Monday, December 19, 2022 – Edition: #7382
Can You Believe This Sheet?
BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull Sheet will not be publishing during the period December 26, 2022 – January 2, 2023, in order to give staff an opportunity to enjoy the holidays. All subscribers will receive account credits for non-service days. Following Fri. Dec. 23, the next Bull Sheet edition will be for Tuesday, January 3rd. Thanks for a great year of BS and Happy Holidays, all!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ After years of development and production, James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequel has had its judgment day. “The Way of Water” took flight at the box office with a solid $53 million gross on opening day Friday, including $17 million in Thursday previews. That’s the 6th-highest first-day domestic gross of the year, following “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” ($90.7 million), “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, “Thor: Love and Thunder”, “Jurassic World Dominion” and “The Batman”. The bad news is that the blockbuster is unlikely to meet projections for a $150 million-plus opening weekend, instead settling for $134 million. Similar drops are being felt in overseas markets. But here’s the good news: people absolutely love the movie. The Rotten Tomatoes audience score for “The Way of Water” is at an excellent 94%.
-TheWrap, Variety
★ Cecily Strong got an ‘Elvis goodbye’ from “Saturday Night Live” when host Austin Butler — who was later joined by the rest of the “SNL” cast — ended the show with a performance of ‘Blue Christmas’. Kenan Thompson had a solo during the bittersweet number for Strong, who is leaving Saturday Night Live. A post from SNL’s official Instagram account confirmed Strong’s exit earlier in the day. Strong first joined SNL in September 2012. The following year, she began hosting the “Weekend Update” segment alongside Seth Meyers and later, Colin Jost. Strong’s return for season 48, her 11th overall, made her the longest-tenured female cast member in the show’s history, a spot previously held by Kate McKinnon.
-Deadline, People
★ Sharon Osbourne is back home after suffering a medical emergency while filming an episode of her son Jack’s TV show in California. He posted an Instagram message saying his mother was given the “all clear” by doctors and has returned home to recover. Quote: “As to what happened to my mum — I’m gonna leave it to her to share about when she is ready.” Reports say that the former “The Talk” co-host fell ill while on the set of Jack’s “Night of Terror” in Santa Paula. show. A rep for Ventura County Fire Department confirmed that EMS workers responded to a “medical call” at Glen Tavern Inn around 6:30pm Friday, and transported one patient to hospital. Police confirmed Osbourne was the patient.
-TMZ
★ Angelina Jolie is stepping down from her role as an ambassador for the UN refugee agency UNHCR after more than 20 years. In an Instagram post, she said: “I believe in many things the UN does, particularly the lives it saves through emergency relief”, adding that she “will be working now with organizations led by people most directly affected by conflict, that give the greatest voice to them.” The UNHCR said: “Jolie has worked tirelessly, carrying out more than 60 field missions to bear witness to stories of suffering as well as hope and resilience”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4cd5vk34
-BBC
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Will Ferrell, Colson Baker aka Machine Gun Kelly, The Linda Lindas
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Steve Martin, Martin Short, H.E.R., Mary McCartney, Adam Blackstone featuring Mary Mary, Inayah & the BBE Big Band (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Mariah Carey, Kumail Nanjiani (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Jake Tapper, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Sohla El-Waylly, Dena Tauriello (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Eddie Redmayne; Grace Van Patten, Gabriels (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): RuPaul, Jim Parsons
• The View” (ABC/CTV): Emily Blunt (R)
• “The Talk”(CBS): Michael Ealy, Sean Kanan (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): David Foster, Katharine McPhee, the Radio City Rockettes, Steve Patterson, Sing Harlem
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Anna Kendrick; Jordan L. Jones; Duff Goldman, Coco Jones
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): President Joe Biden, Jill Biden
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Sheryl Lee Ralph (R)
• “Sherri” (Check local listings): Roy Wood Jr., A Very Sherri Christmas
• “NFL Football” (ABC, ESPN, TSN): Los Angeles Rams @ Green Bay Packers
• “Holiday Baking Championship” (FOOD): Season 9 finale. Jesse Palmer challenges the bakers to create desert-inspired succulent tarts, 2 competitors are sent skiing into a cookie cake showdown.
• “Santa Bootcamp” (LIFE): Hired to stage the ultimate holiday gala, an event planner rediscovers the magic of Christmas while searching for the perfect Santa.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Billie Eilish – was joined onstage by Dave Grohl during her Thursday night show in LA, to perform an acoustic rendition of Foo Fighters’ ‘My Hero’. They dedicated it to late drummer Taylor Hawkins. Saturday night, she welcomed Childish Gambino and Khalid to the stage. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5246drpf
• Rihanna — took to TikTok on Saturday to give fans their first-ever look at her 7-month-old boy. She shared an adorable 45-second clip, showing RiRi and her little one riding in the back of a car while the infant smiles and coos at his fawning mom. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mpzxphzx
• Mary J. Blige – will host a talk show on BET. “The Wine Down” will bring together big-name celebs in “entertainment, sports, social media, and politics” for “raw, provocative, insightful, and real conversations” over wine. No word on a launch date.
• Rolling Stones — have announced an “immersive” virtual concert to celebrate the release of their of “GRRR Live!” album and concert video. Feb. 2, the show will be available at https://www.rollingstonesnewark.com/ Originally recorded in 2021 in Newark NJ, the GRRR Live! concert featured several guest collabs, including with Lady Gaga, The Black Keys, Gary Clark Jr & John Mayer, former Stone Mick Taylor, and Bruce Springsteen.
• Eagles – have finally made their official debut on YouTube, launching 8 remastered videos from their archives. Those include the classic 1977 live performance of ‘Hotel California’ (A bootleg version had a million views), ‘Hole in the World’, ‘In the City’, ‘I Can’t Tell You Why’, ‘How Long’, ‘Busy Being Fabulous’ and live versions of ‘No More Cloudy Days’ and ‘Take It Easy’. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/353wmb5a
• Tyler Childers — Before taking the stage for a sold out show at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, he visited a nearby school to donate a trove of musical instruments. Childers is an ambassador for Can’d Aid, a nonprofit organization that helps underserved youth connect with music, arts and the outdoors. He also treated students to a performance. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mw2fc5zs
• Jennifer Nettles – The Sugarland singer will be hosting FOX’s new reality dating show “Farmer Wants a Wife”. Premiering March 8, it will follow 4 farmers as they go on dates and depict what living on a farm is like while searching for love. The female contestants leave big city life behind as they acclimate to farm life and try to win over the ranchers.
• ERNEST – will release a deluxe version of his 2022 debut “Flower Shops (The Album).” Featuring 13 additional songs, “Flower Shop (The Album): Two Dozen Roses” will drop Feb. 10. He released 3 of the new songs on Friday.
SHOOTING THE BULL
SCREAM TIME:
If your child is throwing a temper tantrum, it turns out that giving them a smart phone to play with might not be the best thing to do. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggests frequently using smartphones or other forms of “screen time” to calm a child during difficult moments may lead to emotional “regulation issues” – or bratty behavior — down the road. The study analyzed how frequently 422 parents used devices to pacify their children aged 3-5, and how it affected their behavior over a 6-month period. The lead author said that using devices to quiet difficult emotions is a lost opportunity for the child to learn how to cope with them, and could encourage them to misbehave to get what they want. A better idea might be to teach kids how to respond to a situation like this by taking them somewhere quiet to process their behavior and thoughts, and remind them: “You’re not being bad for having big emotions, you just need to reset. We all need to reset sometimes.”
(On the other hand, what’s the first thing I do when faced with a difficult emotional situation? Yup. I sit down and play with my phone, of course!)
(Who on earth lets a 3-year-old use their smart phone? And by that, I mean – What 3-year-old doesn’t have their own smart phone?)
-NYPost
WEIGHING IN ON THE BIG MEAL:
Putting together a delicious Christmas dinner for a large, hungry group of loved ones is definitely a skill. And what is the hardest part? According to a poll, the most difficult parts of a Christmas dinner to master are delicious gravy (31%), moist turkey (29%), Yorkshire puddings (28%), and crispy roast potatoes (27%). A survey of 2,000 people also found that 13% struggle with the stuffing. And when it comes to vegetables, sprouts seem to be the most difficult, followed closely by carrots. Nearly a quarter (24%) of hosts struggle to get Christmas dinner timings right, with 32% saying they’ve had to make something again from scratch after messing it up. The average holiday chef prepares for the meal 7 days in advance, and it still takes an average of 5.6 hours on the actual day, to get everything ready.
(I knew no one would say making dessert is the most difficult – I mean how hard is it to fork over 5 bucks at the grocery store, and hide the box before everyone shows up?)
(For me, the most-difficult thing about Christmas dinner is having to sit beside my crazy Uncle Larry!)
-SWNS
NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ End of year bonuses are always welcomed, but this company went above and beyond. Ruppert Landscape gave employee bonuses of $7,000 – $200,000 to all employees with a tenure of over 1-year, “as a thanks for the role they’ve played in the company’s growth and development.” A total of 1,200 workers received the enormous thank you presents — which added up to . . . $28 million. CEO Craig Ruppert said: “This bonus is money that is well-deserved and a way for us to acknowledge the value of our teams’ contributions and the essential role that they will play in our company’s future.” The Maryland-based company has 30 locations in 9 US states. (Sure beats “a one-year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club”, doesn’t it?!?!)
➢ To some, there’s no greater inconvenience than a flight cancelation. But rather than sulk about their sudden change of plans, an enterprising group of passengers whose trip from Orlando FL to Knoxville, TN was shelved, instead decided to rent a van together and hit the road. 13 of them made the 650-mile (1050km) trip together, sharing stories and documenting their journey on TikTok. The passengers spanned ages and backgrounds: One was a teen visiting a college with her parents, another with a critical appointment in a custody case; a minister, a farmer who only spoke Spanish; an influencer, and a recent college grad. Although more than a few bathroom stops added to the trip’s 9½ hours of driving time, they all made it to their destination safe and sound. And as one passenger said, noting that everyone got along brilliantly: “I feel like this situation for me specifically…restored my trust and humanity…There’s definitely hope for people…they can be good.” (Road rules included: No talking politics, football loyalty, or which way the toilet paper should go!) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4bhafvnh
-GoodNewsNetwork, CNN
PRODUCTS WE USE AGAINST MANUFACTURERS’ INSTRUCTIONS
➠ Q-Tips: Let’s just get this one right out of the way…THEY DON’T GO IN THE EAR! (Why am I yelling? Because I put one in my ear!)
➠ Pop-Tarts: The correct serving size is one pastry, but they were originally packaged in twos to save money…and it caught on. (Except for those like me, who had a little brother…)
➠ Axe body spray: The directions say to spray on the wrist and/or neck. (Not a massive cloud that remains long after you’ve left the building!)
➠ Trampolines: They come with a warning that “No more than one individual should jump at one time.” (Who’s gonna sit and wait while their friend is having all the fun?)
➠ Vicks VapoRub: The instructions say not to put it directly in the nostril. (Fingers should come with the same instructions…)
➠ Antiperspirant: It works better if it’s applied at night. This is because it can then be absorbed by your skin, allowing the aluminum salts to clog your pores/sweat glands. (That explains a LOT!)
➠ WD-40: Believe it or not, it’s not a lubricant. Spraying it on things like hinges can attract dust, making the situation worse in the long term. (So, what’s it for?)
-TwentyTwoWords, 2022
DID YOU KNOW?
More good news: More than 8 in 10 adults are planning to be charitable this festive season, with a quarter doing so through acts of kindness and good deeds. A survey found that the top ways people are looking to help others include by donating money (35%), cooking for those who need assistance (15%), and buying gifts from charity shops (18%). And in a positive trend, the results of the study of 2,000 Americans found that 48% intend to be more charitable this year than last. Other ways people will give back include buying charity Christmas cards (28%), and donating items, including food and clothes.
-SWNS
BS CHRONOMETER 12.19.22
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Hanukkah” begins, a Jewish celebration that lasts 8 days and 8 nights. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where, according to Jewish belief, a miracle occurred that allowed oil to light a menorah for 8 days, when there only was enough oil for one. As a result, many celebratory foods are fried in oil during the 8 days.
• “Holly Day”, while the prickly leaves and berries make lovely additions to any holiday décor, eating holly can be bad for your health. The leaves and berries can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and other issues. While toxic to dogs, cats and horses, consuming 20 or more berries can actually be fatal to children. (Happy Holly-days, here’s a deadly plant for you!)
• “Look for an Evergreen Day”, saluting those for whom only a fresh-cut real tree will do for Christmas. For them, the scent of fresh pine helps to capture the feeling of the holidays. (But remember…just because you find one, it doesn’t mean it’s yours!)
• “Oatmeal Muffin Day”, a day to enjoy the cholesterol-lowering benefit of oatmeal in your muffins … then slather on a ton of butter and enjoy!
• “Hard Candy Day”, a celebration of all types of hard candies—everything from lollipops to candy canes to caramels. (If you don’t have one, just ask any older lady carrying a purse. She has at least 30 in there…usually unwrapped.)
• “Emo Day”, a day for emos to congregate together for a mass non-celebration, and generally whine about life. Also, a day for non-emos to pretend to be emo. (Gee, sounds like fun…)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Games Day
[Tues] Go Caroling Day
[Wed] Crossword Puzzle Day
[Thurs] Regifting Day
This Week is…Gluten-Free Baking Week
This Month is…Take a New Year’s Resolution to Stop Smoking Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1963 [59] Jennifer Beals, Chicago IL, movie actress (“Flashdance”, “The Book of Eli”)/TV actress (“Law & Order: Organized Crime” since 2022)
1965 [57] Jessica Steen, Toronto ON, movie actress (“Armageddon”)/TV actress (“Homefront” 1991-93, “Heartland” since 2007)
1967 [55] Criss Angel (Christopher Sarantakos), NYC, Las Vegas magician-illusionist (“Criss Angel: Believe”, “Criss Angel: Mindfreak”)
1969 [53] (Kristen) Kristy Swanson, Mission Viejo CA, TV actress (“Knots Landing” 1987-88)/movie actress (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Flowers in the Attic”)
1970 [52] Tyson Beckford, Rochester NY, model (Ralph Lauren Polo)/TV host (“Make Me a Supermodel” 2008-2009)/named “greatest male model of all time” by Vogue in 2014
1972 [50] Alyssa Milano, Brooklyn NY, TV actress (“My Name is Earl” 2007-08, “Charmed” 1998-2006, “Who’s the Boss” 1984-92)/movie actress (“Hall Pass”)/TV host (“Project Runway All Stars” 2013-19)
1980 [42] Jake Gyllenhaal, LA CA, movie actor (“Spider-Man: Far From Home”, “Brokeback Mountain”, “Donnie Darko”)/brother of Maggie Gyllenhaal COMING UP…“Road House” remake, 2023
1988 [34] Paulina Gretzky, Los Angeles CA, celebutante/model/singer/movie actress (“Grown Ups 2”, “Fame” [2009])/married to golfer Dustin Johnson, daughter of Wayne Gretzky and Janes Jones
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1997 [25] “Titanic” opens in theaters. It becomes the top-grossing movie of all time ($2.2 billion, currently #3), with a soundtrack that sells 18 million copies, thanks mostly to Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’
2001 [21] “The Fellowship of the Ring”, the first movie based on JRR Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, opens in theaters in 16 countries
2014 [08] A study on advice given by talk show host Dr Mehmet Oz shows that only about 46% of his suggestions are supported by legitimate medical evidence
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2005 [17] Elton John turns down an offer of almost $6 million for TV rights to his civil union to David Furnish
2014 [08] Darlene Love sings ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ on “Late Show with David Letterman” for the final time (when she first performed it in 1986, it went so well that Dave made it an annual Christmas tradition)
2015 [07] 33 years after its release, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” becomes the first album to sell more than 30 million in the US (current estimated US sales: 34 million)
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1917 [105] The first NHL games are played (5,500 fans watch Montréal Canadiens beat Ottawa Senators 7-4, while 700 soldiers get in free to see Montréal Wanderers defeat Toronto Arenas 10-9)
1922 [100] 24-year-old Theresa Vaughn confesses in court in England, to being married 61 times over 5 years in 50 cities in 3 countries
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Not getting enough sleep and being hungry are the two biggest reasons for being angry.
✓ Statistics show that people with high, medium and low-income groups spend about the same amount on Christmas gifts.
✓ Per calorie, broccoli has more protein than beef.
✓ Pound for pound, hamburgers cost more than new cars.
✓ No one knows who named Earth.
✓ The human brain named itself.
-RandomFactGenerator, WTFFacts
Best of BS . . .
BS HOLIDAY SPECIALS YOU WON’T SEE:
• Silent Night of the Lambs
• Grandma Got Made Over by a Reindeer
• Home But Not Alone
• Rudolph the Brown-Nosed Reindeer
• Jersey Shore on Ice
• Bill Cosby presents ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’
• There’s Something About Mary’s Boy Child
• Ho Ho Homicide
• Anything on the Hallmark Channel with a sad ending.
• Anything featuring the on-screen pairing of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ A report claims that running in marathons can damage to your heart. (You can read more about it in the latest issue of “News That’s Irrelevant to both Carson Daly and Me”!)
➠ The nominees for the Golden Globes were announced last week. (Winning a Golden Globe is a pretty good indicator of who will win the Oscar. Just like being the next “American Idol” champ is a pretty good indicator of who will be headlining a cruise ship.)
➠ This Month, exports of US crude oil and petroleum products hit 11.8 million barrels per day, an all-time high. (Out of habit, Dick Cheney immediately called the Oval Office and demanded the US invade itself…)
➠ USCs Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy. (I remember when Johnny Manziel won that. Johnny doesn’t, but I do!)
➠ 86-year-old Bette Nash is the world’s oldest flight attendant. When she first started, she was referred to as a “stewardess.” (And also “Toots”, “Babycakes”, and “Sweetcheeks”!)
BS U-PICK HOLIDAY SEASON TRIVIA:
• In Dr Seuss’ famous story, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, what was the name of the Grinch’s dog?
a) Max [CORRECT]
b) Snax
c) Grunch
d) Shrek
• What modern-day Christmas custom is borrowed from ancient Rome’s New Year celebration?
a) Putting up mistletoe. [CORRECT. It was part of “Saturnalia”, the festival honoring Saturn the planter god. The event also initiated the traditions of exchanging gifts, illuminating lights, and closing businesses]
b) Decorating a tree
c) Hanging stockings by the fireplace
d) Spending way too much money and drinking way too much
• What Christmas food is made from “marsh-whorts”?
a) Stuffing
b) Christmas pudding
c) Cranberry sauce [CORRECT]
d) Roast warthog
-TriviaPark, ChristmasTrivia
BS WEB GOODIE:
Yup: https://tinyurl.com/yuzht694
BS RANDOM JOKE:
There is nothing quite as mean as giving a child something useful for Christmas.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What is your worst-ever Christmas shopping fail?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 52% of adults admit that THIS is one of their holiday pet peeves. What is it?
Answer: Noise
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Christmas is not a date. It is a state of mind.