Thursday, January 30, 2025 — Edition #7883
100% Grade A Bull!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Days after teasing an “iconic” reunion on Instagram, Meg Ryan and Billy Crytal are indeed back together – and in Katz’s Deli, no less — this time for a new Super Bowl ad. In the new spot for Hellmann’s mayonnaise, the 2 return to the deli as their beloved characters from “When Harry Met Sally”. Crystal immediately jokes that he “can’t believe they let us back in this place.” As Ryan bites into her sandwich, she’s unimpressed, and adds a helping of the mayo. And can you guess what happens next? As she takes another bite, she starts moaning in pleasure, prompting Crystal to sigh and say, “Here we go!” Spolier alert: After Crystal remarks: “This one’s real,” it becomes apparent that the classic scene wouldn’t be complete without an onlooker telling their waiter: “I’ll have what she’s having.” That onlooker? Sydney Sweeney. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2rds95u8
-TheWrap
★ Super Bowl LIX is still over a week away, but Fox-TV has already scored a key Big Game touchdown. Fox has sold at least 10 of the commercials that will appear in its Feb. 9 telecast of the NFL championship between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles for more than $8 million, according sources. That’s a new record price for Super Bowl spots, which have gone for an average of $7.5 million this year. In November, during a quarterly earnings call, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch declared Super Bowl inventory sold out “at record pricing.” At that time, the price was believed to be north of $7 million — but it has surged even higher since.
-Deadline, Variety
★ Mark Consuelos, the co-host of “Live with Kelly & Mark”, and Kelly Ripa’s husband, has joined the cast of “Scream 7”. Details regarding the film’s plot and the character Consuelos will play are under wraps. He joins the previously announced legacy cast members Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, as well as Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown, alongside newcomers Isabel May, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Sam Rechner, Anna Camp and Joel McHale. Scream 7 is scheduled for release in theaters on Feb. 27, 2026.
-Deadline
★ After more than 100 episodes on ABC, “The Conners” are bidding farewell with their final 6 episodes. It has been announced that Season 7 will kick off on March 26. Series stars John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert and others are all back for the farewell season of the show, which is a continuation of the sitcom “Roseanne”. Executive producers Bruce Helford and Dave Caplan previously said that the Roseanne reboot, from which The Connors was derived, was originally meant to be a one-season event series that corrected the original sitcom’s legacy after a critically panned final season that aired in 1997.
-TheWrap
★ Quentin Tarantino is writing a play. His last film, 2019’s “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” inspired headlines claiming it would be his final film. In a new interview, he said: “If you’re wondering what I’m doing right now, I’m writing a play. It’s probably going to be the next thing I end up doing.” He didn’t, however, rule out the possibility that his play could be mined as a big-screen adaptation. Quote: “If it’s a fiasco I probably won’t turn it into a movie. But if it’s a smash hit? It might be my last movie.”
-HollywoodReporter
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Pamela Anderson, Will Sasso, The Weeknd
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Pete Davidson, Sadie Sink, Olivia Tiedemann
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Nicole Kidman, Jacob Soboroff
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Will Forte, Conner O’Malley
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Jinkx Monsoon, BenDeLaCreme, Peaches Christ
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Austen Kroll, Patricia Altschul
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Vince Beiser, host Michael Kosta
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Henry Louis Gates Jr.
• “Today” (NBC): Noah Centineo, Melissa Roxburgh; Wynonna Judd co-hosts
• “GMA3” (ABC): Michael Yo, Samantha Brown
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Garcelle Beauvais, Monica Mangin, Dr. William Li
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon; Meredith Hagner and Geraldine Viswanathan
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Isla Fisher, Chef Nick DiGiovanni
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Hadiyah Cummings
• “Scamanda” (ABC): Series premiere. A beautiful young mother is given a devastating cancer diagnosis; her community and church rally around her as she inspires thousands with a blog, bravely chronicling her journey.
• “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” (CBS): Tensions rise when Georgie intrudes on Mandy’s new sales gig; Audrey is conflicted when Jim makes it a point not to coddle Connor.
• “Hell’s Kitchen” (Fox): The finalists are visited by their loved ones, receive a makeover, and visit Hell’s Kitchen Foxwoods for the first time.
• “Law & Order” (NBC): When a wealthy man is executed in his home, Shaw and Riley aim to determine who was greedy enough to want him dead. Followed by a new “SVU”.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Jonas Brothers – have dropped a “Love Actually”-themed teaser for their “Jonas Brothers Christmas Movie”, with Nick supposedly being the only one who understands how the bit made famous by Andrew Lincoln actually works. It drops holiday season 2025 on Disney+. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bdcm5kt3
• Ariana Grande – Her new campaign for Swarovski launches today. The 16-piece Ariana Grande X Swarovski Capsule collection was inspired by the shape of musical notes, and features rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants and even a tiara.
• Shaboozey – is the latest to join the parade of stars appearing in Super Bowl ads this year. In a teaser for the ad for Nerds Gummy Clusters, he plays a guitar as he takes a bite of the candy. A pink Nerd appears, and turns his guitar to a colorful, Nerd-encrusted instrument. It ends with the words, “Unleash your senses. New Orleans 02.09.2025.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2jete3tx
• Paul McCartney – The 50th anniversary of his classic Wings album “Venus and Mars” will be celebrated with a half-speed master reissue of the album, out Mar. 21. The remaster was created at Abbey Road Studios using the original master recordings from 1975. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3r2ewvkh
• Rush — will celebrate their 50th anniversary with a box set featuring 7 previously unreleased songs from early in their career. Out March 21, it’ll trace the evolution of the band from their debut 1973 single to their last-ever live performance, in 2015. An unboxing video is available now on YouTube. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2k8m8jxc
• Kansas and 38 Special — are teaming up for a summer US tour that will also feature Jefferson Starship, the Outlaws and Dave Mason. It kicks off June 6 in Richmond VA, and is set to end July 26 in Rogers AK. Tickets are on sale now. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mwtunrfj
• Luke Combs — surprised Australian fans with a performance of an unreleased song while on his stadium tour Down Under. While onstage in Brisbane, he strummed his acoustic guitar and sang ‘Pushin’ Up Daisies’, a song about surviving an accident and having a second chance at life. He also played the song in Sept. during the launch of his Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit.
• Jelly Roll – has one of the most recognizable faces in music, but on a recent trip to Hawaii for wife Bunnie Xo’s birthday, he evaded detection. She shared video of Jelly in a public place, realizing that nobody recognized him — despite the fact that his song was playing on the speakers. Jelly is seen cracking up while saying: “You hear that? They’re playing ‘Save Me’ right now and nobody here knows it.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yjk4jedx
• Carrie Underwood – is among the members who will perform when The Grand Ole Opry celebrates its centennial with NBC’s “Opry 100: A Live Celebration,” on March 19 from 8-11pm, with Blake Shelton hosting. Other members set to appear include Ashley McBryde, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Clint Black, Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Randy Travis, and more.
SHOOTING THE BULL
NO KIDDING:
According to a new study, middle-children rule. I’m paraphrasing, sure, but a pair of Canadian university researchers found that the so-called “longest-suffering” siblings generally grow up to be “better” than their brothers and sisters. In what ways? Michael Ashton of Brock University and Kibeom Lee of the University of Calgary concluded that middle children wind up “more honest, humble and agreeable than their siblings. They said this means that middle-kids tend to be better-equipped to “forgive the wrongs that they suffered, are lenient in judging others, are willing to compromise and cooperate with others, and can easily control their temper.” They also are likely to “avoid manipulating others for personal gain” and be “uninterested in lavish wealth and luxuries, and feel no special entitlement to elevated social status.” The youngest child in a family came second in the evaluation, while the oldest fared worst. Only children also fared poorly. Famous middle children include Martin Luther King, Jr., Madonna, Warren Buffett and Abraham Lincoln.
(And probably some non-Americans!)
(So, middle children are better than other kids – except for the fact that they’re probably sitting there quietly judging us…!)
-NYPost
MUCH ADO ABOUT TATTOOS:
So – Tattoos. What exactly does society think of body art? It’s a subject that’s been debated since before your great-grandad got an anchor inked on his forearm while serving in the navy. But a new study gives an idea of what different groups think of tattooed people TODAY. German researchers recruited 487 participants to rate the attractiveness of models with varying degrees of tattoo coverage, from none to extreme full-body designs. And they intentionally avoided those with religious or political messaging in their body art. Their conclusions? Here are the 3 main takeaways…
• Those who had tattoos themselves rated tattooed individuals more favorably than those without body art. And those without tattoos preferred the appearance of those who also were tattoo-free. (Big surprises there…)
• The only significant difference between age groups was in cases of extreme tattoo coverage. Those under 50 rated heavily tattooed individuals as more beautiful than older participants did. This generation gap could reflect changing social norms and greater exposure to tattoos among younger people.
• People bearing tattoos that were drawn by artists with at least 7 years of experience were rated significantly higher than those whose ink was done by non-artists. (Another big surprise?)
(Basically remember this: If your tattoo guy has only been doing it for a few years, it’s gonna look like it was done in prison – under bad lighting!)
(So, to sum it up: if you’re under 50, tattoos = cool. Over 50? Tattoos = ‘Did you fall asleep at a frat party?’
-StudyFinds
TAXING QUESTIONS:
I’m sorry to be the first to mention it, but tax return time is coming. The good news, of course, is that for many of us, once all the paperwork and receipt-hunting is over and done with, you can look forward to a nice check or automatic deposit from the tax department. Now, the next question: How to spend it? Well, it seems that life happens. According to a poll of 2,000 adults in the US, for 77%, their tax refund must be spent on necessities. Those include rent (52%), groceries and essential items (44%), and credit card debt (37%). But a fortunate 8% said they are planning to spend their refund on luxuries. Like what? 37% of those lucky people said they’d buy new clothing. 28% will spend their windfall on entertainment, and 26% see a new phone in their near future. BTW, the average person said they expect to receive a refund of about $1,700 this year.
(And $1,700 sounds GREAT – until you realize that it technically means you’ve been providing the government with an interest-free loan for the past year!)
(Fortunately, I don’t HAVE to decide what to do with mine. I’m married!)
-SWNS
LIFE HACKS TO GET YOU THROUGH WINTER:
✓ If your car ends up getting stuck in snow, cat litter can provide enough friction to help you get moving again. Keep a box in your trunk to save yourself a lot of hassle.
✓ Have lip balm on hand to ease cracked knuckles. The cold weather will make your skin dry and sore, and sometimes not even hand cream is up to the task.
✓ Use a disposable razor to gently shave along the surface of your sweaters to get rid of balled-up bits.
✓ Make your own throat-soothing remedy by mixing some powdered ginger with honey and a squeeze of lemon in a mug of hot water.
✓ Don’t skip the hat because you’re worried about bad hair when you reach work. Take some dry shampoo with you to battle ‘hat hair’ when you arrive.
✓ Make hot chocolate in your slow cooker. Because who doesn’t want a massive vat of hot chocolate on the go when it’s chilly outside? Slow-cooking gives it a deeper, toasty flavor.
✓ Wash your face with an oil-based cleanser. Fend off the discomfort of dry skin using hydrating skincare products … or make your own using a mixture of olive oil and sugar.
✓ Mix 2 parts vinegar with 1-part water, then spray onto your car’s windshield to prevent it icing over. You’ll save yourself scraping time the next day.
✓ Invest in an electric blanket. Turn it on while you get ready for bed, then prepare for peak snuggling.
✓ Knit yourself some mittens. Gloves might be easier for texting, but mittens are proven to keep your hands warmer. They’re also much easier to make. (Especially if you have a Grandma!)
(That’s it – I’m moving south!)
-Condensed from Metro, first published in BS in 2023
MOST-POPULAR SONGS TO CLEAN HOUSE TO:
1. ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ – Whitney Houston
2. ‘9 to 5’ – Dolly Parton
3. ‘Toxic’ – Britney Spears
4. ‘Lose Control’ – Teddy Swims
5. ‘Hot to Go’ – Chappell Roan
6. ‘Die With a Smile’ – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
7. ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ – Shakira
8. ‘Espresso’ – Sabrina Carpenter
9. ‘Flowers’ – Miley Cyrus
10. ‘Low’ – Flo Rida
(***OK – your turn. Get creative, and tell us what would be the PERFECT song to clean house to if I was planning to clean house this weekend. You understand that’s purely hypothetical, right?***)
-HouseBeautiful
DID YOU KNOW?
Women are just as attracted to younger partners as men are, says a new study. The University of California study of 4,500 people seeking a long-term partner found that both men and women are drawn to younger people of the opposite sex — whether or not they realize it. In the analysis, it was found that following a blind date, test participants indicated they were slightly more attracted to younger partners, “and the trend was equally true for men and women.” The study sampled daters ranging in age from 22-85. (Also: Both men and women are OLDER than the age they used on their dating app!)
-SWMS
BS CHRONOMETER 01.30.25
BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Croissant Day”, the first step of which is being able to say the French word. It’s not ‘CROY-sent’, it’s ‘cwah-SAHN’. Usually made with sugar, salt, flour, milk, eggs, and butter, croissants originated in Austria.
LINK: http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-croissant-day
• “School Day of Non-violence and Peace”, observed in schools around the world on the anniversary of the 1948 death of Mahatma Gandhi, a purveyor of peace and nonviolence. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bdfp2yvu
• “Inane Answering Message Day”, a time to change, shorten, replace, or delete that annoying voicemail message … which you likely recorded on Day One, and then never altered.
• “Yodel for Your Neighbors Day”. Celebrate the day by walking around your neighborhood and…you know. Yodeling is a singing style that most people associate with Switzerland or being in the mountains. It consists of people going back and forth between octaves very fast to get a unique type of sound. (Does this mean Mariah Carey is a yodeler?)
• “National Escape Day”, it’s all about taking a well-deserved break from all the hassles and struggles of everyday life (as well as from your yodeling neighbors…)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Backwards Day
[Fri] Scotch Tape Day
[Sat] Dark Chocolate Day
[Sun] Groundhog Day
This Week is…Hot Air Balloon Week
This Month is…Walk Your Pet Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1930 [95] Gene Hackman, San Bernardino CA, retired movie actor (“The French Connection”, “The Quick and the Dead”, Unforgiven”)
1937 [88] Vanessa Redgrave, London England, movie actress (“The Butler”, “Mary, Queen of Scots”, Oscar-“Julia”)/stage actress (“As You Like it”, “Driving Miss Daisy”) COMING UP… “Cold Storage”
1941 [84] Dick Cheney, Lincoln NE, US politician (Vice President under George W. Bush 2001-09, Secretary of Defense 1989-93)
1951 [74] Phil Collins, London England, rock/pop singer-drummer (‘In the Air Tonight’, Genesis-‘Invisible Touch’)/movie actor (“Buster”)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2010, with Genesis/father of Lily Collins
1974 [51] Christian Bale, Haverfordwest Wales, movie actor (“The Dark Knight” trilogy, “American Hustle”, Oscar-“The Fighter”) COMING UP… “The Bride” 2025
1974 [51] Olivia Colman, England, movie actress (Oscar-“The Favourite”, “Wonka”)/TV actress (“The Crown” 2019-20) COMING UP… “The Roses” 2025
1980 [45] Josh Kelley, Augusta GA, pop-country singer (‘Amazing’, ‘Georgia Clay’)/brother of Lady A singer Charles Kelley/married to Katherine Heigl since 2007
1980 [45] Wilmer Valderrama, Miami FL, TV actor (‘Special Agent Nick Torres’ on “NCIS” since 2016, ‘Fez’ on “That ’70s Show” 1998-2006, “That 90s Show” 2023)
1984 [41] Kid Cudi (Scott Mescudi), Cleveland OH, rapper (‘Day ‘n Nite’, w/Kanye West-‘All Of the Lights’, w/Travis Scott-‘The Scotts’)/movie actor (“Need for Speed”) COMING UP… “Happy Gilmore 2” 2025
1990 [35] Jake Thomas, Knoxville TN, TV actor (“Lizzie McGuire” 2001-04)/movie actor (“A.I. Artificial Intelligence”)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2010 [15] “Avatar” becomes the first movie to gross over $2 billion worldwide (eventually amasses $2.9 billion).
2015 [10] Record producer Suge Knight is arrested in LA on suspicion of murder (he had a beef with 2 men on the set of “Straight Outta Compton”, and later ran them down with his truck). In 2018, he was sentenced to 28 years.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1969 [56] The Beatles stage their famous rooftop concert atop Apple Records in London. After performing a few songs, police shut them down as a large crowd gathers. It would be The Beatles’ last public performance.
2013 [12] Mick Jagger is named “Most Stylish Rock Star of All-Time” by lifestyle website Complex.com.
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1975 [50] Ernő Rubik applies for a patent for his “Magic Cube” invention, later to be known as the “Rubik’s Cube”.
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
2011 [14] Over half-million people participate in the “World’s Largest Wildlife Survey” after extreme cold drives non-native birds into Britain’s backyards.
2017 [08] Scientists in China reveal the oldest known human ancestor, the 540-million-year-old Saccorhytus, in a fossil.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ The average lifespan of a human hair is 3 to 7 years.
✓ Your nose shapes the sound of your voice.
✓ It is impossible for anyone to count to one billion out loud.
✓ The British government coined the slogan “Keep Calm and Carry on” during World War 2 to motivate citizens to stay strong.
✓ The Sun makes a sound — but we can’t hear it.
✓ There is an island called “Just Enough Room,” (off Alexandria Bay NY) with ‘just enough room’ for a tree and a house.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, TheFactSite
Best of BS . . .
BS MOVIES MY SPOUSE WATCHES WHILE I’M TRYING TO SLEEP:
• “Explosions II”
• “2½ Hours of Babies Crying”
• “Full Throttle Rage: The Screamfest”
• “Explosions III”
• “Loud Sex & Mariachi Music”
• “Sudden Changes in Volume”
• “3½ Hours of Engines Revving”
• “Car Door Slam Party”
• “Feature-Length Pit Bull Concert Video”
-First published in BS in 2016
BS IT’S NOT A COMPLIMENT IF:
• It begins with “No offense, but…”
• They can’t say it with a straight face.
• It contains the words, “You look really good from far away”.
• They add, “…for your age”.
• Your response is, “What is that supposed to mean?”
• There are “air quotes”.
• It is followed by the word, “but”.
• You need chocolate and a hug after you hear it.
• You are saying it to the mirror.
-Twitter, 2018
BS WEB GOODIE:
I fail to see anything odd about this behavior: https://tinyurl.com/yubeax95
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Kids believe in fairy tales. I’ve moved on to wrestling storylines and political speeches.
☎ BS PHONE STARTER:
What brand are you most loyal to?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Stats show that on average, we hang on to one of THESE for an average of 12 years. What is it?
Answer: A couch
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.
