the buzz log
Maternity Instincts
July through October are the months when most Americans are born, at least according to the last time the government counted up all the little fingers and toes. Moms-to-be are starting to show now, propelling them into full surfing mode for maternity wear. Luckily, a few have support: Recently, 1 out of 5 searches for “maternity clothes” on Yahoo! were conducted by men. (Otherwise, there goes their comfy flannel shirts to the cause.)
With Mother's Day only weeks away, figuring out what to give a mama-to-be might be a little easier if you knew what she craved. Below are items on some ladies' Search wish lists (besides a really good sardine milkshake and some chalk-flavored chips).
- Hot Mamas-to-Be. A rapid weight gain doesn’t mean you can't—and don't want to—look good. "Sexy" ensembles have swelled up more than a third compared to last year. Online shoppers have considered “maternity belly rings,” “sexy maternity T-shirts,” “hot maternity dresses,” “erotic maternity lingerie,” and even “strapless maternity dresses.” Here's hoping gravity holds for those fashionistas.
- If the Shoe Doesn't Fit: As tummies swell, so do the tootsies, which explains a threefold Web surge for “maternity shoes,” compared to last year. Unlike the come-hither looks sought above, more pragmatic considerations dictate what goes on aching feet, namely "comfortable."
- Oh Snap. Who says women don’t want to be photographed when they’re heavier? Searches for "maternity photography" (as well as inspiration for such poses) are up 48%. The queries come from all over the country—from San Diego, Calif., to Jackson, Miss., to Fort Myers, Florida. Demi Moore may have helped to wallop the pregnancy photo barrier with her 1991 Vanity Fair cover; before then, a woman's "condition" was something to be shrouded in lots of fabric. But the biz is also a natural outgrowth of the big wedding-photography boom.
- Hey, I'm Birthin' Here. Will New York see a population boomlet? At least, that’s the region doing the most research into maternity clothes, followed by Washington D.C., Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Either those ladies are more fashion-conscious, or expect to hear the pitter-patter of little feet in those areas.
Filed under: Shopping, Fashion, Photography, Pregnancy, Women, Shoes
Buzz Week in Review
Not all was about financial lows and jittery panic this week. Good news slipped in among the black yawning chasm of bad news, as celebrities made pitches for motherhood, college football fans exulted in pigskin hotspots, and lawmakers got to yell at Wall Street executives. Here now is the week in Buzz.
The Economy Just Needs a Mud Bath
Timing is everything. The Buzz Log reported an incensed surge for "aig spa" searches, but no, not for recommendations. AIG, which may have to dip back in taxpayer pockets after last month's $85 billion bailout, was handed a clue during this week's Senate hearing, when lawmakers chewed out execs for a $440,000 spa trip to reward "top-performing" life insurance agents. The Wall Street firm cancelled another junket and the plan to pay for pricy ads to apologize. Now free: $400/night rooms available at the Ritz Carleton in California's Half Moon Bay. Still wanted: Apology.
Hot Magazine Mamas
Motherhood isn't just sexy, it's high fashion. Halle Berry, the Oscar winner who also tortured audiences as Catwoman, now wears the Esquire crown of Sexiest Woman Alive. Berry's acceptance essay pondered hip dysplasia, the ripe smell of her man's (Gabriel Aubry) car, and how she feels sexier after motherhood. Meanwhile, 2004 honoree Angelina Jolie has received props from advocates like La Leche League International for being W magazine's breastfeeding cover woman for November. No essay, but she talks up pregnancy and her beau Brad Pitt.
Something to Cheer About
At least there's always college football. USA Today lowered its head and ran with its list of "10 great places to stand and cheer college football." Among the stadiums, Neyland got kudos for passion, Husky for its views, and Camp Randall for its deep-fried cheddar balls.
Also buzzing this week ...
• A 92-year-old tradition ended in a sad pun when Mother's Cookies baked its last Circus Animal cookies. Even NPR couldn't resist the crumbling metaphor, when the private equity firms that bought the company three years ago now declared it bankrupt.
• Markets may fall, but the two wheels keep turning: The Economist reports pumped-up bike sales worldwide, thanks to gas prices and the battle of the bulge.
• Forget staycation. People hankering to get away from the madding crowd found budget travel sites devoted to the cause of relaxation.
Filed under: Football, Finance, Business, Celebrities, Transportation, Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, Week in Review, Cookies, Wrap Up
Plaster of Parents
For the mom-to-be who has everything, consider "pregnant belly art," a growing trend in Search. You can get your favorite pregnant person a belly casting kit.
These days, not only are women proudly pregnant, they can immortalize the whole process in a cool, crafty way. Simply slather on plaster. Wait to dry. Remove cast. Decorate. Done.
The combination of amusement, pregnancy, and art sounds a little odd, but before you judge, check out the videos from Trendhunter. They document the process and offer cool photos of all the different ways to decorate the finished casts. (Baby bumps are transformed into a soccer ball, a Greek goddess, and the sun, for a start.)
If your subject is not the artistic type, leave it to a professional. A video making traction in Search will create made-to-order casts of pregnant moms.
For those baby mamas who aren't wild about having their maternity moment captured in plaster, take heart: the true work of art will be here soon enough.
Filed under: Pregnancy
The Secret Is Out
Being in the ABC Family way has taken on a whole new meaning.
The cable network, a kind of Hallmark Channel for teens, has had its share of breakout hits (as breakout as you can get for a cable network). Programs like "Kyle XY" and "Wildfire" have grappled with issues such as alienation, immigration, and, well, horses.
Now the buzz surrounds "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," which premiered July 1st and broke ABC Family records. No, it doesn't follow the superhero metaphors of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Smallville" or "Heroes," or the superstar alter egos of "Hannah Montana." Instead, the dramedy from the same brain that came up with "7th Heaven" dives right into the story of teen pregnancy.
Talk about marking a cultural zeitgeist. In popular culture "Juno" got the actress playing the knocked-up character an Oscar nomination. Jamie Lynn Spears commandeered the cameras normally aimed at her older sister when the 16-year-old Nickelodeon star admitted to being with child. NBC ordered a special after "Baby Borrowers" (which gives five teen couples a quick taste of caretaking encounters) counted among its highest rated reality shows.
Cue to real life. Teen pregnancy rates had been reported in 2004 to be on the decline, but teen birthrates show a recent increase... and that was before an alleged pregnancy pact among 17 East Coast high school girls. Pact or not, they came under scrutiny as to whether the media made them do it. Outlets like NPR have seriously taken on this cause-and-effect scenario, or at least looking at whether destigmatizing underaged pregnancy has turned into glamorization.
Of course, "Secret Life" is an ABC Family show, and one critic found that it tread the line of cautionary tale, family humor, and soapy drama pretty well. In the meantime, it introduces a weekly opportunity to talk about the real story of teen pregnancy because, like it or not, "Secret Life" is pulling in the young girls (and not so much the boys). Pre-teens and teens have taken their enthusiasm online, and in the past 7 days nearly pushed the show into the top 2,500 searches. They've also contributed to lookups for the song "Courage Is" and cast members (Francia Raisa, Molly Ringwald, Daren Kagasoff, Kenny Baumann and star Shailene Woodley, who attracts double the show's numbers).
By the way, the dramedy's setting may be in California, but the show's coast-to-coast Search interest is led by viewers in Massachusetts... where the 17 girls supposedly decided to make babies an extracurricular activity. A secret, even when it's out, still has allure.
Nicole's Very Special Soundtrack
Giving birth is a miracle unlike any other. Alas, for the woman performing the miracle, it's also a bit painful.
Women in labor need all the comfort they can get, so it's no surprise that many expectant moms want to choose the music they'll hear in the delivery room. Think of it as a "birthing soundtrack." Nicole Kidman's selection of tunes recently hit the Web and caused a stir in the Buzz.
Nicole's musician husband, Keith Urban, will get plenty of airplay during her upcoming hospital stay. However, according to several articles in the Buzz, the country crooner won't be the most prominently played artist. That honor belongs to famed flautist James Galway.
The New York Daily News quotes a friend of Nicole's as saying Mr. Galway's melodies are often heard at her home. Searches on Mr. Galway are scant at the moment, but may hit a high note in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the Irish legend can only hope his greatest hits will keep his biggest fan relaxed in her hour of need. No pressure, Jimmy.
Filed under: Pregnancy
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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