Monday, October 31, 2022 – Edition: #7348
Let’s See What BS We Can SCARE Up…!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Television powerhouse Shonda Rhimes has announced that she is quitting Twitter in the wake of Elon Musk officially taking ownership of the app. The “Grey’s Anatomy” creator tweeted Saturday morning to her 1.9 million followers: “Not hanging around for whatever Elon has planned. Bye.” Rhimes’ decision to leave came just over a day since Musk confirmed that “the bird is freed,” signifying that his months-long legal battle to acquire the app had come to an end. Rhimes is the latest figure to condemn Musk’s “new Twitter,” which promises to be a “#FreeSpeech” haven for those who feel they have been censored by the platform’s content moderation policies. The New Contagion Research Institute reported a drastic uptick on Twitter in the use of racials slurs, as well as messages discriminating against women and the LGBTQ+ community, in the 12 hours following the announcement.
-TheWrap
★ While many were carving up their pumpkins for Halloween, Dwayne Johnson was still carving up the box office. “Black Adam” was projected to repeat in the #1 spot over a quiet Halloween weekend. The DC Comics film earned $7.5 million on Friday, marking a 72% fall from its opening day last week, and was projected to earn $24 million in its sophomore weekend. That would mark a substantial 63% drop from last week’s opening of $67 million. Even for a superhero film — a genre that tends to yield front-loaded box office performances — that’s on the hefty side. The Julia Roberts-George Clooney romcom “Ticket to Paradise” was projected for a second-place weekend finish with a $10.3 million gross, while the seasonal horror flick “Prey for the Devil” looked to open in third.
-Variety
★ “Dancing With the Stars” pro Val Chmerkovskiy will miss tonight’s Halloween episode after revealing he has COVID. In an Instagram video, he said: “the good thing is that Gabby [Windey] tested negative so we’re still in [the competition].” He also noted in the comments that his pregnant wife, Jenna Johnson, has also tested negative. Alan Bersten, who was eliminated with partner Jessie James Decker last week, will step in for a Halloween-themed Argentinian tango. Chmerkovskiy also thanked fans for their support, saying, “I feel fine, I will be back. This is a minor setback for a major comeback.”
-TheWrap
★ The ink on Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen’s divorce papers isn’t even dry yet, but oddsmakers are already taking bets on who they’ll date next — and go figure — Pete Davidson is the favorite to be the supermodel’s next fling. BetOnline made a list of the former power couple’s next potential suitors, giving Davidson the best odds to date Bündchen, at +1200, with Jason Momoa right behind at +1800. Other stars in the running include Leo DiCaprio, John Mayer, Chris Evans and Bradley Cooper — but there’s one guy who would definitely stir the pot if it came true — Brady’s best friend and former teammate, Rob Gronkowski. Brady’s list of potential future flings include, in order of likelihood, Taylor Swift, models Adriana Lima Alessandra Ambrosio, followed by …Kim Kardashian.
-TMZ
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Gwyneth Paltrow, Patton Oswalt
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Daniel Radcliffe, Winston Duke, Caroline Rhea
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Jennifer Hudson, Zosia Mamet
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Ice T, John Irving, Rina Sawayama, Dena Tauriello
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Kerry Washington, Paul Feig, Rosa Linn
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Pam Grier, Chris Redd
• The View” (ABC/CTV): Randall Park, Aubrey Plaza, performance from the cast of Broadway’s “Into the Woods”
• “The Talk” (CBS): Monica Barbaro, Garcelle Beauvais
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Multiverse Halloween: The Best in the Universe
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Rose McIver, Loni Love, Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Terry Crews
• “Sherri” (Check local listings): Sherri’s Halloween Gala
• “World Series Baseball” (Check local listings): Game #3: Houston Astros @ Philadelphia Phillies
• “The Voice” (NBC): In the first 3-way knockout in Voice history, 3 artists perform individually against each other, and a winner is selected to move on to the live playoffs.
• “The 13 Scariest Movies of All Time” (CW): Dean Cain hosts, guests include Elizabeth Stanton, Garrett Clayton, Jackie Fabulous, Darrin Butters.
• “Halloween Baking Championship” (FOOD): Season 8 finale. The bakers create sweet and savory grazing boards in honor of a dearly departed couple; Carla Hall, Stephanie Boswell and Zac Young judge black wedding cakes to determine the Halloween Baking Champion.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Katy Perry – On Instagram, she poked fun at the recent viral video that captured the moment her eye couldn’t stop twitching during a show. Perry shared video of her “broken doll eye party trick” to plug new dates for her Vegas residency next year, writing that attendees will see other “party tricks as well”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/46ycf54v
• BTS – Jin dropped his highly anticipated solo single ‘The Astronaut’ on Friday. Co-written with Coldplay, the release of the pop-rock tune, featuring harmonies from Chris Martin, was accompanied by a video telling the story of an alien navigating Planet Earth. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mu9pcuzw
• Mötley Crüe – Shortly after guitarist Mick Mars announced his retirement from the road, the band confirmed rumors that John 5 has been brought aboard as touring guitarist. His resume includes work with David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, and he co-wrote 3 songs for the soundtrack to The Crüe biopic “The Dirt”.
• Steve Perry — has released his first original holiday song ‘Maybe This Year’. It is included in the deluxe edition of his 2021 album “The Season”, and was previously teased on his TikTok account. “The Season: Deluxe Edition” is currently available as a digital download only. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/f982mzyd
• Jerry Lee Lewis – with the announcement of his death at 87 on Friday, the last survivor of the inaugural class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has passed on. Other members of the class of 1986 were Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Sam Cooke (all inducted posthumously), and Ray Charles, James Brown, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino Little Richard and The Everly Brothers, who have all passed since.
• Led Zeppelin – Dolly Parton wants to reunite Robert Plant and Jimmy Page for a new rendition of ‘Stairway to Heaven’. She covered the song bluegrass-style on her 2002 album “Halos & Horns”, but in a new interview, ahead of her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, she mentioned her plans to record a rock album, she said she wants to deliver a more faithful version, featuring the Zeppelin stars.
• Eric Church and Maren Morris – are among the country stars who will appear on “Stoned Cold Country”, an upcoming Rolling Stones tribute album. Fans can look forward to Church’s version of ‘Gimme Shelter’, while Morris tackles ‘Dead Flowers’. No release date yet, but the single ‘It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)’ by Brothers Osborne and the War and Treaty, will arrive Friday.
• Shania Twain – will launch 2023 with a massive tour and a new album. Her first studio album in 6 years, “Queen of Me” drops Feb. 3. She has already released the single ‘Waking Up Dreaming’ and the new song ‘Last Day of Summer’. Her “Let’s Go, Girls!” tour launches April 28 in Spokane WA, and will cross the US and Canada, plus several UK dates.
SHOOTING THE BULL
NEW YEAR’S ILLUSION:
A survey says that 41% of people believe they’ll return to their ‘pre-pandemic body’ next year. A poll of 2,000 US adults found that two-thirds feel that one good thing about the pandemic is that it taught us just how important our health really is. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, 64% say their physical health was affected — with half reporting that they’ve gained weight in the past 2 years. Of them, 52% gained between 9-20 pounds (4-9kg). About two-thirds say weight loss is a “top health goal” for them over the next year. Almost 3 in 5 believe it will be easier to maintain their health and fitness in the next year compared to 2022.
(Although, keep in mind: I’m pretty sure if you asked, about the same number would also tell you they believe in the Tooth Fairy!)
(Yes, those 4 months when we were afraid to touch our face without sanitizing our hands, and we could only leave the house for groceries DEFINITELY taught us that our health is important!)
-StudyFinds
SCARY THOUGHT:
Some experts are saying that says that letting your kids gorge on Halloween candy might, in the long run, be good for them. Carol Danaher, a registered dietician and faculty member at the Ellyn Satter Institute, points out that Oct. 31st is a “special day” meant for children’s enjoyment, and “If they are restricted from sweet food or there’s guilt around them, the child will crave them more and they won’t have their natural limits.” Sarah Jedd, a blogger and communications professor at the University of Wisconsin, wrote a piece for a local mommy site explaining why she allows her children total access to their Halloween candy. Although she admits she received a lot of negative feedback, she stands firm in her convictions. The mom-of-5 says she doesn’t place limitations on her family’s candy consumption so that they ultimately eat less of it. They tend to dig into their trick-or-treating haul for a few days and then simply tire of it. She feels kids are “naturally intuitive eaters” and “will figure out what is good for them.”
(Yup, usually about a half-hour too late!)
(We, too, allow out kids unlimited access to their Halloween candy. Except, of course, for what their mom and I are able to inhale the minute they go to bed!)
-NYPost
NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ A man flew 3,500 miles to surprise his mom on her dream 60th birthday vacation — after managing to keep his plan secret for months. 37-year-old Stanley Dru pretended he was unable to get the money together to join his mom Donna Roderick for her big trip to Dubai. But he secretly planned a surprise arrival with 2 of her friends. He flew to Dubai, then called his mom, asking about her vacation – while creeping up behind her at a restaurant. She “jumped” when she heard Stanley’s voice behind her, telling her the white dress she was wearing “looks lovely” on her, and was in utter shock to see him. The pair were able to spend the next 4 days sightseeing and “made every minute count of the trip.” According to Stanley, he “slipped up so many times” in the months leading up to her trip, but somehow his mother didn’t realize it. (My parents don’t listen to a word I say, either…)
➢ A woman who is set to inherit millions of euros has already decided that she wants to get rid of 90% of her wealth. Marlene Engelhorn is a member of the German industrial family whose patriarch, Friedrich, founded the chemical giant BASF in 1865. Having received the news that she is about to receive her share of a multi-billion dollar fortune due to the recent death of her grandmother, the 30-year-old isn’t planning to donate the money to charity. Instead, she has co-founded a group called Tax Me Now, and is part of a movement of millionaires who are urging governments to take more of their money in the form of increased inheritance and wealth taxes. She has committed to giving away at least 90% of her inheritance, and hopes it will go to the state in the form of tax. (I did the same thing…last time I filled my gas tank!)
-SWNS, LADBible
TRICK OR TWEET:
Funny tweets from parents about kids’ costumes…
⇒ “My 9 year old has requested the following Halloween costume: cute baby wolf, but spooky, NOT SCARY. I…don’t think Target sells this.”
⇒ “True love is standing in the Halloween store the night before Halloween with a smile on your face as your 5yo picks out a “cooler” costume.”
⇒ “Our family rule is that if the kid’s costume costs more than $50, they have to wear it to school at least four times after Halloween.”
⇒ “The scariest thing a parent can face on Halloween is getting their preschooler out of their costume and to a potty in time.”
⇒ “My daughter wants to be really scary this Halloween so instead of a costume she is going to carry a school fundraising packet to every door.”
⇒ “Some people go to Vegas to gamble. I order my kid a costume from China hoping it will arrive before Halloween.”
⇒ “Slowly learning to wait til last possible minute to get my kids’ Halloween costumes to account for the 763 times they change their minds.”
⇒ “Neighbor: Your kids’ costumes are so cute! And what’re you supposed to be?
Me: *bundled in a blanket, gripping a hot toddy in a sippy cup* AT HOME IN BED WATCHING GORDON RAMSAY RERUNS”
⇒ “My son needed a last-minute Halloween costume so I wrapped him like a mummy with my CVS receipt. You can also scan him for $2 off Advil.”
-HuffPost
DID YOU KNOW?
Lockdown babies may be slower to communicate but learn to crawl faster. A study suggests that babies born during Ireland’s first covid-19 lockdown were less likely to be able to wave goodbye, point at things and know one “definite and meaningful word” by the time they turned 1. On the other hand, they were more likely to be able to crawl. But the author of the study, conducted by researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons, says parents shouldn’t be too worried, because, “Babies are resilient and inquisitive by nature”, and are likely to bounce back, given the right support.
-WashingtonPost
BS CHRONOMETER 10.31.22
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Halloween”, also known as ‘Hallowe’en’ (a contraction of “All Hallows’ evening), less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve, a long-time tradition in the US and Canada, which spread to many other countries by the late 1900s and early 2000s. Some believe its origins come from a Celtic festival for the dead called “Samhain.” Celts believed the ghosts of the dead roamed Earth on this holiday, so people would dress in costumes and leave “treats” at their front doors to appease the roaming spirits.
• “Caramel Apple Day”, saluting the tasty Fall treat made by dipping apples on a stick into hot caramel. Not many people hand them out to trick-or-treaters anymore, but you can enjoy one yourself! (And for our money, they beat ‘candy apples’ by a long shot!)
• “Carve a Pumpkin Day”, your last chance to carve a pumpkin because Halloween is tonight. Pull out your patterns and get to work. (Or try carving a turnip…that’s what the Irish originally carved faces into…)
• “International Magic Day,” traditionally a day for magicians to meet, celebrated on the anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death on October 31st, 1926.
• “International UNICEF Day”, observed on October 31st since 1967, the reason many trick-or-treaters collect donations in UNICEF coin boxes.
• “Girl Scout Founder’s Day”, Juliette Gordon Low, also known as Daisy, who was born on October 31, 1860, was the founder of Girl Scouts of the USA.
• “Knock-Knock Jokes Day”, celebrating their momentous contribution to the comedy world.
Two of the worst:
1. “Knock-Knock.” “Who’s there?” “Cows go.” “Cows go who?” “No, silly. Cows go Moo.”
2. “Knock-knock.” “Who’s there?” “Interrupting pirate.” “Interrupt…” “ARRRRRRRRR!”
COMING UP . . .
[Tues] All Saints’ Day
[Tues] Vegan Day
[Wed] Cookie Monster Day
[Thurs] Cliché Day
This Week is…Massage Therapy Week
This Month is…Popcorn Poppin’ Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1961 [61] Larry Mullen Jr, Dublin Ireland, rock drummer (U2-‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, ‘With or Without You’)
1961 [61] Peter Jackson, Pukerua Bay New Zealand, movie director-producer(“The Hobbit” films, “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “The Beatles: Get Back”)
1963 [59] Dermot Mulroney, Alexandria VA, movie actor (“My Best Friend’s Wedding”, “Young Guns”) COMING UP…Untitled 6th “Scream” movie, 2023
1963 [59] Rob Schneider, San Francisco CA, movie actor (“Deuce Bigalow”, “Hot Chick”)/TV actor (Saturday Night Live 1990-94)/father of singer Elle King
1966 [56] Adam Horovitz (‘Ad-Rock’), New York NY, rapper-guitarist (Beastie Boys-‘Fight for Your Right [to Party!]’)
1967 [55] Vanilla Ice (Rob Van Winkle), Dallas TX, rapper (‘Ice, Ice Baby’ and….ummmm….) /“Dancing With the Stars” season 23 contestant [Fun Fact: ‘Ice Ice Baby’ was the first hip hop song to top the Billboard Singles Chart]
1976 [46] Piper Perabo, Dallas TX, movie actress (“Coyote Ugly”, “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle”)/TV actress (“Covert Affairs” 2010-14)
2000 [22] Willow Smith, Los Angeles CA, pop singer (‘Whip My Hair’, ‘Fireball’)/TV show host (“Red Table Talk” co-host since 2018)/movie actress (“I Am Legend”)/daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2006 [16] After 35 years at the helm, host Bob Barker announces he’ll retire from “The Price Is Right” (Drew Carey takes over)
2020 [02] ‘James Bond’ actor Sean Connery dies at his home in the Bahamas at age 90
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS. . .
2005 [17] The white suit John Lennon wore on the cover of The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album sells at an Amnesty International charity auction in Las Vegas for $118,000
2017 [05] At his show in London, the crowd pelts Harry Styles with kiwi fruit when he performs his song ‘Kiwi’. To protect him, when he plays Manchester 3 days later, one grocery chain refuses to sell the fruit to anyone under age 25
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1892 [130] Arthur Conan Doyle publishes “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”
2011 [11] “Day of Seven Billion”, the day designated by the UN Population Fund as the approximate date on which the world’s population reached 7 billion (coincidentally all of them are in front of you in the DMV lineup!) Current world population: 7.98 billion…and counting. UPDATES: http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK HALLOWEEN FACTS:
✓ The word “witch” comes from the Old English ‘wicce’, meaning “wise woman.”
✓ About 1 in 25 coffins from the 16th century has been found to have scratch marks on the inside.
✓ “Bloodcurdling” isn’t just an expression: Research shows that watching horror movies can increase a certain clotting protein in our bloodstreams.
✓ The average bag of candy that one child will collect on Halloween contains about 11,000 calories.
✓ The farthest a pumpkin has been hurled without the use of explosives is 5,545.43 feet (1,690.25 m)
✓ According to legend, you can also become a vampire by being born with red hair, or by being promiscuous.
-FactRetriever
Best of BS . . .
BS SIGNS YOUR HOUSE IS HAUNTED:
• The phrase “If these walls could talk” isn’t just a saying at your place.
• At midnight, you hear a voice that says “Get out!”, and for once it’s not your wife.
• When you bought it, there was a “Haunted House for Sale” sign in the front yard.
• There are actual skeletons in the closet.
• Your kids’ Halloween treats keep disappearing. (It’s gotta be a ghost…honest!)
• There is a vehicle marked “Mystery Machine” with a bunch of meddling kids and a Great Dane in it, parked out front.
• The ghost dragging the dead corpses around tells you it’s haunted.
• Someone hired a bunch of C-level actors and made a crappy movie about it.
• Ectoplasm on the stairs!
• The ceiling bleeds blood down the walls. (Not a definite sign, but a very strong indicator…)
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
BS ODD THINGS TO ASK A VAMPIRE:
• If you can’t see yourself in a mirror, how is your hair and makeup always perfect?
• Edward or Jacob?
• Can I have your garlic bread?
• Where do you stand on the whole ‘pineapple on pizza’ debate?
• If you stay inside, are you able to pull an ‘all-dayer’?
• Are you related to umpires?
• What’s your go-to brand of sunscreen?
• Are you aware that you suck?
• Where do you keep your money? The blood bank? (groan…)
• Being that you are a soulless, blood-sucking, mind-controlling monster, will you be running for office soon?
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ A 4.5 Magnitude Earthquake hit near Dawson City, Yukon in Canada this month. (And considering that’s the country known for giving us Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray and Celine Dion, getting rocked isn’t something we’re (***they’re***) used to…
➠ Today is Halloween — A day when you can paint your face, dress in silly clothes and act like a fool, and nobody thinks you’re weird. (Or, as Johnny Depp calls it . . . Monday.)
➠ Don’t you just love Halloween? (Seeing all those lil’ monsters with their fake smiles and freakish hair begging for your approval?? Heck, I may even turn off those political ads and hand out candy, who knows…?)
➠ Rob Schneider is 59 today. (But as long as Adam Sandler keeps making movies, EVERY day is his birthday!)
➠ The CDC says that Flu season has begun, and now’s the time to get vaccinated. Another way to help avoid flu is by washing your hands after touching things where a lot of people have been. (Like, phones, grocery carts, subway rails and Kardashians…)
BS U-PICK HALLOWEEN TRIVIA:
• What is a collection of witches called?
a) Cavern
b) Coven [CORRECT]
c) Cauldron
d) PTA meeting
• According to legend, what are Vampires afraid of?
a) Wooden stakes [CORRECT]
b) Well-done steaks
c) Sweepstakes
d) Other’s mistakes
• What the original name of ‘Dracula’ in Bram Stoker’s book of the same name?
a) Edward Cullen [CORRECT]
b) Jacob Black
c) Marceline the Vampire Queen
d) Keith Dracula
• What item is banned in California on Halloween?
a) Snickers bars
b) Going “Whoooh!” like a ghost
c) Candy Corn
d) Silly String [CORRECT]
-Beano
BS WEB GOODIES:
• More trick than treat: https://tinyurl.com/3yxseszn
• Just in time for Halloween … a soundboard of scary SFX, from creaky doors to ghostly groans.
http://www.soundboard.com/sb/halloween
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Maybe I wouldn’t have eaten all the Halloween candy if my wife didn’t leave it out in the open on the top shelf in the back of the closet in a safe…
BS PHONE STARTER:
What event in your life absolutely defied explanation?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 23% of people say they do THIS every Halloween. What is it?
Answer: Pretend they aren’t home
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The most frightening monsters are the ones that exist in our minds.
