilyn Monroe's classic subway photo, Fawcett's supersized image sold a reported 12 million copies (a record that still stands) and launched the celebrity poster industry.
Fawcett, who died Thursday of cancer, had something rare: The late actress had created and owned her own lucrative image. She even filed a lawsuit to protect her claim earlier this year. All of that exemplifies the Fawcett paradox that troubled some feminists and inspired a new generation of girls. She flaunted a carefree, accessible sexuality and reaped the rewards herself without feeling compromised or commoditized.
Fawcett later carried that confident allure to “Charlie's Angels.” Following in a lineage that included Diana Rigg in "The Avengers," Anne Francis in "Honey West" and Angie Dickinson in "Police Woman," she and her Angel cohorts spawned the much maligned era of "jiggle TV," but continued to redefine women's roles by taking them out of the domestic sphere and into the workplace.
Fawcett only took 25 shots to reach poster perfection, but photographer Bruce McBroom took 400 photographs during that 1976 photo shoot. For a glimpse on those other shots, see this Access Hollywood interview and listen to McBroom's rundown on her "unerring sense for how she looked good."
Filed under: Celebrities, Dead Celebrities
David Carradine's Most Memorable Character
As people look for the reason behind David Carradine's death by hanging, his ending is at odds with iconic TV image he created as Kwai Chang Caine in the 1972 series, "Kung Fu."
Whether he shunted aside Bruce Lee for the role as the biracial Shaolin monk wandering late 19th-century America is subject to debate. (According to his widow's biography, Lee had pitched the concept. The TV producers said it was a different pitch to tap into the hugely popular underground indies and Hong Kong martial arts movies.)
Regardless, Carradine got the role, and he became identified with Caine his entire career. The peacenik character, in search of a long-lost brother, was different than the '70s big-screen action heroes, quick to shoot punks and not prone to introspection.
Carradine's monk basically revamped the old cinematic Western frontier hero with modern touches: His "half-breed" (half Chinese, half white) background touched on the race issues, his Buddhism hit the Eastern spiritual craze, and the kung fu was downright exotic... although he didn't use his deadly skills unless he absolutely had to, which was pretty much every episode.
The show only lasted three years on ABC, but introduced a television audience to a new religion, fighting system, Chinese culture, and classic TV moments. Cue the intro: Young Caine has to walk on rice paper, and when Grasshopper (as his master Po called him) showed he could walk without leaving an imprint, he was ready to face the world.
As to why Grasshopper, the nickname came when his blind master asked what Caine could hear with his eyes closed. Courtesy of Wikipedia:
Master Po: Do you hear the grasshopper?
Caine: Old man, who is it that you hear these things?
Po: Young man, how is it that you do not?
Filed under: TV, Celebrities, Martial Arts, Death
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, Horse Racing, Gay Marriage
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karl Malden | Breakout! |
| 2 | Alexis Arguello | Breakout! |
| 3 | Danielle Deleasa | Breakout! |
| 4 | Burmese Python | Breakout! |
| 5 | Williams Sisters | Breakout! |
| 6 | Kevin Jonas | 2543% |
| 7 | Jeremy Mayfield | 2346% |
| 8 | Diana Reyes | 2229% |
| 9 | Diana Ross | 1865% |
| 10 | Diana Krall | 1622% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | -101 | 924 |
| 2 | Debbie Rowe | +184 | 224 |
| 3 | -3 | 206 | |
| 4 | Kellie Pickler | +152 | 167 |
| 5 | Neverland Ranch | +75 | 163 |
| 6 | Megan Fox | -52 | 158 |
| 7 | Wimbledon | +40 | 156 |
| 8 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | -2 | 148 |
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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