Friday, September 15, 2023 — Edition: #7555
Don’t Take Any Sheet, Unless It’s Pure Bull!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Ellen DeGeneres is returning to television. The former daytime host, whose “Ellen DeGeneres Show” ended its 19-year run last year, will appear on Discovery Channel’s special “Saving the Gorillas: Ellen’s Next Adventure”. Launching Sept. 23, a day before National Gorilla Day, the special “focuses on Ellen’s commitment to saving the gorillas,” according to the network, “and her dream of protecting Dian Fossey’s legacy by building the The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda, which opened last year.” Fossey was a renowned conservationist and primatologist who was murdered while studying in Rwanda in 1985.
-Messenger
★ After announcing late that “Real Time” will start producing new episodes without writers amid the ongoing strike, Bill Maher received harsh criticism not only from members of the the Writers Guild of America and their supporters, but also from the guild itself. WGA West, which Maher belongs to, said in a statement that the decision to resume the show during the strike is “disappointing,” and urged him to “honor more than the ‘spirit of the strike,’” referencing a quote from Maher’s announcement. It said that Mahar “is obligated to follow the strike rules and not perform any writing service.” WGA also confirmed that the guild intends to picket the show.
-TheWrap
★ Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel are launching a live “Strike Force Five” show in Las Vegas later this month. The one-night-only event, which will take place Sept. 23 at the Dolby Live at Park MGM, will feature the late-night hosts on stage together for the first time. Like the podcast, which also includes John Oliver and Seth Meyers, all proceeds from the event will go to staffers of their shows who have been impacted by the ongoing Hollywood strikes. Tickets go on sale today.
-TheWrap
★ After 10 seasons, “The Masked Singer” is getting a panel shake-up — but it should only be temporary. Rita Ora will be stepping in for Nicole Scherzinger for Season 11. The change comes as Scherzinger prepares to star in the West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard.” Performances begin this month, and the show is set to run for 16 weeks. But that conflicts with the filming of Season 11 of The Masked Singer, so in steps Ora, who is no stranger to the show, being an alum of “The Masked Singer UK.”
-TheWrap
★ The National Book Foundation has cut ties with Drew Barrymore after she made the controversial decision to tape her talk show amid the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes. The organization confirmed that it has “rescinded Ms. Barrymore’s invitation” to host this year’s National Book Awards. In a statement, the foundation said: “The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture.”
-LATimes
★ Singer Macy Gray, actor Chet Hanks (son of Tom), and Bravolebrity Kim Zolciak are among the celebs set to cohabitate in a Los Angeles mansion for the new season of “The Surreal Life”. Ally Brooke, O.T. Genasis, Johnny Weir, and Josie Conseco round out the cast of MTV’s revival of the VH1 reality series, which centers on the famous inhabitants’ growing friendships, relationships, and conflicts as they compete in challenges. The upcoming season will begin production this month. The show, which originally ran between 2003-06, was resuscitated at MTV last year.
-EW
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Kumail Nanjiani, Pink (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Vargas, Maisie Peters (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Bret Baier, Susie Essman (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Ana Gasteyer, Bomani Jones, Sam Morrison (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Phoebe Waller Bridge, Cher (R)
• “The Talk” (CBS): Chris O’Donnell, Vanessa Lachey, Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama, Katrina Law (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Tracy Morgan; Tamra Judge
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Mila Kunis, Chiara Aurelia, Jessica Knoll (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Teresa Giudice (R)
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Khloé Kardashian; The War and Treaty (R)
• “Secret Celebrity Renovation (CBS): Niecy Nash surprises her friend Wendy with a complete renovation to the Amazing Grace Conservatory in LA, a center for emerging artists and at-risk youth that Wendy founded over 25 years prior.
• “Witness to Murder: Digital Evidence” (A&E): A love triangle at the University of Florida results in the murder of a popular student; an undeniable digital trail leads straight to his murderer.
• “The Latin Music Revolution: A Soul of a Nation Presentation” (ABC): Exploring the popularity, roots and evolution of Latin music, and the young stars taking the industry by storm.
SATURDAY-
• “48 Hours” (CBS): Season 37 premiere. The Gilgo Beach Serial Killings. Chilling new details about alleged killer Rex Heuermann.
• “How She Caught a Killer” (Life): Fresh out of the police academy, a rookie detective goes under cover to capture a serial killer who’s targeting sex workers.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host Ana de Armas, Karol G performs (R)
SUNDAY-
• “Sunday Night Football” (Check local listings): Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots
• “60 Minutes” (CBS): Season 56 premiere
• “Halloween Wars (Food): Jonathan challenges the teams to create spooky displays based on the terrifying inspirations behind beloved fairy tales.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – How about a private concert? Theater chain Cinemark is offering the next best thing – moviegoers can rent out auditoriums to watch the filmed version of Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour,” which hits theaters on Oct. 13. Private “Swiftie Parties” cost $800 and can accommodate up to 40 people. That’s pretty cheap, when you consider what many were willing to pay for ONE ticket to see her live…
• 21 Savage and Cardi B — lead this year’s nominations BET Hip-Hop Awards with 12 nods each, while Drake follows with 9. Burna Boy and DJ Khaled each have 7. The 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards will air on the network on Oct. 10.
• Nelly – has confirmed that he and Ashanti are a thing again. When asked by if they are “back together,” his answer was: “Yeah, we cool again. I think it surprised both of us, though.”
• Pearl Jam — guitarist Mike McCready says their next album is “just about finished”, but fans shouldn’t expect to see it until next year, because there are still “a few tweaks that needs to happen.” The band is working with producer Andrew Watt, whose resume includes albums by Dua Lipa, Post Malone, Justin Bieber, Ozzy Osbourne, Eddie Vedder and The Rolling Stones.
• Oasis — Noel Gallagher would love his own Las Vegas residency. Speaking on “The Matt Morgan Podcast”, he said he likes the idea of a run in Sin City “in later life”. Quote: “You don’t have to go anywhere. You live in the hotel that you play at. Elvis Presley used to get a lift from his room to the stage – I wouldn’t mind doing that.”
• Luke Bryan – will host and executive produce the upcoming docuseries “It’s All Country” on Hulu. The 6-part series will examine “the iconic songs and artists that changed the face of country music forever”, to mark the 100th anniversary of the first country music record. No premiere date has been announced.
• Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen and Kip Moore – are all in the running for the International Artist Achievement Award as part of the 2023 CMA International Awards. Wednesday, the Country Music Association revealed the nominees for all awards. Voting is open now through Sept. 28, and winners will be announced later this year. FULL LIST OF NOMS: https://tinyurl.com/45zxfn5z
• Maren Morris — CMT has that she and Hozier will headline the next installment of “CMT Crossroads,” which will premiere September 22. “CMT Crossroads: Hozier & Maren Morris” was filmed in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena last month and will also air on September 23. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/38w7vuxf
• George Strait and Chris Stapleton – Not only have they extended their stadium tour into 2024, they may have something else up their sleeves. Strait is reportedly working on a new album, and photos show him and Stapleton in studio together. Strait’s last album was 2019’s “Honky Tonk Time Machine”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mrxznn33
SHOOTING THE BULL
THIS WEEK’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “A Haunting in Venice” (PG-13, Crime/Drama): Following WWII, legendary detective Hercule Poirot has retired in Venice. Reluctantly convinced to attend a séance – the night ends in murder, and once again he finds his skills put to the test to uncover the culprit. (Kenneth Branagh, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Yeoh) Tomatometer: 80%
• “Camp Hideout” (PG-13, Kids/Comedy): Troubled teen Noah nearly gets caught stealing a top-secret gadget from some big city thugs. He decides to hide out at a summer camp, but as he tries to blend in with the rest of the rowdy campers, his crooked formers partners show up. (Corbin Bleu, Christopher Lloyd, Amanda Leighton) No Tomatometer rating
DRINK DEVELOPMENTS:
❑ Some British pubs are getting on the “surge pricing” train, and charging more for beer at popular drinking times. Stonegate, the largest pub company in the UK, known for popular chains like the Slug and Lettuce and Craft Union, has implemented a significant price increase on pints during its busiest evening and weekend hours. At about 800 locations, so-called “dynamic pricing” adjustment will amount to an extra 20p (US 25 cents) per pint at peak times. Dynamic pricing has been adopted in various industries, including airlines, hotel chains, ride-hailing platforms, and, of course, by Ticketmaster. (Well, that’s a far cry from “happy hour”, isn’t it?)
❑ Coca-Cola has launched its latest creation, “Coca-Cola Y3000”, which it calls the first flavor created by artificial intelligence, with some help from humans. Coca-Cola Y3000 is the latest limited-edition flavor to launch under its “Coca-Cola Creations” platform. The company claims to have created the Y3000 experience by tapping into human and artificial intelligence, “to understand how people envision the future through emotions, aspirations, colors and flavors”, among other factors. (Translation: They don’t know what the hell it tastes like, either!)
-Forbes, FoodDive
THE MOST POPULAR BABY NAMES IN 1948:
According to US Social Security Administration data showing what parents were naming their newborns 75 years ago…
GIRLS: BOYS:
1. Linda 1. James
2. Mary 2. Robert
3. Barbara 3. John
4. Patricia 4. William
5. Susan 5. David
6. Sandra 6. Michael
7. Nancy 7. Richard
8. Carol 8. Thomas
9. Sharon 9. Charles
10. Kathleen 10. Ronald
(Sounds like the waiting room at my doctor’s office!)
-HuffPost
NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ A British Columbia man called police because he was offended by what another man was wearing. A 27-year-old Trail resident called cops to complain, saying he was “offended on behalf of the military” at the sight of a man wearing camouflage pants, because he believed civilians were not allowed to do so. He requested that an officer find the man — and remove his pants. The caller also told the officer he was willing to remove the man’s pants himself “under order of King of England.” The officer informed him that forcefully removing the man’s pants would constitute an assault — and dissuaded him from taking action. (We’re just surprised that he could see them. After all, they’re ‘camouflage’!)
➢ And from the ‘dirty trick’ department, A fake sign that designated Loyola Beach as a nude beach was removed by the Chicago Park District over the weekend. Rogers Park beach goers, heading to the lakefront over Labor Day weekend, spotted a new sign that read “nude beach past this sign.” The sign also included the official Chicago Park District seal. The Park District replied to a tweet about it by confirming the sign was not official, and pointing out that unauthorized use of the district’s seal is “strictly prohibited.” (As is swimming naked at a family beach, we presume…!)
-Canoe, BlockClubChicago
DID YOU KNOW?
An advisory panel of the US Food and Drug Administration has concluded that virtually all over-the-counter decongestants simply don’t work. The FDA panel found that phenylephrine — the active ingredient in Sudafed, Benadryl, Robitussin and other popular decongestants — is nearly useless at reducing nasal congestion. The advisory panel’s ruling might lead to these oral products being pulled off store shelves nationwide. (Well, if they’re going to do that, they might as well also get rid of charcoal toothpaste, detox teas – and shake-weights!)
-NYPost
BS CHRONOMETER 09.15.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Google.com Day”, Google was founded on September 4th 1998, however, it was registered as a domain on this day in 1997, 25 years ago. (Who says “Google.com”?)
• “Greenpeace Day”, honoring the 1971 founding of the internationally renowned environmental organization. A group of 17 activists initially formed in Vancouver BC to protest offshore nuclear testing in Alaska.
• “Someday”, How many tasks have you put off, saying you’ll get to them “someday”? Well, guess what? Time’s up. Someday is here. Get to work!
• “Double Cheeseburger Day”, The first double cheeseburger is said to have been thought of by someone at a California restaurant called “Bob’s Big Boy” in 1937. (A big, greasy thumbs up to him/her!)
• “Thank You Day”, a day to encourage kindness to those who let others go ahead of them in line, or hold doors open for strangers, or give gifts, or speak words of encouragement. But don’t just thank them today – thank them whenever you have a chance!
• “International Day of Democracy”, a UN observance since 2007, encouraging the freely-expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social, and cultural systems.
• “Caregivers Day”, recognizing the selfless people who do the chores for the sick and elderly that the rest of us can’t be bothered with. (How come one of the most important occupations is one of the poorest paying?)
• “International Dot Day”, to encourage people of all ages to harness their creativity. The inspiration is the children’s book “The Dot” by Peter H. Reynolds. It tells the tale of a teacher who challenges a pupil to take courage in her abilities, and from a dot on a page, the youngster goes on to make her mark.
SATURDAY-
• “Batman Day”, saluting the 1939 creation of the character as a DC comic strip hero. It’s been calculated it would take a person 15-18 years to do all the training they’d need to take on the job. Forbes estimates alter-ego Bruce Wayne’s worth at $9.2 billion, and lists his company, ‘Wayne Enterprises’, as having annual revenue of $31.3 billion.
• “Collect Rocks Day”, a celebration of the hobby of gem & mineral collecting. (If you have young boys, you probably collect rocks…in the dryer!)
• “Guacamole Day”, honoring the avocado, the tomato & onion treat that resembles baby poop.
Avocado Fun Facts:
⇒ Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable.
⇒ Avocados mature on the tree, but only ripen once they are taken off the tree.
⇒ Although the plant dates as far back as 5,000 BC, prior to 1915, it was commonly referred to in California as ‘ahuacate’ and in Florida as ‘alligator pear’.
⇒ On average, 53.5 million pounds of guacamole are eaten every Super Bowl Sunday, enough to cover a football field more than 20 feet thick.
• “Independence Day” in Mexico (“El Grito de Independencia”), celebrating the declaration of independence from Spain in 1810. Fiesta!
• “Stepfamily Day. It’s estimated that 1-in-3 of us is in a stepfamily at some point. It’s now more common to refer to these as ‘blended’ families. (The story of Cinderella ruined the term ‘step-anything’ for everyone!)
• “International Day for Preservation of the Ozone Layer”, as first declared by the UN in 1994.
• “Working Parents Day”. Isn’t parenting work in itself?
• “Play-Doh Day”, before it found its way to the craft shelf, Play-Doh was sold as wallpaper cleaner!
• “Tattoo Story Day”. Today, listen to, or share the story of how or why someone got theirs. Use #NationalTattooStoryDay to share stories and pics on social media (if it’s in an appropriate spot!)
SUNDAY-
• “Wife Appreciation Day”, for spouses to show their wives some appreciation and let them know how much they are valued. Of course, wives should be shown appreciation every day, but today is extra special!
• “International Country Music Day”, established in the 1950s to promote country music and to unite its fans all over the world. (Shouldn’t there be a song about this?)
• “Apple Dumpling Day”, celebrating the tasty Fall treat that consists of pastry filled with sweet, delicious apples. (Don’t forget the ice cream!)
• “American Citizenship Day” (aka “US Constitution Day” and “I Am an American Day”), focusing on the rights & responsibilities of American citizens. It commemorates this date in 1787 when the US Constitution was signed in Philadelphia, the oldest working constitution in the world.
• “Monte Cristo Day”, It’s typically a savory sandwich made with bread, dipped in egg batter, and either pan fried or deep fried. Variations may include sliced turkey and different types of cheese. It can be served grilled or open-faced and heated under a grill or broiler.
• “Time’s Up Day”, a day to let you know that if you’ve been waiting to make up with someone, you’ve officially run out of time and should make amends now. (Not to be confused with “Make Up Day”, which was on Sept. 10…)
• “World Patient Safety Day”, a day to raise awareness about the importance of addressing health worker safety as a prerequisite to patient safety.
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1946 [77] Oliver Stone, NYC, movie director-producer-screenwriter with 4 Academy Awards (“Platoon” (2), “Born On the Fourth of July”, “Midnight Express”)
1946 [77] Tommy Lee Jones, San Saba TX, movie actor (“Men in Black” movies, “No Country For Old Men”, Academy Award-“The Fugitive”) COMING UP… “The Burial”, 2023
1961 [62] Dan Marino, Pittsburgh PA, retired NFL player (legendary Miami Dolphins QB, 9X Pro Bowl, Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2005)/NFL analyst (“The NFL Today on CBS” 2002-13)
1977 [46] Tom Hardy, London England, movie actor (“The Dark Knight Rises”, “Mad Max”, ‘Venom’ in MCU) COMING UP…“Havoc”, 2023
1978 [45] Zach Filkins, Colorado Springs CO, pop-rock guitarist (OneRepublic-‘Counting Stars’, ‘Love Runs Out’)
1981 [42] Ben Schwartz, The Bronx NY, TV actor (‘Jean-Ralphio Saperstein’ on “Parks and Recreation” 2010-15, voice of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ in movies) COMING UP… “Sonic the Hedgehog 3”, 2024
1984 [39] Prince Harry (Henry Charles Albert David Windsor), London England, British royal (Duke of Sussex)/King Charles III & Princess Diana’s second son, who’s 5th in line to the throne, after his elder brother William, and William’s children/married to Meghan Markle (Duchess of Sussex) since 2018
1986 [37] Heidi Montag, Crested Butte CO, reality TV star (“The Hills” 2006-10, “The Hills: New Beginnings” 2019, 2021, “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here!”, 2009)/married to Spencer Pratt since 2008
SATURDAY- Mickey Rourke (“The Wrestler”) is 71; illusionist David Copperfield is 67; Jennifer Tilly (“Liar Liar”) is 65; Richard Marx (‘Right Here Waiting’) is 70; Molly Shannon (“Saturday Night Live”) is 59; Marc Anthony (‘I Need to Know’) is 55; Amy Poehler (“Parks & Recreation”) is 52; Flo Rida (f/T-Pain-‘Low’) is 44; Alexis Bledel (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) is 42; Ian Harding (“Pretty Little Liars”) is 37; Nick Jonas (Jonas Brothers) is 31
SUNDAY- Cassandra Peterson (“Elvira, Mistress of the Dark”) is 72; director/producer Baz Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge”) is 61; director-producer Bryan Singer (“X-Men” films) is 58; Kyle Chandler (“Friday Night Lights”) is 58; Nate Burkus (“The Nate Burkus Show”) is 52; Chuck Comeau (Simple Plan) is 44; NHLer Alexander Ovechkin is 38; Jon Walker (Panic! at the Disco) is 38
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1954 [69] The famous photo of Marilyn Monroe, laughing as her skirt is blown up by a subway vent, is shot during the filming of “The Seven Year Itch” (it infuriates her husband, Joe DiMaggio, and they divorce shortly afterward)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1994 [29] The earliest known recording of John Lennon, a performance by the Quarrymen at a 1957 parish garden party in Liverpool, fetches $125,000 at auction
2019 [04] The Cars frontman Ric Ocasek dies at 75
2020 [03] Sotheby’s holds the first-ever auction of hip-hop memorabilia, including Tupac Shakur’s love letters ($75,600), Slick Rick’s eye patch ($25,200), and Salt-N-Pepa’s jackets ($23,940). The marquee item is the plastic crown Notorious B.I.G. wore in his last photo shoot, which sells for $594,750
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2021 [02] SpaceX launches the first all-civilian spaceflight from Cape Canaveral, Florida, for a 3-day orbit around Earth
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2008 [15] NYC-based financial services firm Lehman Bros files the largest bankruptcy in US history, eventually contributing to a global financial meltdown and recession
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Humans are the only animals with chins.
✓ The vast majority of blind people in the US and UK cannot read braille.
✓ If you’ve got an itch in your throat, scratch your ear.
✓ If your last name is closer to the end of the alphabet, you’re more likely to be an impulse spender.
✓ Most female cats prefer using their right paw, and males are more likely to be left-pawed.
✓ About 40% of the ants in a colony are “lazy” and spend most of their time just sitting around.
-UberFacts, QuiteInteresting
Best of BS . . .
BS EXAGGERATED FILM QUOTES:
• “E.T. phone home this instant. Your mother’s worried sick.”
• “What I do have is a particular set of skills accrued from 2 years of prep school, 4 years of undergraduate work, and 3 years of post-grad.”
• “What we’ve got here, is a failure to communicate. I mean, what are you speaking, Swahili?”
• “We’ll always have the entire country of France.”
• “With great power comes great electricity bills.”
• “Do or do not, I’ve had it up to here with your whining, already.”
• “These go to 12.”
• “Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me, aren’t you?”
• “I’ll have what she’s having, but supersize it.”
• (***Caution***) “GTFO, Forrest, GTFO!”
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2022
BS THINGS NOT TO BINGE-WATCH THIS WEEKEND:
• The Weather Channel
• A 12-part series on the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle.
• Paint drying
• The Food Network. Unless you plan to eat all day.
• Oakland A’s games.
• Your husband, binge-drinking.
• Teletubbies. Although that works quite well for a certain age group…
• Water boiling.
• Your parents’ unlabeled video collection that you found waaaay back in the back of the closet.
• Real Housewives of Anywhere.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
BS WEB GOODIE:
Not so fast, mister: https://tinyurl.com/mpdsafe3
BS RANDOM JOKE:
If you’re asking me to choose sides, keep this in mind. I’ll always go with potato salad.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What experience were you hesitant to try — but are really glad you did?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: According to a survey, the average child will ask their parents THIS question 1,584 times before they turn 18. What is it?
Answer: “Can I have a puppy (or pet)?”
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.