Monday, October 21, 2024 – Edition: #7817
Bullseye!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Liam Payne reportedly spent his final hours with 2 women in his hotel suite. The former One Direction star died at 31 on Wednesday after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, but is said to have invited 31-year-old Aldana Serrano and Lucila Goitea, who is 27, to spend time with him before the tragic incident occurred. The Sun quoted a source as saying the women “are absolutely devastated by what happened after they left the hotel”, and that they co-operated with police, and “wanted to help with the investigation as much as possible.”
-ContactMusic
★ Alec Baldwin isn’t playing Donald Trump anymore, but he’s still parodying political figures. On, “Saturday Night Live,” he surprised viewers by portraying Fox News anchor Bret Baier during the cold open. Baldwin played an only slightly exaggerated version of the hostile behavior Baier displayed during his interview with Kamala Harris — with emphasis on the way he constantly interrupted the VP. The SNL version was basically a big parody of this, exaggerated for comedic effect. In addition to Maya Rudolph returning as Harris, the clip also featured James Austin Johnson as a very exhausted-sounding Donald Trump, Ego Nwodim as Fox News’ Harris Faulkner, and Dana Carvey as Joe Biden.
-TheWrap
★ “Tiger King” star Joe Exotic has been placed in prison quarantine. Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was isolated after being infected with scabies, his legal team said. The Mayo Clinic says scabies is a “contagious skin rash caused by a mite that burrows under the skin and lays eggs.” The 61-year-old former zookeeper is incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, serving a 21-year sentence for scheming to hire a hitman to murder nemesis Carole Baskin and violating federal wildlife laws.
-NYPost
★ The people at Paramount are grinning after “Smile 2” won the weekend domestic box office race with an estimated $23 million. That number would put the film’s debut just ahead of the first “Smile”, a sleeper hit that opened to $22.6 million in September 2022 on its way to making more than $217 million worldwide. Smile 2 fended off competition from holdover slasher pic “Terrifier 3”, which netted about $10 million for third place, just behind “Wild Robot”.
-HollywoodReporter
★ “Vanderpump Rules” star Rachel “Raquel” Leviss is reportedly dating a rocket scientist. People quoted an insider as saying: “They met through mutual friends and just hit it off.” The source called her new beau “An incredible guy. Really smart and kind and down to earth and, most importantly, disinterested in social media.” Leviss did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The report about her boyfriend’s career as a rocket scientist comes after Leviss announced on the final episode of her “Rachel Goes Rogue” podcast that she is seeing someone.
-PageSix
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Lady Gaga; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (R)
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Samuel L. Jackson, Justin Hartley, Tommy Richman
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Brian Cox, Yulia Navalnaya
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Nicole Byer, Matteo Lane, Sasheer Zamata
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Steve Martin, Martin Short, Juno Temple
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Gov. Tim Walz, host Jon Stewart
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn)
• “The Talk” (CBS): Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr.
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Juston Hartley, Damon Wayans Jr.
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Uma Thurman, Samara Joy
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Terry Crews, Taylor Tomlinson
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Derek Hough, Sheryl Swoopes
• “The Voice” (NBC): The Battles Premiere
• “The Neighborhood” (CBS): Season 7 premiere. Followed by series premiere of “Poppa’s House”.
• “NFL Football” (ABC, ESPN, TSN): Baltimore Ravens @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Shakira – will announce new North American tour dates today after delaying scheduled gigs on Friday, citing overwhelming demand. Originally slated to start next month, she will now be playing stadiums rather than arenas on her “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” tour, which is now expected to hit the US and Canada next year.
• Bruno Mars – Friday, he dropped his collab with former BLACKPINK singer Rosé. ‘Apt’ features both artists singing in English, then in Korean for the word “apartment”. On Instagram, Mars shared a photo of the pair, explaining it shows him “hanging on for dear life” after she “introduced me to this Korean drinking game and got me saucy.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/h9wyft6c
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — Foreigner was inducted by Sammy Hagar at Saturday’s ceremony. Demi Lovato and Slash joined the group for ‘Feels Like the First Time’, and Hagar took lead for ‘Hot Blooded’. Kelly Clarkson was joined by Lou Gramm for ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’. Other inductees included Cher, Kool & the Gang, Dionne Warwick, Ozzy Osbourne and Peter Frampton.
• Ozzy Osbourne – In time for his Rock Hall of Fame induction, he announced the March 14 release of “See You On The Other Side V2.0”, featuring his complete 18-album solo discography in a limited edition, numbered black vinyl box set, for $600. Just 2,000 copies will be made. LINK https://tinyurl.com/hksaf7tc
• U2 – has shared a short documentary about the making of the video for their 2004 hit ‘Vertigo’. It is part of the band’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb”, which includes a remaster of the album and what they’re calling a ‘shadow album’, named “How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb”, with 10 unreleased songs from the era, on Nov. 29.
• Morgan Wallen – Friday, he dropped ‘Love Somebody’, the first taste of his follow-up to last year’s blockbuster album “One Thing at a Time”. The song includes Latin rhythms, in addition to his traditional massive, stadium-ready chorus. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mr3mdttu
• Riley Green – celebrated his 36th birthday on Friday will the release of his new album “Don’t Mind If I Do”. Among its 18 songs are collabs with Luke Bryan (‘Reel Problems’) and Ella Langley (‘Don’t Mind If I Do’), as well as Green’s current single ‘Damn Good Day to Leave’.
• Keith Urban – Sure, he’s a gifted guitarist and performer now, but it hasn’t always been that way. In a recent interview, he spoke of the many talent shows and competitions he took part in “as a kid” in Australia. Quote: “When I was 9, I went on a show called Pot of Gold, it was a TV show, 3 judges…went out there and sang and was completely crucified.” His lesson learned? “Welcome to showbiz, kid!”
SHOOTING THE BULL
CHOCOLATE BARRED?
This Halloween might turn out to be not-as “Chocolatey” as is tradition – thanks to the increasing cost of the stuff. Chocolate prices are directly affected by cocoa plant yields. And many plants have been damaged by bad weather in Africa over the last 2 growing seasons. That means cocoa prices have gone way up. Experts predict that due to the high cost of chocolate treats this year, many consumers will instead buy things like chips, gummy and sour candies, licorice, and other chocolate-free options to hand out to the ghosts, goblins, and Taylor Swifts that show up to their doors on Oct. 31.
(When I first heard that that there wouldn’t be as much chocolate handed out this year, my first thought was: “Chocolate shortage”. And my second thought was to blame my wife!)
(But most of the so-called “chocolate” that is handed out to trick-or-treaters has as much to do with real cocoa as most pumpkin spice flavor has to do with real pumpkins!)
-MorningBrew
DISNEY-ING PRICES:
Perhaps overlooked amidst all the buzz last week about Universal’s new $6 billion “Epic Universe” theme park in Florida, was the news about Disney’s new “Lightning Lane Premier Pass” – and the disgusting amount of money the company plans to charge for the privilege of cutting to the front of the line for attractions like the “Haunted Mansion”, “It’s a Small World”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Are you ready? Beginning this month, mouse-ear-wearing visitors will have to fork over $400 for the Premiere Pass at California’s Disneyland. At Florida’s Magic Kingdom, it’ll cost $329-$449, and it’ll sell for $269-$349 at Hollywood Studios. The company says the Premiere Pass will be available to a limited number of visitors, letting them skip the long lines, which often exceed an hour. The new top-tier pass will be different from traditional speed-passes, which usually require users to choose a time to return and ride. The Premiere Pass allows holders to skip the line, without spending a single minute waiting.
(So make sure you finish your $13 burger before you get there!)
(It doesn’t sound like that much until you realize that price is PER PERSON. If you’re taking the whole family, well, YOU do the math. No, wait: $400 actually DOES sound like a lot, right off the bat!)
-NYPost
NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ A young Utah resident has had her classroom civics lessons suddenly explode into life after some crayon drawings she made of a better playground became reality. Rosili Olson’s mom brought her to city hall along with her drawing, and they followed the 11-year-old’s lead. The girl had made the drawings to show what she thought would be the best playground for her and her younger sisters to play on. Officials wrote on social media that she showed in her sketches, how the playground near her home was suited for 5-12 year olds, but not geared toward her younger sister, and, quote, “After seeing her initiative and detail, we knew we had to make her dream happen.” The Clearfield City head of Parks and Rec pointed out to her mom that after seeing all the work Rosili had put into her drawings, and knowing that there were plans for a new playground in the coming year, they worked “until we had checked all her boxes and got the colors right.” The collaborative process saw Olson meet with him “4 or 5 times” over the course of a year, right up until the September 24th ribbon-cutting ceremony, which Olson was, of course, a part of. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/59hrtzk4
➢ It turns out that the secret to finally beating cancer may be beer…yeast. Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, collaborating with researchers in Germany, found a surprising survival ability in yeast cells that could unlock new ways to combat cancer. Long story short, a common brewing yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, can essentially hibernate when faced with nutrient shortages. This ability to “go dormant” is similar to how cancer cells survive in nutrient-deprived environments. Using advanced tools, the research team found that when yeast cells face starvation, they wrap their cellular batteries, known as mitochondria, in an unexpected ‘blanket’, made up of a material responsible for producing proteins in the cell. The hope is that this could be the key to understanding how cells enter and exit dormancy, and could one day be used to find new strategies to target cancer cells, potentially improving patient outcomes and preventing relapses.
-GoodNewsNetwork, StudyFinds
SURGIN’ SEARCHES:
Here are the top-trending Halloween costumes in Canada, according to search data from Google…
TOP KID’S COSTUMES:
1. Taylor Swift
2. Clown
3. Harley Quinn
4. Skeletor
5. Barbie
TOP ADULT COSTUMES:
1. Rapunzel (??)
2. Mermaid
3. Harley Quinn
4. Monster High
5. Toy Story
TOP COUPLES COSTUMES:
1. Joker and Harley Quinn (I hope they can sing!)
2. Bert and Ernie
3. Bonnie and Clyde
4. Barbie and Ken
5. Mr. and Mrs. Smith
TOP GROUP COSTUMES:
1. Alvin and the Chipmunks
2. Alice in Wonderland
3. Peter Pan
4. Inside Out
5. Scooby Doo
TOP D.I.Y. COSTUMES:
1. Tinkerbell
2. Cat
3. Killer Clown
4. Witch
5. Inside Out
Google also reported “breakout searches” recently for “Beetlejuice”, “Deadpool,” “Sabrina Carpenter”, and Australian breakdancer “Raygun”. (That last one is the type of costume that can only be used once…cause by next year, no one will have a clue what the heck it is!)
[***Tomorrow: Top USA costumes***]
-CTVNews
DID YOU KNOW?
Quirky-but-comfortable footwear maker Crocs is releasing a line of clogs for dogs. Pet Clogs are part of a partnership with pet supply company service BARK as part of Crocs’ annual “Croctober” campaign, when it releases a fan-inspired product. There are 2 new glow-in-the-dark designs available, in the colors ‘Dragon Fruit’ and ‘Green Slime’. They come in 2 sizes, for a price of US $50. That’s for a set of 4, of course, to ensure that all toe beans are covered. (BTW, this Wednesday is “Croc Day”) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4jvh232h
-CNN
BS CHRONOMETER 10.21.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Back to the Future Day”, celebrating the future date that ‘Marty McFly’ and ‘Doc Brown’ travelled to (from 1985 to Oct. 21, 2015) in their DeLorean time machine, in Stephen Spielberg’s “Back to the Future: Part II.”
• “International Day of the Nacho”, celebrating the popular snack food that originated in Mexico. Created in 1943 by Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Anaya at the “Victory Club” restaurant in Piedras Negras, original nachos consisted of fried tortilla chips covered with melted cheese and jalapeño peppers.
• “Mezcal Day”, a Mexican celebration that pays homage to the country’s beloved spirit. Mezcal holds a special place in Mexican culture, embodying centuries of tradition, craftsmanship, and heritage. It is made from the heart of any of 30 species of the agave plant, called the piña. That’s in contrast with tequila, which is made only with blue agave. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mr9pu4k9
• “Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day”, observed on the 3rd Monday of October at the behest of The Personal Computer Museum. Just look at all those app icons junking up your screen!
• “Adjust your Chair Day”, because people often sit in chairs in ways that strain their backs or cause long term problems. This day is dedicated to adjusting chairs to ameliorate these concerns. (And I’ll do that…just so soon as I look up the word “ameliorate” in the dictionary!)
• “Multicultural Diversity Day”, observed by educators, who focus special attention on multiculturalism and diversity in their classrooms today. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5n6ndzrk
• “Babbling Day”, a day of tolerance for those who run off at the mouth. (And yet, despite the look on my face, they’re still talking…)
• “Garbanzo Bean Day”, celebrating the legume also known as the chickpea. They can be eaten cold in salads or cooked in stews. They’re also the basis of the popular dip hummus.
• “Pumpkin Cheesecake Day”, a seasonal dish traditionally made with a graham cracker crust and a pumpkin purée cheesecake filling.
• “Reptile Awareness Day”, to raise awareness that habitat-loss and the threat of extinction are significant concerns in the world of reptilian life. (And hopefully, we can come up with a way to provide some gator-aid…)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Eat a Pretzel Day
[Tues] Make a Dog’s Day
[Wed] iPod Day
[Thurs] Crazy Day
This Week is…Bulk Foods Week
This Month is…Pizza Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1942 [82] Judy Sheindlin, Brooklyn NY, TV judge (“Judge Judy” 1996-2021, “Judy Justice” since 2021)/estimated net worth: $560 million
1949 [75] Benjamin Netanyahu, Tel Aviv Israel, politician (Israeli Prime Minister 1996-99, 2009-21, since 2022)
1957 [67] Steve Lukather, San Fernando Valley CA, rock guitarist (Toto-‘Africa’, Hold the Line’, session work includes Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album)
1977 [47] Matthew Ramsey, Buchanan VA, country singer (Old Dominion-‘One Man Band, ‘Snapback’)
1980 [44] Kim Kardashian, Los Angeles CA, media personality/businesswoman/socialite/model/Reality TV star (“Keeping Up With the Kardashians” 2007-21, “The Kardashians” since 2022,)/TV actress (“American Horror Story: Delicate” 2023-24)/married to the artist formerly known as Kanye West 2014-22
1993 [31] Kane Brown, Chattanooga TN, country singer (‘Heaven’, w/Chris Young-‘Famous Friends’)
1995 [29] Doja Cat (Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini), Calabasas CA, rapper-hip hop singer (‘Say So’, ‘Paint the Town Red’)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1992 [32] Madonna’s book “Sex” is released. Everything about it is shocking: the $50 price, the Mylar wrapping, the metal covers, and especially the images inside.
2021 [03] Alec Baldwin shoots cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead and injures director Joel Souza with a prop gun that was not properly checked on the “Rust” movie set at Bonanza Ranch NM. (Baldwin’s charges were dismissed in July, the film will finally premiere next month.)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1977 [47] Meat Loaf releases the landmark album “Bat Out of Hell”. Featuring the epic ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’, it’s one of the best-selling albums of all time, with estimated sales of over 50 million.
1995 [29] Blind Melon singer Shannon Hoon dies of a drug overdose at age 28.
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1918 [106] Margaret Owen sets the world typing speed record of 170 wpm for 1 min (On a typewriter! In 1918!).
1998 [26] NY Yankees set a Major League Baseball record of 125 victories for the regular and post season combined (just 50 losses).
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ 88% of the world’s population lives in the Northern Hemisphere.
✓ It is theoretically possible to dig a hole to China…if you start digging in Argentina.
✓ The term “footage” comes from the early days of movie-making, when films were measured in feet while being edited.
✓ In 2005, Mark Zuckerberg unsuccessfully tried to sell Facebook (then known as “The Facebook”) for $75 million. Current value? $1.46 trillion.
✓ According to research, dogs prefer reggae and soft rock over other music genres.
✓ The human skeleton renews itself every 10 years. Essentially, you have different bones now than you did 10 years ago!
-TheFactSite, UberFacts
Best of BS . . .
Baseball playoffs continue, so here are the…
BS WRONG THINGS FOR AN UMPIRE TO SAY:
• “Swing, batter, batter, batter…. swing!”
• “You’re out! I think.”
• “You’re in!”
• “I like big bats and I cannot lie.”
• “Get off my lawn!”
• “Touchdown!”
• “Actually, you’re right. Thanks for pointing that out.”
• “Who’s on first?”
• “My bad.”
• “Strike four!”
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS SIGNS YOU’RE A UNIVERSITY STUDENT:
• Your GPA is lower than your blood alcohol level.
• You’ve actually cooked mac & cheese on a radiator and made a grilled cheese sandwich with an iron.
• Your living room ‘coffee & end table set’ have matching Bud Light logos.
• Your phone is worth more than your car.
• Going to the library is a social event.
• You wear flip-flops in the shower to avoid that mysterious creeping crud.
• You’d rather eat off a piece of paper than wash your dirty dishes.
• The best thing in your fridge is a week-old pizza…and it’s starting to look really, really good.
• You have a pile of dirty clothes, a pile of once-used but not-quite dirty clothes, and a pile of clothes used more than once that could be worn a couple more times without smelling too bad.
• You’re planning to go trick-or-treating … for food.
-First published in BS in 2010
BS WEB GOODIE:
I don’t even care how she did it, I just want her to know she is the coolest cat ever: https://tinyurl.com/ym3dt45t
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that it’s you and coffee against the world.
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• Which is the largest planet in our solar system?
a) Mars
b) Saturn
c) Jupiter [CORRECT]
d) Tatooine
• What is the capital city of Japan?
a) Osaka
b) Tokyo [CORRECT]
c) Seoul
d) Kawasaki
• In the film “The Wizard of Oz,” what color is the Wicked Witch of the West’s skin?
a) Green [CORRECT]
b) Blue
c) Yellow
d) Pewter
-Quiiz
BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s the most out-of-character choice you’ve ever made?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
In a survey, one-third of us admitted they don’t know THIS about themselves. What is it?
Answer: Their blood type
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.