Thursday, February 15, 2024 – Edition: #7657
The BS Press!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Jon Stewart‘s return to “The Daily Show” on Monday brought in 1.9 million viewers, the show’s biggest audience in more than 5 years. Of those 1.9 million viewers, 930,000 tuned in via Comedy Central, while the rest watched simulcasts on CMT, Paramount, MTV, and others. It’s unsurprising that the episode would perform so well. “The Daily Show” has lacked a consistent presence since Trevor Noah exited as host at the end of 2022. Stewart will continue to host each Monday “through the Presidential election” in November. These figures come from Live + Same Day as reported by Nielsen.
-Variety
★ In order for Jennifer Lopez to execute her new musical film “This Is Me…Now: A Love Story” (out today) the way she envisioned it, she had to pay for it herself. Lopez spoke about the Prime Video original film that accompanies her new album “This Is Me…Now” in an interview, revealing she self-financed the epic visual experience. Variety reports the album, film and an accompanying documentary cost $20 million to produce. J.Lo quote: “We didn’t have endless funds from a studio. This was a very independent project that I was self-financing. So it was very challenging producorially.” (***Is that a word?***) Once it was done, Amazon then purchased the project.
-People
★ The trailer for “Deadpool and Wolverine” smashed viewership records following its debut during the Super Bowl broadcast. Disney says the trailer was viewed a staggering 365 million times within the first 24 hours across all platforms. That surpasses the previous one-day record held by another Marvel property, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which garnered 355.5 million views after its trailer premiered in 2021. Viewership for the Deadpool and Wolverine trailer was likely aided by the fact that this year’s Super Bowl which was watched by an estimated 123.7 million people across all platforms, making it the highest viewed broadcast in television history.
-TheWrap
★ Less than a year after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry called it quits on their $20million Spotify deal, she’s giving it another go in the podcast game. The Duchess of Sussex has inked a deal with Lemonada Media — the company behind “Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus” — for a new, untitled podcast series. In addition, listeners will have access to her previous Spotify show, “Archetypes.” Lemonada will be distributing it to all other networks for access to a broader audience, in addition to her forthcoming new show.
-TMZ, PageSix
★ ABC has debuted the first promo for the Oscars, and it features host Jimmy Kimmel in a recreation of “Barbie” that also reunites cast members Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera and Kate McKinnon. It shows Kimmel seeking the advice of ‘Weird Barbie’ to figure out how to get to the Oscars. Their journey takes them through a re-creation of the “Oppenheimer” set, where Kimmel gets to poke fun at friend Matt Damon. The two end up in the Oscars lobby, where nominee Ferrera points out the reasons why hosting the Oscars is the worst gig in Hollywood, then she informs Ryan Gosling that filmmaker Greta Gerwig is not a best director nominee – prompting Gosling to let out his best ‘Ken’ scream in horror. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/f6d7kkdh
-Variety
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Lionel Richie, Sandra Hüller, SHAED
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Queen Latifah, Margaret Qualley, Brittany Howard
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Billy Joel, Chappell Roan
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): America Ferrera, Brooks Wackerman
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Amy Schumer
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Cord Jefferson
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Jennifer Lopez
• “The Talk” (CBS): Iain Armitage, Percy “Master P” Miller
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Dylan McDermott, Evan Rachel Wood
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Donnie Wahlberg, Thalía, Emily Kaufman
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Maisie Williams, Danielle Pinnock
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): 5-year-old Lil Mike and his dad, Mike Jones
• “Young Sheldon” (CBS): Season 7 premiere. News of the tornado reaches Sheldon and Mary in Germany; with the Cooper house in chaos, Missy steps up. Followed by season premieres of “Ghosts” and “So Help Me Todd”.
• “Next Level Chef” (Fox): The top 15 chefs are drafted into 3 teams; contestants must prepare an all-American smash burger.
• “The Doomsday Prophet: Truth and Lies” (ABC): Examining the secretive Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints community, and the controversial life of its founder, Warren Jeffs, including the rise of the sect and its practice of polygamy.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Beyoncé & Lady Gaga – Fans are wondering if they are teasing ‘Telephone’ Part 2. After Bey shared a visual teaser for her new album “Renaissance Act II” on YouTube, fans couldn’t help but notice some similarities to the 2010 music video the pair starred in. Only time will tell… LINK: http://tinyurl.com/bdfx7mhr
• Dua Lipa – will drop ‘Training Season’, the 2nd single from her untitled third studio album today. Earlier she gave fans a sneak peek at what to expect from the video. It shows dozens of men lined up on the street, as audio from voice messages plays. Eventually, an automated message reveals, “The mailbox is full and cannot accept any messages at this time. Goodbye.” LINK: http://tinyurl.com/bdn2ke5p
• Brett Michaels – has announced Parti-Gras 2.0, a 5-act package that kicks off July 12 in Noblesville IN, and has 6 dates scheduled this summer. Joining the Poison frontman and solo artist this time will be former Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm, ex-Eagles guitarist Don Felder and Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, along with country singer Chris Janson.
• Pearl Jam – has dropped the new song ‘Dark Matter’, and announced that they will release a new album with the same name on April 19. The group has also detailed plans for the 2024 “Global Tour”, starting May 4 in Vancouver. The band will then make its way through several US cities before heading to the U.K. and Europe. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/42tbwnsx
• Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – have announced a 2-month North American tour. The “Can’t Let Go Tour” starts June 2 in Tulsa OK, and includes 3 Canadian dates – one in Edmonton, and 2 in Vancouver. Tickets go on sale tomorrow.
• Chris Stapleton – is one artist who will pay tribute to legend Mavis Staples as she celebrates her 85th birthday with a star-studded celebration April 18, at YouTube Theater in Inglewood CA. Also on the bill are: Black Pumas, Grace Potter, The War and Treaty, Keb’ Mo’, Hozier, Jackson Browne, Jeff Tweedy, Michael McDonald, Nathaniel Rateliff, Norah Jones, Robert Randolph and Taj Mahal.
• Toby Keith – The late singer has become the first artist to take 9 of the top 10 spots on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart. That exceeds the 7 each by Kenny Rogers (2020) and Taylor Swift (2010). ‘Don’t Let the Old Man In’ has returned to #1. Meanwhile, 1993’s ‘Should’ve Been a Cowboy’ has re-entered the Hot Country Songs chart at #12, and his “35 Biggest Hits” album is at #1 on the both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts.
• Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves – Their hit collab ‘I Remember Everything’ has now ruled Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for a record-tying 20 weeks. It is now one of only 8 songs to have held the #1 spot for that long.
SHOOTING THE BULL
GIVING CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE:
It’s a bit late to find a date in time for Valentine’s Day, but it’s not too late to find your perfect financial match, thanks to a new dating app that’s exclusively for singles with…good credit scores. Applications are now being accepted to join “Score”, a limited-time dating app for people with credit scores of 675 or above, developed by the financial wellness platform Neon Money Club. Neon Money Club CEO Luke Bailey claims the Score dating app isn’t out there to compete with Tinder. He thinks of it as a social experiment aimed at making people a) feel more comfortable discussing money in their relationships and b) better understand personal finance. That’s why applicants who don’t make the cut receive resources on how to improve their credit scores. And although Score will only be around for 90 days, it isn’t just a publicity stunt. Stats show that people are more likely to start serious relationships if they have high credit scores. By the way, last year it was reported that some young singles went viral for adding their credit scores to their Hinge profiles – and watching the matches pour in. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/yw9c2c32
(So, it’s not enough anymore to just pose with a fish you caught?)
(I’ll just file this story here over here with the other 372 things that I’ll never, ever have to worry about…!)
-Insider
HOLD THE PHONE:
If your phone gets wet, put it in rice. It’s one of those “tru-isms” that, up until now, no one has dared to doubt. But believe it or not, Apple is warning users NOT to bury their iPhones in rice if they become soaked, because it could do your device more harm than good. If your phone does get wet, it may display an alert, telling you it has detected liquid in the lightning or USB-C connector, or on the cable or accessory itself. To protect it, you won’t be able to use the accessory or charge the phone until everything is dry. On its website, Apple warns: “If you charge your iPhone while the Lightning or USB-C connector is wet, the pins on the connector or cable can corrode and cause permanent damage or stop functioning.” So…what should you do? Apple’s website says: “Don’t put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone.” Instead, Apple tells you to tap your iPhone gently against your hand with the connector facing down, to remove excess liquid. Next, leave your iPhone in a dry area with some airflow for at least 30 minutes, then try to use the charger or accessory again. If you still see the warning – do it again.
(…and to kill time, count how many times you accidentally go to check your phone while you’re waiting!)
(On the other hand, if you accidentally drop some rice in water, it’s OK to put it in a bag of cellphones…)
-LADBible
SICK SURVEY:
OK, you’ve come down with the flu. Who do you want to look after you: your partner – or your mom? Well, according to a new survey, about 2 in 5 of us would prefer to be under the care of Dr. Mommy. The survey of 2,000 adults in the US found that men are likelier to agree that their mom takes better care of them than their partner does when they’re sick (43% vs. 35%). Other results:
• When they’re sick, women are likelier to want to be left alone (53%) than men (47%)
• 58% of men said they still wish their moms could take care of them while sick.
• 68% said they prefer to keep it to themselves when they’re sick, but 28% said they prefer to let others know.
• 29% of men have posted a pic online to show they were sick at home, vs. 20% of women.
• And almost 80% of women feel they handle being sick better than men. Only 30% of men think the same.
(Here’s where my wife chimes in, saying: “My mother would not only look after me better than you would, she’d also clean house…and she’s a waaay better cook!)
(I’ve never posted a pic to show others that I’m sick. But I have posted a few that made others ASK if I was!)
-SWNS
HOW TO BECOME A MORNING PERSON:
Jumpstart your day by…
☞ Prepping your breakfast: Taking 5 minutes the night before for meal prep can save you a lot of stress and time the next morning. (Pizza box open. Done!)
☞ Do your workout in the morning: A little exercise in the morning can brighten your mood. Plus, it wakes you up. (So did my hearty laugh when you suggested that…)
☞ Work out with friends: There are lots of benefits to working out with friends, including the fact that you’re less likely to skip when you know someone else is waiting for you. (You don’t know my friends…they’re NOT waiting for me…)
☞ Stop hitting the snooze button: Instead of hitting that thing, get up and use the extra 10 minutes (OK – NINE minutes) for you. Enjoy the pleasure of drinking a cup of coffee or tea. Relax and think of everything you would like to achieve today. (The problem in my house is that my kids DON’T hit the snooze button…and it wakes the whole house!)
☞ Use a smart alarm to wake up peacefully: A smart alarm, available on some apps, recognizes the best time to wake you up and will do so during your lightest sleep phase, within a set window. (It had better…if it’s ‘smart’ enough to know what’s good for it!)
-Runtastic
DID YOU KNOW?
A tree-shaking new study found that eating nuts doesn’t lead to weight gain, as previously thought. A team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that more than half of Americans fall short of the recommended daily intake of nuts and seeds (5-7 ounces per week). In their experiment, nut-consuming people saw significant health benefits. Women experienced a 67% reduction in Metabolic Syndrome risk, while men saw a 42% decrease. Both genders maintained their body weight, and women showed reduced waist circumference, while men exhibited lowered blood insulin levels. It was also found that the body might absorb 5% fewer calories from nuts than previously estimated. (Salt intake, however, went THROUGH THE ROOF!)
-StudyFinds
BS CHRONOMETER 02.15.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “National Flag of Canada Day”, the celebration of Canada’s Maple Leaf flag. It was first unveiled on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill on this date in 1965, replacing the ‘Red Ensign’. The day is marked by flying the flag, occasional public ceremonies, and educational programs in schools.
• “Singles Awareness Day”, to provide single people with an alternative to Valentine’s Day festivities. Some consider Singles Awareness Day (sometimes shortened to S.A.D.) the “anti-Valentine’s Day.” (But at least you can celebrate with half-price chocolate!)
• “Gumdrop Day”, honoring the popular, gelatin-based candy which has been a favorite for decades. Nowadays, ‘Gummi’ candies are the most popular incarnation of the gumdrop. (Some “gummies” more than others…)
• “Clementine Day”. Today, be a “darling” and pack a few of these sweet fruits for co-workers, or people you meet…or those who just like to eat.
• “Hippo Day”, celebrating the third largest mammal on Earth. Why not take some time to waddle in a mud bath, get angry with some tourists, and yawn a lot while opening your mouth really-really wide?
• “I Want Butterscotch Day”, the main ingredients are normally butter and brown sugar, but of course there are others. So, what do we do today? Load up on the candies, the fudge and/or baked goods. It’s going to be a sweet day!
• “Susan B. Anthony Day”, honoring the 1820 birth of one of the first women’s rights advocates, and the face on the first US dollar-coin that bombed.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Caregivers Day
[Fri] Almond Day
[Sat] Random Acts of Kindness Day
[Sun] Drink Wine Day
This Week is…Frankfurter and Kraut Week
This Month is…Fasting February
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1951 [73] Jane Seymour (Joyce Frankenberg), Uxbridge England, TV actress (“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” 1993-1998, “Smallville” 2004-2005)/movie actress (“Live and Let Die”)
1954 [70] Matt Groening, Portland OR, animator/TV show creator-writer (“The Simpsons”, “Futurama”)
1959 [65] Ali Campbell, Birmingham England, reggae-pop singer (UB40-‘Red, Red Wine’, ‘[I Can’t Help] Falling in Love with You”)
1971 [53] Alex Borstein, Highland Park IL, TV actress (voice of ‘Lois Griffin’ on “Family Guy” since 1998, “MADtv” 1997-2009, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” 2017-23)/movie actress (“Bad Santa”)
1972 [52] Jaromír Jágr, Kladno Czechoslovakia, pro hockey player (2X Stanley Cup, 5X NHL Scoring Champ, 13X All-Star w/Pittsburgh Penguins and 8 other teams, 2nd most NHL points all-time)/team owner (HC Kladno of the Czech Extraliga)…and still playing!
1974 [50] Omarosa Manigault, Youngstown OH, reality star (“The Apprentice”, “Celebrity Big Brother”/Director of Communications for the Office of Public Liaison in the White House 2017-2018)
1976 [48] Brandon Boyd, Van Nuys CA, rock singer (Incubus-‘Drive’, ‘Megalomaniac’)
1976 [48] Ronnie Vannucci Jr, Las Vegas NV, rock drummer (The Killers-‘When You Were Young’, ‘Mr. Brightside’)
1984 [40] Gary Clark, Jr., Austin TX, blues-rock guitarist (Grammy-‘This Land’, collabs with Alicia Keys, Foo Fighters)
1986 [38] Amber Riley, Los Angeles CA, TV actress (“Glee” 2009-15)/Season 17 winner of “Dancing With the Stars”, “The Masked Singer” winner, 2022. COMING UP… “Dream” series
1995 [29] Megan Thee Stallion (Megan Pete), San Antonio TX, singer/rapper (Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion-‘WAP’, w/ Beyoncé-‘Savage’)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2004 [20] “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”, starring Ty Pennington, debuts on ABC
2023 [01] Actress Raquel Welch dies at age 82
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1987 [37] Ben and Jerry’s introduces the new flavor: ‘Cherry Garcia”, named after Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia
2016 [08] In her Grammy acceptance speech for “Album of the Year”, Taylor Swift warns about “people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame” (Translation: “Hello, Kanye!”)
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2001 [23] The first draft of the complete human genome is published in the science journal “Nature”
2010 [14] Men’s freestyle skiing moguls competitor Alexandre Bilodeau wins Canada’s first ever gold medal on home soil, at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2003 [21] The largest peace demonstration in history occurs, as up to 30 million people in over 600 cities worldwide protest the Iraq war
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Flamingos bend their knees at the ankle, not the knee.
✓ Lobsters taste with their feet.
✓ Amazon’s largest warehouse is the size of 17 football fields.
✓ NASA was inspired to use countdowns before blast-off by a 1929 science fiction film.
✓ Michelangelo wrote a poem about how much he hated painting the Sistine Chapel.
✓ The word “Huh?” is understood in all languages.
-WhattheFFacts, ReadersDigest
Best of BS . . .
BS SIGNS YOU WENT ON A BAD VALENTINE’S DAY DATE:
✗ He took you to some joint called ‘Outbreak Steakhouse’.
✗ She told your cabbie she isn’t wearing any underwear. Then the maître d’. Then the waiter.
✗ He hired 3 naked kids with little bows & arrows to ‘set the mood’.
✗ Her eyes said “Yes” … but her probation officer said “No”.
✗ The fur coat he gave you was made entirely out of his own back hair.
✗ You went for a moonlit walk on the beach, and he brought a metal detector.
✗ During dinner, he kept using his toupée to wipe clam sauce off his chin.
✗ Her ponderous 3 words-per-minute sexting meant you spent most of the night staring at your screen.
✗ She STILL isn’t ready.
-First published in BS in 2013
BS TRUTHFUL PRODUCT SLOGANS:
• Internet Explorer: The best way to download Google Chrome, since 1995.
• BMW: You might as well buy one — you already drive like a jerk.
• Disney: Slowly taking over the world.
• Lego: Ouch!
• Nike: Do it, don’t do it, we don’t care. It’s not like we’re watching.
• X (Twitter): Where the antisocial come to socialize.
• Facebook: We just sold your identity – but look: A cat video!
• Crocs: It’s okay to give up.
• Dyson: We suck.
• Hand Sanitizer: Now, let’s find that paper cut…
• Wine – because you’re a woman…with kids.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS WEB GOODIE:
It’s just like when I golf with friends: http://tinyurl.com/bdhnn38b
RANDOM JOKE:
Always remember the first rule of employment: If someone emails you AND CCs your boss, that person is a narc and cannot be trusted.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What seemingly innocent question makes you think “It’s a trap!”?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 21% of us have no idea how to do THIS with our car. What is it?
Answer: Operate cruise control
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Everything that irritates us about others can lead to an understanding of ourselves.
