Thursday, January 9, 2025 – Edition #7868
Hey! New Sheets!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Jamie Lee Curtis is using her platform to urge Los Angeles citizens to ease emergency response efforts as the city grapples with wildfires spreading through the area. The Oscar-winner shared an impassioned Instagram post, imploring her followers to heed warnings from local officials as blazes rage through southern California — particularly the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Alongside a picture of a home engulfed in flames, she wrote: “My community and possibly my home is on fire…With all the technology there seems to be very little information. PLEASE POST FACTS! IT WILL HELP THOSE WONDERING!” According to reports, the home of Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag burned to the ground on Tuesday, and Ben Affleck, Eugene Levy, James Woods, and Mark Hamill are among the celebs forced to evacuate their mansions as a nearby wildfire rages.
-PageSix, NYPost
★ There’s been a change of plans with Brendan Fraser’s next role. The Oscar winner has dropped out of the off-Broadway production of “Grangeville” one month before the show begins. Signature Theatre announced Monday that Paul Sparks, known for his role in “Boardwalk Empire” is replacing him. The Instagram statement said that Fraser “had to step away due to unforeseen circumstances.” No official word yet from Fraser. The show is scheduled to premiere at New York’s off-Broadway Signature Theatre on Feb. 4, and run through March 16.
-NYPost
★ Jennifer Lopez isn’t bidding farewell to her sparkler. The “Unstoppable” actress is keeping the 8.5-carat natural green diamond engagement ring she got from estranged husband Ben Affleck. The former couple settled their divorce Monday, nearly 5 months after Lopez filed to end their 2-year marriage. Worth an estimated $5 million, Lopez’s statement green diamond is flanked by a matching pair of trapezoid-shaped white diamonds.
-PageSix
★ Scarlett Johansson will be stepping into a new role — morning talk host – when she joins Jenna Bush Hager as co-host of the 4th hour of “Today” later this month. “Today with Jenna & Friends” is the newly named show, following the departure of Hoda Kotb on Friday. The network announced that a series of co-hosts would join Hager for the time being in the 4th hour. Johansson will co-host Jan. 21-24, The Jan. 20 show will be pre-empted for the inauguration of Donald Trump.
-Deadline
★ “Squid Game” Season 2 has become the #2 most popular non-English series in Netflix history. The second installment of the Lee Jung-jae-led series brought in 126.2 million views in just 11 days on Netflix, making it the second most-watched non-English series, behind only Squid Game Season 1. Amassing that many views in only 11 days marks a new record for the streamer. In the second week since its release, Season 2 jumped to from #7 to #2 on the weekly most-watched non-English shows list, capturing 58.2 million views during the week of Dec. 30. Season 2’s success has also caused Netflix subscribers to return to Season 1, which scored 13.6 million views that week, putting it at #2 on the non-English TV chart.
-TheWrap
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Timothée Chalamet, Fernanda Torres, The Lumineers
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, Gabriel Iglesias, Pete Lee
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Ben Stiller, June Squibb
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Sebastian Stan, Auli’i Cravalho
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Dustin Nickerson, Russell Howard, Aparna Nancherla
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Glenn Close
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Marianne Jean-Baptiste, host Desi Lydic
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Pamela Anderson, James Longman
• “GMA3” (ABC): Michael Chad Hoeppner, James Longman
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Tim Allen, James Longman
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Adrien Brody, Snoop, Lee DeWyze
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Nate Burleson, Luke Wilson
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Jodie Turner-Smith
• “Hollywood Squares” (CBS): Series premiere. Contestants include: Tyra Banks, Julie Bowen, Whitney Cummings, Tiffany Haddish, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Drew Carey, and Pete Holmes.
• “Only Murders in the Building” (ABC): An unexpected visitor who reveals hidden secrets about the inner workings of the Arconia; Charles once recorded a hit single that was huge in Germany.
• “Going Dutch” (Fox): Gen. Davidson insults the colonel by tasking him with commanding the unit of traffic during a tank maneuver; the colonel devises a plan to steal a tank to prove he is still in his prime.
• “Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl” (ESPN): Penn State vs. Notre Dame
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – ‘Die With a Smile” has climbed to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its 20th week on the chart. The Grammy-nominated collaboration debuted at #2 in late August.
• Chappell Roan – Elton John has announced that she will perform at his 33rd Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party. It will take place in West Hollywood on March 2 and will be hosted by John and his husband David Furnish, along with Neil Patrick Harris and his husband David Burtka, plus Jean Smart and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
• Rick Springfield – has recorded an updated version of his classic 1980 single ‘Jesse’s Girl’. It will be released on “Big Hits: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2”, highlighting songs from Springfield’s 1999 album “Karma” through 2023’s “Automatic”, plus rarities, and his 2024 single ‘Lose Myself’. Release date is Feb. 14.
• Bon Jovi – Feb. 28, they’ll drop an expanded version of their classic 1986 album “Slippery When Wet”. Among the unreleased and long-sought material included on the reissue will be an acoustic version of ‘Wanted Dead or Alive, and live recordings from the band’s 1987 tour, and unreleased mixes of ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ and ‘Raise Your Hands’.
• Lenny Kravitz – has just announced a new set of dates for his “Blue Electric Light” Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM. He’ll return for 5 more shows: Aug. 1, Aug. 2, Aug. 6, Aug. 8 and Aug. 9. Tickets go on sale Saturday.
• John Pardi – has dropped a video to go along with his new single ‘Friday Night Heartbreaker’. It’s the first release from his upcoming 5th studio album. Pardi quote: “One of my favorite parts of the shoot was chatting with the actors and actresses who performed the circus stunts…All I had to do was play guitar and drive a cool car while they were over there breathing fire and swallowing swords. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/kh4b6wwu
• HARDY – got a tattoo at his baby shower – because of course he did. He and wife Caleigh are expecting their first child in May, and she posted vid of the elegant shower, calling it “something out of a fairytale”. She also included a clip of her husband in the tattoo artist’s chair, jokingly saying: “Every major life event we have will always be recorded with tattoos.” No pics of the hand ink, yet.
• Post Malone – The bartender who received a $20,000 tip from him says “He changed my life.” Renee Brown was working on Christmas Eve at the Railyard in Houston. She was missing her 9-year-old when Posty and Shaboozey entered. Brown says she “told all my regulars not to bug him”. They paid for Malone’s drinks anyway, and he left a $20,000 tip on bill of $1. Brown “immediately broke down crying.”
SHOOTING THE BULL
DESKTOP VANITY:
According to a new study, when you participate in a video call, chances are, you spend more time staring at yourself than you do looking at the person doing the talking. Researchers from multiple medical institutions, including Harvard Medical and Boston University, say that as a result, those constant Zoom calls and Google meets are changing how we perceive our appearance – and make us more likely to consider cosmetic procedures. And it seems that if you use those “touch-up my appearance” filters”, it could amplify the effect. Results from a survey of more than 500 people found that the more time people spend analyzing their appearance during video calls, the more likely they are to consider cosmetic procedures. The poll showed that nearly 89% used videoconferencing platforms more than 3 days per week – and 68% said they use appearance-enhancing filters more than half the time during their calls.
(So basically, Zoom isn’t just for meetings anymore – it’s your own personal audition for “Extreme Makeover: Home Office Edition!”)
(What I’d like to know is why people keep ASKING me to use a filter!)
-Study Finds
LIVE LONGER – AND BETTER:
❑ If you’d like to make one big improvement to your health this year, an expert suggests this: Drink another glass of water each day. Research scientist Natalia Dmitrieva said that “Staying optimally hydrated is a relatively easy lifestyle modification with potentially significant benefit: a longer disease-free life.” How would one add this one small routine to your daily life? One way is to attach it to something you’re already doing. Try having a glass of water while waiting for your coffee or tea to brew. Or take a refillable bottle with you while you walk the dog. Science shows that drinking plenty of water can improve blood pressure, diabetes, joint, gut and kidney health, ease migraines, and boost the glow of your skin, among other benefits. (Fine. Except I generally have a coffee while I wait for my coffee to brew…)
❑ A University of Iowa study says that being a so-called “couch potato” is linked to increased risk of 19 different chronic conditions. Their analysis of over 40,000 patient records found that inactivity increases the likelihood of developing chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes — and obesity, which you may have guessed. Regular physical activity, even light exercises like walking, were found to significantly improve overall health, and reduce the risk of disease. The researchers suggest incorporating movement throughout the day, standing more, and breaking up periods of sitting as key strategies for staying healthy for those who have a less-active lifestyle. (I see. I think I just made a late New Year’s resolution…!)
-CTVNews, StudyFinds
WHAT TO WEAR:
Those who are in the business of predicting future style trends have spent the fall collecting data on what we’ll be wearing in 2025 – or at least what those who are “style-conscious” will be wearing – and you should expect to see the return of skinny jeans! Here’s the list of 5 things that the fashion forecasters at WGSN, Heuritech and Pinterest Trends say people will be gravitating towards this year…
☞ Picture-perfect PJs: Expect to see elegant matching pajamas as traveling outfits, beach cover-ups and more. They say that sleepwear items are now seen as multi-functional items for vacationers, and this makes them a winning item in a world where luggage fees are becoming more and more expensive.
☞ Bag charms: The rise of the bag charm speaks to our current interest in personal expression and exclusivity. The small but mighty item can be very personal – and can make a great gift. For inspiration, look at Dua Lipa or Lily Allen’s carefully adorned Hermès Birkin bags.
☞ Sweet Suede: Suede has been named the top fabric of 2025 by Heuritech. By spring, we’ll see an increase in the ‘boho chic’ trend, which is all about romance and femininity. Alongside the soft tactile leather, expect to see lashings of lace and chiffon, à la the Olsen twins in the early aughts.
☞ Skinny Jeans: If you haven’t already ditched ‘em – it’s time to dig ‘em out! Actually, they expect a “slow-burn” return, and remember that, at least for the time being, wide-leg jeans remain the dominant fit. (I’d like to get my hands on some wide skinny jeans!)
☞ Cherry-coded: While Pantene named a shade of brown as its color of the year for 2025, fashion trends seem to indicate otherwise. On Pinterest, the search term “cherry vibe” is up 325%, and the “dark cherry red” shot up 235%. And it didn’t hurt that Tom Holland and Zendaya were seen coordinating the shade while out in New York.
(Well, I’m sure glad SOMEONE has an idea of what the hell is going to be happening this year!)
-CNN
GOOD BAD HABITS:
If you made a New Year’s resolution, chances are that it has to do with ditching a bad habit. But not all ‘bad habits’ are actually bad. A Reddit user posted the question: “What counts as a bad habit, but it’s actually good?” Of the more than 1,000 responses, these are the best…
⇒ “Gaming. Studies have shown it improves problem-solving, critical thinking, multi-tasking, decision making, hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, memory, and concentration.”
⇒ “Shaking or vibrating your leg when you have to be sitting for a long time gets the blood moving. It’s better than being completely stationary for hours.”
⇒ “Crying actually helps ease pain, physically and emotionally.”
⇒ “Talking to yourself. Although it can be taken as a sign of loneliness, it can also help you concentrate and organize ideas.” (At least SOMEONE will listen to me…)
⇒ “Being lazy from time to time. Sleeping in. Just doing nothing…Enjoy life, nature, friends, alone time, watch silly videos, play games.”
⇒ “Taking a nap during lunch breaks. Some people look down on it, but I get a lot of energy from it.”
⇒ “Staying up late. Some people have different circadian rhythms, and it makes evolutionary sense that in order for a population to thrive, you couldn’t all be asleep at once.” (I think the population is thriving quite nicely now. You don’t need to binge-watch another true-crime show!)
⇒ “Being less than 100% productive at work. Pacing yourself is important for mental and physical health.”
⇒ “Procrastination. Diamonds are made under pressure.”
⇒ “Swearing. It turns out that letting a few choice words fly is a great way to reduce stress and even dull pain. So, really, you’re not cursing — you’re just practicing verbal therapy!” (Tell that to my mother!)
-BuzzFeed
DID YOU KNOW?
It turns out that pro athletes like video games just as much as the rest of us – or maybe more. One addiction expert told CNN of an NFL player missing out on a deal worth $14 million a year — due to a video game habit that caused him to miss practice, miss sleep, and fail to show up to important business meetings. One pro snooker player believes athletes are especially vulnerable to video game addiction because they tend to have an obsessive nature, where “Everything I do, I do 100%.” Oh, and by the way, in addition to all of his NBA records, LeBron James is ranked one of the top 100 players in the world at the video game “Madden NFL 25”.
-CNN
BS CHRONOMETER 01.09.25
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Word Nerd Day”. What is a word nerd? They are most likely ‘logophiles’, which are people who love words. Here’s a word-nerd fact according to the Oxford Dictionary: “Bookkeeper” is the only word in the English language without any hyphens, with 3 consecutive repeated letters.
• “Healthy Weight, Healthy Look Day”, to send us all on the path to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, which may also help you attain a healthy look. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
-Switch to a healthy or healthier diet and meal plan
-Find a nutritionist
-Start a new exercise routine
-Join a fitness class (I think I’ll just try Ozempic instead!)
• “Apricot Day”, saluting the fruit that inspired the name of a color. The word ‘apricot’ means ‘precious’ in Latin. The apricot tree emerged in China more than 4,000 years ago.
• “International Choreographers Day”, observed on the birth date of George Balanchine, one of the world’s greatest choreographers, born in 1904 in Russia. Altogether everybody: five, six, seven, eight ….”
• “Law Enforcement Appreciation Day” (in the US), First observed in 2015, it came about at a time when there was much scrutinization of police officers and concerns about police brutality. Today, you’re encouraged to thank police officers, wear blue, and turn on blue lights at home.
• “Play God Day”. So, what would you do if you were the Big Guy/Big Gal for a day?
• “Static Electricity Day”. I guess you can count on this being a bad-hair day…
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Houseplant Appreciation Day
[Fri] Bittersweet Chocolate Day
[Sat] Milk Day
[Sun] Kiss a Ginger Day
This Week is…Diet Resolution Week
This Month is…Dry January
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1941 [84] Joan Baez, New York NY, folk singer-songwriter (‘Diamonds and Rust’, ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’)
1944 [81] Jimmy Page, Heston England, rock guitarist (Led Zeppelin-‘Stairway to Heaven’, ‘Whole Lotta Love’, The Yardbirds, The Honeydrippers, The Firm/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 1992-Yardbirds, 1995-Led Zeppelin
1951 [74] Crystal Gayle (Brenda Webb), Paintsville KY, country singer (‘Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue’, w/Eddie Rabbitt-‘You and I’)/sister of Loretta Lynn
1955 [70] J.K. Simmons, Grosse Pointe MI, movie actor (Oscar-“La La Land”, “Spider-Man” movies)/TV actor (“Law & Order” franchise 1997-2010) COMING UP… “The Accountant 2” 2025
1967 [58] Dave Matthews, Johannesburg South Africa, alt-rock singer (Dave Matthews Band-‘What Would You Say’, ‘Don’t Drink the Water’)/Farm Aid Board of Directors
1965 [60] Joely Richardson, London England, TV actress (“Nip/Tuck” 2003-10, “The Gentlemen” since 2024)/movie actress (“101 Dalmatians”, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”) COMING UP… Untitled “Downton Abbey: A New Era” sequel
1978 [47] A.J. (Alexander James) McLean, West Palm Beach FL, pop singer (Backstreet Boys-‘Quit Playing Games [With My Heart]’, ‘I Want It That Way’)
1982 [43] Catherine, Princess of Wales (Kate Middleton), Reading England, British royal (married to William, Prince of Wales, the heir apparent to the throne, making her the likely next queen consort)
1989 [36] Nina Dobrev, Sofia Bulgaria (raised Toronto ON), TV actress (“The Vampire Diaries” 2009-15, “Degrassi: The Next Generation” 2006-09)/movie actress (“Then Came You”)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2006 [19] “The Phantom of the Opera” becomes the longest-running Broadway show, marking its 7,486th performance at the Majestic theater, breaking the record held by “Cats”, another Andrew Lloyd Webber musical (‘Phantom’ eventually closes April 16, 2023, after 13,981 performances).
2022 [03] Bob Saget (“Full House”, “America’s Funniest Home Videos”), dies at 65 after a fall in a hotel room.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2002 [23] Michael Jackson receives the ‘Artist of the Century’ award at the American Music Awards.
2008 [17] Spice Girl (and ironically, future fashion designer) Victoria Beckham is named “Worst Dressed Celebrity” in critic Mr. Blackwell’s annual list of fashion disasters.
2014 [11] Rolling Stone magazine ranks “The 10 Greatest Double Albums of All-Time” …
5. Led Zeppelin – “Physical Graffiti”
4. Bruce Springsteen – “The River”
3. Rolling Stones – “Exile on Main Street”
2. Pink Floyd – “The Wall”
1. The Beatles – “The White Album”
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2007 [18] Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils the ‘iPhone’ at the Macworld convention in San Francisco (within days, reports of neck injuries skyrocket…).
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2011 [14] “Chaser” the border collie is reported to have learned 1,022 words at Wofford College in North Carolina, and can act in accordance with each of them.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Typing keyboards used to be arranged alphabetically.
✓ There’s an island in Japan that is only inhabited by bunnies. And, yes, you can visit.
✓ Antarctica is the only continent without any reptiles or snakes.
✓ Two-thirds of the world’s lawyers live in the United States.
✓ Larger groups of people make worse decisions, compared to smaller groups of people.
✓ People take better care of items they assembled themselves. This is known as the “IKEA effect”.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, Facts
Best of BS . . .
BS WAYS TO ANNOY YOUR RESTAURANT SERVER:
• Ask, “Excuse me, are you a really bad singer, or a really bad actor?”
• After he describes each special, you shout: “Sucks!”
• 4-hour lunch, 2-dollar tip.
• Whenever she walks by, cough and mutter, “Minimum wage.”
• Insist that before ordering, you be allowed to touch the London broil.
• Tie the tablecloth around your neck and say, “You wouldn’t charge ‘Superman’ for dinner, would you?”
• Every time you eat or drink, cough really hard.
• As he walks by you to the kitchen, scream, “He’s gonna take a leak in the chowder!”
• Eat the check.
-First published in BS in 2017
BS FAKE PUPPY FACTS:
• They come pre-toilet-trained.
• Bacon is an effective puppy repellent.
• Kids think they’re ugly.
• Puppies think about nothing but murder all day.
• There’s no significance to the fact that the word PUPPY has so much “P” in it…none at all.
• They do not hear you unless you raise your voice by 3 octaves and repeat everything you say 4 times.
• If yours sees its shadow, it means 6 more weeks of toilet training.
• They want nothing to do with chewing your shoes.
• It is a good idea to let the kids pick one out without first letting your spouse know.
• Puppies are 70% love, 50% poop, and 100% bad at math.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS WEB GOODIE:
It’s true: https://tinyurl.com/56h3swn2
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Mental note: Actual notes work better.
☎ BS PHONE STARTER:
What animal or plant really needs to be renamed?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
According to a study, to be on the safe side, you should eat THIS when it’s less than 12 hours old. What is it?
Answer: Snow
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley.
