Monday, August 12, 2024 – Edition: #7769
The BS Press!
BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull is back! As promised, all Bull Sheet subscribers have received account credits for non-service days during the BS Summer holiday.
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Robert Downey, Jr. will reprise his role as ‘Tony Stark/Iron Man’ — in a pair of Disney attractions for Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, part of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. As part of the D23 parks panel, it was announced that Downey, Jr., who was recently revealed to be returning to the MCU as bad guy ‘Doctor Doom’ in 2 “Avengers” movies – will be a part of the attraction “Avengers: Infinity Defense”, which utilizes a ride vehicle technology similar to the recent Peter Pan attraction that opened at Tokyo DisneySea. The other attraction is called “Stark Flight Lab” and utilizes a robotic arm to help guests test cutting-edge Stark tech.
-TheWrap
★ As “The Simpsons” prepares to launch its Season 36 this fall, Fox won’t be the only place to catch new episodes. The executive producers behind the show have revealed that 4 new episodes will exclusively air on Disney+. They include a new Christmas-themed 2-parter, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” premiering Dec. 17 — the 35th anniversary of the very first Simpsons episode, the similarly-themed “Simpsons Roasting Over An Open Fire”. The other 2 episodes, titled “The Past and the Furious” and “Yellow Planet” will air in the “months ahead,” Disney+ said.
-Variety
★ The trailer for the upcoming live-action remake of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” has been released. The “new” Snow White, Rachel Zegler and the “new” Evil Queen, Gal Gadot, were both on hand at D23 to address the crowd. Zegler called her role “the honor of a lifetime”, saying: “any little girl, if you get to put on a Disney princess dress and be her for a day, let alone 6 months… it’s just been the most amazing experience.” Directed by Marc Webb, the reimagining of the 1937 animated film is centered on young Snow White, who flees the castle after her stepmother, orders the Huntsman to kill her. Snow White escapes to a cottage where she finds 7 dwarves. It is set for release on March 21, 2025.
-Variety
★ It’s a happy morning at the Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds household no matter which way you slice it, with separate movies from the couple providing their very own “Barbenheimer” moment. “It Ends With Us”, starring and produced by Lively, earned a superb $50 million opening weekend domestically, while Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine” stayed at #1 with $54 million in its 3rd weekend, and became the second R-rated film to gross $1 billion worldwide. But the weekend was not without its bad spots. “Borderlands” is shaping up to be a critical and commercial flop with an opening weekend of just $8.8 million.
-TheWrap
★ We now know the official title of ‘Avatar 3’: “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” “Director James Cameron and stars Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington made the reveal on Friday during the D23 expo. While no footage was previewed, Cameron did showcase some concept art from the film, including ‘Neytiri’ (Saldaña) riding a banshee, what appeared to be giant airships, and a first look at the fearsome Ash People of the Na’vi, covered in ghost-like soot as they dance around a giant fire pit. Avatar: Fire and Ash is scheduled for release in Dec. 2025.
-Variety
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Mark Wahlberg, Rob Delaney, Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge, guest host Jeff Goldblum
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Channing Tatum, Liza Colón-Zayas, Lawrence
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Kaitlan Collins, Walton Goggins
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Paul F. Tompkins, Morgan Murphy, Guy Branum (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): John Mulaney, Ilona Maher, Todd Sucherman
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Bri Muller, Katie Flood
• “The Daily Show” (COM): TBA
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Jessica Biel, Nick Offerman, Helen Rebanks (R)
• “The Talk” (CBS): Kiefer Sutherland (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Andra Day
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Real American Heros Tour
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Queen Latifah (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Deon Cole, Ryan Lochte
• “The Bachelorette” (ABC): Jenn and the men arrive in Seattle. During the group date, the men go on-air at a local radio station.
• “Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life” (A&E): On October 19, 2021, Phi Gamma Delta pledge Danny Santulli was hazed into drinking excessively during a fraternity celebration; it is all on camera.
• “Celebrity IOU” (HGTV): Season 8 premiere. Mandy Moore returns the love to Ce-Ce, a woman who has been deeply ingrained in her life for the past 15 years.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Travis Scott — was arrested early Friday over a fight at a hotel in Paris. Cops were called following an incident of “violence against a security agent”, who had intervened to separate the rapper from his bodyguard, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. Scott was released on Saturday, with no charges laid.
• Adele — has confirmed her engagement to American sports agent Rich Paul. While performing in Germany, video shows someone carrying a sign saying “Will you marry me?”. Adele responded by saying: “I can’t marry you because I’m already getting married …but I appreciate it, thank you.” She then showed off what looked like an engagement ring to the audience.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers and Billie Eilish – were among those who rocked the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony yesterday. The show, featuring those prominent LA-based acts, as well as actor Tom Cruise, served as a handover for the 2028 L.A. Olympic Games. US Olympic torchbearer and NBC Olympics commentator Snoop Dogg also performed, and H.E.R. sang the US national anthem.
• Rod Stewart – Despite the fact that he was forced to cancel what was supposed to be the 200th, and final, show in his 13-year Vegas residency due to strep throat, he has announced that he’ll return next year for shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace from March 12-22 and May 29-June 8. Sir Rod has since postponed shows in Nevada and California, after a COVID-19 diagnosis.
• Huey Lewis — is getting his own TV show. He’ll star as himself in “Whatever Happened to Huey Lewis”, a fictionalized version of his life. It is said to be a “Curb Your Enthusiasm-style” show, centering around Lewis’ efforts to navigate “his new life after losing his hearing.” The show is in development at Fox.
• Blake Shelton – will debut a new collab with Steve Wariner, covering Alabama’s ‘Old Flame’ on the Aug. 15 premiere of “CMT Giants: Alabama” on CMT. Other acts who will pay homage to the Country Hall of Famers include Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean and Little Big Town.
• Luke Bryan – has notched his 36th top 10 song on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, as ‘Love You, Miss You, Mean It’ rises a spot to #10 on the latest list. He is the 12th artist to have that many top 10s. George Strait and Kenny Chesney have the most, with 61 each.
• Parker McCollum – is a proud father. His wife, Hallie Ray delivered their first child, a baby boy, on Thursday. In a joint post featuring a carousel of photos, they wrote: “Major Yancey Tyler McCollum 8/8/24.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4rpz6we4
SHOOTING THE BULL
SEÑOR’S HOME:
Taco Bell is opening what it is calling an “early retirement community” for its Rewards Members. The fast-food chain will host a 2-day elder-inspired experience this weekend at The Cantinas resort in San Diego, where a bunch of Taco Bell’s biggest fans will get together and experience what life is like as a retiree, enjoying things like crochet classes, pickleball and poolside cocktails. The company said this is a “chance to embrace and fuel youth culture’s slow living, senior-at-heart lifestyle.” Taco Bell Rewards members, who are forking out $150 for a “weekend membership” that includes overnight accommodation and dining, will also be able to enjoy early morning tee times, aerobics classes, and arts and crafts, “before drifting off to sleep at 8pm, after an early bird dinner.”
(In reference to that part about drifting off to sleep at 8pm: So, no change, except I won’t be on my own couch!)
(Senior lifestyle AND Taco Bell? This might be a good time to remind you to keep your ‘I hope they have enough diapers’ jokes to yourself!)
-NYPost
LAZY DAYS:
How often do you need a day to just relax? According to a survey, the average person feels they need 60 “lazy days” per year in order to feel properly rested. I know. Wishful thinking, right? The poll of 2,000 Americans found that adults seem to take their “do nothing” days very seriously, with about one in 5 planning these days in advance, and 11% even marking them on the calendar a few weeks ahead of time. On a typical lazy day, the average person spends 2 hours lying in bed, an hour eating, 3 hours binge-watching movies and TV, an hour reading, and 2 hours scrolling. Three hours are spent doing literally absolutely nothing, 2 hours are spent napping, and a full hour is generally devoted to “dreading the next day”. And in what may be a related survey, a poll for Apple Vacations found that 30% of millennials feel that relaxing while on vacation is a “waste of time”.
(Well, if they just spent 60 days over the past year doing absolutely nothing, then I can see their point!)
(I used to think it would be nice to relax about one day per week. But then I got a lawn!)
-StudyFinds
NEW GOOD NEWS:
• American billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg has announced that a series of grants worth $600 million will be presented to 5 historically Black colleges and universities. The donations will be channeled specifically to the universities’ medical colleges, and Bloomberg’s philanthropic organization said it hopes they will sprout greater representation in the medical sector, where Black doctors make up just 6% of the national labor force. The $600 donation will go to Howard University College of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Charles Drew University of Medicine & Science, and Xavier University. The donations will more than double the size of 3 of the medical schools’ endowments, relieving hundreds of thousands in student medical school debt.
• A D-day veteran who defended landing troops from Nazi fighter planes received more than 200 cards from well-wishers for his 100th birthday. John Dennett, who lives near Liverpool, England, was surprised by the haul of 217 cards and letters sent to him from across the UK, marking his special day. He celebrated with friends and family at a party that featured food, entertainment, and wartime music. During his military career, Dennett also took part in other allied landings in North Africa and Italy, and this summer was able to return to France to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day. John quote: “It’s only now that I’ve reached 100 that I realize I’m that old. I’ll just have to take it easy now. All I hope is I reach 200!”
-GoodNewsNetwork
ONE FOR THE MONEY, TWO (HUNDRED-PLUS) FOR THE SHOW:
An analysis by Jeffbet.com of tour data for 200 of the most popular music artists from 2019-23 determined which have the highest average ticket prices – and which are the most expensive concert acts to see, based on how much you would pay PER MINUTE, taking into account ticket prices and each artist’s average concert length…
Highest Average Ticket Prices (US dollars):
1. U2 – $272
2. Taylor Swift – $239
3. Drake – $239
4. George Strait – $232
5. Bruno Mars – $218
6. Eagles – $213
7. Beyoncé – $209
8. The Rolling Stones – $207
9. Genesis – $176
10. Paul McCartney – $174
Most Expensive Artists Per Minute:
1. Bruno Mars – $2.19
2. U2 – $2.12
3. Drake – $1.81
4. The Rolling Stones – $1.78
5. George Strait – $1.77
6. Eagles – $1.74
7. blink-182 – $1.53
8. Beyoncé – $1.39
9. Kendrick Lamar – $1.39
10. Morgan Wallen – $1.39
(Of course, these numbers are only accurate if you’re one of the about 50 people at each show who wasn’t forced to pay an exorbitant mark-up to a so-called “ticket-broker”…)
-StudyFinds
DID YOU KNOW?
Are you ready for a fact that will make you the most irritating person at your next social gathering? Roses don’t actually have thorns. Thorns actually describe the sharp woody points of certain shrubs and trees, including honey locusts and citrus trees. Roses, on the other hand, have prickles that form from the skin of the plant, similar to the way that hair grows on humans. (So, what you’re telling me is that Brett Michaels should actually be singing: “Every rose has its prickle”?)
-CNN
BS CHRONOMETER 08.12.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “International Youth Day”, a UN observance since 1999 to draw attention to youth issues worldwide. (Like acne?) 2024 theme: “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development” LINK: https://www.un.org/en/observances/youth-day
• “Middle Children’s Day”, a salute to middle-born children whose childhood activities were seemingly always limited by being ‘too young’ or ‘too old’. (But the occasion will probably be ignored, just like a middle child is…)
• “Vinyl Record Day”, celebrated on one of the possible dates in 1877 on which Thomas Edison is thought to have invented the phonograph. The purpose is to encourage the preservation of the recordings, cover art, and cultural influence of vinyl records. LINK: http://vinylrecordday.org
• “World Elephant Day”, conceived in 2011 and dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world’s increasingly scarce pachyderms. LINK: http://worldelephantday.org
• “Baseball Fans Day”, celebrating fans of America’s pastime. Baseball evolved from a British game called rounders, and is similar to the game of cricket. To celebrate, you should either play the sport, or attend a game. Be sure to eat hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jack, and sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’.
• “Sewing Machine Day”. The newest machines are computerized and can do some pretty impressive things. If you don’t use yours too often, take it out and sew something today. But if you use it a lot, then today is a good day to give it a well-earned vacation.
• “Truck Driver Day”, saluting the long-haulers who deliver the goods. Ever notice truckers always say that they ‘drive truck’, not ‘drive trucks’?
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] International Lefthanders Day
[Tues] Filet Mignon Day
[Wed] Creamsicle Day
[Thurs] Relaxation Day
This Week Is…Hobo Week
This Month Is…Black Business Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [75] Mark Knopfler, Glasgow Scotland (raised in England), rock guitarist-singer (Dire Straits-‘Money for Nothing’, ‘Sultans of Swing’)/film score composer (“The Princess Bride”)
1963 [61] Sir Mix-a-Lot (Anthony Ray), Seattle WA, rapper (‘Baby Got Back’)
1965 [59] Peter Krause, Alexandria MN, TV actor (“9-1-1″ since 2018, “Parenthood” 2010-15, “Six Feet Under” 2001-05)
1971 [53] Yvette Nicole Brown, East Cleveland OH, TV actress (‘Shirley Bennett’ on “Community” 2009-15), “Pupstruction” 2023-24/movie actress (“Avengers: Endgame”)
1971 [53] Pete Sampras, Lake Sherwood CA, retired tennis pro (15 Grand Slam singles titles including 7 Wimbledon and 5 US Open, ranked #1 for 286 weeks beginning in 1993)
1975 [49] Casey Affleck, Falmouth MA, movie actor (Oscar-“Manchester by the Sea”, Gone Baby Gone”, “Ocean’s 11” movies)/brother of Ben Affleck. COMING UP…”Slingshot”, 2024
1978 [46] Hayley Wickenheiser, Shaunavon SK, retired hockey player (4 Olympic Gold, 7 World Championships with Canadian Women’s team/resident physician/Assistant GM of Toronto Maple Leafs since 2022/Hockey Hall of Fame, 2019/Order of Canada, 2011
1992 [32] Cara Delevingne, London England, fashion model (Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, etc.)/movie actress (“Suicide Squad”, “Paper Towns”)/TV actress (“American Horror Story” 2023) COMING UP… “Punk”
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2014 [10] Screen legend Lauren Bacall (“Key Largo”, “The Big Sleep”) dies at age 89
2022 [02] Anne Heche (“Donnie Brasco”, “Six Days, Seven Nights”) dies at 53 from injuries a week after a single vehicle car crash
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1994 [30] Woodstock 2 – officially “Woodstock ’94” – begins in Saugerties, New York. The festival draws a crowd of about 350,000 over 3 days to see acts including Aerosmith, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sheryl Crow and Peter Gabriel
2012 [12] The London 2012 Olympics end with a 3-hour musical closing ceremony (Spice Girls, George Michael, The Who, Take That, Muse, Jessie J, Pet Shop Boys, One Direction, etc.)
2021 [03] Britney Spears’ father Jamie announces he will step down as her conservator after the singer called the arrangement abusive, amid the #FreeBritney campaign
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1981 [43] IBM introduces its first ‘Personal Computer’, the model 5150, equipped with MS-DOS 1.0 — and a price tag of $1,565 ($5,562 in today’s dollars)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ A hippo’s stomach is 10 feet long and can hold 400 pounds of food.
✓ Elephants are pregnant for 2 years.
✓ Insects shiver when they’re cold.
✓ Fire moves faster uphill.
✓ The word “hipster” goes back to the 1930s, when it was used to refer to someone in the jazz scene.
✓ Gerber once tried to market a baby food for adults.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, BestLife
Best of BS . . .
BS STUPID QUESTIONS FOR PESSIMISTS:
• You don’t want this 4-leaf clover, do you?
• If a tree falls in the forest, will it land on you?
• What are your thoughts on 2024 so far?
• Are you positive you’re a pessimist?
• Don’t you think tomorrow will be awesome?
• What if your glass were half-full . . . of vodka?
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2020
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ Research shows that if you want to boost your memory, just close your eyes for a while. (This just in, Joe Biden has the best memory ever…!)
➠ A website recently posted a list of the “20 Warning Signs That Tell You Old Age Is on the Horizon.” (The good news: I didn’t see any that applied to me. The bad news: That’s because I left my reading glasses at the dog park…)
➠ Kylie Jenner turned 27 on Saturday. (I had to tell you because she and her family don’t mention anything personal on social media…!)
➠ Melanie Griffith turned 67 on Friday. (Although you’ve gotta remember: Her nose is 20, her cheeks are 17, and parts of her forehead are 9…)
➠ Fact: Ketchup that’s labeled “Fancy” is legally required to be thicker than the regular kind. (So…I guess Daniel is the “Fancy” member of the Baldwin Family?
BS WEB GOODIE:
The kid with the scissors is waaay cooler than I’ll ever be: https://tinyurl.com/mdxmt8u4
BS RANDOM JOKE:
If laziness were an Olympic sport, I’d come in fourth — so I wouldn’t have to walk up to the podium…
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• Messaging service WhatsApp is owned by which tech company?
a) Apple
b) Microsoft
c) Meta [CORRECT]
d) Polaroid
• A periodontist specializes in treating what?
a) Gums [CORRECT]
b) Eyes
c) Feet
d) Others the way they’d like to be treated
• In Japan, the Yakuza are what?
a) A crime syndicate [CORRECT]
b) A pop band
c) The media
d) Gozillla’s in-laws
-Stuff
BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s your favorite weekend time-waster?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
A survey found that the worst thing a guy can do for his dating profile picture is to not wear a shirt. What came in second?
Answer: Wearing sunglasses
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.
