Wednesday, February 1, 2023 – Edition: #7408
Get Sheet-Faced Every Morning!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ “The Last of Us” is giving Linda Ronstadt a Kate Bush moment. The third episode of the HBO zombie series caused a huge surge in Spotify streams for Ronstadt’s 1970 hit ‘Long, Long Time’. The streamer tweeted: “On Sunday, January 29th…there was more than 4900% increase in U.S. streams of “Long Long Time” by Linda Ronstadt.” A similar phenomenon happened last year when Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ went viral after a key moment on “Stranger Things”.
-Deadline
★ Nickelodeon is gearing up for the Kids’ Choice Awards 2023. Yesterday, the network announced that CBS Sports analyst and CBS Mornings co-host Nate Burleson and digital superstar Charli D’Amelio will co-host the award show on March 4 from the Microsoft Theatre. Burleson said in a statement: “Hosting NFL Slimetime is always a blast, and I can’t wait to bring that same energy and Slime as co-host of the iconic Kids’ Choice Awards!”
-PopCulture
★ Rupert Grint may have landed the role of a lifetime in the “Harry Potter” franchise, but he says not all was what it seemed. The 34-year-old, who found global stardom starring as Harry Potter’s friend ‘Ron Weasley’ from 2001-11, said the experience was “suffocating” at times, and because it seemed they were either filming or promoting the movies at all times, he needed a break from the “out-of-body experience”, and after a while
“the lines were blurred” between his character and his own persona. Grint also feels that they stopped making Harry Potter movies “at the right time”, because had they continued, “it could’ve gone downhill.”
-NYPost
★ Sad news for “Bridgerton” fans. Phoebe Dynevor has revealed her character likely won’t make an appearance in season 3 of the Netflix hit show. The actress, who plays ‘Daphne Bridgerton’, dropped the bombshell when asked in an interview if there are any “exciting dynamics coming up for Daphne” in the upcoming season. Her response: “Sadly, not in season 3. Potentially in the future.” She did say that she is excited to watch season 3 “as a viewer”.
-People
★ Thirty years after David Letterman and Paul Shaffer departed the NBC airwaves, the “Late Night” bandleader and his long-time backing band are returning to 30 Rock to sub in for the Roots on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”. The one-night-only performance will take place this Friday, while the Roots are in Los Angeles to attend the Grammys. Jimmy Fallon said: “I’m beyond honored and excited that they’re getting the band back together.”
-RollingStone
★ Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra’s daughter, Malti, made her adorable debut at the Jonas Brothers’ Walk of Fame ceremony on Monday. The actress carried the 1-year-old at the Los Angeles event, marking her first public appearance with the little one. The toddler looked adorbs in a tan outfit with a white headband. Nick said in his speech: “Malti Marie, I can’t wait to come back here with you in 15 years and embarrass you in front of your friends.”
-PageSix
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Nick Offerman, Kerry Condon, Sofia Carson, Diane Warren
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Derek Jeter, Rita Ora
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Harrison Ford, Vic Mensa
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Natasha Lyonne, Adam Pally, Keio Stroud
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Dave Bautista, Jenny Slate, Stephen Sanchez with Em Beihold
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Alexia Nepola, Marysol Patton
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Guest host D.L. Hughley
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Eboni K. Williams
• “The Talk”(CBS): Sheryl Lee Ralph, guest co-host Irika Sargent
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Alan Cumming, Antonia Gentry
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Jay Ellis, Karamo Brown, MAJOR
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Gabrielle Union, Samara Joy, Melba Wilson
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Drew Carey, Storm Reid
• “Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong” (ABC): Black Eyed Peas, Derek Hough, Hayley Erbert, Fortune Feimster, Jason Biggs, Jenny Mollen, Julianne Hough, Kal Penn, The Muppets, NE-YO, Raven Symoné and Retta perform classic “Schoolhouse Rock!” hits.
• “Name That Tune” (Fox): Celeb contestants Jordin Sparks, Clay Aiken, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer
• “My 600-Lb. Life” (TLC): Season 11 premiere. As an Italian American, Geno was raised with lots of love, family and food; now, he’s still living with his mom and eating himself to death, and it’s time to make a change.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• The Weeknd — leads nominees for Canada’s 2023 Juno Awards with 6 nods, including album of the year for “Dawn FM,” single of the year for ‘Sacrifice’, and artist of the year. Newcomer Tate McRae and Avril Lavigne are close behind, with 5 nominations each. The Junos will be broadcast live from Edmonton’s Rogers Place on March 13. Simu Liu will host. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/ytksutxw
• Cardi B, Chris Brown and Travis Scott — have been named headliners for the first-ever Rolling Loud Thailand festival, set for April 13–15 at a beautiful beachside location in Pattaya. Some others on the bill: Soulja Boy, Fat Joe, Rick Ross, and Offset. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mwfhhajt
• Harry Styles — In addition to being nominated in 6 categories, he’s been added to the list of performers at the Grammys this Sunday. He joins previously announced performers Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Steve Lacy, Lizzo, Kim Petras, and Sam Smith.
• Meghan Trainor — Not only is she expecting her second child with husband Daryl Sabara, she’s also releasing a book about pregnancy titled “Dear Future Mamas”. The book is due April 25, and the baby this summer.
• Michael Jackson – His nephew Jaafar Jackson has signed on to portray his uncle Michael in the upcoming biopic “Michael.” Jaafar is the second youngest son to Jackson 5 member Jermaine Jackson, a brother of Michael’s. Production begins this year on the film, which is being made with the cooperation of the Michael Jackson estate.
• Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie — will join forces this summer for the “Freaks on Parade” tour, hitting amphitheaters and arenas across North America with help from Ministry and Filter. The shock-rock roadshow launches Aug. 24 in Dallas, running through Sept. 24 in Phoenix.
• Foo Fighters — Dave Grohl will appear in a Super Bowl commercial for Canadian whiskey brand Crown Royal. During Sunday’s NFC and AFC championship games, he appeared in a pair of 30-second teasers. Other stars who we know will appear in Super Bowl ads: Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Sarah McLauchlan Meghan Trainor, and Missy Elliott and Jack Harlow. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/f7htm62z
• Lainey Wilson – will be presented with the Rulebreaker Award at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards on March 1. Other honorees: Lana Del Rey (Visionary Award), Becky G (Impact Award), Doechii (Rising Star Award), Ivy Queen (Icon Award), Kim Petras (Chartbreaker Award), Latto (Powerhouse Award), and TWICE (Breakthrough Award).
• Luke Bryan – tickets go on sale tomorrow for his newly-announced 36-city “Country On Tour”. It starts June 15 in Syracuse NY, and will end Oct. 28 in Charleston SC. Opening acts include country up and comers Chayce Beckham, Tyler Braden, Ashley Cooke, Jackson Dean, Jon Langston, Conner Smith, Alana Springsteen, Hailey Whitters and DJ Rock.
• Miranda Lambert — began year 5 of marriage to Brendan McLoughlin with a new wedding band. She showed off the custom ring on social media, explaining it was a gift from her husband. The 2 couple celebrated years of marriage in Mexico on Jan. 26. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/ycxfc5em
SHOOTING THE BULL
ROACH REPROACH:
It’s Feb. 1, so here’s your first heartwarming Valentines Day story of the year: The San Antonio Zoo is offering you the chance to name a cockroach after your ex. In a special Valentine’s Day promotion, the zoo says that for $10, it’ll name a cockroach after your not-so-special someone – and then feed it to an animal – a pretty strong indicator that you’re no longer interested. The annual “Cry Me a Cockroach” fundraiser supports “securing a future for wildlife in Texas and around the world.” If naming a cockroach after your former love is a little TOO much, you can choose a vegetable for $5 or a rodent for $25 instead. LINK: https://sazoo.org/cry-me-a-cockroach/
(For my ex, a vegetable is definitely more appropriate!)
(This totally explains why there are so many rats named [***afternoon guy***] these days!)
-CNN
FOOD STUFF:
➢ Researchers have found that regularly eating high-fat and high-calorie foods can change the neurological pathways in your brain, hijacking its ability to regulate calorie intake – which, of course, leads to overeating and weight gain. The Penn State College of Medicine scientists tested a high-fatty diet in rats, showing the cells that control a chemical pathway to the stomach were disrupted when fatty and sugary food was ingested, and eventually “seem to desensitize to the high-fat food”. (You can file that under “Stuff I realize every time I buy a dozen donuts”!)
➢ Last week, A&W Restaurants announced that its mascot ‘Rooty the Great Root Bear’ will start wearing pants. The post, a joking reference to the recent decision by the makers of M&M’s, which put its “spokescandies” on “indefinite pause” after some in the media complained the green M&M character was now wearing tennis shoes instead of go-go boots. The A&W tweet read, in part: “now we get it — even a mascot’s lack of pants can be polarizing.” But the joke was on them, because Fox Business assumed the announcement was serious and reported on it as yet another sign of “woke police cancel culture” run amok. Eventually, A&W felt obligated to clarify things, tweeting: “Is now a good time to mention this is a joke?” (I was going to say “Why does the media even report on these things”, but here I am…in the media…and reporting on this thing…!)
-NYPost, HuffPost
GAME TIME DECISIONS:
As anyone who’s anyone knows, the Super Bowl is really about the snacks and the Halftime Show. Especially the snacks. So, some good news here: If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party on Feb. 12, it’ll probably cost you less than it did a year ago to serve up several traditional game-time dishes. According to a Wells Fargo report (in the US), even though overall food prices are up 11.8% since Super Bowl 56 (last year), a pound of chicken wings is down 22% (to $2.65), thanks to additional supply. Sirloin steak prices have dropped almost $1 per pound, and bacon and shrimp are also cheaper this year. Don’t be afraid to be generous with the guacamole, too. Average prices for an avocado are down 20%. The bad news COMES when you look to wash all that delicious food down. Beer prices are up 11%, and wine and spirits are up 4% and 2%, respectively.
(I would say I’ll just get my guests to BYOB, but they know that’s always the case anyway…!)
(I’m Googling “How to make avocado wine” right now!)
-CNN
THINGS THAT JUST QUIETLY WENT AWAY:
Remember fidget spinners? Yeah, stuff like that. An “AskReddit” thread asking “What quietly went away without anyone noticing?” prompted more than 45,000 comments. Here are some of them…
✗ Flash mobs: What began in 2003 as a social and cultural experiment took on a life of its own. For a while there, flash mob engagements, flash mob protests, flash mob school dances, and flash mob weddings became a part of our daily vernacular. (Not so much now?)
✗ Facebook poke wars: When it launched in 2004 as “Thefacebook” — there was little to do except look at other user’s profiles — not even a newsfeed. Enter the poke. You can still do it, but it’s kinda awkward.
✗ Internet terms like ‘cyberspace’, ‘superhighway’, ‘surfing the web’: Remember using the “information superhighway”? Then you probably also remember the sound of a dial-up modem.
✗ Keyboard classes in school: Once revered as a skill, the ability to “keyboard” is now just assumed. (And kids learn to do it before they learn to print!)
✗ Land lines: Or at least land lines in homes. The jacks are still there, but the only people who still use ‘em are all over 70. (Or live waaaay out in the sticks!)
✗ Planking: Like flash mobs, “planking” (lying prostrate on the ground while having your pic taken) was a viral internet meme that exploded overnight. (Then, like flash mobs, people found they had better things to do!)
✗ Waterbeds: Once a sexy status symbol of the ‘60s and ‘70s, despite attempts to bring them back with pillow top and “waveless” versions, the waterbed remains…um, a bad dream.
✗ Sears Wish Book: The Canadian company stopped operations in 2017, but many families fondly recall the excitement of Christmas catalogues from Sears — and even Eaton’s.
-TorStar
DID YOU KNOW?
Infamous Fyre Festival fraudster Billy McFarland thinks an hour of his valuable time is worth nearly $2,000. The convicted con man, who spent 4 years in prison for bilking investors in his notorious Bahamas music festival out of $26 million, recently launched a new scheme that offers advice to tech entrepreneurs for a mere $1,800 – per hour. The consulting fee is one of the services provided by McFarland’s new venture, called PYRT (pronounced “pirate”), which also promises to deliver a virtual reality-powered experience where users can beam themselves onto a tropical island from the comfort of home and control what happens there. (So, like control the cheese sandwiches and overflowing outhouses?)
-NYPost
BS CHRONOMETER 02.01.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Car Insurance Day”, commemorating the first auto insurance policy, issued to one Truman Martin of Buffalo NY on this date in 1898. It cost $11.50 (96 cents if he paid monthly)
• “Change Your Password Day”, an annual reminder that ‘123456′ is not keeping your data all that safe.
• “Spunky Old Broads Day”, dedicated to the saying ‘old girls just wanna have fun’. Spunky old broads are positive, fun, butt-kicking mature women over the age of 50 who refuse to sit back quietly and get old. (Who’s the spunkiest famous old broad, now that Betty White has left us?)
• “G.I. Joe Day”, the name was inspired by the 1945 Robert Mitchum movie “The Story of GI Joe”. FUN FACT: Hasbro invented the term ‘action figure’ because it believed boys wouldn’t play with a ‘doll’.
• “Dark Chocolate Day”, Unsweetened chocolate is dark chocolate made up of between 85–100% cocoa beans. It is the most bitter dark chocolate — but is also the healthiest.
• “Baked Alaska Day”, made with hard ice cream on a base of sponge cake and covered in a shell of toasted meringue. (I thought “Baked Alaska” was the name of a reality show!)
• “Girls and Women in Sports Day”, an observance begun in 1986 to honor female athletic achievement and recognize the importance of sports and fitness for all girls and women.
• “Robinson Crusoe Day”, commemorating the anniversary of the rescue of Alexander Selkirk, on this date in 1709. He was a Scottish sailor who was banished to an uninhabited island in 1704 after a quarrel with his captain. His adventures there are said to have formed the basis for Daniel Defoe’s book “Robinson Crusoe”.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Groundhog Day
[Thurs] Change Your Windshield Wipers Day
[Fri] Halfway Point of Winter (Northern Hemisphere)
[Sat] Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
This Week is… African Heritage and Health Week
This Month is… Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1950 [73] Mike Campbell, Panama City FL, rock guitarist-singer (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – ‘Refugee’, The Dirty Knobs-‘Wreckless Abandon’)/touring guitarist for Fleetwood Mac 2018-19)/session guitarist (Stevie Nicks, Don Henley, Johnny Cash…)
1968 [55] Pauly Shore, Los Angeles CA, comedian/movie actor (“Encino Man”, “Son in Law”, “Bio-Dome”)
1979 [44] Jason Isbell, Green Hill AL, country-Americana singer-guitarist (Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit-‘Alabama Pines’)/4 Grammys/married to Amanda Shires since 2013
1971 [52] Michael C Hall, Raleigh NC, TV actor (“Dexter” 2006-13, “Dexter: New Blood” 2021-22, “Six Feet Under” 2001-05)/Broadway actor (“Lazarus” 2015-17)
1975 [48] Big Boi (Antwan Patton), Savannah GA, hip-hop artist (f/Kelly Rowland-‘Mama Told Me’, OutKast-‘Hey Ya!’)
1987 [36] Ronda Rousey, Riverside CA, WWE wrestler (RAW Women’s Champion 2018-19)/former MMA fighter (won 12 consecutive MMA fights, 6 in the UFC, before suffering her first loss)/movie actress (“The Expendables 3”, “Furious 7”)
1994 [29] Harry Styles, Redditch England, boy-band singer (‘Watermelon Sugar’, One Direction-‘Story of My Life’, ‘What Makes You Beautiful’)/movie actor (“Dunkirk”, “Don’t Worry Darling”)
1994 [29] Julia Garner, The Bronx NY, TV actress (“Ozark” 2017-22, “Inventing Anna” miniseries) COMING UP… “Apartment 7A”
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1982 [41] “Late Night With David Letterman” debuts on NBC, with Bill Murray as the first guest
2004 [19] In the infamous “Super Bowl Wardrobe Malfunction”, Justin Timberlake rips Janet Jackson’s top during the halftime show, exposing her breast. Unfairly, Jackson gets blacklisted, while Timberlake is welcomed back by the music industry and the NFL after a series of apologies.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2008 [15] NASA announces that ‘Across the Universe’ by The Beatles will become the first song ever beamed directly into space via the “Deep Space Network”
2017 [06] In an Instagram post that is liked over 8 million times in 24 hours, Beyoncé reveals she is pregnant with twins
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2009 [14] Johanna Siguroardottir is elected the first female Prime Minister of Iceland, becoming the world’s first openly gay head of government
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
2006 [17] 100-lb competitive eater Sonya Thomas chows down on 26 sandwiches in 10 minutes to win the “World Grilled Cheese Eating Championship”
2013 [10] “The Shard”, the tallest building in the UK at 309.6 metres (1,016 feet), officially opens in London
2015 [08] New England Patriots win Super Bowl 49, beating Seattle 28-24; Patriots QB Tom Brady is named MVP and becomes 1 of only 3 quarterbacks to win 4 Super Bowls (he has won 3 more since)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Spacesuits take 5,000 hours to make, cost 1 million dollars, weigh about 110 pounds (50kg), and have 11 layers of material.
✓ Karate actually originated in India, but was developed further in China.
✓ There are no ants in Iceland, Antarctica, and Greenland.
✓ The average home creates more pollution than does the average car.
✓ Honey is used sometimes for antifreeze mixtures and in the center of golf balls.
✓ 27,000 trees are cut down every day to supply the world’s toilet paper.
-RandomFactGenerator, TheFactSite
MORE BS QUESTIONS PLAGUING HUMANITY:
• Why do we always ask babies and pets the same question twice? (Aren’t you just the cutest little thing huh? Aren’t you just the cutest?)
• Why does one recite at a play, but play at a recital?
• Why is it that people will buy anything that’s ‘one to a customer’?
• Is cheese the plural of choose?
• How can the weather be ‘hot as hell’ one day and ‘cold as hell’ another?
• Why is it that if you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the next morning you will definitely have a flat tire?
-First published in BS 1998
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ Record low temps are happening across the northern US and Canada, with windchill factors approaching -50°. (On the positive side, we’re just one good ice storm away from getting out of that Super Bowl Party with the in-laws!)
➠ Most of the northern US is grappling with dangerously frigid temperatures. (Meanwhile, Californians are taking their Pomeranians for an organic lunch on the beach and wondering why the rest of the country hates them…)
➠ The upper US states are getting hammered by extreme winter weather. (The Arctic Blast is so cold, Chicago Police are tasering themselves just to stay warm!!)
➠ Many areas of North America are being hammered by extreme cold temperatures. Officials are advising we follow weather reports closely. (However, if you need a TV weatherman to remind you to dress warm, you’ve got bigger problems than the cold weather!)
➠ Thought of the Day: Difficult roads always lead to beautiful destinations. (Obviously written by someone who’s NEVER been through Wyoming…)
BS WEB GOODIE:
From the minute I walk in: https://tinyurl.com/4kdsmy6j
BS RANDOM JOKE:
The last day of this year will be 123123. I guess we’ll be waltzing into 2024!
BS WOULD YOU RATHER?
(***You run down the list while your guest/phone caller/crew member decides which choice is more palatable***)
Would you rather …
• Shave your head once and get a tattoo on your entire scalp OR shave your eyebrows off permanently?
• Date someone who is always negative OR date someone who is always falsely positive?
• Windsurf on shark-inhabited waters OR hang-glide over a forest fire?
• Live the rest of your life in good health and bad debt OR be constantly sickly with a runny nose, cough, and periodic fever, but with great wealth?
• Have all your friends be smarter than you OR have all your friends be much better looking than you?
• Have a really big nose and as a result have people call you ‘The Ventilator’ OR have really, really, big ears so that people call you ‘Dumbo’?
• Have it rain rocks the size of baseballs OR have it rain darts?
• Eat a small can of cat food OR eat 7 whole lemons, including seeds, pulp, juice, and rind?
• Ride a bicycle 100 yards along a wooden plank 12-inches-wide, 50 stories above the ground OR walk a quarter-mile along a wooden plank 4-inches-wide, 50 stories above the ground?
• Write “I am an idiot” 10,000 times without stopping OR suck 75 thick milkshakes through a skinny straw without resting?
BS PHONE STARTER:
What silly thing did you do – that caused someone else to get all upset?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 45% of moms say “No” to letting a daughter under age 10 do THIS. What is it?
Answer: Get her nails done
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
When someone tells you that you can’t do something, consider that they are only telling you what they can’t do.