the buzz log
Buzz Multiplex: Double Dose of Love
Do you ache for love and yearn for miracles? Or would you prefer to partake in scams and indulge in a little tech paranoia? From the many choices this weekend, audiences seem to be hankering for love in the Buzz Multiplex ... with a dash of paranoia. Have a little faith in hand for the three most anticipated movies this weekend.
1. "Fireproof" (PG, limited release). Kirk Cameron segued his child-star sitcom success into the "Left Behind" video series. Now he finally gets his first big-screen shot in 20 years as a firefighter out to save his marriage. A zealous nationwide drive aims to make this marital-drama-disguised-as-a-firefighter-flick the box office king this weekend: Churches have bought advance tickets, and the Christian Post reports one North Dakota woman paid for 1,000-admission minimum to get a showing in her town. The gambit might work: A nearly 200% pump in searches gets this Atlanta ministry-funded film into the top 5,000 terms, with intense interest coming from the South.
2. "Nights in Rodanthe" (PG-13). Stretch those heartstrings—the latest Nicholas Sparks adaptation is out to tug at them. New York Sun dubs Sparks the "Stephen King of the mush-brained romantic novel," and critics might not argue with that characterization for this movie. The love story reunites Diane Lane as a woman in a bad marriage with Richard Gere as a doctor with his own issues. Throw them in a North Carolina bed-and-breakfast, cue a hurricane, and watch the intensely female Web interest (76% of searches) flow. While interest is coast to coast, the biggest fans hail from (of course) the Tar Heel State.
3. "Eagle Eye" (PG-13). Shia LaBeouf tests his mettle as a leading man (come on, "Transformers" didn't really count) in this so-called techno thriller about two strangers manipulated into peril by an anonymous cell phone voice. The compromise date movie of the week attracts Web interest from kids to people in their 40s. Still, the relatively lukewarm appeal could mean now's not quite the time for LaBeouf to take that next level on the celebrity ladder.
Signs of Affection
Is romance possible with primary anxiety? This reading of distracted amor comes partly from a 402% spike in the query, "when is valentine's day." (Answer: February 14.) True, Valentine's Day is more than two weeks away, but traditionally the annual Buzz homage to martyrdom and love begins at this time.
Lookups, especially among ladies of all ages, have begun to register according to schedule, but the online allure for "valentine" is down 27% from this same time period in 2006 and 2007. The quest for "romance" has also taken a hit (-29% compared to last January). Good thing "love" remains relatively stable.
Politics can't take all the blame. Given the moody stock market and foreclosure downers, is it any surprise the only stimulus people are searching for nowadays is the economic kind? Ah, but take heart... all is not doom-and-gloom in the Valentine forecast. Take a look below at how searches stack up compared to 2007, and come to your own conclusion whether we're in a romantic recession or just a temporary lull.
| Valentine Signs: 2008 vs. 2007 | On the Rise | On the Decline |
| Love | Songs, Sayings, Letters | Poems, Notes |
| Signs of Affection | Gifts, Gifts for Men, Cards | Crafts |
| Declarations and Avowals | Best Friend Poems | Romantic Poems |
| Soulmate Divinations | Love Horoscope, Love Compatibility | Love Calculator, Love Spells |
| Romantic Gestures | Getaways, Games | Short Love Stories |
| Plaintive Pining | What Is Real Love, Definition of Love | How to Kiss |
Filed under: Holidays, Valentine's Day, Romance
Sarah Larson: Who's That Lady?
Searches on Sarah Larson leapt 185% after she accompanied George Clooney to the premiere of his new flick, "Michael Clayton." Interest in Larson also surged after it was revealed she hurt her foot in the hunky actor's much-publicized motorcycle accident. The buzz around the mystery women prompted us to break down the three types of searchers looking for Sarah...
—Some want to know: Who is she? Searchers got right to the point, looking up "who is sarah larson," "sarah larson bio," or "sarah larson wikipedia." We looked at Wikipedia for more information on Clooney's lady love, but she hasn't risen to the level of meriting her own entry. Scandalous!
—Some want to know: Was she on "Fear Factor"? Searches on "sarah larson fear factor" and "sarah larson fear factor pictures" indicate that she was a contestant on the gross-out game show. The answer is...yes. We found this page on NBC, wherein the lovely Ms. Larson explains how difficult it was to ingest a scorpion martini. A People magazine article confirms she was a winner on "Factor" and that she also spent time as a cocktail waitress at the Palms Las Vegas. Sounds like quite a catch!
—Some want to know: Can we see more? Searches on "sarah larson pics" and "sarah larson photos" have taken off as intrepid searchers hunt down images of the fetching brunette. You can't help but love this lady!
Filed under: George Clooney, Romance, Relationships
Courtship Off the Court
The U.S. Open produced trophies for Roger Federer and Justine Henin, and boosted buzz on all the high-ranking players, including Novak Djokovic, the jokey Serb who dared face the force of "Darth Federer."
Judging from the scores in Search, though, tennis fans were more interested in the emotions blossoming off the court than the tally of love over the net. The tournament's greatest search spikes pursued the romantic life of the racket-wielding set.
Buzz for "roger federer girlfriend" leapt 1,693% over the past week, while interest in the lucky lady's name ("mirka vavrinec") surged 435%. Queries for "novak djokovic girlfriend" climbed 614%. And lookups for "rafael nadal girlfriend" more than doubled.
The women also drew high points for their paramours. Buzz on "maria sharapova boyfriend russian" (+587%), "venus williams boyfriend photo" (+516%), "venus williams boyfriend" (+385%), and "serena williams boyfriend" (+179%) all thumped upwards. Ain't love a grand slam?
Sadly, breaking hearts draw lookyloos, too. Justine Henin took home the women's trophy, but the search term that spiked 4,658% for her over the past seven days—and topped the Belgian player's buzz—was "justine henin divorce."
Filed under: Sports, Tennis, Romance, Relationships
Flirt Like a Champion Today
Flirting can be risky business. Say the wrong thing and you'll spend the night in Lonesome Town. But if you do it right, you might end up sucking face with a beautiful stranger.
Men are traditionally more aggressive, but never underestimate a desperate woman. Indeed, when it comes to flirting, the ladies are a force to be reckoned with—they account for 56% of the searches.
In honor of the cheesy topic, we donned our tightest pants and went prowling for the top flirting searches. Break out the Binaca and take a look...
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.