Thursday, January 2, 2025 – Edition: #7864
New Year . . . Same ol’ BS!
BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
Happy New Year! All Bull Sheet subscribers have received account credits for non-service days over the holiday season. We are all set to go with another great year of BS!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have filed competing lawsuits that ramp up a battle over allegations of what happened on the set of their film “It Ends With Us”. Lively filed a lawsuit in New York against Baldini and his publicity team on Tuesday, alleging sexual harassment on-set and a scheme to “destroy” her reputation. Baldoni, meanwhile, filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, which first reported Lively’s legal complaint, accusing journalists of working with the actress to damage his reputation and ignoring evidence that contradicted her claims. Lively’s case includes many of the same accusations that appeared in her civil rights complaint, which was filed in in December, and asks for compensation for “lost wages” and “mental pain and anguish”.
-BBC
★ “Aquaman” star Jason Momoa is staying in the DC fold. He’ll appear in “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” as ‘Lobo’, the alien bounty hunter who first appeared in the comics in 1983. Momoa has spoken of his desire to play the character for years, including during press rounds for “The Lost Kingdom”. This week, he shared a quote from that press tour in which he stated he hoped DC would call him about the role. He captioned the quote on Instagram with, “they called.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3jr3jjc4
-HollywoodReporter
★ Shocking no one, the second season of “Squid Game” is a huge hit for Netflix, attracting 68 million views during its premiere week, and breaking several records in the process. The second installment of the South Korean action thriller beat the record previously held by “Wednesday” as the most-watched Netflix show during its first week. So, it’s no surprise then that it ranked as the #1 most-watched show in 92 countries. In just 3 days, Squid Game Season 2 became the 7th most popular non-English language program (Season 1 remains the all-time leader). In addition, the first season has re-entered the top 10 non-English shows list at #3, with 8.1 million views.
-TheWrap
★ The holidays may be over, but the Kardashian-Jenner crew still have gifts to give. The OG reality TV family recently announced their docuseries “The Kardashians” will return to Hulu for season 6 on Feb. 6. And in a new teaser trailer, Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé Kardashian, plus Kendall and Kylie Jenner and mom Kris Jenner appear as works of art come to life in a museum, before turning to camera and stepping out of their frames. The fam – dressed all in black — strut down the museum hall together, as the phrase appears: “Boundaries are made to be broken.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2yfte9zn
-E!
★ Kristen Bell wrapped up 2024 in the best possible way – by donating some serious cash to those needing help with their medical bills. The “Frozen” star connected with Instagram personality Tommy Marcus (AKA Quentin Quarantino). He initially asked Bell to simply share a health-related GoFundMe page in hopes of helping someone in need. But she took the goodwill one step further, donating $100,000 toward others’ medical bills – by topping up a number of GoFundMe campaigns that had reached half their fundraising goals. The “Veronica Mars” star’s kind gestures included a donation of over $20K to a 3rd-grader’s leukemia battle, and nearly $25K to a patient named Murilo, who also is being treated for leukemia.
-TMZ
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Ted Danson, Mikey Madison, Blxst and Anderson .Paak (R)
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Cynthia Erivo, Martha Stewart, Travis Fimmel, Emma Willmann (R)
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Selena Gomez, Seth Meyers (R)
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Billy Crystal, Sarah Michelle Gellar (R)
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Johnny Pemberton, Nichole Sakura, Matt Braunger (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Tyler Perry; The Temptations (R)
• “GMA3” (ABC): Chefs Rocco DiSpirito, Frances Tariga and Tatiana Rosana (The Envoy hotel) compete; Michelle Buteau, Master P
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Anna Faris, Ryan Reynolds, The War and Treaty (R)
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm and Ali Larter, Jack Huston, Jennifer Love Hewitt
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Stephen Colbert and Evie Colbert (R)
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Ciara (R)
• “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (ABC): ABC premiere. A recent widow is given a fresh start in Austin, Texas.
• “Only Murders in the Building” (ABC): Season 2 premiere. Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, now implicated in the murder of Board President Bunny Folger; must choose whether to lay low or catch the killer themselves. Followed by 2 more new episodes.
• “Going Dutch” (Fox): Series premiere. The colonel is assigned to emergency command of USAG Stroopsdorf in the Netherlands; Sgt. Conway provides a tour of the things Stroopsdorf is known for… cheese, laundry and bowling.
• “2024 World Junior Hockey Championship” (TSN, NHL): Quarter-final matchups: Latvia @ Sweden; Switzerland @ US; Slovakia @ Finland; Canada @ Czechia. From Ottawa, Canada.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Charli XCX, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift – all appear on Vogue’s “Most Dressed of 2024”, the mag’s “list of the people who did the absolute, well, most with their fashion this year.” Charli was recognized for her “club-rat staples” of micro shorts, sheer and leather. Swift made the list for using “fashion as a method of communication”, and Perry for her “style overhaul” ahead of the release of her album “143”.
• Beyoncé – Her Christmas Day NFL halftime show is now on Netflix. The performance took place during the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game, with appearances from Shaboozey, Post Malone, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer and Bey’s daughter Blue Ivy. Search for “Beyoncé Bowl” on the streamer.
• Mariah Carey – ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ tops the Billboard Hot 100 again for an 18th nonconsecutive week, just one week short of the record for the longest run at #1, currently shared by Shaboozey‘s ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ and ‘Old Town Road’ by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. Carey’s tune has hit #1 each year since 2019.
• Pink Floyd — One of the people behind the new Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” is working on a movie about Floyd founder Syd Barrett. Speaking on the podcast “The Town With Matthew Belloni”, producer Peter Jaysen revealed that both Barrett and late The Mamas & The Papas singer Cass Elliot are in line for the big screen treatment.
• The Doobie Brothers – have confirmed plans to drop a new album this year. Patrick Simmons posted: “This train keeps rollin’ down the track and we’re almost ready to release our new album Walk This Road sometime after the first of the year.” Singers Michael McDonald and Tom Johnston will both be involved. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/33dba7ps
• Morgan Wallen – offered up a year-end present for fans: He surprise-released the song ‘Smile’, as well as a music video, directed by Justin Clough. The tune is a continuation of the theme started by ‘Lies Lies Lies’ and ‘Love Somebody’, with this one depicting a relationship through filtered snapshots. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2w2c8v42
• Parker McCollum – He and wife Hallie Ray posted that they were able to travel to her home church in McAlester OK over the holidays, and dedicate their 5-month-old baby boy, Major. In her post, Ray wrote: “Major was dedicated today at the church I grew up going to.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yyjvte4k
• Elle King – has shared an unreleased song called ‘Banned From the Grand Ole Opry’, which she sang for fans in an IG video. It appears to address the early-2024 incident when she appeared onstage at the Grand Ole Opry during an event celebrating Dolly Parton’s birthday. Sample lyric: “I ain’t proud, no sir, no way/Wonder what Hank and Merle would say/Least I’m in good company.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/52mjmzaz
SHOOTING THE BULL
WORKIN’ THE FAKE BIRKINS:
Fashionistas are fuming about Walmart’s version of the famous Hermès Birkin bag. Budget-conscious buyers have been flocking to Walmart, after the store’s Birkin bag look-alike, nicknamed the “Wirkin” took over the internet. Authentic Birkin bags, which are stitched by hand and are a proud accessory of A-listers, normally start at around $9,000 (if you can get one) at a Hermès boutique. And on the resale market or at auction, they can go for upwards of hundreds of thousands. But as fashion-obsessed TikTokkers have been pointing out, the convincing Walmart knockoff costs less than $100. And viewers are rushing to the chain store to snag one – or several, with hundreds of unboxing videos posted under the #walmartbirkin. And while critics of the seemingly unattainable handbag are celebrating what they feel is the downfall of the “rich people’s” status symbol, luxury lovers aren’t happy. One commented that the buzz about the Walmart version promotes fast fashion and is has “complete disregard” for the craftsmanship and artistry required to hand-make an authentic Birkin. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5578u5cd
(If I had a dollar for every time my wife and I argued about how much she spends on purses…she’d take it and spend it on a purse!)
(Good thing they aren’t selling this thing at Giant Tiger value stores. Then, everyone would be calling it the “Gherkin”!)
-CNN
NEW DEVELOPMENTS:
⇒ Remember Jolt Cola? That’s the soda brand that gained attention in the 1980s for offering “all the sugar and twice the caffeine.” Well, it’s coming back in 2025 – and this time, it’s promising more than TWICE the original caffeine content. Initially marketed as competition to Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Jolt Cola will now join the energy-drink market, taking up shelf space alongside Red Bull, Monster and Celsius. Redcon1, the sports nutrition brand in charge of the relaunch, says Jolt will be marketed as a nostalgic drink, and will be priced at $2.50-$3.00 per 16-ounce can. It will contain 200mg of caffeine, roughly the same as in a 16-ounce cup of coffee. (And if you can get through that, it’s guaranteed to go right through YOU!)
⇒ An adventure company in Laos is offering travelers a coffee break with a waterfall view. The catch is that you get to (or have to, depending on how you feel about heights) enjoy your java while suspended from a zipline — 1,000 feet (305m) off the ground. For US $60 each, brave backpackers can enjoy a genuine Laos coffee, sourced directly from the Bolaven Plateau, and sip it while sitting at a suspended table. Organizers say the experience is “a little shaky”. You’re also invited to ‘relax’ in a hammock (as if relaxing is an option), while drinking in the view below of the twin waterfalls in Dong Hua Sao National Park. (The ironic thing is that I just read about a study that found coffee-drinking can help ward off heart attacks. I’m gonna say “Not if you’re drinking it here!”)
-CNN
NEW YEAR’S REVELATIONS:
❑ So . . . it’s day #2 of the New Year – how are those resolutions going? I hate to tell you this, but according to a Forbes poll, chances are, they’re destined to fail. Results of the survey found that the average resolution lasts 3.74 months. Just 5% of respondents said their last resolution made it 6 months before it was dashed. And just 1% said they were able to keep up with their resolution for an entire year. Ranker recently asked which New Year’s resolutions are most “unrealistically ambitious”. The top answer? “Get out of debt.” (My resolution is to stay fat and out of shape. I’m hoping I won’t be able to it, just like all the others!)
❑ One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is, of course, to lose weight. And while most of us would be thrilled to drop 5 or 10 pounds (2.3-4.5kg), it turns out that most people have their sights set much higher – to the tune of 29 pounds (13.1kg). That’s according to a poll of 2,000 adults in the US who are trying to lose weight. The survey also found that the average person has tried to lose weight on 3 separate occasions in the past 5 years. (I was impressed that [***afternoon guy***] managed to lose 4 pounds over the Christmas break. Of course, you can only have your back waxed so often…!)
-TheBoot, StudyFinds
911 IS A JOKE, APPARENTLY:
Here are the most inappropriate calls of the year to British Columbia’s emergency 911 service – which definitely weren’t emergencies…
✗ Neighbour wearing too much cologne
✗ A dry cleaner stained their shirt
✗ Requesting directions to a Shoppers Drug Mart that’s open 24 hours a day
✗ To report that a “McDonald’s wouldn’t open” its doors
✗ They purchased a box of 38 avocadoes and discovered they were rotten (Holy guacamole!)
✗ To request technical support
✗ To complain that their power was out
✗ They left their phone in an Uber
✗ Requesting help removing a wasp nest
✗ Saw a domesticated-looking bunny in a park
-CTVNews
DID YOU KNOW?
Sharing a bathroom can be a recipe for disaster, according to research. 70% of British couples are currently locked in a “bathroom war” with their partner, and nearly 20% have broken up with someone over bathroom habits. For men, bathroom dealbreakers include the hair their significant other leaves in the shower drain. Women say the worst thing is a messy or stinky toilet. And one-third of survey respondents said they feel that their partner hogs the shower for too long. Also showing up on the list of ‘restroom wrongs’ were the classic arguments of leaving the toilet paper roll empty, and which way to hang the roll. (At my place, it’s all about who did or didn’t scoop the cat box!)
-Study Finds
BS CHRONOMETER 01.02.25
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Swiss Cheese Day”. Like all cheeses, Swiss cheese is made using particular bacteria cultures. During the aging process, this bacterium gives off carbon dioxide, which forms gas bubbles inside the cheese. Eventually these gas bubbles leave holes in Swiss cheese, which cheesemakers call “eyes.”
• “Cream Puff Day”, honoring the baked puff pastry shells stuffed with a sweet and rich filling. They originated in Europe in the 1540s, when they were created for France’s Henry II.
• “Happy Mew Year For Cats Day”, because cats insist on holidays all to themselves.
• “Introvert Day”, to foster understanding of and appreciation for introverts. Today was chosen because it is when introverts likely breathe a sigh of relief because the holiday season is over and they get a break from social engagements. (And then someone had to go and come up with a special day to draw even more attention to them…)
• “Motivation & Inspiration Day”. You’re going to need some in order to keep that New Year’s resolution!
• “Personal Trainer Awareness Day”, honoring the folks who make it easier to achieve the most common New Year’s resolution … to lose weight and maintain a permanent healthy lifestyle.
• “Science Fiction Day”, to promote the science fiction genre, celebrate its creators and history, and commemorate the birthday of renowned science author Isaac Asimov, on this date in 1920.
• “Buffet Day”. Well! This should put an end to a lot of New Year’s resolutions! A buffet of buffet facts:
➢ The concept arose in mid-17th century France, when gentleman callers would arrive unexpectedly at the homes of ladies they wanted to woo.
➢ It was during the expansion of railroads throughout Europe that the smorgasbord buffet increased in popularity.
➢ The all-you-can-eat buffet made its restaurant debut in 1946, when it was introduced by Vegas hotel manager Herb MacDonald.
➢ By the mid-1960s, virtually every casino in Las Vegas sported its own variation.
➢ Today the casino buffet costs a bit more than the average $1.50 price of the 1960s, but continues to be one of the best deals in Vegas.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Women Rock! Day
[Fri] J.R.R. Tolkien Day
[Sat] Fruitcake Toss Day
[Sun] Keto Day
This Week is…Celebration of Life Week
This Month is…Adopt-a-Rescued-Bird Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1967 [58] (Althea) “Tia” Carrere (Janairo), Honolulu HI, movie actress (“Wayne’s World” movies, “True Lies”)/TV actress (“General Hospital” 1985-86) COMING UP… “Waltzing with Brando” 2025
1968 [57] Cuba Gooding Jr, NYC, movie actor (“The Butler”, Oscar-“Jerry Maguire”)/TV actor (“American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson”, “American Horror Story: Roanoke”)
1969 [56] Christy Turlington, San Francisco CA, fashion model (Calvin Klein Eternity, Maybelline)
1971 [54] (Scott) “Taye” Diggs, Newark NJ, TV actor (“Empire” 2016-2017, “Private Practice” 2007-13)/movie actor (“Chicago”, “River Runs Red”)/Broadway actor (“Rent”)
1975 [50] Dax Shepard, Milford MI, TV actor (“Parenthood” 2010-15, “Punk’d” 2003-12)/movie actor (“Knocked Up”, “CHiPS”)/entrepreneur (co-founder of diaper and baby product company Hello Bello)/“Armchair Expert” podcast host/married to Kristen Bell since 2013
1975 [50] Doug Robb, Agoura Hills CA, rock singer (Hoobastank-‘The Reason’)
1978 [47] Karina Smirnoff (Smirnova), Kharkiv Ukraine, ballroom dancer (winner of Season 13 of “Dancing with the Stars” alongside JR Martinez, 5-time US National ballroom dancing champ)
1983 [42] Kate Bosworth, Los Angeles CA, movie actress (“Superman Returns”, “Blue Crush”)/TV actress (“The Art of More” 2015-16)
1991 [34] Ben Hardy, Bournemouth England, movie actor (‘Roger Taylor’ in “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “X-Men: Apocalypse”)/TV actor (“EastEnders” 2013-15) COMING UP… “The Conjuring: Last Rites” 2025
1993 [32] Bryson Tiller, Louisville KY, R&B/hip hop singer-rapper (‘Don’t’, w/DJ Khaled and Rihanna-‘Wild Thoughts’)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2017 [08] Arnold Schwarzenegger sends off Carnie Wilson on the first episode of “The New Celebrity Apprentice”, introducing his new firing line: “You’re terminated. Hasta La Vista, Baby.”
2019 [06] Bob Einstein, (“Super Dave Osborne”) and “Mean” Gene Okerlund (WWF and WCW wrestling announcer and TV host) both die at age 76.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1993 [32] With ‘The Last Song’ hitting #24, Elton John logs his 24th consecutive year with a song in the US Top 40, breaking Elvis Presley’s record. The streak would stretch to 26 years with 1995’s ‘Believe’.
2010 [15] Kesha’s first single ‘TiK ToK’ hits #1, where it stays for 9 weeks (the longest-running chart-topper of the year).
THIS DAY IN SPORTS . . .
2023 [02] Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapses in cardiac arrest and is revived by CPR while on-field during a game against the Bengals in Cincinnati. He eventually resumed his career.
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1906 [119] Willis Carrier receives a US patent for the world’s first air conditioner.
TODAY’S SECOND FIRST . . .
2008 [17] Oil reaches $100 US per barrel for the first time (today, it’s about $74).
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Earth is closest to the sun in January.
✓ The Southern Hemisphere typically has milder winters than the Northern Hemisphere because it has less land and a more maritime climate.
✓ In the Philippines, McDonald’s serves spaghetti.
✓ Michelangelo wrote a poem about how much he hated painting the Sistine Chapel.
✓ People used to say “prunes” instead of “cheese” when having their picture taken
✓ There are about 20 obscene words in English. Latin had about 800.
-FactSlides, ReadersDigest
Best of BS . . .
BS REALISTIC NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS:
• Exercise regularly . . . for the first 2 weeks of January.
• Wake up by noon every day.
• Gain 20 pounds.
• Make time to work on my procrastination.
• Not to be that guy who says his New Year’s resolution is “not to make any New Year’s resolutions”.
• Drink more wine.
• Think about going to the gym 3-5 times per week.
• Never leave a package of cookies unfinished.
• Quit smoking at least 5 times.
• Not to change a thing. Because whenever someone dies, people always say “Oh man, and just when he was starting to get his life together…”
• To be more realistic.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ A survey says that the top things people give up for the New Year are junk food, alcohol, smoking, and gambling. (So basically, people are giving up on Circle K…)
➠ If you ask me, resolutions just set you up for failure. (My resolution last year was to learn Spanish, and that only lasted about tres weekos!)
➠ A study says that those who are divorced are about a quarter more likely to die early, compared to those who are married. (I’ll take those odds. Wait…did I say that out loud??)
➠ A Mega Millions player won $1.2 billion dollars in the Friday draw. (NOT FOR ME!!! Playing the lotto gives a person the false hope that money is easily attainable. If you ask me, people should earn money the old-fashioned way — by being born a Kardashian!)
➠ A study claims that poor posture from texting is becoming an epidemic. (I’m not sure if I’ve been affected, but I have a hunch…)
BS WEB GOODIE:
How the year began at my place: https://tinyurl.com/3kanrpd5
BS RANDOM JOKE:
My New Year’s resolution is to read more. I’ve already turned on the subtitles on my TV.
BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ For you, what was the song of the year for 2024?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
According to a survey, 2% of us will do THIS during the month of February. What is it?
Answer: Take down the Christmas decorations
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.
