Tuesday, March 11, 2025 — Edition: #7911
Don’t Take Any Sheet, Unless It’s Pure Bull!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Actor Simon Fisher-Becker, best known for his roles in “Harry Potter” and “Doctor Who,” has died at age 63. While Fisher-Becker boasted many film credits, his most high-profile role was arguably the ‘Fat Friar’ ghost in the 2001 film “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” His character was Hufflepuff House’s resident ghost in the film. He was also known for his role as ‘Dorium Maldovar’ in Seasons 5 and 6 of “Doctor Who.” He later reprised that role in the podcast series “Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles and Jenny — The Doctor’s Daughter.” Fisher-Becker also had a role in the 2012 Oscar-winning film, “Les Misérables.”
-NYPost
★ Director Paul Feig has denied rumors of tension between Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick at the premiere of their movie “Another Simple Favor”. The director — who attended premiere events alongside the movie’s cast in Austin TX on Friday, addressed speculation of a recent rift between the pair. After YouTuber Melanie King shared a photo of the 2 actresses, alleging that Lively was “terrified to walk the carpet” and Kendrick “never wants to work with [Lively] again,” Feig shut down her claims a day later, writing: “Um … you’re wrong.” Earlier, while greeting fans, Kendrick had been asked how it was working again with Lively, to which she replied: “Oh, you know.”
-People
★ “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo has landed her next movie role, in an action thriller from the team behind “John Wick”. The ‘Elphaba’ actor has joined the cast of “Karoshi”, a legal thriller with a samurai twist. The term karoshi refers to someone dying unexpectedly from being overworked, and the movie will take place in a Japanese version of New York City. Erivo will star alongside “The Recruit” star Teo Yoo and “1883’s” Isabel May, while John Wick director Chad Stahelski will produce. Production is set to begin in June, with Takashi Doscher directing.
-DigitalSpy
★ If you’re going to see “Avatar: Fire and Ash” when it hits theaters, plan to stay awhile. James Cameron has revealed to Empire magazine that the upcoming third installment in his “Avatar” franchise will actually be longer than 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water”, which ran 3 hours and 12 minutes. He explained: “In a nutshell, we had too many great ideas packed into act one of movie 2. (It) was moving like a bullet train…So I said, ‘Guys, we’ve got to split it.’” But fans might not mind the film’s length: The first Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of all time – and The Way of Water is third.
-HollywoodReporter
★ “Wheel of Fortune’s” Vanna White made a surprising revelation about her work schedule at the long-running game show. During an appearance last week on a syndicated radio morning show, White, who has co-hosted “Wheel” for 42 years, revealed, in her words: “We film about 34 days a year. That’s it.” She then jokingly asked for sympathy for her schedule, saying: “But [we film] six shows a day. Come on. You could feel bad for me.” In late 2023, she signed a 2-year contract extension that included what was called a “substantial increase” on the $3 million annually she was making at that point.
-NYPost
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Joel McHale, SZA, Blondshell, Mike Campbell
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Millie Bobby Brown, Dwyane Wade, Sting, Shaggy
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Nathan Lane, Ezra Klein
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Robert De Niro, Kaitlin Olson, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Trixie Mattel, Atsuko Okatsuka, Gillian Jacobs
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Dorit Kemsley, Gabby Windey, Dylan Efron
• “The Daily Show” (COM): TBA
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): The Political View with Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Julian Lennon
• “Today” (NBC): Millie Bobby Brown, Glennon Doyle, Iliza Shlesinger, Dwyane Wade co-hosts
• “GMA3” (ABC): Don Johnson, Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis, Tori Amos
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Don Johnson, Nathan Fillion
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Joshua Jackson, Eiza González, Asif Ali, Kip Moore, guest host Brooke Shields
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Melissa Peterman, Savannah Guthrie
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Melissa Rauch
• “St. Denis Medical” (NBC): Joyce launches a women’s health initiative to unexpected results; Ron treats a patient who has all the answers; Bruce has an existential crisis.
• “The Rookie” (ABC): The team mobilizes to locate a suspect after a deadly series of events affects one of their own; Celina takes on her first case with Bailey’s help.
• “Will Trent” (ABC): Will and Faith dive into the murder of a famous rapper, uncovering a web of corruption stretching beyond the music industry; Angie and Ormewood investigate a swinger’s club.
• “Doc” (Fox): Amy struggles to diagnose her most complicated patient yet — TJ’s dad; a single mom is reluctant to stay in the hospital; Richard tries to contain the truth about Dixon.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Noah Kahan – is selling “Live From Fenway” baseball cards to commemorate his 2024 shows at the iconic Boston stadium. Each pack includes 5 cards: One of his German Shepherd, Penny, who’s an “MVP,” his other dog, Junebug, who’s a “Rookie,” and 3 of Noah, performing and throwing out the first pitch. That last one reads, “I should never be allowed near the mound again.”
• Harry Styles – Sources say that he’s in negotiations for a residency at the high-tech Sphere Las Vegas, which has already hosted U2, the Eagles, Phish and Dead & Company, and will soon host Kenny Chesney and Backstreet Boys. New York Post says he might be doing as many as 35 shows in the second half of 2025.
• The 1975 – quietly dropped a new live album after it was announced they’ll headline this year’s iconic Glastonbury Festival in England. “Still… At Their Very Best (Live From The AO Arena, Manchester, 17.02.24)” was released without promotion on Friday. It is now streaming and available for pre-order on vinyl. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2rmxa4pb
• Ozzy Osbourne – His producer and collaborator Andrew Watt gave Howard Stern a health update on the Prince of Darkness as the countdown to his final show on July 5 continues. Watt said Ozzy’s voice is “as good as it’s ever been”, and while his body is frail, “he’s starting to get in the gym again a little…to get ready for this last concert. He is the real-life Iron Man.”
• Carrie Underwood – According to Life & Style, she is earning about $12.5 million for her new role as judge on “American Idol” this season. While that sounds like a lot (because it IS a lot!), it’s only about half of what her predecessor, Katy Perry, earned during her run on the show.
• Rascal Flatts – have announced their upcoming star-studded collabs album “Life Is a Highway: Refueled Duets”. Out June 6, it’ll feature 10 re-imaginings of the trio’s biggest hits with guests including Kelly Clarkson, Backstreet Boys, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean and Carly Pearce. In January, they released the first single from the album, ‘I Dare You’, which features the Jonas Brothers.
• Brad Paisley – He and the band Dawes released the song ‘Raining Inside’ on Friday. It was initially recorded with just Paisley’s vocals but he was inspired into a collaboration when Dawes members Taylor and Griffen Goldsmith performed Randy Newman’s ‘I Love L.A.’ on the Grammys with an all-star band that included Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard, John Legend and St. Vincent. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/22dwtby3
SHOOTING THE BULL
DRESS FOR SUCCESS:
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unmotivated, you might feel it’s perfectly logical to spend the whole day in your pajamas. But experts are saying what you probably knew – consciously or unconsciously: What you wear can affect how you feel. And with that in mind, the best thing you can do might be to put on a pair of sneakers. Dr. Barbara Greenberg, a clinical psychologist in Connecticut, points out that there is actual research on the relationship between getting dressed and becoming more motivated, showing “When you get dressed, you feel more confident, and because you feel more confident, you become more motivated.” According to her, when you get dressed, “you’re actually, literally stepping into a new role or a new version of yourself.” While sweatpants and slippers give your brain the cue to relax, a well-fitting suit may indicate that it’s time to get down to business. This behavioral effect is why some schools have students wear uniforms – to influences a person’s focus and preparation for learning. But it doesn’t have to be business-wear to influence your productivity. A comfortable pair of yoga pants might help keep you going for a long day. Or a sentimental sweater could provide comfort. A favorite top can boost your confidence. And those sneakers? They could be the first step to getting outside and going for a walk, a run – or heaven forbid, a trip to the gym, which, as hard as it is to do sometimes, you’ll never regret it.
(Actually, I DO regret it when all the girls laugh at my chicken-legs, but I see where they’re coming from!)
(Well, I know that dressing for ‘Netflix and chill’ all weekend didn’t get me very far…!)
-CNN
IN-APP ‘GAME’:
If you’ve been using dating apps, but not having much success, then Tinder might have just the thing for you – an ‘AI wingman’. A new chatbot will soon be available on platforms owned by the Match Group, including Tinder and Hinge. It was designed to will help singles select which profile pictures will be popular, and will give “effective coaching for struggling users” to help guide them through conversations. One example of this would be for it to flag messages that are “off- color” and encourage the user to reconsider sending it. The company said that it came up with the feature because “there’s a real need…to help people understand the norms and behaviors that go along with respectful and consensual dating.”
(Great. So now you have to get all dressed up and go meet the person in public to find out that they’re a creep!)
(Pro tip: You don’t even need AI to tell you not to send a message that just says: “Hey”!)
NYPost
A SHARP LOOK AT LOOKS:
Have you ever heard of the term “pretty privilege”? That’s the idea that people who are better-looking get more advantages in life – and it is definitely a real thing, according to a survey. A recent survey of 1,050 Americans found that 81% believe that pretty privilege exists at work, affecting everything from who gets hired to who gets that next big promotion. And 67% said they have seen someone treated unfairly or talked about negatively because of how they look. Here are some other interesting findings from the poll…
• When asked to rate their own attractiveness, the average person game themselves a 7.7 (out of 10).
• 37.5% of men rated themselves a 9 or 10, while 27.4% of women did.
• Entry-level employees were least likely to think of themselves as attractive (65.5%).
• Almost all CEOs – 99.8% – rated themselves at 7 or above.
Why is this important? People who rated themselves as very attractive reported earning an average of $64,000, while those who saw themselves as unattractive earned about $44,000 — a difference of about $20K.
(On the plus side, I never have to worry about spending much on clothing, because it isn’t going to help much, anyway…!
(Ah! So THAT’S why the boss has implemented a directive to only hire ugly people moving forward!)
-StudyFinds
PRE-PANDEMIC WORLD:
The COVID-19 crisis was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization exactly 5 years ago today. It seems like just yesterday – and yet, it seems like another world. Here’s what it was like back then . . .
⇒ Shakira and Jennifer Lopez were the joint headliners at the Super Bowl (Chiefs won the game).
⇒ “Tiger King” had just premiered on Netflix.
⇒ “Ellen” and “Modern Family” were still on TV.
⇒ The biggest movies in theaters were “The Invisible Man”, “Sonic the Hedgehog”, and “Bad Boys for Life”.
⇒ The biggest songs around that time were ‘Dance Monkey’ by Tones and I, ‘Someone You Loved’ by Lewis Capaldi, and ‘Good as Hell’ from Lizzo.
⇒ Lil Nas X won big at the Grammys for ‘Old Town Road’.
⇒ Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green were still together. And L-Lo was still with A-Rod!
⇒ Brexit happened – and ‘Megxit’ too, around the same time.
⇒ The terms “social distancing,” “superspreader,” “flattening the curve,” “N95s,” “PPE,” “variants,” and “quarantines” weren’t in our vocabularies.
⇒ Not only was Elon Musk still with Grimes, he only had 6 kids. (14 now, we think!) Nick Cannon? Just 3 kids. (Now? 12!)
-BuzzFeed
DID YOU KNOW?
A Thai man found a whole snake frozen inside an ice cream bar that he had purchased from a street cart. The man, known online as Rayban Naklengboon, shared pictures of the bizarre discovery on Facebook, where the post quickly went viral. With his pic, he wrote: “Such big eyes! Is it dead yet? Black bean, street vendor, real picture…” Black bean is a kind of ice cream in Thailand. The black-and-yellow snake’s head was clearly visible in the picture he posted. (I’ve gotta admit that I like chunky ice cream as much as anyone, but…) LINK: https://shorturl.at/2KVLD
-Independent
BS CHRONOMETER 03.11.25
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Debunking Day”. There are so many false claims and exaggerations of the truth, and countless myths and fake news stories everywhere we turn. Debunking Day gives us the chance to set the record straight on the false and inaccurate pieces of information have been troubling us the most. (Where to start? I’d go straight to “X”!)
• “Organize Your Home Office Day”. Studies once showed that an inordinate number of those who work at home still dress in office attire every day in order to ‘get into work mode’. Is that still the case? (At least from the waist-up?)
• “National Promposal Day”, when high school students across North America celebrate their creativity by sharing their unique and often elaborate proposals to ask each other to prom. (Are these still a thing? Or they going the way of the ‘gender reveal’?) IDEAS LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5n87cj7v
• “Eat Your Noodles Day”. Noodles are eaten in many cultures, and are believed to date back at least 4000 years to Central Asia. They’re typically made from unleavened dough which is stretched, extruded, or rolled flat.
• Worship of Tools Day” (aka “Tool Appreciation Day”), celebrating men’s inexplicable fascination with high-priced gizmos. (What tool have you bought, then never used?)
• “World Plumbing Day”, initiated by the World Plumbing Council to celebrate the important role plumbing plays in the health & safety of modern society. (To celebrate, wear your pants at half-mast … just like a plumber.) LINK: https://www.worldplumbing.org/worldplumbingday/
• “Johnny Appleseed Day”, Yes, there really was a Johnny Appleseed. His name was John Chapman when he was born in Massachusetts in 1774. He didn’t just walk around the country sprinkling apple seeds all over the place. He was a serious nurseryman who established orchards in the wilderness of the Midwest. He then gave or sold trees to pioneers who depended on apples as a staple in their diets.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Working Moms Day
[Wed] Plant a Flower Day
[Thurs] Earmuff Day
[Fri] Ask a Question Day
This Week is…Bubble Gum Week
This Month is…Optimism Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1931 [94] Rupert Murdoch, Melbourne Australia, media magnate (FOX-TV, News Corp, Wall St. Journal…)/estimated net worth $25 billion/married to former model Jerry Hall 2016-22, married his 6th wife, 67-year-old Elena Zhukova, in 2024
1950 [75] Bobby McFerrin, New NY, pop-folk-jazz vocalist (‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’)/classical music conductor/10 Grammys, plus a Lifetime Achievement Grammy
1968 [57] Lisa Loeb, Bethesda MD, pop singer (‘Stay [I Missed You]’, ‘I Do’)
1969 [56] Terrence Howard, Chicago IL, TV actor (‘Lucious Lyon’ on “Empire” 2015-20)/movie actor (“The Butler”, “Iron Man”) COMING UP… “The Movers”
1971 [54] Johnny Knoxville (Phillip Clapp), Knoxville TN, movie actor (“Jackass” movies, “The Dukes of Hazzard”)/TV personality (“Jackass” 2000-02) COMING UP… “I Want Yor Sex”
1979 [46] Benji & Joel Madden (Combs), Waldorf MD, twin brother pop-rock musicians (Good Charlotte-‘Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous’, The Madden Bros-‘We Are Done’)/Ben has been married to Cameron Diaz since 2015, Joel to Nicole Richie since 2010
1983 [42] Melissa Rycroft, Dallas TX, reality TV personality (“Redneck Island” 2016, “Dancing With the Stars” 2015, 2018, “The Bachelor” 2009, “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team” 2006-08)
1993 [32] Jodie Comer, Liverpool England, TV actress (“Killing Eve” 2018-22)/movie actress (“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”) COMING UP… “28 Years Later” 2025
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1997 [28] The ashes of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, along with those of Timothy Leary and 22 others, are launched into space orbit aboard a Pegasus XL rocket.
2020 [05] Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is sentenced to 23 years in prison for a criminal sex act and rape in New York.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1997 [28] 30 years after being admitted as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Paul McCartney is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to popular music.
2018 [07] “American Idol”, which ran for 15 seasons on Fox (until 2016), returns on ABC with new judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2002 [23] England’s Plymouth University becomes the first school to offer a degree in ‘Surfing’.
2020 [05] COVID-19 is declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, with 121,564 cases worldwide and 4,373 deaths.
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2011 [14] A massive earthquake measuring 9.0 in magnitude strikes Japan, triggering a tsunami, killing thousands, and causing the second-largest nuclear accident in history, at Fukushima plant.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, including 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, 514 doors and 760 windows.
✓ Most ancient Romans lived in apartment buildings.
✓ “Bluetooth” technology is named after a 10th century king, King Harald Bluetooth. He united the tribes of Denmark, like the wireless technology unites cell phones and other electronics.
✓ Thanks to modern laundry detergents, using cold water is just as effective as hot water, while using 75% less energy.
✓ Sailors consider black cats good luck.
✓ If you commit any crime at sea, you are considered a pirate.
-WhattheFFacts, BathroomReadersInstitute
Best of BS . . .
BS SIGNS SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER:
• Newspaper guy stops aiming for snow drifts, begins targeting shrubs.
• First robin doo on your windshield.
• Wife found trapped under pile of gardening catalogues.
• Annoying neighbors finally shut off Christmas lights.
• You drive with sunroof open, heater on full blast.
• You go to the driving range on Saturday, shovel the walks on Sunday.
• Garbage collectors start going topless.
• Thousands of RV’ers massing on Florida peninsula for annual migration north.
• At H&R Block, you’re asked to ‘take a number please’.
• In Vancouver/Seattle, Winter rain gives way to … Spring rain.
-First published in BS in 2000
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ US President Trump told the 2 astronauts stranded aboard the International Space Station for nearly a year: “We’re coming up to get you,” as Elon Musk is preparing to launch a SpaceX capsule to rescue them. (Trump calls it “One small step for man, one giant distraction from DOGE.”)
➠ Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos plans to launch an all-female crew into space this spring that includes Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez. (…but only if they sign up for Amazon Prime, by tomorrow!)
➠ Scientists have discovered an Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of its host star, which may have liquid water and breathable air. (Which is amazing, because we barely have that downtown!)
➠ The Kalamazoo Cannabis Career Job Fair is scheduled for March 29th. Multiple marijuana-related businesses will be hiring for a variety of job openings. (This job fair is a little different: These companies actually test to make sure you’re ON drugs!)
➠ A study says that giving your child too much praise can harm them later, making them become more narcissistic. (Narcissism is a condition of excessive self-interest that affects approximately one out of every one Kardashian…!)
BS WEB GOODIE:
My week so far: https://tinyurl.com/56fw4kx6
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I was sitting, drinking coffee in my slippers this morning, and I thought to myself: “I really need to wash some cups!”
☎ BS PHONE STARTER:
What always cheers you up when you think about it?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
33% of women say their husband is terrible at THIS. What is it?
Answer: Dancing
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Your worth exists in what you are and not in what you have.
