Friday, February 7, 2020 – Edition: #6629

Don’t Take Any Sheet, Unless It’s Pure Bull!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Showtime has ordered a series about American First Ladies that will star Viola Davis as Michelle Obama. Here is the logline for the series: “In the East Wing of the White House, many of history’s most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America’s charismatic, complex and dynamic first ladies.” This series claims that it will peel back the curtain on the personal and political lives of these enigmatic women, with season one focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama.
-TheWrap
★ Matthew Perry has reignited speculation that Ross, Monica, Joey, Chandler and Rachel will be back on our screens for a “Friends” reunion after tweeting: “Big news coming”. Fans have long been hungry for an encore of the cast of the classic comedy. One wrote: “Reunion??? Its 2020 and everyone including Emma has woken up from their nap!!!” The latest round of suspicion that Friends could be coming back began in October when Jennifer Aniston Instagrammed a photo with the rest of her co-stars enjoying a reunion dinner.
(Maybe they’re just…friends?)
-MSN
★ Chris Pratt is plotting a return to television. He’s reteaming with his “Magnificent Seven” director Antoine Fuqua to develop “The Terminal List”. Pratt would both star in and executive produce the conspiracy thriller, which is currently in development. The Terminal List follows Pratt’s “Reece” character after his entire platoon of Navy SEALs is ambushed during a high-stakes covert mission. As he returns home with conflicting memories of the event, new evidence comes to light when he discovers dark forces working against him. A network is not yet attached.
-MSN
★ Kristen Bell just had a major mom fail. She took to Instagram on Tuesday in a panic, revealing that one of her daughters had “washed her hair with vaseline” and Bell was struggling to get it out. Thankfully, her Instagram followers saved the day. She later posted video of herself saying: “Okay, the consensus was dish soap and I appreciate that. I’m very grateful for you guys, ’cause I don’t know what I’m doing.” She later added, “Situation handled.”
-MSN

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Rosario Dawson, Lil Rel Howery, Andre D. Thompson
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Joe Mantegna, Coyote Peterson
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Kristen Bell, Desus & Mero, Little Big Town, Chris Coleman (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, SHAED (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Shania Twain
• “The Talk” (CBS): Eric Braeden
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Dean Chapman
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Martha Stewart, Snoop Dogg, Green Day
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Alison Brie, Ella Jay Basco
• “MacGyver” (CBS): Season 4 premiere
• “Democratic Presidential Debate” (ABC): Democratic presidential hopefuls discuss the issues at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.

SATURDAY-
• “Matching Hearts” (HALLMARK): As Valentine’s Day nears, a matchmaker must find a mate for an entrepreneur who believes staying single is the key to success.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host RuPaul, with musical guest Justin Bieber

SUNDAY-
• “92nd Annual Academy Awards” (ABC): Honors for achievements in film take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles; performers include Elton John, Idina Menzel, AURORA, Chrissy Metz, Cynthia Erivo, and Randy Newman.
• “Homeland” (SHOWTIME): Season 8 premiere

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Nicki Minaj – Her feud with ex-boyfriend Meek Mill spilled over to social media on Wednesday, when she accused him of beating women in the past, and Mill accused Minaj of defending her brother amid child rape accusations.
• Justin Bieber – has become the first artist to rack up 50 million subscribers on YouTube, the platform he was first discovered on in 2007 by his longstanding manager Scooter Braun. The premiere episode of his docuseries “Justin Bieber: Seasons” reached 32 million views in its first seven days.
• Ozzy Osbourne – says he is ”intimidated” by his ex-Black Sabbath band mate Tony Iommi. But he also praised Iommi as being ”the greatest” guitar player, saying ”He was the band, really…he was the most irreplaceable one out of all of us.”
• Mötley Crüe – Drummer Tommy Lee will make a guest appearance as a college professor on the ABC-TV comedy “The Goldbergs” on February 12th. The group’s hit ‘Home Sweet Home’ will be the episode’s musical tribute.
• White Stripes — will mark the 20th anniversary of their “De Stijl” album with a massive reissue packed with unreleased recordings, two live performances and more. “The Accompaniment to De Stijl: The White Stripes’ Sophomore Album” boasts two colored LPs (one white, one red) and a DVD. It also includes an archival booklet.
• Huey Lewis – says he remains hopeful that his hearing condition will improve so he can perform again, but jokes that maybe he could “model” for his own hologram on tour as a way of getting back onstage.
Quote: “I could come out between tunes and do shtick.” His new album, “Weather”, comes out Feb. 14.
• Billy Ray Cyrus – says a “Hannah Montana” prequel is a possibility. Quote: ”I would do that in a heartbeat. Because that means I get to get my mullet back.” He didn’t reveal if his daughter Miley would be involved.
• Sam Hunt – His sophomore album, “Southside” comes out April 3. He’ll hit the road this summer on “The Southside Summer Tour 2020”, joined by Kip Moore, Travis Denning and ERNEST, with a DJ set by Brandi Cyrus.
• Miranda Lambert – has announced another $160,000 in grants to animal shelters through Mutts Across America — an initiative under her MuttNation Foundation. One animal-centered organization in each of the 50 U.S. states will receive financial support to honor them for their positive animal welfare.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn” (R-Rated, Action/Adventure):  After splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord. (Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez)
• “The Lodge” (R-Rated, Horror):  A soon-to-be stepmom is snowed in with her fiancé’s two children at a remote holiday village. Just as relations begin to thaw between the trio, some strange and frightening events take place. (Richard Armitage, Riley Keough, Alicia Silverstone)
• “Come to Daddy” (R-Rated, Comedy/Drama – Limited):  A privileged man-child arrives at the beautiful and remote coastal cabin of his estranged father, whom he hasn’t seen in 30 years. He quickly discovers that not only is dad a disapproving jerk, he also has a shady past that is catching up with him. (Elijah Wood, Stephen McHattie)
• “Horse Girl” (R-Rated, Comedy/Drama – Limited/Netflix):  When a series of strangely surreal dreams upend the simplicity of her waking life, a socially-isolated girl struggles to distinguish her visions from reality. (Alison Brie, Molly Shannon)

SICKNESS TRACKER:
That Fitbit on your wrist might be even more useful than you thought. A U.S. study has found that heart rate and sleep data from wearable fitness tracker watches can predict and alert public health officials to real-time outbreaks of flu more accurately than current methods. The study used data from more than 47,000 Fitbit users, and found that by using the devices’ data, state-wide predictions of flu outbreaks were improved and accelerated. Traditional surveillance reporting takes up to three weeks, meaning response measures – such as deploying vaccines or anti-virals and advising patients to stay at home – can often lag.
(If you’re giving scientists 24-hour access to your heart-rate readings, it also means they can tell if you’re having a “good time” in real-time!)
(How is it with detecting man-flu? Asking for a friend.)
(But it really throws the research off when someone’s battery dies!)
-NYPost

NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ An Ohio man received 55,000 copies of the same statement from a college student loan company. Dan Cain went to the Twinsburg Post Office to find 79 bins of mail, each full of copies of the same letter addressed to him. The statements, regarding a student loan taken out for his daughter’s tuition, required Cain to make two trips between the back doors of the post office and his home. Now, he says he ‘s not sure what to do with the letters, which are currently stacked on his garage. Oh, one more thing: All of the letters contained an error regarding the amount owed. The company has apologized. (Can’t wait for the corrected invoice…sssssssssssss!
➢ A Chinese woman has come up with an ingenious way to avoid the coronavirus, while still getting her shopping done. A viral video shows her using a remote-controlled car to go food shopping around her hometown. Chen Tao never left home, using the car’s two cameras and remote controls to navigate it to a shop in the city of Jinan. The car has a range of a half-mile, and Tao put her phone number on the car — which has a box hitched to the back for groceries — so the shop owner can call her to complete the transaction. The video shows the vehicle roll up to a store, where she uses a loudspeaker to speak to a security guard. The guard loads the car’s ‘trailer’, and the car “speeds” home. (The video has gone viral like…. well, you know…)
-CNN, NYPost

DID YOU KNOW?
Dunkaroos, the snack considered by many 90s kids to be the best of all time, are coming back this summer. General Mills has announced that the iconic cookie and frosting duo will be available for dunking this summer in its most requested and beloved flavor: Vanilla Cookies and Vanilla Frosting with Rainbow Sprinkles. Dunkaroos were such an important snack in the ’90s that brands like Yoplait, Walmart, and Lunchables made their own versions. (There is no reason that they can’t also bring back Vanilla Cookies with Chocolate Frosting, too, right?)
-Cosmopolitan

BS CHRONOMETER 02.07.20

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1960 [60] James Spader, Boston MA, TV actor (“The Blacklist” since 2013; “The Office” 2011-12, “Boston Legal” 2004-08)/movie actor (“Lincoln”, “Sex, Lies & Videotape”)

1962 [58] Garth Brooks, Tulsa OK, country singer (‘The Dance’, ‘Friends in Low Places’)/married to country singer Trisha Yearwood since 2005

1962 [58] David Bryan (Rashbaum), Perth Amboy NJ, rock keyboardist (Bon Jovi-‘Wanted Dead or Alive’, ‘It’s My Life’)

1965 [55] Chris Rock, Andrews SC, comedian/movie actor (“Grown Ups”, “Madagascar” films)

1974 [46] Steve Nash, Johannesburg South Africa, retired pro basketball player (eight-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA MVP)/Member of the Order of Canada/GM of the Canadian national basketball team/player development consultant for the Golden State Warriors

1978 [42] Ashton Kutcher, Cedar Rapids IA, TV actor (“The Ranch” since 2016, “Two-And-a-Half Men” 2011-15, “That ’70s Show” 1998-2005)

SATURDAY- Composer John Williams (“Star Wars”) is 88; Creed Bratton (“The Office”) is 77; Mary Steenburgen (“Step Brothers”) is 67; John Grisham (“The Firm”) is 65; Vince Neil (Mötley Crüe) is 59; Seth Green (“Austin Powers”) is 46

SUNDAY- Joe Pesci (“My Cousin Vinny”) is 77; Mia Farrow (“Rosemary’s Baby”) is 75; Travis Tritt (‘Here’s a Quarter [Call Someone Who Cares]’) is 57; Charlie Day (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) is 44; Tom Hiddleston (“The Avengers”) is 39; Michael B. Jordan (“Black Panther”) is 33

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Ballet Day”, an annual celebration of the artistic dance-form that keeps people on their toes.

• “Fettuccine Alfredo Day”, an annual appreciation of the pasta dish that involves tossing fettuccine noodles with heavy cream & cheese. (Which sits in your stomach like a bowling ball.)

• “Send a Card to a Friend Day”, obviously created by a greeting card company.

• “Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbors Day” … instead of just the middle one. (And they’ll be wondering, “What the heck does that idiot want now?”)

• “International Clash Day”, an international observance that honors and celebrates the legendary punk rock band The Clash. (I see that [co-host] has a safety pin in his [her] nose for the occasion…)

• “Rose Day”, marks the beginning of the love week. On this day you are free to buy as many roses as your pocket permits, and present them to your loved ones.

• “Bubble Gum Day”, an annual FUN-draising idea in which kids and teachers who donate to a charity get to chew bubble gum at school.

SATURDAY-
• “Laugh & Get Rich Day”, in recognition of laughter’s power to add to the bottom line. People who laugh a lot are said to be more effective and tend to remember things better.
• “Opera Day”, for those who like listening to every word of a story being sung. (Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and, instead of bleeding, he sings.) A few facts…
– The first ‘modern’ opera was written in 1597.
– The longest opera ever written was Wagner’s “The Ring Cycle” at a grueling 15½ hours.
– For all the attention and publicity that it gets, only 3% of us have ever attended an opera.
• “Propose Day”, the 2nd day in the Valentine week from February 7-14. In India on this day, large numbers of young people give roses to girlfriends, boyfriends, relatives, or friends.
• “Boy Scout Day”, celebrates the birthday of Scouting in America. On February 8, 1910, Chicago publisher William Dickson Boyce filed incorporation papers in the District of Columbia to create the Boy Scouts of America.
• “National Kite Flying Day”, why Kite Flying Day is held in the middle of winter, we have no idea. BS FACTOID: Kites were first used by the military in ancient China over 3,000 years ago.

SUNDAY-
• “Chocolate Day”, started by the Confectioners Association to promote what is almost every woman’s (and many a man’s) weakness. Some say chocolate from the New World (mostly Mexico) was introduced to Europe on this date in 1550.
• “Toothache Day” in honor of the feast day of St Apollonia, patron saint of dentists and those suffering from toothaches. (it doesn’t help that it’s chocolate day!)
• “Develop Alternative Vices Day”, a day to change your habits and improve yourself.
• “Read in the Bathtub Day”, an excuse to luxuriate in a steamy tub with a great novel. (Not on your eReader … zap!)
• “Pizza Day”, saluting what is likely the world’s favorite pie. A few facts …
– The first pizza was sold in Naples, Italy in 1738.
– Pepperoni is the most popular topping, preferred by 36% of pizza fans.
– Over 3 billion pizzas are sold each year.
– More pizzas are sold on Super Bowl Sunday than any other day of the year.
– About 17% of all restaurants are pizzerias, or at least serve pizza.
– On average, we consume over 23 lbs/10½ kg of pizza per year.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2011 [09] AOL purchases “The Huffington Post” for $315 million

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2008 [12] Britney Spears’ family stage an intervention that lands her in the psychiatric ward of UCLA Hospital

2012 [08] Alicia Keys and Nas join Jay Z’s charity concert at NYC’s Carnegie Hall which raises $3.5 million for United Way and Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation

TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1976 [44] Darryl Sittler of the Toronto Maple Leafs sets NHL record with 10 points in a game (6 goals, 4 assists)

2005 [15] Britain’s Ellen MacArthur becomes the fastest person to sail solo around the world, in 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes 33 seconds

2009 [11] Melbourne, Australia’s highest temperature on record (46.4° C/115.5° F) sparks the “Black Saturday” bushfires, worst (at the time) in Australian history

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Twitter’s home button is a birdhouse. When you join, you’re an egg. The logo is a bird. Most people don’t realize this.
✓ A housefly flies at only 4.3 mph (6.9 kph).
✓ When you become really close to someone, you can hear their voice in your head when you read their texts.
✓ Until around 1900, jump rope was primarily considered a boy’s game.
✓ William Shakespeare spelled his own name four different ways in his will.
✓ About half of women say color is an important factor when buying a car. 60% of men do.
-WOWFacts, BathroomReadersInstitute

Best of BS . . .
BS UNUSUAL AFFIRMATIONS:
• “I am wealthy and prosperous and can cook ramen without burning down the kitchen.”
• “There’s nothing terribly wrong with me.”
• “I can eat this whole pizza myself.”
• “Dance like people are watching.”
• “You’re not the ugliest or dumbest…So there’s that.”
• “Believe in yourself, because I sure as hell don’t believe in you.”
• “I can even today!”
• “I can…but I won’t.”
• “AA is for quitters!”
• “You kind of suck.”
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019

BS NEW NAME GENERATORS:
• Sandwich Name: Direction you are currently facing + name of the street you are currently on + main course at your most recent holiday meal.
• Rock Band Name: Your least favorite color + your most recent physical ailment + high school mascot, plural.
• Discreet Sex Toy Name: Your favorite hard candy flavor + type of flower indigenous to your current state or province of residence.
• Fruit Smoothie Flavor Name: Your first name, possessive + your favorite color + the kind of fruit you most recently consumed + the worst weather conditions you’ve ever experienced while on vacation.
• Highbrow Circus Show Name: Your favorite smell + your least favorite time of day (both translated into French).
• Grocery Store Name: The street you grew up on + “Organic” (optional) + “Harvest” (optional) + “Farmer’s” (optional) + “Market”.
• Sitcom Name: Whatever you last screamed at your children.
– Thanks to Allen Rein, first published in BS in 2012

BS WEB GOODIE:
Friday time-waster:  https://tinyurl.com/wtv77hj

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Dear Friday, I’m so glad we are back together. I’m sorry you had to see me with Mon.-Thurs., but I swear I was thinking of you the whole time.

BS PHONE STARTER:
What is the craziest thing that you’ve ever done for money?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  The average woman keeps THIS for 12 years. What is it?
Answer:  Hairstylist

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
There’s no such thing as bragging. You’re either lying or telling the truth.