Friday, February 21, 2025 – Edition: #7899
Here, Have Another Sheetload!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ The close friend of Liam Payne charged with manslaughter over the One Direction star’s death in is among 3 people to have their cases dropped. The raps against Roger Nores as well as 2 hotel employees were dismissed Wednesday after a court ruled they couldn’t have done anything to prevent the singer from plunging from his balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires after a drug-fueled night in October. The 2 men accused of selling the One Direction member cocaine are still awaiting trial. Nores was initially accused of abandonment after allegedly not informing Payne’s family of his relapse, and faced 5-15 years in prison if convicted. The Argentine businessman maintained his innocence, claiming he “never abandoned” his pal.
-PageSix, NYPost
★ In a shock announcement, Amazon MGM Studios says it is set to take creative control of the “James Bond” franchise. The news — which is sure to shake and, indeed, stir the film industry — was made Thursday, alongside word that long-time producers and custodians of 007, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, are stepping back. As per the agreement, Amazon MGM Studios, Wilson and Broccoli have formed a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights. The 3 parties will remain co-owners of the franchise, but Amazon MGM will have creative control. In semi-related news, ex-007 actor Daniel Craig has dropped out of consideration for the title role in DC’s upcoming movie “Sgt. Rock”.
-Variety
★ Awards season continues to be a wonderful time of year for Cynthia Erivo, who is now set to host the 2025 Tony Awards. In a statement, Erivo said she is “looking forward to ushering the theatre community at large through a night that celebrates the wonderful performances we have witnessed throughout the year.” Nominations for the 78th Tony Awards will be announced on May 1, and the ceremony itself will air live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 8 on CBS and Paramount+.
-TheWrap
★ The trailer is out for “Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie,” a buddy comedy-documentary hybrid chronicling the career of the iconic stoner duo. In the clip, we see Marin and Chong driving through the desert in a black Cadillac with a marijuana leaf hood ornament. Marin asks: “You sure we are going the right way?” Chong snaps back: “We’re in the middle of (freaking) nowhere.” Marin responds with a deadpan look, and responds with: “No, we are southwest of (freaking) nowhere. We’re not in the middle yet.” Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie opens nationwide on April 25. LINK: https://youtu.be/yFZaR4ubS20
-Variety
★ Not even Spider-Man is above getting carded. Tom Holland learned that the hard way after his U.K. I.D. was rejected while attempting purchase his own non-alcoholic beer brand, Bero, on a recent trip to Target. The actor chronicled the adventure – and all of it hilarious hiccups — in a since-deleted Instagram story, which was later posted on social media by fans after the 24-hour time limit expired. He explained as he walked through a Target parking lot: “They wouldn’t accept my ID because it’s English and I couldn’t prove my age, so a really lovely employee, I guess, scanned their ID.” He laughed as he continued, saying: “Kind of ironic that I wasn’t allowed to buy my own product.”
-EW
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Anthony Mackie, Lizzy Caplan, Bartees Strange (R)
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Leo Woodall, Larry June, 2 Chainz and The Alchemist (R)
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): TBA
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Keke Palmer, Sarah Sherman (R)
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): TBA
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio
• “Today” (NBC): Jane Fonda, Joy Bauer, Alan Ritchson, Justin Sylvester co-hosts
• “GMA3” (ABC): George Johnson, the parents of Gabby Petito
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Carrie Coon, Gavin DeGraw
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Alessia Cara, Gullah Geechee, Trisha Yearwood
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Drew’s big 50th birthday show
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Coco Jones
• “NCIS: Sydney” (CBS): When the body of a long-missing Naval engineer is discovered buried in concrete, the team enlists Doc Roy’s old friend to assist in the investigation.
• “Happy’s Place” (NBC): Bobbie is forced to quickly think of a thoughtful gift, resulting in Isabella expecting the sisters to get matching tattoos; Steve and Takoda investigate where Emmett has been sneaking off to.
• “The First 48: Wrong Place, Wrong Time” (A&E): In Mobile, Detective Rogers hunts for multiple perpetrators of a home invasion that left 2 dead.
SATURDAY:
• “PGA Tour Golf” (NBC): Mexico Open, Third Round
• “56th NAACP Image Awards” (CBS): Annual celebration of Black excellence. Live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host Paul Mescal; Shaboozey performs (R)
SUNDAY:
• “Watson” (CBS): Watson and the fellows treat a comic who collapsed at an open mic night; the team becomes concerned when Watson collapses and suffers another traumatic brain injury.
• “Family Guy” (Fox): When Peter realizes Joe has never found him funny, he is determined to make Joe laugh; Lois tries to reunite the principal with his long-lost love.
• “Suits LA” (NBC): Series premiere. Attorney Ted Black and partner Stuart Lane are about to merge with a firm run by Ted’s ex. When the merger hits a snag, Ted must step into a role he holds in contempt.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• LISA – has several hits right now, and is starring in the new season of “The White Lotus”. In addition, she has just announced the launch of Lalisa Comics. In partnership with Zero Zero Entertainment, which has created comic books for acts like Machine Gun Kelly and Metro Boomin, the first release is called “ALTER-EGO: THE OFFICIAL COMIC”, set for release Feb. 28.
• Lady Gaga – has broken surpassed Ariana Grande’s record as the female artist with the most monthly listeners in the history of Spotify. At last check, Gaga had almost 124 million monthly listeners on the app, exceeded by only Bruno Mars and The Weeknd.
• Prince – His movie “Purple Rain” is coming back to theaters. To mark its 40th anniversary this year, it’ll hit the big screen for one day only, on March 5, exclusively at AMC Theatres locations in the US and ODEON locations in the U.K. The film’s video and audio have both been digitally restored.
• Led Zeppelin – 13 minutes of previously unseen footage of them playing live has emerged online. The film was shot at the Falkoner Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark, in July 1979, at a warm-up show prior to the band’s final UK shows the following month. Kept in a drawer for over 40 years, it includes sections of ‘Black Dog’, ‘Nobody’s Fault But Mine’, ‘Stairway to Heaven’, ‘Whole Lotta Love’, and more. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4uvjr8mw
• Kiss – To commemorate the 50th anniversary of their song ‘Strutter’, they are releasing both pure gold and gold-plated record editions of the song. Just 5 copies of the $50,000 pure gold edition will be available, made of 8 ounces of 24-karat pure gold and playable on a turntable. There are 500 copies of the gold-plated version available, at $2,500 each. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/22rh5d3f
• John Denver – Following a Rocket Mortgage commercial that aired during the Super Bowl, ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ (with Fat City) has re-entered the Digital Song Sales Chart at #5. The John Denver original hit #2 on the Hot 100 in 1971.
• Zach Bryan – traded insults with a bar-goer after a pool game in New York, according to video published by TMZ. Witnesses said Bryan was on a billiards losing streak, and had a problem with another man’s Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which can capture photos and video. Allegedly, the man wearing the glasses called Bryan a name, and the singer shot back with a homophobic slur. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5x7tb6wy
• Shaboozey – ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ is now in its 34th week atop Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, tying Sam Hunt’s 2017 hit ‘Body Like a Back Road’ as the 2nd longest-leading title since the chart debuted in 1958. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line’s ‘Meant to Be’ stayed at #1 for 50 weeks in 2017-18.
• Carrie Underwood — The Care Bears (her Fanclub) are flooding social media with #CUsuperbowl – a plea for her to be picked to headline the halftime show at the 2026 Super Bowl. Super Bowl 60 will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara CA. It’s been 22 years since a country singer was the halftime performer (Shania Twain in 2003). Underwood sang the National Anthem at Super Bowl XLIV in 2010.
SHOOTING THE BULL
NEW MOVIES THIS WEEK:
• “The Unbreakable Boy” (PG, Drama): Despite his rare brittle-bone disease and autism, young Austin LeRette finds the joy and fun in life — and his life-affirming nature spreads and transforms the people around him. (Zachary Levi, Patricia Heaton, Meghann Fahy) No Tomatometer rating
• “The Monkey” (R, Horror): When twin brothers find a mysterious wind-up monkey, a series of outrageous deaths tear their family apart. 25 years later, the monkey begins a new killing spree, forcing the estranged siblings to confront the cursed toy. (Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood) Tomatometer: 84%, Audience Score: 85%
BOOGIE-WOOGIE STUDY:
If Fridays make you want to dance, you’re not alone. In fact, according to science, your body is hardwired to dance – even if you really don’t like music. Of course, the connection between music and movement runs deep in human culture. And that natural urge to move with rhythm, whether it’s tapping your foot under a desk or shakin’ it on a dance floor, is what scientists call “groove.” According to a new study from Concordia University in Montreal, even those who don’t particularly enjoy music (a condition called “musical anhedonia”), still feel this instinctive urge to dance – or groove — when they hear it. For those people, their enjoyment of rhythmic music appears to come entirely from an urge to move, while others derive pleasure from both movement and the actual music.
(…and there are people like (***Afternoon guy***), who loves music…but despises anything that has the nerve to ask him to move!)
(They’re not wrong: Because even if I hate the song, my body still insists on embarrassing me on the dance floor!)
-StudyFinds
NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ For more than a year, each month, the people of Beeston, a town in England, have been finding a plate of bananas in exactly the same place. On the first or second day of each month, a plate stacked with 16-20 peeled bananas – drizzled with honey, no less — always shows up on the corner of Abbey Road and Wensor Avenue — and the locals have no idea who is behind it – or if it is supposed to mean something. Some have speculated that the banana delivery has some sort of religious meaning, while others believe that it’s just someone feeding the local wildlife, although no animal ever touches them. So far, no one has ever seen the mystery person leaving the plate of peeled bananas in the same place, but now that the story has gone viral, that may change soon. (One thing’s for sure: It’s driving the locals ban-… uh … NUTS!)
➢ A Cumbria, England man and his accomplice was arrested after apparently leaving a trail of evidence across a Carlile neighborhood. Brian Helms was allegedly seen on CCTV breaking into a van and stealing a number of tools. The crime spree continued down the street where they broke into a Ford Focus and grabbed a silver ring. A few miles down the road, a wooden wishing well was taken from a doorstep, then dumped on a nearby street. From there, it is alleged the 2 attempted to use a garden chair to climb up and break into a home – but failed to gain access. If the video evidence wasn’t enough to get them busted, this was: Somewhere along the way, Helms stepped in dog poo and left a footprint. And when cops finally caught up with him, he was still wearing the same shoes. (I’ve heard of being busted by fingerprints – but dog prints?)
-BozoCriminal, OddityCentral
FUNNIEST TWEETS OF THE WEEK FROM WOMEN:
⇒ Weight loss commercials are like: No one should ever feel like they need to lose weight. Nonetheless… — ratlimit
⇒ a girl in my office was shaking her protein shake and this woman poked her head around the corner and said “do I hear margaritas?”… no Olivia, it’s 9 am. — REV
⇒ Can it still be an emotional support animal if the animal doesn’t want to participate?? Asking for my cat. — Katie D
⇒ it’s so scary when you realize your phone has been up to stuff while in your pocket – Brandy Jensen
⇒ you gotta hand it to sabrina carpenter, i don’t think i’ve heard anyone say “expresso” in like a year – zou bisou bisou where are you
⇒ Back in my day there was so much toilet paper and so much eggs that we gathered at night and threw them at the houses of our enemies. – Witch
⇒ If ur boyfriend is ugly do NOT post him on Friday…. this week is already hard enough – Debbie Downer
-HuffPost
DID YOU KNOW?
Researchers are saying they may have the answer to why so many of your messages seem to be left on “read” by the recipient. Scientists at Binghampton University determined that grammatically unnecessary punctuation, such as adding periods between words or sending a series of one-word texts communicate “an increased sense of intensity or emotion” by seemingly adding deliberate emphasis. The study concluded: “Readers assume that the decision to include a textism — such as…a period after each word or putting each word in its own text bubble — was deliberate and meaningful.” (Funny – I never ignore those texts – I reply right back, because that person is NOT messing around!)
-NYPost
BS CHRONOMETER 02.21.25
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Card Reading Day”, a day to have your future foretold with tarot cards. (Or to go to the store and read a bunch of greeting cards…)
• “Single Tasking Day”, a day to focus on one project at a time. Studies show you’ll likely end up accomplishing more. (But good luck telling that to a multi-tasker!)
• “Sticky Bun Day”, an annual food holiday saluting the ooey-gooey buns you just can’t turn down (or let go of…)
• “Grain-Free Day”. It inspires families and friends to “enjoy each others’ company over grain-free meals.” It recognizes that some people can’t have grains like rice, wheat, or corn because of an allergy or an autoimmune disease, and find themselves stuck eating next to nothing at gatherings where food is offered.
• “Kombucha Day”, celebrating the fermented tea drink that has been brewed for over 2000 years. Legend has it that Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang sought to lengthen his life by any means available and this “Tea of Immortality” was delivered by alchemists at his request. (How did that work out?)
• “UN International Mother Language Day”, “to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.” (In school, Latin was always a real ‘mother’!)
• “National Caregivers Day” (in the US), honoring the health care professionals who provide long-term and hospice care, and to give the thumbs-up to anyone who provides care to other people. (Let them know you care!) [***NOTE: Canada celebrates National Caregivers Day on the first Tuesday in April ***]
SATURDAY:
• “Be Humble Day”. Just for one day, try not to brag or to boast; and try not to talk about your success or accomplishments. Why? Because humility is a good thing. (Then tomorrow, you can brag about how humble you were!)
• “Open That Bottle Night” … you know, the one that’s gathering dust in your wine cellar, or maybe that 20-year-old bottle of Scotch you were given as a gift. What are you saving it for?
• “Margarita Day”. Tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and ice are everything you’ll need to celebrate … well, that and some good friends. And a tropical beach wouldn’t hurt…
• “International Sword Swallowers Day”, a day of recognition for practitioners of the ancient art. Demonstrations are usually scheduled at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museums worldwide.
• “Cook a Sweet Potato Day”. And the best way to do that? (Sweet potato fries dipped in chipotle mayo — Mmm!)
• “Walking the Dog Day”, to encourage exercise for both dogs and their parents. Walking your dog helps build strong bonds through quality time spent together. Even if you walk your dog every day, today, explore a new area. (So, we’re not talking about the yo-yo trick here?)
• “Supermarket Employee Day”. This industry-wide initiative, which first took place in 2021 to commemorate the contributions of the grocery industry’s staff, especially during COVID lockdowns, is now an annual event. Today, we honor their hard work and contributions to the community. (And we remember that those outrageous prices aren’t their fault!)
• “World Thinking Day”, an annual celebration of Girl Scouts/Girl Guides founders Lord & Lady Baden-Powell’s joint birthday. Scouts & Guides are encouraged to “think” of good deeds.
• “National Wildlife Day”, to bring awareness to the number of endangered animals that need to be preserved and rescued. This day, formally observed on Sept. 4, has added the date of Feb. 22, to honor the memory and birthday of Wildlife Warrior, Steve Irwin. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/ykbajmsr
SUNDAY:
• “Curling is Cool Day”, celebrating the Winter sport of curling … basically a drinking game with some housecleaning interspersed. In tribute, here are some . . .
(***Caution***) BS REASONS CURLING IS BETTER THAN SEX:
✓ It’s acceptable to play with your best friend’s wife.
✓ You can yell “Hurry, hurry, hard!” without anyone taking much notice.
✓ You can score more than once in each end.
✓ You can do it in 8 houses in less than 2 hours.
✓ You get to shoot your rocks 16 times in just 1 game.
✓ You can use your rubber more than once.
✓ Short is not always bad.
✓ Men don’t fall asleep when play is completed.
✓ The ice-maker always cleans the sheets when you’re done.
• “Banana Bread Day”. The first cookbooks mentioning banana bread were published during the Great Depression. Culinary historians believe that a resourceful housewife who didn’t want to throw away over-ripe bananas may have invented the original recipe.
• “Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day”. In 1907, American inventor Carleton Ellis had the idea of making dog biscuits into the shape of a bone, and he came up with a milk-based biscuit. He claimed his dog didn’t care for it much until he shaped it liked a bone. (I’m going to have to call ol’ Carleton out that one!)
• “Diesel Engine Day”. On this day in 1893, Rudolf Diesel received a patent for his diesel engine. Instead of gasoline, this engine burns fuel oil, and uses compressed air in the cylinder instead of a spark, to ignite the fuel.
• “National Rationalization Day”, all about observing the fake reasons or false excuses given for not finishing work, or for doing it wrong. Today, we should try to correct the mistakes we’ve made because of rationalization. (How do I get the dog to “un-eat” my homework?)
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1953 [72] William Petersen, Evanston IL, TV actor (‘Gil Grissom’ on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” 2000-2015), “CSI Vegas” 2021/movie actor (“To Live and Die in LA”)
1955 [70] Kelsey Grammar, St Thomas US Virgin Islands, TV actor (5 Emmys-“Frasier” 1993-2004, 2023-24), “Cheers” 1984-93/movie actor (“X-Men: The Last Stand”)
1958 [67] Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Princeton NJ, country singer-songwriter (‘Shut Up and Kiss Me’, Passionate Kisses’)
1978 [47] Kumail Nanjiani, Karachi Pakistan, comedian/movie actor (“The Big Sick”, “Stuber”)/TV actor (“Portlandia” 2011-18) COMING UP… “Ella McKay”, 2025
1979 [46] Tituss Burgess, Athens GA, TV actor (‘Titus Andromedon’ on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” 2015-19, “Central Park” 2020-11)
1979 [46] Jennifer Love Hewitt, Waco TX, TV actress (“9-1-1” since 2018, “The Client List” 2012-13, “Party of Five” 1995-99)/movie actress (“Garfield”, “I Know What You Did Last Summer”) COMING UP… Untitled ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ sequel, 2025
1979 [46] Jordan Peele, New York City NY, comedian/TV actor (“The Twilight Zone” 2019-20, “Key and Peele” 2012-2015, “MADtv” 2003-2008)/movie actor-director (“Get Out”, “Us”)
1987 [38] Elliot (formerly Ellen) Page, Halifax NS, movie actor (“Inception”, “Juno”)/TV actor (“The Umbrella Academy” 2019-24)/LGBTQ activist. COMING UP… “The Odyssey”, 2026
1987 [38] Ashley Greene, Jacksonville FL, movie actress (“Twilight” franchise)
1991 [34] Joe Alwyn, Tunbridge Wells England, movie actor (“Boy Erased”, “The Brutalist”)/ex-BF and music producer of Taylor Swift. COMING UP… “Hamlet”
1996 [29] Sophie Turner, Northampton England, TV actress (‘Sansa Stark’ on “Game of Thrones” 2011-17), “Joan” since 2024)/movie actress (“X-Men” films)/married to Joe Jonas 2019-24)
2002 [23] “Blanket” Jackson (Prince Michael Jackson II, now refers to himself as “Bigi”), San Diego CA, (youngest child of the late Michael Jackson)
SATURDAY- Kyle MacLachlan (“Twin Peaks”) is 66; Vijay Singh (2-time PGA Champ) is 62; Rachel Dratch (“Saturday Night Live”) is 59; Paul Lieberstein (“The Office”) is 58; Jeri Ryan (“Star Trek: Voyager”) is 57; Clinton Kelly (“What Not to Wear”) is 56; James Blunt (‘You’re Beautiful’) is 51; Drew Barrymore (“The Drew Barrymore Show”) is 50; Tom Higgenson (Plain White T’s) is 46; Zach Roerig (“The Vampire Diaries”) is 40
SUNDAY- Patricia Richardson (“Home Improvement”) is 74; Brad Whitford (Aerosmith) is 73; Howard Jones (No One is to Blame’) is 70; Kristin Davis (“Sex and the City”) is 60; Michael Dell (founder & CEO of Dell Computer) is 60; Daymond John (“Shark Tank”) is 56; Niecy Nash (“Reno 911!”) is 55; Josh Gad movie actor (“Frozen”) is 44; Emily Blunt (“A Quiet Place”) is 42; Aziz Ansari (“Parks & Recreation”) is 42; Dakota Fanning (“Twilight Saga”) is 31
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2003 [22] Bill Maher’s political talk show “Real Time with Bill Maher” debuts on HBO (still going…).
2018 [07] Evangelist Billy Graham, one of the 20th century’s most influential Christian leaders, dies at 99.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1977 [48] At a concert stop at NY’s Nassau Coliseum, the members of Kiss have blood drawn — not for the Red Cross – but to be mixed with ink to print the first Kiss comic book, which appears in June.
1997 [28] Spice Girls’ ‘Wannabe’ becomes the first debut single by a British group to top North American charts since The Beatles.
2012 [13] Adele flips off producers at the “Brit Awards” when she is ushered off stage before finishing her Album of the Year acceptance speech for “21”.
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1878 [147] The world’s first telephone directory is issued, in New Haven CT, listing a grand total of 50 subscribers.
2011 [14] An NYU professor has an experimental life-blogging camera removed from his head, after his immune system rejects the implant.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Snakes sleep with both eyes open.
✓ People with blue eyes are better able to see in the dark.
✓ Al Pacino turned down the role of ‘Han Solo’.
✓ Porsche’s first car, built in 1898, was electric.
✓ The only difference between fog and mist is visibility: if you can’t see more than 100 metres ahead, it’s fog, not mist.
✓ In the 1600s, Londoners were advised to keep jars of human bodily gas (“fart jars”) on hand to combat bubonic plague.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, OMGFacts
Best of BS . . .
BS FAILED BOARD GAMES:
• Clueless
• Hungry Hungry Hipsters
• Mousecrap
• Trivial Pantsuit
• Monogamy (“The Only Game You’ll Ever Need!!”)
• The We Are So Bored That We Are Playing a Board Game Game
• Connect 4…million
• Hug It Out Robots
• 25 to Life
• Sorry, Not Sorry
• (***CAUTION***) Dick Pictionary
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS GERIATRIC RAPPERS:
• Ice Pac
• Lay-Z
• Busta Hip
• Mary J. Bulge
• The Sugar Over-the-Hill Gang
• Slim Shady Acres
• Tone Def
• 50 Centrum
• Notorious W.I.G.
• 2-Pack of Depends
• Chance the Napper
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2022
BS WEB GOODIE:
Because it’s Friday. That’s why: https://tinyurl.com/mryy95xj
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I danced like no one was watching. The people in the Zoom meeting were horrified.
☎ BS PHONE STARTER:
Tear gas makes people cry, and laughing gas makes people giggle. What other kinds of gases should exist?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
A survey found that 52% of people have dipped their pizza in THIS. What is it?
Answer: Ketchup
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it’s the small things that count.
