Wednesday, July 17, 2024 — Edition: #7756
Can You Believe This Sheet?
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Kyle Gass of Tenacious D has issued an apology after facing major backlash for what he said about the assassination attempt of Donald Trump. At the duo’s concert in Sydney, Australia on Sunday, Jack Black brought a birthday cake out for Gass, and told him to “make a wish” — to which Gass replied: “Don’t miss Trump next time.” Yesterday, Gass issued a statement, saying: “The line I improvised…was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake. I don’t condone violence…against anyone…What happened was a tragedy, and I’m incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement.” Black had earlier released a statement saying that he was “blindsided” by Gass’ comment, and was suspending the rest of their tour and “all future creative plans.”
-NYPost
★ Richard Simmons’ housekeeper tried to get him to a doctor after he fell in his bathroom but he avoided it, because he just wanted to stay home for his birthday, TMZ reports. Simmons fell Friday evening, and police sources say that his housekeeper implored him to seek medical attention that night. Despite feeling dizzy before the fall, Simmons rejected the housekeeper’s suggestion, saying he might go Saturday, but didn’t want to go that night as it had been his 76th birthday. She helped him back to bed, but Saturday morning, around 10am, she found Simmons unresponsive on the floor next to his bed. Police said there were no signs of foul play.
-TMZ
★ Shannen Doherty settled her divorce from estranged husband Kurt Iswarienko just one day before she died. Court documents show that the “Beverly Hills, 90210” star agreed to waive spousal support and to a “default or uncontested dissolution” of their marriage, which indicates the former couple settled their split outside of court. While Doherty signed the agreement on July 12, Iswarienko signed on Saturday, July 13 — the day that Doherty lost her years-long battle with breast cancer at age 53.
-PageSix
★ “Big Brother” has revealed the cast for Season 26, and it includes a twist for the houseguests. As BB AI takes over, the 16 houseguests will be able to vote for a 17th houseguest, whose identity remains a secret. This season’s houseguests include a celebrity chef, a former undercover cop, an event bartender, a former marine, a physical therapist, and a crochet business owner. Big Brother Season 26 is set for a 2-night premiere tonight and tomorrow on CBS. Following that, the series will air Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, featuring the live eviction show hosted by Julie Chen Moonves.
-Deadline
★ The Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation has named Greta Gerwig the recipient of its 2024 Pioneer of the Year Award, given to leaders of the entertainment industry who show commitment to philanthropy and the community. The “Barbie” director will be honored at the foundation’s annual fundraising dinner at the Beverly Hilton on Sept. 25 and she’ll join past recipients, including Erik Lomis, Tom Cruise, Donna Langley, Kathleen Kennedy, Jack Warner and Cecil B. DeMille.
-TheWrap
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Howie Mandel, Roy Wood Jr., the Decemberists, guest host Anthony Anderson
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Kerry Washington, Anthony Ramos, Clairo
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Glen Powell, Charlamagne Tha God
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Alaska 5000, Gillian Jacobs, Chris Fleming
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Michael Cera, Daisy Edgar-Jones, James Bay, José Medeles
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Kate Hudson, Brad Goreski
• “The Daily Show” (COM): TBA
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Shaquille O’Neal
• “The Talk” (CBS): Annie Potts, Zoe Perry, Jenna Dewan guest co-hosts
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Glen Powell, Shaq
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Coleman Domingo, Noah Lyles, UB40
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Awkwafina, Jake Lacy (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): James Pickens Jr.
• “Big Brother” (CBS): Season 26 premiere
• “Decision 2024: Republican National Convention” (Check local listings): Coverage of day 3.
• “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (ABC): In the Hot Seat: Rosie O’Donnell & Lisa Ann Walter; Sebastian Maniscalco & Omar J. Dorsey
• “Wild, Wild Space” (HBO): Chronicling the modern day, celestial land grab happening above our heads, as companies compete to blast satellites carrying rockets into low earth orbit.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – “The Tortured Poets Department” has now been at #1 on the Billboard albums chart for 12 consecutive weeks, a record even for her. “1989” and “Fearless” both topped the chart for 11 weeks. “Poets” debuted atop the chart on May 4.
• Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes – The exes were seated side by side at the Copa América final in Miami on Sunday, just over a year after they attempted to rekindle their relationship. They were seen smiling and chatting together, and of course, social media users immediately wondered if it is the start of another summer of love for the former couple.
• AC/DC – has earned its first-ever first diamond-certified single in the US, for the 1991 arena anthem ‘Thunderstruck’. The Recording Industry Association of America has certified the song for shifting 10 million equivalent units (sales plus streaming).
• The Black Crowes — have announced a new run of headlining dates built around their opening sets on Aerosmith’s “Peace Out!” farewell tour. The 22 US dates will take place this fall, and include previously rescheduled slots opening for Aerosmith. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/27nxr4s4
• Metallica – Their 1991 self-titled album, commonly known as the “Black Album,” has now spent 750 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. It ranks at #178 this week. The only other albums to reach the 750 weeks milestone are: Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of The Moon” (990 weeks), Bob Marley’s “Legend” (843), and Journey’s “Greatest Hits” (813).
• Morgan Wallen — After deactivating his Instagram profile last month, he’s back – with some big news. Monday, he posted that he’ll be headlining a show at Knoxville’s Neyland Stadium on Sept. 22. Two of his collaborators and frequent tourmates, Hardy and Ernest, are also on the bill. Neyland Stadium is a hometown venue for Wallen, who hails from nearby Sneedville. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/y9wrfwfz
• Jelly Roll – says he was “brought to tears” over the fact that Eminem sampled his song ‘Save Me’ on Em’s new song ‘Somebody Save Me.’ Quote: “I always say my childhood heroes lived somewhere between Willie Nelson and Eminem (and still today) I could recite every song on the Slim Shady album, the Marshal Mathers album and the Eminem show.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4enenrfy
• Megan Moroney – dropped her new album “Am I Okay?” on Friday. In an interview, she revealed that the song ‘Heaven By Noon’ was written about her uncle, who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Quote: “I kind of thought about my aunt when I was writing that song.”
SHOOTING THE BULL
A “WOK” IN THE PARK:
The world’s biggest indoor snow and ice theme park has opened in China. Residents and visitors to the city of Harbin now have the chance to enjoy wintery temperatures and experiences year-round, as if a place with the nickname “Ice City” didn’t already get enough of winter. During this month’s opening ceremony, Guinness awarded the Harbin Ice and Show World Company official certification as the “world’s largest indoor ice and snow theme park.” Covering an area of 23,800 square meters, it is divided into 9 themed sections with 13 interactive projects. The park offers an immersive experience utilizing advanced ice sculpting techniques and cutting-edge lighting, sound and interactive technologies. Visitors are said to be able to enjoy a magical atmosphere filled with ice, light, entertainment, gourmet food and cultural creations. There are also vibrant ice sculptures of fruit, ice cream and cakes.
(They had me at “ice cream and cakes”. Uh, what else did they say they have there?)
(Ever since I heard about that indoor ski hill at a mall in Dubai, nothing surprises me!)
-CNN
TECH TALK:
⇒ Cutting kids’ screen time to just 3 hours per week can result in significant improvements to their mental health and behavior in as little as 2 weeks, a new study shows. The study, out of the University of Southern Denmark, involved 89 families with 181 children between 4 and 17 years old. After just 14 days of a reduced screen time regimen, researchers found that these children experienced a decrease in behavioral difficulties equivalent to moving from the “borderline” category to the “normal” category. It suggests that even a brief period of reduced screen time can have measurable benefits for children’s mental health. The researchers point out that the 3-hour limit applies specifically to leisure screen time, and doesn’t include screen use for school or homework. (…but nice thought, kiddies!)
⇒ Artificial intelligence requires so much power it’s straining the electrical grid in some areas. AI queries require about 10 times the electricity of traditional Google queries, according to the Electric Power Research Institute. And emerging AI capabilities such as audio and video generation are likely to add to this energy demand. In fact, the energy needs of AI are requiring energy companies to recalibrate their future projections, and even to explore previously unheard-of options, such as restarting a nuclear reactor at the Three Mile Island power plant, which has been dormant since the infamous disaster in 1979. (I knew AI was going to be the end of us, but I didn’t think it would happen from radiation poisoning…!)
-StudyFinds, TheConversation
CHORE WARS:
Do you think you know how to clean things properly? If so, you’re in the minority, according to a poll. The survey of 2,000 parents in the US found that 26% have been told they don’t know how to do laundry properly. In addition, 28% have been told they mop and sweep wrong, and 33% apparently even fold laundry incorrectly. Can we place blame for all this on Mom and Dad? You bet we can: 4 in 10 respondents said they have seen their own parents doing these types of things “the wrong way”. What’s more, 26% said they were never taught how to mow the lawn. One-quarter were never taught how to do garden or yard work – and 24% said they were never even taught how to properly load a dishwasher.
(…although it should be noted that there is no correct way to load a dishwasher. Just ask my wife!)
(That’s odd – because I was taught to mow the lawn when I was about 4!)
-StudyFinds
SONGS OF THE SUMMER – THE PAST 12 YEARS:
2012: ‘Call Me Maybe’ — Carly Rae Jepsen
2013: ‘Blurred Lines’ – Robin Thicke ft. T.I. and Pharrell
2014: ‘Fancy’ – Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX
2015: ‘Bad Blood — Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar
2016: ‘One Dance’ – Drake ft. WizKid and Kyla
2017: ‘Despacito (Remix)’ – Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber
2018: ‘In My Feelings’ – Drake
2019: ‘Old Town Road’ – Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
2020: ‘Savage Remix’ — Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyoncé
2021: ‘Butter’ — BTS
2022: ‘As it Was’ – Harry Styles
2023: ‘Last Night’ — Morgan Wallen
• The complete list back to 1974: https://tinyurl.com/er8sv43u
(What’s your best bet for 2024? Sabrina Carpenter — ‘Please Please Please’? Shaboozey – ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’? Post Malone & Morgan Wallen – ‘I Had Some Help’?)
-BestLife
DID YOU KNOW?
Pregnancy brings about a number of physical changes – but one you might not be aware of is known as “pregnancy nose”. It involves a noticeable widening of a pregnant woman’s nose, a change that can be startling and often unexpected. The condition is typically due to the increase in blood flow and hormonal changes in a pregnant woman, which can cause the blood vessels to expand. While pregnancy nose isn’t as common as food cravings or morning sickness, experts say it’s not entirely rare, and the conversation around it is gradually increasing on social media. (Ah! So, it MUST be true!)
-Newsweek
BS CHRONOMETER 07.17.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “World Emoji Day”, celebrating the pictograms that have become a modern form of punctuation. Why July 17th? That’s the date famously displayed on the iOS Calendar Emoji.
• “Peach Ice Cream Day” (aka ‘Fuzz Ripple’). Who cares why? Gimme some! Most ice cream makers only make the stuff during summer.
• “Yellow Pig Day”, a mathematician’s holiday (is there such a thing!?!), celebrating the special qualities of the number 17. Like what? One example: It is the sum of the first four prime numbers – 2, 3, 5, and 7. The occasion has been celebrated since the 1960’s, mainly on college campuses, and by mathematicians.
• “Tattoo Day”, a celebration of body art; everything from the artwork decorating the proud owners of tattoos to the thousands of studios that continue to crop up each year. (These days, are you a rebel if you DON’T have a tattoo?) [***See ‘BS Phone Starter, below***]
• “World Day for International Justice”, to recognize the emerging system of international criminal justice. July 17 was chosen because it is the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the International Criminal Court.
• “National Hot Dog Day”. Hot dogs gained in popularity in the US in the early 20th century, traditionally sold at hot dog stands and carts, and were especially popular in New York and Chicago. They have become a prominent part of American culture, and are closely associated with baseball. (So much so, that a hotshot player is often referred to as a “hot dog”!)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Nelson Mandela International Day
[Thurs] World Listening Day
[Fri] Stick Out Your Tongue Day
[Sat] International Chess Day
This Month is…Watermelon Month
This Month is…Ice Cream Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1947 [77] Queen Camilla (Camilla Parker Bowles Windsor), London England, British Royal (Queen of the United Kingdom since 2022)/married to King Charles III since 2005
1952 [72] David Hasselhoff, Baltimore MD, TV actor (“Knight Rider”, “Baywatch”)/TV personality (“America’s Got Talent” 2006-2009)/recording artist (ha!)/FUN FACT: His 2008 divorce settlement awarded him the catchphrase “Don’t Hassle the Hoff”.
1960 [64] Mark Burnett, London England, TV producer (“Survivor”, “The Voice”, “The Apprentice”, “Shark Tank”)
1964 [60] Craig Morgan (Greer), Kingston Springs TN, country singer (‘That’s What I Love About Sunday’, Redneck Yacht Club’)
1975 [49] Carey Hart, Seal Beach CA, former pro motorcycle racer and freestyle motocross racer, now competes in off-road truck races/owner of Hart & Huntington Tattoo & Clothing Company/married to Pink since 2006
1976 [48] Luke Bryan, Leesburg GA, country singer (‘Kick the Dust Up’, ‘One Margarita’)/TV personality (“American Idol” judge since 2018)
1979 [45] Mike Vogel, Abington PA, movie actor (“The Help, “Cloverfield”)/TV actor (“Under the Dome” 2013-15)
1985 [39] Tom Cullen, Aberystwyth Wales, TV actor (‘Lord Gillingham’ on “Downton Abbey” 2013-2014)
1992 [32] Billie Lourd, Los Angeles CA, TV actress (“Scream Queens” 2015-16, “American Horror Story” since 2017)/movie actress (“Star Wars” movies)/daughter of Carrie Fisher. COMING UP… “And Mrs”
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2017 [07] The Muppets Studio, in firing the voice of ‘Kermit the Frog’, Steve Whitmire, blame his “unacceptable business conduct”
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1991 [33] 14 years after the deadly crash of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Baton Rouge-bound aircraft, the surviving members, reunited under the name “Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991,” kick off a new tour in the city. (The band embarked on its “Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour” in 2018, but are still touring…)
2023 [01] CMT pulls Jason Aldean’s video for ‘Try That in a Small Town’, which shows footage of urban violence and protests. Controversy follows, sending the song to #1 on August 5
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1955 [69] Disneyland officially opens in Anaheim CA, less than a year after construction began (It now hosts 16-18 million visitors a year)
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1941 [83] NY Yankee Joe DiMaggio’s legendary 56-game hitting streak ends in Cleveland (began May 15)
1982 [42] 52-year-old Don Bennett of Seattle becomes the first ‘One-Legged Mountain Climber’ to hop to the top of Washington’s 14,408-ft Mount Rainier
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ The smell of chocolate increases theta brain waves, which triggers relaxation.
✓ Crackers will give you cavities faster than candy.
✓ Grocers (and grocery stores) got their name because they sold goods by the gross.
✓ “Time” is the most commonly used noun in English.
✓ Even a blind chameleon will change its color to match its surroundings.
✓ Your real accent comes out when you’re drunk. The more alcohol you consume, the harder it is for the brain to control the way words are pronounced.
-FactSlides, Insider
Best of BS . . .
MORE BS AWKWARD OPENING LINES:
• I see by your beer that you like beer.
• I dress up as Santa Claus at malls. No, it’s not a job. I just like to do it.
• Boy, do you suck at staring contests. I’ve been having them with you all night, and you’ve lost like 12 times in a row!
• Whoa! Is that a mole?
• Pick a card, any card. Hey relax! OK, OK…I’ll wait until you’re done in the restroom.
• Check out my wallet. That’s real Velcro.
• I’ll tell you what. Let’s get out of here and go to this place I know. We’ll need to pick up a mattress on the way…
-Stuff, first published in BS in 2017
EVEN MORE BS QUESTIONS PLAGUING HUMANITY:
• What exactly are they planting to grow a seedless watermelon?
• When your pet bird sees you reading the newspaper, does it wonder why you’re sitting there staring at its carpeting?
• How do you know when its time to tune your bagpipes?
• What is the point of a helmet when you’re skydiving?
• Why isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food?
• Why do they report power outages on TV?
• At what age do old people decide they’re not even going to look when they back out of the driveway?
• Can a woman who’s plucked all her eyebrows really be surprised?
-First published in BS in 2013
BS WEB GOODIE:
Such a nice young man: https://tinyurl.com/2frmryhe
BS RANDOM JOKE:
My moods don’t just swing — They bounce, recoil, rebound, oscillate, fluctuate, and occasionally pirouette!
TRUTH OR BS:
• A golf ball is the fastest-recorded object in sports. [BS. It’s the shuttlecock]
• English is the most-commonly spoken language in the world. [BS. It’s Mandarin Chinese.]
• When the two numbers on opposite sides of a dice are added together, it always equals 7. [TRUE.]
• The Olympics are held every 5 years. [BS. They’re held every 4 years.]
• Celine Dion is related to Hillary Clinton [True. They are 9th cousins – some sources say 10th.]
• Eating too many carrots can make your skin turn orange. [TRUE.]
• People lose an average of 75 hairs from their head each month. [BS. We lose up to 75 strands of hair each DAY.]
-Cosmo
BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What is the best or worst tattoo that you have ever seen? (Spelling counts!)
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
25% of people say they have no plans of ever doing THIS. What is it?
Answer: Retiring
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
It’s not what we CAN do in life that makes a difference. It’s what we WILL do.
