the buzz log

Does the Emmy statuette carry more weight for an actress?

Television has long been a landing pad for talented women. Cybill Shepherd and Angela Lansbury revived their careers when they went detecting in the '80s and '90s with their respective series, "Moonlighting" and "Murder She Wrote." These days, Kyra Sedgewick ("The Closer") and Holly Hunter ("Saving Grace") talk even tougher on cable, possibly making TNT the rougher, tougher version of the Lifetime Channel.

As another round of actors and actresses put "Emmy nominee" on their resumé, Hollywood Reporter brings an eye-opening perspective from seven past contenders for Best Actress categories on what (fleeting) legitimacy a nomination can bring. The women also discuss the better availability of female roles on TV, which spurs a particularly rousing rant from Minnie Driver ("The Riches"), who hates "the idea of reaching a certain age and being put in this box that forces actresses to become these battle-axes who speak out against youth culture," and an eloquent philosophy waxed by Brooke Shields ("Lipstick Jungle") about fame being a "fascinating, precarious concept" that still "deterioriates your soul."

TV has regularly fed creative concepts to the movies for some time, but the recent box-office triumph of (Emmy award-winning) "Sex and the City" may underscore the argument for a female cinematic presence on mediums small and big. Later this month, "The X-Files 2" brings back the whip-smart, pragmatic FBI detective Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson), adding to a sparse field of heroines so far populated by surrogate moms (Tina Fey and Amy Poehler), a female assassin (Angelina Jolie) and a plant-hunting robot (voiced by Elissa Knight).

Besides Emmy contenders, recent interviews with favorite actresses include the Los Angeles Times' chat with "Battlestar Galactica" actress Rekha Sharma, among the rare breed of minority actresses in sci-fi; who might sub for Search favorite Mary Lynn Rajskub as she's too pregnant for another season of "24," and the (limited) return of Jorja Fox in "CSI." Statuette or not, the ladies deserve a little attention for proving that their expiration date is way after 30.

Filed under: TV, Movies, Actors, Women, Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards 2008

One moment, Angelina Jolie urges awareness for World Refugee Day. In the next moment—as in June 27—she bloodies the screen as a well-meaning assassin in "Wanted." Throughout all this, she looms as a larger-than-life mother figure, spurring premature hysteria around the birth of her twins (as of now, still safely in the womb).

In an industry that thrives on typecasting, Jolie's draw has been her seeming contradictions, and every outlet—and searchers—want a piece of her. Both Vanity Fair and Entertainment Weekly put her on their covers, and Radar revealed how Jolie-starved tabloids stole scraps to make their own stories. Huffington Post counted the Goodwill ambassador among the top 10 green girls (thanks to single-handedly funding a $5-plus mil Cambodian wildlife sanctuary). USA Today called her "scary sexy," and Forbes magazine ranked her third in the Celebrity 100, after Tiger and Oprah. Searches have been swelling around her past movies ("beowulf," "tomb raider"), family ("twins," Pitt), and tattoos.

Detractors will always think of the Oscar winner as the woman who stole Brad Pitt from Jennifer Aniston. Critics and fans however stumble over themselves to define her genre-busting, gender-defying appeal that breaks Hollywood constructs of what a female actress—or a woman—should be. Two years after Salon placed Jolie in the same breed as Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson, USA Today likens her inventiveness to Madonna and sexpot grace to Sophia Loren, and the New York Post contrasts her fierece independence with the feminine interpendence of, say, the "Sex And The City" gals.

The Post also poses the billion-dollar question: Why doesn't Jolie get more lead action roles and give "nongirly girls" a role model? At a time when blockbusters hog the big screen, the kind of meaty women's roles owned by Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn and other power actresses of yesteryear have shrunk to the small screen. SATC's crossover success surprised Hollywood observers, a reaction that EW.com complained shows how women have to prove their box-office appeal over and over. Meanwhile, Jolie's willingness to take action in between dramas is seen as challenging the big blockbuster boys on their own turf.

Her action heroism should rock the multiplex: "Wanted" has been attracting healthy searches, and she herself is settled among the top five most-searched personalities. If the action flick does well, especially on the heels of SATC's success, it might convince Hollywood that girls can beat the boys at their own game.

Filed under: Movies, Women, Angelina Jolie

In October, everything goes pink to promote National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Female celebrities speak out, marathons raise money, and merchandisers become flush to take advantage of the publicity.

Right on cue, breast cancer buzz has spiked: Interest in "Thebreastcancersite.com" has doubled in the past 30 days and the new study linking "alcohol and breast cancer" is generating plenty of online interest. Look ups for "breast cancer awareness products" reveal that many go out of their way to support research through commerce. As a result, warnings about pinkwashing have become news.

A Search ranking (below) shows that publicity efforts have made the disease the most searched form of cancer this year. Breast cancer brings in 40% more queries than "lung cancer"—even though among men and women, the latter continues to be the leading cause of death from cancer.

Most Searched Cancers on Yahoo, November 2006-October 2007

1. Breast Cancer
2. Lung Cancer
3. Skin Cancer
4. Colon Cancer
5. Ovarian Cancer
6. Cervical Cancer (vaccine controversy gave this disease a high profile)
7. Prostate Cancer (leading cancer among men)
8. Pancreatic Cancer (more states searched about this cancer than any other, partly spurred by Luciano Pavarotti's death)
9. Bone Cancer
10. Liver Cancer

With October's focus, awareness spills over into the subject of cancer overall, with queries rising for "types of cancer" (+509%) and "cancer symptoms" (+27%). Organizations like the "national cancer institute" and "cancer treatments of america" receive renewed attention during this month.

Moreover, it turns out females more than males take the time to do the online research about cancers, from cervical (78% versus 22%) to pancreatic (66% vs. 34%). Women educate themselves about "prostate cancer" at a higher rate than men (56% vs. 44%). The takeaway lesson may be, targeting women about medical issues could be the healthiest thing for everyone.

Filed under: Health, Women, Cancer