the buzz log
Let Us Review
The Buzz puts stock in the opinions of others, especially when it comes to gadgets. A good assessment, whether from a user or a professional, helps protect against hucksterism and hype. With the hysteria of holiday shopping behind us, look-ups on low-downs have concentrated primarily on cell phones, smart or otherwise.
However, two infomercial products have infiltrated the top 20 "review" searches: putty on steroids (No. 8) and more notably Kinoki Detox Foot Pads (No. 3), a white gauze that adheres to the soles of your feet and allegedly yanks everything from toxins to repressed playground memories from your system. Kinoki has hotfooted into the top 10,000 searches overall, its prestigious rise thanks to dubious queries such as "kinoki foot pads scam." Lucky for consumers, objects as seen on TV can be scrutinized on the Web. Then again, if it works, someone should send Amy Winehouse a bushel.
Give a once-over on what else people have been investigating in the past week:
Filed under: Electronics, Cell Phones, Gadgets, Reviews
Critical Time For Critics?
"Box office data this year suggests that filmgoers seem to be having a great time at the multiplexes. The critics, by contrast, may be shopping around for a new line of work."
—Peter Bart, "Film reviewers, moviegoers disagree," Variety, March 15, 2007
Bart's short think piece poses an interesting question. Namely, do moviegoers still care about movie reviews? Searches on "reviews" are up 26% over the last month, but that general term encompasses all sorts of different critical viewpoints.
Digging deeper, we found searches on "movie reviews" are up 18% over the last 30 days, which indicates film buffs do consider what others have to say. Whether these intrepid searchers act upon what they read is another story.
Following this line, we wondered which movies currently inspire the most "review" searches. Were the critically lambasted "Ghost Rider," "300," and "Wild Hogs" totally ignored by folks searching for movie reviews? Judging from the top 20 movie review searches, movie goers aren't listening to critical outcry...
Researching with Search
The holidays are approaching, and shopping has quickly become a contact sport. But consumers beware—not all gifts are created equal. That must be why product reviews have surged in Buzz. Nobody wants to be remembered for giving the lowest-rated digital camera in the history of photography.
In an effort to help you avoid such a fate, we've rounded up the top 20 "review" searches for high-tech gadgets and toys. (Re)search before you buy, folks—because knowledge really is power.
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lin Chi Ling | Breakout! |
| 2 | Gloria Diaz | Breakout! |
| 3 | Freida Pinto | 27459% |
| 4 | Gloria Estefan | 9975% |
| 5 | Gloria Velez | 6463% |
| 6 | Gloria Trevi | 3878% |
| 7 | Faith Hill | 2081% |
| 8 | 60 Minutes | 1114% |
| 9 | Alexis Denisof | 994% |
| 10 | Lee Ann Womack | 987% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NFL | +464 | 575 |
| 2 | Britney Spears | +194 | 316 |
| 3 | Hi-5 | -11 | 244 |
| 4 | Black Friday | +23 | 212 |
| 5 | Freida Pinto | +198 | 199 |
| 6 | UFC | -24 | 194 |
| 7 | Club Penguin | -30 | 161 |
| 8 | Gloria Estefan | +149 | 150 |
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.