Friday, November 12, 2021 — Edition: #7016

Bully For You!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Billy Crystal will make his return to Broadway for a new musical comedy that he co-wrote called “Mr. Saturday Night,” based on his 1992 comedy film of the same name. In it, he played ‘Buddy Young Jr.’, an outrageous and outspoken comedian who found fame, if not fortune, in the early days of television. Now, 40 years after his TV career flamed out, Buddy seeks one more shot at the spotlight, and while he’s at it, one last shot at fixing the family he fractured along the way. Performances start March 1, 2022.
-TheWrap
★ Filmmaker Peter Jackson has sold his visual effects company for $1.6 billion – or at least part of it. Unity Technologies, the software developer behind video games like “Pokémon Go” and “Call Of Duty: Mobile”, has announced plans to buy Weta Digital. If you’re a film buff, you need no introduction to Weta. It’s the company Jackson co-founded in 1993, that has worked on movies like the “Fellowship of the Ring”, “Avatar” and “Black Widow”. Under the deal, Unity is obtaining the company’s technology division, including its artist tools and engineering talent. Weta’s VFX and animation teams will form a separate entity known as WetaFX, which Jackson will continue to hold a majority stake in. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year, pending regulatory approval.
-BBC, Engaget
★ The live table reading of the holiday classic “It’s A Wonderful Life” benefiting the Ed Asner Family Center is adding another dose of star power. Academy Award winner Kathy Bates is joining “Ted Lasso” actor Jason Sudeikis, who is taking on the iconic role of ‘George Bailey’, played in the movie by James Stewart. Bates has been cast as ‘Ma Bailey’, played in the original Frank Capra film by Beulah Bondi. Tom Bergeron will host the live online table read on Dec. 5.
-PopCulture
★ Benedict Cumberbatch says he suffered nicotine poisoning 3 times while shooting his new movie. He plays heavy smoker ‘Phil Burbank’ in “The Power Of The Dog” – a western drama based on Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel of the same name. In order to portray the character authentically, he decided to take on a tobacco habit, with detrimental effects on his health. Quote: “(Smoking) was really hard. Filter-less rollies (roll-ups), just take after take after take…When you have to smoke a lot, it genuinely is horrible.”
-Canoe

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Taraji P. Henson, Steve Zahn, Damon Albarn
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Jeff Goldblum, Rod Stewart
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Willie Geist, Steve Schirripa, Michael Imperioli, Fortune Feimster, Roy Mayorga (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): “The View” celebrates Whoopi’s birthday
• “The Talk” (CBS): Larenz Tate
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Jeff Goldblum, Vern Yip
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Olivia Munn, Ester Dean, guest host Stephen “tWitch” Boss
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Julia Jones, Marcus Samuelsson, Rod Stewart
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Addison Rae, KeKe Palmer
• “The Last Cowboy” (CMT): Season 2 premiere
• “Open by Christmas” (HALLMARK): When Nicky finds an unopened Christmas card from an old secret admirer, she and her best friend embark on a quest to find the anonymous author.
• “Kevin Garnett: Anything Is Possible” (SHOWTIME): Chronicling the career of the NBA great, featuring scenes from his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

SATURDAY-
• “My Christmas Family Tree” (HALLMARK): A woman meets long-lost relatives for the first time after discovering her family tree during the holidays.
• “A Picture Perfect Holiday” (LIFETIME): A fashion photographer and a wildlife photographer must decide if they’re willing to take a risk to share a picture-perfect holiday together.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host Jonathan Majors, with musical guest Taylor Swift

SUNDAY-
• “Adele One Night Only” (CBS): She performs her first new material in 6 years, and sits down with Oprah Winfrey to discuss her new album, the stories behind the songs, life after divorce, weight loss and raising her son.
• “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” (ABC): Vivica A. Fox, Michelle Trachtenberg and Jason Mraz
• “Yellowjackets” (SHOWTIME): Series premiere. On the eve of a fateful flight, a championship high school girls soccer team celebrates by betraying one another; 25 years later, the survivors do their best imitations of well-adjusted people.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Justin Bieber – has teamed up with Tim Hortons to launch 3 new Timbit flavors — plus co-branded merchandise. He helped Tim’s cook up chocolate white fudge, sour cream chocolate chip and birthday cake waffle “Timbiebs”, available starting Nov. 29 at Tim Hortons restaurants in Canada and the US.
• Demi Lovato — has released a gender-neutral sex toy. Lovato, who came out as non-binary in May, announced the new gadget on Instagram, writing: “Introducing the Demi Wand! I wanted to create my own sex toy to take the stigma away from pleasure, and to take your sexual relationship to the next level.” It’s selling for US $79 exclusively at Bellesa Boutique.
• Mariah Carey – will celebrate the holiday season with the launch of the new “Mariah Menu” at McDonald’s, featuring 12 days of free items with a purchase on the company’s app. Starting Dec. 13, Mariah fans score free treats, including her fav items, like the classic cheeseburger and soft-baked chocolate chip cookies.
• Green Day, Nine Inch Nails and My Morning Jacket – will headline 2022 Shaky Knees Festival. The 3-day Atlanta music fest will take place over the weekend of April 29. Billy Idol, Spoon, Chvrches and many others are also on the bill.
• Elton John — In a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wed., Prince Charles anointed him as a member of the Order of the Companions of Honor. The award recognizes people who have made “a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or government lasting over a long period of time.”
• Billy Joel – While promoting the resumption of his residency at NYC’s Madison Square Garden, he was asked his opinion of current artists. He said Adele “is a phenomenal singer, kind of a [Barbra] Streisand throwback.” Taylor Swift? He called her “a very talented girl and she’s productive and keeps coming up with great concepts and songs…She’s like that generation’s Beatles.”
• ZZ Top — frontman Billy Gibbons has gotten into the holiday spirit, releasing his own unique take of ‘Jingle Bells’, called ‘Jingle Bell Blues’, with lyrical references to “bells on hot rods” and a “drop top sled.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/d3f3tr7a
• Blake Shelton – Unveiled his new video for ‘Come Back as a Country Boy’ on Wed. Quote: “It’s got a bonfire, my truck, and my dog. It’s me being a country boy in my favorite place on Earth.” It was shot over 2 days at his Oklahoma ranch. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2myncrjf
• Brad Paisley — Belmont University in Nashville is naming a ballroom at its new performing arts center after him and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley. Paisley is an alumnus of Belmont. He and his wife partnered with Belmont on a free grocery store to help needy families. The couple also created a scholarship at the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.

SHOOTING THE BULL

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Belfast” (PG-13, Drama): A young boy and his working-class family experience the tumultuous late 1960s. (Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Caitriona Balfe)
• “Clifford the Big Red Dog” (PG, Family/Comedy): A young girl’s love for a tiny puppy named Clifford makes the dog grow to an enormous size. (Jack Whitehall, John Cleese)
• “Apex” (R-Rated, Action/Adventure): Five elite hunters pay to track down a man on a deserted island, only to find themselves becoming the prey. (Neal McDonough, Bruce Willis)

FRIDAY FACETIOUSNESS:
☞ People who sleep naked are twice as likely to have a good night’s rest, according to a new survey. The study, commissioned by Intellibed for National Sleep Comfort Month in November, asked 2,000 Americans about their struggles with falling asleep. Interestingly, those who sleep naked were more likely to report high-quality sleep (53% vs. 27% who sleep in pajamas). Those who prefer a warm room reported better sleep than those who like sleeping in a cold room (46% vs. 23%). The results also show the average person has problems falling asleep about 3 nights per week, and that, by consensus, if you haven’t fallen asleep by 2:38am, there’s no point in even trying to get a good night’s sleep. (But let’s face it, if you’re awake and naked in bed at 2:48am, it’s probably not a good night’s sleep that you’re hoping for!)
☞ A new survey says the average person had the most “hookups” in their life at age 27. The study of 2,000 people for HUD App looked at their preferences when it comes to casual relationships and also found: more than half would hook up with someone who looks like their favorite celebrity. Half would be willing to hook up with a friend, and 46% would do so with an ex. A third said they’d rather mix with someone from a website or app match. As for what physical attributes are most attractive in a potential hookup, 62% said a good smile is most important, followed by body type (60%) and sexy eyes (59%). (Ewww – Who would hook up with someone just because they look like a celebrity? Full disclosure: My favorite celeb is Dog the Bounty Hunter…)
-StudyFinds

NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ A judge in Georgia has issued a tongue-in-cheek order banishing the Elf on the Shelf from his county. Cobb County Superior Court Judge Robert Leonard tweeted the text of an order banishing the Elf on a Shelf, the toy elf that reports the actions of children to Santa Claus in the runup to Christmas, because it poses “a risk to the emotional health and well being of Cobb’s young children.” He wrote: “Elves sometimes move and don’t move overnight. When these Elves do not move, it leaves our children…in states of extreme emotional distress.” The judge tweeted that his order is a “gift to tired parents,” but also said that families who love their elves can feel free to keep them. (That’s how I feel, too. They can KEEP them!)
➢ A cattle farmer in Brazil says a steer that escaped slaughter and ended up on the water slide at a neighboring club will now be kept as a pet. Carlos Miguel Serante said the 2-year-old steer escaped from his cattle farm and made its way to the neighboring Indaia Club de Campo, where the animal ended up climbing to the top of a water slide at the pool. It slid halfway down before coming to a stop. Video shows a man roping the steer and leading it the rest of the way down the slide and into the water. The uninjured bovine’s adventure has made it into a local celebrity, leading the farmer to decide to keep him as a pet…with a new name. He has now been dubbed “Toboga,” a Portuguese word for “slide.” (Normally, cows aren’t allowed at waterparks, but this time, they let it slide?) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/7h964d8y
-UPI

DID YOU KNOW?
Good news for chocoholics. The next time you come down with a cough, just pop a piece of your favorite treat and you’ll get all the cough-suppressing effects of codeine syrup without the fuzzy-headed side-effects. How? Chocolate soothes coughs by forming a sticky coating that protects the nerve endings in your throat that cause you to cough. The viscosity of the melted chocolate coating also allows cough-suppressing ingredients naturally present in cocoa to come into contact with your ravaged throat nerves and calm them down. (But what if I WANTED the fuzzy-headed side-effects?)
-Shape

BS CHRONOMETER 11.12.21

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1944 [77] Al Michaels, Brooklyn NY, TV sportscaster (“NBC Sunday Night Football” since 2006, “ABC Monday Night Football” 1986-2006)/5 Emmy Awards/Hollywood Walk of Fame 2004

1945 [76] Neil Young, Toronto ON, classic rocker (‘Heart of Gold’, Crosby Stills Nash & Young-‘Ohio’)/Farm Aid co-founder/Canada’s Walk of Fame 2000/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1995-solo, 1997-Buffalo Springfield)/Canadian Music Hall of Fame 1982/Married to Daryl Hannah since 2018

1958 [63] Megan Mullally, Los Angeles CA, TV actress (‘Karen Walker’ on “Will & Grace” 1998-2006, 2017-20)

1970 [51] Tonya Harding, Portland OR, figure skater (Olympian best known for her involvement in the controversial attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan in 1994)/two-time Skate America Champion/3rd place on Season 26 of “Dancing With the Stars”

1979 [42] Cote de Pablo [María de Pablo Fernández], Santiago Chile, TV actress (‘Ziva David’ on “NCIS” 2005-16)

1980 [41] Ryan Gosling, London ON, movie actor (“La La Land”, “The Notebook”)

1982 [39] Anne Hathaway, Brooklyn NY, movie actress (“Ocean’s 8”, “Les Misérables”)

SATURDAY- Chris Noth (“Sex & The City”) is 67; Whoopi Goldberg (“The View”) is 66; Aldo Nova (‘Fantasy’) is 65; Neil Flynn (“The Middle”) is 61; Jimmy Kimmel (“Jimmy Kimmel Live”) is 54; Steve Zahn (“Dallas Buyers Club”) is 54; Gerard Butler (“The Phantom of the Opera”) is 52; Nikolai Fraiture (The Strokes) is 43

SUNDAY- Prince Charles is 73; Patrick Warburton (“Family Guy”) is 57; Brian Yale (Matchbox Twenty) is 53; Josh Duhamel (“Transformers”) is 49; Chip Gaines (“Fixer Upper”) is 47; Travis Barker (Blink 182) is 46; Brian Dietzen (“NCIS”) is 44; Cory Michael Smith (“Gotham”) is 35

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Pizza With the Works Except Anchovies Day”. The world’s first true pizzeria, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, opened in 1830 and is still in business today in Naples, Italy. Italian immigrant Gennaro Lombardi opened the first North American pizzeria in 1895 in NYC. Pizza is now consumed all over the world …with or without anchovies. (Sounds fishy to me…)
• “Happy Hour Day”, celebrates the time at bars and restaurants when alcoholic drinks are served at discounted prices. Happy hours usually take place in the late afternoon – and usually for more than an hour. (Booze won’t fix your life…but it’s worth a shot!)
• “Fancy Rat & Mouse Day”, a day set aside for people who appreciate pets . . . that are vermin. LINK:  http://www.afrma.org
• “World Pneumonia Day”, an annual forum for the world to stand together and demand action in the fight against the deadly lung inflammation. More than 100 organizations representing the interests of children staged the first observance in 2009.
• “Chicken Soup for the Soul Day”, honoring the sappy series of feel-good books. Conventional wisdom says that chicken soup works wonders on the common cold. So, “chicken soup” became a shorthand for a cure-all, a mysterious-but-effective way to solve problems. Hence the book with the same title, which spawned a generation of sentimental spinoffs.

SATURDAY-
• “World Kindness Day”, when we’re encouraged to perform acts of kindness for others. A few suggestions just in case you can’t think of any …
✓ Randomly place boxes of condoms in people’s shopping carts when they aren’t looking.
✓ Walk into a bar and offer to buy a round for everyone. Leave.
✓ Take the parking ticket off some poor driver’s windshield. Put it on someone else’s windshield.
• “Actors Day”, dedicated to all the talents who have acted or auditioned for even a small role in any film, TV, or theater project. (My only acting experience is when I’ve said: “No, officer, I DON’T know how fast I was going….)
• “Moms & Dads Day”, because apparently “Mother’s Day” and Father’s Day” celebrations just aren’t enough pressure for kids to deal with … thanks a lot! (Do I have to buy a card for this one too?)
• “Sadie Hawkins Day”, named after the “Li’l Abner” comic strip character ‘Sadie Hawkins, the homeliest gal in the hills’. The tradition that girls can ask boys out on this day was born in the “Li’l Abner” strip published on November 15, 1937.
• “Start a Rumor Day”, there isn’t much information available about this day, so there’s a good chance it got started by a rumor.

SUNDAY-
• “International Girls Day”, instigated by Kappa Delta Sorority to celebrate all kinds of girls with all kinds of interests and abilities. It’s an opportunity to build confidence in girls and help them realize their potential.
• “Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day”, encouraging us to take things a little slower, take a mental step back and find some balance.
• “Operating Room Nurse Day”, initiated in 1989 to honor RNs who provide TLC in the OR.
• “Pickle Appreciation Day”, a day to gear up for some tangy, spicy and yummy fun. (Never a dill moment…until today!)
• “Spicy Guacamole Day”, a day to show your true green colors by adding some jalapeño to your avocado dip.
• “World Diabetes Day”, recognizing what’s becoming an epidemic. 1 in 2 people currently living with diabetes are undiagnosed. (Now, HOW would they know that?) LINK: http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2016 [05] Jackie Chan is awarded an honorary Oscar for his film achievements at 8th Annual Governors Awards ceremony

2018 [03] Stan Lee [Stanley Martin Lieber], comic-book artist, writer and creative leader of Marvel (Avengers, Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk), dies at 95

2019 [02] Disney launches its streaming service “Disney+”

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2008 [13] Kenny Chesney captures the CMA Awards’ highest honor, ‘Entertainer of the Year’, for a 4th time

2011 [10] Justin Timberlake makes good on a promise to escort Corporal Kelsey De Santis to a Marine Corps ball in Richmond VA (she invited him via a YouTube video earlier in the year)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2014 [07] The European Space Agency makes history by landing its Rosetta probe named ‘Philae’ on the surface of a comet

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ If you drop off as soon as you go to bed, sleep experts say chances are, you’re sleep-deprived.
✓ To ensure its growth, World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee refused to patent the idea.
✓ According to Pickle Packers International, the crunch of a pickle should be audible from 10 paces.
✓ Frank Sinatra was offered the lead role in “Die Hard”.
✓ A Titanic boarding pass with a face value of $8 sold for $100,000 in 1999.
✓ Baby porcupines are known as ‘porcupettes’.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, MentalFloss

Best of BS . . .
BS THINGS NEVER TO SAY TO NEWLYWEDS:
• Sorry I missed your wedding, I’ll catch the next one.
• Wow, you both look so similar! Are you sure you’re not related?
• You may now kiss the bride. Everyone else has.
• When’s the baby due?
• I guarantee you that eventually just his breathing will send you over the edge.
• Did they ever solve your last wife’s disappearance?
• Enjoy the honeymoon. After that, say goodbye to your sex life.
• Why was she wearing white?
• Call me when it’s over.
• Congratulations?
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018

TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ The “CMA Awards” aired on Wednesday. (The race for Entertainer of the Year was particularly close this year. In fact, the only thing that was tighter was Miranda Lambert’s outfit!)
➠ Sammy Sosa is 53 today. (If you’re stuck for a gift, you can’t go wrong with a juicer.)
➠ Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna’s daughter, Dream Renée Kardashian, just celebrated her 5th birthday. (They say their little girl is happy, healthy and currently resting in the prop department at the E! Network.)
➠ Ryan Gosling is 41 today. (I don’t know what he wants for his birthday, but if it’s your wife, you might as well start looking for somebody new…)
➠ Alex Trebek passed away one year ago this week. (What’s . . . this morning’s sad headline?)

BS WEB GOODIE:
That Friday feeling:  https://tinyurl.com/5cwvb5zn

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Not saying I live in a rough area, but I just bought an advent calendar and half the windows are boarded up!

BS PHONE STARTER:
What was the most useless piece of advice that someone ever gave you?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  Perhaps surprisingly, 34% of people say THIS helps them get out of a funk. What is it?
Answer:  Cleaning the house

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Three grand essentials to happiness in life are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.