Thursday, December 17, 2020 — Edition: #6874

Our Sheet Don’t Stink!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have signed a multi-year deal with Spotify. The ex-royal couple will be producing and hosting several podcasts as part of the deal. In a statement, the couple said: “What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction. With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so.” Harry and Meghan’s first project with Spotify will be hosting a holiday special later this month.
-TheWrap
★ Gal Gadot is officially a Taco Bell fan! While guest-starring on “The Tonight Show”, she and Jimmy Fallon took turns trying foods for the first time. Gadot tasted American holiday treats like eggnog and Ho-Hos, but her favorite thing was a Taco Bell taco. Her reaction? “This is the best so far. Flavorful. It’s salty. Different textures. It’s really good — I’m going to have another bite.” Gadot wasn’t as thrilled about the other snacks she tried, though. Regarding eggnog, she said: “It’s very thick. I don’t want to hurt the [eggnog] peoples’ feelings. It’s not great.”
-MSN
★ Oprah is giving back in the spirit of the season. Over the last week, she has continued an annual tradition by surprising lucky and selfless fans on Twitter with gifts for the holidays. Among them, a user who has been gaining popularity on Twitter for his uplifting song remixes was surprised with a new laptop to replace his dying one, an ER doctor who’s been sharing stories about his work on the frontlines of the pandemic was surprised with a vacation for him and his family, and someone who won attention by pretending to be a fairy penpal for a 4-year-old neighbour was surprised by Oprah with a trip to Disney.
-MSN
★ George Clooney says he wishes he’d bought stock in Flowbee before endorsing the hair-cutting tool. Last month, he revealed that he cuts his own hair using the electrically powered vacuum cleaner attachment. Since then, the Flowbee has been flying off the shelves and has sold out everywhere, and Clooney joked that he should have got some shares in the firm before publicly commending the device.
-ContactMusic

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Viola Davis, Daveed Diggs, the Bird and the Bee featuring Dave Grohl
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Paul McCartney, Pedro Pascal, the Voidz
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Jon Batiste
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Kristen Wiig, Carrie Underwood
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Gal Gadot, Smith & Burrows
• “Conan” (TBS): Sienna Miller
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Craig Conover, Austen Kroll
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Rev. Raphael Warnock
• “The Talk” (CBS): Debbie Allen, Michael Bolton, Matoma
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Tessa Thompson, guest co-host Anderson Cooper
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Justin Hartley, Keith Barry (R)
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Whitney Cummings, Nate Berkus, Tanya Tucker
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Natalie Portman, Gayle King
• “Dogs of the Year” (CW): Counting down the top 10 dog stories of 2020; celebrating the dogs that go above and beyond, leave their mark on society, and achieve the nearly impossible.
• “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” (NBC): In 1955 Tennessee, 9-year-old Dolly Parton and her family discover the healing power of faith and love while struggling to overcome tragedy.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Shawn Mendes – is once again proudly repping his roots in a new YouTube video titled “Shawn Mendes Teaches You Canadian Slang”, where the Pickering, Ontario-raised singer explains the meaning of words such as a “2-6,” “Famous Players,” “what you sayin’,” “that’s jokes,” “darts,” “Timmies,” “toque,” “Scarberia”, and more. LINK:  https://youtu.be/XnK6rjYvNn8
• Taylor Swift — has cleared up the fan theory that a third album in the ‘folklore’ series called “Woodvale” is on the way. In July, some Swifties noticed the word ‘Woodvale’ on the corner of an alternate cover for ‘folklore’. Now, Swift has explained that ‘Woodvale’ is the codename they gave her top-secret LP ‘folklore’, and they’d simply forgotten to remove the title from the fake cover she made.
• Chance the Rapper and The Weeknd – will release a collaboration with Dionne Warwick. 80-year-old Warwick, who is nicknamed the Queen of Twitter – jokingly trolled the pair, which led to the recording of the song ‘Nothing’s Impossible’, which will benefit the Hunger Not Impossible initiative.
• Jimmy Eat World — have announced three upcoming global streams called the “Phoenix Sessions”. The band will be performing 2019’s “Surviving” album, plus “Futures” and “Clarity”, across the three sets, which will be aired on January 15, 29, and February 12. TRAILER:  https://tinyurl.com/yasjq9uu
• David Bowie – Yes’ Rick Wakeman and Ian Hunter will join Joe Elliott, Ian Astbury and more for “A Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day!”, a streaming event on January 8, Bowie’s birthday, to mark the 5th anniversary of his death. Adam Lambert, Duran Duran and Yungblud are also aboard, in addition to previously announced performers Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan, Gavin Rossdale, Perry Farrell and more.
• Smokey Robinson — has gone viral thanks to a video in which he tries and fails to pronounce the word “Chanukah”.  The 80-year-old made the hilarious slip up while recording a clip for Cameo, which allows users to pay for personalized videos from their favorite stars. LINK:  https://tinyurl.com/y9f3fdyx
•  The Highwomen — were the big winners of the 19th annual Americana Honors & Awards. The supergroup took home Album of the Year for their self-titled debut, Song of the Year for ‘Crowded Table’, and Duo/Group of the Year. The late John Prine was Artist of the Year.
• Gabby Barrett – Tops Billboard’s list of top-selling country songs for 2020 with her hit ‘I Hope’. #2 is Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani’s ‘Nobody But You’, followed in order by Luke Bryan’s ‘One Margarita’, ‘The Bones’ from Maren Morris, and ‘10,000 Hours’ by Dan + Shay ft. Justin Bieber.
• Lady A — Anita White, the Seattle blues singer who has been performing under that name for several decades, is streaming a new song called ‘My Name Is All I Got,’ her musical response to the battle over the rights to the ‘Lady A’ name that has been brewing since Lady Antebellum adopted it in July. LINK:  https://tinyurl.com/ybkhp7go

ON PINS AND NEEDLES:
Now that the COVID-19 vaccines created by Pfizer and Moderna have begun to roll out, the world is awaiting the results of another whirlwind effort: one to come up with brand names for these products. But neither company is likely to reveal the names of their vaccines until they receive full FDA approval (probably next year) — as opposed to emergency use authorizations. Branding experts say when it comes to giving a commercial name to a vaccine, the goal is to evoke positive vibes without irking regulatory bodies. Marketing experts involved in the naming of previous vaccines say a good name would suggest cutting-edge science, but it cannot imply the product is so new that it could be risky. It should be assuring, but not overly promotional; approachable, but distinct from any other product. An excellent brand name might have, at best, a marginal effect on convincing someone to get vaccinated, but an off-putting name could nudge a skeptic away from rolling up their sleeve. Some of the recent trademark filings from the two companies include “RnaxCovi” and “KoviMerna,” and “Comirnaty” and “Covuity.” But of course, there is also the potential that the names given to them don’t even matter. People all around the world have followed the development of these vaccines and already know them simply as “the Pfizer vaccine” and “the Moderna vaccine”. Will they ever be persuaded to call it something like “RnaxCovi”?
(How about calling it the “Giveita” shot?)
(I don’t know what they plan to call it, but I can’t wait to hear the list of possible side effects in the commercials!)
(***What fun names can listeners come up with?***)
-Stat

LITTLE WORK LIES:
It might seem awkward to give your boss praise for their work, but a new study has found that they could use the encouragement, just like you. Researchers from the University of Central Florida say supervisors who feel appreciated have more energy and project more optimism. And that’s not just good for office morale, it’s also good for a company’s profits. The study found that feeling appreciated by employees is positively related to supervisors’ psychological well-being, and that can buffer them from the negative effects of job stress. And that, in turn, can be good for employees, because when bosses experience job stress, it can result in feelings of depletion, or low-energy, which can result in a poorer workplace atmosphere for others.
(Compliment the boss? Now you’ve REALLY got your work cut out for you!)
(I’m not saying that it’s hard to praise my boss, but if it were easy, I’m sure someone would have done it by now…)
(Great…and it’s also not too late to get him/her a Christmas gift…said every boss who just heard this!)
-StudyFinds

BEST WORKOUT SONGS OF ALL TIME:
(According to a survey…)
1. We Will Rock You — Queen
2. Eye of the Tiger — Survivor
3. Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ Roses
4. Lose Yourself — Eminem
5. Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson
-RockMyRun

FUNNIEST TWEETS OF THE WEEK FROM PARENTS:
⇒ My toddler just asked if I could make the bath “more less cold” and I can’t decide what’s weirder: that it made sense to her or that it made sense to me. – Henpecked Hal
⇒ I love that cute married thing we do where I stress to the max planning, shopping, budgeting & wrapping gifts, & my husband is just as surprised by what “Santa” brought as the kids are on Christmas morning. – Stephanie Ortiz
⇒ my husband saved the cheesy pizza crusts left behind by our kids in case he and i wanted snacks later and damn if he isn’t perfect in every way – That Mom tho
⇒ Keeping the magic in Christmas by yelling “Don’t open that!” every time an Amazon box is delivered. — Jessie
⇒ My 5YO changed her favorite color to teal, now our four year investment in pink is worth zilch – Vinod Chhaproo
⇒ My kid had her checkup today and her pediatrician reassured me that her hearing is perfect. So my kid is really out here just choosing not to listen. – Marci G
…AND A FEW ABOUT MARRIED LIFE:
⇒ family Christmas cards are my wife’s Super Bowl. she plans for them in Aug. she scouts out locations in Oct. we practice and take them in Nov. she game plans the layout and they get mailed in early Dec. lastly she keeps score with all the others we get to see if we won. – NewDadNotes
⇒ My wife told me the one thing she really wants for Christmas and I have to say I hope she gets it because I’d really like to meet Jason Momoa. – Rodney Lacroix
⇒ Not to brag but my wife says I have an answer for everything. – Boyd’s Backyard
⇒ Me: *joins a throw pillow of the month club* Husband: *cries* — Jingle Bell Jawbreaker
-HuffPost

DID YOU KNOW?
This year, for the first time since The Middle Ages, Saturn and Jupiter will align to make a “Christmas star”. The two planets align in the sky every 20 years or so, but it’s been nearly 800 years since they’ve been close enough together from Earth’s vantage point to create the double planet “star” known as the “Christmas star” or “Star of Bethlehem.” This will appear as a bright point of light that stands out starkly in the night sky. The timing of the “Christmas star” being visible just before Christmas will likely prompt comparisons to the nativity story in the Gospel of Matthew in which the three wise men followed a bright star, leading them to baby Jesus. Peak alignment will occur on December 21, coinciding with the winter solstice.
-Good

BS CHRONOMETER 12.17.20

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1936 [84] Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio), Buenos Aires Argentina, religious leader (266th Pope of the Catholic Church who took over for Benedict XVI in March 2013)

1945 [75] Ernie Hudson, Benton Harbor MI, movie actor (“Ghostbusters”, “The Crow”)/TV actor (Grace and Frankie” since 2015)

1946 [74] Eugene Levy, Hamilton ON, movie actor (“American Pie” franchise)/TV actor (“Schitt’s Creek” 2015-20, “SCTV” 1976-84)

1953 [67] Bill Pullman, Hornell NY, movie actor (“Independence Day”, “Spaceballs”)

1969 [51] Chuck Liddell (“The Iceman”), Santa Barbara CA, MMA fighter (former Ultimate Fighting Champion, career record of 21-8, UFC Hall of Fame 2009)/season 9 competitor on “Dancing With the Stars”

1974 [46] (Jeffrey Adam) Duff Goldman, Detroit MI, pastry chef/TV personality (“Ace of Cakes” 2006-11, “Cake Masters” since 2016)/owner of Charm City Cakes

1974 [46] Giovanni Ribisi, LA CA, movie actor (“Selma”, “Avatar”)/TV actor (“Dads” 2013-14)

1974 [46] Sarah Paulson, Tampa FL, movie actress (“Carol”, “12 Years a Slave”)/TV actress (“American Horror Story” since 2012)

1975 [45] Milla Jovovich, Kiev Ukraine, movie actress (“Resident Evil” films, “The Fifth Element”)

1978 [42] Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao, Kibawe Philippines, pro boxer (the first eight-division world champion)/politician (currently-serving Senator of the Philippines)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “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 coming from 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’. . .

• “Wright Brothers Day”, honoring the Wright Brothers’ 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…)

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
[Fri] Bake Cookies Day
[Fri] Flake Appreciation Day
[Sat] Holly Day
[Sat] Super Saturday

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1989 [31] “The Simpsons” debuts on Fox as a full animated series with the episode “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”

2017 [03] “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” takes more than $450 million worldwide in its opening weekend. It’s the 2nd largest opening in North America, grossing $220 million (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is first)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2004 [16] A guitar played by George Harrison while recording The Beatles’ “Revolver” album sells for just shy of $568,000 at a Christie’s auction in NYC

2013 [07] Cat Stevens, Hall & Oates, Kiss, Linda Ronstadt and Nirvana are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2014 [06] USA and Cuba re-establish diplomatic relations after severing them 55 years earlier

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2000 [20] San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens sets a new NFL record of 20 catches in a single game during a 17-0 victory over Chicago Bears

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Good news is more likely to be shared through social media than bad news.
✓ More people have seen David Copperfield perform live than any other performer in the world.
✓ A snail can sleep for three years.
✓ Even Antarctica has an area code. It’s 672.
✓ Netflix was conceived after its co-founder racked up $40 in late fees for a VHS rental.
✓ Google, the periodic table, the structure of our DNA, and ‘Yesterday’ by the Beatles are all ideas that were conceived in dreams.
-BoredPanda, AllThatIsInteresting

Best of BS . . .
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 five 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

TODAY’S SLICE OF BS:
➠ A recall has been announced after packages with depression medication and erectile dysfunction pills got mixed up. (Depression meds and Viagra are two different things. One is for those who are insecure, sad and underappreciated. The other is a Depression medication…)
➠ A report suggests that talking during sex can make the experience better and improve your relationship. (But how about we keep this news on the ‘down-low,’ I don’t want Kylie Jenner yappin’ in my ear every-single-night!)
➠ I just read that the average person changes their Facebook relationship status within 20 hours of a breakup. (Amateurs! Taylor Swift has a song on the radio in under 13!)
➠ There’s a crazy rumor that says the flu and possibly COVID can be beaten with meth. (In other great news for meth-heads with the flu . . . No, that’s about it…)
➠ I just read a study that claimed “Men with big feet, tend to cheat more.” (A case study obviously performed solely on the NBA…)

BS WEB GOODIE:
This year:  https://tinyurl.com/yceqhgq9

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. But if it runs out, I’ll drink the red.

BS PHONE STARTER:
What is your worst-ever Christmas shopping fail?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  The average family will do THIS 8 times during the holidays. What is it?
Answer:  Eat leftovers

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.