the buzz log

Maybe it's a sex tape. Or maybe they're steamy photos. Maybe they're from 1992. Or maybe they're current. Maybe they reveal an "actress" who resembles "Sex and the City" star Kristin Davis. Or maybe they feature the brunette cutie herself.

On Monday, rumors began percolating that images of Kristin Davis doing unprintable things to an unidentified man were available on the Web. The reaction in Search was swift and overpowering.

Queries for "kristin davis photos" leapt 1,128%. People who couldn't take the time to spell out "pictures" boosted "kristin davis pics" 744%. Subscribers to the video theory drove "kristen davis video" up more than 930%. Demand is running so hot and heavy that the one-time "Melrose Place" co-star is currently the most popular actress in Search.

Davis' agent continues to assert that there are no, repeat no, racy images of the brown-eyed brunette on the Web. Whether or not that's true, the scandalous possibility doesn't seem to have hurt her upcoming flick. Though searches for "sex and the city movie" registered a 32% uptick yesterday, co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker (+155%), Cynthia Nixon (+194%),and Kim Cattrall (+173%) have all enjoyed triple digit gains. Thanks for taking one for the team, Charlotte.

Filed under: Actors, Rumors, Sex Tapes

"About all the travelin' I ever done is round a coffee pot lookin' for the handle." — Ennis Del Mar, "Brokeback Mountain"

Yesterday's news about the surprising death of Heath Ledger caused lookups on the actor to skyrocket a staggering 110,285%. A solid 62% of those searches came from women, and the biggest search traffic came from New York, Arizona, and California.

Over the course of the afternoon, searches told the tragic story in brief snippets:

Fans of the young actor dialed up his biography, fan site, and took a tour through his filmography, from "10 things i hate about you" to "brokeback mountain" to "i'm not there," and even looked into his role as the Joker in the upcoming "the dark knight." While Ledger was well-known, confusion over the spelling of his name resulted in queries for "heath fletcher," "keith ledger," and "keith legend."

Others chose to look into his personal life and his relationships with actress Michelle Williams, daughter Matilda Rose, model Gemma Ward, and whether he was in Mary-Kate Olsen's 421 Broome Street apartment at the time of his death.

Now that the autopsy has been declared inconclusive, the wait continues for more news on how the star died.

Filed under: Actors, Dead Celebrities

Wholesome innocence was ripped a new one yesterday when rumors surfaced that former "Brady Bunch" star Maureen McCormick fooled around with co-star Eve Plumb while filming the famous sitcom.

After the "news" hit, searches on Ms. McCormick shot up a whopping 486%. Related lookups on "maureen mccormick pics," "maureen mccormick hot," and "brady lesbians" surged as well.

At first we suspected the salacious bit of information was "leaked" in order to pump up interest in McCormick's new book, a tell-all about her days as a teen idol. But that might be not the case. A rep from the publisher insists this is just a wild Internet rumor and the romance is pure fiction. Furthermore, it won't be included in the book.

Fiction or not, the lesbian tryst boosted interest in McCormick, Plumb, and several terms better left to the imagination. One would think the "scandal" would inspire interest in the book as well, but searches on "Here's the Story" are nearly non-existent.

Of course, that could change. The book doesn't hit shelves until 2008—plenty of time for Marcia to drum up more buzz. But now that the dirtiest laundry has already been aired, will this lovely lady with hair of gold have any more stories to tell?

Filed under: Actors, Rumors, Scandals