Friday, December 15, 2023 – Edition: #7619
Ah, the Sweet Smell of BS in the Morning!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ ABC has announced the full lineup of performers for “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2024”. K-pop group NewJeans will be performing, as well as Post Malone and Ivy Queen. Previously announced performers include Aqua, Ellie Goulding, Green Day, Janelle Monáe, Loud Luxury x Two Friends with Bebe Rexha, Ludacris, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Paul Russell, and Thirty Seconds to Mars. Ryan Seacrest is returning, of course. He’ll be in New York City’s Times Square with Rita Ora. The show will also be broadcast from Hollywood, with Jeannie Mai, and Dayanara Torres is returning to co-host from Puerto Rico.
-ET
★ Four decades years after Eddie Murphy initially threw on a Detroit Lions jacket to play the wise-cracking ‘Det. Foley’, the Oscar-nominated actor is back in his iconic role in the first trailer for Netflix’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”. In the new teaser, Murphy smiles his way through some shoot-outs, reunites with old chums, makes some new ones (including Joseph Gordon-Levitt) — all soundtracked to a new hip-hop style version of the original Harold Faltermeyer synthesizer theme ‘Axel F’. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F premieres next summer on Netflix. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/4p3x8ytv
-Messenger
★ “Deadpool 3” is the most anticipated film in 2024,according to a survey of 8,000 movie-goers conducted by Fandango. The superhero sequel stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman and will bring both “X-Men” characters firmly into the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it hits theaters in July. The next-most anticipated movies of 2024 are “Beetlejuice 2,” “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Dune: Part Two” and “Venom 3.” Ticket-buyers also voted Lady Gaga (“Joker: Folie À Deux”), Jenna Ortega (“Beetlejuice 2”) and Ariana Grande (“Wicked: Part One”) as the Most Anticipated Big-Screen Performers in the new year.
-TheWrap
★ Anthony Anderson has been tapped to host the 2024 Emmy Awards. Originally set to air in September, the ceremony was delayed to January 15 because of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Anthony quote: “When Fox asked me to host this historic telecast, I was over the moon that Taylor Swift was unavailable, and now I can’t wait to be part of the biggest night in television.” Anderson, best known for his roles in “Black-ish” and “Law & Order”, is also set to host Fox’s upcoming game show “We Are Family”.
-TheWrap
★ George Clooney may be returning to the “Ocean’s” franchise. In a new interview with Uproxx while promoting his movie “The Boys in the Boat,” Clooney revealed that a script for another “Ocean’s” movie exists, which would seemingly reunite the original trilogy’s cast for a movie set after the events of 2007’s “Ocean’s 13.” He didn’t provide any concrete details, except to say: “We may end up doing another one. It’s actually a great script.” He did hasten to add, however, that he wouldn’t call it “Ocean’s 14”, because the idea of the film is much more like the 1979 heist movie “Going in Style”.
-Variety
★ Oprah Winfrey’s portrait is now on display at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Chicago-based artist Shawn Michael Warren painted Winfrey in a purple dress amidst a lush garden at her California home. The full-length portrait, approximately 6 feet 10 inches by 5 feet 8, is commissioned for the museum’s permanent collection. As a global media leader, philanthropist, producer, actor, author and entrepreneur, Winfrey earned her place in the National Portrait Gallery through her significant contributions to American culture. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/4taapscu
-Smithsonian
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Paul Dano, Nick Offerman, Seth Rogen, 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne (R)
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Jessica Chastain, Alanis Morissette, Ken Burns
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): TBA
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Paul Giamatti, Andrew Moskos, Pep Rosenfeld, Bryan Carter (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Darlene Love w/Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul
• “The Talk” (CBS): Glen Powell, Maggie Q
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Elizabeth Banks, David Foster and Katharine McPhee
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Cher, Laila Lockhart, Big Time Rush
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Delilah
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): The cast of The Color Purple
• “50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards” (CBS): Postponed from June. Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner host; Susan Lucci receives her Lifetime Achievement Honors.
• “National Christmas Tree Lighting” (CBS): Mickey Guyton hosts from President’s Park in Washington. Performers include Darren Criss, Samara Joy and Ledisi.
• “Shark Tank” (ABC): Good American CEO Emma Grede guest Sharks; an artisanal vegan cheese company; emergency underwear; a suitcase designed for wine bottles; a bra alternative.
SATURDAY-
• “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (CBS): The Christmas classic tale of the reindeer with the incandescent nose, who guides Santa’s sleigh through a storm on Christmas Eve.
• “The Holiday Proposal Plan” (LIFE): Sparks fly when travel columnist Sonny Kravitz and her ex-boyfriend team up to help their best friends get engaged during Christmastime.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host Kate McKinnon; Billie Eilish performs.
SUNDAY-
• “The Simpsons” (Fox): Lisa must solve a closed-boat mystery when Comic Book Guy’s million-dollar action figure is “murdered” on a pop culture cruise.
• “Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration” (CBS): Celebrating his contributions to pop culture and music. Performers include Willie Nelson, Beck, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg, Norah Jones, Miranda Lambert and Dave Matthews.
• “NFL Football” (Check local listings): Baltimore Ravens @ Jacksonville Jaguars
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – Just ahead of Wednesday’s on-demand release of “The Eras Tour”, “Today” premiered previously unseen footage of her performance of ‘The Archer’ featured in the extended, rental version of the film. Home viewers will also be able to enjoy previously unseen performances of ‘Long Live’ and ‘Wildest Dreams’. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/4337rk9r
• Lizzo – got into the holiday spirit by posting pics of herself dressed up as a ‘yassifed’ version of The Grinch. In the pics, she is painted green, with prosthetics on her face to give her the Whoville look. She also has a green wig and hairy long fingers, just like the Grinch. Her caption: “BINCHMAS”. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/54sww7zh
• Kiss – In a new interview, former guitarist Ace Frehley dismissed the band’s new “Kiss 2.0” digital future as “not rock and roll.” Quote: “I don’t get this avatar thing that they’re gonna do. I saw some of it on a video on YouTube…It kind of looked like it was geared towards children.”
• Brenda Lee – Even though her song ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ didn’t make the country charts when it was released, the 1958 classic currently tops both the Country Streaming Songs Chart, and the Country Digital Song Sales chart. It’s also at #1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 for a second week.
• Jelly Roll, Keith Urban and Dan + Shay – will all perform on “The Voice” Season 24 finale on Tuesday night. Jelly will deliver the Lainey Wilson-assisted ‘Save Me’, Urban will perform his 2016 hit ‘Blue Ain’t Your Color’ and Season 25 coaches Dan + Shay will sing ‘Bigger Houses’.
• Morgan Wallen, Cody Johnson, Bailey Zimmerman and Carly Pearce – are some of the stars who have joined the lineup of Nashville’s New Year’s Eve party. “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash” on CBS will also feature performances from new additions Kane Brown, Jon Pardi, Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum, Hardy and Jackson Dean, Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins, Brothers Osborne, and many more.
• Luke Combs – has reached out to a woman who ordered to pay $250K after being sued by his team for selling Combs-branded tumblers on Amazon. In a video, he explained that he contacted the woman, who suffers from health problems, and plans to send her $11,000 — twice the amount locked in her account because of the lawsuit. He’ll also sell a tumbler in his official store and donate all proceeds to her and her family. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/4thesbcz
SHOOTING THE BULL
NEW MOVIES THIS WEEK:
• “Wonka” (PG, Adventure/Family): A young Willy Wonka has dreams of becoming a great inventor and a pioneer in the chocolate world. But before he can make his dream a reality, he must face the chocolate cartel. (Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant) Tomatometer: 84%, No Audience Score
• “Control” (R, Action/Thriller, limited): British Home Secretary Stella Simmons drives home one night while engaging in an affair with the Prime Minister. A mysterious man remotely hijacks her self-driving car, forcing her on a rampage through London. (Kevin Spacey, Lauren Metcalfe, Mark Hampton) No Tomatometer rating.
BOOZE NEWS:
❑ For some reason, a brewery in New Zealand has invented a vending machine that dispenses free beer – to good guitarists. Panhead Custom Ales in Wellington created the “Slay to Pay” machine, which uses AI fingerprinting to rate guitarists’ shedding ability in real time. And if it decides your skill level is appropriate, it’ll dispense the booze. The company calls its invention “Souped-up Guitar Hero for Adults”. (…because the only thing worse than a guitar solo is a guitar solo by a drunk guy!)
❑ If you find yourself with a hangover this holiday season, simply walk it off. Research shows that light exercise can help you through a “day after the night before”, but trying to “sweat it out” will have the opposite effect. A 2020 study found that “hungover participants experienced significantly more exhaustion when performing physical activity at the same level as non-hungover participants”. This also means that your body is working hard to get rid of toxins — and intense movement adds another chore to its to-do list, creating extra stress that your body probably won’t cope well with. On the other hand, “a walk in fresh air or some gentle stretching can feel good when you feel run down”, according to an expert. It’s also good for you mentally. (Plus, I need to get home somehow!)
-LouderSound, Stylist
THE YEAR’S MOST MISPRONOUNCED WORDS:
(Among newsreaders and others on TV, according to The Captioning Group…)
✗ SZA: The stage name of singer Solána Imani Rowe, the 8th-most streamed artist on Spotify. Pronunciation: Siz-uh (You can tell me, but I’m never gonna remember it…)
✗ Enceladus: Saturn’s 6th moon hit the headlines in May when NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope spotted a massive plume of water spurting from it. Pronunciation: En-seh-luh-duhs
✗ Cillian Murphy: His title role in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” put his name back on our radars. Pronunciation: Kil-ee-uhn (I think I’ve got the “Murphy” part down pat…)
✗ Popocatépetl: This volcano in Mexico threatened to erupt in May, prompting authorities to raise alert levels for the millions living nearby. Pronunciation: Poh-poh-kah-teh-peh-til (Just call it “Mount Gushmore”!)
✗ Travis Kelce: His last name can be pronounced 2 ways, and he has said both are correct! Pronunciation: Kel-see or Kels (I didn’t realize his name had come up…!)
✗ Iam Tongi: This is the stage name of Hawaiian William Tongi, who moved judges to tears en route to winning “American Idol”. Pronunciation: Ee-am Dong-ee
✗ Psammophile: It is a word to describe plants that love sandy soil – which wasn’t a spelling challenge for 14-year-old Dev Shah, who clinched the National Spelling Bee with it in June. Pronunciation: Sam-uh-file
✗ Vivek Ramaswamy: He’s the GOP presidential candidate who rebuked political strategist Donna Brazile for mispronouncing his name on “Real Time with Bill Maher”. Pronunciation: Vih-vake Rah-mah-swah-me (No word on what she REALLY wanted to call him…!)
✗ Choupette: Celebs rushed to pay tribute to Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette, at the Met Gala in May, with Jared Leto simply getting into a massive white cat costume and sending other guests wild. Pronunciation: Shoo-pet
✗ Kīlauea: The second volcano to bubble its way onto the list, Kīlauea, went quiet for 3 months, then exploded impressively in June. Pronunciation: Kil-uh-way-uh
(What word[s] would you add to the list?)
-BusinessInsider, CTV
NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ Two men convicted of theft from a Kohl’s in Colorado tried to get a lesser punishment — because they stole stuff that was on sale. Lawyers for Michael Green and Byron Bolden, nicknamed the “KitchenAid Mixer Crew” by the DA in reference to the kitchen appliances they stole, cited discounts on the sticker prices, and Kohl’s coupons they had, hoping to bring the items down below the threshold for felony theft in Colorado, which is $2,000. The value of the items stolen was $2,094.98 before the sale prices. The argument failed to sway the judge, as both men received felony convictions after prosecutors argued that sales and discounts only count if you actually pay. (Still, nice try, lawyers!)
➢ Italian police arrested a barber for drug dealing after noticing that many of the “customers” entering his shop were bald and beardless. Cops had received reports of drug dealing in the area, and surveillance teams were dispatched. One of these teams noticed an unusually high number of bald, beardless men visiting a small barber shop. After gathering more clues, police raided the 55-year-old owner’s business and home, where hashish, cocaine, scales and drug packaging were found. (That’s an incriminating “barbershop quartet”!)
– Insider, OddityCentral
DID YOU KNOW?
A new study in the journal Nature Communications reports that male songbirds need to sing daily to exercise their vocal muscles and produce pretty songs. And the females of the species notice if they don’t. In their study, the international team of researchers found that if songbirds skip singing for 7 days, the vocal muscles lose 50% of their strength. And singing is crucial for songbirds. They sing to impress future partners, to defend their territories and to maintain social bonds. The study’s lead author said: “These results provide an alternative reason why birds sing so much, and every day.” (I only sing on payday!)
-PhysOrg
BS CHRONOMETER 12.15.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Ugly Christmas Sweater Day”, celebrating the seasonal fad that’s become so commercialized that thrift stores are charging top prices for them. Ugly Christmas sweaters started as a trend in the 1950s, when holiday-themed motifs on sweaters began appearing in ads, then known as “Jingle Bell Sweaters.”
• “Cat Herders Day”, a day of sympathy for anyone who feels their job, or even their life, is like trying to herd cats. (Or making cats do anything else, for that matter…)
• “International Tea Day”, observed annually since 2005 in tea-producing countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda, India, and Tanzania. (Not Chai-land?)
• “Cupcake Day”, for many years, cupcakes were known as “1-2-3-4 cakes” because of their recipe: 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour, 4 eggs, plus 1 cup of milk and 1 spoonful of baking soda. (And as you know, it’s impossible to be in a bad mood when you’re eating a cupcake!)
• “Underdog Day”, saluting the underdogs and the unsung heroes, the ‘Number Twos’ who contribute so much to the ‘Number Ones’ that we always hear about: Sherlock Holmes’ Dr Watson, Captain Kirk’s Mr. Spock, Batman’s Robin, Simon’s Garfunkel, etc.
• “Wear Your Pearls Day”, reminding us that when life throws dirt our way, we all have value in the end. The beautiful result of nature’s design, one irritating grain of sand can cause an iridescent pearl to form.
• “Bill of Rights Day”, on December 15, 1791, Virginia ratified the first 10 amendments of the Constitution (The Bill of Rights). With this, the amendments reached the requisite number of state ratifications necessary to become part of the US Constitution.
SATURDAY-
• “Chocolate Covered Anything Day”. What unusual ‘food enveloped in chocolate’ have you eaten? Chocolate-covered coffee beans … mmm! (And don’t knock chocolate-covered bacon ‘til you try it!)
• “Las Posadas” begins, the traditional 9-day Mexican Christmas celebration that includes breaking open a piñata.
• “Stupid Toy Day”, a half-hearted salute to some of the bad inventions marketed for kids. Here are a few toys that have been pretty popular over the years, that just might be considered stupid:
– Slinky
– Weebles
– Pet Rock
– Tamagotchies
– Furbys
• “Tea Party Day” in Boston MA, anniversary of the original 1773 ‘Boston Tea Party’, when an entire shipment of tea was dumped into Boston Harbor in a protest over taxation. The episode escalated into the American Revolution. (You gotta fight for your right to pour tea!)
• “Barbie and Barney Backlash Day”, Barbie and Barney (the dinosaur) have long been favorite characters for children, but for parents? Not so much. Today, parents are allowed to tell their children what they really think of Barbie and Barney, and can even let them know that they aren’t real. (Oddly, in 2023, we noticed that a lot of dads are much more accepting of Barbie than they used to be…)
• “Wreaths Across America Day”, When wreath-laying ceremonies take place at Arlington National Cemetery, and at more than 1,200 other locations—in all 50 states, and around the world. This is done to remember all fallen US veterans, to honor those who serve, and to teach children the value of freedom.
SUNDAY-
• “Maple Syrup Day”, the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate this delicious North American treat. Canada makes more than 80% of the world’s supply, most of it in the province of Québec. The state of Vermont is the biggest producer in the USA.
• “Pan American Aviation Day”, celebrates and stimulates interest in aviation in the western hemisphere as a way to develop more rapid communications and cultural development. It is observed on the same day as . . .
• “Wright Brothers Day”, honoring their flight at Kitty Hawk NC December 17th, 1903. The first sustained motorized aircraft flight travelled a total of 850 ft. Orville Wright was the pilot, winning the honors in a coin toss. Wilbur got to run alongside. (Two wrongs don’t make a right, but two Wrights did make an airplane…)
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1939 [84] Dave Clark, Tottenham England, rock drummer-singer (The Dave Cark Five-‘Glad All Over’, Bits and Pieces’)
1949 [74] Don Johnson, Flat Creek MO, TV actor (“Nash Bridges” 1996-2001, “Miami Vice” 1984-89)/movie actor (“Django Unchained”) COMING UP… “Rebel Ridge”
1979 [44] Adam Brody, San Diego CA, movie actor (“Scream 4″, “The Ring”)/TV actor (“The OC” 2003-07)
1981 [42] Michelle Dockery, London England, TV actress (“Good Behavior” 2016-17, “Downton Abbey” 2010-15)/movie actress (“Downton Abbey” 2019, “Downton Abbey: A New Era” 2022) COMING UP… “Here” 2024
1982 [41] Charlie Cox, London England, TV actor (“Daredevil” 2015-18 “Boardwalk Empire” 2011-12), movie actor (“The Theory of Everything”) COMING UP… “Daredevil: Born Again” series
1983 [40] Camilla Luddington, Ascot England, TV actress (‘Jo Wilson’ on “Grey’s Anatomy” since 2012)
1991 [32] Alana Haim, LA CA, pop-rock guitarist (Haim-‘The Wire’, ‘Don’t Save Me’)
1997 [26] Maude Apatow, Los Angeles CA, movie actress (“The King of Staten Island”, “This Is 40”)/TV actress (“Euphoria” since 2019)/daughter of Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann
SATURDAY- Lesley Stahl (“60 Minutes”) is 82; Benny Andersson (ABBA) is 77; Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) is 74; Benjamin Bratt (“Law & Order”) is 60; ex-sprinter Donovan Bailey is 56; Benjamin Kowalewicz (Billy Talent) is 48; Krysten Ritter (“Jessica Jones”) is 42; Theo James (“The White Lotus”) is 39; Dave Rublin (American Authors) is 37
SUNDAY- Pope Francis is 87; Ernie Hudson (“Ghostbusters”) is 78; Eugene Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”) is 77; Bill Pullman (“Independence Day”) is 70; Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell (MMA fighter) is 54; Jeffrey “Duff” Goldman (“Cake Masters”) is 49; Giovanni Ribisi (“Selma”) is 49; Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story”) is 49; Milla Jovovich (“Resident Evil” films) is 48; former boxer Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao is 45
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2008 [15] Madonna pays her former husband, film director Guy Ritchie, around £50 million ($65 million) as part of their divorce settlement
2020 [03] UK newspaper The Sun publishes a recording of Tom Cruise berating his “Mission: Impossible 7” film crew for breaking COVID-19 protocols
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1997 [26] The “Spice World” movie, directed by Bob Spiers and starring girl group the Spice Girls, premieres in the UK
2014 [09] Taylor Swift’s 5th album, “1989″, reaches #1 and goes on to become the best-selling album of 2014 (9.5 million copies)
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1979 [44] After finding pieces of their “Scrabble” game missing, Canadians Chris Haney and Scott Abbott create the board game “Trivial Pursuit”
2001 [22] Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27 million are spent to fortify it, without fixing its famous lean (because that’s the tourist attraction)
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2020 [03] Philanthropist (and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos) MacKenzie Scott announces she has given away more than $4 billion to 384 nonprofit organizations across the US
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK CHRISTMAS FACTS:
✓ ‘Jingle Bells’ was originally a Thanksgiving song.
✓ ‘Silent Night’ is the most-recorded Christmas song (over 138,000 versions).
✓ The real St. Nicholas was a wiry Greek-Turkish archbishop who lived on a sunny Mediterranean beach.
✓ The original Elf on the Shelf in the 1970s was named ‘Fisbee’.
✓ Rudolph was almost named Rollo. Other reindeer names before the ones we’re familiar with today were settled upon include: Flossie, Glossie, Racer, Pacer, Scratcher, Feckless, Ready, Steady and Fireball.
✓ The Germanic word for mistletoe literally means “dung on a twig.”
-GoodHousekeeping, PioneerWoman
Best of BS . . .
BS MORE APPROPRIATE ALTERNATIVE NAMES FOR EGG NOG:
• Christmas Cream
• Eggs: The Drink
• Congealed Dairy Product
• Alcoholic Egg Goop
• Beige Sugar Milk
• Drinkable Egg Syrup
• Holiday Chicken-Baby Refreshment
• Caloric Egg Slurry
• Melted Ice Cream With a Bonus of Raw Eggs
• Try-Not-to-Think-About-It-Too-Much Egg Cocktail
-Adapted from BuzzFeed, first published in BS in 2014
BS FAKE ‘12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS’ FACTS:
• The Lords were only leaping to get out of the way of the pipers.
• It’s actually now ‘4 texting birds’. No one calls anymore.
• If you see 12 drummers drumming, that’s the fault of a bad public school music teacher who couldn’t convince anyone to pick up a different instrument.
• Partridges are allergic to pears.
• The 5 golden rings turned my fingers green.
• Singing the song backwards in front of the mirror at midnight will bring forth the Christmas Golem.
• Prince made the turtle doves cry.
• If you give that many birds to your true love, expect to get dumped. Nobody wants that much clean up.
• It was originally ‘The 13 Days of Christmas’, but cutbacks.
• Now that song won’t be stuck in your head.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS WEB GOODIE:
The season of giving – but not forgiving (sound up): http://tinyurl.com/3pw23tcr
BS RANDOM JOKE:
It’s beginning to cost a lot like Christmas…
BS PHONE STARTER:
What “self-gift” will you be picking up this holiday season? (After all, you deserve it!)
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 36% of us will do THIS at least once this holiday season – maybe this weekend. What is it?
Answer: Drive around to see the Christmas lights.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Smile at strangers, and you just might change a life.
