Friday, February 12, 2021 – Edition: #6916
We Give a Sheet!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Kevin Hart’s personal shopper allegedly stole more than $1 million by making unauthorized purchases with Hart’s credit cards. Dylan Syer has been arraigned in Queens Supreme Court, facing grand larceny and other charges. He first started working with Hart in 2015 when he was hired to obtain several items for the actor through his personal shopping business. After that, Syer kept Hart’s credit card numbers “with the understanding that he would only make authorized purchases,” the DA said. But according to prosecutors, Syer went on to make more than $1 million worth of “unauthorized charges on those credit cards over the course of 19 months.” He is scheduled to return to court on Wednesday. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison.
-MSN
★ The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the 93rd Academy Awards, set for April 25, will be “broadcast live from multiple locations, including the landmark Dolby Theatre.” While some kind of scaled-down, hybrid ceremony is probably the best the Oscars can hope for this year, the Academy and show producers have time to work out the details: Oscar nomination voting doesn’t begin until March 5, with nominations announced on March 15 and final voting beginning in mid-April.
-TheWrap
★ ‘Velma Dinkley’, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang’s resident smarty, is getting her own series. HBO Max has announced that Mindy Kaling will executive produce and voice the lead in “Velma”, a comedic origin story about the “unsung and underappreciated brains” of the iconic mystery-solving squad. It’s described as “an original and humorous spin that unmasks the complex and colorful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers.”
-Yahoo
★ Chris Hemsworth has always been in great shape — his 46 million followers on Instagram will tell you that. But as he gears up to once again play ‘Thor’ in “Thor Love and Thunder”, he’s extra jacked at the moment. In fact, his stunt double is definitely feeling the heat, because that means he has to be just as big and toned. Bobby Holland Hanton said: “I text him, I’m like, ‘Thanks very much dude, this is going to be even harder this time!… He’s now the biggest Thor he’s ever been; so, I have to be the biggest I’ve ever been…”
-PopCulture
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Kenan Thompson, Lana Condor, Fireboy DML
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): David Duchovny, Elizabeth Olsen, Wright Thompson, Matt Cameron
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Anthony Mackie, Machine Gun Kelly (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Stephen A. Smith
• “The Talk” (CBS): Magic Johnson, Cookie Johnson, Gloria Estefan, Emilio Estefan, Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Kate Hudson, Mariah Carey
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Ciara, Russell Wilson, Jon Dorenbos, guest hosts Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Sia, Kym Whitley, Matt James
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Regina Hall, Lana Condor, Jill Kargman
SATURDAY-
• “Death Saved My Life”(LIFETIME): It seems Jade has it all, with a successful career, an admired and respected husband, and a daughter they both dote on. But behind closed doors, her life is far from perfect.
• “Playing Cupid” (HALLMARK): A girl sets her single father up with her teacher after starting a matchmaking business for a school project.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host Regina King; with musical guest Nathaniel Rateliff.
SUNDAY-
• “American Idol” (ABC): Season 19 premiere. Hopefuls perform for the judges in four cities.
• “Cherries Wild” (FOX): Jason Biggs hosts. During 2 two rounds of pop culture trivia, a team will try and “Solve the Slots” in hopes of getting one step closer to winning the $250,000 jackpot.
• “Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music” (NBC): Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton host a tribute to the iconic Nashville show and the legends who call it home; performers include Garth Brooks, Lady A, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Justin Bieber – fans can celebrate their love for his music on Valentine’s Day. He will be putting on the first-ever long-form TikTok concert this Sunday — performing his fan-favorite 2013 album “Journals” for the first time. It will be hosted on his TikTok profile page, kicking off at 9 p.m. EST.
• Demi Lovato – will be the subject of a documentary set to premiere at this year’s virtual South by Southwest. The Austin, TX-based festival will be headlined by a trio of music documentaries, including: “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil,” “Alone Together,” starring Charli XCX, and “Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free”.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, Tina Turner and Iron Maiden lead this year’s nominees, on a female-heavy list that includes for the first time: The Go-Go’s, Mary J. Blige and Dionne Warwick. Other nominees include: Kate Bush, Devo, Chaka Khan, LL Cool J, New York Dolls, Rage Against the Machine and Todd Rundgren. The class of 2021 will be announced in May.
• Avril Lavigne – told a fan on Insta that her 7th album is “done”. She wrote that her follow-up to 2019’s “Head Above Water”, which will see her return to her pop-punk roots, will be out in the summer.
• Bruce Springsteen – Jeep has pulled the Super Bowl ad he starred in from the company’s YouTube channel. This comes after it was revealed that he was arrested at New Jersey’s Gateway National Recreation Area in Nov. for driving while intoxicated.
• The Tragically Hip – is suing Toronto-based Mill Street Brewery. They claim Mill Street not only used the name of the band’s hit ‘At the Hundredth Meridian’ to name its ‘100th Meridian Amber Lager,’ it also marketed its beer with references to The Tragically Hip and “deliberately amplified those efforts” during the group’s final tour in 2016, after frontman Gord Downie had been diagnosed with cancer.
• Queen + Adam Lambert – have postponed their planned 2021 tour dates to next year. It’s the second time the dates have had to be moved due to the pandemic. The concerts are now scheduled to begin May 30, 2022 in Manchester, UK and wrap up July 18 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Florida Georgia Line — will celebrate the release of their 5th album “Life Rolls On” (out this Friday) with a livestream concert on Feb. 17 from their FGL House restaurant and bar in Nashville. It will also serve as a benefit for local businesses affected by the Nashville bombing in December.
• Lindsay Ell – will play a livestream concert tonight to benefit Crew Nation, an initiative to support live show crews across the country. It will be a full-scale, full-band, and full-production performance, said to employ over 250 people. TICKET LINK: https://vye.live/event/lindsay-ell/
• Waylon Jennings — Drummer Richie Albright, best known as the founder of Jennings’ band The Waylors, died at age 81 on Tuesday. The Arizona native first teamed up with Jennings in 1964, coming together to Nashville in 1966. Albright became the star’s producer on such hits as 1980’s million-selling ‘Theme From The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol’ Boys)’.
SHOOTING THE BULL
CUPID COMPUTED WHAT’S SUITED:
I have some information here that just might save your relationship. According to a survey, more than one in five people in relationships have considered breaking up with their partner when they received a “cliche” gift for Valentine’s Day. 2,000 Americans were polled, and the results showed that typical gifts that fall under the “so regular that it could put your relationship in jeopardy” category include flowers, the classic heart-shaped box of chocolates, and (ahem) furry handcuffs. A separate survey found that when selecting that special something for your special someone, the most important thing is to remember what your partner likes. “Tuning in to your partner’s wants and preferences is the best way to make them feel appreciated with a gift this Valentine’s Day,” according to the CEO of Angara.com, which commissioned the survey.
(***Sheepishly checks that he still has receipts for flowers, classic heart-shaped box of chocolates and [ahem] furry handcuffs…***)
(Trust me, if you think she likes kitchen appliances, in this case, you’re wrong. DEADLY wrong!)
(I still feel pretty confident with the heart-shaped box of chocolates. And if I’m wrong, hey, I still have a slightly-dented heart-shaped box of chocolates!)
-11Alive
NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ New research indicates that a trend for extravagant facial hair in the early 1800s saw some men wearing fake sideburns so that they could be part of the “in-crowd”. British historian Alun Withey, who has been researching the history of facial hair, says the craze was so strong that trendsetters were prepared to suffer ridicule and abuse from other members of the public, who sometimes accused wearers of elaborate facial hair of having suspect political affiliations, or being of dubious moral character, or even appearing ‘monstrous’. And it wasn’t just men jumping on the beardy bandwagon. Reports suggest that women drew on false whiskers and grew hair down the sides of their faces too. (And you thought today’s hipsters had a thing for facial hair!)
➢ A video of a National University of Singapore professor realizing towards the end of his 2-hour Zoom lecture that he was muted, is going viral. The video, on YouTube, shows Mr. Wang Dong, an associate professor in NUS’s mathematics department, finishing his lecture with the typical call for questions. But no one answers. After he asks if he can finish the class, a few students speak up, informing him that he had been on mute mode since shortly after his introduction. After taking a few moments to compose himself, Mr. Wang is seen informing the students he would repeat the lesson some other time. (Apparently, only one person learned a lesson that day!)
LINK: https://youtu.be/n_xjbagNhIE
-DailyMail, TheIndependent
DID YOU KNOW?
No one ever said love at first sight had to involve actually meeting. This is true of about one-third of British singles, who admitted in a recent survey that they said “I love you” to someone they met online during the coronavirus pandemic — before ever seeing them in person. More than half of the daters in question affirmed their belief that “love at first sight” is possible online.
-NYPost
BS CHRONOMETER 02.12.21
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1938 [83] Judy Blume, Elizabeth NJ, author (“Are you There God? It’s Me, Margaret”, “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing”)
1956 [65] Arsenio Hall, Cleveland OH, TV host (“The Arsenio Hall Show” 1989-1994)/movie actor (“Coming to America”) COMING UP…“Coming 2 America”, 2021
1968 [53] Chynna Phillips, Los Angeles CA, pop singer (Wilson Phillips-‘Hold On’, ‘Release Me’)/daughter of The Mamas & the Papas singers John and Michelle Phillips.
1968 [53] Josh Brolin, Los Angeles CA, movie actor (‘Thanos’ in “Avengers” movies, “No Country For Old Men”) COMING UP… “Dune”, 2021
1970 [51] Jim Creeggan, Toronto ON, pop-rock bassist (Barenaked Ladies-‘If I Had $1,000, 000’, ‘One Week’)
1979 [42] Jesse Spencer, Melbourne Australia (“Chicago Fire” since 2012, “House” 2004-12)
1980 [41] Christina Ricci, Santa Monica CA, movie actress (“Addams Family”, “Casper”)
SATURDAY- George Segal (“The Goldbergs”) is 87; Stockard Channing (“Grease”) is 77; Jerry Springer (“The Jerry Springer Show”) is 77; Peter Gabriel (‘In Your Eyes’) is 71; Robbie Williams (‘Angels’) is 47; (Leslie) Feist (‘1-2-3-4’) is 45; Mena Suvari (“American Beauty”) is 42; “Prince” Michael Jackson (Michael Jackson’s first son) is 24
SUNDAY- Michael Bloomberg (Bloomberg News) is 79; Magician (Raymond) Teller is 73; Simon Pegg (“Shaun of the Dead”) is 51; Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20) is 49; Danai Gurira (“The Walking Dead”) is 43; Brett Dier (“Jane the Virgin”) is 31; Freddie Highmore (“The Good Doctor”) is 29
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Chinese New Year”, also called Lunar New Year, an annual 15-day festival in China and Chinese communities around the world that begins with the new moon. This is the beginning of the ‘Year of the Ox’.
• “Darwin Day”, commemorating the birth anniversary of Charles Darwin on this date in 1809, and to highlight his contribution to science. (I understand he wasn’t always an evolutionist–he slowly became one over time…)
• “Lincoln’s Birthday”, celebrating the birth of the 16th president of the USA (1861-65). The “President’s Day” holiday (Feb. 15 this year), honors the birthdays of both Presidents Lincoln and Washington.
• “Lost Penny Day”, set aside to collect all of those wasted pennies stashed in jars and drawers around the house and donate them to charity. Because a penny saved is … a waste of time.
• “National Freedom to Marry Day”, a non-official United States holiday to promote same-sex marriage. The holiday was founded in 1999 by Lambda Legal, a gay rights advocacy law firm.
• “Paul Bunyan Day”, celebrating the gigantic lumberjack who was “born” on this date in 1834, according to American folklore. The story says it took 5 giant storks to deliver Paul to his parents. His first bed was a lumber wagon pulled by a team of horses. As an adult, Bunyan and his blue ox ‘Babe’ travelled around country where he became known for his logging feats.
SATURDAY-
• “Galentine’s Day”, an observance invented by Amy Poehler on “Parks & Recreation” as a chance to get your best gals together (friends, mom, coworkers, etc.) and revel in being female. Quote: “We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter, but work is third.”
• “Kiss Day”, Today, partners express their love for each other by kissing them. (As opposed to what they would do any other day?) Ingrid Bergman said, “A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.” (In other words, “Shut up and kiss me.”)
• “Tortellini Day”, saluting the yummy little pasta rings stuffed with goodies such as cheese or prosciutto. They are sometimes described as ‘navel-shaped’, hence their alternative Italian name of ‘ombelico’ (‘belly button’).
• “World Radio Day”, a UN observation to remember the unique power of radio to touch lives and bring people together across every corner of the globe. (Shouldn’t we get the day off or something?)
• “Get a Different Name Day”, to give us the opportunity to pick one we’d really like. (***Find listeners with really odd names and ask them what nickname they’d like to be called***)
• “International Condom Day”, initiated by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in 2009 in an effort to reduce the spread of HIV through safe sex practices. (I take a condom with me wherever I go. Unfortunately, it’s always the same one…)
• “Employee Legal Awareness Day”, a day to make employees aware of the legal duties involved in conducting their day-to-day activities and the legal risks incurred by failure to fulfil those duties.
SUNDAY-
• “Valentine’s Day”, the most widely celebrated unofficial holiday. A few fun facts …
➠ The Catholic Church recognizes at least 3 different saints named Valentine, all of whom were martyred, one for performing secret weddings for young lovers.
➠ Pope Gelasius declared February 14th “St Valentine’s Day” around 498 AD, in part to replace the ancient Roman fertility festival “Lupercalia”.
➠ It may come as no surprise that Valentine’s Day ranks number one in terms of the most fresh flowers sold and delivered.
➠ Almost half of all marriage proposals occur on Valentine’s Day.
• “Call In Single Day”, when those not celebrating Valentines are encouraged to take a day off work and set aside some time for themselves. It’s also “International Quirky Alone Day”, a reminder to value yourself, develop individuality, and celebrate the possibilities available to single people.
• “Donor Day”, encouraging us to fill out an organ & tissue donation card and to donate blood. You could save a life! How appropriate that it’s on the day when we give hearts.
• “Have-A-Heart Day”, when vegetarians encourage you to quit eating animals. (So go kill a carrot today!)
• “Ferris Wheel Day”, celebrating the 1860 birth of George Washington Gale Ferris, the Galesburg IL engineer who invented the ‘Ferris wheel’ for the 1893 “Chicago World’s Exposition”. The original wheel measured 250 feet in diameter and could hold 1,440 people.
• “Library Lovers Day”, an annual salute to the people who like to book it.
• “Pet Theft Awareness Day”, promoting awareness of the need for pet protection in public places. (Go ahead … just try and steal my Great Dane!)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2000 [21] Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, creator of “Peanuts”, dies at 77
2008 [13] Hollywood writers strike ends after 100 days (of really bad TV)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2005 [16] Led Zeppelin is awarded a ‘Lifetime Achievement Grammy’ (while one of the biggest rock groups ever, they never actually won a Grammy Award during their 12-year history)
2007 [14] 20 years after splitting up, The Police announce plans for a North American tour (over the next year, it grosses $362 million)
2017 [04] Adele opens the Grammys with a performance of ‘Hello’, which wins Song of the Year and Record of the Year. She also wins Album of the Year for “25”, making her the first to hit that trifecta twice, a feat she accomplished in 2012 with “21”, and the song ‘Rolling In The Deep’
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2004 [17] The city of San Francisco CA begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2009 [12] General Motors reports a record loss of $40 billion for the previous year, offers buyouts to 74,000 workers
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ 16% of flowers purchased by women on Valentine’s Day are for themselves.
✓ On average, teachers receive more Valentine’s Day cards than anyone else.
✓ A study found that both men and women prefer to receive chocolate over flowers for Valentine’s Day.
✓ 27% percent of people who celebrate Valentine’s Day also buy gifts for their pets.
✓ A 2017 study found that 43% of millennials chose Valentine’s Day as their ideal day to propose or be proposed to.
✓ Candy hearts were originally developed as throat lozenges.
-WomansDay
Best of BS . . .
BS LOVE MEANS NEVER . . .
• …having to say anything, because you’re both looking at your phones.
• …telling him what you’re really thinking.
• …remembering to close the cupboard. At least that’s what I tell her…
• …getting to decide where to have dinner again.
• …having to say you’re sorry for not being sorry.
• …gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you.
• (***CAUTION***)…smothering the snoring bastard with his pillow.
• …having to pay for it.
• …ordering a meal and not expecting to share part of it.
• …drinking her wine. Ever.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
LEAST ROMANTIC VALENTINES CARDS:
• “You make me so excited, I just can’t hold my bladder.”
• “Thinking of you, sweetheart! Which, technically, the court order can’t prevent.”
• “I wanna be close to you like a leech on an abrasion.”
• “Just wanted to say ‘I love you’ when I wasn’t falling-down drunk.”
• “If only we weren’t so closely related!”
• “Happy 7th anniversary. I hope to actually meet you someday.”
• “I want you like a dog wants a muscular leg.”
• “The medicated shampoo took care of it.”
-First published in BS in 2011
TODAY’S SLICE OF BS:
➠ Happy Chinese New Year! It’s the Year of the Ox. (So, remember to stop writing “Year of the Rat” on your checks.)
➠ Valentine’s Day is Sunday. (So, get shopping guys, or wait a few days, then hustle to the convenience store and get her a card and that tire pressure gauge she’s always wanted!)
➠ Former Kansas City Chief coach Marty Schottenheimer has passed. (Which is something you definitely can’t say about Patrick Mahomes…)
➠ “Hustler” magazine founder Larry Flynt Jr. died on Wednesday at 78. (Of COURSE it was a Hump Day!)
➠ 55-year-old Liz Hurley has been called an ‘outrage’ for posing topless in pictures taken by her 19-year-old son. (Which IS pretty shocking. It’s not like you can just get Elizabeth Hurley to take off her top. I mean, you have to ask.)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Valentine’s Day – Ask the experts: https://tinyurl.com/l9wdrscm
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I already know what I’m getting for Valentine’s Day: Half price chocolates on the 15th.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What is the most romantic food?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: In a (pre-pandemic) poll of women, 9% said that they are looking forward to doing THIS on Valentine’s Day. What is it?
Answer: Meeting up with their friends
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Love sought is good, but given unsought is better.
