the buzz log
Mrs. Rocket Blasts Off in Buzz
Who needs soap operas when we have baseball in the off season? In the latest installment of "Days of Our Steroids," Debbie Clemens, wife of Yankees power pitcher Roger Clemens, has stepped into the Buzz spotlight.
According to personal trainer Brian McNamee, he injected Debbie Clemens with human growth hormone in 2003 for a Sports Illustrated photo shoot. Reportedly, her husband requested the hGH application. Clemens lawyer has lashed back. And buzz on Mrs. Rocket is blasting out of the park.
In the past week, searches for "debbie clemens" and "roger clemens wife" have charted explosive gains. Searchers want to see her clad in a swimsuit, posing for Sports Illustrated, hanging out with the Yankees, and accompanying her husband. Demand is running so high that "clemens wife photos" beat out starlets, movies, and any hint of politics to land as Wednesday's #1 breakout mover.
Baseball fans continue to boost buzz on the Rocket himself, but as of yesterday, the most hotly sought "clemens" queries belong to his Mrs.
Mitchell Report Rocks MLB
His judgment cometh, and that right soon. -- The Shawshank Redemption
After 20 months worth of interviews and investigations, former senator George Mitchell presented his report on steroid use among Major League Baseball players.
In the days leading up to the big reveal, searches on the touchy topic arched upwards. Following the report's publication on Thursday, lookups on the accused players surged to new heights.
So, which players are listed on the "PDF heard 'round the world"? Roger Clemens was called out, rocketing his searches upwards. Other notable big leaguers include Miguel Tejada, Eric Gagne, Gary Sheffield, and Andy Pettitte. Retired players David Justice, Mo Vaughn, and Kevin Brown were also mentioned. Not surprisingly, Barry Bonds and Jose Canseco were listed as well.
Stay tuned to the Buzz as we're sure the report's effect on Search has just begun.
Filed under: Drugs, MLB, Baseball Players
Rehab's Revolving Door
Searches on bedraggled singer Amy Winehouse jumped 167% this week after she finally checked into rehab. The tattooed trainwreck famous for saying no to rehabilitation in her hit single was convinced to give sobriety a shot after a rumored binge and resulting seizure.
Looking for clues in her own words, curious folks sought out "amy winehouse rehab lyrics" (+102%). That spike is dwarfed by the surge in searches on "amy winehouse pics," which leapt an astonishing 2,214%. The imagery interest is due to photos on gossip blogs of Ms. Winehouse looking like a hot mess before she finally made it to rehab.
After she landed in detox, searches on "amy winehouse in rehab" and "amy winehouse news" jumped. However, the beehived belter only lasted 48 hours in the facility before hitting the streets again. Her abrupt departure seemed that it would inevitably lead to another round of searches on "amy winehouse hospitalized" and "amy winehouse overdose." But in another (final?) chapter of this yo-yo yarn, addled Amy changed her mind yet again and is back in under care. Stay tuned...
Filed under: Music, Drugs, Rehab, Amy Winehouse
Watch Out For Alli
"You may feel an urgent need to go to the bathroom. Until you have a sense of any treatment effects, it's probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work."— MyAlli.com
We'd say definitely a smart idea. And though bringing an outfit change to the office seems an ominous way to start your weight loss regime, sales of Alli have skyrocketed since the diet drug went on sale last Friday.
Online, demand for the first over-the-counter pound-shedding pill has boosted "alli" into our top 200 movers. Related queries like "alli pill" (+704%), "buy alli" (+456%), and "alli orlistat" (+334%) have surged. Some people like to live on the edge. Thankfully, we've also logged a huge spike in "alli side effects." Please read that carefully.
Judging by the search demographics, Alli will be most popular with—surprise, surprise—women. A whopping 75% of the queries come from females. Good luck with that, ladies. You may want to pick up some new black slacks at the mall.
Open Wide for Alli
Last Wednesday, drug maker GlaxoSmithKline announced it scored FDA approval to sell the diet pill Orlistat over the counter. When the product, called "Alli," hits stores this summer, it will be the first weight-loss pill ever sold without a prescription in the U.S.
At long last, a pill emerges that will help trim American thighs, slim American butts, and wedge everyone into skinny jeans. Oh, the thunder of applause! The roar of the crowd! The discharge of more than one "gastrointestinal side effect"! Oops.
Flatulence and other regrettable bodily functions aside, the medication has released a whole lot of buzz. Following the announcement, "alli diet pill" leapt more than 800%. Searches for "orlistat" more than doubled. And appetite for "xenical," the prescription version of the fat inhibitor, soared. So did "xenical over the counter," "xenical reviews," and, hold your nose, "xenical side effects."
The South led the nation in seeking the anti-flab tablet online: Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina top of the list of states asking for more. And though interest has waned some since the announcement, we expect to see a resurgence of buzz once the little helpers roll out. In the meantime, searchers are finding nourishment with the perennially popular "diet pills," "weight loss pills," and, oh the agony of it, "diet pills that work."
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.