Tuesday, August 16, 2022 – Edition: #7290

Tomorrow’s Show Prep Today!

 

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Amber Heard is replacing most of her legal team and leaning into the US Constitution as she prepares to appeal a multi-million defamation verdict awarded to Johnny Depp. The move to cut loose her main attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, follows weeks of judicial jockeying by both of the “Rum Diary” co-stars to have another kick at the courtroom can with notices of intended appeals. Having seen ex-husband Depp awarded $10.4 million by a Virginia jury on June 1 after a 6-week trial, Heard has now hired David L. Axelrod and Jay Ward Brown to represent her attempt to rescind the judgment. Specializing in the First Amendment freedom of speech clause in America’s founding document, Axelrod and Brown served as counsel to the New York Times’ successful battle against Sarah Palin’s libel suit over a 2017 editorial.
-Deadline
★ Johnny Depp has lined up his first film directing gig in 25 years. A quarter-century after he directed both himself and Marlon Brando in 1997’s “The Brave”, his feature directorial debut, Depp is set to get behind the camera for “Modigliani”, about Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, and will co-produce alongside Al Pacino and Barry Navidi. Based on the play by Dennis McIntyre, the film will tell the story of the painter and sculptor in Paris in 1916. Long considered by himself a critical and commercial failure, Modigliani navigates a turbulent and eventful 48 hours that will become a turning point in his life, ultimately solidifying his reputation as an artistic legend. Production is set to start in Europe in spring, with casting to be revealed soon.
-HollywoodReporter
★ Mariah Carey might want to be more careful when posting vacation photos. In July while she was holidaying in both Italy and luxuriating in a $20 million mansion in the Hamptons, her Atlanta home was burglarized. Police confirmed the break-in, but said it’s still an open investigation, so information is limited and it’s unknown what was taken. Carey’s reps haven’t commented. She bought the $5.65 million dollar mansion in November, 2021. The 9-bedroom, 13-bathroom home features a pool, tennis court and playground.
-PageSix
★ Mila Kunis is there for Ashton Kutcher — mustache and all. During an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, Kutcher opened up about his facial hair transformation for his latest movie “Vengeance”. In the movie, his character, Texas music producer Quentin Sellers, has a pencil-thin mustache. Kutcher recalled: “I was like, ‘This is interesting.’ He kinda had this Boss Hog vibe to him. I was like, ‘Alright, I think this guy has got, like, this air of sophistication.'” When asked by guest host David Alan Grier how his wife Mila Kunis took his facial hair, Kutcher said she was very accepting. Quote: “We’ve been together for 7 years, so when I brought home the mustache she was like, ‘Oh it’s like a different guy!'”
-People

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Bob Odenkirk, Rep. Katie Porter, Los Lobos, guest host Al Franken
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Demi Lovato, Murray Bartlett
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Rep. Jamie Raskin, Death Cab for Cutie (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Terry Crews, Vanessa Bayer, Fred Eltringham (R)
• ” The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Amanda Peet, Brett Gelman (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Sherri Shepherd, Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers (R)
• “The Talk” (CBS): John McCook (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Rebel Wilson, John Salley, Dr. Melina Jampolis
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Zac Efron, Bonnie Raitt, Ryan Tedder (R)
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Matt Iseman, The Chicks (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Taylor Schilling, Donna Pratt (R)
• “America’s Got Talent” (NBC): 11 performers take the stage live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium as the viewing audience votes their favorites into the final round.
• “Leonardo” (CW): Premiere. Leonardo da Vinci is arrested for poisoning Caterina de Cremona; after proclaiming his innocence, he remembers his days as an apprentice in Andrea del Verrocchio’s studio, where he first meets Caterina.
• “Celebrity Family Feud” (BET): Kathie Lee Gifford vs. Ricki Lake and 2 Chainz vs. Big Boi

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar – both have short films that have qualified for the Oscars. Swift’s “All Too Well: A Short Film”, written and directed by the singer, gained eligibility because it screened in Nov. in New York. Lamar quietly screened a 6-minute video for his song ‘We Cry Together in LA in June. Though both are eligible, it doesn’t guarantee an Academy Awards nom.
• Charlie Puth – feels Nicki Minaj’s new song ‘Super Freaky Girl’. Is the “best song out right now,” according to a post on his Instagram Story. The tune, which dropped Friday, samples Rick James’ 1981 hit ‘Super Freak’. The official Twitter account for the late musician agrees, as they responded to Minaj’s announcement with the word: “Banger.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5n8b4vvx
• Madonna – On Jimmy Fallon, she said she “worships” Kendrick Lamar and called his latest LP “Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers” mind-bogglingly brilliant”. She also said that she would love to collaborate with him.
• Mötley Crüe – Tommy Lee has put his wee-wee away long enough to appear in a new movie called “The Retaliators”. Not only does he make a cameo, but Mötley Crüe teamed up with members of Asking Alexandria, Ice Nine Kills and From Ashes To New to record ‘The Retaliators Theme Song (21 Bullets)’. The film comes out Sept. 16. LINK: https://youtu.be/62B-SEgNaas
• Kiss – Gene Simmons said on a podcast that the band will continue following its “End of the Road” farewell tour “in ways that even I haven’t thought of.” He pointed to ‘Blue Man Group’ and ‘Phantom of The Opera’, which both tour with different personnel. Quote: “There could and should be a Kiss show…live on stage with effects and everything else.”
• Maren Morris – might have a new collab with Zedd on the way. Both teased that a follow-up to their 2018 pop earworm ‘The Middle’ (with Grey) could be in the works. Saturday, Morris tweeted: “Round 2?”, while sharing a photo of the pair. Zedd shared the same pic, writing: “Should we do it again?” The Middle topped the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for 33 weeks, and scored 3 Grammy noms.
• The Chicks — paid tribute to Olivia Newton-John during their concert at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington on Saturday. Prior to performing the “Grease” classic ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’, singer Natalie Maines said: “I thought I was Olivia Newton-John from, like, 4 to 12 (years old), and then I only wished I was Olivia Newton-John.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/52s5tx63
• Travis Denning – Not only is he getting married next May, he’s got a few big names on his guest list. The ’Dirt Road’ singer said: “I invited T.J. and John Osborne…Love those guys so much, and Madison (Montgomery, his fiancée) is really close with T.J.’s boyfriend. And I invited Cole Swindell.”

SHOOTING THE BULL

HEAT WAVE HANDLES:
Weather experts have given names to hurricanes and tropical storms for years. Now, they’ve begun doing the same for extreme heat waves, after scientists decided to call the recent heat wave in Seville, Spain “Zoe.” An associate professor at Sevilla University — José María Martín Olalla — shared Zoe was recorded from July 24-27, when temperatures in the area reached 44°C (112 °F). Because of the hot temperatures the locals have endured this summer, a program called the proMETEO Sevilla Project was launched to bring awareness about the heat waves with the support of Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center of the Atlantic Council — a Washington-based nonprofit research center. In the naming process, scientists usually switch between female and male names starting backward in alphabetical order. The system is expected to become a model for other countries and governments.
(I’m not sure how they’re going to come up with one for ‘X’, but I know I’m definitely looking forward to ‘Heat Wave Dave’!)
(Because we’re naming heat waves here – how about they stick strictly to politicians’ names?)
-People, USAToday

BRAIN: WORKING HARD – THEN HARDLY WORKING:
Scientists say they’ve finally discovered why thinking too hard makes you tired. In the study, published in the journal Current Biology, researchers used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to monitor brain metabolites over the course of 6 hours – roughly a workday – for 2 groups of people: one given mentally taxing tasks to complete, and another given easier versions. As expected, the first group started showing classic signs of fatigue: pupil dilation, loss of self-regulation, saying things like “I’m totally exhausted,” etc. But the MRS showed another symptom too: higher levels of the amino acid glutamate in the prefrontal cortex. Having glutamate in the brain is normal, but it’s also toxic to nerve cells, and the researchers think this may be what causes the tiring effect of thinking too hard. The theory is that cognitive work results in an accumulation of these noxious substances – so fatigue signals to us to us that it’s time to stop working in order to rest and regenerate the brain, rather than carrying on and making careless mistakes and lapses in judgement.
(Well, I’m happy to say that my new fav excuse for not getting my work done is that it was poisoning my brain!)
(And I thought it was all in my head – which, technically, I suppose, it is!)
-IFLScience

ROAD DOG:
If your dog gets stressed when riding in the car, try playing some Bee Gees! Researcher Sam Sutton, senior lecturer of music at the University of West London, has compiled what he calls the perfect playlist to soothe your dog’s nerves in the car…and it also includes some Bob Marley, mon. Sutton cites recent research at the University of Glasgow which suggests music can affect dogs’ behavior. They found that dogs displayed positive behavioral changes when exposed to certain music types. Reggae and soft rock appear to be the canine tunes of choice. Here are the top-10 most-calming songs for dogs in the car…
1. ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ – Bee Gees
2. ‘No Woman, No Cry’ – Bob Marley
3. ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It for You’ – Bryan Adams
4. ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’ – Foreigner
5. ‘Dark Side of The Moon’ – Pink Floyd
6. ‘One In 10’ – UB40
7. ‘Hounds of Love’ – Kate Bush
8. ‘Desperado” – Eagles
9. ‘Many Rivers to Cross’ – Jimmy Cliff
10. ‘Love is King’ – Sade
And by the way, songs to avoid while traveling with a dog include: AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’, Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’, and Motorhead’s ‘Ace of Spades’. (Plus, Katy Perry’s ‘Fireworks’?)
-SWNS, StudyFinds

FROM THE BS POLL VAULT: 
A statistical look at who we are and the things we do …
• 16% of adults say they only eat ice cream when it’s hot outside.
• 3% say they haven’t used a pen or pencil in the last year.
• 31% carry an extra pair of pants in their car.
• 70% of adults say they can’t sleep when there’s a spider in the room.
• 75% of women wish their partner held their hand more.
• 23% of women say they would actually pay their partner to give them a foot massage.
• 30% of men say they have borrowed a razor from their significant other.
• 50% of men say they couldn’t tell you their partner’s shoe size.
• 20% of us say we would fail a written driving test if we were asked to do it today.
• 6% are OK with peeing in the pool.

DID YOU KNOW?
Domino’s Italian experiment has fallen like…well, you know. Seven years after its debut in the country, the American pizza giant has formally shut its stores after failing to win over locals who prefer homegrown options. EPizza SpA, the franchise operator of the Domino’s brand in Italy, filed for bankruptcy in April, and the company closed all its stores by July 20. (Up next for the company: Selling ice to Eskimos? Carrying coals to Newcastle? Bringing sand to the beach?)
-CNN

BS CHRONOMETER 08.16.22

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bratwurst Day”, celebrating the spiced sausage usually enjoyed on a roll with mustard, or by itself with a side of sauerkraut. The term ‘bratwurst’ is a compound of 2 German words – ‘braten’, meaning ‘fried’; and ‘wurst’, which means ‘sausage’.
• “Roller Coaster Day”, celebrating every amusement park’s fast-track to fun. The idea for the roller coaster was first patented by LaMarcus Adna Thompson on this date in 1885.
• “Tell a Joke Day”, an excuse to fill your workday with chuckles and laughs . . . and the occasional groan. Here are the rules for telling a joke…properly:
➠ Before you open your mouth, know your joke. Even if you’re ad-libbing, you must have a clear idea of where you’re headed.
➠ Know your audience. All jokes are not appropriate for all gatherings.
➠ Do not ask permission to tell a joke. Surprise is crucial.
➠ Do not tell everyone how funny your joke is beforehand.
➠ There must be ample set-up to the joke, providing the pertinent details the audience needs to know.
➠ There must be a punchline or strong conclusion.
➠ Avoid detours. As a rule, jokes work best in a straight line.
➠ Commit to your joke. Once you begin, follow through to the end. (Then, pray like hell that someone laughs…)

• “Rum Day”, celebrating the distilled clear alcoholic beverage, which is a by-product of molasses production, or made directly from sugar cane juice. It’s also a day that gives you an excuse to say “Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!”
• “Airborne Day”, designated by the U.S. Congress to honor the airborne division of the Armed Forces . . . NOT a day to celebrate those who are bad at lighting BBQs!
• “True Love Forever Day”, a day for those who have that feeling of love — to show it to and share it with each other (because Valentine’s Day wasn’t enough?)

COMING UP . . .
[Wed] Thrift Shop Day
[Wed] Black Cat Appreciation Day
[Thurs] Bad Poetry Day
[Fri] Hot and Spicy Food Day
This Month is…Dog Month
This Month Is…Breastfeeding Month

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1953 [69] Kathie Lee Gifford, Paris France, TV personality (“Today” 2008-19; “Live With Regis & Kathie Lee” 1988-2000)/sometime movie actress (“Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!”)

1953 [69] James “J.T.” Taylor, Laurens SC, R&B/pop singer (Kool & the Gang-‘Celebration’, ‘Cherish’)

1954 [68] James Cameron, Kapuskasing ON, movie director-producer-writer (box office champs “Avatar” $2.85 billion; and “Titanic” $2.19 billion) COMING UP…“Avatar: The Way of Water”, 2022

1958 [64] Madonna [Ciccone], Bay City MI, pop singer (‘Like a Virgin’, ‘Papa Don’t Preach’)/sometime film actress (“Desperately Seeking Susan”, Evita”)

1958 [64] Angela Bassett, NYC, movie actress (“What’s Love Got to do With it”)/TV actress (“American Horror Story” 2013-18)/movie director (“Whitney” 2015) COMING UP…“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, 2022

1962 [60] Steve Carell, Concord MA, movie actor (“Despicable Me” movies, “The 40 Year Old Virgin”)/TV actor (“The Office” 2005-11) COMING UP…“The Patient” limited series, 2022

1972 [50] Emily Robison (now Strayer, nee Erwin), Pittsfield MA, country singer-instrumentalist (Dixie Chicks [now The Chicks]-‘Wide Open Spaces’, ‘Landslide’, Court Yard Hounds-‘The Coast’)

1980 [42] Vanessa Carlton, Milford PA, pop singer (‘A Thousand Miles’, ‘Ordinary Day’)

1987 [35] Dan Smyers, Wexford PA, country singer (Dan + Shay-‘From the Ground Up’, w/Justin Bieber-’10,000 Hours’)

1988 [34] Rumer Willis, Paducah, KY, movie actress (“House Bunny”), TV actress (“90210” 2009-2010, “Empire” 2017), season 20 winner of “Dancing with the Stars”/daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis

1993 [29] Cameron Monaghan, Santa Monica CA, TV actor (“Shameless” 2011-21, “Gotham” 2015-19)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1985 [37] Madonna weds Sean Penn on her 27th birthday. They divorce in 1989

2005 [17] P Diddy (Sean Combs) appears on the “Today Show” and announces he’s altering his stage name (again) by referring to himself simply as ‘Diddy’. (This year, he said: “Diddy’s my nickname. Love is my real [legal] name.”)

2008 [14] Ellen DeGeneres weds actress Portia de Rossi in Beverly Hills, California

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1977 [45] Elvis Presley dies at Graceland at age 42. The official cause of death is cardiac arrhythmia

2002 [20] 25 years to the day Elvis Presley’s death, an album containing 30 of his #1 hits is released, with ‘A Little Less Conversation’ as a bonus track (a remixed version of the song hits #1)

2018 [04] Aretha Franklin dies at 76, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2010 [12] China overtakes Japan as the world’s second-largest economy (after USA … for now)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2009 [13] Usain Bolt of Jamaica wins the 100m in a world record time of 9.58 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ To your fish, tapping on the aquarium glass is as loud as a rock concert.
✓ The first-ever movie with outtakes in the credits was “Smokey and the Bandit” (1977).
✓ You can learn the High Valyrian language from “Game of Thrones” through an online course.
✓ The chance of you dying on the way to get lottery tickets is actually greater than your chance of winning.
✓ There are 92 known cases of nuclear bombs lost at sea.
✓ The word “gorilla” is derived from a Greek word meaning, “A tribe of hairy women.”
-UselessFacts, BathroomReadersInstitute

Best of BS…
BS STUPID CLIMATE CHANGE QUESTIONS:
• Can’t we just turn down the thermostat?
• Do we really need trees?
• Will the oil companies save us?
• Why aren’t windmills gas-powered?
• Will it be a dry heat?
• If we tweet about it enough, it’ll get better, right?
• But don’t they say that change is good?
• Can I throw away my sweaters, then?
• But those rich guys going to space are helping, right?
• Can’t I just paint everything green?
• Is it getting hot in here?
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2021

BS TERRIBLE INSPIRATIONAL SAYINGS:
• “If you can dream it, that’s good enough.”
• “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, no one else wanted it either.”
• “It is called a garbage can, not a garbage cannot.”
• “I believe in you, but I also can’t believe it’s not butter, so there’s that.”
• “If you can’t say something nice, become a Facebook troll.”
• “Bad decisions make good stories.”
• “If you give up now, you can go back to bed.”
• “If at first you don’t succeed, try not to bleed all over the place.”
• “Finish what you…”
• “If I can do it, anyone can.”
• “That which doesn’t kill you will make you wish it did.”
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019

BS WEB GOODIE:
Me jumping to conclusions:   https://tinyurl.com/bdaudaur

BS RANDOM JOKE:
When I was a kid, my mom told me that when I have my own home, I can keep it as messy as I want. And I’ll be reminding her of that when I pick her up from the airport today.

BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s something that it’s impossible to look cool while doing?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  Studies show that parents tell their kids “No” almost 2 dozen times a day. What is the #1 thing that they most often say “No” to?
Answer:  Staying up late

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.