Thursday, February 8, 2024 – Edition: #7652
We’ve Got Our Sheet Together!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Prince Harry has left London after a quick trip to see his father, King Charles, shortly after Buckingham Palace announced the monarch’s cancer diagnosis. The Duke of Sussex was spotted at London’s Heathrow Airport on Wednesday after spending about 24 hours in the UK, and staying at a London hotel. The father and son are believed to have had a private meeting lasting less than an hour, reuniting for the first time since the coronation ceremony in May 2023. A royal source said there were “no plans” for Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, to get together.
-People
★ Jelly Roll is headed to to “American Idol”. The Grammy nominee will be joining the singing competition’s upcoming 22nd season as a guest mentor and performer to hopeful contestants. He’ll be joining Tori Kelly, who will also be mentoring and performing — returning to the show where she got her start. Last year, Jelly Roll partnered with Lainey Wilson to perform their song ‘Save Me’ on the season finale. American Idol season 22 premieres Sunday Feb. 18.
-ET
★ James Cameron already has ideas for “Avatar” 6 and 7. The acclaimed sci-fi filmmaker told People: “We’re fully through (writing) movie 5, and I’ve got ideas for 6 and 7”, although he pointed out that by that time, he’ll probably be “handing the baton on”. If Cameron has his way, the Avatar series could one day be on par with mega-franchises like Star Trek and Star Wars, which both inspired him.
-EW
★ Gina Carano is suing Disney and Lucasfilm on for firing her from “The Mandalorian” in 2021, over a social media post in which she compared being a Republican to being Jewish during the Holocaust. The suit, filed in California federal court, alleges wrongful termination and discrimination, as well as a demand that Lucasfilm recast her and pay at least $75,000 in damages. Elon Musk is funding the suit, following his promise to pay for legal actions taken by people claiming discrimination from posts to Twitter/X. That’s in spite of the fact that the posts in question originated on Carano’s Instagram Stories.
-Variety
★ Tom Holland is hanging up the spandex and taking on Shakespeare’s most famous doomed lover. The “Spider-Man: No Way Home” star will play ‘Romeo’ this summer in London’s West End. The revival, billed as a “pulsating new vision of Shakespeare’s immortal tale of wordsmiths, rhymers, lovers and fighters”, has also attracted major stars like James McAvoy, Emilia Clarke, Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain. Holland’s limited run will last for 12 weeks, beginning in May. No word yet on who will be playing ‘Juliet’.
-Variety
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Dua Lipa, Leo Woodall, Sum 41
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Mariska Hargitay, Kid Cudi
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): André 3000, Justin Hartley
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Jeffrey Wright, Jon Cryer, Dan Peters
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Jon Cryer, A’ja Wilson
• “The Talk” (CBS): Wilmer Valderrama, Usher
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Evan Rachel Wood, Katie Chin
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Rod Stewart and Jools Holland, Camila Mendes
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Boomer and Gio, Tiki Barber
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Monica, Black Pumas
• “Fatal Dive to the Titanic: Truth and Lies” (ABC): Entrepreneur Stockton Rush’s Titan submersible becomes a cautionary tale during an ill-fated dive to take tourists to view the Titanic wreckage.
• “Farmer Wants a Wife” (Fox): The farmers go on their first solo dates.
• “The 13th Annual NFL Honors” (CBS): Keegan-Michael Key hosts the NFL’s award show, including the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award and the newest Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift — Post Malone and Florence + the Machine will both appear on her new album. On Instagram, she shared the tracklisting for “The Tortured Poets Department”, out April 19. The artwork features a black and white photo of Swift, and “I love you, it’s ruining my life” written over her shoulder. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/4cav6mck
• Usher – continues to bask in spotlight of his upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance. After making his debut as a SKIMS model this week, he has now announced his upcoming tour — days before his upcoming album “Coming Home” drops. The “Past Present Future Tour” will kick off Aug. 20 in Washington DC. Tickets go on sale Monday (of course). LINK: http://tinyurl.com/3vrxyar4
• Creed — Turns out, demand for their reunion couldn’t have been any, uh, higher. The group has added 20 more shows to its “Summer of ’99” tour, in response to fan interest. The run of shows between Nov. 2 and Dec. 5 includes 18 US shows, plus stops in Montreal Nov. 25 and Toronto 2 days later. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/35c9rpz9
• Grateful Dead — have broken the record for the most Top 40 albums to chart on the Billboard 200. The Dead, which broke up in 1995, is now ahead of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra with 59 Top 40 entries on the chart, following the #25 debut of their latest archival release “Dave’s Picks, Volume 49”. 41 of the band’s 59 entries have happened since 2012, thanks to the popularity of their series of archival albums.
• Lynyrd Skynyrd — Rickey Medlocke says they are considering putting together an album featuring songs written by the group “over the past 12, 15 years, maybe even earlier than that”. The material includes music written by late guitarist Gary Rossington, and they may “invite different people on the record to come in and play…kind of like an all-star Skynyrd record.”
• Morgan Wallen – His re-recording of 2015’s ‘Spin You Around’ has become his 11th #1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart. It also drew 13.5 million streams in the US, and hit the Hot Country Songs chart at #5.
• Lauren Alaina – married Cam Arnold in a Nashville ceremony on Sunday. People reports that several country artists were in attendance, including Jason and Brittany Aldean, Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay, Hardy and Lindsay Ell. Apparently, while she pushed for a more intimate setting, Arnold wanted a big party, and in the end, the couple tied the knot in front of more than 400 guests. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/3d86hswh
• Dwight Yoakam and Like Grimes – are among the artists announced as performers for the Palomino Stage at this year’s Stagecoach Festival, set for April 26-28. The Beach Boys, Clint Black, Leon Bridges, Asleep at the Wheel, Brittney Spencer, and Charley Crockett are also on the bill, plus many others. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/29cs776e
SHOOTING THE BULL
WALLOP THE WALLET:
Over the years, millennials have been blamed for killing bars of soap, big-name beer, and department stores. And now, according to a TikTok’er, the next generation feels that carrying cash, identification and debit cards in a wallet has become akin to carrying around old butterscotch candies at the bottom of your purse. Liz June, a Miami mom in her 30’s spoke to millennials in her vid, saying: “Apparently there’s a new way that we can age ourselves and it’s by having a wallet. Gen Z uses their phone as their wallet, so they have all their [money and] their IDs in their [digital] wallets.” She feels that teens and early 20-somethings have officially declared wallets antiquated – or, as she puts it, “cheugy.” And she’s not wrong. It seems the once stylish essential is now going the way of leggings and ankle-cut socks, as the younger demo turns to using the high-tech alternative. A new report found that 79% of Gen Z consumers use digital wallets. Over half use their cellular devices to store more than money, too, accessing their driver’s licenses, medical cards and event tickets, all in one simple click. And wait – it gets worse: Millennials who aren’t hip to the digital boom are fast becoming the butt jokes on social media. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/5n93kt5b
(…not that they’d understand them! I mean…cheugy? What’s that?)
(So basically what they’re saying is I can take my wallet and shove it – into my skinny jeans?)
-NYPost
MARITAL HARMONY:
Long live the King! With apologies to King Charles, I’m referring to Elvis Presley, who has reclaimed his throne as the singer of the most-popular first-dance song for brides and grooms. As part of its annual Real Weddings Study, the wedding-planning website The Knot asked couples to rank the most popular first-dance songs, and for the first time in 7 years, Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’ was bumped from the top spot. That’s right, Elvis’ 1961 hit ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ is enjoying a resurgence in popularity, possibly thanks to the recent release of 2 major Elvis-related films, “Elvis” and “Priscilla”. Following Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’ at #2, the rest of the top-10 most popular first-dance wedding songs are…
3. ‘Lover’ – Taylor Swift
4. ‘Growing Old with You’ — Restless Road
5. ‘Thank God’ — Kane and Katelyn Brown
6. ‘Joy of My Life’ — Chris Stapleton
7. ‘At Last’ – Etta James
8. ‘You’ — Dan + Shay
9. ‘All Your’n’ — Tyler Childers
10. ‘Better Together’ – Luke Combs
(Well, at least they didn’t choose ‘Hound Dog’!)
(What creative – or downright wrong – first-dance song was used at a wedding you attended?)
-People
SUPERSTITION-BOWL:
Have you planned your Super Bowl menu yet? Well, plan carefully. Because according to 85% of people in a survey, what they eat the day of the big game has a direct impact on the outcome (if you can believe it…). In a poll of 2,000 sports fans, 44% were found to have food-focused superstitions when it comes to a big game, and fully 85% said they only eat or serve certain dishes on game day. Respondents said that burgers, chicken wings, and hot dogs are considered the ‘good luck’ game day foods – while deviled eggs and garlic bread are bad omens. Pizza, popcorn, and chips are also considered to bring positive energy, but mozzarella sticks, salsa and queso dip seem to have the opposite effect. The OnePoll survey also found that 79% of fans will carry out certain rituals ahead of a game to help improve their team’s chances. Like what? 34% must sit on the same part of the couch for any game when watching at home, while 40% must wear a ‘lucky outfit’. And to avoid bringing bad juju to their team, 32% refuse to watch a game with certain people, who they feel are ‘unlucky’.
(How immature. Now, then — where are my lucky underpants?)
(That last one, I can appreciate. Sorry, Mom-in-law!)
-StudyFinds
FUNNIEST TWEETS OF THE WEEK FROM WOMEN:
⇒ something this week will cost $40. even if u have zero plans and need nothing, you’re gonna spend $40 this week, because something will inevitably cost $40. for the rest of your life til u die. $40 – Borey
⇒ I’m sorry but divorce stories aren’t specific enough. If I sat through 3 slideshows of your wedding shoes I want details. How long did he let that saucepan “soak”. – sara
⇒ The word “subpoenaed” is ridiculous — tara
⇒ Please don’t ask me to repeat myself I wasn’t listening either – Mom Jeans
⇒ It’s not a Sunday unless you completely waste it then feel really sad around 8pm – Noor
⇒ oh ur a people pleaser? name 3 people that are pleased with you – abrish
⇒ the concept of a courtroom sketch artist is so funny to me. here’s our little murder doodler – trash jones
⇒ nothing stronger than the bond between a girl and the 100+ episode procedural drama she starts rewatching in the middle of a mental health crisis – lucy ford
⇒ Me at 1 day pregnant: omg the baby is craving a vacation in the south of France – chels
-HuffPost
DID YOU KNOW?
Some scientists say it’s time to have hurricane categories go to 6. A new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, argues that hurricanes are becoming so powerful due to climate change, that the upper limit of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind scale, Category 5, is antiquated. They propose adding a Category 6 label to any tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 192mph (309kph), which is “probably faster than most Ferraris.” The scientists say that 5 storms have achieved a hypothetical Category 6, and they’ve all occurred since 2013. (Have these scientists been watching Spinal Tap?)
-Insider
BS CHRONOMETER 02.08.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Fat Thursday”. Observed 53 days before Easter, it is similar to Fat Tuesday, which is celebrated next week, but in many European countries (esp. Poland), this is the more important holiday. If ever there was an excuse to take indulgent eating to the next level, this is your day. A celebration of all things dough-related, this tradition offers a guilt-free opportunity to gorge on donuts or paczki (ponch-key).
• “Laugh & Get Rich Day”, in recognition of laughter’s power to add to the bottom line. It’s claimed that people who laugh are 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,” 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 second 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.
• “Potato Lover’s Day”. The word potato is derived from a Native American word “Batata”, but the first cultivated potatoes date back to 5000BC in Peru. Originally, they were purple, and when cooked they turned a deep blue color.
• “Boy Scouts Day”, celebrating the birthday of Scouting in America. On February 8, 1910, Chicago publisher William Dickson Boyce filed papers in the District of Columbia to create the Boy Scouts of America.
• “Kite Flying Day”. Why Kite Flying Day is held in the middle of winter, we have no idea. FUN FACT: Kites were first used by the military in ancient China over 3,000 years ago. (Not my favorite thing – but it’s up there!)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Pizza Pie Day
[Fri] Toothache Day
[Sat] Flannel Day
[Sun] Make a Friend Day
This Week is…Marriage Week
This Month is…Bird-Feeding Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1932 [92] John Williams, Long Island NY, composer-conductor (wrote the theme music for the “Star Wars” movies, “Superman”, “Indiana Jones” and “Jaws”)/25 Grammys [FUN FACT: He has never seen a Star Wars movie for which he composed the music]
1941 [83] Nick Nolte, Omaha NE, movie actor (“The Prince of Tides”, “Warrior”, “48 Hours”) COMING UP… “Eugene the Marine”
1943 [81] Creed Bratton (born William Schneider), Los Angeles CA, TV actor (“The Office” 2005-2013)/pop guitarist (The Grass Roots-‘Midnight Confessions’)
1953 [71] Mary Steenburgen, Newport AR, movie actress (“Step Brothers”, “Elf”)/TV actress (“Last Man on Earth” 2015-18)/married to Ted Danson since 1995
1955 [69] John Grisham, Jonesboro AR, lawyer-turned-novelist (“Rogue Lawyer”, “The Firm”) [movies made from his books include “The Pelican Brief” (1993), “A Time to Kill” (1996), “Runaway Jury” (2003), and “Christmas With the Kranks” (2004)]
1961 [63] Vince Neil (Wharton), Hollywood CA, rock singer (Mötley Crüe-‘Smokin’ in the Boys Room’, ‘Home Sweet Home’)
1969 [55] Keith Nelson, Pittsburgh PA, rock guitarist (Buckcherry-‘Sorry’, ‘Lit Up’)
1974 [50] Seth Green, Philadelphia PA, movie actor (“Austin Powers” movies, “The Italian Job”/TV voice actor (‘Chris Griffin’ on “Family Guy” since 1999, “Robot Chicken” since 2005)
1977 [47] Dave ‘Phoenix’ Farrell, Plymouth MA, rock bassist (Linkin Park-‘In the End’, ‘Shadow of the Day’)
1984 [40] Cecily Strong, Springfield IL, TV actress (“Saturday Night Live” 2012-22, “Schmigadoon!” 2021-23)/movie actress (“Ghostbusters” [2016]) COMING UP… “The Garfield Movie”, 2024
1986 [38] Anderson .Paak (Brandon Paak Anderson), Oxnard CA, pop singer/rapper (w/Mac Miller-‘Dang!’, Silk Sonic-‘Leave the Door Open’, ‘Skate’)
1994 [30] Nikki Yanofsky, Montreal QC, jazz-pop singer (‘I Believe’)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2007 [17] 39-year-old actress, model, and million-heir Anna Nicole Smith is found dead in a room of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida
2012 [12] Elizabeth Taylor’s collection of artwork by Vincent Van Gogh, Camille Pissarro, and Edgar Degas sells at auction for over $20 million
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2009 [15] Chris Brown is questioned by police in LA after assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna. The 2 were scheduled to perform together at the Grammys that night. He eventually pled guilty
2015 [09] Sam Smith wins both Song and Record of the Year for ‘Stay With Me’ at the 57th Grammy Awards, plus the Grammy for Best New Artist
TODAY IN SPORTS . . .
1986 [38] 5′ 7″ (1.7m) Spud Webb of the Atlanta Hawks wins NBA Slam Dunk Competition
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2004 [20] OutKast becomes the first hip-hop act to win a Grammy for “Album of the Year” (“Speakerboxxx/The Love Below”)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ The Empire State building only took a little over a year to build, and was completed 12 days ahead of schedule.
✓ LEGO bricks withstand compression better than concrete.
✓ There are more than 70 species of mushrooms that glow in the dark.
✓ Animals can be allergic to humans.
✓ Crows can not only remember the faces of individual humans, they can also hold a grudge.
✓ Platypuses sweat milk.
-BBC, BathroomReadersInstitute
Best of BS . . .
BS REJECTED SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOWS:
• Maroons One through Four
• Everyone who has ever been rejected by American Idol
• A salute to Marionettes
• A video highlight reel of NFL referees’ greatest non-calls
• A medley of jazz standards by Fran Drescher and Rosanne Barr
• The State of the Union address
• A 4th grade recorder recital
• R. Kelly
• Choreographed Prancercise
• Justin Timberlake & Janet Jackson, again
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ A study says frequent travel benefits marriage. (I believe it. I’m constantly on the road for work, and things have never been better with the missus!)
➠ Some Waffle Houses will feature a special menu for Valentine’s Day, along with alcohol-free champagne and cloth napkins. (They’re hoping for big business from guys who plan to use Valentine’s Day to give their partner a reason to leave them…)
➠ Dallas and Seattle have been named the sexiest cities in the US. (So better luck next year, Missoula!)
➠ A survey shows that nearly 30% of Facebook users plan to spend less time on the site in 2024. (Great. NOW how will we know what everyone had for lunch?)
➠ John Grisham is 69 today. [His birthday party will, at first, seem thrilling. But afterwards, guests will realize it’s no different from all his other parties…)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Dog logic: http://tinyurl.com/bdfyjpmy
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Confidence is 10% work and 90% delusion…
BS PHONE STARTER:
What did you believe for way too long as a child?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTIONS:
Question: 77% of us have one of THESE that doesn’t work. What is it?
Answer: A flashlight
Question: A study showed that sales of THESE triple during the week before the Super Bowl. What are they?
Answer: La-Z Boy recliners
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
