the buzz log

Danger! Justice! Kate Gosselin! This was another wild week on the Web. Searchers sought the scoop on the world's most "dangerous celebrity," as well as updates on a long-running Hollywood dispute. Oh, and, of course it wouldn't be planet Earth if there wasn't something going on with Kate, right? Right! Buckle up for the Buzz Week in Review.

Danger is her middle name
Jessica Biel is undeniably gorgeous. In fact, she's so attractive that her looks tend to inspire otherwise rational human beings to seek out her image on sketchy sites and via dubious downloads. This past week, Ms. Biel was named the world's most dangerous celebrity to search for by McAfee, a computer security company. According to Yahoo! Tech, fans who search on the lovely lady have a 20% chance of "landing at a website that has tested positive for online threats, such as sypware, adware, spam, phishing, and viruses." Ironically, the news did little to stem the tide of searches on Biel. Queries on "jessica biel photos," "jessica biel pictures," and the redundant "jessica biel pretty" all stayed strong. Now that's devotion.

The Chris Brown Case
Several months ago, singer Chris Brown was involved in a domestic violence case with fellow singer Rihanna. The case took the world by storm as many wondered what sort of punishment Mr. Brown would eventually receive. Those questions were answered this past weekend when a judge sentenced Brown to five years of probation, one year of domestic violence counseling, and six months of community service. The judge also placed a restraining order on Brown that requires him to stay 50 yards away from Rihanna. Over the week, lookups surged on "chris brown punishment" and "chris brown sentence." But the story ain't over yet. Word has come out that Brown may have already violated his probation. If so, a spokesperson from the LAPD says "it won't be taken lightly."

Kate coming to "The View"
Anyone with half a brain could have seen this one coming from a mile away. Kate Gosselin, formerly of the super group Jon and Kate Plus 8, will sit in as co-host on "The View" for a few times in September. She with the spiky locks will apparently fill in for Elisabeth Hasselbeck while she's on maternity leave. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that devotees of Ms. G will want to tune in on Sept. 14 and 15 to watch their favorite supermom mix it up with Whoopi and company. And from the looks of Search, many are already programming their TiVos. Queries on "kate gosselin on the view" posted triple digit gains. Whether those lookups come from fans or from folks hoping she'll screw up, we can't say.

Also buzzing this week...
• Troubled starlet Mischa Barton talked about her stay in Cedars.
• Los Angeles coroners ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide.
• You know that dude who plays Jim on "The Office"? Well, he's engaged to Emily Blunt.

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Filed under: Recaps, Week in Review, Wrap Up

Another busy week in the Buzz. An infamous prisoner was released, the world's most famous painting was attacked, and an impressive MPG claim was challenged. Come one, come all — it's the Buzz Week in Review.

Squeaky Fromme released
One of the most infamous criminals in the country finally left prison this week. Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was released after more than three decades behind bars. Her notoriety stemmed from her association with the Manson family and her attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford in September, 1975. During the trial she was memorably carried into court after refusing to walk. News of her freedom pushed searches on Ms. Fromme up an astounding 1,435%. Also posting big gains: "manson family members," "president ford assassination," and "squeaky fromme pictures." As for the nickname, she apparently earned it due to her high-pitched voice.

Mona Lisa attacked
OK, so maybe the Mona Lisa is a little overrated, but that doesn't mean you have to throw things at it. In a fit of rage, a Russian tourist tossed a cup at the Louvre's most famous resident. Fortunately the attack was unsuccessful — the painting is protected by a bullet proof shield that could withstand a lot worse than fine china. In the aftermath, folks sought out information on why Leonardo da Vinci's work was attacked. According to CNN, the woman, who suffers from mental health issues, was upset that she'd been denied French citizenship. Searches on "mona lisa attacked" and "cup thrown at mona lisa" both surged, as well as "mona lisa stolen," a reference to a famous heist that went down in 1911.

230 MPG? Really?
The soon-to-be-released Chevy Volt caused a huge stir this week when it was revealed that the electric car will get an astounding 230 miles per gallon. But are those numbers really accurate? In a popular article, U.S. News and World Report outlined the questions surrounding the claim. Bottom line, according to U.S. News: "Your mileage... will vary greatly based on how far you drive." The car's battery-only range is about 40 miles. So, if you commute 40 miles or less per day, you "could expect an infinite number of miles per gallon." However, if you drive more than 40 miles per day, expect a number that's substantially smaller than infinity. 

Also buzzing this week...
• "District 9" opened to rave reviews. Eat your heart out, "G.I. Joe."
• Hillary Clinton snapped at a student, who asked her what Bill would do.
• Madden 2010 hit store shelves. Girlfriends, you have been warned.

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Filed under: Recaps, Week in Review, Wrap Up

Forget Hollywood — the past seven days were all about Washington, D.C. The president hosted a highly anticipated get-together to talk about race relations, while the birther community set out to prove that the commander in chief wasn't born in the United States. Both events caused a stir in Search and on the Buzz. Join us for a look back at those stories and more with the Buzz Week in Review.

A cold one with the president
A few weeks ago, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested at his own home by Cambridge police officer James Crowley. Gates, who is black, insisted that the arrest was racially motivated. Crowley, white, denied the charge. The arrest received such publicity that President Obama stepped in and suggested that the police had "acted stupidly" in arresting Gates. Obama later apologized for his remark, and to help smooth things over, he invited Gates and Crowley to the White House to drink a beer and talk. Unofficially known as the "beer summit," the afternoon get-together sparked tremendous searches on the key participants, as well as the various beer brands each person had chosen to drink. Crowley's choice (Blue Moon) drew the most searches, but Gates' pick (Red Stripe) also bubbled up. As for the president? No microbrews for him — he sipped on a Bud Light.

What the heck's a birther?
A birther is a person who doesn't believe that President Obama was born in the United States (and thus, not eligible to be the big boss). The birthing movement has taken Search by storm over the past several weeks, despite many feeling the community has few facts to stand on. This past week, the movement got hit with a jolt of cold, hard proof. In a 378-0 vote, Congress found that Obama was born in Hawaii. Still, a blogger from the Huffington Post writes that the movement won't likely go away any time soon. Searches on "birthers" were up 421% over the week, and related lookups on "where was obama born," "obama home state," and "obama birth conspiracy" also enjoyed some solid gains.

Cash for Clunkers out of gas?
When the Cash for Clunkers program got started, some wondered if it would actually inspire anyone to buy a new car. After all, the rules were pretty strict, and it stands to reason that anyone who owns an old jalopy probably wouldn't be able to afford a new car, anyway. How wrong those doubters were. After just a few days, the program was in danger of running out of funding. Congress, in a breath of fresh air, acted quickly and approved $2 billion in additional funding to keep the party going. Searches stayed strong on "cash for clunkers rules" and "cars.gov," the official government website that explains the program.

Also buzzing this week...
• Kevin Federline showed off his huskier physique.
• William Shatner recited a Palin-like poem on "The Tonight Show."
• Next season, Jon and Kate will date. Greaeeaaaat.

Filed under: Recaps, Week in Review, Wrap Up