Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Threats Don't Deter Diggs and Menzel Wednesday December 08, 2004 4:00AM PT
Taye Diggs Taye Diggs couldn't be having a better year career-wise. The heartthrob not only stars in and produces the UPN series Kevin Hill, but also is filming an independent film co-starring Heather Graham in Canada. His wife, Broadway actress Idina Menzel, is also holding her own professionally. She walked off with the Tony for best actress in a musical earlier this year for her performance as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. But good looks, successful careers, and a high-profile marriage often garner unwelcome attention. We're not talking about the paparazzi, though we're sure they swarm the husband-and-wife pair. Diggs and Menzel, an interracial couple, are the targets of hate mail and racially motivated threats. New York City police, believing the letters were written by more than one person, have launched an investigation to uncover the writers' identities. News of the threats hit search yesterday, and fans scrambled to uncover further developments and background info on both Taye Diggs (+163%) and Idina Menzel (+559%). Interest centers around the couple's personal affairs, however -- Wicked, the Broadway musical staring Menzel, saw a comparatively low 14% increase in searches yesterday while Diggs' Kevin Hill didn't even register a blip in search.
Taye Diggs Taye Diggs couldn't be having a better year career-wise. The heartthrob not only stars in and produces the UPN series Kevin Hill, but also is filming an independent film co-starring Heather Graham in Canada. His wife, Broadway actress Idina Menzel, is also holding her own professionally. She walked off with the Tony for best actress in a musical earlier this year for her performance as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. But good looks, successful careers, and a high-profile marriage often garner unwelcome attention. We're not talking about the paparazzi, though we're sure they swarm the husband-and-wife pair. Diggs and Menzel, an interracial couple, are the targets of hate mail and racially motivated threats. New York City police, believing the letters were written by more than one person, have launched an investigation to uncover the writers' identities. News of the threats hit search yesterday, and fans scrambled to uncover further developments and background info on both Taye Diggs (+163%) and Idina Menzel (+559%). Interest centers around the couple's personal affairs, however -- Wicked, the Broadway musical staring Menzel, saw a comparatively low 14% increase in searches yesterday while Diggs' Kevin Hill didn't even register a blip in search.
The Buzz Log - Search Spikes and Trends
Tech Talk Wednesday December 08, 2004 1:00PM PT
HD-DVD The consumer electronics parade never stops, does it? Just when you think you have all the latest gear, something new comes along that renders your trusty 8-track (with faux wood finish) obsolete. It's a bummer, but you can't stop technology. And speaking of technology, several new gadgets are getting a boost in search, no doubt thanks to tech-savvy holiday shoppers. Of course, HDTV (+25%) is nothing new (for years we've heard the hype), but buzz on the crystal clear term has steadily risen over the past month, indicating it may finally be finding a home with mainstream couch potatoes. But even if we're doomed to sit through another year of hard sells on why we need to upgrade, one thing's for sure - high definition isn't going away. Searches on "HD-DVD" are up 659%. Yes, that's right -- regular DVDs might not be long for this world. Movie buffs should prepare for yet another special collector's limited edition director's cut of Happy Gilmore...this time with improved picture quality! On the audio front, "satellite radio" (+45%) continues its climb. Howard Stern's announcement that he's getting "Sirius" about fart jokes has continued to fuel searches on "Sirius radio," up 42%, while interest in rival "XM radio" (+47%) is also spiking. "MP4 players" are seeing a significant surge in search as well, up 353%. This next generation of media sharing handles both audio and video files and, if you believe the manufactured hype, will work on just about every kind of device you can think of. Well, except your 8-track.
Tech Talk Wednesday December 08, 2004 1:00PM PT
HD-DVD The consumer electronics parade never stops, does it? Just when you think you have all the latest gear, something new comes along that renders your trusty 8-track (with faux wood finish) obsolete. It's a bummer, but you can't stop technology. And speaking of technology, several new gadgets are getting a boost in search, no doubt thanks to tech-savvy holiday shoppers. Of course, HDTV (+25%) is nothing new (for years we've heard the hype), but buzz on the crystal clear term has steadily risen over the past month, indicating it may finally be finding a home with mainstream couch potatoes. But even if we're doomed to sit through another year of hard sells on why we need to upgrade, one thing's for sure - high definition isn't going away. Searches on "HD-DVD" are up 659%. Yes, that's right -- regular DVDs might not be long for this world. Movie buffs should prepare for yet another special collector's limited edition director's cut of Happy Gilmore...this time with improved picture quality! On the audio front, "satellite radio" (+45%) continues its climb. Howard Stern's announcement that he's getting "Sirius" about fart jokes has continued to fuel searches on "Sirius radio," up 42%, while interest in rival "XM radio" (+47%) is also spiking. "MP4 players" are seeing a significant surge in search as well, up 353%. This next generation of media sharing handles both audio and video files and, if you believe the manufactured hype, will work on just about every kind of device you can think of. Well, except your 8-track.
