Monday, January 27, 2025 – Edition: #7880
Tomorrow’s Show Prep Today!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Trace Cyrus has another public message for his father, Billy Ray Cyrus, amid drama surrounding the singer’s health. Trace wrote on Instagram: “Dad, my message was beyond loving. I could have been extremely honest about a lot more, but I don’t want to put your business out there like that. But for you to threaten me with legal action for wanting you to get help is a disgrace.” Trace continued, saying: “I will always love you, but I no longer respect you as a man. Everyone close to you is terrified to tell you how they really feel. I’m not. Get help.” Billy Ray has not publicly responded to the accusations, which were touched off when he struggled through his performance at the Trump inauguration.
-US
★ Ryan Reynolds made a cameo at Hugh Jackman’s New York concert, amid he and wife Blake Lively’s nasty legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Reynolds surprised a packed crowd at Radio City Music Hall on Friday when he stood up in the audience for an impromptu “Hugh & A” during the opening night of “From New York, With Love.” Reynolds started by joking: “I was told this was going to be a comedy version of ‘Les Mis’ as a one-man show. We all said it was a terrible idea but he carried on. I see he’s duped me once again!” After a few quips, he honored his “Deadpool & Wolverine” co-star with a heartfelt speech, saying that Jackman is “a movie star, a capital M movie star” and “genuinely the best human being I know. And I have 4 children!”
-NYPost
★ Mel Gibson and Mark Wahlberg‘s “Flight Risk” faced no traffic on the runway, and lifted off to an easy #1 opening in another sleepy weekend at the January box office. The thriller earned an estimated $12 million domestically. “Mufasa: The Lion King” landed in second place with about $8.7 million, and “One of Them Days” came third. The other new releases proved underwhelming, with Steven Soderbergh’s horror flick “Presence” coming in 5th over the weekend, and the drama “Brave the Dark” even below that.
-Variety
★ Paul Reubens is sharing his truth from beyond the grave. In the posthumous documentary “Pee-wee as Himself”, which premiered Thursday at the Sundance Film Festival, the comedian came out as gay after concealing his sexuality for his entire career. In it, he speaks of how, before becoming known for playing ‘Pee-wee Herman’, Reubens was in a relationship with a man named Guy from Los Angeles, who actually inspired some of Pee-wee’s most iconic catchphrases. The 2-part movie, which will air on HBO, features the final interviews with Reubens, who died of cancer in 2023 at age 70.
-People, NYPost
★ Jennifer Lopez is reportedly eyeing a $20 million mansion in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles — very close to where her former husband Ben Affleck currently lives. J-Lo recently toured the off-market estate, TMZ quotes a source as saying. Reportedly, she “really likes” the property but has “serious concerns” about the surrounding air quality, given the ongoing wildfires. She has plans to bring in an air quality specialist to assess the area before proceeding with any purchase.
-PageSix
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Cynthia Erivo, Sean Evans, Riley Green
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Shailene Woodley, Martha Stewart, Ryan Day, a performance from Broadway’s “Death Becomes Her”
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Chris Hayes, Nicole Scherzinger
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Sterling K. Brown, Lisa Ann Walter
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Margaret Cho, Dylan Adler, Ian Harvie
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Daisy Kelliher, Aesha Scott
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Host Jon Stewart
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): The Political View with Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.)
• “Today” (NBC): Will Ferrell, Idina Menzel, Dr. Vin Gupta, Sheryl Lee Ralph; Kelsea Ballerini co-hosts
• “GMA3” (ABC): Grant Ellis, Kane Brown
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Grant Ellis, David Gray
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Matt Iseman, Sam Heughan, Julia Michaels, Charles Esten
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Brooke Shields, Naomi Watts
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Beth Behrs
• “Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music” (NBC): A documentary featuring the untold stories behind the culture-defining, groundbreaking and news-making musical performances, sketches, and cameos of the past 50 years.
• “The Bachelor” (ABC): Season 29 premiere. Love is on the horizon as 25 remarkable women prepare to open their hearts to Grant Ellis.
• “The Neighborhood” (CBS): The new neighbors who moved into Miss Kim’s old house are keeping the Butlers and Johnsons up all night; Courtney tells Marty she’s going on a date.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Charli XCX – is among the performers announced for the Grammys on Feb. 2. She is nominated for 8 awards. Other Grammy nominees who are set to perform include Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Doechii, RAYE, Sabrina Carpenter, Shakira, and Teddy Swims. More will be announced in the coming days.
• Bruno Mars and Sexxy Red – Friday, they released the collab ‘Fat Juicy & Wet’, which Billboard calls “a gleefully explicit anthem built around the rising pop star’s sexual innuendos and a club-pulverizing beat.” Mars’ recent collaborators Lady Gaga & Rosé both make cameos in the video. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yyfm5exs
• Tina Turner – A 40th-anniversary edition of her Grammy-winning comeback album “Private Dancer” will drop March 21. The 5-CD and 1 Blu-ray collection will include B-sides, live recordings and previously unreleased songs from the era, including ‘Hot for You Baby’, out now. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4kd78z55
• Aerosmith – Some members will reunite for a performance at Steven Tyler’s 6th annual Jam for Janie Grammy Awards Viewing Party next month. The charity event on Feb. 2 will be hosted by Tiffany Haddish, and will reportedly include a performance by Tyler, Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton. Also on the bill are Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Linda Perry, Matt Sorum and Nuno Bettencourt.
• Big Wreck – The rockers have been named 2025 Record Store Day Canada ambassadors (April 12). They will also be releasing their 2012 album “Albatross” on vinyl for the first time in a deluxe 2-LP limited-edition featuring bonus music as a Record Store Day exclusive. Post Malone is 2025 Record Store Day Ambassador for the U.S.
• Morgan Wallen – has scored his 16th #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with ‘Love Somebody’. Since his first chart-topper in 2018 (‘Up Down’ ft. Florida Georgia Line), he has the most #1s on the chart, one more than Luke Combs’ 15. His new album, release date TBA, will be called ‘I’m The Problem’.
• Kane Brown – His new album “The High Road” arrived on Friday. The 18-song project features the lead single ‘Backseat Driver’, plus collabs with Jelly Roll, Brad Paisley, Marshmello, Khalid and Brown’s wife, Katelyn. Kane quote: “This album…is my favorite album I’ve ever made. I get to explore all sides of my story and styles of my music.”
• Lainey Wilson – is the new brand ambassador for the Texas based fast food chain Whataburger. To celebrate, the restaurant is handing out free Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits at participating locations tomorrow. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/32n3kjfw
SHOOTING THE BULL
GOOD AT BAD TASTE:
A team of researchers at Penn State University says it has developed an “electronic tongue” that can detect spoiled food long before humans can. The invention combines atom-thin sensors with AI to detect food fraud, spoilage and contamination “within minutes”. The scientists say the system mimics how humans taste and process flavors, using the sensors, modeled after a person’s taste receptors, to send electrical signals to an “artificial neural network” to analyze the data. In testing, the device was able to detect dangerous compounds at levels equivalent to a single drop in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The team hopes that the system could also be used in the future to also help with medical diagnostics.
(Great. Now I have someone other than my wife to judge my food choices…!)
(Next thing you know, the electronic tongue will start a food blog: “Today’s meal tasted…off, with subtle hints of mold and regret.”
-StudyFinds
ANIMAL TAILS:
⇒ A new survey has found that pet owners spent an average of $2,085 on their animals in 2024. The Talker Research poll, conducted in the US, found that only 52% of pet owners feel they are financially ready for unexpected pet health events, a 30% drop from the year before. Little wonder, as cost of the average unexpected pet health event has grown to $560.80. Despite these financial pressures, 45% of respondents said they expect to maintain their current spending levels in 2025. (Two grand a year sounds like a lot. But then I realized that my wife spent that much on “treaties” and Fu-Fu’s Halloween costume alone!)
⇒ The city of New York’s council will consider a law that would allow people to take paid sick leave to care for their pets. The bill would amend the state Labor Law to allow pet owners to take time off for the diagnosis, care or treatment of an illness, or injury, or the need for medical diagnosis, or preventative care for their animal. The new law would people to use for pet care their allotted time off that is already mandated by New York State, where companies must provide up 56 hours of paid sick leave per year. (“Hi boss, I can’t come in tomorrow. I have to brush my dog’s teeth.”)
-StudyFinds, Reuters
HIS ATTEMPT WAS ‘SASQUATCHED’:
A British Columbia judge has ruled that if a guy can try to track down Bigfoot, he should be able to work, too. The unusual story came up in a recent divorce case that went to BC Supreme Court. The man’s estranged wife told the court that he went on a camping trip on Vancouver Island in 2020 in search of the mythical ape-like sasquatch — and brought along an ex-girlfriend without telling her. While he was away, his wife “fired off a text to him declaring that their marriage was over.” In court, the man asked for spousal support, claiming that he was unable to work due to a mishap that occurred during a previous sasquatch outing years earlier. The judge said that he wasn’t convinced the husband “cannot earn income from employment of some kind or other”, noting that he “continues to enjoy camping, fishing, hunting, riding ‘quad’ motorcycles, and exploring remote areas of B.C. in search of sasquatch.” The couple’s divorce was approved – without spousal support.
(Imagine losing both your wife and Bigfoot in one weekend. Wow — tough break!)
(I mean, if you can chase Bigfoot, you can chase a job. Wait. I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what the judge said!)
-CTVNEWS
NAMES OF THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN HAD NAMES (Pt. 1):
☞ The space between your eyebrows: glabella
☞ The scent after a rainfall: petrichor
☞ The coating at the end of a shoelace: aglet
☞ The rumbling of your stomach: borborygmus
☞ The cry of a newborn baby: vagitis
☞ The prongs of a fork: tines
☞ The light display you see when you press on your closed eyes: phosphenes
☞ The day after tomorrow: overmorrow
☞ The smallest digit on your hand or foot: digitus minimus
(Great. Now, how do I work some of these into a conversation?)
-EnglishLiterature
DID YOU KNOW?
If you see the words “act fast” in an email, beware. In a new PSA, the FBI is flagging some telltale signs that the message in your inbox is a possible scam. One sign, it says, is specific pressure to “act fast.” Those emails should be closed immediately because, they’re likely “a cybernetic Trojan horse”. Microsoft is also warning to “be suspicious of emails and Teams messages that claim you must click, call or open an attachment immediately.” The software company says: “Often, they’ll claim you have to act now to claim a reward or avoid a penalty.” That false sense of urgency “is a common trick used by those attempting phishing attacks and scams.” (I’m supposed to ‘act fast’? Well, the joke’s on them — I haven’t ‘acted fast’ since 2007!)
-NYPost
BS CHRONOMETER 01.27.25
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “International Holocaust Remembrance Day”, commemorating the victims of the holocaust initiated by the WWII Nazi regime and its collaborators. On January 27 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and death camp, was liberated by the Soviet Red Army.
• “Vietnam Peace Day”, observed on the anniversary of the 1973 peace deal signed in Paris that brought an end to America’s (then) longest war.
• “Punch the Clock Day”, a day to calmly do your job stress-free, then go home and enjoy your real life (interrupted every 15 minutes by a work email or text…)
• “Thomas Crapper Day”, in honor of the man who invented the toilet flush mechanism, on the anniversary of his death in 1910. Thomas Crapper & Co became engineers by appointment to the English ‘throne’. (Perhaps you’d like a souvenir to mark this fine occasion…LINK: https://tinyurl.com/y64rfdcn )
• “Better Business Communication Day”, to help companies get on a path to implementing solid communication practices. By encouraging better communication in the workplace, employees feel connected and empowered, which leads to better decision making. (So hit “reply all” on all the emails you receive today!)
• “Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day”, held on the last Monday of January, celebrating the padding we all like to pop. (Would working in a bubble wrap factory be the most distracting job ever?) LINK (Go bananas!): http://tinyurl.com/yc2p8jxw
• “National Geographic Day”, marking the 1888 foundation of the National Geographic Society in Washington DC by a group of geographers, explorers, teachers, lawyers, cartographers, military officers, and financiers. (Just like National Geographic, [***co-host***] has issues going waaaay back!)
• “Chocolate Cake Day”. There’s no shame in overindulging in dessert today, as long as it’s chocolate cake! Made with melted chocolate, cocoa powder, or both, chocolate cakes were first baked in the late 19th century.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] LEGO Day
[Tues] Plan for Vacation Day
[Wed] Chinese New Year
[Thurs] Croissant Day
This Week is…Hot Air Balloon Week
This Month is…Slow Cooking Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1940 [85] James Cromwell, Los Angeles CA, movie actor (“Babe”, “The Green Mile”)/TV actor (“Six Feet Under” 2003-05)
1944 [81] Nick Mason, Birmingham England, prog-rock drummer (Pink Floyd-‘Another Brick in the Wall pt. 2’, ‘Money’)
1956 [68] Mimi Rogers, Coral Gables FL, movie actress (“The Rapture”, “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery”)/TV actress (“Two and a Half Men 2011–2015)/one of 3 women whose marriage to Tom Cruise ended at age 33
1957 [68] Frank Miller, Olney MD, graphic novelist/artist (“The Wolverine”)/movie director (“Sin City” films)/movie producer (“300”)
1959 [66] Cris Collinsworth, Dayton OH, NFL TV analyst (“NBC Sunday Night Football” since 2009/former NFL WR (Cincinnati Bengals 1981-88, 3X Pro Bowl)/17 sports Emmy Awards
1961 [64] Margo Timmins, Montreal QC, roots-folk-pop singer (Cowboy Junkies-‘Sweet Jane’, ‘Anniversary Song’)
1964 [61] Bridget Fonda, Los Angeles CA, retired movie actress (“Singles”, “Single White Female”)/married to Danny Elfman, niece of Jane Fonda
1965 [60] Alan Cumming, Aberfeldy Scotland, TV actor (“The Good Wife” 2010-16, “Instinct” 2018-19)
1968 [57] Tracy Lawrence, Atlanta TX, country singer (‘If the Good Die Young’, ‘Find Out Who Your Friends Are’)
1968 [57] Mike Patton, Eureka CA, alt-metal singer-songwriter (Faith No More-‘Epic’)
1969 [56] Patton Oswalt, Portsmouth VA, TV actor (“The King of Queens” 1998-2007, narrator on “The Goldbergs” 2013-23)/movie actor (“Zoolander”)/comedian (Primetime Emmy and Grammy for his Netflix special “Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping”) COMING UP… “The Dink”
1971 [54] Guillermo Rodriguez, Zacatecas City Mexico, TV comedian (“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” since 2008)
1979 [46] Rosamund Pike, London England, movie actress (“Gone Girl”, “Jack Reacher”)/TV actress (“The Wheel of Time” since 2021/COMING UP… “Now You See Me 3” 2025
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1993 [32] 7’4” (2.24m) pro wrestler and actor André the Giant dies of congestive heart failure at 49.
2004 [21] “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” tops the list of Oscar nominees with 11 nods.
2021 [03] Cloris Leachman, the Oscar and Emmy Award-winning actress, known for roles in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Phyllis”, dies at age 94.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1984 [41] At the peak of his popularity, Michael Jackson films an ad for Pepsi that goes horribly wrong when stray pyro sets his hair on fire.
2015 [10] Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne are given a writing credit on Sam Smith’s mega-hit ‘Stay With Me’, due to its similarities with Petty’s 1989 hit ‘I Won’t Back Down’.
2015 [10] Taylor Swift’s Twitter and Instagram accounts are hacked, resulting in bogus tweets to her 51 million followers. In response, she posts on Tumblr: “Hackers gonna hack hack hack hack hack.”
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2010 [15] Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils a new invention, a tablet PC called the ‘iPad’, at a press conference in San Francisco CA.
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2024 [01] The world’s largest cruise ship “Icon of the Seas”, at 365m long (1,198 ft), 5x larger than the Titanic, and able to accommodate 7,600 passengers, sets sail from Miami on its maiden voyage.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ The average computer user blinks 7 times a minute; the normal rate is 23 times per minute.
✓ The famous line in Titanic from Leonardo DiCaprio, “I’m king of the world!” was improvised.
✓ Nintendo trademarked the phrase “It’s on like Donkey Kong” in 2010.
✓ A lot of that weird creepy music in horror movies is performed on one unique instrument called a ‘waterphone’.
✓ In English, leaving a party without telling anyone is called a “French Exit.” In French, it’s called a “partir à l’anglaise,” meaning” to leave like the English”.
✓ Before the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Usain Bolt ate 100 Chicken McNuggets a day for 10 days straight — and set 3 world records.
-MentalFloss, TheFactSite
Best of BS:
BS IF MEN WERE IN CHARGE OF PLANNING WEDDINGS:
• There would be a ‘Rehearsal Kegger Party’.
• Bridesmaids would wear matching blue jean cut-offs and crop tops.
• Tuxes would have team logos on the back.
• Wedding vows would specifically mention cooking and sex.
• Big slobbery dogs would be eligible for the role of ‘Best Man’.
• There would be ‘Tailgate Receptions’.
-First published in BS in 1999
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ According to a survey, 1 in 9 men secretly wear makeup. (And if JD Vance isn’t one of them, I’ll eat my lipstick!)
➠ The Chinese New Year begins on Wednesday. It’ll be the Year of the Snake. (So remember to stop writing “Year of the Dragon” on your checks…)
➠ A report says that sleeping more on the weekend can help reduce the risk of heart disease. (In my case, that’s because the longer I sleep, the fewer onion rings I can stuff in my face!)
➠ A study has concluded that chocolate is good for your heart. (Which is why you’ll see Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup wrappers all over my treadmill!)
➠ Fact of the Day: The scientific term for ‘Brain Freeze’ is “sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia”. (It’s actually what saying “Brain Freeze” sounds like when you try to talk with a “brain freeze”.)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Snow: It kinda drives you crazy after awhile: https://tinyurl.com/3rrvxtsp
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Tattoos should actually make you MORE employable because they show that you’re able to sit still for hours while tiny needles are jammed into your skin…and that’s exactly what every meeting I’ve ever been in felt like.
BS HEADLIES:
We give you an actual recent headline, and a fake one. You tell us which is real.
• New study reveals the cure for cancer may lie in cookies
• Indonesian woman rescued by fire department after nose ring gets stuck in chair [REAL]
• We tried a $1,000 trash can for food waste. Here’s what we learned [REAL]
• The booker for the Las Vegas Sphere wants you to pitch him an event
• Josh Gad says he was denied a role in ‘Avatar’ because he looked like a ‘tall overweight smurf’ as a Na’vi [REAL]
• Cuba also officially renames Gulf of Mexico, it’s now the Gulf of Cuba
-MorningBrew
☎ BS PHONE STARTER:
Time freezes for everyone except you for one day. What do you do?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
A new survey found that, on average, THIS happens to you 17 times per week at work. What is it?
Answer: You get interrupted
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.