Monday, May 13, 2024 — Edition: #7711
The BS Press!
BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull Sheet will not be publishing on Monday, May 20 to observe the Canadian Victoria Day holiday. All subscribers will receive credit for the non-service day. The Bull Sheet will resume publication on Tuesday, May 21.
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
[***UPDATE***] ★ Steve Buscemi is OK after he was punched in the face by a man on a New York City street. The 66-year-old star of “Fargo” and “Boardwalk Empire” was assaulted Wednesday morning and taken to a nearby hospital with bruising, swelling and bleeding to his left eye. His publicist’s statement called it a “random act of violence”, and said he’s “ok and appreciates everyone’s well wishes.” Police say there have been no arrests and the investigation is continuing.
-AP
★ MTV will not be celebrating the best of pop culture this year. The network’s famous “Movie & TV Awards” show has been nixed — but it isn’t gone for good. TMZ reports that the annual event has been put on pause for this year, but is expected to return in 2025 with an updated format. It’s unclear why MTV is passing on presenting the MTV Movie & TV Awards this year, but possible reasons include this year’s SAG-AFTRA and writers’ strikes, which severely delayed shoots for movies and TV shows, resulting in insufficient content to celebrate. Another factor may be the the war in Israel-Gaza, which continues to dominate the news cycle, including the multiple protests throughout the US among young people.
-TMZ
★ Oprah Winfrey is taking responsibility for her contributions to diet culture — and says she needs to “do better.” At an event she hosted with WeightWatchers, she declared that she is “done” letting diet culture and the “shame” that comes with it rule her life. Oprah acknowledged that she has “been a steadfast participant in this diet culture through my platforms, through the magazine, through the talk show for 25 years”, and that “weight loss shows and makeovers…have been a staple since I’ve been working in television.” Winfrey also admitted that one of her biggest regrets is when, in her own weight-loss reveal, she wheeled out a wagon loaded with fat, as a physical representation of the pounds she had lost, during an episode of her TV show.
-People
★ “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” helped to wake the box office from its late spring slumber, earning an estimated domestic total of $55 million over the weekend. That’s on the top end of pre-release box office projections and just a step behind the unadjusted $56.2 million opening of “War for the Planet of the Apes” in 2017. Meanwhile, “The Fall Guy” came second in its second weekend, with a projected $14.4 million haul.
-TheWrap
★ A special to commemorate the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live” is planned for February on NBC. The network is planning a celebratory weekend that culminates with a live primetime 3-hour special on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. Another new special planned is “Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked”, a behind-the-scenes celebration of the upcoming movie “Wicked”, starring led by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, airing Nov. 25.
-Deadline
★ Sigourney Weaver might be traveling to a galaxy far, far away. The “Alien” and “Avatar” star is in discussions to join the cast of “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” the first “Star Wars” movie to hit theaters since 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” It is unclear if Pedro Pascal will resume his role as Mandalorian ‘Din Djarin’ for the new film, which will be directed by “The Mandalorian” creator Jon Favreau.
-TheWrap
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): John Mulaney, Gary Clark Jr., Stevie Wonder (R)
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Snoop Dogg, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Wie West, Young Miko ft. Feid
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Steve Carell, Paul Simon
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Johnny Pemberton, Laura Ramoso, Michaela Watkins
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Jimmy Kimmel, Nicola Coughlan, Jon Theodore
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Barbara “Barbie” Pascual, Paris Field
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Host Jon Stewart
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Jim Parsons; Celia Keenan-Bolger
• “The Talk” (CBS): Joe Manganiello, Rocco DiSpirito
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Jimm Kimmel, Alfonso Ribeiro
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Whoopi Goldberg, Melanie Lynskey, Jen Psaki
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Bella Hadid, Dr. Barry Michels
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Jurnee Smollett, the cast of “All American”
• “The Voice” (NBC): Live Semi-Final Performances
• “Deal or No Deal Island” (NBC): Season 1 finale. The banker is revealed.
• “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” (ABC): Season 4 finale, featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson, Robin Thede and Tony Hale
• “NHL Playoffs” (Check local listings): Dallas @ Colorado; Carolina @ NY Rangers
• “NBA Playoffs” (Check local listings): Boston @ Cleveland; Oklahoma City @ Dallas
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Justin Bieber – He and wife Hailey apparently already have a name picked out for their baby. People reports a source as saying that they have a name that they think is “perfect”, and are already decorating a nursery. The couple shared the news that she is expecting in an Instagram post on Thursday.
• Camila Cabello – Friday, she dropped a collab with Lil Nas X titled ‘He Knows’. She had teased the tune’s arrival in an Instagram post, with a pic of Nas embracing her, with a perfectly manicured hand complete with acrylic nails and sparkling jewels. LINK: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6tqY3COAZq/
• The Killers – Their 2004 debut single ‘Mr. Brightside’ is now the UK’s biggest-selling single never to reach #1. According to the Official Charts Company, the song’s 5.57 million combined sales and streams also make it the UK’s third biggest song of all time, surpassing Wham’s Last Christmas.
• Creed – singer Scott Stapp and his wife Jaclyn are divorcing after 18 years of marriage. He filed for divorce a year ago, and Jaclyn reportedly filed at least twice in the past, including in 2014 and in 2018, but withdrew documents each time. They have 3 kids, ages 6-17.
• Beach Boys — Brian Wilson has been placed under a conservatorship about 3 months after the death of wife Melinda, who was his primary caregiver. His publicist and business manager were appointed as conservators. Wilson, who suffers from dementia, will be 82 next month.
• Morgan Wallen and Post Malone – Their anticipated song ‘I Had Some Help’ is finally here, and fans are speculating that the video may reveal the title of Malone’s upcoming country album. It shows the 2 singing in the bed of a pickup truck, which bears the license plate “CTYCWBY.” If internet sleuths are correct, this likely means “City Cowboy, possibly the name of the new album. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/pfr6phhw
• The War And Treaty — have dropped the new song ‘Leads Me Home’. The duo’s Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter shared on Instagram: “A lot of love went into creating this song and we’re so grateful to be able to finally share it with each and every one of you.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4p52h7dd
• Thomas Rhett – Friday he released the single ‘Beautiful as You’, which he will debut at the ACM Awards on Thursday. He calls it: “An anthem for everybody who feels like they out-kicked their coverage”. If that still has you wondering, he went on to say: “There was one day…when I was looking at my wife, and I was like, ‘Why in the world did you choose me?’” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2dd86jhj
SHOOTING THE BULL
WINE AND WHY NOT?
❑ A free bottle of wine has finally been claimed after being hidden in the privacy policy of a tax-focused business’ website for 3 months. The UK’s Tax Policy Associates added the clause as an experiment, to see if anyone would actually read the full terms posted on the site. The non-profit organization’s head, Dan Neidle, shared the story on X, saying the first person to spot it would get sent a “bottle of good wine”. Now, after recent changes to the copy, among the thousands of words of fine print in the privacy policy area of the website, these words appear: “We know nobody reads this, because we added in February that we’d send a bottle of good wine to the first person to contact us, and it was only in May that we got a response.” Neidle came up with the idea as a “childish protest that all businesses have to have a privacy policy and no one reads it. It’s money being wasted.” (That’s one way to “wine” about it!)
❑ Last week, 2 giant portals that look like something out of a sci-fi movie appeared in New York City and Dublin, connecting the cities with a 24/7 video feed. The portals, placed on Dublin’s famous O’Connell Street and in New York’s Flatiron district, are part of an artist’s vision to unite the world. The livestream is on a big, circular screen, allowing those in each city to keep tabs on what’s happening in the other, in real-time. Occasionally, a cheer goes up on the Dublin street when people passing the New York screen wave across the Atlantic — and vice-versa in the Big Apple. And of course, the portal has occasionally inspired strangers to flirt, connect – or twerk across the miles. One hopeful Dubliner was even seen holding a handmade sign with the message: “Send Nudes.” (They should try putting portals between the public viewing areas for teams in the Stanley Cup finals!) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/43fx3vuk
-BBC, Insider, NYPost
COOL WITH BEING UNCOOL?
If you’re starting to feel like “what’s cool, just isn’t cool anymore”, don’t worry – because about half of us admit we feel “out of touch” with what’s in and what’s out these days. A survey looked at how confident American adults feel when it comes to keeping up with popular culture, and it was determined that the age in which we can generally expect to feel out-of-touch is … 39. The good news is this: When it comes to what adults still DO feel in touch about, 72% felt that way about food, and 60% felt that way about newer music. Six in 10 feel similarly “hip” about social media, while movies (55%) and the latest in tech (49%) also inspire confidence. Modern slang? 40% felt out of touch on that. And 35% admitted they can’t seem to keep track of the latest celebrities these days.
(…or maybe they just don’t want to?)
(Well for starters, if you’re using the phrases “what’s in” and “what’s out”, you’re definitely “out”…)
-NYPost
NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ The world’s largest plant designed to suck planet-heating pollution out of the atmosphere like a giant vacuum began operating in Iceland last week. “Mammoth” is the country’s second commercial direct air capture plant opened by Swiss company Climeworks, and is 10 times bigger than its predecessor, Orca, which started running in 2021. Direct air capture is a technology designed to suck in air and strip out the carbon, using chemicals. The carbon can then be injected deep underground, reused, or transformed into solid products. What’s more, the whole operation is powered by Iceland’s abundant, clean geothermal energy. (Thank God! I was sure they were gonna tell me it runs on coal!)
➢ Japanese researchers have developed a headband that they say can alleviate the symptoms of depression. In a clinical trial, published in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry, the team found that the unit, which creates an ultra-low frequency magnetic field, was effective in improving depressive symptoms among men diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The device may also offer a safer and non-invasive method for alleviating the low energy people with depression often deal with. They say that compared to current depression treatments, such as long-term medications, electroconvulsive therapy, “is superior in terms of convenience and lack of anticipated side effects.”
-CNN, StudyFinds
FOODS THAT PEOPLE SWEAR BY, TO CURE A HANGOVER:
If Mom overdid it on the Mimosas at Mother’s Day brunch yesterday, one of these may help…
✓ Eggs: Those who know put this at #1 on the list. Eggs are packed with essential vitamins and nutrients that aid your body in recovering from too much alcohol the night before. (Except if they’re really runny – because that’s just not a good look for those who are dealing with a queasy tummy…)
✓ Bananas: Bananas and other fruits that are high in potassium can help, by helping relieve dehydration and lost electrolytes. The fiber can help with stomach issues, and natural sugars give a much-needed energy boost.
✓ Avocados: They contain lots of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. And they’re good for your liver. (And chances are, it needs some TLC after last night!)
✓ Salmon: It is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, nature’s firefighter that helps reduce inflammation throughout your body. Not only that, salmon is brimming with B vitamins, which are often depleted when your body processes alcohol.
✓ Chicken Noodle Soup: Not only is it a comfort food, it packs protein from the chicken, electrolytes from the broth, and easily digestible carbs to help your body recover. Plus, all the goodness of veggies. (Chicken Soup for the ‘Swole’-en head?)
-StudyFinds
DID YOU KNOW?
Last week, GM announced the end of the Chevy Malibu, the company’s last sedan model, in order to focus on EV production. The demise of the Malibu follows last year’s elimination of the Camaro, leaving the automaker with a lineup of just SUVs, trucks, and the 2-door Corvette. GM isn’t the only carmaker to step away from smaller cars as they lose popularity among drivers. Ford (mostly) quit sedans in 2019, although it still makes the Mustang. Stellantis is focused on SUVs and trucks, but plans to bring back an electric version of the Dodge Challenger in 2025. And Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and Subaru have also scaled back their sedan production. (Does this also mean the death of the “trunk”?)
-Insider
BS CHRONOMETER 05.13.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Tulip Day”, celebrated in several countries to welcome Spring. It’s a good excuse to drop by your favorite florist and pick up a tulip bouquet — but don’t expect their floral scent to enhance your home … tulips are virtually fragrance-free.
• “Top Gun Day”, celebrating the movie, which starred Tom Cruise as fighter pilot ‘Pete “Maverick” Mitchell’, which premiered May 12, 1986. So, why celebrate on May 13? Due to an error, the first Top Gun Day was celebrated on May 13, and they decided to keep it on that date in subsequent years. (“I feel the need…the need for accuracy…”)
• “Women’s Check-Up Day”. Today, women are encouraged to talk to their health care providers about their health concerns, get check-ups, and work to reduce their health risks. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2a69h8pr
• “Cocktail Day”, commemorating the anniversary of the first time “cocktail” was defined in print. On May 13, 1806, Harry Croswell, of The Balance and Columbian Repository, a New York tabloid, defined a cocktail as “a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.”
• “Hummus Day”, celebrated since 2012 to salute the spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and garlic. (The stuff also makes a good wall spackle…)
• “Leprechaun Day”, dedicated to the wee elves of Ireland. According to folklore, if you catch one, he has to give you his pot of gold. (We just hope it’s not full of sham rocks!)
• “Apple Pie Day”, The first apple pie recipe was printed in England in 1381. Ingredients included good apples, good spices, figs, raisins, pears, saffron and cofyn (a type of pastry crust).
• “Cough Drop Day”. They’re sometimes known as throat lozenges because they were originally shaped like lozenges, or diamonds. They have also been called troches, cachous, and cough sweets. (Today, have a couple, whether you’re sick or not!)
• “Frog Jumping Day”, dedicated to frogs that jump, and jumping like a frog, and frog jumping contests, and Mark Twain’s short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” which appears to be the inspiration for the day.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Buttermilk Biscuit Day
[Tues] Dance Like a Chicken Day
[Wed] Chocolate Chip Day
[Thurs] Barbecue Day
This Week is…Women’s Health Week
This Month is…Date Your Mate Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1939 [85] Harvey Keitel, Brooklyn NY, movie actor (“Reservoir Dogs’, “Pulp Fiction”, “From Dusk till Dawn”) COMING UP… “Hard Matter”
1950 [74] Stevie Wonder (Steveland Morris), Saginaw MI, pop/R&B singer-songwriter (‘Superstition’, ‘I Just Called to Say I Love You’)/25 Grammys and over 30 top 10 hits/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 1989
1961 [63] Dennis Rodman, Trenton NJ, retired pro NBA player (5-time NBA champion/2-time all-star with the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls)/retired wrestler and actor/friend and visitor of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
1964 [60] Stephen Colbert, Washington DC, TV host (“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” since 2015, “The Colbert Report” 2005-14)/comedy writer-reporter (“Daily Show” 1997-2005)
1966 [58] Darius Rucker, Charleston SC, country singer (‘Beers and Sunshine’, ‘Wagon Wheel’)/rock singer (Hootie & the Blowfish-‘Only Wanna Be With You’, ‘Let Her Cry’)
1979 [45] Mickey Madden, Austin TX, pop bassist (Maroon 5-‘Moves Like Jagger’)
1985 [39] Iwan Rheon, Carmarthen Wales, TV actor (‘Ramsay Bolton’ in “Game of Thrones” 2013-16)/movie actor (‘Mick Mars’ In “The Dirt”)
1986 [38] Lena Dunham, NYC, TV comedy creator-writer-actress (“Girls” 2012-17, “American Horror Story: Cult”, 2017)
1986 [38] Robert Pattinson, London England, movie actor (“The Batman”, “Twilight Saga”) COMING UP… “Mickey 17”, 2025
1993 [31] Morgan Wallen, Sneedville TN, country singer (‘Last Night’, ‘Whiskey Glasses’)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2004 [20] After 11 seasons, the final episode of “Frasier” is watched by 33 million people (“Final” until its 2023 revival, that is…)
2013 [11] Angelina Jolie reveals in a “New York Times” op-ed that she has undergone a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer
2019 [05] Felicity Huffman pleads guilty for her part in the US college admissions scandal. She is sentenced to 14 days in jail, a $30,000 fine, and community service
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1996 [28] Oasis become the fastest selling group in UK history after all 330,000 tickets for their summer shows sell out in just 9 hours
2016 [08] Chance the Rapper releases his third mixtape “Coloring Book” on Apple Music. It becomes the first album to chart on Billboard Top 100 based only on streams (and won the Best Rap Album Grammy)
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1958 [66] The trademark “Velcro” is registered
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2012 [12] Following a record $207 million opening the week before, “The Avengers” pulls in another $103.2 million, making it the first film to surpass $100 million in its second weekend
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ The US Pentagon has a plan for combating a zombie apocalypse.
✓ In the script, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s classic “Terminator” line was “I’ll come back.”
✓ The fuller your fridge is, the more energy-efficient it is.
✓ Mice can fit through a hole the size of a ballpoint pen.
✓ A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.
✓ Depending on who is sniffing, a man’s sweat can smell like urine, flowers, vanilla…or sweat.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, How Come?
Best of BS . . .
BS WAYS TO MAKE NHL PLAYOFFS MORE EXCITING FOR NON-HOCKEY FANS:
• Only guys named ‘Stanley’ get to wear a cup.
• New snack bar item … players’ missing teeth dipped in fudge.
• Make players dress up as their favorite ‘Disney’ character.
• Goalie gloves full of angry hornets.
• Make anyone who doesn’t think it’s exciting watch about 15 minutes of baseball.
• Sharpen players’ sticks to a point.
• Zamboni cleans ice DURING the 3rd period.
• Naked penalty shots.
-First published in BS 1998
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ A research project found that, in order to avoid an argument with someone they care about, 80% of us remain quiet — even when we really want to say something. (The other 20% are married to someone in my wife’s family…!)
➠ Yesterday was Mother’s Day (or, as it’s known in the NBA: “The most dreaded day of the year.”)
➠The first-ever Oscars took place this week back in 1929. (…and it should be ending right . . . about . . . now!)
➠ Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week. (My favorite teaching movie is the one where the teacher uses unorthodox methods to inspire inner city kids to believe in themselves. Which one is that? Oh yeah, all of them!)
➠ A study claims that one in 9 men secretly wear makeup. (…and if Tom Brady isn’t one of them, I’ll eat my lipstick!)
BS WEB GOODIE:
How my weekend went: https://tinyurl.com/2rdyu7ts
BS RANDOM JOKE:
My Grandad always said: “When one door closes, another opens”. Lovely man, terrible cabinet maker.
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• Which of these countries lies on the equator?
a) Mexico
b) Uganda [CORRECT]
c) Egypt
d) Finland
• Which country has the most islands?
a) Indonesia [CORRECT]
b) Sweden
c) Philippines
d) Gilligan’s
• Which is the smallest ocean in the world?
a) Atlantic
b) Indian Ocean
c) Arctic [CORRECT]
D) 11
-Classpoint
BS PHONE STARTER:
What would be your perfect way to spend a rainy day?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
On average, we keep THIS for just over 3 years before getting a new one. What is it?
Answer: A pillow
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding.