Tuesday, May 17, 2005 Edition: #3035
Don’t Forget to Renew Your Subscription or You’ll Be Sheet Outta Luck!
SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
TONIGHT the Britney Spears/Kevin Federline reality show “Chaotic” debuts on UPN (TOMORROW on Global-TV in Canada) with a 1-hour episode that leads up to and includes their wedding day (the series runs 5 episodes using edited home-videos) . . . TODAY “American Idol Season 4: The Showstoppers”, an album featuring individual performances by the 12 finalists hits stores . . . TONIGHT “American Idol” will assign 2 toll-free voting numbers for each of the 3 remaining contestants (Bo Bice, Vonzell Solomon & Carrie Underwood) in an attempt to ease phone-call congestion . . . Simon Cowell tells “Entertainment Weekly” he thinks Carrie and Bo will make it to the final, and says it’s likely to be the closest competition yet . . . “American Idol” reject Corey Clark’s kiss-and-tell on Paula Abdul is paying off – he’s landed an album deal which will include tracks produced by Taboo and Apl of Black Eyed Peas . . . Actor Jack Nicholson has shelled out $5.5 million to buy the former Beverly Hills home of late pal and next door neighbor Marlon Brando . . . Paris Hilton has signed a deal with plush toy-maker Gund to manufacture a line of ‘Tinkerbell’ soft toys for dogs (named for her infamous Chihuahua) . . . Online betting emporium PinnacleSports.com puts the odds at 8-1 that “Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith” (opening THURSDAY) will fall short of “Spider-Man’s” record $114.84 million opening weekend take in 2002.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Alicia Keys – She’s been asked to play legendary jazz singer Lena Horne in a bio-pic Oprah Winfrey is producing.
• Backstreet Boys – TODAY they’re on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show”.
• Cher – Her recently completed farewell tour has become the all-time most successful for a female artist. Over the course of 280 shows in North America, she played to close to 2.9 million fans and grossed nearly $195 million.
• Eminem – He’s autographed 30 gold-painted bricks which will be auctioned to help fund revitalization along Detroit’s 8 Mile, the road he made famous in his 2002 movie.
• Good Charlotte – Drummer Chris Wilson has left the band due to undisclosed ‘personal health problems’.
• Janet Jackson – She’s being sued by songwriter Michael Ortega, who claims her hit “All for You” was ripped off from a song he wrote in 1986.
• Madonna – She & hubby Guy Ritchie are said to be using ancient Ayurvedic medicine from India in an attempt to help her conceive a 3rd child … at the age of 46!
• Montgomery Gentry – Their tune “Gone” is becoming a staple in ball parks, played after home runs by the Boston Red Sox, NY Yankees, St Louis Cardinals & Atlanta Braves.
• Sawyer Brown – TODAY their first new album in 4 years, “Keep Your Hands to Yourself”, hits stores.
• System Of A Down – TODAY the first disc, “Mezmerize”, of their 2-phase new album is out. The 2nd disc, “Hypnotize,” is coming THIS FALL.
40TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS:
TONIGHT live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on CBS-TV. A few highlights …
• Tim McGraw leads this year’s nominees with 6.
• Performances include Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Big & Rich, Sara Evans, Alan Jackson, Rascal Flatts, George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson and Lee Ann Womack. Toby Keith plans to perform via satellite from a US military installation in Iraq.
• Garth Brooks accepts the ACM ‘Pioneer Award’ on behalf of his friend and inspiration, rodeo legend Chris LeDoux.
TODAY’S VIDEO RELEASES:
• “Kinsey” (Bio-Drama DVD): Liam Neeson stars as the sex researcher who in 1948 irrevocably changed American culture with his book “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male”. By interviewing thousands of people about the most intimate aspects of their lives, Kinsey lifted the weight of secrecy and shame from a society in which sexual practices were mostly hidden. Co-stars Laura Linney, Chris O’Donnell & John Lithgow.
• “Team America: World Police” (Comedy Adventure – DVD/VHS): A group of marionette puppets form an international police force dedicated to maintaining global stability. A project of “South Park” creators Trey Parker & Matt Stone, who also provide many of the voices.
• “White Noise” (Mystery Thriller – DVD/VHS): Michael Keaton stars as an architect who becomes obsessed with the desire to speak with his wife from beyond the grave. The film deals with ‘EVP’ (Electronic Voice Phenomenon), purportedly the process by which the dead communicate with the living through the static and white noise of modern electronic devices.
• “Son of the Mask” (Action Comedy – DVD): A decade after the legendary ‘Mask of Loki’ wreaked havoc on the life of an unsuspecting adult (Jim Carrey in 1994’s “The Mask”), it falls into the hands of the son of a cartoonist (Jamie Kennedy).
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY:
A poll of TV personalities, producers and agents has helped shape a new list of ‘TV’s Dumbest, Meanest & Vainest Anchors’. Among them …
• The Dumb: Paula Zahn (CNN), Rick Sanchez (CNN), Ann Curry (NBC “Today”), Lara Logan (CBS News).
• The Mean: Lou Dobbs (CNN), Jeff Greenfield (CNN).
• The Vain: Aaron Brown (CNN), Victoria Corderi (“Dateline NBC”).
– “Radar” magazine
DOG-TO-ENGLISH AND VICE VERSA:
South Korean mobile phone KTF Corp is offering a new service that it claims enables dog owners to find out how their pets are feeling. The user first connects to the Internet with a cellphone, then registers info about the dog. The service then records the dog’s bark and returns a text message translating how the pet is feeling, ie: “I am happy” or “I am frustrated”. The service also translates basic human messages into dog sounds, presumably to be played back to the dog. Wow, all of this for only a dollar a holler!
– Yahoo! News
AND SOON RATS-TO-GO:
Espitas restaurant in Dresden, Germany is doing gangbuster business after adding – maggots to the menu! Owner Alexander Wolf claims his is the first restaurant in the world to import ‘nutritious and extremely tasty’ maggots from Mexico. It began as a joke a month ago but after sales exceeded all expectations he’s added maggot cocktails, maggot salads, fried maggots with cactus and corn, and maggot desserts such as maggots in ice cream or chocolate sauce.
Deep fried maggots are said to be crunchy and taste a bit like nuts, only with a soft juicy center.
– Ananova
BEST CURVES IN HOLLYWOOD:
1. Beyoncé
2. Penelope Cruz
3. Jennifer Lopez
4. Pamela Anderson
5. Tyra Banks
6. Halle Berry
7. Scarlett Johansson
8. Nicolette Sheridan
9. Debra Messing
10. Kate Winslet
– “In Touch” magazine poll.
YOU KNOW WHAT BOTHERS ME?
Researchers at the University of Louisville in Kentucky have identified the most annoying habits that cause partners to become ‘allergic’ to one another. Among them: leaving towels on the floor, over-packing for vacations, talking in baby-talk, failing to change bathroom tissue rolls, and – of course – overt flatulence. The study of 160 couples found that while the first experience with the annoying habit may only produce a small negative reaction, repeated instances tend to make the irritation mushroom into a major relationship problem.
– “Daily Mail”
RUNAWAY BRIDE MERCHANDISE:
The wonky story of big-eyed ‘Runaway Bride’ Jennifer Wilbanks has spawned some wacky consumer products (at least temporarily); among them ‘Jennifer’s High Tailin’ Hot Sauce’ and ‘Runaway Bride Action Figures’ that are selling online for about 25 bucks. Wilbanks items have also flooded eBay since someone auctioned a slice of toast carved with a drawing of the ‘Runaway Bride’ for $15,400. The winning bidder has since refused to pay.
– CNEWS
THINGS YOUR NEW GIRLFRIEND SHOULDN’T KNOW:
• Your conquest count.
• Your income.
• Your weaknesses.
• Your strip club experiences.
• Your weirder fantasies.
– AskMen.com
PUT YOUR MUG ON YOUR MAIL:
TODAY Stamps.com is bringing back those ‘PhotoStamps’, which allow users to turn their pics and designs into valid postage stamps. An initial test-market was launched last summer; this time they’ll be available for at least a year.
NET: http://photo.stamps.com
BS AMAZING FACT:
Every “American Idol” finalist, with the exception of Justin Guarini, has been a Southerner.
– “Entertainment Weekly”
THE BULL SHEET 05.17.2K5
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1936 [69] Dennis Hopper, Dodge City KS, movie actor (“Speed”, “Easy Rider”)
1955 [50] Bill Paxton, Ft Worth TX, movie actor (“Thunderbirds”, “Twister”)
1961 [44] Enya (Eithne Ni Bhraonain), Gaoth Dobhair, Ireland, pop/new age jazz singer (“Watermark”, “Shepherd Moons”)
1962 [43] Craig Ferguson, Glasgow, Scotland, TV host (“The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”)
1965 [40] Trent Reznor, Mercer PA, rock singer (Nine Inch Nails-“With Teeth”, “Closer”)
1974 [31] Andrea Corr, Dundalk, Ireland, pop/Celtic singer (The Corrs-“Breathless”, “Runaway”)
BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• [British Columbia] Election Day
• “Be A Millionaire Day”, a celebration of the joys of achieving millionaire status.
• “Pack Rat Day”, celebrating people who squirrel away all kinds of ‘stuff’.
• “UN World Telecommunications Day”
THIS WEEK Queen Elizabeth makes her 21st official visit to Canada since her accession to the throne in 1952, this time a tour of Saskatchewan and Alberta to celebrate the provinces’ respective centennials. TODAY she & Prince Philip arrive in Regina where they’ll visit the First Nations University of Canada, the provincial legislature, the RCMP training depot and Government House over their 4 days in the city. They’ll also travel to Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary before returning to London MAY 26th.
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2000 [05] Series finalé of “Beverly Hills 90210″ after 10 seasons
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1975 [30] Elton John’s “Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy” becomes the 1st album to be released and certified Platinum (a 2-million seller) on the same day
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1845 [160] 1st ‘Rubber Band’ (next day a 9-year-old boy pokes out his eye)
1939 [66] 1st Canadian visit by a reigning British monarch (George VI & wife Queen Elizabeth)
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1980 [25] Kumar Anandan sets record of balancing on 1 foot for 33 hours (if you think that sounds easy – try and make it for 33 seconds!)
1996 [09] 2,000 Swedish protestors stage mass urination on ‘Pee Outdoors Day’, protesting construction of a sewage plant (they were really PO-ed!)
COMING UP . . .
[Wed] Visit Your Relatives Day
[Wed] International Museum Day
[Thurs] “The Apprentice” season finalé
[Thurs] Saskatchewan Centennial Gala
[Fri] 32nd Daytime Emmy Awards
[Fri] 11th Bike to Work Day
[Mon] Victoria Day
This Week Is … New Friends, Old Friends Week
This Month Is … Haitian Heritage Month
BULL’S BITS . . .
BS SURPRISES IN “REVENGE OF THE SITH”:
• Original Death Star plans were drawn up by Ty Pennington.
• Revelation of C-3PO’s checkered past as a ‘pleasure droid’.
• The Jabba the Hut vs Yoda mud-wrestling scene.
• Obi-Wan reveals ‘The Force’ is just a Jedi euphemism for gas.
• Little label on R2-D2 says ‘Intel Inside’.
BS BLATANT JOKE:
[Co-host] thought she’d spice up her love life by checking a book out of the library called ‘How- to-Hug’. Then she got it home and found out was just Volume 7 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: 18% of women in relationships now take on THIS traditionally male role.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Popping ‘the question’.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
At the end of the day, it wasn’t the end of day.