Friday, February 17, 2023 – Edition: #7420
Tomorrow’s Show Prep Today!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
[***UPDATE***] ★ The family of Bruce Willis has announced that he is suffering from a form of dementia called frontotemporal dementia, or FTD. In a statement, the 67-year-old star’s family stated that while the news “is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.” Willis’ family — including wife Emma Heming Willis, ex-wife Demi Moore and his daughters — first disclosed his diagnosis of aphasia, a medical condition that was affecting his cognitive abilities and he would be taking a break from acting. According to the Mayo Clinic, FTD is an “umbrella term for a group of brain disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain…associated with personality, behavior and language.” The family statement said: “If he could today – he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease.”
-CNN
★ Ryan Seacrest announced on yesterday’s “Live with Kelly and Ryan” that he is leaving the morning TV show. Seacrest said he has made the “bittersweet” decision to “make this my last season as co-host.” He had originally committed to 3 years on the show, which turned to 6, he said, because of the fun he’s had hosting. Ripa told him that he went from “being a friend to a family member”. She’ll now be joined by actor and husband, Mark Consuelos, and the show will be rebranded “Live with Kelly and Mark.” Seacrest plans to head back to the west coast, where he will continue to host “American Idol” and “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest”.
-CNN, Deadline
★ Vin Diesel and Post Malone have joined the star-studded NBA All-Star Weekend Lineup. The league has announced that Malone will perform prior to tip-off on Sunday. Diesel will make an appearance to welcome fans and introduce the players, and will be joined by Ben Affleck. Burna Boy will handle the halftime performance, joined by Tems and Rema. That will be followed by a segment honouring LeBron James for becoming the all-time scoring leader. Previously announced celebs include The Kid LAROI and Bia ,who will hit the stage at the Pregame Concert. The 72nd NBA All-Star Game is this Sunday night.
-ETCanada
★ The career of John Madden will be the subject of a limited series. The series, to be directed by Gavin O’Connor, with the involvement of Tom Brady’s 199 Productions, will chronicle the life and career of the NFL icon and his rise from humble beginnings to leave an indelible mark on football, broadcasting, video games, and pop culture. Brady’s presence as Executive Producer was particularly important to Madden’s family as they committed to the project. The filmmakers say they will find a broadcast partner once they’ve finished the scripted episodes — and then find someone to play the larger-than-life Madden.
-Deadline
★ Sophie Lloyd has entered the chat. Machine Gun Kelly’s guitarist shut down rumors that she was involved in his split with Megan Fox, days after rumors were sparked online. She shushed the talk by posting a Valentine’s Day tribute to her boyfriend, Christopher Painter, featuring a selfie with him with the word “Valentine” and a heart emoji as a caption. Her management has also gone on record, saying: “Any suggestion that she has ever acted in an unprofessional manner or stepped out of her relationship are untrue.”
-PageSix, PopCulture
★ Bam Margera’s wife, Nicole Boyd, has filed for legal separation from the former MTV star after almost 10 years of marriage. According to reports, Boyd filed the papers in Los Angeles on Wednesday, citing irreconcilable differences, and asking for custody of their 5-year-old son, Phoenix. The couple has experienced their share of ups and downs as Margera’s battles with substance abuse continued to publicly play out. This comes after fellow “Jackass” star Steve-O pleaded for his longtime friend to get the help he needs before it’s too late.
-PageSix
★ (***CAUTION***) OK, just because everybody’s talking about it: A “Naked and Afraid” contestant learned the hard way that being naked and afraid is not always a good idea. In a clip from the upcoming season premiere, UK contestant Sam Mouzer’s penis gets burned because he slept too close to an open flame. The clip shows Mouzer and a fellow contestant sleeping close to the fire when Mouzer suddenly screams out in pain. He tells the cameras: “One of the coals has landed on my… um… little soldier’s helmet. I’m going to look like I got hit with buckshot when I get home.”
-PopCulture
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Adam Scott, Elizabeth Debicki, Nathan Macintosh
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Reese Witherspoon, Paula Pell, Michael Solomonov (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Alicia Vikander, Chris O’Dowd, Tommy McLain (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Milo Ventimiglia, Greta Thunberg
• “The Talk”(CBS): Alfonso Ribeiro, Ja’Dayia Kursh, guest co-host Victor Cruz
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Milo Ventimiglia
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Jay Hernandez, Derek Hough
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Kristin Chenoweth, David Chang
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Jay Ellis, Zach Stafford, Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones
• “20/20” (ABC): A mother and daughter are murdered; the killer sends taunting letters.
• “The Greatest #AtHome Videos” (CBS): Cedric the Entertainer hosts; featuring some of the best, funniest, and cringe-worthy viral videos in awards show history.
• “2023 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game” (ESPN): Celebs from film, TV, and music, along with favorite NBA legends and WNBA players, take part in a fun game, from Salt Lake City.
SATURDAY-
• “2023 NBA All-Star Saturday Night” (TNT): NBA players participate in a skills challenge, a three-point contest and a slam dunk contest. From Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.
• “Love & Marriage: DC” (OWN): “Street Fighters”: The cast is back with a new couple.
• “Welcome to Valentine” (Hall): After losing her apartment and job right before Valentine’s Day, Olivia meets George, who takes her on a cross-country road trip.
SUNDAY-
• “American Idol” (ABC): Season 21 premiere. Auditions in New Orleans, Las Vegas and Nashville.
• “2023 NBA All-Star Game” (TNT, TBS): Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis from Sault Lake City
• “Tournament of Champions” (FOOD): Season 4 premiere. Guy Fieri reveals the seeds and matchups for 32 chefs to battle it out for the belt and $100,000. The first 8 begin.
• “Magnum P.I.” (NBC): Season 5 premiere. Magnum and Higgins weigh the risks of pursuing a relationship; Rick juggles being a new father and running La Mariana.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Rihanna – told British Vogue that she’d love to release her first new album since 2016 this year. Quote: “Like, honestly, it’d be ridiculous if it’s not this year. But I just want to have fun. I just want to make music and make videos.”
• Lady Gaga — Warner Brothers has released the official first image of her in “Joker: Folie à Deux”, the upcoming sequel to 2019’s “Joker”. The snapshot, which Gaga shared on her social media, shows her and Phoenix in the moments after a passionate kiss, her red lipstick smudged all over his face. The film premieres Oct. 4, 2024. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/f72nekt5
• Pharrell Williams — will succeed Virgil Abloh as Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director. His appointment by the French luxury fashion house is effective immediately and his first collection will debut in June during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris.
• Tame Impala — Their 2012 second album “Lonerism” will be reissued May 24 as “Lonerism 10 Year Anniversary Box Set”. The 3 LP box set features a 24-page booklet, unreleased demos, and new artwork.
• Guns N’ Roses – ‘November Rain’ is the first rock music video to hit 2 billion views on YouTube. The 1991 clip was uploaded to the streaming platform on Christmas Day, 2009. Other rock videos approaching the 2 billion mark: Linkin Park’s ‘Numb’ (1.9 billion) and Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ (1.6 billion).
• Metallica – The group’s All Without Our Hands foundation has donated more than $250,000 to aid victims of the Feb. 6 earthquake in Turkey and Syria that has killed 41,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yrku7dh2
• Shania Twain – is still the queen. Her new “Queen of Me” album debuted at #2 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart, right behind Morgan Wallen’s seemingly unstoppable “Dangerous”. Queen of Me also debuted at #10 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
• Garth Brooks – has a new duets album on the way this year. In his weekly Facebook session with fans, he let the news slip…but what isn’t clear is whether it is an album featuring duets between Brooks and other artists or strictly duets with his wife Trisha Yearwood.
• Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani – Because that’s what they do, the lovebirds celebrated Valentine’s Day with a romantic duet on social media. In a black-and-white video posted to Shelton’s Twitter and Instagram feeds, they perform their 2019 duet ‘Nobody But You’. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/rn8m67rx
SHOOTING THE BULL
THIS WEEK’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (PG-13, Action-Adventure): The superhero partners explore the Quantum Realm, where they interact with strange creatures and embark on an adventure that goes beyond the limits of what they thought was possible. (Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas Michelle Pfeiffer) Tomatometer: 52%. No audience score.
• “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey” (R, Horror, limited, opened Feb. 15): Christopher Robin, now a young man, has left Winnie and Piglet to fend for themselves. After getting a taste for blood, they set off to find a new source of food. It’s not long before their bloody rampage begins. (Craig David Dowsett, Chris Cordell, Amber Doig-Thorne) No Tomatometer score.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS:
❑ Uber has added a new audio recording function to its app in Canada, which it says is an optional safety feature. Uber users can turn on audio recording in the Safety Toolkit section of the app. From there, they’ll have the option to record audio during a trip by tapping the blue shield icon. Both riders and drivers can use the feature at any point during a ride. Recording automatically stops shortly after the ride ends, or users can start and stop it themselves. The company said it hopes the feature “will help give riders and drivers peace of mind by encouraging comfortable and positive interactions while on trips.” (So, if you know a Uber driver, be sure to ask to hear their “blooper tape” next Jan. 1!)
❑ Pepsi is bringing back its Peeps-flavored soda, and promises this time, it’ll be easier to find than an Easter egg. For the first time, “Pepsi x Peeps” is available for sale at retailers in the US, a change from its debut 2 years ago, when only a few thousand of the sodas were given away in a contest. At that time, it became an online trend, prompting people to resell the novelty product for hundreds of dollars. The drink mixes the taste of Pepsi with the “pillowy-soft and sweet” marshmallow flavor of Peeps. (Did anyone else immediately just wonder what a “Rum n’ Pepsi n’ Peeps” would taste like?)
-CTV, CNN
NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ A woman who shares her name with the tech devices ‘Alexa’ and ‘Siri’ says she constantly sets them off during online meetings when clients say her name. 27-year-old Alexa Seary of Philadelphia, (whose surname is pronounced ‘Siri’), says her Amazon Echo and Apple products constantly go off during online meetings when her name is announced. She has been the butt of many jokes since Apple introduced its personal assistant function, Siri, in 2011. Imagine her shock when Amazon released its own assistant device, the Amazon Echo in 2014, named Alexa. But obviously it’s not TOO much of a concern for her. She plans to keep her last name when she gets married. (The only person who gets bossed around more than her is our intern!)
➢ Definitely a bad example of “product placement. An advertisement for McDonald’s McCrispy chicken sandwiches placed across the street from a British crematorium is going to be removed after being called “tasteless.” The coincidental placement of the bus stop poster made for some dark humor, but Cornwall, England residents weren’t lovin’ the ad, which was installed opposite the Penmount Crematorium. Following complaints, a McDonald’s spokesperson said: “We were unaware of the road sign in the vicinity of this bus stop…in light of the concerns, we have asked for our advertisement to be removed.” (Newsflash: The McCrispy was “tasteless” long before they put up the sign!)
-Metro, NYPost
DID YOU KNOW?
When it comes to ending a relationship, it seems that “ghosting” is the new normal. Researchers from the University of Georgia say 2 in 3 people have ghosted someone they were dating, and have also been ghosted themselves at some point. Ghosting is defined as simply ignoring someone in order to end a relationship without having to endure an awkward conversation or offer any kind of explanation. This uniquely modern practice, is likely the result of the boom in dating apps and smartphones.
-StudyFinds
BS CHRONOMETER 2.17.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Random Acts of Kindness Day”, studies prove the positive effects on us of doing kind acts for others, as well as receiving or even witnessing kindness. Some suggestions: Compliment a stranger, treat a homeless person to lunch, or anonymously donate to charity. (***See “Today’s Phone Starter”, below***) LINK: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org
• “PTA Founders’ Day”, commemorating the parent-teacher association’s 1897 founding. It was originally known as the ‘National Congress of Mothers’. (And all this time, I thought it stood for ‘Parents to Avoid’…my bad!)
• “World Human Spirit Day”, encouraging 2 minutes of silent meditation throughout the world – “and beyond” – to focus on the true spirit that flows through everything. (Wow, groovy.)
• “My Way Day”, in celebration of the phrase “It’s my way or the highway”. The day is believed to have been inspired by key events in the world happening because someone had a bold idea and wasn’t afraid to go through with it. Today, you are encouraged to do whatever you want, however you want. (Finally! I can get a donut with extra sprinkles!)
• “Café au Lait Day”, French for “coffee with milk,” the drink is simply coffee with hot milk added. In Europe, it is either espresso or dark-coffee-based, and steamed milk is used. In France, it is traditionally served in a white porcelain cup or bowl.
• “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 April 6***]
SATURDAY-
• “Battery Day”, on the birth date of Count Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), the Italian physicist credited with developing the first electric cell in 1800. His vital invention is now used everywhere from smoke alarms to phones, and comes in all shapes, sizes, and power capacities. (But is rarely included when you buy stuff…)
• “Drink Wine Day”, as if you needed an excuse. This is to embrace the positive benefits of wine — such as new friends, reduced risk of heart disease, and the enhancement of food and life (not to mention my flawless dance moves…).
• “Thumb Appreciation Day”, devoted to the digit that helps make us human . . . the opposable thumb. Of course, a few other animals can also celebrate, including koalas, opossums, and pandas; as well as chimps, gorillas, and orangutans, which have opposable thumbs . . . on all 4 limbs. (Wow, I’ve got thumb envy!)
• “Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day”, this one-of-kind dish is composed of a stuffing made with crab meat, bread crumbs, butter, and seasonings, all stuffed into the whole flounder or rolled up into the fillets and baked.
• “Pluto Discovery Day”, Astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh discovered Pluto on Feb. 18, 1930, at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff AZ. It was considered one of the 9 planets in the solar system until 2006, when it was demoted to “dwarf-planet” status.
• “World Whale Day”, an event started in Maui, Hawaii, in 1980, to raise awareness and to protect these majestic creatures and their habitat.
SUNDAY-
• “Tug-of-War Day”, a celebration of the competitive sport in which 2 teams hold opposite ends of a rope and attempt to pull the other towards them in order to win. (And works best if there is a mud pit in the middle!)
• “Chocolate Mint Day”, a celebration of one of the all-time great flavor pairings (and one of the all-time great Girl Guide cookie flavors!)
• “Lashes Day”, to appreciate both real and false eyelashes for the beauty they add to women (and men). Not only do they make our eyes “pop”, they also help keep foreign material from entering our eyes and prevent eye moisture from evaporating. (“I sentence you to two lashes…”)
• “Prevent Plagiarism Day”, to call attention to the rampant problem of high-tech theft of words, images and ideas that is all too easy in the internet age. (I may or may not have stolen this from Wikipedia…)
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1962 [61] Lou Diamond Phillips (Upchurch), Zambales Philippines, movie actor (“Young Guns”, “La Bamba”)/TV actor (“Prodigal Son” 2019-21)
1963 [60] Michael “Air” Jordan, Brooklyn NY, retired NBA player (5-time MVP, 6-time NBA champion, 14-time All-Star, 10-time scoring champ, 2009 Hall of Famer)/Oh, yeah…he also played for the Washington Wizards
1965 [58] Michael Bay, LA CA, film director/producer (“Transformers” films, “Armageddon”)
1971 [52] Denise Richards, Downers Grove IL, movie actress (“Wild Things”)/reality star (“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” 2015-19)/married to Charlie Sheen 2002-06
1972 [51] Billie Joe Armstrong, Oakland CA, rock singer/guitarist (Green Day-‘American Idiot’, ‘Good Riddance [Time Of Your Life]’)
1974 [49] Jerry O’Connell, New York City NY, movie actor (“Stand by Me”)/TV (“The Talk” since 2021)
1980 [43] Jason Ritter, Los Angeles CA, TV actor (“Parenthood” 2010-14, “Kevin [Probably] Saves the World” 2017-18/son of John Ritter
1981 [42] Joseph Gordon-Levitt, LA CA, movie actor/director/producer (“Lincoln”, “The Dark Knight Rises”)/TV actor (“3rd Rock From the Sun” 1996–2001) COMING UP… “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley”
1981 [42] Paris Hilton, NYC, socialite/sometime TV personality (“Paris Hilton’s My New BFF”, “Paris in Love 2021-22)/movie actress (“House of Wax”)/great-granddaughter of hotel magnate Conrad Hilton
1991 [32] Ed Sheeran, West Yorkshire England, pop singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer (‘Thinking Out Loud’, ‘Shape of You’)
1991 [32] Bonnie Wright, London England, movie actress (‘Ginny Weasley’ in “Harry Potter” movies)/
1996 [27] Sasha Pieterse, Johannesburg South Africa, TV actress (‘Alison DiLaurentis’ on “Pretty Little Liars” 2010-17)
SATURDAY- Yoko Ono (widow of John Lennon) is 90; Dennis DeYoung (Styx) is 76; Cybill Shepherd (“Moonlighting”) is 73; John Travolta (“Saturday Night Fever”) is 69; Vanna White “Wheel of Fortune”) is 66; Matt Dillon (“Crash”) is 59; Dr Dre (NWA) is 58; Molly Ringwald (“The Breakfast Club”) is 55; Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace) is 53; Jillian Michaels (“The Biggest Loser”) is 49; Ike Barinholtz (“The Mindy Project”) is 46; Jeremy Allen White (“Shameless”) is 32
SUNDAY- “Smokey” Robinson (‘The Tears of a Clown’) is 83; Jeff Daniels (“Dumb & Dumber”) is 68; British royal Prince Andrew is 63; Seal (‘Kiss From a Rose’) is 60; Benicio Del Toro (“Traffic”) is 56; Bellamy Young (“Scandal”) is 53; Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”) is 19
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2014 [09] Jimmy Fallon officially replaces Jay Leno as host of “The Tonight Show”
2021 [02] American conservative political talk radio personality Rush Limbaugh dies of lung cancer at 70
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1976 [47] Eagles release “Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)” (The best-selling album in the US until it was surpassed by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” after his death in 2009. In 2018, it regained the title, currently 38 million)
2005 [18] A 1965 Fender Stratocaster that once belonged to Jimi Hendrix sells for £100,000 ($125,000) at auction in London
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2013 [10] Danica Patrick becomes the first female driver in NASCAR history to win the pole position at the Daytona 500
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2003 [20] A Tauranga, New Zealand man is sentenced to 200 hours of community service for speeding … without a license or registration … on a motorized barstool … semi-naked … while intoxicated … with his butt on fire
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ On average, it costs twice as much to dine out as it does to eat at home.
✓ Walking uses a total of 200 muscles with every step you take.
✓ The crossed bones on a pirate flag are human thighbones.
✓ It requires 7 to 8 trees to provide enough oxygen for just one person per year.
✓ In the 1850s, some Paris newspapers were printed on rubber so they could be read in the bathtub.
✓ Cattle are the only mammals that pee backwards.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, TheFactSite
Best of BS . . .
BS THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER KNOW:
• That the FDA allows 1 rodent hair and 30 “insect fragments” per 100 grams of peanut-butter.
• What your cat is plotting.
• What the ‘hokey-pokey’ is really all about.
• Most of what you’ll read on “Urban Dictionary”.
• What you significant other REALLY thinks of you.
• The sheer pain of “Legofoot”.
• The taste of kiwi pizza.
• (***CAUTION***) How ‘spotted dick’ got its name.
• (***CAUTION***) What your “O-face” looks like.
• What life would be like without cookies.
• My weight.
• Any details regarding your own conception.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2020
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ A Tulsa Oklahoma couple says Starbucks charged them $4500 for 2 cups of coffee. (Big deal! That’s only $400 more than I pay…)
➠ Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie will tour together this summer. (It’s being billed as a “concert for the ages” … and those ages are: 60 to 75!)
➠ I just read a survey found that one of the first things’ a person notices about you is your . . . smile! (Unless you have cilantro in your teeth. Not trying to make you self-conscious, but if you have a small green leaf stuck between your teeth, people will notice that first.)
➠ This Tuesday is Fat Tuesday. (Or, as we call it in my family, “Tuesday”.)
➠ “Wheel of Fortune’s” Vanna White turns 66 tomorrow. (She’s now at that age where she occasionally has trouble moving her “VOWELS!”)
BS WEB GOODIE:
All the feels (sound up): https://tinyurl.com/bdz59ary
BS RANDOM JOKE:
No man goes before his time — unless the boss leaves early.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What random act of kindness did someone do for you?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 10% of us do THIS before going grocery shopping. What is it?
Answer: Eat
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Blessed are those who can give without remembering — and take without forgetting.