Wednesday, December 18, 2024 — Edition: #7859
100% Grade A Bull!
BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull Sheet will not be publishing during the period December 25, 2024 – January 1, 2025, to allow staff an opportunity to enjoy the holidays. All subscribers will receive account credits for non-service days. Following Tuesday, December 24, the next Bull Sheet edition will be for Thursday, January 2nd. Thanks for being here for The Bull in 2024, and Happy Holidays, all!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ It was no laughing matter for Jamie Foxx. The altercation during his birthday dinner was sparked when crew members of the “Jackass” franchise pointed a laser projecting an obscene image at his table, TMZ says. Foxx, who was celebrating his 57th birthday at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills Friday, became upset when someone in the upstairs VIP area of the venue pointed the laser at his table, especially considering that his daughter were at the table. A fight broke out when Foxx and his friends confronted the group, which resulted in a Jackass crew member throwing a drinking glass and hitting the actor in the mouth. Sources told TMZ that Foxx, while bleeding, said, “It’s my birthday, what is wrong with you?” before leaving to get stitches.
-PageSix
★ “Yellowstone” rode off into the sunset on a ratings high-note. The series finale of the neo-Western drama drew 11.4 million viewers on Sunday night alone, according to data released by Paramount. The company claims that makes it the most-watched episode in series history, with the finale airing on both Paramount Network and CMT. The show also saw a boost on social media compared to the first half of Season 5, with views there up 103%, and engagement by 68%. The penultimate episode of Yellowstone went on to be the most-watched installment of the series ever, bringing in 12.1 million viewers.
-TheWrap, Variety
★ NBC has announced that it will launch an aftershow for the second season of “Deal or No Deal Island”, which returns on January 7. It will be hosted by Season 1 islander “Boston” Rob Mariano and will premiere on Peacock, YouTube and NBC’s website on January 8. Mariano will sit down with eliminated players to break down gameplay, talk drama on the island and share never-before-seen footage. He is also known for his appearances on “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race”, and is on Season 3 of “The Traitors”.
-Deadline
★ Actress and producer Kristen Bell will host the 2025 SAG Awards, honoring the best in acting. The star of “Nobody Wants This,” “The Good Place” and “Veronica Mars,” Bell is returning to host for her second time, after taking the helm in 2018 when she was the first-ever host. The show is often run without a host — Megan Mullally (in 2019) and Idris Elba (in 2024) are the only other emcees in the ceremony’s 31-year history. Nominees will be announced on Jan. 8, and the 31st Annual SAG Awards will stream live on Netflix Feb. 23.
-TheWrap
★ Conor McGregor says he has a deal to step in the ring against Logan Paul. He claims that he’s putting his return to the UFC Octagon on the backburner so he can take part in a boxing exhibition with Paul, whose brother Jake defeated Mike Tyson in a big-ticket fight last month. McGregor claimed he’s in “preliminary agreements” with the wealthy Ambani family, and has “agreed” to a deal for a fight in India, after which the former champ said, “I will then seek my return to the Octagon.”
-TMZ
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Jude Law, Kyle Mooney, Denzel Curry (R)
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Nate Bargatze, Jessica Williams, Nicole Avant, Darlene Love, Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Adrien Brody, Ben Schwartz
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Hoda Kotb, Christopher Abbott
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Matt Mathews, Guy Branum, Gillian Jacobs (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Bronwyn Newport, Melissa Gorga
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Kerry Washington, Nikki Glaser
• “The Talk” (CBS): Lisa Rinna
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): James Marsden, Ilana Glazer
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano, Rhenzy Feliz
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): 50 Cent, Tony Danza
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): The cast of “No Good Deed,” ft. Ray Romano, Lisa Kudrow, Luke Wilson, Teyonah Parris, and O-T Fagbenle
• “Survivor” (CBS): Season 47 finale.
• “The Masked Singer” (Fox): Season 12 finale. Nick Lachey performs. Followed by season finale of “The Floor”.
• “A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special” (NBC): A star-studded collection of Christmas-themed sketches from the show’s 50 seasons.
• “iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2024” (ABC): Performers include Katy Perry, Tate McRae, Twenty One Pilots, Teddy Swims, Tate McRae, Teddy Swims, Meghan Trainor and The Kid LAROI.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Drake – recently made a Drake look alike contest a little more interesting by contributing $10k to “sweeten the pot” for the winner. When he heard about the contest at Toronto’s Casuals Cakery, he messaged the host. Once contestants learned about the new prize, they went all out, with several rocking the rapper’s signature cornrows, infamous hair clips, and his thick beard. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/n4b586ns
• Benson Boone – debuted a new song during his performance Friday at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball” which airs on ABC tonight. At the Madison Square Garden show, he sang the unreleased song ‘Young American Heart’, expected to appear on a new album out next year.
• Lady Gaga – revealed on Apple TV’s “A Carpool Karaoke Christmas” that she was once an extra in an AC/DC video. After host Zane Lowe surprised her with an appearance by the band’s lead singer Brian Johnson, she mentioned that she appeared in the music video for 2000s ‘Stiff Upper Lip’. Quote: “I was 17 and I was an extra in the back and I was headbanging.” She was quickly instructed not to “headbang”.
• Prince – His long-lost collab with Kylie Minogue, has surfaced online, 32 years after it was created. ‘Baby Doll’ came after the 2 met following a show in London. Minogue has spoken about the funk-laded song’s existence in interviews for years. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/58dd9af7
• Fleetwood Mac – Their 47-year-old record “Rumours” was the best-selling rock album of 2024. In a year dominated by pop, country and hip-hop, the 1977 masterpiece landed at #34 on Billboard’s 2024 year-end chart, one spot ahead of Elton John’s 2017 greatest hits collection “Diamonds”.
• Journey – Former singer Steve Perry has released the official yule log video for “The Season 3”, which came out on Nov. 8. The album expands on his 2021 holiday album “The Season”, with 6 newly recorded songs, including ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and ‘Let It Snow’, and a moving duet with his late father, Ray Perry. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mtdz7ahz
• Kane Brown — has unveiled the track list for his upcoming new album “The High Road”, out Jan. 24. In addition to guest spots by his wife Katelyn on ‘Body Talk’ and ‘Do Us Apart’, it also features collabs with Jelly Roll (‘Haunted’), Brad Paisley (‘Things We Quit’), Khalid (‘Rescue’), and Marshmello on the #1 hit ‘Miles on It.’ LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4kmhw3jf
• Nate Smith – ‘World on Fire’ was the most-played country song of 2024, according to Billboard. The tune started the year at #1, and stayed there for 10 consecutive weeks. The rest of the top 5, in order, are: ‘I Had Some Help’ by Post Malone ft. Morgan Wallen, ‘Pretty Little Poison’ from Warren Zeiders, Bailey Zimmerman’s ‘Where It Ends’, and ‘Save Me’ by Jelly Roll ft. Lainey Wilson.
• Jelly Roll – After dropping 120 pounds, he has shared his next goal. On the latest edition of his wife Bunnie XO’s “Dumb Blonde” podcast, he said: “I wanna be on the cover of Men’s Health by March of 2026.” Her reaction: “Let’s go!” Last week, he showcased his body transformation at the Billboard Music Awards, where he performed his single, ‘Liar’.
SHOOTING THE BULL
RESTING GIFT FACE:
So, it turns out that come Dec. 25, over half of us will need to fake our excitement – or use our “resting gift face” to mask our disappointment with a gift we receive. A poll of 2,000 adults in the US who celebrate winter holidays looked at the phenomenon of “resting gift face”, or RGF, which is the expression a person gives – either intentionally or not — when they are given a gift that poses confusion or questions (like “Is this a gift?”) — and misses the mark. The survey found that over the past 3 years, the average person has received 2 gifts they simply didn’t like. The top reasons people had to activate their RGF was incomplete wrapping, cited by 14% of respondents, followed by crumpled or old materials (13%), and mismatched holiday themes (12%). So, what should you do when this happens to you? Most people err on the side of politeness, saying they’d likely respond to the misguided gift-giver with a, “thank you for thinking of me” (27%), “I love it” (23%), or “I really appreciate this” (21%).
(Alternate response: “Where’s the nearest hawk shop?”)
(Just remember: If you’re RGF-ing at least one person each year, chances are that at least one person is RGF-ing you!)
-Talker
TECH TALK:
⇒ Apple is reportedly working on a giant iPad that unfolds to the size of 2 iPad Pros side-by-side. The tech giant has reportedly been honing the product for a few years, and is currently eyeing a 2028 release date. The “supersized” iPad has been described as a “single, uninterrupted piece of glass” that does not have the crease seen on other foldable devices. When fully opened, it would measure roughly 20 inches (51cm). Not surprisingly, the mega iPad won’t be cheap. It is being described as a “higher-end device.”
⇒ Elon Musk has once again announced that X will launch its own email service called “XMail”. The news came to light when an X user posted the message: “X Mail would be cool,” suggesting the email format as “username@x.com.” Musk responded by writing: “Yeah. On the list of things to do.” Details about the service are limited, but it will apparently deliver messages directly to a plain-text DM inbox, eliminating threads and formatting commonly associated with traditional email. It isn’t the first time the idea has surfaced. In February, in response to a post on X by company engineer asking when X Mail would be launched, Musk replied: “It’s coming.” (Awesome. I can’t wait to get his crass political cheerleading and childish takedowns of those he doesn’t agree with delivered directly to my inbox!)
-PC, AndroidPolice, Forbes
SCHNOZZ KNOWLEDGE:
So, you’ve picked up a bug somewhere, and now you’ve got the sniffles, and an ever-present stuffed-up nose. But here’s a good question: Does blowing your nose help, or does it make cold symptoms worse? Dr. Peter Filip, a rhinologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, recently told CNN that the human nose creates 1 to 2 liters of mucus daily, and “when we’re sick, the nose thickens mucus to trap viruses. Nose blowing pushes out the thick mucus, giving us a respite.” But before you blow your honker like a foghorn, the doc would like to emphasize that nose blowing is most helpful when done correctly. Forceful blowing can actually worsen your cold symptoms, by pushing mucus back into the sinuses. It can also cause ear pain, headaches and nosebleeds. Filip suggests you opt for gentle nose blowing. Try placing a finger on the opposite nostril to close it. Then, blow gently so air and mucus are ejected through the side you’re trying to clear. It’s also a good idea to use softer and moisturized tissue to prevent irritation on the outside of the nose. Some also include aloe and menthol to sooth the skin. While nose blowing can provide temporary relief, Filip says there are more effective ways of clearing out that mucus, and helping in the long run. Such as? Some experts recommend abandoning the tissues altogether and stocking up on saltwater sprays. Nasal decongestants can also help relieve congestion quickly – but never use them for more than 3 days.
(Yeah, good luck using a saline spray – and not having to use tissues!)
(Never in my life have I ever had to say the word “mucus” so many times in one minute! That word just SOUNDS gross!)
-CNN
TREACHEROUS TOYS:
This the advocacy group “World Against Toys Causing Harm” (WATCH)’s 52nd annual list of toys that could be dangerous to kids…
✗ PINOVK TOY COLT 45 PISTOL: Potential for tragedy from realistic toy weaponry
✗ BRISTLE HEDGEHOG: Potential for ingestion injuries
✗ TRANSFORMERS EARTHSPARK CYBER-SLEEVE: Potential for eye injuries
✗ KINETIC SAND SCENTS – ICE CREAM TREATS: Potential for ingestion injuries
✗ WUBBLE RUMBLERS INFLATABLE FURIOUS FIST: Potential for blunt force and impact injuries
✗ CLICK N’ PLAY TOY REMOTE SET: potential for choking injuries
✗ SNACKLES – SANDY: Potential for suffocation injuries
✗ X-SHOT POPPY PLAYTIME: Potential for eye injuries
✗ PLAYZONE-FIT TRI-FLYER: Potential for impact injuries
✗ ZOO JAMZ DOGGY XYLOPHONE: Potential for ingestion and choking injuries
And on that happy note, here are some . . .
OTHER BS UNSAFE TOYS:
• “Little Mountie Taser Kit”
• “Ronco’s Pocket Hive”
• “The Used Band-Aid Ball”
• “Roof Ranger Paratrooper Kit”
• “Little Mr. Trenchcoat”
• “Mattel’s Cement Floaties”
• “My First Nipple Ring”
-ToySafety, W.A.T.C.H.
FUNNIEST TWEETS OF THE WEEK FROM WOMEN:
⇒ I’m convinced that if I ever actually caught up on all my laundry my clothes wouldn’t fit in my closet – Katie D
⇒ resisting the urge to add “not ugly” after typing anything into the etsy search bar — jess
⇒ please don’t invite me over if you have a leather couch that’s peeling. i will peel it some more when you’re not looking — sonoreid
⇒ Not to self diagnose but i think i have the Christmas spirit — via
⇒ Note to self: When noting that someone canceled a meeting due to a death in the family/funeral, don’t abbreviate as “death/fun”. — redyellowgreendance
-HuffPost
DID YOU KNOW?
A Japanese company wants to make an alcoholic beverage in space. Asahi Shuzo, the company behind the popular sake brand Dassai, plans to blast sake ingredients to the International Space Station. The idea is to ferment a brew that’s truly out of this world. The company is now developing space brewing equipment and is planning a launch date in late 2025. But even if everything goes according to plan, the price of a bottle will be astronomical — a single 100ml bottle would sell on Earth for US $653,000.
(There’s a ‘sake’ born every minute, apparently!)
-NYPost, CNN
BS CHRONOMETER 12.18.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf Day”. The idea is to answer: “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?”, a quote from the 2003 Will Ferrell movie “Elf”.
• “Bake Cookies Day”. What’s the best kind of homemade cookie: Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal-Raisin, or Peanut Butter? (And why is it Peanut Butter?)
• “Roast Suckling Pig Day”, “Here [co-host], put this apple in your mouth!”
• “Flake Appreciation Day”, a fun day created to encourage us to take notice of snowflakes and to be mesmerized by each one that falls. (…and keep your “Everybody’s a snowflake these days” jokes to yourself!”)
• “International Migrants Day”, a day of solidarity for migrant workers, on the anniversary of the UN’s 1990 adoption of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrants Workers & Members of Their Families. (Catchy name.)
• “National Twin Day”, celebrating the siblings who enjoy the unique connection because they share a birthday. (As well as DNA…)
• “I Love Honey Day”. Did you know that Greeks and Roman referred to honey as a food “fit for the gods”? (***More reasons to love honey here: https://tinyurl.com/39jkmwed ***)
• “Wear a Plunger on Your Head Day.” We’re not exactly sure what you are supposed to do to observe this “special” day…
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Oatmeal Muffin Day
[Thurs] Holly Day
[Fri] Go Caroling Day
[Sat] Winter arrives (Northern Hemisphere)
This Week is…Saturnalia
This Month is…Farm to Food Bank Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1943 [81] Keith Richards, Dartford England, rock guitarist (Rolling Stones-‘Start Me Up’, ‘Satisfaction’)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 1989
1946 [78] Steven Spielberg, Cincinnati OH, movie director-producer (“E.T.”, “Indiana Jones” films, “Jurassic Park” films)
1963 [61] Brad Pitt, Shawnee OK, movie actor (“Fight Club”, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”, “Ocean’s Eleven” movies)/movie producer (“12 Years A Slave”)/married to Angelina Jolie 2014-19, Jennifer Aniston 2000-05. COMING UP… “F1”, 2025
1964 [60] “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (Steven Anderson), Austin TX, pro wrestler (6 x WWF Heavyweight Champ, 4 x WWF Tag-Team Champ, 2 x WWF Intercontinental Champ, 3 x Royal Rumble)/TV host (“Stone Cold Takes on America since 2023, “Straight Up Steve Austin” 2019-21)
1975 [49] Sia (Furler), Adelaide Australia, pop singer (w/ Sean Paul-‘Cheap Thrills’, ‘Chandelier’)
1975 [49] Randy Houser, Lake MS, country singer (‘How Country Feels’, ‘Runnin’ Outta Moonlight’)/movie actor (“Killers of the Flower Moon”)
1978 [46] Katie Holmes, Toledo OH, movie actress (“Batman Begins”, “First Daughter”)/TV actress (“Dawson’s Creek” 1998-2003, ‘Jacqueline Onassis in “The Kennedys”)/married to Tom Cruise 2006-12
1980 [44] Christina Aguilera, Staten Island NY, pop singer (‘Beautiful’, ‘Genie in a Bottle’)/TV personality (“The Voice” 2011-2016)/5 Grammy Awards, 30 million+ albums sold
1989 [35] Ashley Benson, Anaheim CA, TV actress (‘Hanna Marin’ on “Pretty Little Liars” 2010-17)/movie actress (“Spring Breakers”)
2001 [23] Billie Eilish, Los Angeles CA, pop singer (‘Bad Guy’, ‘Birds of a Feather’)/9 Grammys, 2 Oscars
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1966 [58] Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” airs on TV for the first time.
2009 [15] “Avatar”, directed by James Cameron, and starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, opens in theaters. With a budget of $300 million-plus, it’s the most expensive movie ever made; it’s also the most successful ($2.9 billion gross).
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1983 [41] With Mick Jagger serving as best man, Keith Richards marries his long-time girlfriend, model Patti Hansen, on his 40th birthday in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
2011 [13] One Direction play their first-ever show, at Watford Colosseum in London. It does not go well. Niall Horan says, “We were just a joke.”
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2006 [18] United Arab Emirates holds its first-ever elections.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Opossums don’t “play dead.” When frightened, they become overexcited and pass out.
✓ “Four” is the only number that is spelled with the same number of letters as itself.
✓ Stats show that the less religious you are, the more likely you are to believe in aliens.
✓ Belly buttons grow special hairs to catch lint.
✓ Blood donors in Sweden receive a “thank you” text when their blood is used.
✓ Drunk men smile more often than drunk women.
-MentalFloss, WhattheFFacts
Best of BS . . .
BS EASY WAYS TO RUIN CHRISTMAS:
• Start your diet on December 24th
• Have a birthday on December 25th
• Give your daughter a gift certificate for a boob job
• Grandma getting run over by a reindeer
• Shoot your eye out
• Put me in charge of baking
• A well-wrapped charcoal briquette can easily be mistaken for a ring gift box
• Discuss politics
• Explain to the kids that “Santa” fell asleep and forgot to put the presents under the tree
• Invite Cousin Eddie
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
BS FAVORITE REINDEER GAMES:
• Deer Pong
• Rackgammon
• Buck, Buck, Goose
• I don’t know what its called, but you sure get Blitzened playing it!
• Tic Tac Doe
• So You Think You Can Prance
• Stag, You’re it
• Antlers in the Pants
• Drinking until it’s not just Rudolph who has a red nose
• Of course, the first rule of reindeer games is you do not talk about reindeer games
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
BS WEB GOODIE:
It’s funny ‘cause it’s true: https://tinyurl.com/n8mjkafw
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Christmas is a time when everybody wants his past forgotten and his present remembered.
BS WHAT’S THE NEXT LINE?
Ask your contestant to give you the NEXT line to these popular holiday season songs…
• “Have a holly jolly Christmas, it’s the best time of the year” [“I don’t know if there’ll be snow but have a cup of cheer”]
• “I’ll be home for Christmas, you can count on me” [“Please have snow and mistletoe, and presents on (or ’neath) the tree”]
• “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, with every Christmas card I write” [“May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white”]
• “Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus right down Santa Claus lane” [“Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer pullin’ on the reins”]
• “Thumpetty thump thump, thumpetty thump thump” [“Look at Frosty go” or “Over the hills of snow”]
• “Gee if I could only have my two front teeth” [“Then I could wish you Merry Chrithmath”]
• “You’re a mean one Mr Grinch, you really are a heel” [“You’re as cuddly as a cactus, you’re as charming as an eel”]
-First published in BS in 2001
☎ BS PHONE STARTER:
What is YOUR family’s most re-watched Christmas movie?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
55% of us admit we’ve lied about THIS to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. What is it?
Answer: Their cooking
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
“Even if I don’t reach all my goals, I’ve gone higher than I would have if I hadn’t set any.”
