Friday, August 12, 2022 – Edition: #7288
The BS Press!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ If you’re already missing “Better Call Saul”, even though the series finale isn’t until Monday night, I’ve got some bad news…with a bit of wiggle room. Co-creators Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan said at the Television Critics Association 2022 summer press tour that they don’t want to overdo the “Breaking Bad” universe, so we shouldn’t be holding our breath for more from the likes of ‘Walter White’ and ‘Saul Goodman’. Gilligan said that they “probably pushed it doing a spinoff of Breaking Bad”, and although he couldn’t be happier with the results, he also oversaw the sequel film “El Camino”, but it’s best to “know when to leave the party.” That’s said, the creators agreed that although they intend to create a new, unrelated series using much of the same crew behind the scenes, we shouldn’t completely close the door on Breaking Bad. Gould said: “Never say never. Who knows how we’re going to feel in a couple of years?”
-Variety
★ Armie Hammer, the embattled actor who was accused of sexual abuse in 2021, is the focus of an upcoming Discovery+ docuseries, which also delves into his family history. The 3-part series, “House of Hammer,” investigates accusations against Hammer — which he has repeatedly denied — including messages that he allegedly sent to women about his cannibalistic fantasies and sexual fetishes, which his accusers say were abusive. An explosive trailer, released by Discovery, includes 2 of Hammer’s alleged victims giving on-camera interviews and sharing screenshots of messages and audio of voice memos they claim to have received from the actor. “House of Hammer” premieres on Discovery+ Sept. 2. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3tvd9uzr
-Variety
★ Olivia Newton-John will receive a state funeral in Australia. While appearing on Australia’s “A Current Affair” Newton-John’s niece, Tottie Goldsmith, revealed that the “Grease” star’s family has been formally offered a state funeral by the nation, which they plan to accept. Goldsmith said: “I think Australia needs it. She was so loved.” An Australian state funeral is “arranged and funded by the Government…to honor prominent people (usually high-ranking public officials) who have given long and outstanding service to the State.” Exact details of the funeral have yet to be announced. Following her passing, Newton-John was remembered throughout Australia, where iconic landmarks, including The Sydney Opera House, were lit up in pink in her memory.
-PopCulture
★ Get ready to learn a lot more about Steve Martin. A new documentary is in the works about the life and career of the iconic comedian and star of the “Father of the Bride” movies. The 2-part film is being helmed by Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville. The still-untitled documentary will be released on Apple TV+. No release date has been announced. By the way, Martin, who turns 77 Sunday, has said that he is considering retiring after he finishes work on “Only Murders in the Building”, his acclaimed Hulu series co-starring Martin Short and Selena Gomez.
-ETCanada
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Neil Patrick Harris, Cara Delevingne, Bruce the Robot (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Leslie Mann, Robin Thede, Johnny Rabb (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Jean Smart, Joshua Jackson, DNCE (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Magic Johnson, guest co-host Amber Ruffin (R)
• “The Talk” (CBS): Gloria Estefan, Andy Garcia, Adria Arjona, Diego Boneta (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Zazie Beetz, Dr. Wendy Bazilian, guest co-host Ali Wentworth
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Portia de Rossi, Dove Cameron (R)
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Taylor Lautner, Porsha Williams, Florence Price (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Kate Hudson, Jay Shetty, Kimberly Snyder (R)
• “Secret Celebrity Renovation” (CBS): Olympic gold medalist skater Nathan Chen gifts his hometown’s Salt Lake City Sports Complex a brand-new figure skater lounge area and changing room.
• “CMT Summer Camp: Little Big Town” (CMT): Members of Little Big Town share fond summer memories and treat fans to a concert from Reynolds Lake Oconee in Georgia.
• “Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe” (HALL): When Darcy returns to her hometown for Christmas, she reconnects with Luke, a former rival, as they plan a charity event together. As she spends time with her family and Luke, she starts to realize what matters most in life.
SATURDAY-
• “First Blood” (A&E): someone is killing young African American women in Charlotte NC, and what police don’t realize is that the cases have a connection with Henry Louis Wallace.
• “Sneakerella” (DSN): A twist on “Cinderella” from New York’s sneaker culture.
SUNDAY-
• “Tales of the Walking Dead” (AMC): Premiere. A reclusive prepper abandons his bunker in search of a female from his past. Along the way, he meets an unlikely ally who is his polar opposite.
• “Naked and Afraid XL” (DSC): An overnight snowstorm tests the survivalists’ will; pushing through foot injuries, Jake scavenges a challenge-changing food win; with Jeremy struggling, Trish needs to step up; heart conditions put Sarah and Joe’s challenges at risk.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Travis Scott — sold over $1 million in merch during his recent string of shows at London’s O2 Arena. He had announced a new line of swag made exclusively for the gigs, and sales surpassed the record previously held by BTS, setting a new standard for all recording artists in the UK.
• Katy Perry – has sold her Beverly Hills mansion. A few months after unloading her guesthouse for $7.5 million, she has now made a deal to sell the main house for $18 million — the same price she paid for it in 2017. In 2020, she moved to Montecito with her fiancé, Orlando Bloom.
• Missy Elliott – Her hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia, is naming a street after her. City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to rename a portion of a street “Missy Elliott Boulevard”. On Twitter, she wrote: “I am forever GRATEFUL [prayer emoji] P-TOWN [raised hands emoji]”.
• Mike Love and The Beach Boys – have announced the 2nd “Good Vibrations Cruise”. It sets sail March 3-8, 2023 from Miami to Harvest Caye, Belize and Costa Maya, Mexico aboard the Norwegian Pearl. It will include 2 unique shows from the legendary group, plus a lineup of special guests, to be announced.
• Elton John — could continue performing in the metaverse long after he retires from the road. The 75-year-old’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour wraps next July, but there is a 5-year plan in place to bring his music to future generations. His husband/manager David Furnish said: “(The metaverse is) going to be a big new market for music discovery. We’re looking at it closely…Elton’s been a bit like an avatar his entire life…changing and moving forward.”
• Darius Rucker – will be featured in “CMT Storytellers” in an episode premiering Aug. 31 on CMT. “CMT Storytellers: Darius Rucker” will include stories about how his hits were born, and will include songs from his country solo career and from Hootie & the Blowfish.
• Cody Johnson — has been forced to call off his weekend shows. His team posted on social media: “Regrettably, the Cody Johnson concerts scheduled for this Thursday, Friday & Saturday are unable to go on as originally planned due to illness.” He was slated to perform at the West Virginia state fair on Thurs., and in Richmond VA on Friday, and in Johnston, PA on Sat. The shows will be rescheduled. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5n6uhb9y
• Cole Swindell — has said he hopes to find a way to involve ‘90s star Jo Dee Messina in his new song, ‘She Had Me at Heads Carolina’, in which he plays homage to her 1996 hit ‘Heads Carolina’. And yesterday, he dropped a video for the song, in which Messina appears as a bartender. TEASER LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4kc8tpwx
SHOOTING THE BULL
TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Fall” (PG-13, Mystery-Thriller): For best friends Becky and Hunter, life is all about conquering fears and pushing limits. But after they climb 2,000 feet to the top of a remote, abandoned radio tower, they find themselves stranded with no way down. (Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan)
• “Mack & Rita” (PG-13, Comedy): A 30-year-old writer spends a wild weekend in Palm Springs and wakes up to find she has magically transformed into her 70-year-old self. (Elizabeth Lail, Diane Keaton)
• “Emily the Criminal” (R, Crime-Drama, limited): Emily is saddled with student debt and locked out of the job market due to a minor criminal record. Desperate, she takes a shady gig as a “dummy shopper,” buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a handsome and charismatic middleman. (Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi)
TERRORISM TOURISM:
You’ve heard of “adventure tourism”? Well, tourism can’t get much more adventurous than this: The online platform “Visit Ukraine.Today” is selling guided day tours of the country’s so-called “Brave Cities” that have defied and continue to resist Russian invaders, offering travelers a look at how the country is living amid conflict. The company’s website invites would-be visitors to “Set off on a journey to awesome Ukraine right now.” Those who sign up can expect walks among bomb debris, ruined buildings, cathedrals and stadiums, as well as burned-out military hardware, plus the regular wail of air raid sirens. Despite international alerts warning against travel to Ukraine, the company says it has so far sold 150 tickets, and its website offering information on safely traveling to and from the country is getting 1.5 million hits a month. By the way, encountering landmines is also a risk.
(So is encountering leaky nuclear plants, apparently…)
(And if you’re REALLY lucky, you’ll get the chance to sell a gallon of gas to the crew of a Russian tank!)
-CNN
HAVE A COKE – AND A SLEEP:
I can’t see it ever rivalling “Coke Zero Sugar” as far as sales go, but Coca-Cola has unveiled its latest experimental, limited-time, bizarre flavor — wait for it … “Dreamworld”. And it tastes like … dreams, I suppose? The company says it took inspiration from the “technicolor world of dreams” in coming up with Dreamworld, in an effort at creating a “dream-inspired drink that was recognizable Coca-Cola, but with additional cues that bring to life the playfulness and brightness of dreams.” Dreamworld, available starting Monday, is the 4th drink to come out of Coca-Cola Creations, Coke’s new innovation platform that focuses on limited-time items with a digital component, including “Starlight” (space-flavored) and “Byte” (pixel-flavored). The third item, launched earlier this summer, had a more traditional strawberry and watermelon flavor, and was developed with electronic music producer Marshmello. Products like “Dreamworld,” which advertise a concept rather than a flavor, are each launched along with a specialized online “experience”.
(Wow! Ice cubes aside, I never thought I’d be taking a “Byte” of Coca-Cola!)
(What do dreams taste like to you? I’m not sure, but apparently, they make me drool!)
-CNN
NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
• Here’s something you don’t see every day: a pro baseball player’s phone falling out of his pocket while he playing. While Pittsburgh Pirates 2nd baseman Rodolfo Castro was playing against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night, Castro’s phone fell out of his back pocket while he was sliding headfirst into third base. And seeing that phone slide out of Castro’s pocket was an even MORE weird and unexpected moment, when you consider that bringing a phone or any electronic device with you into the dugout is against the rules. The only devices allowed are MLB-approved iPads and PitchCom, the wireless communication system for pitchers and catchers. MLB is said to be considering disciplinary action. (Well, that ‘splains the “headfirst” slide…) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2p8rmdra
• A man was arrested after starting a wildfire while attempting to kill a spider with a lighter. The Utah County Sheriff’s Office says cops responded to call on Monday for a fire that was quickly spreading up a mountain. Fire personnel told the officers that they spoke with a man named Cory Martin, who said he had started the fire. He claimed he had found a spider on the mountain, and was trying to burn it with a lighter, when he caused nearby brush to catch fire. Police say the man was taken to the Utah County Jail for reckless burning, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of paraphernalia, before being released that night. By the time several fire agencies managed to contain 90% of the fire 2 days later, 60 acres had been scorched. (I’m thinking that if this guy ever sees a snake, he may go nuclear!)
-Yahoo, InsideEdition
DID YOU KNOW?
If you think salespeople can be pushy, rude, and obnoxious, it turns out you just might be right, because a new study has found that these jobs attract people with dark personalities. Researchers from a group of US universities conducted 2 studies to analyze how negative traits affect salespeople. Those traits include Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, which collectively form the “Dark Triad.” Outside of CEOs, lawyers, and celebrities, salespeople scored higher for these dark traits than any other profession. (Just imagine what kind of person it takes to be able to sell something to a CEO, lawyer or a celeb!)
-StudyFinds
BS CHRONOMETER 08.12.22
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “International Youth Day”, a UN observance since 1999 to draw attention to youth issues worldwide. (Acne?) This year’s theme: “Intergenerational Solidarity – Creating a World for All Ages” LINK: https://www.un.org/en/observances/youth-day
• “Middle Children’s Day”, a salute to middle-born children whose childhood activities were seemingly always limited by being ‘too young’ or ‘too old’. (But the occasion will probably be ignored, just like a middle child…)
• “Vinyl Record Day”, celebrated on one of the possible dates in 1877 on which Thomas Edison is thought to have invented the phonograph. The purpose is to encourage the preservation of the recordings, cover art, and cultural influence of vinyl records. LINK: http://vinylrecordday.org
• “World Elephant Day”, conceived in 2011 and dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world’s increasingly scarce pachyderms. LINK: http://worldelephantday.org
• “Baseball Fans Day”, celebrating fans of America’s pastime, baseball. Baseball evolved from a British game called rounders and is similar to the game of cricket. To celebrate, you should either play the sport, or attend a game. Be sure to eat some hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jack, and sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’.
• “Sewing Machine Day”, the newest machines are computerized and can do some pretty impressive things. If you don’t use yours too often, take it out and sew something today. But if you use it a lot, then today is a day to give it a well-earned vacation.
• “Truck Driver Day”, saluting the long-haulers who deliver the goods. Ever notice truckers always say that they ‘drive truck’, not ‘drive trucks’?
SATURDAY-
• “Filet Mignon Day” (French for ‘cute fillet’ or ‘dainty fillet’), celebrating the beef steak cut from the tenderloin. The fillet is considered to be the most tender cut, and the most expensive. Filet is the alternative French spelling of fillet.
• “International Lefthanders Day”, first celebrated in 1976 to salute that forgotten visible minority … lefties. Only about 10% of us are left-handed. If you’re one of them, shake off the oppression and stand up for your lefts! (Things that are awkward for lefties … LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yya4lxue )
• “Prosecco Day”, which is the most popular sparkling wine in the United States, and also the most popular wine in Italy, where it originated. Some people compare it to champagne, but it is made with a different type of grape and is made in a different way.
• “Bowling Day”, while it’s possible that bowling-style games originated in ancient civilizations, credit for the modern game of bowling goes to Germany. Kegels were placed at the end of an alley and Germans would roll a stone, attempting to knock them down. The motivation was that by knocking down the kegel, a person’s sins would be reconciled.
• “Garage Sale Day”, observed on the 2nd Saturday in August to salute a North American institution on what’s likely to be a popular day for yard sales. (Yeah, have you noticed that no one ever holds a ‘garage sale’ anymore? Always a ‘yard sale’!)
SUNDAY-
• “Navajo Code Talkers Day”, ‘code talkers’, as they became known, used English code words that they translated into their language to send messages during World War II. The Japanese military could hear them, but couldn’t understand them because the Navajo language was not well known. They saved many lives and helped the Allies win the war.
• “Creamsicle Day”, celebrating those ooey-gooey, orange or raspberry-flavored Popsicles with ice cream inside, an invention of Swedish-born entrepreneur Alexander Frehse in 1923.
• “Financial Awareness Day”, a day to add up all your assets and all your debts in order to get a clear picture of where you stand . . . just before declaring bankruptcy.
• “Wiffle Ball Day”, the famous 8-holed plastic ball commonly used in the game was invented by David Mullany in 1953 when he designed a ball that curved easily for his 12-year-old son. It was named when his son and his friends would refer to a strikeout as a “whiff”.
• “Tattoo Removal Day”, Laser tattoo removal is the safest, most effective method for removing unwanted ink, which millions use each year when they experience ‘tattoo regret’. (What’s the most regretful tattoo that you’ve ever seen?)
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [73] Mark Knopfler, Glasgow Scotland (raised in England), rock guitarist-singer (Dire Straits-‘Money for Nothing’, ‘Sultans of Swing’)
1963 [59] Sir Mix-a-Lot (Anthony Ray), Seattle WA, rapper (‘Baby Got Back’)
1965 [57] Peter Krause, Alexandria MN, TV actor (‘Adam Braverman’ on “Parenthood” 2010-15, “Dirty Sexy Money” 2007-09, “Six Feet Under” 2001-05)
1971 [51] Yvette Nicole Brown, East Cleveland OH, TV actress (‘Shirley Bennett’ on “Community” 2009-15), “Big Shot” since 2021
1971 [51] Pete Sampras, Lake Sherwood CA, retired tennis pro (15 Grand Slam singles titles including 7 Wimbledon and 5 US Open, ranked #1 for 286 weeks beginning in 1993)
1975 [47] Casey Affleck, Falmouth MA, movie actor (Oscar-“Manchester by the Sea”, Gone Baby Gone”, “Ocean’s 11” movies)/brother of Ben Affleck COMING UP…“Dreamin’ Wild” 2022
1978 [44] Hayley Wickenheiser, Shaunavon SK, retired hockey player (4 Olympic Gold, 7 World Championships with Canadian Women’s team/resident physician/Assistant GM of Toronto Maple Leafs since 2022/Hockey Hall of Fame, 2019/Officer of the Order of Canada, 2011
1992 [30] Cara Delevingne, London England, fashion model (Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, etc.)/movie actress (“Suicide Squad”, “Paper Towns”) COMING UP…“Tell It Like A Woman”
SATURDAY- retired NHLer Bobby Clarke is 73; Paul Greengrass (director-‘Jason Bourne’ movies) is 67; Danny Bonaduce (“The Partridge Family”) is 63; John Slattery (“Mad Men”) is 60; Debi Mazar (“Entourage”) is 58; Andy Griggs ‘She’s More’ is 48; Mike Melancon (Emerson Drive) is 43; Sebastian Stan (“Captain America” movies) is 39; James Morrison (ft. Nelly Furtado-‘Broken Strings’) is 37
SUNDAY- Steve Martin (“Planes, Trains and Automobiles”) is 77; Retired NBAer Earvin “Magic” Johnson is 63; Marcia Gay Harden (“Code Black”) is 63; Pro football player Tim Tebow is 35; Halle Berry (“Monster’s Ball”) is 56; Mila Kunis (“That ’70s Show”) is 39
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2014 [08] Screen legend Lauren Bacall (“Key Largo”, “The Big Sleep”) dies in NYC at age 89
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1994 [28] Woodstock 2 – officially “Woodstock ’94” – begins in Saugerties, New York. The festival draws a crowd of about 350,000 over 3 days to see acts including Aerosmith, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sheryl Crow and Peter Gabriel
2007 [15] Led Zeppelin announces plans for what has proven to be their last gig together – a performance at London’s O2 Arena to honor Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun
2012 [10] London 2012 Olympics end with a 3-hour musical closing ceremony (Spice Girls, George Michael, The Who, Take That, Muse, Jessie J, Pet Shop Boys, One Direction, etc.)
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1981 [41] IBM introduces its first ‘Personal Computer’, the model 5150 equipped with MS-DOS 1.0 and a price tag of $1,565 ($5,100 in today’s dollars)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ A hippo’s stomach is 10 feet long and can hold 400 pounds of food.
✓ Insects shiver when they’re cold.
✓ The word “hipster” goes back to the 1930s, when it was used to refer to someone in the jazz scene.
✓ The longest book title contains 1,809 words. (You don’t want to know…)
✓ A 2013 mermaid “mockumentary” on Animal Planet fooled so may people that the U.S. government had to release a statement explaining that “No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.”
✓ Gerber once tried to market a baby food for adults.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, BestLife
Best of BS . . .
BS STUPID QUESTIONS FOR PESSIMISTS:
• You don’t want this 4-leaf clover, do you?
• If a tree falls in the forest, will it land on you?
• What are your thoughts on 2022 so far?
• Are you positive you’re a pessimist?
• Don’t you think tomorrow will be awesome?
• What if your glass were half-full . . . of vodka?
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2020
BS NEW NAMES FOR A HAMMOCK:
• The impossible chair
• Nuthin’ butt net
• Napster
• Somewhere else for me to suffer insomnia
• Dog trap
• Less comfy than they look
• Gigantic face mask
• Thong
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2021
BS WEB GOODIE:
Friday feels: https://www.facebook.com/reel/401530078710518
BS RANDOM JOKE:
My body isn’t a temple — it’s a Catholic church, filled with wine, bread and guilt.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s your favorite weekend time-waster?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: According to a poll, avocado toast is the most overrated breakfast food. THIS came in at #3. What is it?
Answer: Bacon
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
You never regret being kind.
