the buzz log
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, Monthly Wrapup, Recaps, Horse Racing, Gay Marriage, Wrap Up
Farrah's Story, Obama's Speech, and a Filly's Victory: Buzz Weekend Recap
The past weekend was full of inspiration and controversy. A famous actress shared her feelings on her battle with cancer, while President Obama gave a commencement address to a less-than-adoring crowd. Also buzzing: horse racing's newest superstar and Michael Phelps' losing (gasp!) effort. Check out all those stories and more with the Buzz Weekend Recap.
Farrah shares her story
For years, Farrah Fawcett was one of the world's biggest stars. Now, she's fighting for her life. The one-time star of "Charlie's Angels" was the subject of a hugely popular television special on Friday night. Titled "Farrah's Story," the documentary was seen by nearly 9 million viewers. According to USA Today, "the film was NBC's most-watched program in its Friday night time slot in more than a year, excluding the Olympics." Of course, when the subject is as dire as terminal cancer, it seems silly to focus on ratings. Not surprisingly, searchers didn't. Instead, we saw huge upticks in "cancer symptoms" and "anal cancer diagnosis." Predictably, bloggers weighed in with their thoughts — was the special inspiring or exploitive? Was it even legal?
Obama's visit to Notre Dame
Barack Obama may be the first rock-star president, but not everybody agrees with all his policies and beliefs. This weekend, after cheering his daughters on in two intense soccer matches, the president gave a highly anticipated commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame. Why the controversy? Many in the Notre Dame community felt it inappropriate for a president who supports abortion rights to make a speech at a Catholic institution. Protesters made their displeasure known, with rallies and "anti-abortion" speeches throughout the weekend. Of all the protesters, Norma McCorvey seemed to generate the most buzz. McCorvey was plaintiff "Jane Roe" in the famous Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision. Searches on "obama notre dame speech" and "obama speech transcript" both soared, as did interest in stem cell research.
Runs like a girl
At the annual Preakness Stakes horse race, all eyes were on wünder-filly Rachel Alexandra. The 3-year-old star was the odds-on favorite to take home the title, and she did not disappoint her supporters. Though no female horse had won the Preakness in more than 80 years, and no horse (period) had ever won from the outside position, Rachel didn't pay any attention to the doubters. She blasted out of the gate and held on down the stretch to beat Kentucky Derby champ Mine That Bird. Over the weekend, lookups for Ms. Alexandra galloped into the winner's circle, with queries for "rachel alexandra pictures" and "rachel alexandra jockey" also finishing several lengths ahead of the pack.
Also buzzing this weekend...
• A newly goateed Michael Phelps lost his first race following his suspension. He then lost again on Sunday.
• Michelle Obama gave a commencement speech of her own at the University of California, Merced.
• The L.A. Lakers defused the Houston Rockets and the Celtics fell to the Orlando Magic in the NBA playoffs.
Filed under: Health, Recaps, Horse Racing, Barack Obama
We've Got Derby Fever
The annual Run for the Roses is here and curious folks are galloping to the Search box for information on the Kentucky Derby. Searches on the Derby are up 303% over the last week, and we know interest in the ponies will continue to saddle up in Search this weekend.
Unlike most other major sporting events, interest in the Derby is evenly split among men and women. However, teens won't be tuning in—almost half of all Derby searches come from the not-so-desirable 45-64 age bracket.
Other horse racing-related searches headed down the stretch include "keeneland," "barbaro," "triple crown," and "preakness." Folks hoping to parlay their horse sense into some loot have sent searches on "daily racing form," "bloodhorse," and "brisnet" soaring.
As we mix our annual pitcher of Mint Juleps, we wanted to explore the hottest Derby topics. Here are searches performing like true thoroughbreds...
Filed under: Sports, Horse Racing, Kentucky Derby
Betting on Barbaro
A wizened mentor down at the track once told us to pay more attention to the jockeys and trainers on the programs—the horses come last. We don't think that sage advice stood this weekend as horse racing (+295%) seemed to be all about one animal: Barbaro. The three-year-old colt broke his ankle this weekend at the start of the Preakness Stakes (+228%), and fans felt the pain.
Admirers bet big on Barbaro repeating the speed and finesse of his Kentucky Derby win at the Preakness and Belmont Stakes (+206%). But, alas, the Derby champ is out of the running for a Triple Crown (230%) win.
Searches for Barbaro were on a fast track this weekend, rising nearly 2,000% into the top 200 searches. Horse racing fans appeared to be keeping a close watch on the drama through Search. Queries for "barbaro injury," "barbaro injured," and "barbaro update" all spiked during the weekend. Following over four hours of surgery on his serious injury, definitive news of the horse's fate is still forthcoming, including the odds on his survival. But if Search is any indication, Barbaro will be a winner to racing fans for a long stretch of time.
Filed under: Sports, Horse Racing
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.