Tuesday, September 19, 2023 — Edition: #7557
Ah, Some BS You Actually Look Forward To In the Morning!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Russell Brand is reportedly the focus of new allegations. Yesterday, the UK newspaper The Times reported that “several women” had contacted the publication since it published allegations of rape, sexual assault and abuse by multiple women. Scotland Yard has also been encouraged to investigate the allegations against Brand by government minister Caroline Nokes, who said that “celebrity can act as a shield”. Nokes, who chairs the British parliament’s committee on women and equalities, added the allegations were “incredibly shocking and criminal,” and that they were “first and foremost a matter for the police.”
-People
★ Leslie Jones says that her friend Chris Rock sought counseling after being slapped by Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars. The “Supermarket Sweep” host told People that the incident “was humiliating” to Rock and “it really affected him. People need to understand his daughters, his parents, saw that.” She also revealed that Rock’s daughters received counseling as well. Rock shares 2 adult daughters — Lola, 21, and Zahra, 19 — with ex-wife Malaak Compton-Rock.
-HollywoodReporter
★ Arnold Schwarzenegger is celebrating 4 decades as an American citizen with a heartfelt Instagram video. The former California governor, originally from Austria, commemorated his journey with pics from his citizenship oath in 1983 and a clip from his 2004 speech at the Republican National Convention, highlighting America’s immigrant dream. He passionately expressed gratitude, reflecting on his boyhood daydreams of coming to the US, and a message to fellow immigrants, welcoming them and encouraging their dreams. He credited America for his career and success, underscoring the significance of becoming a citizen. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4243fcxn
-Blast
★ Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” has is now the 11th highest-grossing movie at the domestic box office, after overtaking Marvel’s 2012 blockbuster “The Avengers” over the weekend, and bringing its total take to $626 million. In order to crack the top 10, “Barbie” will need to nab another $27million to outpace 2015’s “Jurassic World”. Barbie is already the highest grossing domestic release of the year, and has earned $1.4 billion globally, making it the 14th-biggest movie of all-time.
-Variety
★ The iconic stopwatch won’t be reset, but for 6 episodes this fall, “60 Minutes” will become 90 minutes – long. The CBS newsmagazine is stretching on some Sundays when CBS airs an NFL doubleheader, starting Oct. 8. Often, the show doesn’t air until 7:30 p.m. on the East Coast those nights (it usually starts at 7 p.m.). Sources say the decision came about before the strikes that have paralyzed Hollywood and left networks looking for more content.
-AP
★ A new “Basketball Wives” series is coming to VH1. “Basketball Wives: Orlando” will premiere this fall and take a “fresh look at how the women of the Orlando basketball scene navigate the competitive world of sports.” Basketball Wives: Orlando will star Ashley Snell, Danielle Miller, Lyndzie Marble, Mackenzie Hyatt, Mehgan James, Morgan Bledsoe, Mulan Hernandez, Nique Brown, and Nikki Nicole. Fans will see their lavish lifestyles, triumphs and tribulations — and much more — as they deal with love, rivalry, and the spotlight, whether they like it or not.
-PopCulture
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Serena Williams, J. Balvin (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Kim Kardashian, Hannah Einbinder, Mo Willems, Paris Jackson (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Lin-Manuel Miranda and John Kander, the Broadway cast of “New York, New York” (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Hilary Duff, Kim Petras (R)
• “The View” (ABC, CTV): Matt Gutman
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Anderson Cooper, Julie Chen Moonves
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Rosie O’Donnell, Tyler James Williams, Fitz and the Tantrums (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Kristi Hadfield, Molly Jones
• “Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC): Season 9 finale. Dancing With the Stars vs. Grand Crew; Ben Schwartz vs. Sam Richardson
• “America’s Got Talent” (NBC): Live. Eleven performers take the stage, the audience votes.
• “Name That Tune” (Fox): The player with the most money at the end of bid-a-note wins, and heads into the final golden medley round for a chance at the $100,000 grand prize.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Adele – Has she secretly gotten married? While on stage in Vegas on Sat., she referred to Rich Paul, her boyfriend of 2 years, as her “husband”. Adele said to a female audience member: “You can’t marry me. I’m straight, my love, and my husband’s here tonight.”
• Billie Eilish – teased her next album while headlining the Music Midtown festival in Atlanta on Saturday. She said to the crowd: “I will see you after the next album comes out.” The audience, of course, went wild at the mention of her 3rd studio album. Eilish first confirmed that she and her brother FINNEAS were working on a new album last year.
• Rolling Stones – have been working on a documentary about the making of their latest record “Hackney Diamonds” (out Oct. 20). It follows the band as they work on the new album, and will include “nods” to late drummer Charlie Watts. The group is working with Fulwell 73 on the production, the team behind “The Kardashians” huge Hulu deal.
• U2 – Sat. night, they debuted the new song ‘Atomic City’ during a video shoot in Las Vegas. They performed for an audience on a flatbed truck moving through downtown. The song is expected to be released in conjunction with the launch of U2’s residency at the Venetian’s Sphere venue on Sept. 29.
• Neil Young — has announced details of a 50th anniversary reissue of his 1973 album “Time Fades Away”. “Time Fades Away 50” will be out Nov. 3, and in addition to the 8 songs on the original album, it’ll include ‘The Last Trip to Tulsa’, which was released as a B-side to the title track.
• Darius Rucker – Friday, he dropped the nostalgic new song ‘Southern Comfort’. It’s the latest release from his forthcoming album, “Carolyn’s Boy” (out Oct. 6), following ‘Fires Don’t Start Themselves’ and ‘Have A Good Time’. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/39jcst93
• Nate Smith – The ‘Whiskey on You’ singer has released a cover of Snow Patrol’s 2006 pop hit ‘Chasing Cars’. When he previewed his version online in July, his following grew by more than 100,000 on TikTok and over 88,000 on Instagram. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mv5espwu
• Thomas Rhett – has scored his 19th # 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart with ‘Angels Don’t Always Have Wings’. That ties Garth Brooks for 12th-most since the chart launched in 1990. Kenny Chesney ranks first, with 32 #1s, followed by Tim McGraw with 29 and Blake Shelton, with 28.
SHOOTING THE BULL
REDUCTION FORMULA:
If this becomes a thing – it’ll be even better than Ozempic! A new anti-obesity drug could allow you to lose weight — and eat anything you want! Scientists say they have discovered what they call an “obesity switch” in the brain. It controls a cluster of neurons in the brain that regulates fat expenditure. The researchers at the Institute for Basic Science in Korea say this could lead to the end of obesity for a billion people worldwide. The team says it has already conducted successful animal trials of a new drug, which helped mice lose weight without cutting down on food intake.
(What’s the drug called? Tapeworm?)
(And if you take this pill AND cut down on food – you may never be seen again!)
-StudyFinds
GRAMMER, PLEASE:
It may not come as a surprise to you to hear this, but according to a poll, a majority of young adults think proper spelling just doesn’t matter anymore. Nor does punctuation, it would seem, at least when using social media and messaging platforms. In the survey of 2,000 Gen Z, it was found that less than a quarter use periods, commas, and quotation marks in their casual communications. For comparison, more than half of people (55%) over the age of 65 say they’re very conscientious about using proper grammar while texting or posting online. The younger adults were found to be likely to use correct punctuation in text messages (69%). But on social media platforms like Snapchat and TikTok, less than 10% bother with that stuff. Just a quarter of those between 18-24 use capital letters correctly, compared to 61% of seniors. And just 16% of Gen Z always use periods at the end of sentences.
(…not only that, but they laugh at those of us who DO!)
(Uh – our phones actually have “auto-correct”. THEY FIX OUR SPELLING FOR US! The least we can do is use it!)
-StudyFinds
TIK TOK KATCHUP:
TikTok – is there anything it can’t do? A new viral ketchup bottle hack has showed up on the site, showing a “genius” way to be sure you get every last drop of the red nectar of the gods. Content creator Casey Rieger posted her test of the “life hack” with a bottle of ketchup. At the start of the 24-second video, she says: “OK, I saw someone do this on TikTok and I thought it was genius. So, I’m going to give it a try.” She explains how most of us simply tap the closed cap of the bottle with open hand in an attempt at getting the last bit of ketchup. Rieger then demonstrates the method she has seen, proceeding to spin her left arm in a counterclockwise motion as she holds the ketchup bottle from its base. She spins the bottle 7 times, then shows her TikTok followers that the movement pushed the condiment down the bottleneck toward the cap. She finishes the video, saying: “How cool is that, right?” The vid has over 22.7 million views, 2.3 million likes and over 27,00 comments. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2s36jb75
(Sounds good. But you’d look kinda funny doing it at a restaurant!)
(Please keep in mind – and this is the most important step: MAKE SURE THE LID IS CLOSED!)
-NYPost
2023 IG NOBEL AWARDS:
The annual ‘weird science’ awards have been announced, recognizing the 10 most unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research around the world. This year’s honorees . . .
⇒ Chemistry/Geology: To a researcher “for explaining why many scientists like to lick rocks.” (Apparently, it allows fossil and mineral textures to stand out sharply)
⇒ Literature: To a group who studied the sensations people feel when they repeat a single word many, many, many, many, many, many, many times.” (Moms will be familiar with this one…)
⇒ Mechanical Engineering: “for re-animating dead spiders to use as mechanical gripping tools.”
⇒ Medicine: “for using cadavers to explore whether there is an equal number of hairs in each of a person’s two nostrils.” (It’s quite obvious how important this research is…)
⇒ Communication: “for studying the mental activities of people who are expert at speaking backward.” (Wait – rewind that?)
⇒ Nutrition: “for experiments to determine how electrified chopsticks and drinking straws can change the taste of food.” (I wonder how many volunteers they “lost” during testing?)
⇒ Education: “for methodically studying the boredom of teachers and students.”
⇒ Psychology: “for experiments on a city street to see how many passersby stop to look upward when they see strangers looking upward.”
⇒ Physics: “for measuring the extent to which ocean-water mixing is affected by the sexual activity of anchovies.”
⇒ Public Health: “for inventing the Stanford Toilet, a device that uses a variety of technologies—including a urinalysis dipstick test strip, a computer vision system for defecation analysis, an anal-print sensor paired with an identification camera, and a telecommunications link—to monitor and quickly analyze the substances that humans excrete.” (Might as well add a ‘smell-meter’ to that as well…)
(What “Ig Nobel” prize should you be considered for?)
-ARSTechnica, NYPost
FOUND ONLINE:
(***Caution – you may want to sub out the words “Wendy’s” and “Frosty” to protect advertiser interests***)
From the “Forever Fall & Halloween” Facebook page, someone posted this review of the new pumpkin Spice Frosty from Wendy’s. Beautiful description…
“Just a little PSA style testimony here- the Pumpkin Spice Frosty I was so excited to try at Wendy’s is absolutely revolting. I’ve had some time to think about this whilst power washing the inside of my mouth, and the best way I can describe the flavor is this: melted dollar store pumpkin candle, spritzed with 65-year-old Avon perfume, and stirred with the leg of a haunted Victorian doll. Try if you must, but I do not recommend. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3msb8t9r
-Facebook
DID YOU KNOW?
The vibrant colors that leaves turn in the fall are their…actual colors. It’s true: leaves that change are naturally those orange, red and yellow shades, but during half of the year, those hues are overwhelmed by green chlorophyll. As chlorophyll goes away in autumn, the other pigments begin to show their colors.
-Smithsonian
BS CHRONOMETER 09.19.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Talk Like a Pirate Day”. So here goes … “Har’ Billy, hoist that bilge! Avast ya scurvy scum, stow away your jib! Ahoy matey, grab thee a wench! Swab the deck, ya lily-livered landlubbers!” (The first thing I said today when I woke up was, “Arrrgh!” Actually, that’s the first thing I say EVERY morning…) LINK: http://www.talklikeapirate.com
• “Get Ready Day”, created by the American Public Health Association to remind communities, campuses, and workplaces to be prepared for emergencies and disasters. The day coincides with National Preparedness Month.
• “Woman Road Warrior Day”, to honor women who travel for business. While men were once the main business travelers, women now account for half of all work-related travel. (As opposed to my mother, who is a ‘Road Worrier’.)
• “Butterscotch Pudding Day”, because apparently every single thing in existence deserves its own holiday…
• “National IT Professionals Day”, celebrating the information technology experts who keep the wheels of business turning. Today, thank your IT person, perhaps by not bugging them with any technology- related questions. (Ask them about sports…and watch ’em squirm!)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] String Cheese Day
[Wed] Gibberish Day
[Thurs] Miniature Golf Day
[Fri] Hobbit Day
This Week is…Indoor Plant Week
This Month is…Library Card Sign-up Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1940 [83] Bill Medley, Santa Ana CA, pop singer (w/Jennifer Warnes-‘[I’ve Had] The Time of My Life’, The Righteous Brothers-‘Unchained Melody’)
1948 [75] Jeremy Irons, Cowes England, movie actor (“Reversal of Fortune”, “The Lion King”)/TV actor (“The Borgias”). COMING UP… “The Beekeeper,” 2024
1951 [72] Daniel Lanois, Gatineau QC, singer-songwriter-music producer (U2, The Killers, Neil Young)/Canadian Music Hall of Fame 2002/Canada’s Walk of Fame 2005
1958 [65] Lita Ford, London England, rock guitarist/singer (w/Ozzy Osbourne: ‘Close My Eyes Forever’, The Runaways-‘Cherry Bomb’)
1964 [59] Trisha Yearwood, Monticello GA, country singer (‘XXX’s and OOO’s [An American Girl]’, ‘She’s in Love with the Boy’)/TV host (“Trisha’s Southern Kitchen”)/married to Garth Brooks since 2005
1964 [59] Kim Richards, Long Island NY, reality TV star (“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” 2010-20)/movie actress (“Escape to Witch Mountain”)
1974 [49] Jimmy Fallon, Brooklyn NY, TV personality/comedian (“Tonight Show” host since 2014, “Late Night” host 2009-14, “Saturday Night Live” 1998-2006)/movie actor (“Fever Pitch”)
1976 [47] Alison Sweeney, Los Angeles CA, TV actress (“Days of Our Lives” 1993-2015), TV host (“The Biggest Loser” 2007-2015)
1980 [43] Tegan & Sara Quin, Calgary AB, twin sister indie-rock singer-songwriters (Tegan & Sara-‘Closer’, ‘I Was a Fool’)
THIS DAY IN SHOWBIZ . . .
1994 [29] “ER” premieres on NBC, created by Michael Crichton, starring George Clooney, Anthony Edwards and Noah Wyle
2016 [07] Angelina Jolie files for divorce from Brad Pitt, citing irreconcilable differences
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1999 [24] The Dixie Chicks become the first country group to top the Billboard albums chart when “Fly” debuts at #1
2008 [15] Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and DJ AM are seriously injured when the plane they are in hurtles off the end of a runway in South Carolina, and hits a highway embankment
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1982 [41] Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott Fahlman produces the first ‘smiley face’ to punctuate humorous computer messages, employing a colon followed by a hyphen and a parenthesis [:-)] (the first emoji?)
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2011 [12] Pitcher Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees surpasses Trevor Hoffman to become Major League Baseball’s all-time saves leader with 602 (retired in 2013 with 652)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ A lion usually makes no more than 20 kills per year.
✓ Ostriches can run faster than horses, and male ostriches can roar like lions.
✓ Lobsters have clear blood.
✓ Bees actually have knees. The expression comes from the fact that they store large build-ups of pollen in hairy baskets on their knees.
✓ Ants never sleep.
✓ Cows can sleep standing up, but they can only dream while lying down.
-TheFactSite
Best of BS . . .
BS UNNECESSARY IPHONE FEATURES:
• A new version every 6 months or whatever.
• Voicemail. Like I’m ever gonna check that.
• The $1,000 price tag
• “Screen time”. I already know I’m on my phone all day!
• Airbag
• Swiss Army Knife
• Blockbuster locator app
• Mansplaining app
• The user
• Apparently, the lightning port.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS BAD THINGS FOR A DOCTOR TO SAY:
• “The surgery was a success, but the patient died.”
• “Check your bowel movements for the next few days. I’ve lost my ring.”
• “You have 6 months to live. But not in a row.”
• “Cash up front.”
• “Hang on. Let me Google this.”
• “Turn your head and cough. But first, put on these stockings and high heels.”
• “I have bad news and worse news. The bad news is you have 24 hours to live. The worse news is I forgot to call you yesterday.”
• “Holy crap. What IS that?”
• “Just put your clothes over there. Next to mine.”
• “The good news is that there is going to be a disease named after you.”
• “Are you the widow-to-be?”
• “Bend over.”
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
BS WEB GOODIE:
Couples’ therapy (sound up): https://tinyurl.com/mptkdw63
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Inside me there’s a thin person struggling to get out, but I can usually sedate him with 4 or 5 cupcakes.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s your all-time favorite cover song? Least favorite?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: In a survey, 25% of people said they have been annoyed by a neighbor who does THIS. What is it?
Answer: Plays a musical instrument
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Impossible is an opinion, not a fact.
