Friday, February 28, 2025 – Edition: #7904
You Really Know Your Sheet!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ The daughter of beloved actor Gene Hackman says he and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, likely died from carbon monoxide poisoning — as authorities said the couple and their dog were dead for at least a day before their bodies were found. Elizabeth Jean Hackman told TMZ the family suspects her father, his wife and one of their dogs died from toxic fumes inside their Santa Fe NM home. Their bodies were found Wednesday during a welfare check, and police said they are not ruling anything out as a cause of death. While there were no signs of trauma, authorities applied for a warrant to conduct a search and called in the fire department and gas company to ensure the house was safe to search. Two of the couple’s dogs were found alive inside the home.
-NYPost
★ Carrie Underwood is getting set to remind people of her “American Idol” origin story ahead of her judging debut. She’ll lead the web series “Idol to Icon”, which will be released as a companion to the ABC show. Underwood will take viewers back to 2005, when she kept a journal throughout her time on Idol. The series will feature her reading journal entries, and covering fashion highlights and behind-the-scenes moments. It will air on YouTube starting March 4, ahead of the premiere of Season 23 of American Idol, on March 9. There will be a special preview following the Oscars on Sunday.
-Deadline
★ 2025 Oscar nominee Zoe Saldaña, along with Harrison Ford, Samuel L. Jackson, Dave Bautista, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Margaret Qualley, Alba Rohrwacher and Rachel Zegler have joined the list of presenters for the 97th Academy Awards, it has been announced. They join previously announced presenters including Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Ana de Armas, Lily-Rose Depp, Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Goldie Hawn, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, Ben Stiller, Oprah Winfrey and Bowen Yang. Last year’s acting winners Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Robert Downey Jr. will also be on hand to present. And believe it or not, even more talent will be announced before Sunday’s Oscars, which will be hosted by Conan O’Brien.
-TheWrap
★ Michael Gandolfini, son of the late James Gandolfini, is opening up about the possibility of reprising the ‘Tony Soprano’ role in a potential “Sopranos” prequel series. Mentioning the show’s creator, he told “Entertainment Tonight”: “It’s David (Chase’s) universe. It’s up to David, ultimately. I know that David’s working on some other things, not Sopranos-related.” Michael Gandolfini added that he would “love” to work with Chase again but doesn’t think the character of ‘Tony’ will return.
-Deadline
★ Disney+ has revealed that “Doctor Who” Season 2 will premiere on the streaming platform on April 12, with UK audiences able to watch on BBC the same day. The 8-episode second season (Season 15 overall) will then premiere new episodes weekly. “The Traitors U.S.” host Alan Cumming is set to guest star in the second episode and voice the character ‘Mr. Ring-a-Ding’, a happy, funny, singalong cartoon who lives in Sunny Town with his friend ‘Sunshine Sally’.
-Deadline
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Chris Pratt, Drew Carey, Nathaniel Rateliff and Gregory Alan Isakov
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Amy Schumer, Joe Keery, Djo (R)
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Robert De Niro, Tamara Tunie (R)
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Alan Cumming, Paul Skenes, Emilio Vitolo (R)
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Kurt Braunohler, Kristen Schaal, Reggie Watts (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Ariana DeBose guest co-hosts
• “Today” (NBC): Ashanti, Sarah Fennel; Heather McMahan co-hosts
• “GMA3” (ABC): Kelley Carter and Mike Muse’s predictions; a preview of Robin Roberts’ Oscars special
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Pre-Oscar celebration with Angela Bassett
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Jennifer Coolidge; Guy Fieri; Alessia Cara
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Oscars preview; clips from Drew’s chats with nominees Ariana Grande, Mikey Madison and Cynthia Erivo.
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Peter Krause
• “Countdown to the Oscars With Robin Roberts: A Special Edition of 20/20” (ABC): Interviews with Oscar nominees Cynthia Erivo and Jesse Eisenberg, plus spotlights on many of this year’s nominees.
• “NCIS: Sydney” (CBS): The team is thrown into the world of online conspiracies after a car owned by a Navy cyber engineer explodes as her daughter was about to take a driving lesson.
• “Fire Country” (CBS): Station 42 responds to a fire in the dugout before the annual county baseball rivalry game; Vince’s ex-girlfriend returns.
SATURDAY:
• “PGA Tour Golf” (NBC): Cognizant Classic, third round.
• “I Am Luke Perry” (CW): Celebrating the life of a generational acting talent who emerged from small-town obscurity to become a Hollywood heartthrob and pop culture icon.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host Shane Gillis; Tate McRae performs
SUNDAY:
• “Watson” (CBS): When Sasha discovers a link between her patient and a cadaver she dissected during med school, the team traces the case to Amish country.
• “The Americas” (NBC): The Amazon, the largest rainforest on Earth; drone footage captures giant otters, black caimans, a harpy eagle chick’s first days, and army ants on the move.
• “The Oscars” (ABC): Conan O’Brien hosts from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. Performers include Doja Cat, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, LISA of Blackpink, Queen Latifah and RAYE.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – is worth over $1 billion – but she’s also worth a billion to the NFL. Apex Marketing calculated that her involvement with the NFL has been worth $992,361,912 to the league. The company said: “If you wanted to go and buy media for your product or service, you would have to spend this amount to garner this level of media exposure.”
• Billie Eilish – plans to do some recording this year – and will probably announce more live dates. While in Australia for the latest leg of her “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour, she was asked in an interview about her plans for the next 12 months. Her answer: “Definitely getting back into the studio and doing stuff. I mean, I definitely have more tour…Probably more than I’m even scheduled for.”
• Train – Their 2001 monster hit ‘Drops of Jupiter’ has hit 1 billion streams on Spotify. The band wrote on Instagram, “This song has always been so special to us, and we’re beyond grateful it’s connected with so many of you over the years.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2p8uz49f
• Billy Idol – has released his new single ‘Still Dancing’, as well as a video. On April 25, he’ll unleash the new studio album “Dream Into It”. His first full-length album in more than 10 years features guest appearances from Joan Jett and Alison Mosshart of The Kills. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yc6vwfds
• Michael Jackson – “Leaving Neverland 2: Surviving Michael Jackson”, the follow-up to the Emmy-winning Michael Jackson documentary, is set to premiere on YouTube in the US and Canada on March 19. Director Dan Reed‘s sequel film follows Wade Robson and James Safechuck after they accused the King of Pop of sexual assault.
• Def Leppard – will headline Ottawa Bluesfest, which runs July 10-13 and 16-20 in Canada’s capital. Def Lep will top the July 16 bill that also features Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, The Decemberists and more. Other headliners include Green Day, Hozier, Shania Twain, Lainey Wilson and Papa Roach. LINK: www.OttawaBluesfest.ca .
• Tucker Wetmore – announced his debut album “What Not To” from the stage of the Ryman Auditorium. During Universal Music Group Nashville’s Country Radio Seminar, he told the crowd of music execs and radio personalities that the new record will drop April 25, then went ahead and sang the title song. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/37ykd3pp
• Luke Combs –Video posted to his new bar’s Instagram shows his mom Rhonda taking a tour, and sharing her favorite parts of Category 10. She’s seen raving about how “incredible” each area is, but her fave was “The Eye”, a 7,000 square foot rooftop deck. Mom quote: “I love it! Oh, this looks so good. Oh my gosh, look at this view!” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/m9nhmp83
• Carrie Underwood – Video has surfaced of the new “American Idol” judge shooting in Hawaii. In a clip posted by @backgrid, she is in a green and blue hombre gown, topped off with a floral lei, with her hair styled in waves. She is seen is seen posing and hitting her marks while walking in front of the cameras, and at one point, she waves to the crowd as they shout her name. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4cf3r7u6
SHOOTING THE BULL
NEW MOVIES THIS WEEK:
• “Last Breath” (R, Drama): Based on the true story of some seasoned deep-sea divers who battle the raging elements to rescue their crew mate trapped hundreds of feet below the ocean’s surface. (Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole) No Tomatometer rating
• “My Dead Friend Zoe” (R, Comedy/Drama): Engaged in a mysterious relationship with her dead best friend from the army, a female Afghanistan veteran comes head-to-head with her Vietnam vet grandfather at the family’s ancestral lake house. (Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Ed Harris) Tomatometer: 94%
• “Riff Raff” (R, Comedy — Limited): A former criminal’s ordinary life is turned upside down when his old family shows up for a long-awaited reunion. (Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Bill Murray) Tomatometer: 70%
SPRING COMPLAINING:
For the first time ever, Major League Baseball is letting players challenge umpire calls on balls and strikes — and using technology to review decisions. This spring training, in about 60% of games, players can appeal to the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), often called “robot umps.” Here’s how it works: human umpires still make the calls, but Hawk-Eye technology, which is already used in sports like tennis and soccer, determines if each pitch is in the strike zone. If players disagree with a call, they can challenge it by tapping their head. Each team gets 2 challenges per game. Of course, a wrong call on an important pitch can change the course of a game, but at least this spring, players have a way to have it corrected. Baseball first started testing the system 6 years ago, in the minor leagues.
(At least a robot can’t throw you out for a dirty look!)
(I saw a report about this on TV last night. Apparently, the players are having trouble adjusting to not having a strike zone that changes after every commercial break!)
-TheGuardian
TESTING THE LIMITS:
A new survey attempted to get an idea of modern relationship boundaries among couples – specifically, what constitutes cheating. According to the poll of 2,000 sexually active adults, 51% said that so-called “harmless flirting” could spell the end of a relationship. Even worse, chatting with an ex is a dealbreaker to 60% of people, and watching porn could end things for 23% of people. What IS acceptable? The survey, conducted by Talker Research, found that 79% agree that reading erotica is fair game. 76% feel that using toys is OK, and dancing with someone else got the thumbs-up with 66% of respondents. Half of respondents said it’s a no-no for their partner to have pictures with an ex on their phone or on social media – and 62% said there should be no texting with an ex. On the other hand, a third of respondents said it’s OK to be friends with an ex.
(…as long as you don’t text with them – or chat with them, apparently!)
(Man, I should have read the ‘terms & conditions’ before I got involved!)
-SWNS
NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ A man whose stolen credit card was used to buy a winning lottery ticket says he wants to split the jackpot with the thieves. The crooks broke into Jean-David Estele’s car in Toulouse, France, and used his credit card to buy a lottery ticket that turned out to be a winner worth 500,000 euros (US$525,000). French police haven’t yet tracked down the perpetrators, despite finding fingerprints as part of their investigation, and say they appear to be homeless. Estele’s lawyer says he is willing to split the cash with the 2 criminals, calling the incident “a miracle for both the thieves and my client.” (But so far, only 2 of them are lucky!)
➢ Driving drunk is never a good idea – but doing so when you’ve already been taken home by police is downright “astonishing”, say authorities in Port Moody BC, after a man allegedly did just that over the weekend. Cops say an intoxicated guest at a wedding became agitated after Good Samaritans took away his car keys to prevent him from driving. That resulted in a fracas and a 911 call. The man was arrested for breach of peace and police drove him 20km home to Vancouver, where he was expected to remain until he could sober up to retrieve his vehicle. But, alas, the man made the drunken decision to “order a rideshare back to Port Moody, get into his vehicle and drive”, a police spokesperson said. The man was caught at 3:50am, speeding at more than double the limit – directly in front of Port Moody police headquarters, no less. He faces numerous charges. (And was held in custody until he sobered up, I hope!)
-CNN, CTV
DID YOU KNOW?
Last month, endurance athlete Sophie Power broke the world record for distance covered by a woman on a treadmill in 48 hours. The 42-year-old mother of 3 covered more than 365 km (226.8 miles) across 2 days, running and hiking on a treadmill at the National Running Show in Birmingham, England. The secret to her success? “You need to set something slightly outside your comfort zone.” (Well, technically, she didn’t cover ANY distance, but I’m not going to be the one to tell her…)
-CNN
BS CHRONOMETER 02.28.25
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Tooth Fairy Day”, honoring the devious dental donor who leaves money under kids’ pillows for lost teeth. No one knows her origin for sure, but there was a fairytale in 18th-century France about a ‘tooth mouse’ who hid under pillows. In 2024, parents….err…the Tooth Fairy left an average of $5.84 per tooth. That means that for a full set of 20 baby teeth, kids are raking in about $117.
• “Repetitive Strain Injuries Awareness Day”, the 26th annual, sponsored by the Industrial Accident Prevention Association. While it takes a worker an average 47 days to recover from a broken bone, a worker suffering from an ‘RSI’, such as tendinitis or carpal tunnel syndrome, takes an average 52 days or 71 days, respectively.
• “International Stand Up to Bullying Day”, which happens in February and in November, when participants sign up and wear a pink shirt to take a visible stance against bullying. It is based on a campaign started by Travis Price and David Shepherd, who took a stand for a fellow student who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school.
• “Skip the Straw Day”, a group of 8thgrade students in Whitehall MI came up with this in 2017, “to encourage Americans to give up the straw habit, and help spread awareness about the damage caused by disposable plastics.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yptkuxfu
• “International Floral Design Day”, focusing on the art of flower arranging, both as a profession and as a hobby.
• “Public Sleeping Day”, when you are encouraged to doze off in a public area, to draw attention to the fact that almost one-third of us sleep less than 6 hours a night. You may nap while riding on public transportation or on a bench in a park, at a library or a cafe, or any other public place. (Just don’t take off your shoes!)
• “Chocolate Soufflé Day”. A soufflé is a French dish dating back to the 1700s that is usually associated with dessert, but can be either sweet or savory. Today the focus is on the chocolate soufflé, one of the most popular sweet soufflés (of course!) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/vpvztznv
• “Rare Disease Day”, established in 2008 to raise awareness for rare diseases, and improve access to treatment. A disease or disorder is defined as rare in Europe when it affects less than 1-in-2000 people; and in the USA if it affects fewer than 200,000 in total. LINK: http://www.rarediseaseday.org
SATURDAY:
• “Peanut Butter Lovers’ Day”. Ah, but is one day enough? FUN FACT: The slang term for peanut butter during World War II was “monkey butter”. (***A good day to have callers try a tongue twister with a mouthful of smooth or crunchy***)
• “World Compliment Day”, billed as the most positive day of the year. There is an art to it, though. A true compliment must be genuine, or the receiver will see through it. Just as importantly, the receiver must accept the compliment with a heartfelt “Thank-you!” (Or “I know…”)
• “Horse Protection Day”, to raise awareness about the abuse, neglect, homelessness, and slaughter of horses, and to promote adoption events to help unwanted horses find a home. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mrysn4p8
• “Pig Day”, honoring the “most intelligent and useful of domesticated animals”. Studies show pigs are much smarter than horses (…but harder to ride).
• “Plan a Solo Vacation Day”, to inspire singles to spice up their lives by checking out solo travel options. What’s the biggest thing that would dissuade you from traveling on your own?
• “Chalandamarz” in Switzerland, when they drive away Winter by ringing bells and cracking whips. (Of course, around here, the boss does the same thing at the end of lunch break…)
• “Refired, Not Retired Day”, a day for those who’ve left the workforce, to reinvigorate themselves with new interests and goals.
• “Self-Injury Awareness Day”, a grassroots global event in which several organizations raise awareness about self-harm and self-injury. Some wear an orange awareness ribbon, write ‘Love’ on their arms, or draw a butterfly on their wrists in observance.
• “Wedding Planning Day”, signifies the end of proposal season and the beginning of a brand-new time for recently-engaged couples.
SUNDAY:
• “Dr Seuss Day”, celebrating the 1904 birth of Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield MA, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of children’s books including “The Cat in the Hat,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” and many other classics. He died in 1991. Fun Fact: “Seuss,” which was also his mother’s maiden name — was pronounced “Zoice” by the family, and by Geisel himself.
• “Old Stuff Day”, a celebration of antiques (either that, or someone is finally appreciating my home decor!)
• “Banana Cream Pie Day”. The English version of banana cream pie is called ‘banoffee’ pie, a portmanteau of ‘banana’ and ‘toffee’. The recipe for this dessert is much richer than its American counterpart, calling for lashings of condensed milk and toffee, and often served with ice cream.
• “International Rescue Cat Day”, a good day to add a new member to your family by adopting a cat! There are so many out there just waiting for a home, so make sure to get a ‘rescue’ when you decide to adopt a cat.
• “Teen Mental Wellness Day”, to raise awareness about mental health issues among teens and to provide education about removing stigmas surrounding preventative mental health. Teens are encouraged to practice self-care and silence their self-doubt. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3ve2e4kc
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1940 [85] Mario Andretti, Montona Italy, retired race-car driver (1969 Indianapolis 500 winner, 1978 Formula One World Champion)
1944 [81] Kelly Bishop, Colorado Springs CO, TV actress (‘Emily Gilmore’ on “Gilmore Girls” 2000-07, “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” 2016)/movie actress (“Dirty Dancing”)
1957 [68] John Turturro, Brooklyn NY, movie actor (“Transformers” films, “The Batman”)/TV actor (“Monk” 2004-08, “Severance” since 2022)
1957 [68] Cindy Wilson, Athens GA, new wave-rock singer (B-52’s-‘Love Shack’, ‘Roam’)
1969 [56] Pat Monahan, Erie PA, pop-rock singer (Train-‘Hey, Soul Sister’, ‘Drops of Jupiter’)
1973 [52] Eric Lindros, London ON, retired NHL player (Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars), Hockey Hall of Fame, 2016
1976 [49] Ali Larter, Cherry Hill NJ, movie actress (“Resident Evil” films, “Final Destination” films)/TV actress (“Heroes” 2006-10, “The Rookie” 2020-22, “Landman” since 2024)
1977 [48] Jason Aldean (Williams), Macon GA, country singer (‘Try That in a Small Town’, ‘Dirt Road Anthem’)
1985 [40] Fefe Dobson, Scarborough ON, pop-rock singer (‘Take Me Away’, ‘Stuttering’)
SATURDAY- Roger Daltrey (The Who) is 81; Ron Howard (“Happy Days”) is 71; Tim Daly (“Wings”) is 69; George Eads (“MacGyver”) is 58; Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) is 56; Ryan Peake (Nickelback) is 52; Mark-Paul Gosselaar (“Saved by the Bell”) is 51; Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave”) is 42; Kesha (‘Tik Tok’) is 38; Justin Bieber (‘Baby’) is 31
SUNDAY- Jon Bon Jovi (Bon Jovi-‘Livin’ on a Prayer’) is 63; Daniel Craig (‘James Bond’ in 5 films) is 57; Chris Martin (Coldplay) is 48; Rebel Wilson (“Pitch Perfect” movies) is 45; Bryce Dallas Howard (“Jurassic World” films) is 44; Ben Roethlisberger (retired NFL QB) is 43; Nathalie Emmanuel (“Game of Thrones”) is 36; Luke Combs (‘Fast Car’) is 35; Becky G (w/Pitbull-‘Can’t Get Enough’) is 28
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1983 [42] The final episode of “M*A*S*H” airs; a record 125 million watch in the US (still the most-watched TV series episode in history).
1998 [27] Pamela Anderson divorces Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee after 3 years of marriage.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1984 [41] Michael Jackson is the big winner at the Grammys, winning 8 trophies, including Album of the Year for “Thriller” and Record of the Year for ‘Beat It’.
1998 [27] Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’, from the movie “Titanic”, goes to #1 in the US, joining the soundtrack and the movie at #1 on their respective charts.
2016 [09] At the Oscars, Lady Gaga performs ‘Til It Happens To You,’ joined by a group of sexual assault survivors, but the “Best Song” Oscar goes to Sam Smith’s ‘Writing’s On the Wall’.
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2013 [12] A neuro-scientist at Duke University announces he has successfully connected the brains of 2 rats in such a way that they can share information.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone.
✓ The Leaning Tower of Piza leans because of the soft soil that it’s built on. That soft base has protected it from at least 4 powerful earthquakes.
✓ Frogs sometimes eat enough fireflies that they themselves glow.
✓ Genetically, pineapples, bananas, watermelons, pumpkins, and avocados are all berries.
✓ Humans cannot walk in a straight line without a visual point – When blindfolded, we gradually walk in a circle.
✓ In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak.
-Owlcation, TheFactSite
Best of BS . . .
BS STANDARD HOUSEHOLD MEASURES FOR YOUNG SINGLES:
• A heap of cake.
• A stack of brownies.
• A brick of ramen.
• A spoon of peanut butter.
• A mug of wine.
• A sleeve of cookies.
• A fist of jellybeans.
• A shirt-bowl of popcorn.
• A whole thing of ice cream.
-First published in BS in 2014
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
⇒ Six SeaWorld employees were honored by the Red Cross for saving a co-worker’s life. (The employees weren’t sure which was better, receiving the prestigious award, or being forced to catch it in their mouth during the ceremony…!)
⇒ Elon Musk and Donald Trump have cut over $55 billion dollars in government jobs from sewage, water and food treatment plants. (In other words, all of America is about to embark on one big Carnival Cruise!)
⇒ A study has found that pessimistic people actually live longer than optimists. (Which would be great news for pessimists — if they believed in great news.)
⇒ According to a new report, the average American lives 18 miles from their mom. (Just far enough that she thinks twice about coming over…but not too far if you need your laundry done!)
⇒ A report claims that birds can feel the effects of alcohol, just like humans. (. . Now we know why Donald Duck never wears pants!)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Thanks to the caption, I absolutely love this: https://tinyurl.com/533w9btt
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I still have my late grandmother in my contacts. We shouldn’t have scattered her ashes on such a windy day…
☎ BS PHONE STARTER:
What should you never do naked?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
A new survey found that 15% of us have done THIS this at a friend’s birthday party. What is it?
Answer: Watch a sporting event
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
There is a wonderful law of nature that the 3 things we crave most in life — happiness, freedom, and peace of mind — are always attained by giving them to someone else.
