Monday, February 17, 2025 – Edition: #7895
Tomorrow’s Show Prep Today!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ “SNL 50” put on a concert for the ages Friday night in New York, as superstar musicians and former cast joined forces to celebrate “Saturday Night Live’s” half-century milestone. Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon and Bill Murray were some of the highlights in the packed” SNL 50: The Homecoming Concert”. It also featured performances by Cher, Bonnie Raitt and Chris Martin, David Byrne with Arcade Fire, St. Vincent, and a reunited Nirvana with Post Malone. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were among the celebs there, and they participated in a funny bit. At one point, host Jimmy Fallon clarified that the 3-hour show would only present musical guests — and not hand out awards. At that, Hanks and Wilson were seen in the background exiting Radio City Music Hall, causing laughter among the audience.
-Deadline, TheWrap
★ Korean star of the Netflix hit series “Bloodhounds” Kim Sae-ron was found dead in her home on Sunday. The 24-year-old’s body was discovered by a friend who had plans to meet with her. Police are investigating the cause of death and have not seen any signs of a break-in. Sae-ron started her acting career as a child in 2009. She rose to fame with her roles in the 2010 film “The Man from Nowhere” and the 2012 movie “The Neighbor.” Her career took a hit in 2022 after she crashed a car while under the influence. After the accident, the “A Girl at My Door” star issued a hand-written apology online, stating that she “made a big mistake while drinking.”
-PageSix
★ Reports that Kanye West and Bianca Censori are headed for divorce are entirely false, their longtime rep said. Milo Yiannopoulos told The Hollywoood Reporter on Thursday: “Ye and Bianca are in Los Angeles, about to enjoy Valentine’s Day together. Announcements about their private life will come from them directly, not unsourced rumor in the tabloid press.” On the other hand, TMZ is reporting that both have had their reps contact a divorce lawyer, and quotes sources as saying that there’s no prenup. And being that Ye has actually lost money since the 2 were married, Censori could actually end up owing money.
-HollywoodReporter, TMZ
★ Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World” claimed the biggest opening weekend of 2025, so far. The Disney release took in $40 on Friday alone, enough to beat the $36 million debut of “Dog Man,” and put the Captain on pace for a 4-day long weekend opening above $100 million domestically. “Paddington in Peru” voyaged to second place in its opening, earning a projected $16 million through the 4-day frame. It had already opened internationally and has earned more than $100 million overseas.
-Deadline
★ Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have agreed to disagree. Legal teams for both told Judge Lewis Liman that “settlement discussions would be premature” in their competing lawsuits against each other, according to a joint letter filed in court. The letter also noted that “the parties agree that mediation and the Discovery Protocols… are inappropriate for this case.” The federal judge agreed with the “It Ends With Us” stars and granted the order.
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Demi Moore, Gavin Rossdale, Abraham Alexander & Adrian Quesada (R)
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, Jaylen Brown, Anna Cathcart, Leslie Liao (R)
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): John Oliver, The War and Treaty
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Pamela Anderson, Rose Matafeo (R)
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Joe Manganiello, Thomas Lennon, Paul F. Tompkins (R)
• “The Daily Show” (COM): TBA
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Adam Lambert, Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan
• “Today” (NBC): Angela Bassett, Willie Geist co-hosts
• “GMA3” (ABC): Trae Bodge, Kemberley Washington
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Anthony Michael Hall, Joanna Teplin, and Clea Shearer
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): John Legend, Matt Iseman, Big Sean
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Zanna Roberts Rass, Sunny Anderson
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Bill Bellamy
• “4 Nations Face Off” (SN, TNT) Canada vs Finland (1pm ET); Sweden vs USA (8pm ET)
• “On TV: A Black History Month Special” (CBS): A celebration of Black excellence in TV with hosts Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner.
• “The Voice” (NBC): The Blind Auditions, Part 3
• “The Bachelor” (ABC): Grant and the remaining 10 women head to Madrid for a week of romance and adventure; tensions flare; an unexpected departure leaves Grant questioning everything.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – A New York mag article claims “SNL” producer Lorne Michaels once rebuffed her efforts to have a sketch canceled that spoofed her 1989-era. The story says that SNL asked Swift to appear in the sketch, but she called Michaels directly to decline the offer and ask him to cut it entirely. Michaels apparently responded by saying: “Taylor, I do not negotiate with terrorists.”
• Sabrina Carpenter – Friday, she dropped her Dolly Parton collab, a new, countrified version of Carpenter’s hit ‘Please Please Please’. A music video for the song, released as part of her “Short n’ Sweet Deluxe” album, features the 2 channeling “Thelma and Louise” as they drive a pickup truck with a man in the cargo bed. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/385u5w8h
• Stray Cats — Brian Setzer says he cannot play guitar due to an ailment affecting his hands. He posted that toward the end of their tour last summer, “I noticed that my hands were cramping up. I’ve since discovered that I have an autoimmune disease.” He says he is receiving treatment at the Mayo clinic, and “I know I will beat this, it will just take some time.”
• Ozzy Osbourne – has teamed up again with Billy Idol guitarist Billy Morrison for the epic new single ‘Gods of Rock N Roll’. It features a score composed by Cinderella drummer Fred Coury and performed by the 61-piece Budapest Scoring Orchestra, along a high school choir – and a solo by Idol’s other axe man Steve Stevens. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5n7n7khu
• Peter Frampton – is featured on a new cover of his classic 1976 hit ‘Baby, I Love Your Way’. Jazz artist Deborah Silver released her new take on the song for Valentine’s Day, also featuring the Count Basie Orchestra. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2cz7np8a
• Shania Twain – guests on the new Stylistics single, ‘Yes, I Am’, available now. Twain wrote the tune, which appears on the soul group’s upcoming album “Falling In Love With My Girl”. It also features contributions from The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, KISS’ Gene Simmons and ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/46p9tvv6
• Jelly Roll – has earned his seventh #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with ‘Liar’. The song hopped from #2 to the top on the latest chart. Now, all 7 of his songs to hit the Country Airplay list have reached #1.
• Megan Moroney — has teamed with Lane Boots for her limited-edition Smokehouse boot. She posted that the company “let me put my own touch on the smokeshow boots i always wear on stage!!!” Priced at $451, the boot features white leather, scalloped edges, a heart-shaped pin, and a base with Megan’s signature blue color. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/cy3rfm46
SHOOTING THE BULL
SAKI BREAK?
A Japanese company is trying to attract new talent by offering some very attractive benefits – like free booze, and hangover leaves. The tech firm Trust Ring Co., Ltd. in Osaka, frustrated by its inability to attract top-tier job candidates due to budget constraints, came up with the idea of offering its staff free alcoholic drinks during work hours. While drinking on the job is frowned upon at most workplaces, here, the boss himself brings the booze and happily toasts with his employees. And if some workers have one or 2 too many, they can use their “hangover leave” to come in late the next day, no questions asked. The company’s CEO said that trying to compete with large corporations in terms of salary was a losing battle, so he had to offer people something they valued more than money.
(Who needs a 401k when you’ve got a 40-proof?)
(I love to see a workplace with lots of employee spirit…s!)
-OddityCentral
NEW DEVELOPMENTS:
❑ A new Google Chrome extension boasts an interesting way to help break your internet addiction. “TaBoo” allows the user to add random jump scares to websites of your choosing. For example, if you find yourself slacking off at work because you can’t help reading about the latest MLB free agent signings, SURPRISE! A horrifying sound and image pop up to stop you from reading further. The extension can target specific websites that you wish you used less, or you can let it choose for you, based on your internet habits— which sounds even scarier. The user can also adjust the probability that it triggers, from 1% to 100%. (If it doesn’t stop your heart first…)
❑ An AI-powered “Death Clock” is causing a buzz by claiming to predict when you might die. The free website, called Death Clock, analyzes personal data such as age, body mass index, diet, exercise levels, and smoking habits to predict the date of your demise — as well as how you’ll die. The clock calculates the exact age users will live, to and counts down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds left until the Grim Reaper arrives, which incidentally is the logo of the website. After the user inputs the necessary information, the website generates a tombstone with your predicted death date. At last check, the AI-powered clock had predicted the final day of over 63 million users. But it seems that one must read the fine print, even when dealing with the Grim Reaper, because a disclaimer states it “should be used for fun only” because the “calculator is unlikely to predict your actual date of death”. (Finally! Something more stressful than checking my banking app!) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mryd68vs
-DailySentinel, NDTV
ONE MAN’S TRASH…
A man who accidentally threw away a computer hard drive wants to buy the landfill where he believes it was transported to. Why? Because underneath layers of year-old garbage, that hard drive contains the key to $800 million in bitcoin. James Howell of Wales, who accidentally disposed of the drive in 2013, wrote last week on X that after years of battling local authorities to retrieve it, he is “considering purchasing a landfill site. Funding secured.” He didn’t say who is providing the funding. A British High Court judge dismissed his latest attempts to force the local council to allow him to search the landfill. Howells accidentally threw out the hard drive when he was clearing out his house, thinking it was a blank drive that contained no data. Since then, the value of the bitcoin Howells says is loaded onto the hard drive has skyrocketed from $9 million to almost $800 million, as prices of cryptocurrency have soared in recent years.
(Well, I bet he’s crypto-kicking himself, now, isn’t he?)
(I don’t know much about how crypto works, but I can’t shake the feeling that maybe a computer backup might have helped!)
-CNN
HIGHEST-PAID ATHLETES IN THE WORLD IN 2024:
Cristiano Ronaldo was the highest paid athlete last year, according to a list compiled by Sportico. The soccer superstar earned a reported $260 million. That pile of cash for the 40-year-old came from $215 million in salary and winnings for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and the Portugal national team, plus $45 million in endorsements. Here is the rest of the top 10…
2. Steph Curry (basketball) – $153.8M
3. Tyson Fury (boxing) – $147M
4. Lionel Messi (soccer) – $135M
5. LeBron James (basketball) – $133.2M
6. Neymar (soccer) – $133M
7. Oleksandr Usyk (boxing) – $122M
8. Karim Benzema (soccer) – $116M
9. Kylian Mbappé (soccer) – $110M
10. Jon Rahm (golf) – $105.8M
Interestingly — and disappointingly — no female athletes made the top 100. US tennis sensation Coco Gauff was the highest-earning female athlete at $30.4 million. Dak Prescott was the top-earning NFL player. The Dallas Cowboys QB came 12th with earnings of $100.4 million. Top baseball player is Shohei Ohtani, at #21, with $72.5M. The top hockey player? We’re still searching…)
-CNN, Sportico
DID YOU KNOW?
Even after 5,000 years in a sarcophagus, mummified bodies from ancient Egypt still smell quite nice, scientists say. Researchers who examined 9 mummies found that though there was some difference in the intensity of their odors, all could be described as “woody”, “spicy” and “sweet”. And they plan to recreate those smells chemically to allow others to “share the experience we had smelling the mummified bodies”. The mummy-scents will be presented at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. (Mummies smell spicy and sweet — except for the teenage boy ones, which, just like my kid’s laundry, smell slightly of goat cheese!)
-BBC
BS CHRONOMETER 2.17.25
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Family Day”, observed in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. In Manitoba, it’s “Louis Riel Day”; “Heritage Day” in Nova Scotia; and “Islander Day” in Prince Edward Island. Family Day celebrates the importance of families and family life to people and their communities.
• “Presidents’ Day”, also known as Washington’s Birthday, it’s a holiday to honor the first US president, George Washington, born Feb. 22, 1732. Depending on the state, the day may also officially celebrate Lincoln and Jefferson. It’s also an occasion to remember all presidents (or at least the ones you WANT to remember…).
• “Random Acts of Kindness Day”. Studies prove the positive effects on us of doing kind acts for others, as well as receiving or even witnessing kindness. Some suggestions: Compliment a stranger, treat a homeless person to lunch, or anonymously donate to charity. (***See “Today’s Phone Starter”, below***) LINK: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org
• “PTA Founders’ Day”, commemorating the parent-teacher association’s 1897 founding. It was originally known as the ‘National Congress of Mothers’. (And all this time, I thought it stood for ‘Parents to Avoid’…my bad!)
• “World Human Spirit Day”, encouraging 2 minutes of silent meditation throughout the world – “and beyond” – to focus on the true spirit that flows through everything. (Wow, groovy.)
• “My Way Day”, in celebration of the phrase “It’s my way or the highway”. The day is believed to have been inspired by key events in the world happening because someone had a bold idea and wasn’t afraid to go through with it. Today, you are encouraged to do whatever you want, however you want. (Finally! I can get a donut with extra sprinkles!)
• “Café au Lait Day”. French for “coffee with milk,” the drink is simply coffee with hot milk added. In Europe, it is either espresso or dark-coffee-based, and steamed milk is used. In France, it is traditionally served in a white porcelain cup or bowl.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
[Tues] Battery Day
[Wed] Chocolate Mint Day
[Thurs] Muffin Day
This Week is…Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week
This Month is…Responsible Pet Owners Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1950 [75] Rickey Medlocke, Jackson FL, rock guitarist (Lynyrd Skynyrd since 1996, Blackfoot-‘Highway Song’)
1954 [71] Rene Russo, Burbank CA, movie actress (“The Thomas Crown Affair”, “Lethal Weapon 3 & 4”)/model (covers of Vogue and Cosmopolitan)
1956 [69] Richard Karn (Wilson), Seattle WA, TV actor (“Home Improvement” 1991-99)/TV host (“Family Feud” 2002-06)
1962 [63] Lou Diamond Phillips (Upchurch), Zambales Philippines, movie actor (“Young Guns”, “La Bamba”)/TV actor (“Prodigal Son” 2019-21)
1963 [62] Michael “Air” Jordan, Brooklyn NY, retired NBA player (5-time MVP, 6-time NBA champion, 14-time All-Star, 10-time scoring champ, 2009 Hall of Famer)/Oh, yeah…he also played for the Washington Wizards
1963 [62] “Larry the Cable Guy” (Daniel Whitney), Pawnee City NB, comedian (“Blue Collar Comedy Tour”)/movie voice actor (‘Mater’ in “Cars” movies)
1965 [60] Michael Bay, LA CA, film director/producer (“Transformers” films, “Armageddon”)
1971 [54] Denise Richards, Downers Grove IL, movie actress (“Wild Things”)/reality star (“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” 2015-19)/married to Charlie Sheen 2002-06
1972 [53] Billie Joe Armstrong, Oakland CA, rock singer/guitarist (Green Day-‘American Idiot’, ‘Good Riddance [Time Of Your Life]’)
1974 [51] Jerry O’Connell, New York City NY, movie actor (“Stand by Me”)/TV host (“The Talk” 2021-24)/married to Rebecca Romijn since 2007
1980 [45] Jason Ritter, Los Angeles CA, TV actor (“Kevin [Probably] Saves the World” 2017-18/“Matlock” since 2024/movie actor (“Freddy vs. Jason”)/son of John Ritter
1981 [44] Joseph Gordon-Levitt, LA CA, movie actor/director/producer (“Lincoln”, “The Dark Knight Rises”)/TV actor (“3rd Rock From the Sun” 1996–2001)
1981 [44] Paris Hilton, NYC, socialite/sometime TV personality (“The Simple Life” 2003-07, “Paris in Love 2021-22)/movie actress (“House of Wax”)/great-granddaughter of hotel magnate Conrad Hilton
1991 [34] Ed Sheeran, West Yorkshire England, pop singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer (‘Thinking Out Loud’, ‘Shape of You’)
1991 [34] Jeremy Allen White, Brooklyn NY, TV actor (“The Bear” since 2022, “Shameless” 2011-21)/movie actor (“The Iron Claw”) COMING UP… “The Mandalorian & Grogu” 2026
1991 [34] Bonnie Wright, London England, movie actress (‘Ginny Weasley’ in “Harry Potter” movies)/
1996 [29] Sasha Pieterse, Johannesburg South Africa, TV actress (‘Alison DiLaurentis’ on “Pretty Little Liars” 2010-17)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2014 [11] Jimmy Fallon officially replaces Jay Leno as host of “The Tonight Show”.
2021 [04] American conservative political talk radio personality Rush Limbaugh dies of lung cancer at 70.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1976 [49] Eagles release “Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)”. [It was best-selling album in the US until it was surpassed by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” after his death in 2009. In 2018, it regained the title, currently 41 million.]
2005 [20] A 1965 Fender Stratocaster that once belonged to Jimi Hendrix sells for £100,000 ($125,000) at auction in London.
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2013 [12] Danica Patrick becomes the first female driver in NASCAR history to win the pole position at the Daytona 500.
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2003 [22] A Tauranga, New Zealand man is sentenced to 200 hours of community service for speeding … without a license or registration … on a motorized barstool … semi-naked … while intoxicated … with his butt on fire.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Walking uses a total of 200 muscles with every step you take.
✓ The crossed bones on a pirate flag are human thighbones.
✓ Bees actually have knees.
✓ In Japan, Domino’s tested pizza delivery via reindeer in 2016.
✓ It requires 7 to 8 trees to provide enough oxygen for just one person per year.
✓ In the 1850s, some Paris newspapers were printed on rubber so they could be read in the bathtub.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, TheFactSite
Best of BS . . .
BS THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER KNOW:
• What life would be like without cookies.
• That the FDA allows 1 rodent hair and 30 “insect fragments” per 100 grams of peanut-butter.
• What your cat is plotting.
• What the ‘hokey-pokey’ is really all about.
• Most of what you’ll read on “Urban Dictionary”.
• What you significant other REALLY thinks of you.
• The sheer pain of “Legofoot”.
• The taste of kiwi pizza.
• (***CAUTION***) How ‘spotted dick’ got its name.
• (***CAUTION***) What your “O-face” looks like.
• My weight.
• Any details regarding your own conception.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2020
BS THINGS I THINK ABOUT WHEN I RUN:
• Why am I running?
• I’ve been running for like 30 seconds. Am I skinny yet?
• Have I outrun my problems yet?
• Please, officer, don’t tase me…
• Since when do the buses run early?
• So this is what they mean by “full-body pain”.
• Am I outside of the blast radius yet?
• McDonald’s has to be getting close…
• Apparently, you can’t outrun ugly.
• She sure is good at playing hard-to-get!
• Who am I kidding? I don’t run.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS WEB GOODIE:
Questions with no answers: https://tinyurl.com/5t4z5c4s
BS RANDOM JOKE:
A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold.
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• The speed of a computer mouse is measured in what units?
a) Inches
b) Centimeters
c) Mickeys [CORRECT]
d) Miles per hour
• How can you tell the age of a horse?
a) The length of its tail
b) The lines on its teeth [CORRECT]
c) The quality of its hooves
d) Ask ‘em
• Salvador Dalí is associated with which art movement?
a) Abstract
b) Surrealism [CORRECT]
c) Post Impressionism
d) Paint by numbers
-SlidesWithFriends
☎ BS PHONE STARTER:
What random act of kindness did someone do for you?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
We’ve all heard of this food, but stats show that just 17% have tried it. What is it?
Answer: Caviar
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
There are two kinds of people in this world; those who want to get things done, and those who don’t want to make mistakes.
