Thursday, February 27, 2025 – Edition: #7903
The BS Press!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
[***UPDATE***] ★ “Gossip Girl” star Michelle Trachtenberg has died at age 39. The New York-born actor, who also starred in “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” as Buffy’s younger sister ‘Dawn’ and led the 2005 Disney movie “Ice Princess”, was found dead in her New York City apartment by her mother. The New York Post reports that her police responded to a 911 call just after 8am Wednesday to a luxury apartment complex on Central Park South. NYPD confirmed they found Trachtenberg “unconscious and unresponsive” and she was pronounced dead by EMS. Her cause of death has not yet been determined, but police are not investigating it as suspicious. Reports say she recently underwent a liver transplant.
-Independent
★ Liam Payne’s blood-alcohol content was 4 times the legal limit when he died. The singer was confirmed to have “alcohol concentrations of up to 2.7 grams per liter in blood at the time of death,” according to a press release by the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office. That amount equals .27% blood alcohol concentration (BAC), which can lead to confusion, feeling dazed and disorientation, according to alcohol.com. The legal limit in Argentina, where Payne died, is 0.05%. The former One Direction member was also confirmed to have 5 other drugs in his system, including “cocaine metabolites”.
-PageSix
★ The 2025 Oscars are shaping up to be a ‘Wicked’-ly good affair, according to music director Michael Bearden. The 97th Academy Awards team member teased in a new interview that previously announced show performers Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will probably put a “Wicked” spin on their performance during Sunday’s ceremony. On “Good Morning America”, when Bearden was asked about the likelihood of a Wicked moment, he nervously looked off-camera as he smiled, before saying: “Um, tune in!…Any time you see those two together, you have to expect something. So, that’s what I’ll say.”
-EW
★ “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” is returning to theaters. The fan favorite entry in George Lucas’ “Star Wars” prequel trilogy is coming back to the big screen on April 25 to mark its 20th anniversary. According to the announcement: “The film will run in U.S. theaters and select international territories for one week only and will be available in several formats, including, for the first time, 4DX.” 4DX features high-tech motion chairs that sync with special effects, to complement the narrative of the film.
-HollywoodReporter
★ Ayo Edebiri is going from “The Bear” to the purple dinosaur. The Emmy winner will write the screenplay for the new live-action “Barney” movie. She’s also in talks to star in the film. While best known for her role as chef ‘Sydney Adamu’ on The Bear, Ayo is an experienced writer, with credits including “Sunnyside”, “Dickinson”, “Big Mouth”, and “What We Do in the Shadows”. While the plot of the Barney movie is being kept under wraps, we know it’s a live-action version of the title character in a movie made for adults—although not rated R—similar to the blockbuster “Barbie”.
-E!
★ Millie Bobby Brown is addressing rumors about her potentially playing Britney Spears. Following past comments about her interest in the role, the 21-year-old actress spoke about the possibility of playing Spears at the premiere of her new movie “The Electric State”. The newly-blonde “Stranger Things” actress said: “I would love nothing more than to be a part of her story – but that’s her story, and I am in full support of her bringing her story to life how she wants to.” Brown expressed interest in portraying the pop star in a 2022 appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show”.
-People
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Lionel Richie, Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, Smokey Robinson
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Mark Ruffalo, Gabriel Iglesias, GIVĒON
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Bob Odenkirk, Paul Mecurio, Father John Misty
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, James Austin Johnson (R)
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Bob the Drag Queen, Drew Afualo, Tefi Pessoa
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Michols Peña, Salley Carson
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Gabrielle Union, host Desi Lydic
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Gabrielle Union
• “Today” (NBC): Denise Richards, Anthony Vitolo, Jet Tila, Heather McMahan co-hosts
• “GMA3” (ABC): Jason Isaacs, Eric Adjepong, Ginger Zee
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Jeff Probst, Aloe Blacc
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Kate Hudson, Stephen Amell, Kate Walsh, Jeff Kinney, BabyMonster
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Chelsea Handler
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Ego Nwodim
• “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage (CBS): Georgie worries he’s letting his family down when he’s forced to stay home with a cold; Mandy worries about how her career will affect her marriage.
• “Law & Order” (NBC): An actor’s foray into experimental drug therapy leads to his murder. Shaw reconnects with a mentor who may hold the key to identifying a suspect. Followed by a new “SVU”.
• “Animal Control” (Fox): When Fiona breaks up with both Frank and Victoria, they throw a rager at her mansion in retaliation; Patel’s vision for a quiet night in with Shred and Parker goes sideways.
• “Next Level Chef” (Fox): Pro Chef Auditions
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Lizzo – has been quiet since 2023, but she’s about to come back in a major way. She announced she’ll release the song ‘Love in Real Life’ tomorrow, and posted a clip on Instagram, along with a video that shows her lying on the hood of a car. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2vvrhy7p
• Sabrina Carpenter – has her first-ever hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. The ‘Please Please Please’ remix, ft. Dolly Parton, released Feb. 14 on the deluxe version of “Short n’ Sweet” debuted at #17 with 6.3 million streams. It’s also notable for Parton, who now has top 20 hits in 7 consecutive decades.
• Led Zeppelin — Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience has announced a tour to commemorate the 50th anniversary of “Physical Graffiti”, Zeppelin’s 1975 double album. “An Evening with JBLZE Celebrating 50 Years of Physical Graffiti”, and will take place beginning in May in the US. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/75vfhe3s
• Ozzy Osbourne — is the subject of the new Paramount+ documentary “No Escape From Now,” out later this year. It chronicles his health issues and upcoming final show with Black Sabbath. The synopsis reads: “Addressing…the impact of his Parkinson’s diagnosis, the film showcases the central role music continues to play in Ozzy’s life…proving his mischievous sense of humor remains resolutely intact despite it all.”
• Elton John – Even though his 2022 show at LA’s Dodger Stadium was billed as his final North American show, he’ll be rocking a different stadium in California this spring. He has slotted in a one-night-only benefit show at San Diego’s Petco Park on May 9. It’s the latest “Concert for Cures”, an annual event that has raised more than $8.5 million to support adult and pediatric cancer research since 2022.
• Keith Urban — is returning to reality TV this fall for a CBS live music competition series called “The Road”. The show, co-created by “Yellowstone” creator Ty Sheridan, was announced last fall and also includes Blake Shelton. Urban previously served as a judge on “American Idol”.
• Shaboozey – ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ is currently spending its 35th week atop the Hot Country Songs chart, which means it is now in sole possession of the 2nd-longest run at #1, after Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line’s ‘Meant To Be’ (50 weeks). A Bar Song had been previously tied for 2nd-longest with Sam Hunt’s ‘Body Like a Back Road.’
• Luke Combs and Eric Church — recently received the Artist Humanitarian Award at the annual Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. They were recognized for quickly organizing the Concert for Carolina benefit show on Oct. 25, when the North Carolina natives and various artists performed for over 6 hours at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, raising $24.5 million for the victims of Hurricane Helene.
SHOOTING THE BULL
SHORT-SIGHTED:
Many people of a certain age were warned as kids not to sit too close to the TV, because it would supposedly harm our eyes. Then, “those who know” decided that wasn’t the case at all. But now, in a slightly different spin, experts are warning that too much screen time “significantly” increases the risk of a certain eye problem among children. In a new analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers examined the effect of digital screens on the risk of developing nearsightedness, or myopia. They evaluated dozens of studies involving more than 330,000 people, looking for possible links to the amount of time screens were viewed, including devices such as smartphones, tablets, game consoles, computers and televisions. Their conclusion? Those who spent more than one hour on digital screens were more likely to be diagnosed with near-sightedness — and that likelihood increased for each hour of screen time per day, up to 4 hours. The researchers suggest this might mean it would be wise to limit screen time to less than one hour per day for children.
(Fine. But NOW how am I gonna punish my kids?)
(This sounded perfectly logical to me – until I thought about it. Short of going camping somewhere off-grid, there’s NO WAY anyone could possibly limit themself to less than an hour of screen time per day – even if they’re 5!)
-CTV
“BURNED” AGAIN:
The famously disastrous Fyre Fest is still getting a sequel. Fyre Festival 2 is set to be held on Mexico’s Isla Mujeres May 30-June 2, according to the founder Billy McFarland. Monday, he described it as a “3-day escape to the Mexican Caribbean where you’ll explore by day alongside your favorite talent and come together at night to celebrate with music.” His statement on X promises “world class accommodations” and “adventures…taking guests on boundary-pushing excursions by day and uniting for intimate beach-side performances at night.” No performers have been announced. He organized the original 2017 Fyre Festival in the Bahamas that gained popularity among influencers and celebs – but those who spent thousands on tickets were met with mass disorganization, shoddy tented lodging and now-infamous limp cheese sandwiches. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3786t2fn
(I’m guessing the only ‘boundary-pushing excursion’ will be the 5-mile walk to find real food!)
(Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice… well, see you at Fyre Fest 2!)
-CNN
RAMEN ROUGHSHOD:
I’m fully aware how a negative online review can have an effect on your business, but this guy’s reaction might have been a little much. Management of a ramen shop in Japan has placed a bounty on the heads of 2 male customers who left a bad review. The owner of TOYOJIRO, a highly-rated Jiro-style ramen restaurant in Kyoto, took to Instagram to threatening the duo, who slapped his eatery with a one-star review. He also posted their photo – and offered a cash reward to whomever could identify them. In the post, which has since been removed, the restaurant owner wrote: “I saw your post, and you seem a bit weird…you should probably avoid eating out. Someday, someone like you will get screwed. I don’t care — just come directly, and I’ll deal with you.” On its Instagram Story, the restaurant also offered a reward of 100,000 yen (US$662) per customer to anyone who could track them down, and said the search would continue until the two revisited the establishment and wrote a positive review. After social media users criticized his threatening posts, the owner apologized.
(They wanted spicy ramen, but they didn’t want THAT kind of heat!)
(I’m pretty that’s how the food cart guy down the street gets such awesome reviews – ‘cause it sure ain’t the taste of his hot dogs!)
-NYPost
WORST PAIN EVER:
A recent Reddit thread discussed the most “underestimated” kinds of pain that users have experienced…and it almost hurts to read them. Here are some of the…uh…worst:
☞ “Gallbladder attacks are the worst pain I’ve ever felt. One of my friends had 2 kids before she started having gallbladder issues. She said the gallbladder pain was far worse than…Either of her child labors.”
☞ “Chronic pain. People will treat chronic pain sufferers like whiney children, but when they’ve had the same headache for three days, they’re incapacitated.”
☞ “Gout and passing kidney stones. The latter is sometimes described as ‘the closest a man can get to the pain of childbirth.’…the good thing about kidney stones, at least for me, was…Just one look at me, and the nurse was like, ‘Can we get some morphine over here?'”
☞ “Slipped disc. When people say, “Oh yeah, I’ve had a bad back, nope. Once you do a disc, you are (screwed) for the rest of your life…look after your backs, people.”
☞ “Healing from a skin graft — having to ‘debride’ the area in question every day — that’s some of the worst pain I’ve ever felt.”
☞ “A tonsillectomy as an adult. I’ve experienced ruptured ovarian cysts and dealt with endometriosis…I have never experienced pain quite like that of the scabs slowly coming away from the surgical site of my tonsils.”
(The worst pain I ever felt was when I got a tattoo. Actually, it was a few hours AFTER I got it – when my dad saw it!)
-BuzzFeed
FUNNIEST TWEETS OF THE WEEK FROM WOMEN:
⇒ Unfortunately, I have the paper towel habit of a much wealthier woman – Connie Oakley: Local Cryptid
⇒ I don’t get why iced coffee I make at home tastes so (bad). it’s all the same ingredients as at an overpriced coffee shop so what is the problem? is it because I don’t have any tattoos? like I’ll get a septum piercing I swear to god I will – ellie schnitt
⇒ Why can’t we just spell it brockly. – Skin Muffins
⇒ This couple on love is blind can’t believe how lucky they are to have found each other because they both love Christmas. It seems so soothing to be low key dumb – caitie delaney
⇒ what doesn’t kill you texts you 6 months later – ayahtweets
-HuffPost
DID YOU KNOW?
Even though Mars is a barren and inhospitable planet now, it may have once had sandy beaches and tranquil ocean vistas. According to findings published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Red Planet may have remained a vacation-worthy destination for tens of millions of years — while also providing the conditions to support microbial life. The evidence comes from data collected by China’s Zhurong Mars rover, which landed there in 2021. (And it took FOUR YEARS for it to visit the beach??)
-PopularScience
BS CHRONOMETER 02.27.25
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Kahlúa Day”, celebrating the coffee-flavored liqueur from Mexico that contains rum, corn syrup, and vanilla bean. Mix it with milk and – voila! – a ‘brown cow’.
• “Chili Day”, observed annually on the 4th Thursday of February. It’s a great excuse to put together a perfect pot of spicy chili. What’s your secret ingredient?
• “Fat Thursday”. Taking place on the last Thursday before Ash Wednesday, which begins Lent, it is similar to Fat Tuesday, but in many European countries (esp. Poland), this is the more important holiday. A celebration of all things dough-related, this tradition offers a guilt-free opportunity to gorge on donuts or paczki (ponch-key).
• “Anosmia Awareness Day” [an-OHZ-me-uh], a day to spread awareness about the loss of the sense of smell. (Which would have come in very handy here in the studio this morning…)
• “International Polar Bear Day”, declared by non-profit conservation group Polar Bears International, to heighten awareness of the declining population of the big white guys of the Far North.
• “Digital Learning Day”, celebrating the use of digital technology in learning and, in particular, highlighting innovative and forward-thinking uses of technology for learning in the classroom.
• “No Brainer Day”, when we’re encouraged to slack off. Any activity attempted should be something done without serious thought … a ‘no brainer’ activity. (Like this show, for instance.)
• “Retro Day”, swoop your hair into a mile-high beehive or strut those 8-inch bell bottoms. Can you maximize your curls for a stellar Afro? And don’t hesitate to break out the old roller skates and see if you still have those mad skills.
• “Pokémon Day”, celebrating the release of the first Pokémon video games, “Pocket Monsters: Red” and “Pocket Monsters: Green”, which debuted on this date in 1996. (I could throw in a number of Pokémon jokes here . . . but you’d never catch ‘em all…!)
• “Strawberry Day”, paying homage to one of the most popular fruits in the world. Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen each year, so they are often called the “taste of spring.” The bright red juicy berries are both delicious and incredibly good for you. Each bite is packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. (***BS FUN FACT: The average strawberry has 200 seeds***)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Skip the Straw Day
[Fri] Tooth Fairy Day
[Sat] Compliment Day
[Sun] Old Stuff Day
This Week is…Fairtrade Fortnight
This Month is…Snack Food Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1934 [91] Ralph Nader, Winsted CT, consumer advocate/author (“Unsafe at Any Speed”)/4-time US presidential candidate
1954 [71] Neal Schon, Tinker Air Force Base OK, rock guitarist (Journey-‘Don’t Stop Believin’, Bad English-‘When I See You Smile’, Santana)/Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2017 (with Journey)
1959 [66] Johnny Van Zant, Jacksonville FL, rock singer (became Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman when the band reunited in 1987, 10 years after the plane crash that killed his brother, Ronnie, and other band members)
1962 [63] Adam Baldwin, Winnetka IL, movie actor (“Full Metal Jacket”, “My Bodyguard”)/TV actor (“Firefly” 2002-03, “The Last Ship” 2014-18)
1971 [54] (Rozonda) ‘Chilli’ Thomas, Atlanta GA, R&B/pop singer (TLC-‘Waterfalls’, ‘No Scrubs’)
1980 [45] Chelsea Clinton, Little Rock AK, writer, health advocate (Clinton Foundation board member)/NBC News special correspondent 2011-14/daughter of Bill & Hillary Clinton
1981 [44] Josh Groban, LA CA, pop singer/operatic baritone (‘You Raise Me Up’, ‘To Where You Are’)/TV actor (appearances on “The Office”, “Ally McBeal” and other shows)
1983 [42] Kate Mara, Bedford NY, movie actress (“Fantastic Four”)/TV actress (“House of Cards” 2013-16, “American Horror Story: Murder House” 2011) COMING UP… “The Astronaut” 2025
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2003 [22] Children’s TV host Fred Rogers (“Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”) dies of stomach cancer at age 74.
2015 [10] Actor, director, photographer, and writer Leonard Nimoy, best known as ‘Dr Spock’ on “Star Trek”, dies at age 83 from COPD.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1980 [45] Michael Jackson wins the first of his 13 Grammy Awards: Best R&B Performance for ‘Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough’.
2018 [07] Barbra Streisand reveals she has cloned her Coton du Tulear (breed) dog twice, resulting in “Miss Violet” and “Miss Scarlett”.
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1827 [198] The first Mardi Gras celebration is held, in New Orleans LA (and the first co-ed flashes to get a cheap string of beads…).
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ At birth, we have just 2 innate fears: falling and loud sounds. All other fears are learned.
✓ The Great Pyramid of Giza has 8 sides. All of the other pyramids have just 4.
✓ The tallest mountain in our solar system is on Mars. ‘Olympus Mons’ is 3 times taller than Mount Everest.
✓ 99% of people cannot lick their elbow.
✓ It snows more in the Grand Canyon than it does in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
✓ If you buy a lottery ticket on a Monday, you are 100 times more likely to die before the draw is held on Wednesday, than to win the Jackpot.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, TheFactSite
Best of BS . . .
BS THINGS TO SAY TO START A FIGHT:
• “It isn’t pizza unless it has pineapple on it.”
• “No offense, but…”
• “The toilet paper roll should go (yadda yadda yadda…)”
• “Don’t you think you should be eating salad?”
• “Taylor Swift only writes songs about her ex-boyfriends.”
• “Star Wars, Star Trek, same thing.”
• “Jus’ sayin’…”
• “Calm down.”
• “Soccer sucks.”
• “My dog is cuter than your dog.”
• “Hey! You guys wanna fight?”
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
BS MILLENNIAL SHAKESPEARE PLAYS:
• A Midsummer Night’s DM
• MacBook
• The Merchant of Venti
• As if You Like it
• Two Gentlemen of iPhona
• Beyond Meat HAMlet.
• Much Ado About Catfishing
• OtHELLno
• To Be or Not to Be Butthurt
• Romeo & Student Debt
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2020
BS WEB GOODIE:
A few bumps in the road: https://tinyurl.com/2jbhvpac
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Having a dog is 90% following each other around, watching each other go potty, and wondering what the other has in their mouth…
☎ BS PHONE STARTER:
What food would you still purchase if the price went up 300%?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
17% of restaurant servers say they hate it when you do THIS. What is it?
Answer: Claim a table before it’s cleaned off.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.