April 1, 2015

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ First came “The Sound of Music”, then “Peter Pan”. And next up for NBC-TV, a live musical production of “The Wiz”, adapted from Frank L Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. The December 3rd TV event is being developed in partnership with Cirque du Soleil. “The Wiz” will then move to NYC, where it will be presented as a Broadway revival for the 2016-17 season. Both the TV production and stage musical are being created in cooperation with stage legend Harvey Fierstein. No cast has yet been announced. (Considering ratings for “Pan” were well below “Sound of Music”, it’s a bit surprising they’re giving this another go.)
– TIME.com
★ Jenny McCarthy gives “The View” 1 year. That’s how long the former co-host suggests the ABC-TV daytime talk show can survive. It recently celebrated its 4,000th episode. McCarthy’s new husband, Donny Wahlberg, claims he predicted on the day McCarthy left that they’d be calling her within 6 months to ask her back. And did they? Not officially, but yes. According to McCarthy, a producer contacted her and asked if she’d ever consider returning and she rejected the idea. But she admits it felt good to be asked. (The show’s been floundering ever since creator and longtime co-host Barbara Walters retired in May 2014.)
– USAToday.com
★ And there’ll be another production delay for the new “Pirates Of the Caribbean” movie as Johnny Depp recovers from surgery. The 5th film in the franchise, “Pirates Of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”, is being shot in Australia. After Depp hurt his hand and wrist in an off-set go-karting accident, he’s flown back to the US for treatment that includes inserting a pin in a finger. The delay has now been extended to 4 weeks, meaning Depp won’t be back on-set until at least mid-April. The film’s scheduled for release in 2017. (Think the insurance company is going to pay for a delay because of kart racing?)
– “Hollywood Reporter”

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol” (FOX) –  The top 9 perform and face elimination; Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson performs.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Ringo Starr (“Postcards From Paradise”).
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Charlie Wilson (“Forever Charlie”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Death Cab for Cutie (“Kintsugi”) plays an outdoor concert performance; Rihanna (“Bitch Better Have My Money”).
• “Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS/Omni 1) – Olly Murs (” Never Been Better”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Dead Sara (“Pleasure to Meet You”); Ludacris (“Ludaversal”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – David Sanborn (“Enjoy the View”).
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Pharrell Williams (“GIRL”).
• “Queen Latifah” (syndicated) – Paul Stanley (KISS). Rerun.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Milky Chance (“Stolen Dance”); Pharrell Williams again.
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – Lennon & Maisy (“Boom Clap”).
• “Wendy Williams” (syndicated) – Jodeci (“The Past, The Present, The Future”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Mariah Carey – Filmmaker Brett Ratner (“Rush Hour”) is denying he’s in a relationship with the newly-single singer, even though they’ve been spotted together on the Caribbean island of St Barts. They called St Maarten radio station Laser 101 to clarify that they’re just celebrating joint birthdays and working on a movie based on her holiday hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You”.
• One Direction – Just a week after announcing his departure from the boy-band, Zayn Malik has released his 1st solo song, a collaboration with British producer Naughty Boy. The song, which features Malik singing over an acoustic guitar, is called “I Won’t Mind”.
• Queen – Contrary to previous reports, Sacha Baron Cohen will NOT appear as Freddie Mercury in a biopic. Queen manager Jim Beach started the rumor in what was intended as a joke at an awards ceremony. Too bad, the role could make Cohen’s acting career more legit.
• Rolling Stones – They’ve announced the “Zip Code Tour” of North America, beginning May 24th in San Diego CA. The 15-date trek is slated to finish at Le Festival d’été de Québec July 15th in Québec City QC. Tickets for the tour are available beginning April 13th.
• Stone Temple Pilots – Former frontman Scott Weiland seems snakebit. His latest devastation is the shocking death of Jeremy Brown, the guitarist from his new band Wildabouts. The as-yet-unexplained tragedy was discovered just a day before the scheduled release of their album.
• Wale – He tells “Billboard” his new release “The Album About Nothing” is actually a lot about his recent battle with depression. Part of it is due to a lack of respect from people in the industry; he’s also been dealing with his girlfriend’s miscarriage and the death of a close friend.

OPENING TODAY IN MOVIE THEATERS:
• “Woman in Gold” ( PG-13 Drama ): Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren stars in the true life story of Maria Altmann, an octogenarian Jewish refugee who takes on several governments to recover artwork she believes rightfully belongs to her family. Co-stars Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Brühl, Katie Holmes.
NET: http://womaningoldmovie.com

FROM THE BS POLL VAULT:
A statistical look at who we are and the things we do ..
• 75% of us can’t remember what we got for Christmas.
• 74% of kids surveyed eat the ears off their chocolate Easter bunny first.
• 66% of the people who wear contact lenses every day are women.
• 24% of us say what we look forward to most about self-driving cars is having a designated driver.
• 20% of us admit we’ve never written a thank-you note … ever.
• 15% of us have skipped out on a dental visit because we were afraid.

A SELFIE-LESS ACT:
You can bring your beach towel and floral headband, but forget that ‘selfie stick’ if you’re planning to attend Coachella in Indio CA (April 10th) or Lollapalooza in Chicago IL (July 31st). They’ve been banned. Selfie sticks have become a popular but problematic photo-taking tool. Critics lambast them as obnoxious and potentially dangerous to others. Some concert-goers complain they get in the way of seeing the stage. Coachella officials dismiss them as ‘narsisstics’ and have placed them on the list of prohibited items. The festivals are just the latest to take a stand against the sticks. In Europe, the Palace of Versailles outside Paris, Britain’s National Gallery in London, and the Colosseum in Rome have all banned selfie sticks, in order to protect exhibits and ensure the safety of visitors. (We give them a year.)
– Adapted from AP

BS BUZZWORDS:
Cutting-edge vocab …
• ‘Bubble Wrapture’ – Intense joy caused by popping bubble wrap. (You should always keep a square of it in your laptop case … in case of emergency.)
• ‘Eavesread’ – To surreptitiously read what another person is reading or writing. (“If you don’t stop eavesreading my Facebook page I will so totally unfriend you for life.”)
• ‘Pink-Eye’ – A relatively short flight that leaves late in the evening. An abbreviated ‘red-eye’. (“I’m taking the pink eye from Panama into Pearson International. It arrives at 2 am.”)

ORIGINS OF MODERN EASTER TRADITIONS:
Sure everyone knows the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs are really the remnants of pagan holidays, but how did they morph into today’s modern equivalent?
• Easter Basket – When celebrating the end of Lent, Catholics in Europe would feast on large meals, usually brought to the church in baskets to be blessed by the priest.
• Easter Grass – Based on the tradition of the ‘Easter Hare’, Dutch children would create a bird’s nest for him to deposit eggs in.
• Chocolate Bunny – The Germans are to thank. They were already filling their baskets with rabbit-shaped pastries and treats by the time of the chocolate mold came along in 1830.
• Dyed Easter Eggs – Decorating eggs is a long tradition. In 1880, PAAS colored egg dyes became available. The company was named after ‘Passen’, the Dutch word for Easter.
• Easter Bonnet – Starting simply as an excuse to buy all new clothes at the end of Lent in the 16th century, the Easter bonnet is one of the last vestiges of the tradition.
– Condensed from BuzzFeed.com

FOR THE RECORD:
Antarctica just had its warmest day on record … unofficially, at least. In late March, temperatures on the southern continent reached the high teens Celcius (low 60s Fahrenheit), according to Weather Underground. Argentina claims a new record high was recorded at its Esperanza Base on the northern tip of the Trinity Peninsula. On March 24th, 17.5 C (63.5 F) was recorded, beating the reading from just a day prior, 17.4 C (63.3 F) at Argentina’s Marambio Base. Neither of the highs is yet official as they need to be verified by the World Meteorological Organization. Until then, the official all-time high remains the 15 C (59 F) registered at the now-abandoned Vanda Station on January 5, 1974.
– UPI.com

BS AMAZING INTERNATIONAL FACTS:
• The Central American country of Costa Rica runs entirely on renewable energy.
– “Quartz”
• The African country of Mali has 2 tax rates – 3% and 30% – and you might be asked which you’d rather pay.
– BBC News
• Some Japanese islands have more cats than people.
– “The Atlantic”

BS CHRONOMETER 04.01.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1961 [54] Susan Boyle, Blackburn, Scotland, pop singer (“I Know Him So Well”, “Wild Horses”)/TV talent show contestant (“Britain’s Got Talent” 2009)

1973 [42] Rachel Maddow, Castro Valley CA, TV host/political commentator (“The Rachel Maddow Show” on MSNBC)

1980 [35] Bijou Phillips, Greenwich CT, TV actress (“Raising Hope” 2010-14)/movie actress (“The Door In the Floor”, “Almost Famous”)

1986 [29] Hillary Scott, Nashville TN, country singer (Lady Antebellum-“We Owned the Night”, “Need You Now”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “April Fool’s Day”. Many say the custom of playing practical jokes on this day originated with the reform of the calendar when “New Year’s Day” was moved from April 1 to January 1. Those who clung to the old “New Year’s Day” were scoffed at as ‘fools’ and sent fake party invitations and prank gifts. That tradition began in France around 1564, where an ‘April Fool’ is called a ‘poisson d’avril’ (April fish). Other celebrations …
– On this day in 1700, English pranksters begin popularizing the annual tradition of “April Fools Day” in the UK by playing practical jokes on each other.
– In Scotland, “April Fools Day” runs 48 hours. The 2nd day is called “Taily Day”, dedicated to pranks involving the buttocks. “Taily Day’s” gift to posterity is the ‘Kick Me’ sign. A Scottish fool is called an ‘April Gowk’ or ‘April Cuckoo’.
– In India, the final day of the “Feast of Huli” is March 31st, and is traditionally celebrated by acts of mischief.

• “International Edible Book Festival” (today and/or any day through the 5th), the 15th annual event when edible books are exhibited, then tea/coffee is served and the books are consumed. Books are made from all manner of foodstuffs – chocolate, beets, bologna, toast, liver, etc.
NET: http://www.books2eat.beatricecoron.com

• “International Tatting Day”, celebrating the technique of handcrafting lace by using a series of knots and loops. (You can never have too many doilies, right?)

• “International Fun at Work Day””, the 19th annual observance espousing the value of fun and laughter in the workplace.
NET: http://www.playfair.com/fun.htm

• “St Stupid’s Day”, an annual celebration on April 1st in San Francisco CA since 1980, when a wacky parade is held. The occasion’s dim-witted activities include the ‘high four’ handshake (hand up, palm towards partner, fold thumb across palm, slap high four, say “Ouch!”).
NET: http://saintstupid.com/menu.html

• “Whole Grain Sampling Day”, an annual observance on the 1st Wednesday of April, when the Whole Grains Council encourages us to add some whole grains to our diet, particularly those we’ve never tried before.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/bm9tsqq

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1979 [36] Cartoon character ‘Bart Simpson’ is born (according to several sources), but he’s perennially aged 10 according to “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1984 [31] Motown R&B star Marvin Gaye (“What’s Goin’ On?”) is shot and killed by his own father (thanks to a lawsuit vs Pharrell and Robin Thicke, he’s had his biggest-earning year ever in 2015 … $7.4 million)

2009 [06] Carlos Santana reaches an agreement with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to stage 36 concerts called “The Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits”

2012 [03] Taylor Swift wins her 2nd consecutive ‘Entertainer Of the Year’ award at the 47th Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2001 [14] Same-sex marriage becomes legal in The Netherlands, the 1st country to allow it

2004 [11] Google introduces ‘gmail’ to the public (at the time, many think it an April Fools joke)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Love Your Produce Manager Day
[Thurs] Peanut Butter & Jelly Day
[Fri] “Furious 7” opens in movie theaters
[Fri] NCAA March Madness Festival begins (Indianapolis IN)
[Sat] International Pillow Fight Day
[Sun] “Mad Men” final season begins (AMC)
This Week is … Medication Safety Week
This Month Is … Facial Protection Month

BULL’S BITS

MORE APRIL FOOLS’ DAY PRANKS YOUR KIDS WILL FALL FOR:
✓ While your kids are still sleeping, switch them into each other’s bed. Waking up in their sibling’s room is a hilarious way to start April Fools Day.
✓ Take a screencap of the desktop on your kid’s iPad or computer and leave it up full screen. Your kid will be stumped why nothing happens when they touch or click on the icons.
✓ Put a twist on a sunny-side-up egg. A halved peach in yogurt not only looks like an egg, but also makes a delicious breakfast.
✓ Stick googly eyes on the food in your refrigerator.
✓ Squeeze a few drops of food coloring into the bottom of your kid’s bowl, then cover it with cereal. When your kid pours on the milk it will change colors as it rises to the top.
✓ Switch the bags inside 2 boxes of cereal. This is especially funny if you switch your kid’s sweet cereal with dad’s bran flakes.
✓ Act like the coolest parent ever and tell your kids you’ll be serving sundaes for dinner. When they realize their sundae is actually mashed potatoes and gravy, it can BE their dinner.
– Adapted from BuzzFeed.com

BS RANDOM JOKE:
What font is alphabet soup in? Times New Ramen.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s the most annoying sound in the world? (18% of us say someone constantly sniffing.)

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: THIS was an exclusively male activity until the early 1900s.
Answer: Cheerleading.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The reason politicians try so hard to get re-elected is they’d hate to have to make a living under the laws they’ve passed.