Tuesday, January 31, 2023 – Edition: #7407

We’ve gone Bullistic!

 

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:

★ (***UPDATE***) Cindy Williams, who played ‘Shirley’ opposite Penny Marshall’s ‘Laverne’ on the popular sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” has died at age 75. Williams died in Los Angeles Wednesday after a brief illness, her children said in a statement. She also starred in George Lucas’ 1973 film “American Graffiti” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation” from 1974. But she was by far best known for “Laverne & Shirley,” the “Happy Days” spinoff that ran from 1976-1983 that in its prime was among the most popular shows on TV.
-NPR

★ Lisa Marie Presley was on an extreme weight loss regimen in the months leading up to her death, because she wanted to look her best to celebrate the “Elvis” movie at various awards ceremonies, according to TMZ, which cites family sources. The outlet reports that 2 months before the Golden Globes, Presley underwent plastic surgery and began taking weight loss meds — eventually dropping 40-50 pounds in the 6 weeks leading up to the Globes. What’s more, the sources say she was taking opioids — an addiction she struggled with for years. TMZ says that on the morning she died, Presley complained of abdominal pain.
-TMZ
★ Hulk Hogan is without feeling in his lower body, according to a fellow wrestler. The 69-year-old ring legend made a surprise appearance at the 30th anniversary of Raw in Philadelphia last week, but according to Kurt Angle, he is hiding the serious impact of recent back surgery and needs to use a cane due to the loss of sensation. Speaking on his own “Kurt Angle Show” podcast, the former Olympic champion said that during his back surgery, “He had the nerves cut from his lower body. He can’t feel his lower body…He doesn’t have any pain. He has nothing at all. He can’t feel anything.” In 2021, Hulk’s daughter, Brooke Hogan, revealed her dad had undergone 25 surgeries in the last decade.
-Bang
★ Eddie Murphy is more than ready to reprise ‘Donkey’ in a 5th “Shrek” movie — and in a Donkey-centric spinoff. So far, only Antonio Banderas’ ‘Puss in Boots’ has gotten the Shrek spinoff treatment, but Murphy says his character far funnier and more worthy of its own film. In a recent interview, Murphy said he’d “absolutely be open if they ever came with another Shrek, I’d do it in two seconds.”
-Variety
★ Brendon Fraser says it was a feeling of “self-loathing” that led him to perform his own stunts early in his career. Fresh off an Oscar nomination for his performance in “The Whale,” Fraser said in a recent interview that as he acted in action flicks like “The Mummy” and “George of the Jungle”, his discomfort with fame led him to perform his own stunts as a way to ensure “those physical performances, whether fighting, dancing or comedy, had an element of self-sacrifice.” Quote: “I think on some level I felt I deserved [a beating], and wanted to be the one who got in the first punch.”
-TheWrap
★ Nicole Kidman is getting set to star in another high-profile limited series. She and “Pen15” co-creator and co-lead Maya Erskine are set to star in “The Perfect Nanny”, based on the book of the same name by Leïla Slimani. The show will tell the story of a seemingly perfect nanny who goes to work for a couple with 2 young children, but her helpful personality eventually deteriorates into something sinister. Kidman previously starred and executive produced HBO’s “Big Little Lies”, and “The Undoing.”
-Deadline
★ Priyanka Chopra has revealed she shares some meaningful tattoos with her husband, Nick Jonas. In a new video for British Vogue, she says: “I have a check and a box behind my ears. My husband has them on his arms, because when he proposed, he (said) that I checked all his boxes, and would I check another one.” The pair got engaged in July 2018 after months of dating, and married in December of that year. Chopra also showed off a tattoo of her late father’s handwriting, a map of the world, and 3 paw prints representing her dogs. LINK: https://youtu.be/j8JTE_5oAVo
-PageSix

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Pamela Anderson, Mike Lindell, Fall Out Boy
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Dave Bautista, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Bryan Adams
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Jessica Chastain, Jay Shetty
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Terry Crews, Rupert Grint, Rian Johnson, Keio Stroud
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Sally Field, Scott Caan, Måneskin
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Tracy Tutor, Josh Flagg
•  “The Daily Show” (COM): Guest host D.L. Hughley
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Jay Shetty
• “The Talk”(CBS): Rachel Bilson, guest co-host Kristine Johnson
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Kal Penn, Ben Aldridge
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Anthony Anderson, Iliza Shlesinger, Noah Galuten, Sam James
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Taylor Schilling, Wolfgang Puck
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Tia Mowry, Ledisi
• “Night Court” (NBC): With Abby’s encouragement, Dan attempts to venture back into the dating world, which proves complicated; Gurgs and Olivia search for a new office and find a surprise.
• “Fight the Power: How Hip-Hop Changed the World” (PBS): Series premiere. A look at the origins of hip-hop and its first socially conscious hit — ‘The Message’ — by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, in 1982. Hosted by Chuck D
• “9-1-1: Lone Star” (Fox): Strand and the 126 race to the rescue when a woman is trapped in her mobile home; Owen has a run-in with a former nemesis; Tommy asks Grace for advice.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Katy Perry – says she once made the “huge mistake” of passing on the chance to collaborate with a then-unknown Billie Eilish. She received an email asking her to guest on ‘Ocean Eyes’, which became Eilish’s debut single. Quote: “And I was like, ‘Meh, boring.’”
• Harry Styles – Split his pants mid-performance last Thursday at the LA Forum. The wardrobe malfunction has been described as a “Lenny Kravitz moment”, meaning his pants tore open right down the crotch, for everyone in the audience to see – his boxers. Of course, hundreds were filming at the time, so if you’re interested, you can find footage…
• Nirvana – In a new fan Q&A, the Breeders’ Kelley Deal told of the time Krist Novoselic followed classic rock star behavior and threw a TV out of a hotel window. But she said, first, he “called down to the front desk, got permission, paid for the TV and asked security to make sure nobody was below. This is the kind of sweet band they were…but the funniest bit was all the planning and anticipation.”
• U2 – Friday, they released a “reimagined” version of their 1987 hit ‘With or Without You’, the group’s first #1 hit in the US. The new version appears on the group’s upcoming album “Songs of Surrender”, featuring reworkings of songs from throughout their career. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4a6yfc9d
• Rod Stewart – phoned into a British TV talk show discussing the British health service crisis, and offered to cover people’s medical bills. After hearing callers discussing their struggles to secure appointments for scans on existing conditions, Stewart said on air: “I would like to pay for 10 or 20 scans or however much it takes. I don’t know how we’re [going to] work this out…Hopefully, some other people will follow.
• Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson and Keith Urban – will headline the 2023 Watershed Festival Aug. 4-6 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George WA. The main stage will also see performances by Wade Bowen, Travis Denning, Ernest, Parker McCollum, Carly Pearce, Tenille Townes, Lainey Wilson and more.
• Cole Swindell – has released the single ‘Drinkaby’ (rhymes with lullaby), and his new deluxe album “Stereotype Broken” drops April 28. Of his new song, Swindell says: “From the first time I heard it, I pictured it being a huge show opener…“I’m not sure if there is such thing as a fun breakup song but that’s kind of what this is.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/58fmt33e
• Reba McEntire – shared on social media on Saturday that Reba’s Place is open. Her hot spot in Atoka OK is an eatery and bar complete with a centrally-located stage. Her post features a montage of delicious-looking dinner dishes, fruity cocktails and shots of the venue. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2arcn3s5

SHOOTING THE BULL

MORE CHATGPT CHAT:
❑ Researchers from the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra say computer algorithms are not only capable of telling how old someone is by their facial features, but they can also put an objective number on how many years a facelift takes off their looks. In a study, they found an AI system identified each person’s “before” age with 100% accuracy. As for the “after” photos, AI concluded that a facelift takes 4.3 years off someone’s appearance. That’s significantly lower than what patients thought of their surgeon’s handiwork. Participants believed their facelifts took 6.7 years off their age, on average. (If one facelift takes 4 years off your appearance, I’m pretty sure that would mean Reba McEntire looks 13!)
❑ As the ChatGPT craze continues to gather speed, some researchers are warning that artificial intelligence could some day “go rogue”, resulting in an “existential threat to humanity” that might even cause humans to go extinct, and needs to be regulated like nuclear weapons if we are to survive. Michael Cohen, a doctoral student at Oxford, said: “With superhuman AI there is a particular risk that is of a different sort of class, which is . . . it could kill everyone.” His colleague Michael Osborne, who teaches machine learning at the UK university, forecasts that advanced AI could “pose just as much risk to us as we have posed to other species: the dodo is one example.” (Their fellow students replied: “Shut up, man…these things can write essays for us”, then promptly gave them wedgies!)
-StudyFinds, NYPost

COME ON FEEL THE GREEN NOISE:
You’ve heard of using a “white-noise” machine to help you get to sleep at night – but how about “green noise”? According to sleep experts, green noise is one of the least talked about variations of white noise – but it has seen a 425% search interest increase in the past 5 years. What is green noise? While white noise (like the classic example of a radio tuning) is spread across the sound spectrum, featuring both low and high frequencies, and brown noise focuses on deeper sounds, sleep expert Martin Seeley explains that green noise “is a variation of white noise in the middle of the spectrum. But as its name suggests, many of the sounds are what we would consider nature. Think of it like ocean waves.” Some other examples of green noise are trickling waterfalls, gentle forest soundscapes, or pretty much any nature sound that promotes relaxation. And if you’re struggling with stress in everyday life, green noise is said to help restore a sense of calm. If this sounds like you, try testing out green noise using sleep apps such as SimplyNoise, Rainy Mood and Calm. Use headphones where possible to block out external noises, and experiment with different volumes to find the right level to send you off to sleep. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2y9tk4bz
(Actually, as a parent of small, loud kids, all I need is the headphones…good, heavy headphones!)
(My first thought was that green noise must be the name given to an EV with a bad muffler. Doh!)
-Huffpost

BEST DOG BREEDS FOR FAMILIES:
According to a survey of 10 expert pet websites…
1. Mutt/Rescue:  The shelter or rescue workers spend their days caring for the dogs, so they can let you know about the ins and outs of a dog’s personality and habits.
2. Tie: Golden Retriever/Labrador Retriever:  They are both famous for their happy disposition and being child-friendly.
3. Beagle:  Positively adorable and definitely kid-appropriate, beagles are “merry, friendly, and curious.”
4. French Bulldog:  The current Instagram “It” dog is great for families who don’t do a lot of extended outdoor activities. They are easygoing, and not terribly athletic.
5. Tie: Irish Setter/Poodle:  Irish setters are “outgoing, sweet-natured, active, and trainable,” while poodles are a very smart and gentle breed, and popular among allergy-sufferers.
-StudyFinds

SIMPLE EATING TIPS TO LOSE 20 POUNDS IN A YEAR WITHOUT CHANGING YOUR LIFESTYLE:
⇒ Once per week, skip the cheese on your hamburger — Calories saved per year: 5,876, lose 2lbs. per year.
⇒ Go for a ‘tall’ latte instead of a ‘grande’ on at Starbucks — Calories saved: 32,760, 9lbs.
⇒ Once a week, top your salad with Italian dressing rather than Caesar — Calories saved: 7,696, 2lbs.
⇒ Twice a week, choose an English muffin instead of a bagel for breakfast — Calories saved: 2,496, 7lbs.
(There it is – the laziest possible way to lose 20 pounds in a year. And you didn’t even have to drink light beer!)
-Brobible

DID YOU KNOW?
A Florida man recently won $1 million after a stranger cut in front of him at a lottery ticket machine. Stephen Munoz Espinoza told Florida Lottery officials that he stopped at the Publix supermarket in his hometown of Delray Beach after “a long day,” but didn’t let the line-cutting stranger get to him, and decided to “buy a ticket at the counter instead.” There, he purchased a 500X THE CASH Scratch-Off game — and to his surprise, it was a winner. (Stories that begin with the words “A Florida man” usually have a vastly different ending!)
-People

BS CHRONOMETER 01.31.23

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Backwards Day”, a day to relieve Winter blahs by doing everything backwards, ie: calling people by their last name, eating meals in reverse, (***signing off your show at the beginning***), etc.  (Not to be confused with “Opposite Day”, which we celebrated last week. Actually…yes! It is very much to be confused with Opposite Day!)
• “Plan for Vacation Day”, in the US, celebrated on the last Tuesday of January, to encourage people to plan their time off. Recent stats show 52% of Americans don’t use all their vacation time, and 24% haven’t taken any paid leave in more than a year. (Take your time!)
• “Hell is Freezing Over Day”, a day to make a list of things you have said or thought in the past that you would never, ever do. Think about each one to see if you still feel the same way. (***See BS Phone Starter, below***)
• “Hot Chocolate Day”, saluting the warm and creamy beverage we love to drink on a cold Winter’s day.
• “Inspire Your Heart With Art Day”, celebrating the effect it can have on your disposition. Look at a piece of art and ask yourself – What is telling me? How does it make me feel? What emotions is it evoking within me? (What is that thing?)
• “Brandy Alexander Day”, saluting the classic dessert drink that combines brandy with dark crème de cacao in a silky blend — often likened to an alcoholic milkshake.
• “Scotch Tape Day”, on this day in 1930, the 3M Company (then called Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing) revealed Scotch Tape. Consisting of clear cellophane tape with a pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side, it would become a household and office necessity.
• “Eat Brussels Sprouts Day”, just in case you aren’t already in a bad mood. The small cabbage and cruciferous vegetables were developed from cabbage around the 1400s in Brussels, Belgium. (So, where’d the name come from?)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Car Insurance Day
[Wed] Change Your Password Day
[Thurs] Crêpe Day
[Fri] Carrot Cake Day
This Week Is…Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week
This Month Is…Slow Cooking Month

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1947 [76] Nolan Ryan, Refugio TX, retired MLB pitcher (record 7 no-hitters, all-time strikeout leader with 5,714, 8-time all-star, Baseball Hall of Fame 1999)/played 27 seasons with Mets, Angels, Astros, Rangers

1947 [76] Jonathan Banks, Washington DC, TV actor (‘Mike’ on “Breaking Bad” 2009-2012, same character on “Better Call Saul” 2015-22)

1956 [67] John Lydon (“Johnny Rotten”), London England, punk rock singer (Sex Pistols -‘God Save the Queen’, Anarchy in the U.K.’, Public Image Ltd-‘Disappointed’)

1970 [53] (Amelia) ‘Minnie’ Driver, London England, movie actress (“Good Will Hunting”)/TV actress (“Speechless” 2016-19) coming up… “Chevalier”, 2023

1973 [50] Portia DeRossi (Amanda Rogers), Horsham Australia, TV actress (“Arrested Development” 2003-2018, “Ally McBeal” 1998-2002)/married to Ellen DeGeneres since 2008

1977 [46] Kerry Washington, Bronx NY, TV actress (‘Olivia Pope’ on “Scandal” 2012-18)/movie actress (“Django Unchained”, “Ray”)

1981 [42] Justin Timberlake, Memphis TN, pop singer (‘Can’t Stop the Feeling!’, ‘SexyBack’, *NSYNC-‘Bye Bye Bye’)/movie actor (“The Social Network”)/married to Jessica Biel since 2012

1987 [36] Marcus Mumford, Yorba Linda CA (raised London England), folk rock singer-musician (Mumford & Sons-‘I Will Wait’, ‘Believe’)/married to Carey Mulligan since 2012

1987 [36] Tyler Hubbard, Monroe GA, country singer (‘5 Foot 9’, Florida Georgia Line-‘Stay’, ‘Cruise’)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1999 [24] Seth MacFarlane’s “Family Guy” airs for the first time, on Fox

2022 [01] The online word puzzle “Wordle” is purchased for a “low seven figure sum” by The New York Times

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2010 [13] Beyoncé wins 6 of her 10 Grammy nominations – including Song of the Year for ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)’ – giving her the most wins in one night of any female artist (now tied with Adele)

2021 [02] Capping a night out, Morgan Wallen yells the n-word at his (white) drinking buddy outside his home. It’s caught on video, leading to his music being dropped from most radio stations. But the controversy scores him a surge in streams and sales, keeping his “Dangerous: The Double Album” at #1 for a total of 10 weeks

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1990 [33] The first McDonalds in the Soviet Union opens, in Moscow (In May 2022, the company announced it would sell all its restaurants in Russia, which were rebranded the Russian term for “Tasty and that’s it”)

TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
2012 [11] The Toyota Corolla becomes the best-selling car model of all-time, surpassing the VW Beetle, with 37.5 million sold (over 50 million as of 2021)

2015 [08] At 17, New Zealander Lydia Ko becomes the youngest #1-ranked golfer in the world, beating the record set by Tiger Woods in 1997 at age 21

BULL’S BITS 

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ There are 10 towns named ‘Hollywood’ in the United States.
✓ It is illegal to purchase or consume Jack Daniel’s Whiskey in the town in which it is produced (Lynchburg, Tennessee).
✓ When tea was made available in bags, it was intended to be removed from the bags by customers, but they found it easier to brew tea without removing it.
✓ Cucumber, pressed to the roof of your mouth for 30 seconds, can cure bad breath.
✓ If you’re over 100 years old, there’s an 80% chance you’re a woman.
✓ White-faced capuchin monkeys greet each other by sticking their fingers up each others’ noses.
-HookedonFacts, TheFactSite

Best of BS . . .
BS UNLIKELY LIMO DESTINATIONS:
• The laundromat
• A Kid Rock Concert
• The DMV
• Antarctica
• Dollar Tree
• An Amish Wedding
• The bus station
• Home Depot
• The ATM
• Blockbuster
• My house
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019

BS THINGS YOU’LL NEVER HEAR ON A REALITY TV SHOW:
• “I came here to make friends, not to win.”
• “With this project, we bit off exactly the right amount to chew.”
• “I’m not here to find someone to have casual sex with.”
• “This basement will make a great woman-cave for you, honey.”
• “This is not at all dangerous. I know exactly how it’s going to turn out.”
• “What’s great about this recipe is that it’s impossible to do at home. If you try, it will take all day and require ingredients that are simply not available from your local grocery.”
• “He did not have near enough alcohol to drink.”
• “That was totally not scripted.”
• “This stunt should be tried at home. We are not professionals.”
• “Winning this competition will not change your life in any meaningful way.”
–JasonGuder

BS WEB GOODIE:
Blast from the past – “stoned” by the lake (sound up):  https://tinyurl.com/nzdua46v

BS RANDOM JOKE:
“Be yourself” is just about the worst advice you can give to some people.

BS PHONE STARTER:
What thing that you said you’d never do . . . have you done?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  12% of single women say THIS is the #1 deal breaker on a first date. What is it?
Answer:  Being picked up in a dirty or messy vehicle

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
One day – or day one. You decide.