Wednesday, January 25, 2023 – Edition: #7403
You Really Know Your Sheet!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ The movie awards season reached its apex yesterday when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed nominations for the 95th Oscars. The mulitverse-spanning “Everything Everywhere All at Once” scored a leading 11 nominations, followed by “The Banshees of Inisherin” and Netflix’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” with 9 apiece. Also up for best pic are: “Avatar: The Way of Water”, “Elvis”, “The Fabelmans”, “Tár”, “Top Gun: Maverick”, “Triangle of Sadness” and “Women Talking”. All 5 Best Lead Actor nominees are in the mix for the first time — those include Brendan Fraser for “The Whale”, as well as Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), Bill Nighy (“Living”) and Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”). In the Best Lead Actress category, Ana de Armas (“Blonde”), Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”) and Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) are all in the mix for the first time, pitted against Cate Blanchett (“Tár”) and Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”). The Oscars ceremony is set for March. 12, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.
-Deadline
★ Eight-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton will sing the national anthem at this year’s Super Bowl LVII, the NFL has announced. Twelve-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist, songwriter and producer Babyface will sing ‘America the Beautiful’, and “Abbot Elementary” star Sheryl Lee Ralph will perform the song ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’. As part of the pregame show, the US Navy will conduct a flyover of Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium during anthem to commemorate 50 years of women flying in the service. As you no doubt know, Rihanna will headline halftime show. The 2023 Super Bowl is Sunday, Feb. 12.
-Deadline
★ Zoe Saldana rules the box office. She has just become the only performer to star in 4 different films that have reached $2 billion at the box office milestone. With “Avatar: The Way of Water” having just surpassed that mark globally, and her other films including “Avatar,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “Avengers: Infinity War”, all having done the same, she said she feels “grateful and like the luckiest girl in this town knowing that I was invited to join films with special directors in a special cast.” Saldana portrays the blue-skinned ‘Neytiri’ in the “Avatar” films.
-ETCanada
★ Sarah Michelle Gellar is set to receive the Icon Award at this year’s SCAD TVFest. The Emmy award-winner, who graced TV screens for years as our favorite vampire slayer, will be honored in Atlanta during the festival, which runs Feb. 9-11. In addition, SCAD will also screen an episode of the new Paramount+ series “Wolf Pack,” which stars Gellar. She also executive produces the series.
-TheWrap
★ M&M’s has announced it is putting its iconic cartoon “spokescandies” on an “indefinite pause” and replacing them with actress Maya Rudolph after controversy following a mascot makeover last year. The brand said it didn’t expect the changes to their characters would “break the internet,” noting that “even a candy’s shoes can be polarizing.” Last year, the Green M&M got sneakers instead of heels, and the Brown M&M replaced her stilettos for block heels. The mascot makeover gained attention online, but some right-wing commentators took it more seriously, with Fox’s Tucker Carlson calling them “woke” and “less sexy”. Rudolph will appear in an M&M’s ad during this year’s Super Bowl.
-Variety, USAToday
★ Ryan Reynolds has given an under-12s football team in the UK a huge boost by tackling the bill for their new uniforms. He became the co-owner of National League side Wrexham A.F.C. in Wales in 2020. Kayleigh Barton, chair for Wrexham’s kids’ team, set up a fundraising page to raise £480 for new uniforms, and was surprised when she received an email saying that someone named Ryan had donated £1600. Barton’s first thought: “Who’s Ryan?’ She says when she “logged in and it said Ryan Reynolds, and I just said ‘oh my God’, I started shaking I just couldn’t believe it.”
-BBC, Bang
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): D’Arcy Carden, Hailey Whitters
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Pedro Pascal, Jeff Gordon, Lauren London, HARDY featuring Lainey Wilson
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Brett Goldstein, Kal Penn
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Colin Quinn, Gabrielle Union, Danny Carey
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Katie Hannigan
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Elle King, Adriana De Moura
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Nia Long, guest host Wanda Sykes
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Brianne Howey
• “The Talk”(CBS): Cheech Marin
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Nia Long, Chase Elliott, Rebecca Jarvis
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Kate Walsh, Randy Jackson, Paul Rabil
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Allison Williams, Aisha Tyler
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): La La Anthony, Bashir Salahuddin
• “The Price Is Right at Night (CBS): Contestants who work for gratuity get a chance to win the biggest tips of their lives.
• “Name That Tune” (Fox): Celeb contestants Tyron Woodley, Tiki Barber, Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski
• “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” (Fox): The remaining celeb recruits face a skyscraping tactical repel and a high-pressure simulation that puts one over the edge.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Sam Smith — stopped by “The Drew Barrymore Show”, and the host asked for one of the craziest things they’ve ever heard about themselves. Smith responded: “Everyone seems to think that I’m Adele…in drag.” Why? Quote: “Cause we’ve never been seen in the same room together. And if you slow down her voice, it sounds maybe a bit like mine.”
• Lady Gaga — has been laying low recently because she is “focused” on her upcoming role in “Joker: Folie à Deux”. ET reports “She’s completely immersed in the Joker sequel and a lot of her energy is going toward that. She is totally in the zone and wants to kill it.” She is speculated to be playing the role of the Joker’s co-conspirator, ‘Harley Quinn’.
• Kansas — has announced its 50th-anniversary tour, called “Another Fork in the Road”, and has released a career-spanning compilation of the same name. The trek kicks off June 2 in Pittsburgh, and winds its way across the US, ending Jan. 28 in Fort Lauderdale FL.
• Billy Idol – has announced a spring tour of North America. It kicks off Mar. 30 in Scottsdale AZ. He will be joined by his long-time collaborator, guitarist Steve Stevens. Also recently announcing 2023 North American spring/summer tours: Stevie Nicks and REO Speedwagon.
• David Bowie – The Museum of London Dockland has launched an appeal to find a number of iconic items of 20th-century clothing which have gone missing over the years – including a dress worn by Bowie for the UK cover of his “The Man Who Sold the World” album. The museum has plans for an exhibit on Jewish designers who worked on the London fashion circuit.
• Carly Pearce, Lainey Wilson and Gabby Barrett – According to the US Radio Updater, “For the first time since 2020, there are 3 solo female songs charting simultaneously in the Top 10 of US Country Radio (Mediabase).” Barrett’s ‘Pick Me Up’ is at #4, Wilson’s ‘Heart Like A Truck’ has reached #8 and Pearce’s ‘What He Didn’t Do’ is at #10. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/fuywtraz
• Brantley Gilbert — will spend much of this summer rockin’ with Nickelback. He’ll open all the non-festival dates on the band’s “Get Rollin’ Tour”. The 38-city tour kicks off July 12 in Quebec City, and runs through August 30 in Belmont Park NY. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
• Brooks & Dunn – have announced their “Reboot 2023 Tour”, and Scotty McCreery will open all shows. It will hit 17 cities, kicking off in Kansas City MO on May 4. Tickets go on sale this Friday. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/53b2xew8
SHOOTING THE BULL
T-MINUS 90 SECONDS:
If you’re already having a not-so-good day, sorry, but this probably won’t help. Yesterday, the Doomsday Clock, used to illustrate how close humanity is to annihilation, was advanced by 10 seconds to its closest position to apocalypse since it was first started in 1947. It now stands at 90 seconds to midnight, “due largely, but not exclusively to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the increased risk of nuclear escalation.” It had been at 100 seconds to midnight since 2020. The new Clock time was also influenced by the “continued climate crisis, and the breakdown of global norms and institutions needed to mitigate risks associated with…biological threats such as COVID-19.” Rachel Bronson, president and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said: “We are living in a time of unprecedented danger, and the Doomsday Clock time reflects that…we urge leaders to explore all (options for dialogue) to their fullest ability to turn back the Clock.”
(No joke here…tell your elected representatives what you think about it!)
(Wow — I feel like we’re just one Adam Sandler movie away from total annihilation — but come to think of it…I did even before this announcement!)
-TheBulletin
PHONE-Y NEWS:
As 5G wireless technology is just starting to take off, the guys in white lab coats are already working on 6G. And researchers from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst say 6G could involve using people as antennas! 6G telecommunications could take advantage of Visible Light Communication (VLC), which is like a wireless version of fiberoptics. Right now, fiberoptics use incredibly thin glass or plastic strands to transmit information on flashes of light. These wires are extremely small, but also extremely fragile. The researchers say they have created a low-cost method of harvesting waste energy from VLC — using the human body as an antenna. Their invention can recycle waste energy to power wearable devices — and possibly larger electronics as well.
(In a case like this, the “tinfoil hat” crowd might actually be helpful!)
(Humans as an antenna? Wow – what’s old is new again. My dad told me about how he had to hold wires above the TV so my grandad could watch the first Super Bowl!)
-StudyFinds
KID STUFF:
⇒ Eight in 10 (81%) parents think educators should spend time teaching things outside of academics, such as soft skills and current events. And what are the most important character traits for kids to learn early in life? According to a poll of US parents, honesty are most important. The survey also found financial literacy (61%) tops the list of non-academic skills schools should focus on in early childhood, followed by sewing or knitting (46%) and internet safety (45%). 81% of parents also indicated they’d like their children to have an understanding of current events. (And the other 19% DON’T?)
⇒ If you’re starting to think about your kids’ birthday parties this year, here’s an idea of what you can expect: According to a poll of parents, the average child’s birthday party involves 16 guests, 9 presents and lasts 3 hours. The survey of parents with kids ages 3-12, found that 67% of birthday boys and girls expect to enjoy their favorite foods, 56% plan to have clowns or costumed characters at their party, 44% look forward to inflatable playsets, and 43% — laser tag. As for party themes, unicorns are the most-popular, followed by a video-game theme. (16 guests and 9 presents? It looks like some boys and girls are only getting invited to one birthday party this year!)
-SWNS
THE MOST UNUSUAL CELEBRITY BABY NAMES:
(Admittedly, the competition is fierce…)
✪ Aire Webster, son of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott: Kylie revealed the name this month, nearly a year after his birth – and clarified his name is pronounced like “Air”, not “Airy.” Aire was originally named Wolf, but they changed it because it “didn’t really feel like it was him.” (Don’t even ask what ‘Aire’ means in Arabic…)
✪ Malibu Barbie, daughter of Trisha Paytas and Moses Hacmon: Trisha is a YouTuber – we had to look it up. She gave birth in September to…erm…Malibu…or does Malibu go by her middle name?)
✪ Exa Dark Sideræl, daughter of Grimes and Elon Musk: Grimes and Elon Musk named their daughter, born in 2021, Exa Dark Sideræl. They refer to her as Y. Which makes sense, because their son — whose full name is X Æ A-XII (PRON: “X Ash A 12”) – is nicknamed X.
✪ Zillion Heir Cannon, son of Nick Cannon: Zillion Heir was born to Cannon and Abby De La Rose in 2021, and we think he was just flat-out running out of names for his kids by then.
✪ Wednesday Grint, daughter of Rupert Grint and Georgia Groome: They went with an “Addams Family”– inspired name for their daughter. (At least they didn’t decide to go with Morticia – or Fester!)
✪ North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm, kids of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West: After having North, they seriously considered naming a subsequent child ‘South’…
✪ Blue Ivy, daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z: Fans speculate that Ivy represents the Roman numeral IV, which is the number 4, significant for the couple. Their twins are named Sir and Rumi.
✪ Pilot Inspektor, son of Jason Lee: The “My Name is Earl” star also has children named Casper Sonny and Alberta.
✪ Speck Wildhorse, son of John Mellencamp: His other son is Hud (And we respeck that!)
✪ Apple, daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin: We understand the famous former couple’s daughter acted up in a restaurant once, and bad Apple “spoiled the whole brunch”!)
✪ Zuma Nesta Rock, son of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale: Of COURSE this couple chose a baby name that, well, rocks!
✪ Moon Unit, Diva, Dweezil and Ahmet, kids of Frank Zappa: You didn’t think we’d cover weird celeb baby names without mentioning Moon Unit, did you?
-PageSix
DID YOU KNOW?
The next superfood could very well be…algae. Researchers from the University of California-San Diego have created a report, breaking down the environmental and nutritional benefits of making algae a mainstream food. It has been heavily studied as a source of biofuel due to its high fat content, but its also considered to be an efficient food source due to its high protein and impressive overall nutritional profile.
-StudyFinds
BS CHRONOMETER 01.25.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Robbie Burns Day”, party time for Scots everywhere! Honoring Scotland’s national poet, who was born January 25, 1759, and whose most famous composition was ‘Auld Lang Syne’. A traditional “Burns Supper” includes cock-a-leekie soup (fowl, leeks, and herbs), haggis (minced sheep’s heart, lungs, and liver mixed with oatmeal), neeps and tatties (mashed turnip and potatoes). The meal is then washed down with Scotch whisky toasts. (***See “Scots or Not?”, below***)
• “Intravenous Nurse Day”, saluting nurses whose main ambition in life is finding a good vein in patients’ forearms in which to insert a needle. In fact, medical insiders will tell you nurses often ogle and discuss the veins of unsuspecting people in public places. This is known as “nurse porn”.
• “Irish Coffee Day”, a delicious cocktail made with black coffee, sugar, Irish whiskey, and whipped cream. Joe Sheridan, a bartender at Foynes Airbase in Ireland, invented the concoction in 1942 as replenishment after a miserably cold 18-hour journey across the Atlantic.
• “Opposite Day”, a day to do everything backwards (eat wrong-handed, say the opposite of what you mean, etc.) as a fun way to get out of your tedious, day-in, day-out, lackluster, humdrum, milquetoast, run-of-the-mill rut. (I’m wearing my socks on the wrong feet!)
• “Library Shelfie Day”, some book collectors arrange them so their spines can be admired. Others have a system of organization that results in an alternative art form. However they’re organized on the shelf, today you should take a “shelfie,” and share it on social media. (Do you just screen-shot your ‘list’ if you have a Kindle?)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Peanut Brittle Day
[Thurs] Green Juice Day
[Fri] International Holocaust Remembrance Day
[Sat] LEGO Day
This Week is…Meat Week
This Month is…Mentoring Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1953 [70] “The Honky Tonk Man” (Roy Wayne Farris), Gilbert AZ, pro wrestler (held the WWF Intercontinental Championship for a record 64 weeks/WWE Hall of Fame, 2019
1957 [66] Jenifer Lewis, Kinloch MS, movie actress (“Sister Act”, “What’s Love Got to do With It”) TV actress (“Black-ish” 2015-22)/singer (back up for Bette Midler)
1962 [61] Chris Chelios, Chicago IL, retired NHL player (3-time Stanley Cup champ, second oldest person to play in the NHL, at age 48 in 2010)
1978 [45] Volodymyr Zelensky, Kryvyi Rih Ukraine, Ukranian politician (President since 2019)/TV actor-comedian (‘President Goloborodko’ on “Servant of the People” 2015-19)
1981 [42] Alicia Keys (Cook), NYC, pop-R&B singer (‘Fallin’’, w/Jay Z-‘Empire State of Mind’)/movie actress (“The Secret Life of Bees”, “The Nanny Diaries”)/TV personality (coach on “The Voice” 2016-18)
1985 [38] Michael Trevino, Montebello CA, TV actor (‘Tyler Lockwood’ on “The Vampire Diaries” 2009-2017, “Roswell, New Mexico” 2019-22)
1996 [27] Calum Hood, Sydney Australia, pop vocalist-bassist (5 Seconds of Summer-‘Youngblood’, ‘Don’t Stop’)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2004 [19] “The Lord Of the Rings: Return Of the King” wins both musical categories (‘Best Original Score’, ‘Best Original Song’) at the Golden Globes
2017 [06] Mary Tyler Moore, known for her roles on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, dies at 80
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2003 [20] Billy Joel escapes relatively unharmed when he totals his Mercedes on a Long Island NY highway (his defence: he was in a “mental fog” caused by lingering depression due to the 9/11 attacks … 16½ months earlier)
2011 [12] 53-year-old Canadian singer Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy becomes first in the world to graduate from Liverpool Hope University with a Masters degree in “The Beatles”
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1924 [99] The first Winter Olympic Games begin in Chamonix, France
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Your brain literally heats up when you’re stressed. Smiling can cool it down.
✓ The word ‘yo’ was first used in the 15th century.
✓ ‘Yoda’ was almost played by a monkey.
✓ Some species of ants explode when attacked (T-ant-T?).
✓ Listening to sad music when you’re feeling sad can actually make you happier.
✓ July 16th is said to be the happiest day of the year… Only 172 days to go.
-WhattheFFacts, UberFacts
Best of BS . . .
BS FAKE ‘DRY JANUARY’ FACTS:
• If you want to participate, there’s a 3-drink minimum.
• If you thought January lasted forever BEFORE, now, it’ll just fly by…
• Non-alcoholic beer and mocktails are perfectly sufficient as substitutes.
• You are allowed to enjoy dry gin, dry cider, or a dry martini.
• If it rains during Dry January, you have to start all over again. Some years, it lasts ‘til August.
• People really enjoy listening to you explain why you’re taking part.
• It would be even harder if it didn’t ‘pause’ every night at 8pm.
• It’s fun.
• I also won’t be drinking on Feb. 1st.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2022
BS SIGNS YOUR DOCTOR IS TRYING TO KILL YOU:
• Keeps wanting to test your reflexes with a rusty bear-trap.
• Before attaching EKG electrodes, asks you to stand in a pail of water.
• Her examining table has a chalk body outline drawn on it.
• You come out of anesthesia laying in the fast lane of a busy highway.
• He has other patients’ heads mounted on the wall.
• Just as you’re going under, you hear him say: “Say hi to Kirstie Alley for me.”
• You stop by for a flu shot and go home with a baboon liver.
-First published in BS in 2012
BS WEB GOODIE:
Meme come to life (sound up): https://tinyurl.com/3hh32j2z
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my metabolism the most…
BS ‘SCOTS OR NOT?’
A mirthful way to celebrate “Robbie Burns Day”. Which of the following were born in Scotland?
• “Fargo” actor Ewan McGregor. (Aye, he’s a Scot. Born in Perth, Scotland in 1971.)
• Rock star Rod Stewart. (Och, he’s not! Born in London, he’s of Scottish ancestry.)
• Tennis star Andy Murray. (Scot. Born in Glasgow in 1987.)
• “300” movie actor Gerard Butler. (Scot, born in Paisley in 1969.)
• AC/DC guitarist Angus Young. (Scot. Born in Glasgow in 1955, moved to Australia at age 8.)
• Singer Lewis Capaldi. (Scot. Born in Bathgate, Scotland in 1996.)
• “Lord of the Rings” actor Sir Ian McKellen. (Not. Born in England in 1939.)
• Comedian and “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” star Colin Mochrie. (Scot, born in Kilmarnock; moved to Canada at age 7.)
• TV chef Gordon Ramsay. (Aye, a Scot. Born in Johnstone, Scotland.)
• “Eurythmics” singer Annie Lennox. (Scot. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1954 – Would I Lie to You?)
• Designer Tommy Hilfiger. (Not, but claims to be a direct descent of Robert Burns…)
• Movie actor Liam Neeson. (Not. Sure, he played famed Scot ‘Rob Roy’, but he’s Irish.)
-FamousBirthdays
BS PHONE STARTERS:
What’s the best thing to do on a cold winter day? (***Or…***)
What’s the best thing to do when it’s too hot to be outside?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Stats show that people who do THIS have more friends than people who don’t. What is it?
Answer: Make their bed every day
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Be yourself. No one can tell you you’re doing it wrong.