Tuesday, January 9, 2024 – Edition #7630
Hey! New Sheets!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Jonathan Majors has spoken out for the first time after being found guilty of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. She accused her then-boyfriend of causing her injuries during an altercation in a car after she tried to gain access to his phone to view a text message he had gotten from an alleged woman. In a new interview, the former Marvel star said that he was “shocked” at the guilty verdict, which could land him in prison for a year. On “Good Morning America,” Majors continued to deny harming Jabbari. When asked how the injuries came about if he did not cause them, Majors said, “I wish that I knew. That would give me clarity. That would give me some type of peace about it.” He’ll be sentenced Feb. 6.
-Blast, TheWrap
★ “Stranger Things” has officially started production on its fifth and final season. Details about a release date have yet to be announced. Production was originally supposed to start in May 2023 before it was halted by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The last time Netflix released new episodes of the series was in July 2022. Though this will be the final season of this Netflix original, it won’t be the last installment in the greater Stranger Things universe. Additional projects in the works include the stage show “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” which will premiere in London’s West End, and an untitled animated spinoff series.
-TheWrap
★ Judd Apatow isn’t happy with the Academy’s decision to categorize Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster “Barbie” as an adapted screenplay, rather than original, for the 2024 Oscars. On X, he wrote: “It’s insulting to the writers to say they were working off of existing material. There was no existing material or story. There was a clear box.” The Academy ruled last week that Barbie will run in the Adapted Screenplay category – even though Warner Bros. had been campaigning for a Best Original Screenplay nom. The move forces it to compete with strong contenders such as Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”.
-Messenger
★ “NCIS: Hawai’i” has teased LL Cool J’s permanent return to the show in a new poster. Following a cameo in the season 2 finale of the NCIS spinoff, it was confirmed that LL Cool J will be joining the season 3 cast as a regular guest star. The poster shows his character, ‘Sam Hanna’ alongside Vanessa Lachey, Alex Tarrant, Jason Antoon, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Noah Mills, and Tori Anderson’s characters. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/585np3kt
-DigitalSpy
★ Nick Offerman said “the idea has been pitched” for him to return as ‘Frank’ with his small screen love ‘Frank’ to “The Last of Us”. After taking home his first Emmy Award on Saturday night, for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, he was coy about returning to the role alongside fellow Guest Actor nominee Murray Bartlett. Offerman said it’s a “great question but I would have to ask somebody with a higher pay grade than myself.” He also joked: “I think we pitched a whole mini-series of a prequel of their lives before they met each other. It could be a musical.”
-Deadline
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Jodie Foster, Jeffrey Wright, Duff McKagan
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Daniel Kaluuya, Josh Hutcherson, Ariana Madix
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Gayle King, Charles Barkley, Ebon Moss-Bachrach
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Dua Lipa, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Busy Philipps & Dan Levy
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Barry Manilow
• “The Talk” (CBS): Donald Faison, Judge Rachel Juarez, Judge Michael Corriero and Judge Yodit Tewolde
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Daniel Kaluuya, Dr. Uma Naidoo
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Kelsey Grammer, Charles Melton, M.J. Acosta
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Chef Jordan Andino, Joshua Weissman
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Garcelle Beauvais, Remember Monday
• “Celebrity Jeopardy!” (ABC): Semifinal #2: Steven Weber, Katie Nolan and Dulé Hill
• “Night Court” (NBC): Abby and Dan try to undo drastic budget cuts by taking on City Hall; Olivia and Gurgs stumble on a business opportunity, then realize why friendship and discontinued soda don’t mix.
• “NCIS: Sydney” (CBS): When a man in a concealed US Navy jacket drops dead from a cocaine overdose on a crowded bus, the investigation pulls Evie back into her past as an undercover narcotics cop.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Ariana Grande — has announced she’ll release the new song ‘yes, and?’ this Friday. It will be the lead single from her forthcoming 7th album, which she recently teased by sending notes and red lipsticks from her r.e.m. collection to fans. If you believe online chatter, the album will also be named “yes, and?”.
• Taylor Swift — Harvard University is seeking additional teaching assistants for its highly sought-after class “English 183ts: Taylor Swift and Her World”. Course instructor Stephanie Burt appealed to ardent Swifties to assist with its course dedicated entirely to the global impact of Swift. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/e9df3sj7
• Michael Bolton – Friday, he shared that during the holidays, underwent surgery after being diagnosed with a brain tumor late last year. He wrote that the surgery was “a success” and he is “now recuperating at home and surrounded by the tremendous love and support of my family.” LINK: http://tinyurl.com/4xaev4m4
• Billy Joel — has announced a run of stadium and arena shows in the US stretching from January through September, with Stevie Nicks and Sting opening some of them. Sting’s first appearance with Joel will be Feb. 24 in Tampa, while Nicks opens on March 9 in Arlington.
• David Bowie – The city of Paris has named a street after him. “Rue David Bowie” was officially inaugurated yesterday in the capital’s 13th district on the left bank of the city.
• Gabby Barrett – has unveiled her single ‘You’re My Texas’, co-written with Miranda Lambert and Hillary Lindsey. The love song compares someone special to Texas in a very positive way. The song will appear on Barrett’s new “Chapter & Verse” album, out Feb. 2. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/5atpd42c
• Luke Bryan — Saturday, he ended his Vegas residency at The Theatre at Resorts World, which saw him play 48 shows over 2 years. He said to his final night crowd: “Somehow I have survived Las Vegas. I have not died yet, but if you add up all the mornings that I wanted to die it equals 3 total deaths. Tomorrow morning, Shady Grove Rehab for me. I’m gonna wear pajamas for 45 days.”
• Scotty McCreery – will drop his latest single ‘Can’t Pass the Bar’ on January 12. (How has this title not been used in a country song before??)
• Tammy Wynette – The late singer will be honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award February 3 in Los Angeles, alongside Gladys Knight and Donna Summer.
SHOOTING THE BULL
DRYUARY:
So, here we are at January 9th, in the midst of the first full workweek of the year. How are you making out with those New Year’s resolutions? And what about Dry January? Oh, that’s a thing of the past already? You’re not alone. The average drinker only lasts until about . . . tomorrow (January 10) in their attempt at not drinking alcohol at all during Dry January, according to a survey. The survey asked 2,000 Americans over 21 to reflect on their experiences with Dry January and their overall drinking habits. Results show that 7 in 10 respondents (69%) have given the challenge a shot at one time or another – and over half said their attempt was an unsuccessful one. And if you at least made it through the first weekend of 2024 without raising a drink, good for you. The poll also found that 4% of respondents failed Dry January of New Year’s Day!
(So…it turns out that Dry January doesn’t mean you’re only supposed to drink Chardonnay? Who knew?)
(For me, Dry January is going really well – even though everyone keeps saying that I need to take a shower…)
-StudyFinds
NATURE “LOVER”:
Today is “Shop for Travel” day, and I’m pretty sure I’ve found the perfect destination for environmentalists. This summer, competitors in Finland will face off at the 5th-annual “World Tree Hugging Championships”. The competition will take place in the private Halipuu Forest, about 170km (106miles) north of the Arctic Circle. The event challenges participants to compete in 3 events: first, to hug as many trees as they can in a minute, with each hug lasting at least 5 seconds. Second, for a maximum of a minute, to offer their most dedicated hug, showing presence, intention, love and respect to one individual tree. And finally, in the freestyle round, the contestants must give their most creative hug to a tree, however they interpret it, lasting a minute. As weird as all of this sounds, it does have a serious side. Not only is it aimed at encouraging people to connect with nature, the competition was originally devised as a way to save a family’s forest from being chopped down.
(That would be the first time I ever hugged a tree – without first going skiing!)
(So they’re asking people from all over the world to travel via airplane for thousands of miles – in order to “save” the environment…by hugging a tree?)
-Insider, BBC
BEST DIETS FOR 2024:
For the 7th year in a row, the Mediterranean diet — a way of eating focused on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein and healthy fat — is the best overall diet, according to US News & World Report’s annual ranking. The Mediterranean diet also ranked first in the categories of easiest diet to follow, best family-friendly diet, best diet for healthy eating and best diet for diabetes, bone and joint and heart-healthy eating. The DASH diet, which aims to lower blood pressure, came second, and the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay) came third. The Raw Food Diet, Herbalife Nutrition and Dukan were selected the 3 WORST diets of the year due to their restrictive nature or reliance on processed shakes and bars, which, in addition to being expensive, are not conducive to sustainable healthy eating habits. And because I know you’re wondering, Keto was named Best Fast Weight-Loss Diet.
(It was also named the only diet where it’s OK to drink a bottle of Ranch dressing!)
-Today, EatingWell
THE MOST-ANTICIPATED MOVIES OF 2024 (Part 2)
✪ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (May 24): Following the death of Caesar in 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes,” this installment is set several generations later, with apes now the dominant species.
✪ Ballerina (June 7): The “John Wick” spinoff will follow Ana de Armas as an assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma. Also stars Keanu Reeves and Anjelica Huston.
✪ A Quiet Place: Day One (June 28): This prequel to the 2018 post-apocalyptic thriller stars Lupita Nyong’o, as she navigates the first moments of the alien invasion in New York City.
✪ Horizon: An American Saga (June 28 and Aug. 16): Directed, produced and co-written by star Kevin Costner, this Western that follows the expansion of the American West before and after the Civil War. It will be released in 2 parts.
✪ Despicable Me 4 (July 3): Not many plot details have been released, but we do know that Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Miranda Cosgrove and Steve Coogan are all returning.
✪ Twisters (July 19): A sequel to the 1996 tornado disaster epic “Twister,” which starred Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. No plot details yet for this one, described as “a new chapter” from the original movie.
✪ Deadpool 3 (July 26): Ryan Reynolds reprises his title role, reuniting with Hugh Jackman’s X-Men character Wolverine.
✪ Borderlands (Aug. 9): This science fiction comedy stars Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Bobby Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Greenblatt and Édgar Ramírez, as Blanchett’s character returns to her home planet of Pandora.
✪ Kraven the Hunter (Aug. 30): Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays the title character in this Marvel film. Other cast members include Russell Crowe, Ariana DeBose and Christopher Abbott.
✪ Beetlejuice 2 (Sept. 6): Tim Burton returns to direct the follow up to his 1987 cult classic “Beetlejuice,” with Michael Keaton back as the eccentric ghost. Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara also return, with Jenna Ortega joining the cast.
✪ Transformers One (Sept. 13): Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Jon Hamm, Laurence Fishburne and Brian Tyree Henry are some of the stars rounding out the cast for the latest addition to the “Transformers” universe.
✪ Saw XI (Sept. 27): It ‘s the franchise’s 11th installment in 20 years. And that’s just about all we know about it.
✪ Joker: Folie a Deux (Oct. 4): Lady Gaga joins Joaquin Phoenix in the musical follow up to Todd Phillips’ “Joker.”
✪ Smile 2 (Oct. 18): Aladdin” star Naomi Scott is set for the sequel to the horror sensation, which will likely get a new protagonist, since Sosie Bacon’s Rose didn’t survive the first.
✪ Venom 3 (Nov. 8): Tom Hardy will returns as Eddie Brock/Venom in this Marvel film.
✪ Gladiator 2 (Nov. 22): Ridley Scott returns to direct the much-anticipated follow up to his 2000 Best Picture winner. Paul Mescal stars, along with Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi and Joseph Quinn, among others.
✪ Wicked Part 1 (Nov. 27): The first part of the film adaptation of the Broadway musical features Cynthia Erivo starring as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda.
✪ The Karate Kid (Dec. 13): As the stars of separate “Karate Kid” films, Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio will come together in this installment.
✪ Mufasa: The Lion King (Dec. 20): This prequel of the 2019 photorealistic remake will explore Mufasa’s origin story, centering his on relationship his brother Scar.
✪ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Dec. 20): Ben Schwartz reprises his role as the title character.
✪ Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (no date yet): Following the cliffhanger ending of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” all loose ends should be wrapped up in this final film in the animated trilogy.
-Variety
DID YOU KNOW?
Many pet owners claim to be in tune with their dog’s or cat’s emotions. But it has now been found that humans can tell a chicken’s mood by listening to its clucks. Australian researchers had people listen to a series of clucks made by chickens excitedly anticipating food. They also listened to the chirps of chickens that were later denied a meal. After listening to an assortment of “fast clucks,” “whines” and “gakels,” researchers found about 7 in 10 people could identify the chickens’ mood from chirps alone. The scientists say this suggests humans have an “intuitive ability” to understand emotions across the species. (And yet, somehow, men remain unable to “take the hint” when women want them to buzz off!)
-CTV, StudyFinds
BS CHRONOMETER 01.09.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Word Nerd Day”. 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.
• “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…
• “Shop For Travel Day”, because with a new year ahead, it’s the perfect time to begin planning the vacations you wish to take over the next 12 months (Or so my travel agent tells me…)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Houseplant Appreciation Day
[Wed] Bittersweet Chocolate Day
[Thurs] Milk Day
[Fri] Kiss a Ginger Day
This Week is…Thank Your Customers Week
This Month is…Get Organized & Be Productive (GO) Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1944 [80] Jimmy Page, Heston England, classic rock guitarist (Led Zeppelin-‘Stairway to Heaven’, ‘Whole Lotta Love’)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 1992-Yardbirds, 1995-Led Zeppelin
1951 [73] Crystal Gayle, Paintsville KY, country singer (‘Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue’, w/Eddie Rabbitt-‘You and I’)/sister of Loretta Lynn
1955 [69] J.K. Simmons, Grosse Pointe MI, movie actor (Oscar-“La La Land”, “Spider-Man” movies)/TV actor (“Law & Order” franchise 1997-2010) COMING UP… “Red One” 2024
1967 [57] 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 [59] Joely Richardson, London England, TV actress (“Nip/Tuck” 2003-10, “The Tudors” 2010)/movie actress (“101 Dalmatians”, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”) COMING UP… “The Gentlemen” series
1973 [51] Sean Paul, Kingston Jamaica, rapper, singer, producer (‘Get Busy’, w/Sia-‘Cheap Thrills’)
1978 [46] 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 [42] Catherine, Princess of Wales (Kate Middleton), Reading England, British royal (married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne, making her the likely next queen consort)
1989 [35] Nina Dobrev, Sofia Bulgaria (raised Toronto ON), TV actress (“The Vampire Diaries” 2009-15, “Degrassi: The Next Generation” 2006-09) COMING UP… “Reunion”
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2006 [18] “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 [02] Bob Saget (“Full House”, “America’s Funniest Home Videos”), dies at 65 after a fall in a hotel room
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2002 [22] Michael Jackson receives the ‘Artist of the Century’ award at the American Music Awards
2008 [16] 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 [10] “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 [17] Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils the ‘iPhone’ at the Macworld convention in San Francisco CA (within days, reports of neck injuries skyrocket…)
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2011 [13] “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:
✓ Until 1997, “The Joy of Cooking” included recipes for armadillo and stuffed boar’s head.
✓ There’s an island in Japan that is only inhabited by bunnies. And, yes, you can visit if you want.
✓ Two-thirds of the world’s lawyers live in the United States.
✓ Mexico’s official name is United Mexican States.
✓ There’s a town in Norway called Hell. Ironically, it never gets very warm there.
✓ Dolly Parton once entered a Dolly Parton lookalike contest … and lost to a drag queen.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, WomansDay
Best of BS . . .
BS FAKE WORKOUT FACTS:
• It only works if you take a selfie before you start.
• If your name is Jim, you get 10% off of your membership.
• Men never notice a woman’s yoga pants.
• More people have died using a treadmill than have died because they didn’t use a treadmill.
• If you get a personal trainer, you will seem more interesting at a party.
• The first rule of CrossFit: Always talk about CrossFit!
• Planet Fitness replaced Pluto as the ninth planet in the solar system.
• Wearing workout clothes all day is equivalent to a 1 hour workout.
• It doesn’t count unless you grunt.
• I do it all the time.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
BS INCORRECT ABBREVIATIONS:
• WTF: Where’s the Fries
• TMI: Too Many Idiots
• IMHO: Is My Hearing-aid On?
• ASAP: Add Salt And Pepper
• IKR: I Know Ralph
• FUBAR: Feeling Uneasy But Accepting Reality
• YOLO: You Overthink Life Obsessively
• ADHD: Americans Don’t Hate Donuts
• STFU: Selling This Fast Unicycle
• MILF: Man I Love Friday
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS WEB GOODIE:
Needed this today: http://tinyurl.com/3y3v25mt
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I’m all for irony, but the phrase “Good morning” seems to be going a bit too far.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s the best way to upset your in-laws?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 15% of us haven’t washed THIS item of clothing in the past 6 months. What is it?
Answer: Bathrobe
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Anyone can pedal hard going down the hill, but you win the race by pedaling hard, up the hill.
