Reported March 2010

WHAT IS BUZZ? Movie buzz is difficult to specifically define. It generally refers to the level of general awareness and excitement among the public for a specific movie. If more people are discussing a movie with their friends, especially in a positive, excited manner, then awareness grows. The process becomes like a chain reaction as more and more people talk to others and become increasingly excited about a particular film.

WHAT IS A TIPPING POINT? In physics, the tipping point is the point at which an object, such as a seesaw, is no longer perfectly balanced, and adding one more miniscule item will cause the object to collapse. In sociology, the term is used as an analogy to refer to the point at which a threshold for behavior is passed. One or two mosquitoes in your bedroom might bother you, but you'll likely go to sleep, whereas you would probably leave a bedroom with a thousand mosquitoes. The largest number of mosquitoes that you would endure and remain in the room would be the tipping point.

The American Sociological Association contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Richard L. Thomas
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL 60208
(847) 491-8072
uzzi@northwestern.edu

Jackie Cooper
Media Relations Officer
American Sociological Association
(202) 383-9005 x332
http://www.asanet.org
JCooper@asanet.org