Tuesday, January 7, 2025 — Edition: #7867
Can You Believe This Sheet?
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
[***UPDATE***] ★ Zendaya and Tom Holland are taking their relationship to the next level. The “Spider-Man” costars, both 28, are engaged, a family source has confirmed to People. TMZ reports that Holland proposed at one of Zendaya’s family homes over the holidays. The news comes after Zendaya stepped out to the 2025 Golden Globes on Sunday, sporting a diamond ring on her left ring finger. Reportedly, Holland had been keen to propose “for awhile”, and sought out her father’s permission months ago. As for when they might get married, a source said the couple plans to take their time and “just enjoy things for now and won’t rush a wedding.”
-People
★ Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have kick-started 2025 with some welcome news — the duo’s sprawling Montecito, California mansion has doubled in price. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex snapped up the stunning property for $14.65 million in the summer of 2020, and the lavish home is now worth a whopping $29 million, according to Zillow. Since quitting royal life and settling in the US, the pair have been anchored in their 18,000-square-foot home that boasts A-list neighbors including Oprah Winfrey and, until recently, Ellen DeGeneres. The 9-bedroom, 16-bathroom luxe pad is home to the Sussexes, as well as their son, 5-year-old Prince Archie, and their daughter, Princess Lilibet, who is 3.
-NYPost
★ Heidi Klum is returning to “Project Runway”. The 51-year-old model will return for Season 21 as the series returns this year. Klum originally hosted the show from 2004-17. The German model won an Emmy in 2013 alongside co-host Tim Gunn, and was nominated 9 times during her hosting tenure. Project Runway will air 10 weekly episodes on Disney-owned Freeform network sometime in 2025 before being available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu. The show, which originally launched on Bravo before moving to Lifetime and back to Bravo, has yet to announce an official premiere date or the Season 21 judges.
-PopCulture
★ Coming soon to Prime Video: The Melania Trump documentary. Amazon has confirmed it has exclusively licensed an upcoming documentary film on the former and incoming first lady that will be directed by Brett Ratner. A studio spokesperson calls it “an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look” at the first lady and third wife of Donald Trump. The film will receive both a theatrical and streaming release and Melania Trump will executive-produce alongside New Element Media’s Fernando Sulichin. Filming began in December, a month after former President Donald Trump won a return to the White House. Release is set for later this year.
-Variety
★ Chloë Grace Moretz appears to have confirmed her engagement to long-term girlfriend Kate Harrison. The “Kick-Ass” star took to Instagram on New Year’s Day to share a recap of 2024, with one photo featuring the pair showing off matching diamond rings on their ring fingers. She captioned the post: “Happiest New Year. So thankful for what this year has brought…” Moretz and Harrison have been romantically linked since December 2018.
-DigitalSpy
★ The “Breaking Bad” house has hit the market for a cool $4 million — because the current owner is fed up with fans of the show gawking at her property. The ranch-style home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was the TV residence of ‘Walter White’, played by Bryan Cranston, as well as his wife ‘Skylar’, and their son ‘Walt Jr.’ in the hit show, which aired from 2006-18. Current resident Joanne Quintana grew up in the modest home, and was there with her parents when they began filming the iconic series. She told a reporter: “At first the filming was a blessing” that allowed her and her family to witness “the magic of Hollywood”. But soon fans started turning up on her quiet block – to the tune of 300 cars a day, with some even tossing pizzas on the roof, in homage to a classic scene from the show.
-NYPost
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Cher, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Sheila E.
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Pamela Anderson, Andrew Rannells, Lil Baby
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Tilda Swinton, Isabella Rossellini
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Quinta Brunson, Matt Rogers
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Zach Cherry, Pete Holmes, Corin Wells
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Erika Jayne, Racquel Chevremont
• “The Daily Show” (COM): TBA
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Kat Dennings, Amanda Gorman
• “GMA3” (ABC): Rachel Hollis, Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr.
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): David Schwimmer, Kat Dennings, Dr. Tommy Wood
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Jim Gaffigan, Rosé, Travel Mom
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Lisa Kudrow, Carol Kane
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Joe Manganiello, Tiffany Boone
• “Deal or No Deal Island” (NBC): Season 2 premiere. Bigger risks and more treacherous twists await 13 new players as they arrive on the mysterious new Banker’s private island.
• “Kitchen Nightmares” (Fox): Season 2 premiere. Gordon Ramsay tries to help the owner of Iberville Cuisine & Oyster Bar, in the heart of the French Quarter.
• “Will Trent” (ABC): Season 3 premiere
• “The Rookie” (ABC): Season 7 premiere
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• SZA — wants to quit music and be a farmer. She posted: “To fulfill my last 2 album (contract) requirements I think I just wanna make peaceful children’s music n get outta here. Then go be a farmer n donate the produce to underserved communities.” Today, she releases another a deluxe edition of 2022’s “SOS” with even more extra songs and remixes. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/ytjmm3j9
• Justin Bieber – is among those who wish Rihanna would return to her first job: singing. On his Instagram, he posted a clip of her singing during a surprise drop-in at a karaoke bar in New York. His caption: “Missed seein u sing, Queen”, along with goat and crown emojis. Prior to that, the last time either Bieber or Ri-ri performed publicly was at the marriage of an Indian billionaire’s son.
• Jane’s Addiction – are making new music – without Perry Farrell. After reuniting for a tour last year, it was canceled when Farrell punched Dave Navarro in the face during a gig in Boston. Bassist Eric Avery posted a video with the caption: “Writing some more new lines to some of Stephen’s (Perkins)’s drumming. Look forward to getting some Mr Navarro on them. 2025!” Farrell was not mentioned or tagged. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4ku6rbf3
• Neil Young — has announced the release of the previously unissued album “Oceanside Countryside”, recorded in 1977. Set for release on Feb. 14, it is part of Young’s Analog Originals series. Three of the record’s 10 songs surfaced on Young’s “Comes a Time” album, which was released in 1978.
• The Cure – Robert Smith has spilled the tea on 2 songs set for the group’s next album, which could be out as soon as this summer. In an interview, he spoke of ‘It Can Never Be The Same’, which he called a “song of grief” and ‘A Boy I Never Knew’, which written for The Cure’s 2004 self-titled album but went unreleased. Both tunes have been performed live, but never appeared on an album.
• Morgan Wallen – may have dropped a big hint regarding the title of his next album. In the music video for his New Year’s Eve surprise-release song ‘Smile’, he performs on a talk show. After it dropped, several fans pointed out that the talk show name “Dark Til Daylight,” shows up multiple times, and they’re wondering if that will be the title of Wallen’s next album. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/53bm72zf
• Tyler Rich – will release the new single ‘Give Up to Get It’ on Friday. He posted: “This one hits harder than really anything I’ve ever written…and I cannot wait.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mry59mxw
• Luke Bryan – The 48-year-old was recently asked in an interview what he still would like to accomplish that he hasn’t already, in his 20-year-career. His answer: “I want to be happy. Really try to harness and enjoy what’s happened in my career.” He also said he wants to avoid becoming “an old curmudgeon”, and instead be able to “look back and say, ‘Damn, that was fun!'”
SHOOTING THE BULL
MICRORETIREMENT:
Micro-retirement: It’s being called the latest career trend – and I have to admit, I kinda like the idea. According to reports, a growing number of younger people in the workforce are opting for the adult equivalent of taking a “gap year”. That’s right – in an effort at fighting corporate burnout, some people are opting to temporarily leave their job – for months – or even years at a time. The story is that these Gen Z and millennial workers are carving a chunk of time from their careers to travel, focus on their passions, or to pick up a different job while they are still young, rather than waiting until they are in their 60s – or later.
(Our boss has done that. In fact, he does it every Friday at 1:30!)
(The only difference between ‘micro-retirement’ and a school ‘gap year’ is that when you’re an adult, it’s frowned upon to live under Mommy and Daddy’s roof, and spend all day eating pizza pops and hanging out by the pool!)
-NYPost
WEIGHT LOSSES:
It looks like weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic are not just leading to smaller waistlines – they’re also trimming the fat off the profits of some food companies. New research from Cornell University shows that people using GLP-1 and other prescription meds for weight loss tend to spend less on food as a result. The study found that households in which at least one person is utilizing the appetite-supressing drugs spend 6% less on groceries in the first 6 months. And among higher-income families, it was more like 9%. And what groceries in particular did they spend less on? The steepest decline was seen in processed foods like chips and other savory snacks (11%), as well as baked sweets (9%). These households were also seen to spend less at fast-food restaurants and coffee shops. And those on weight-loss drugs were found to spend more on foods that dieticians recommend, such as yogurt and fresh produce.
(Fresh produce? NO WONDER these people had no cash left to hit the KFC drive-thru!)
(The way I see it, the only way that a household where “one person” is on weight loss drugs is spending 11% less on snacks, is if that “one person” is the one who does the grocery shopping!)
-MorningBrew
“CORN” BALL IDEA?
You know those small pieces of Styrofoam that are used to protect the contents of a package from shifting or breaking during transport? Right: They’re sometimes called ‘popcorn’. Well, a Japanese company is now using literal popcorn for the job. Popcorn manufacturer and delicacy wholesaler Azechi Foods’ manager Shihoko Wada, had been struggling to promote popcorn on its online store where people mainly bought delicacies. Then she was inspired by a laptop repair technician at a management seminar. He used cylindrical puffed corn snacks as a cushioning material. That sparked the revelation to Wada that not only could the popcorn be used as an actual snack after use, but it was also a great opportunity to attract attention to the company. And that’s exactly what happened. Before long photos of the bags started going viral on Japanese social media, and the company soon started receiving orders from all sorts of businesses, leading to even more exposure via national TV outlets. Although the bags of popcorn packing material are more expensive than conventional cushioning materials, they can be eaten afterward, which helps eliminate waste, unlike other cushioning or filler materials, most of which end up in the trash.
(One thing for sure – this stuff would make making one of those “unboxing” videos much more delicious!)
(Just out of curiosity, if I ordered popcorn, would they still pack it with popcorn, or nah?)
-OddityCentral
THE MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIES OF 2025 (Part 2):
✪ “Superman”: You’ll believe a man can fly, again, in James Gunn’s Superman reboot, starring David Corenswet. (July 11).
✪ The Smurfs Movie”: The Smurfs will return to the big screen in a live-action, animation hybrid musical starring Rihanna as ‘Smurfette’, along with a voice cast including Natasha Lyonne, Dan Levy, Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham, Kurt Russell and John Goodman. (July 18)
✪ “The Naked Gun”: Is it wise to remake the original Leslie Nielsen spoof to end all spoofs? Liam Neeson takes over as ‘Frank Drebin’, with Pamela Anderson stepping in to take over Priscilla Presley’s role. [“Yup, she reminded me of my mother, alright, no doubt about it.”] (Aug. 1)
✪ “Michael”: The Michael Jackson biopic is authorized by Jackson’s estate, which means the songs will be in there, but it could avoid some of the darker parts of Jackson’s life. Starring Michael’s nephew Jaafar Jackson. (Oct. 3)
✪ “Wicked: Part Two”: The conclusion of one of the biggest hits of 2024 closes the story of ‘Elphaba’ (Cynthia Erivo), the Wicked Witch of the West, and ‘Glinda’ (Ariana Grande), the Good Witch of the North. (Nov. 21)
✪ “Avatar: Fire and Ash”: James Cameron, the king of the blockbuster, returns – or, at least, is SCHUDULED to return – to Pandora with his third Avatar film, Fire and Ash. Expect more blue aliens, more eye-popping 3-D imagery and possibly more Giovanni Ribisi. (Dec. 19)
✪ “The Smashing Machine”: This intense-looking biopic of former wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr, stars an unrecognizable Dwayne Johnson. And after “Moana 2” and “Red One”, it’s time audiences had a reminder of just what The Rock can do when he’s playing outside the corporate box. (Release date TBD)
-Globe&Mail, CTV
DID YOU KNOW?
Amateur and professional “pet detectives” in are booked solid in Europe these days, due to a sharp rise in lost and stolen pets. According to one report, dog thefts rose 6% from 2022 to 2023 alone. English and French bulldogs, which are regularly sold for about £3,000 (US $3,725), are among the most frequently targeted breeds. And while pet theft is booming, so is the pet recovery industry. Some owners recruit the services of volunteers, while others will pay hundreds of pounds for professionals to hunt for their lost or stolen pets. Some pet detectives use an arsenal of the latest tech, including thermal imaging drones and cellular outdoor cameras. (Pet detectives? “Alrighty Then!”)
-Guardian
BS CHRONOMETER 01.07.25
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bobblehead Day”, an annual celebration of the dumb dolls with wobbly noggins that are often handed out as giveaways at sports events. (Then they collect dust on a shelf for decades.)
• “I’m Not Going to Take It Anymore Day”. This holiday is for doing something about the things that are holding you back, for taking control of your life, for standing up for yourself, and for telling those who have been holding you back that you aren’t going to take it anymore. (If that’s OK with everyone else…)
• “International Programmers Day”, honoring the mythical creatures who somehow solve all the problems that we lesser mortals have, without having to move from their desks. (And they know that programming is like sex: One mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life!)
• “Orthodox Christmas” in many countries, including many in East and Central Europe. Why? Both Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches still use the old Julian calendar.
• “Tempura Day”, celebrating the Japanese cooking tradition of dipping seafood or vegetables in a thin batter of flour and water, then frying them in oil. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/bfsagap
• “Harlem Globetrotter’s Day”, on the anniversary of the gag-team’s first game, in 1927 in Hinckley IL. At one point, they were so famous that they had their own cartoons, TV show and movies, and made appearances on “Scooby Doo” and “Gilligan’s Island”. (FUN FACT: Of the 10 honorary Harlem Globetrotters, 2 are Popes [Francis and John Paul II], and one is Whoopi Goldberg.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Argyle Day
[Wed] Show and Tell at Work Day
[Thurs] Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
[Fri] Peculiar People Day
This Week is…Thank Your Customers Week
This Month is…Brain Teaser Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1948 [77] Kenny Loggins, Everett WA, pop/rock singer (‘Danger Zone’, ‘Footloose’, Loggins & Messina-‘Your Mama Don’t Dance’)
1957 [68] Katie Couric, Arlington VA, TV host (“Today” 1991-2006, “CBS Evening News” 2006-11, “60 Minutes” 2006-11, “Katie” 2012-14, Global Anchor of “Yahoo! News” 2014-17)
1964 [61] Nicolas Cage (Coppola), Long Beach CA, movie actor (“National Treasure” films, “Leaving Las Vegas”)/married to Lisa Marie Presley 2002-04, nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola
1971 [54] Jeremy Renner, Modesto CA, movie actor (“The Bourne Legacy”, “The Hurt Locker”, “Avengers” films)/TV actor (“Mayor of Kingstown” since 2021)
1973 [52] Sean Paul (Henriques), Kingston Jamaica, dancehall musician (‘Get Busy’, w/Beyoncé-‘Baby Boy’)
1974 [51] John Rich, Amarillo TX, country singer (Big & Rich-‘Save a Horse [Ride a Cowboy]’, ex-Lonestar-‘Amazed’)
1982 [43] Lauren Cohan, Cherry Hill NJ, TV actress (‘Maggie’ on “The Walking Dead” 2011-22, “The Walking Dead: Dead City” since 2023, “The Vampire Diaries” 2010-12)/movie actress (“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”)
1983 [42] Brett Dalton, San Jose CA, TV actor (‘Grant Ward’ on “Marvel’s Agents of Shield” 2013-18, “Found” since 2023)/movie actor (“Justice League” films)
1985 [40] (Sir) Lewis Hamilton, Stevenage England, race car driver (7-time Formula One World Champion, holds record for most wins with 105)
2000 [25] Marcus Scribner, LA CA, TV actor (‘Andre Johnson Jr.’ on “black-ish” 2014-22, “Grown-ish” 2019-24)/movie actor (“How to Blow Up a Pipeline”)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2023 [02] Adam Rich, the child star of “Eight is Enough”, dies at 54 of an accidental fentanyl overdose.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2006 [19] Pink marries her motocross racer-boyfriend Carey Hart on a beach in Costa Rica.
2012 [13] Lady Antebellum singer Hillary Scott marries drummer Chris Tyrrell near Albany, New York.
2020 [05] Rush drummer/lyricist Neil Peart dies of brain cancer at 67.
TODAY IN TECH . . .
2021 [04] Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla, becomes the world’s richest man, worth $186 billion, overtaking Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (Musk is currently #1 at $437B, Bezos #2, at $243B).
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2009 [16] US president George W Bush hosts president-elect Barack Obama and former chief execs Bill Clinton, George HW Bush, and Jimmy Carter for a 5-president luncheon at the White House (the first gathering of its kind in 27 years).
2018 [07] It snows in the Sahara Desert – 15 inches reported in Aïn Séfra, Northwest Algeria.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ To finish one scoop of ice cream, it takes about 50 licks.
✓ Genetically, peaches and nectarines are almost identical.
✓ The Pacific Ocean is less salty than the Atlantic Ocean.
✓ Abraham Lincoln lost 5 prior elections before becoming US president.
✓ The average number of readers of any given published scientific paper is said to be 0.6.
✓ Farmers in England are required by law to provide their pigs with toys.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, Oddee
Best of BS . . .
BS MOTTOS FOR PROCRASTINATORS:
• Just Do It…tomorrow.
• Why do today what you could have done yesterday?
• It’s called a ‘due date’ because that’s the day you do it.
• I’m no hater for later.
• Happy belated birthday!
• Procrastination is great! You always have something to do tomorrow — and nothing to do today!
• It’s called “Time Waste Management.”
• Some days, I don’t even get around to procrastinating.
• Seize tomorrow!
• Motto? Good idea. We should get on that.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2020
BS SIGNS YOU WORK IN A BAD OFFICE:
• You have a desk, but no chair.
• Every week, a third of your pay is deducted for the ‘Prozac Fund’.
• To increase profitability, the conference room has been turned into a chinchilla farm.
• Only the vending machine makes less money than you.
• In your one-page performance report, the word ‘sucks’ appears 13 times.
• The company president casually asks you if you know anything about starting fires.
• When stressed, your boss compulsively licks his back.
• The guy who comes in once a week to change the water cooler is the new VP.
• When you say, “See you tomorrow,” the security guard laughs uncontrollably.
• Your office nickname: ‘Deadwood’.
-First published in BS in 2014
BS WEB GOODIE:
Thinking outside the box: https://tinyurl.com/2rsffrvx
BS RANDOM JOKE:
If you ask me, wind chill should be measured in swear words.
☎ BS PHONE STARTER:
What did you think was going to be amazing — but turned out to be horrible?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
The last time the average person did THIS chore at home was 5 months ago. What is it?
Answer: Clean out the fridge
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
