Thursday, December 5, 2024 – Edition: #7850

Get Sheet-Faced Every Morning!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ “Wednesday” Season 2 will indeed be released on Netflix in 2025, the streamer has confirmed — and it unveiled the first official image of Jenna Ortega in the new season. The new look at Ortega’s fan-favorite character comes as production on Wednesday Season 2 has finally wrapped in the UK, with the show now moving into post-production. The highly anticipated return comes after the first season of the “Addams Family” spinoff became the second most-watched English-language show in Netflix history. Additions for the Season 2 include new regulars Steve Buscemi, Billie Piper, Noah Taylor, Evie Templeton and Owen Painter. Lady Gaga is also set for an undisclosed role. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4fsyy396
-TheWrap
★ Courtney Stodden is married. The 30-year-old tied the knot with TV producer Jared Safier, who is 41, in Palm Springs on Tuesday, in a “last-minute” wedding in front of 20 guests. The “Celebrity Big Brother” reality star—who first made headlines when she married 51-year-old Doug Hutchinson in Las Vegas at the age of 16—wore a $60,000 vintage wedding dress for her nuptials. She also donned her signature blonde hair for the occasion, after several years of being brunette. The couple planned their wedding in just 3 weeks after realizing both of their families would be in town for Thanksgiving. Courtney quote: “We didn’t have a date. We just kind of looked at each other, and we’re the same kind of crazy…we’re just like, ‘This is the perfect time to do it.'”
-E!
★ Mattel is facing a class action lawsuit over that unfortunate incident when it accidentally included a link to a porn website on some of its “Wicked” doll packaging, instead of the Universal movie site. According to a mother from South Carolina, the marketing material that listed Wicked.com instead of WickedMovie.com came as an “absolute shock” and left her daughter “horrified.” The class-action suit says Mattel did not offer a refund for the tainted toy and she believes she and her daughter incurred damages, including emotional distress from the mistake.
-TheWrap, TMZ
★ Oprah Winfrey is expanding her presence in the podcast sphere. Winfrey’s Oprah’s Book Club invites fans to listen to the TV personality in conversation with select book club authors in “The Oprah Podcast”. The weekly show will feature Winfrey interviewing a Book Club author each month, with other episodes including discussions with “leaders, global newsmakers, best-selling authors, visionaries and cultural changemakers,” says a press release. She also hosts “Oprah’s Super Soul” podcast.
-People
★ “Saturday Night Live” is turning back the clock for the holidays. Former cast members Chris Rock and Martin Short will return to Studio 8H to host a pair of SNL episodes later this month. Rock will host the Dec. 14 episode with musical guest Gracie Abrams, and Short will host on Dec. 21 with musical guest Hozier. As previously announced, “Gladiator II” star Paul Mescal is set to host this Saturday’s episode, with musical guest Shaboozey.
-TVLine

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Billy Eichner, Chris Martin, Dick Van Dyke, Thee Sacred Souls
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Angelina Jolie, Sebastian Stan, Andrew Ridgeley, Laura Peek
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Kate McKinnon, Peter Sarsgaard, Ben Folds
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Jordan Temple, Carmen Christopher, Robby Hoffman
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Molly Shannon, Brooks Wheelan (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Madison LeCroy, Fortune Feimster
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Host Ronny Chieng
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): A performance from Broadway’s “Elf The Musical”
• “The Talk” (CBS): Dave Annable
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Bob Mackie
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): “Good Neighbor of the Year Hour”
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Ariana Grande
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Brian Tyree Henry
• “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” (NBC): The classic animated tale about the lonely and heartless Grinch, who dresses up as Santa to steal from the people of Whoville. Followed by the classic “Frosty the Snowman”.
• “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” (CBS): Georgie joins a church to sell tires to the congregation and Mandy worries there is more to it than that.
• “Crime Scene Kitchen” (Fox): Season 3 finale. The final 3 teams compete in in hopes of winning the $100,000 grand prize.
• “The Great Christmas Light Fight” (ABC): Season 12 premiere. Families compete for the $50,000 grand prize.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Kendrick Lamar – took up the entire Top Five on Billboard’s newest Hot 100 Chart. ‘Squabble Up’ debuted at #1, followed by ‘TV Off’, ‘Luther’ (ft. SZA), ‘Wacced Out Murals’, and ‘Hey Now’. In addition, his “GNX” album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, AND he announced the “Grand National” stadium tour of North America with SZA, set for next year. LINK: https://grandnationaltour.com/
• Benson Boone – His ‘Beautiful Things’ was named Apple Music’s #2 most-streamed song globally for 2024. #1 is Kendrick Lamar‘s ‘Not Like Us’. Number 3 is Sabrina Carpenter‘s ‘Espresso’, followed by Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” at #4, and Taylor Swift‘s ‘Cruel Summer’ at #5.
• Teddy Swims, Tinashe and Lenny Kravitz – will all be performing on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest”. Also performing on the ABC special will be country stars Cody Johnson and Thomas Rhett. Joining Ryan Seacrest as co-host once again will be Rita Ora.
• Kiss – A year since they played the final date of their “End of the Road” tour, the group shared a 20-minute video recap of the show at New York’s Madison Square Garden. It ends, of course, with video debuting their Kiss avatars. A message from Gene Simmons says: “I wish I could tell you the amazing things that are brewing but you will soon be able to experience it beyond anything you’ve experienced.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2s3kbbdw
• Guns N’ Roses – For Giving Tuesday, Slash and Duff McKagan teamed up with Gibson guitars CEO Cesar Gueikian on the new single ‘I Can Breathe’, which will raise money for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Slash previously fundraised for NAMI via his S.E.R.P.E.N.T. music festival. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2y46ba43
• Ashley McBryde – has been honored with her very own welcome sign in her hometown. She recently returned to her old stomping grounds for the sign’s unveiling, which reads “WELCOME TO WALDRON, ARKANSAS BIRTHPLACE OF ASHLEY MCBRYDE GRAND OLE OPRY MEMBER.” On Insta, she wrote: “I’ve always dreamed of making my Home State proud. They did me one better!” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3ct5hhuu
• The Band Perry — will reunite on Jan. 25 for a homecoming show to raise money for Hurricane Helene relief. Original members Kimberly Perry and Reid Perry will return, while Kimberly’s husband, Johnny Costello, replaces Neil Perry on mandolin and guitar. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/y64ykexv
• Kelsea Ballerini – You’ll never guess who came to her Thanksgiving dinner. For first time in her life, she was in charge of the big meal this year. And a slideshow of pics from the celebration includes a shot of Kenny Chesney, who came dressed casually in a beanie and Baja hoodie. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mry8zbzs

SHOOTING THE BULL

CAT TALE:
Cats are often tagged with the labels “indifferent” or “aloof”, as though they couldn’t care less if humans were around or not. But are they really as independent and uncaring about companionship as their reputation suggests? Not a chance, according to a study published in the journal Behavioural Processes. In 2017, researchers at Oregon State University conducted a series of tests known as “preference assessments” on 50 random house cats. They placed the kitties in isolation for several hours, and then exposed them to 4 types of stimuli: human, food, toys, and scents. It was determined that the felines displayed a clear preference for human interaction – even over being fed. Food came in second, with toys and scents much further behind. And interestingly, the results held true among shelter cats, too.
(My cat would be the exact same – because she knows that if she’s nice enough to me, I’ll give her food!)
(It’s true though — People are ALWAYS saying that cats are aloof, and don’t really care about humans…and that’s by the people who love them most!)
-StudyFinds

SCIENTISTS SAY:
⇒ Men who get married ‘age’ slower than those who do not — but the same is not necessarily true for women. Research published in the journal International Social Work showed how, after tracking the health and well-being of adults aged 45-85 over a 25-year period, married men who stayed married aged more successfully than their never-married peers. Married women, on the other hand, did not age much differently than females who never wed. Women who were hitched, then unhitched were found to be at a disadvantage to their married and single friends, in the studied categories of physical health, mental health, social wellness, and self-perception related to age. (But they had a lot more fun on Friday nights!)
⇒ Smartphone addicts have shorter attention span, struggle at work, struggle to hold their relationships together – and are more prone to boredom. Researchers at The State University of New York at Binghamton also found that females especially are at risk of falling under the enchantment of a smartphone’s spell. Their study of 182 college students found that those who were categorized as smartphone “addicts” based on their use, were also found to show symptoms of possible depression, social isolation, social anxiety, shyness, impulsivity, and low self-esteem. The research team said that people who turn to their smartphones as a means of “escape” from personal problems should seek help”, to prevent it from becoming worse. (Trust me – I had a short attention span and struggled at work LOOONG before I even knew that phone COULD be smart!)
-NYPost, StudyFinds

WORKING REMOTELY . . . REALLY REMOTELY:
If you had the choice, and weren’t required to live where you do because of personal circumstances, where in the world would you choose to live and work from? The work fulfilment site Jobseeker.com has released its new report, analyzing social trend data — to uncover where people wish they could work – if they had the chance to move anywhere. It determined that the most wished-for international relocation destination is . . . Canada. Australia came second, followed, in order, by Switzerland, USA, Singapore, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Germany, Qatar, and Spain.
(Canada’s a wonderful place – but I can’t help but think that most of these people were dreaming of moving there in the summer!)
(I’m happy to see this. Because if you believed all the bumper stickers attached to pickup trucks these days, you’d think Canada is the worst place on earth!)
-Travel+Leisure

THE BEST SONGS OF 2023:
After crowning Charli XCX‘s “Brat” the #1 album of 2024, Rolling Stone has now released its list of the top 100 songs of 2024. Here are the top 10, according to the mag’s writers . . .
1. ‘Good Luck, Babe! – Chappell Roan
2. ‘Not Like Us’ – Kendrick Lamar
3. ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ — Shaboozey
4. ‘Espresso’ – Sabrina Carpenter
5. ‘Birds of a Feather’ – Billie Eilish
6. ‘Too Sweet’ — Hozier
7. ‘Nasty’ — Tinashe
8. ‘Pink Skies’ – Zach Bryan
9. ‘Girl, so confusing’ – Charli XCX ft. Lorde
10. ‘Right Back to it’ — Waxahatchee ft. MJ Lenderman
-RollingStone

DID YOU KNOW?
A plain white canvas, valued at more than $1.5 million, is up for auction. The 1970 piece by minimalist American painter Robert Ryman, titled “General 52″ x 52″ (a nod to its dimensions) — will be up for grabs at the Ketterer Kunst auction house in Berlin Dec. 6 and 7. The artwork appears to be blank, but the all-white canvas with a slightly darker white frame actually was painted using white enamel and enamelac paints, typically used to paint metal. The auction house expert explained that the work shows that “White is not always white…The viewer is challenged and becomes the creator of the art.” (Wow. I wonder how much they could get if someone taped a banana to it!) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/26n8nvtj
-NYPost

BS CHRONOMETER 12.05.24

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bathtub Party Day”, encouraging a luxurious long, hot bath to develop inner peace. Almost everyone nowadays takes showers, so here’s a chance to recall a luxury from days gone by.
• “Communicate With Your Kids Day”, to promote open and ongoing communication between parents and children, with a special emphasis on early childhood communication.
• “Day of the Ninja”, when you’re encouraged to dress like a ninja and run wild in the streets. The problem? One of the skills of a ninja is ensuring that one’s opponent does not know of his existence. So how, then, can you run wild in the streets? LINK: http://www.dayoftheninja.com
• “Comfort Food Day”. Comfort food is traditionally defined as a food that is sentimental to the consumer. A study found that females tend to seek comfort in sweet and sugary foods like ice cream, while males prefer savory comfort foods like steak and soup. (But why force us to make a choice?)
• “Blue Jeans Day”. It’s one of a few days each year dedicated to one of the most popular articles of clothing in the world. (And what fits better than a good old pair of jeans – assuming you didn’t just overdo the “comfort food” thing!)
• “World Soil Day”, first declared in 2013 to raise awareness of the importance of soils for food security, agriculture, as well as in mitigation of climate change, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development.
• “International Volunteer Day”, honoring the selfless people who make many of the good things in life happen by volunteering their time. (You couldn’t PAY me to do volunteer work!)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Gazpacho Day
[Fri] St. Nicholas Day
[Sat] Cotton Candy Day (!)
[Sun] Christmas Tree Day
This Week is…Tolerance Week
This Month is…Give the Gift of Sight Month

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1946 [78] Andy Kim (Andrew Youakim), Montreal QC, pop singer (‘Rock Me Gently’)/songwriter (The Archies-‘Sugar, Sugar’)/also recorded under the name “Baron Longfellow”

1947 [77] Jim Messina, Maywood CA, rock singer-guitarist (Loggins & Messina-‘Your Mamma Don’t Dance’, Buffalo Springfield-‘For What It’s Worth’)

1965 [59] John Rzeznik, Buffalo NY, rock singer-guitarist (Goo Goo Dolls-‘Iris’, ‘Slide’)

1967 [57] Gary Allan (Herzberg), La Mirada CA, country singer (‘Every Storm [Runs Out of Rain]’, ‘Nothing on But the Radio’)

1968 [56] Margaret Cho, San Francisco CA, comedian-TV actress (“Drop Dead Diva” 2009-14/movie actress (“Face/Off”)/TV host (“Fashion Police” 2013-17) COMING UP… “I Want Your Sex”

1975 [49] Paula Patton, Los Angeles CA, movie actress (“Mission: Impossible, Ghost Protocol”, “Precious”/TV actress (“Sacrifice” 2021)/married to Robin Thicke 2005-15

1982 [42] Keri Hilson, Decatur GA, R&B singer-songwriter (‘Pretty Girl Rock’, f/Kanye West & Ne-Yo–‘Knock You Down’)

1985 [39] Frankie Muniz, Wood Ridge NJ, TV actor, (“Malcolm in the Middle” 2000-2006)/TV host (“Dancing With the Stars: Juniors”, 2018)/movie actor (“Agent Cody Banks”)/NASCAR racer

1986 [38] James Hinchcliffe, Oakville, ON Canada, IndyCar racer (winner of 6 IndyCar races)/TV analyst (NBC race commentator since 2020)/finished second in season 23 of “Dancing With The Stars”

1998 [26] Conan Gray, Lemon Grove CA, pop singer-songwriter (‘Heather’, ‘Maniac’)

ON THIS DATE . . .
2013 [11] Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid activist, political prisoner (1962-90) and former President of South Africa (1994-99), dies of a lung infection at 95.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2003 [21] Coldplay frontman Chris Martin marries Gwyneth Paltrow, a year after they met backstage at one of his concerts. They divorce in 2016, after “consciously uncoupling”.

2022 [02] Kirstie Alley, star of the sitcom “Cheers” and “Look Who’s Talking” movies, dies of cancer at 71.

2023 [01] Norman Lear, the Emmy-winning TV writer and producer of shows including “All in The Family”, “The Jeffersons” and “Maude” dies at 101.

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2004 [20] Elton John is introduced by Robert Downey Jr. as the “other first lady” as he receives a Kennedy Center honor.

2013 [11] Spotify responds to critics by revealing how much acts can expect to earn from the music streaming site … an average of $0.007 per play — 7-thousandths of a cent. (They currently pay between $0.003 – $0.005 per stream, on average.)

2020 [04] BTS hit #1 in the US with ‘Life Goes On’. The song, sung mostly in Korean, is the first chart-topper since Falco’s ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ (in 1986) with lyrics mainly in a language other than Spanish or English.

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ There are approximately 736 grapes in a bottle of wine.
✓ When we touch something, the message moves to the brain at 124mph (200kph).
✓ Most soccer players run about 7 miles (11.2 km) in a game.
✓ In a 3-hour Major League Baseball game, there is an average of about 10 minutes of actual playing time.
✓ In a group of 23 people, there is a 50% chance that two will share the same birthday.
✓ A 2019 study found that house cats do recognize their own name, but often don’t bother to respond.
-ReadersDigest, WomansDay

Best of BS . . .
BS ODD THINGS TO PUT ON LAYAWAY:
• Fresh fruit
• A pregnancy test
• A partridge in a pear tree
• Advent calendar
• A bag of Lay’s chips
• A gift certificate
• An Epi-pen
• Ice cream
• A book on how to handle your household budget
• My holiday spirit
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018

BS LIES EVERYBODY TELLS IN THE OFFICE:
• “I don’t know who broke the photocopier.” (BS translation: “Ha ha ha, it was me!”)
• “Sorry, no I haven’t seen your stapler.” (BS translation: “I love my new stapler.”)
• “Oh, I must have been out when your birthday card was passed around.” (BS translation: “I couldn’t bring myself to write something even vaguely nice about you.”)
• “Sorry I’m late, the commute was a nightmare.” (BS translation: “I’m hungover.”)
• “I’m taking a sick day. I think I’m coming down with the flu.” (BS translation: “I’m so hungover I think I might die.”)
• “I really appreciate your input.” (BS translation: “I want you to shut up now.”)
• “Sorry, I don’t think I got that email.” (BS translation: “I actually printed it out, just so I could set fire to it.”)
• “I have a rule to never date co-workers.” (BS translation: “I’ve been having an affair with Sam from accounting for 6 months.”)
• “I’m really looking forward to tackling the challenges that lie ahead.” (BS translation: “I’m already looking for a new job.”)
-Adapted from BuzzFeed, first published in BS in 2014

BS WEB GOODIE:
Not not true:  https://tinyurl.com/zzhaaeu5

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I accidentally became important at work and it’s ruining my life…

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What are you interested in . . . that most people aren’t?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Supermarket chains have reported an increase in sales after making THIS change – and it has nothing to do with price or selection. What is it?
Answer:  Dimming the lights

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Never take a person’s dignity: it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you.