Friday, August 25, 2023 — Edition: #7541
You Really Know Your Sheet!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ “Barbie” is officially the highest-grossing movie of the year in North America — and an animated show is coming. Greta Gerwig’s fantasy-comedy, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has generated $575.4 million at the domestic box office, overtaking previous champion, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” by about $1.4 million. “Barbie” has grossed $1.3 billion globally and will soon surpass “Mario” ($1.35 billion) as the biggest worldwide release of 2023 as well. It has also been announced that Mattel and Netflix are teaming up on the new animated series “Barbie: A Touch of Magic”, debuting Sept. 14 on the streamer.
-TheWrap, Variety
★ Angelina Jolie’s highly-speculated-about mystery tattoo design has been revealed, after tattoo artist Mr. K teased her mysterious middle finger art on Instagram. Mr. K left fans wondering if it was a reference to her ex-husband, Brad Pitt. But paparazzi pics taken earlier this week show that the tat isn’t a direct message to her ex-husband at all, but rather a small dagger designed to look like it’s piercing her skin. And now, Mr. K has clarified that her ink was “NOTHING” related to Pitt. The “Hackers” star has been a longtime lover of sharp symbols and has her own an extensive knife collection.
-PageSix
★ Kevin Hart has revealed he’s forced to use a wheelchair these days, after trying to race former NFL running back Stevan Ridley. In an Instagram video, he says he: “Tore my lower abdomen, my abductors are torn — I don’t even know what that is, but I tore ’em. … I can’t walk!” The 44-year-old rolled himself in the wheelchair for the camera, explaining that he “tried to jump out there and do some young stuff” Hart said his injuries stemmed from a “debate” with the retired New England Patriots player over “who is faster.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/ep9ncfeb
-PageSix
★ The showrunner for HBO’s “The Last of Us” is open “in principle” to spin-offs. Craig Mazin said that he and co-creator Neil Druckmann have not had discussions about the potential to expand on some secondary characters in The Last of Us world, but he “isn’t against the idea”. He said he doubts he’d be involved, because “these shows are so big”, but he feels Druckmann would be interested in expanding the series as well.
-TheWrap
★ Tom Sandoval continues to atone for his sins. In a new trailer for season 2 of “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test”, the “Vanderpump Rules” star gets candid about why he wanted to push himself to the limit—both mentally and physically—following the Scandoval controversy — on Fox’s intense competition. In the vid, he says the “whole country’s” mad at him. Quote: “I had an affair and I want to take a beating.” And it looks like he gets his wish, as the TomTom co-owner is seen with a bloody nose during one of the winter warfare training exercises. The show premieres Sept. 25. LINK: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22003362/
E!
★ If you’ve been thinking: “What the world needs now is a reality TV roller skating competition”…then your prayers have been answered. Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network has announced they are developing a new roller-skating dance competition for the streaming service Max. With the couple serving as executive producers, the planned series is described as a “nostalgic, family-friendly competition featuring the top roller-skating crews in America.” The show will feature the best skaters from around America, with teams hailing from Atlanta, Houston, Las Vegas, Nashville, New York and St. Louis.
-ETCanada
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Tyler Perry, Usher, Ari Lennox (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Pete Davidson, Peso Pluma (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Chris Hayes, Jack White (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): John Leguizamo, Zoe Kazan, Paolo Nutini (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Former Rep. Will Hurd (R)
• “The Talk” (CBS): Kelly Rowland, John Michael Higgins (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen (R)
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Jenna Dewan, Sam Jay, Jillian Michaels, Aoife O’Donovan (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Gerard Butler (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez (R)
• “Moonshine” (CW): Season 1 finale
• “The First 48: Room Full of Lies” (A&E): A quadruple shooting leaves 2 people dead as a vigilante seeks payback; A man is shot in front of his fiancée as a dispute over money takes a deadly turn.
• “You’ll Never Leave Me” (LIFETIME): A woman accepts the kindness of a stranger when her boyfriend falls into a coma but soon realizes he may not be the man she thought he was.
SATURDAY:
• “NASCAR Cup Series” (NBC): From Daytona. the final race of the regular season, the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Pedro Pascal; musical guest Coldplay (R)
• “Napa Ever After” (HALLMARK): An attorney takes a sabbatical to renovate a winery she inherited. With the help of a handsome local, she learns more about the grandmother she hardly knew, while opening herself up to love like she has never known.
SUNDAY:
• “Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC): Casts of “The Rookie”, “The Rookie Feds”, Lauren Lapkus and June Diane Raphael battle for their selected charities.
• “The $100,000 Pyramid” (ABC): Season 6 finale. Wendi McLendon-Covey vs. Matt Walsh and Amanda Kloots vs. Marcus Lemonis
• “Big Brother” (CBS): The head of household nominates 2 fellow houseguests for possible eviction.
• “Gymnastics” (NBC): Live. US Championships: Senior Women, Day 2
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – Her re-recording of ‘Look What You Made Me Do’, from 2017’s “Reputation,” made its debut in a teaser for the new Amazon series “Wilderness”. ‘Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)’ will be used in the opening for psychological thriller. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/ywnpnhkm
• Beyoncé – Her birthday is coming on Sept. 4, and she took Instagram to make a request from fans attending upcoming shows: “Virgo Season is upon us…my birthday wish is to celebrate with you wearing your most fabulous silver fashions to the shows 8.23 – 9.22!” The plan is to “surround ourselves in a shimmering human disco ball each night…Everybody mirroring each other’s joy.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3y3v6ynr
• Madonna – reportedly wants to have Britney Spears to join her onstage on her upcoming “Celebration” tour. The 2 have long been friends and even duetted on ‘Vogue’ at Spears’ ill-fated wedding to Sam Asghari in 2022. This year marks the 20th anniversary of their hit collab ‘Me Against the Music’.
• Public Enemy and Ice T – will headline a free concert in Washington DC, celebrating hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. The two-day National Celebration of Hip Hop will take place Oct. 6 and 7 at West Potomac Park on the National Mall, and will also feature the Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Kid ’N Play, and more.
• Guns N’ Roses and Aerosmith – both have new albums on the way, Alice Cooper seems to have hinted. In an interview, he stated that at this point in his career, he makes new music purely for fans, and said:
“It’s the same thing with Aerosmith, same thing with Guns N’ Roses.” Neither has dropped an album of new music in over 11 years, which insinuates one might be on the way from both.
• Luke Combs – His face appears on Bubba Wallace’s newly-revealed #23 NASCAR racecar, a design made in partnership with Combs’ longtime brand partner Columbia Sportswear. Combs posted a video unveiling the look, writing: “Honored to be the inspiration behind the design…for Saturday’s race at Daytona Go get ’em Bubba Wallace!” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2k63zbtt
• Dan + Shay – The duo known as ‘the wedding song guys’ want to prove they can make people dance, too, in a teaser for ‘We Should Get Married’. In the clip, a wedding planner tells them to perform their song, then clear out, so the DJ can “get people dancing.” Shay suggests: “We should just go rogue and play the song.” Smyers asks: “The song?” Shay confirms: “The song”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yx4dkay4
• Patty Loveless — will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year, but Tuesday, she was there to celebrate the opening of her new exhibit “No Trouble with the Truth”. It explores Loveless’ story from musical prodigy to a Grammy award-winning country star, and it’s open through Oct. 2024. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/7hnw997w
SHOOTING THE BULL
THIS WEEK’S MOVIE OPENINGS (***See “Cinema Day”, below***):
• “Retribution” (R, Action/Mystery): While driving his children to school, a bank executive receives information that his car will explode if they stop and get out. (Liam Neeson, Noma Dumezweni) Tomatometer: 27%
• “Gran Turismo” (PG-13, Action/Adventure): Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of competitions, leading to his becoming an actual professional racecar driver. (David Harbour, Orlando Bloom) Tomatometer: 59% Audience 98%
• “The Hill” (PG, Biography/Drama): The remarkable true story of Rickey Hill’s improbable journey to play Major League Baseball, despite being burdened by leg braces from a degenerative spinal disease. (Dennis Quaid, Colin Ford) No Tomatometer rating.
SCIENTISTS SAY:
⇒ New research shows a connection between consumption of highly processed food, and “elevated” mental duress later in life, says the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. Researchers looked at how the fatty foods later impacted adolescents aged 13-17 as a baseline, and then checked in with the subjects years later. They found that “Participants with the highest intake of ultra-processed food had increased odds of elevated psychological distress”. Those who ate the most ultra-processed food were fund to be most-likely to experience distress at the 15-year follow-up. This distress was described by the study as “a marker for depression.”
⇒ Researchers at the University of British Columbia looked into the impact of exercise apps on the mental health of users, and discovered that using them while participating in simple home workouts can help reduce symptoms of depression. The scientists said that study participants, most of them female nurses, reported significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms compared to the control group that did not exercise. The study author said “the changes were actually quite amazing to see.” (I noticed the same results. Mostly because I was looking at my phone while exercising, and not in the mirror…!)
-NYPost, StudyFinds
WHO’D HAVE GUEST?
Have you ever told a guest to “make yourself at home” and regretted it later? Two-thirds of us have, according to a new survey. The poll of 2,000 Americans also asked these genial hosts what regrettable behavior caused problems for them. The more common one involved guests expecting more meals than planned (54%), overstaying their welcome (45%) and making a mess (39%). Friends were found to be the worst guests, mentioned by 42% of survey respondents. They were closely followed by siblings (39%) and in-laws (37%). Just over a third of people in the OnePoll survey admitted that, at some point, they have had to tell someone they’re a “bad guest”.
(I’ve had to do that. Right after being told I’m a “bad host”!)
(So, if both friends AND relatives tend to be bad guests, who exactly are you supposed to invite over?)
-SWNS
NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ A small town in France has gone viral for marking a busy intersection with overlapping white lines in order to confuse motorists – and force them to slow down. The town of Bauné is home to about 1,700 people, but it deals with heavy traffic on a daily basis, because of its location near 2 major roads. Some of the roughly 2,300 vehicles that pass through every day reach speeds of over 100 km/h (60mph), even though the town has clearly marked speed limit signs of 30 km/h (18mph). So, local authorities came up with the idea of using confusing road markings in the form of overlapping continuous lines. And it worked! (It created a bit of a parallel-parking issue, though…)
➢ A Georgia man has been arrested for stealing his neighbor’s . . . front porch. Robin Swanger is facing a felony charge after allegedly somehow moving and taking ownership of an 8X10-foot porch from a property near his, which he says he thought was abandoned. Investigators claim “no trespassing” signs were posted in the yard where the wooden porch was stolen. (A literal “porch-pirate”?)
-OddityCentral, TasteofCountry
DID YOU KNOW?
The average ticket price to see superstar soccer player Lionel Messi’s first regular season Major League Soccer game this weekend is US$483. Messi’s appearance against the New York Red Bulls sent ticket prices nearly 1,000% higher than normal for the MLS team, whose tickets usually sell for an average of $46. (Nice try, pal – but you still ain’t no Taylor Swift!)
-CNN
BS CHRONOMETER 08.25.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Banana Split Day”, saluting the ooey-gooey sundae concoction that’s served in a ‘boat’.
• “Kiss-and-Make-Up Day”, a day to make amends in relationships that have deteriorated. (Let’s see, there’s that ornery cab driver, that rip-off auto mechanic, the boss… (and is it a coincidence that “Kiss and Make-Up Day” falls on Gene Simmons’ birthday?) Possibly related to this day, it’s also . . .
• “Forgive Your Foe Friday”. It’s not always easy, but in the end, you’ll be much more at peace. Because remember: Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.
• “Secondhand Wardrobe Day”, celebrating the joys of shopping consignment shops, thrift stores, and anywhere else a clothing bargain can be had.
• “Whiskey Sour Day”, a salute to the mixed drink containing whiskey, lemon juice, and sugar. Whiskey sours are shaken, then served either straight up or over ice, traditionally garnished with half an orange slice and a maraschino cherry. Yes, please!
SATURDAY:
• “Dog Appreciation Day”, to encourage support, rescue, and help for dogs in need. (And, just because: https://youtu.be/cG4CEr2aiSg
• “Make Your Own Luck Day”, a day to take affirmative action to gain control of your life. (Sorry, but my life is waaaay too important to put it in the hands of someone so irresponsible…)
• “Women’s Equality Day”, celebrating the civil rights movement by women that had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world’s first women’s rights convention, in Seneca Falls NY.
• “National Cherry Popsicle Day”, the kind moms love, ’cause the stains DON’T come out!
• “Toilet Paper Day”. What’s the difference between good and bad toilet paper? One is terrible the other is tearable. (Don’t stop me, I’m on a roll!)
• “WebMistress Day”. A WebMistress is a woman who designs, develops, markets and maintains websites. The term has existed since the mid-1990s. Comparatively, the term WebMaster arrived on the scene around 1986. (A ‘WebMistress’ isn’t what you thought it’d be, is it?)
SUNDAY:
• “Cinema Day”, in the US and Canada. It’s a chance for people to go to the theater and see first-run movies for the amazingly low price of just $4. The event is mounted each year by the Movie Theatre Association of Canada, in partnership with the U.S.-based Cinema Foundation. Over 3,000 movie-houses are participating this year, with movies showing on over 30,000 screens (Most of them showing “Barbie”, probably!) LINK: www.nationalcinemaday.org
• “Banana Lovers Day”, an annual celebration of the fruit with appeal. (***Some ’nana facts here:***) LINK: http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/banana-lovers-day
• “Rock Paper Scissors Day”. The only game that, regardless of language, gender or age, everyone has a chance of coming out victorious in the end. (Have you ever noticed that it is just as hard to try to LOSE at Rock Paper Scissors as it is to win?)
• “Just Because Day”, a chance to do something spontaneously without rhyme nor reason. Most often in life, we do things because we have to, we want to, or they’re expected of us. None of those reasons apply on this day…just because.
• “Petroleum Day” (aka Oil & Gas Industry Appreciation Day), honoring the world’s first commercially successful oil well, drilled near Titusville, Pennsylvania 163 years ago today, in 1859. (You might call it a “crude” awakening…)
• “Kiss Me Day”, also known as “First Kiss Day”, commemorating Popeye’s first kiss with Olive Oyl. Some sources claim today marks the date of their first on-screen kiss, when Olive Oyl said “My hero” after kissing Popeye.
• “Tarzan Day”. On this day in 1912, ‘Tarzan’ made his magazine debut. Tarzan was the creation of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and 2 years later, Burroughs published the first of a series of novels based on the character.
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [74] Gene Simmons (Chaim Witz), Haifa Israel, rock bassist-singer (Kiss-‘Rock and Roll All Nite’)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2014/reality TV personality (“Gene Simmons: Family Jewels” 2006-12)
1951 [72] Rob Halford, Birmingham England, heavy metal singer (Judas Priest-‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’’, ‘Living After Midnight’) Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2022
1954 [69] Elvis Costello (Declan McManus), London England, rock singer (‘Alison’, ‘Pump It Up’, ‘Watching the Detectives’)
1958 [65] Tim Burton, Burbank CA, movie director-producer (“Beetlejuice”, “Alice in Wonderland”, “Charlie & The Chocolate Factory”)
1961 [62] Billy Ray Cyrus, Flatwoods KY, country singer (‘Achy Breaky Heart’, Lil Nas X-‘Old Town Road [Remix]’) TV actor (“Doc” 2001-04, “Hannah Montana” 2006-2011)/father of Miley Cyrus
1962 [61] Vivian Campbell, Lisburn Northern Ireland, rock guitarist (Def Leppard-‘Two Steps Behind’, Whitesnake, Dio)
1968 [55] Rachael Ray, Glens Falls NY, TV personality-celeb cook (“Rachael Ray”, “Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels”)
1970 [53] Jo Dee Messina, Framingham MA, country singer (‘I’m Alright’, ‘My Give a Damn’s Busted’)
1976 [47] Alexander Skarsgård, Stockholm Sweden, TV actor (“Big Little Lies” 2017-19), “True Blood” 2008-14)/movie actor (“Zoolander” films, “Battleship”)
1981 [42] Rachel Bilson, LA CA, TV actress (“Hart of Dixie” 2011-15, “The OC” 2003-07)
1987 [36] Blake Lively, Tarzana CA, TV actress (“Gossip Girl” 2007-12)/movie actress (“The Town”)/model (“Vogue”)/married to Ryan Reynolds since 2012
SATURDAY- “Man in Motion” Paralympian Rick Hansen is 66; Dan Vickrey (Counting Crows) is 57; Shirley Manson (Garbage) is 57; Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”) is 53; Tyler Connolly (Theory Of A Deadman) is 48; Macaulay Culkin (“Home Alone”) is 43; Chris Pine (“Star Trek”) is 43; Comedian John Mulaney is 41; Brian Kelley (Florida Georgia Line) is 38
SUNDAY- Alex Lifeson (Rush) is 70; Fashion designer Tom Ford is 62; Chandra Wilson (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 54; Cesar Millan (“Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan”) is 54; Tony Kanal (No Doubt) is 53; Mike Smith (“Trailer Park Boys”) is 51; Sarah Chalke (“Scrubs”) is 47; Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad”) is 44; Patrick J. Adams (“Suits”) is 42
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2014 [09] Seth Meyers hosts the 66th Emmy Awards; winners include “Modern Family” for Best Comedy and “Breaking Bad” for Best Drama
2018 [05] Daryl Hannah and Neil Young are married in a secret ceremony in Atascadero, California.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2001 [22] Actress-model-singer Aaliyah (‘One in a Million’) dies in a plane crash at Marsh Harbour, The Bahamas, at age 22
2018 [05] During her “Reputation tour”, Taylor Swift headlines Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where Tim McGraw and Faith Hill join her onstage for a performance of her country hit ‘Tim McGraw’
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1958 [65] In Japan, Nissin Foods markets the first package of precooked instant noodles (“Chikin Ramen”)
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1985 [38] NY Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden becomes the youngest 20-game winner in Major League Baseball history, at the age of 20 years, 9 months, 9 days
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Tablecloths were originally meant to be used as towels with which dinner guests could wipe their hands and faces after eating.
✓ The average can of cat food has the nutritional equivalent of 5 mice.
✓ When glass breaks, the cracks move faster than 3,000 miles per hour.
✓ To lose one pound of fat, you need to walk at least 35 miles [56km] (briskly).
✓ The opposite of “cross-eyed” is “wall-eyed”.
✓ Doctors in the 1700s prescribed ladybugs, taken internally, to cure measles.
-TheFactSite, BathroomReadersInstitute
Best of BS . . .
BS LAME CULT RITUALS:
✪ Lighting the meeting area with tiki torches.
✪ Drinking white wine instead of blood.
✪ The Lego firewalk.
✪ Everyone has to play hacky-sack while they’re in the Circle
✪ Miracle Whip instead of mayo.
✪ Dismissing any unflattering news reports as “FAKE NEWS” and then blaming everything on Tucker Carlson.
✪ Lighting a candle every time you eat beans.
✪ Having to drink sugar-free Kool Aid at the end.
-Adapted from Twitter, first published in BS in 2017
BS ‘MARRIED WITH KIDS’ PROBLEMS:
• Lego-related foot injuries.
• Your daily agenda is regularly derailed by a two-and-a-half-hour argument about putting on shoes.
• There’s no money tree in the backyard.
• Wife smells like SpaghettiOs.
• Half the time, your hubby counts as a kid too.
• You run out of groceries later on grocery day.
• “Laundry” isn’t on the schedule, because it’s a constant thing.
• Your single friends with no kids telling you how you should be raising your kids.
• It’s illegal to sell them.
• You’re married with kids.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS WEB GOODIE:
Must be Friday (sound up): https://tinyurl.com/2wrmnasb
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Every dead body on Mt. Everest was once a highly-motivated person. So maybe calm down.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s the best concert you’ve been to? What made it so good?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 33% of wedding DJ’s say that they have seen THIS at a wedding. What is it?
Answer: A fist fight
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Happiness comes in waves. If it’s not here now, it’ll find you again.