Friday, July 5, 2024 — Edition: #7748
Another Sheetload of Bull!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Vanessa Hudgens has a lot to celebrate. On Wednesday, she shared a sweet post for her husband, Cole Tucker, as he celebrated his 28th birthday — and hours later, the couple officially became parents as they were seen leaving the hospital with their newborn. Alongside a carousel of photos, she wrote: “Happy birthday to my slice of heaven @cotuck. You make the world a brighter place just by being you.” The baby’s sex and exact date of birth are unclear. The “High School Musical” star initially kept her pregnancy news under wraps, waiting to debut her baby bump until hitting the Oscars red carpet in March.
-PageSix, People
★ Ellen DeGeneres is clapping back at all those “mean girl” allegations, which created controversy on her talk show, and ultimately contributed to her walking away from it. She addressed the label attached to her during a recent stand-up show in Santa Rosa CA, telling the near-capacity crowd, “I am many things, but I am not mean.” SGGate reports that the comedian stood up for herself, but did acknowledge, “I can be demanding, impatient, and tough. I am a strong woman.” Ellen left her talk show in 2022, following allegations from former staffers of a toxic workplace.
-TMZ
★ Miranda Cosgrove gave “iCarly” fans renewed hope with the possibility of a movie adaptation, after Season 3 of the 2021 revival of the Nickelodeon comedy series ended with a cliffhanger. While in New York to promote “Despicable Me 4”, She said: “I’m pretty sure it’s gonna happen. So, I’m excited, and I’d love to get to wrap up the story.” She added that the movie will happen “hopefully soon.” Cosgrove reprised her ‘Carly’ role in the Paramount+ revival, where she was also an executive producer.
-SKPop
★ “Diddy” is getting out of Dodge. Disgraced music mogul Sean Combs has reportedly put his LA mansion up for sale less than 4 months after Homeland Security raided it in connection to a sex trafficking investigation. TMZ says he’s is trying to sell his pricey pad off-market for $70 million — over $30 million more than he paid in 2014. The Holmby Hills home has 17,000 square feet of living space and features 8 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a 35-seat theater, a gym and a wine room, and the 1-acre property also includes a 3,000-square-foot guest home.
-PageSix
★ The first round of box office projections has arrived for Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” and they predict the highest-ever opening weekend for an R-rated film — at $160 million-plus. That would also mean that the “Deadpool” franchise would have all of the Top 3 R-rated openings, as the original 2016 film currently holds the record with $132 million, closely followed by its 2018 sequel “Deadpool 2”, with $125.5 million. Anything above $162 million would pass the opening weekend of “Barbie”, and would be the biggest opening weekend for any film since “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in November 2022. Deadpool & Wolverine opens on July 26.
-TheWrap
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Zac Efron, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Gracie Abrams (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Jessica Alba, Marlon Wayans, a performance from Broadway’s “The Outsiders” (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Billie Eilish (R)
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Utkarsh Ambudkar, Patty Guggenheim, Betsy Sodaro (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Ayo Edebiri, Luke Wilson, Michael Marcagi, Mario Duplantier (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): US First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, John Grisham (R)
• “The Talk” (CBS): Sir Patrick Stewart (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Marilu Henner
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Annette Bening, DeWanda Wise, Pyper Braun, Holly Black
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Ashley Graham (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Rev Run promotes “Kings from Queens: The Run DMC Story. (R)
• “Lingo” (CBS): The latest victors go head-to-head with a mother-daughter pair, followed by exes versus friends with a huge jackpot on the line.
• “COPA America” (TSN): Venezuela vs Canada
SATURDAY:
• “2024 Wimbledon Championships” (ABC): Singles Third Round
• “Three Wise Men and a Baby: Extended Cut” (HALL): Three brothers experience self-discovery and healing when they are forced to work together to care for a baby throughout the holidays.
SUNDAY:
• “Belly of the Beast: Bigger and Bloodier” (DSC): Discovery Shark Week begins with host John Cena. Dr. Austin Gallagher and his fearless team deploy giant whale decoy to attract and study massive great whites in New Zealand; witnessing their feeding frenzy and uncovering dominant Queen Boss females.
• “Cannibal Sharks: Shark vs. Shark” (NGC): Whether on the hook or in utero, sharks eat their own. Scientists from Australia to Florida use the latest tagging and tracking measures to understand why.
• “The Great Food Truck Race” (FOOD): The teams go to Galveston TX, where MLB star Justin Turner awards one of the biggest cash prizes in race history.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – “The Tortured Poets Department” is at the top of Billboard’s albums chart for a 10th consecutive week, making her the only artist with 3 albums to accomplish that feat this century. Meanwhile, her tour opener Gracie Abrams’ album “The Secret of Us” has debuted at #2.
• BTS — Jin will be participating in the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay. A press release says he’ll take part “to spread the message of ‘harmony’ and ‘peace.’” The Torch Relay for the Paris 2024 Olympics began in April in Greece, and is traveling through 65 territories until the opening ceremony on July 26.
• Childish Gambino — Donald Glover has shared his new single ‘Lithonia’, from his final album under the Gambino name: “Bando Stone and The New World”. The LP drops July 19. He has also shared a trailer for a sci-fi film of the same name, which the album is the soundtrack to. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4r45trfv
• Eminem – Tuesday, he dropped the 2nd single from “The Death of Slim Shady”. ‘Tobey’ features fellow Detroit residents Big Sean and Babytron. Billboard recently ranked him #5 on its list of the “50 Greatest Rappers of All-Time”.
• Hootie & the Blowfish – Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of their landmark debut album “Cracked Rear View”, which sold more than 22 million copies. Singer Darius Rucker attributes part of the album’s success to the fact that the songs are “so relatable” – and so is the band. Quote: “Nobody was looking at Nirvana going, ‘I could go have a beer with them.’”
• Jimi Hendrix – Aug. 9, the new documentary “Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision” will premiere in New York, with a global theatrical run to follow. It is said to tell the story of the recording studio, and its key role in the recording career and eventual legacy of Jimi Hendrix. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4jmp67mz
• Morgan Wallen – drops his new single ‘Lies Lies Lies’ today. In March, the song was released as part of a 7-song acoustic recording session at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios. Last night, Wallen was back in London, to play a headline show at BST Hyde Park.
• Thomas Rhett – has dropped his new single ‘Feelin’ Country’, from the “Twisters” movie. He wrote on Instagram: “Been playing this one on the road since last year and I’ve been itching to put it out. So stoked it found a home in @twistersmovie and it’s out everywhere NOW!” “Twisters: The Album” and the film both arrive July 19. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yp5pe26p
• Jason Aldean – In a recent interview, he sort-of bashfully revealed what is the most expensive vehicle in his garage. Quote: “I dunno, man. I got my truck, then I have like a fun car. It’s a Ferrari. But it’s not a brand-new one, I actually bought it used. It’s cool.” He also said his wife Brittany is “a big car lover, too, so we always have, ya know, some pretty cool cars.”
SHOOTING THE BULL
THIS WEEK’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Despicable Me 4” (PG, Kids/Family, opened Wednesday): Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru Sr. faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run. (Steve Carell, Kristen Wigg) Tomatometer: 53%
• “MaXXXine” (R, Horror/Mystery): In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past. (Mia Goth, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale) Tomatometer: 75%
• “Beverly Hill Cop: Axel F (R, Action/Comedy, Netflix-only release): Detective Axel Foley is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she and Foley team up with a new partner and old pals to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy. (Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, Joseph Gordon-Levitt) Tomatometer: 67%, Audience score: 72%
NEW NOODS:
Think of it as an ode to summer. Nissin Foods, the makers of Cup Noodles instant ramen noodles, has introduced its newest flavor: “Campfire S’mores”. I’ll wait for you to finish saying “yuck” before I continue… OK. The limited-edition offering combines microwavable noodles with a flavor blend of chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers, and a smoky note “for a truly unique s’mores experience”, plus additional mini marshmallows to sprinkle on top. The result, I’m told, is a sweet and gooey dessert you can prepare in 5 minutes. Other limited ramen flavors that Cup Noodles has introduced in the past include: Pumpkin Spice, Everything Bagel, and Breakfast (a mixture of maple syrup pancakes, sausage and eggs).
(Man…and you thought the ‘seafood’ flavor was BLECH!)
(So they’ve finally figured out a way to sell ramen noodles for more than 50 cents each?)
-CNN, CBS
GREAT GRADEZ:
What does it take to get great grades in high school, college, or university these days? For starters, it might help if your last name starts with the letter “A”, it seems. A study by researchers at the University of Michigan, analyzing over 30 million grading records, found that students with surnames that appear earlier in the alphabet tend to receive higher grades compared to those with later alphabetical placements. This is attributed to an effect known as “sequential grading bias.” That’s an unintended result of the default alphabetical order of student submissions in most online learning management systems. That means that kids with surnames landing in the earlier part of the alphabet have their tests and reports graded first, and may receive better marks, before instructors grow weary, or marking trends are established. The researchers suggest that random grading orders and anonymous submissions could help correct this bias.
(Speaking of grading bias, I know that in high school, if MY name was on a test, it was doomed from the start!)
(I preferred to earn my A-plus average the old-fashioned way: Hard work, preparation, and mowing the teacher’s lawn!)
-PsychologyToday
NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ South Korea’s city council says its working robot killed himself by jumping down a flight of stairs last week. Witnesses say the robot had been circling in one place for some time before jumping, indicating that something had gone wrong, but the incident is still under investigation. The robot was one of the first to be hired by the mayor’s office. Since August 2023, it has been helping employees with document delivery, advertising, and providing info to local residents, every day between the hours of 9am-6pm. An official told media that “he worked very hard”. (I’d feel the same way if I worked my tail off all year, and then wasn’t invited to the staff pizza party!)
➢ Police are looking for a man whose pants caught fire in an alleged arson attempt that went wrong. Richmond BC RCMP shared a photo showing 2 men, one on the ground with a pained expression as he reaches for his blazing pants, while the other apparently tries to put out the flames. Cops responded to an alarm at a business, finding a broken window and a small fire in the front. Surveillance video revealed 2 men wearing masks had approached the business, and one of the suspect’s pants caught fire in the incident. RCMP said “The pants continued to burn” despite the suspects’ efforts to put the flames out. (Obviously, the guy’s not only an arsonist, he’s also a liar, liar!)
-ITC, CP
DID YOU KNOW?
New research shows that reading the news is increasingly becoming an “OK Boomer” thing. Gen Zers trying to stay informed prefer to have others digest the headlines first — and then not only regurgitate stories on social media, but help them decide what to think, too. A Google study shows younger newshounds are relying on posts from their favorite influencers — and the opinions of others in the comment sections — as opposed to the usual traditional news sources. The findings were announced on the heels of several studies showing that Gen Z – and an increasing number of older adults — are turning to TikTok as their top source for news. (That’s all we need: An entire generation’s opinions shaped by some dude in his parents’ basement with a name like “EthanTylerNewsSource2007”.
-NYPost
BS CHRONOMETER 07.05.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Calgary Stampede”, begins, the annual rodeo & 10-day festival, through July 14th in Calgary, Alberta. “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”, attracts over 1 million visitors per year and features one of the world’s largest rodeos, a parade, midway, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, chuckwagon racing and First Nations exhibitions (and usually the Prime Minister flipping pancakes while wearing chaps…) Some of the more than 100 music acts this year: Jonas Brothers, Miranda Lambert, Mötley Crüe, Nickelback, Tate McRae. LINK: https://www.calgarystampede.com
• “Graham Cracker Day”, saluting the wafer developed in 1829 by Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham, who believed consumption of graham flour suppressed “carnal urges”. What’s the best use for graham crackers? Pie crust? S’mores? Moon pies? (Anti-aphrodisiac?)
• “Workaholics Day”, a day to remove your nose from the grindstone … just once. (As Rodney Dangerfield said, “My old man was a workaholic. You mentioned work, he got drunk.”)
• “Bikini Day”, celebrating the July 5, 1946 unveiling of the landmark swimsuit by designer Louis Reard at a Paris press conference, which he described as ‘4 triangles of nothing’. The bikini is named after a tiny Pacific atoll (ring-shaped reef) where the first atomic bomb tests were performed earlier that week.
• “Apple Turnover Day”. Also called “hand pies” because they are so portable, the pastry is made by placing apple filling on a piece of dough, folding the dough over, sealing it, then baking them. They can also be fried.
• “Mechanical Pencil Day”, created by Cult Pens, after the pen and pencil purveyor noticed there was a “Fountain Pen Day,” but not a day for mechanical pencils. They decided on July 5th because it is written as 7/5 or 5/7. The most common mechanical pencil lead sizes are 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm.
• Comic Sans Day”. How often is a font so popular that it gets its own holiday? Comic Sans was designed in 1994 when Vincent Connare noticed Times New Roman was being used in word balloons of cartoons in a computer user guide, and thought that was too formal. It has since made its way to just about every place imaginable: from menus to invitations, and from billboards to business signs.
SATURDAY:
• “Fried Chicken Day”. Don’t know who started it; don’t know why. And who cares? Dig in! (They couldn’t have this on a Fry-day?)
• “International Kissing Day”. International? So, presumably this means that today you can only kiss someone from another country?
• “National Air Traffic Control Day”. More than 14,000 highly trained air traffic control specialists provide a vital public service, guiding pilots, their planes and 12.3 million daily passengers worldwide from taxi to takeoff, through the air, and back safely to the ground (All so we can stand around for 3 hours, waiting for our luggage…)
• “Virtually Hug a Virtual Assistant Day”, saluting those living, breathing people who provide vital services to business owners and individuals everywhere from the comfort of their own home.
• “Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day”. Today, you should “Show your appreciation to your webmaster by taking him out for some good food. That way, he/she/it will feel loved, and have the energy to fix all the typos on your site.” (Does this sound like it was written by a webmaster?)
• “Umbrella Cover Day”, celebrating those little sleeves that come on new umbrellas. Made of the same material as the umbrella, it’s debatable whether they are critical bits of umbrella apparel, or a waste of material. It is this very ambiguity that has inspired a museum of Umbrella Covers (in Maine) and a Guinness World Record (for largest collection — 730) LINK: https://www.umbrellacovermuseum.org/
SUNDAY:
• “Chocolate Day”, started by the Confectioners Association to promote what is almost every woman’s (and many a man’s) weakness. Some say chocolate from the New World (mostly Mexico) was introduced to Europe on this date in 1550. Suggestions for today’s menu …
– Breakfast: Chocolate cereal; chocolate cream-filled donuts; hot chocolate.
– Morning Snack: Chocolate bar, to give you a boost until lunch.
– Lunch: A big tall glass of chocolate milk; chocolate pie or pudding for dessert.
– Afternoon Snack: Chocolate covered raisins, which contain both vegetable and fruit (Chocolate is a product of the cacao bean).
– Dinner: Chocolate liqueur aperitif; chocolate-flavored coffee; chocolate cake.
– Evening Snack: Chocolate ice cream, of course!
• “Father-Daughter Take a Walk Together Day”. If she’s a teenager, good luck! Like, are you tryin’ to embarrass her or what?
• “Global Forgiveness Day”, begun in 1994 as an excuse for us to get in touch with our need to forgive and be forgiven. A good day to knock that chip off your shoulder and make peace.
• “Macaroni Day”, saluting one of the more popular forms of pasta. How would the average student survive without mac & cheese?
• “Tell the Truth Day”, challenging us to go an entire day without telling a lie or saying anything misleading or dishonest. Is this possible? (The only time a politician tells the truth is when he calls another politician a liar!)
• “National Dive Bar Day”. From the one-time speakeasy to the little hole-in-the-wall, the dive bar is like an old pair of jeans; it just fits right. Urban Dictionary calls a dive bar “A well-worn, unglamorous bar, often serving a cheap, simple selection of drinks to a regular clientele.” (I’ll drink to THAT!)
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1950 [74] Huey Lewis (Hugh Anthony Cregg III), NYC, rock singer (Huey Lewis & the News -‘I Want a New Drug’, ‘The Power of Love’)/sometime movie actor (“Duets”, “Back to the Future”)
1959 [65] Marc Cohn, Cleveland OH, folk-rock singer (‘Walking in Memphis’)/married to ABC anchor Elizabeth Vargas 2002-14
1963 [61] Edie Falco, Brooklyn NY, TV actress (“Nurse Jackie” 2009-15, “The Sopranos” 1999-2007)/4 Emmys, 2 Golden Globes, and 5 SAG Awards. COMING UP… “The Parenting”
1969 [55] RZA (Robert Fitzgerald Diggs), New York City, rapper (Wu-Tang Clan-‘Uzi’)/filmmaker (director- “The Man with the Iron Fists”, scored the “Kill Bill” films)
1980 [44] Pauly D (Paul DelVecchio) Providence RI, reality star/DJ (“Jersey Shore” 2009-12, “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” since 2018)
1980 [44] Jason Wade, Camarillo CA, rock singer-guitarist (Lifehouse-‘You & Me’, ‘Hanging by a Moment’)
1982 [42] Dave Haywood, Augusta GA, country multi-instrumentalist (Lady A-‘Bartender’, ‘Need You Now’)
1994 [30] (“Shotime”) Shohei Ohtani, Ōshū Japan, MLB pitcher-DH-outfielder (3X all-star, 2X AL MVP, 2X Silver Slugger/in 2023, signed the largest contract in pro sports, a 10-year $700m deal with LA Dodgers)
SATURDAY- Religious leader Tenzin Gyatso (Dalai Lama) is 89; Former US president George W. Bush is 78; Sylvester Stallone (“Rocky”) is 78; Peter Mansbridge (“The National”) is 76; Geoffrey Rush (“The Book Thief”) is 73; Jennifer Saunders (“Absolutely Fabulous”) is 66; 50 Cent (‘Candy Shop’) is 49; Kevin Hart (“Ride Along”) is 45; Eva Green (“Penny Dreadful”) is 44; Cody Fern (“American Horror Story”) is 36
SUNDAY- Ringo Starr (The Beatles) is 84; Shelley Duvall (“The Shining”) is 75; Vonda Shepard (‘Searchin’ My Soul’) is 61; Jim Gaffigan (“The Jim Gaffigan Show”) is 58; Jorja Fox (“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”) is 56; Amy Carlson (“Blue Bloods”) is 56; Kirsten Vangsness (“Criminal Minds”) is 52; Ashton Irwin (5 Seconds of Summer) is 30; Maddie Marlow (Maddie & Tae) is 29
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1989 [35] The pilot episode of “Seinfeld” airs (originally titled “The Seinfeld Chronicles”). It would last for 180 episodes, through 1998
2000 [24] “Big Brother” premieres in the US, but fails to generate the same buzz it had with other versions worldwide (Even so, season 25 launches July 17th.)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1997 [27] Organized by Sarah McLachlan, the first all-female Lilith Fair tour kicks off at The Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington State. The lineup includes Jewel, Suzanne Vega, and Paula Cole, with Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow and Fiona Apple joining on subsequent stops
2008 [16] Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed a Girl’ hits #1 in the US, where it stays for 7 weeks. Her first chart-topper, it’s a drastic change from 7 years earlier, when she was a gospel singer recording under her real name: Katy Hudson
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1994 [30] Amazon.com is founded in Bellevue, Washington by Jeff Bezos
1996 [28] ‘Dolly’ the sheep, the first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell, is born at the Roslin Institute in Scotland (named after Dolly Parton)
2023 [01] Meta launches Threads, a Twitter-style public conversations app. The next day, it becomes the most rapidly downloaded app ever, with 30 million downloads (Heard much about it lately?)
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2012 [12] ‘The Shard’ in London, England is inaugurated as the “Tallest Building in Europe”, with a height of 310 meters (1,020 ft) [Now, it’s #7]
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ The term “riding “shotgun” comes from the sitting position of the guard on a stagecoach.
✓ “Tom Sawyer” was the first novel written on a typewriter.
✓ Because of the rotation of the earth, an object can be thrown farther if it is thrown west.
✓ Hearing is the fastest human sense.
✓ Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.
✓ Rats will laugh out loud if you tickle them.
-DJTech, MentalFloss
Best of BS . . .
BS SIGNS IT’S BEEN A LONG WEEK:
• You can’t even be bothered making the sandwich; you just eat the ingredients separately.
• The coffee isn’t working, so you start eating it from the jar.
• You take a screenshot on your phone to show a friend the crack on the screen.
• May feels like it was months ago.
• You ran out of alcohol on Wednesday night.
• You haven’t had to delete your browser history once this week.
• You just microwaved your muffin for 37 minutes…
• You spent half of Thursday morning frantically searching for motivational quotes.
• You’ve used the phrase “This has never happened before” more than 3 times since Monday.
• You aren’t even sure if it’s Friday.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
THE ULTIMATE DRINKING CHEAT SHEET:
You’ve likely heard “Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear; beer before liquor, get drunk quicker”, but have you heard THESE rules-of-thumb regarding drinking?
• Tequila Sunrise at morning, sailors take warning.
• Hot Toddys before Whisky Sours, dangerously thin blood within hours.
• Rye before Vermouth, pass out in a tollbooth.
• Appletinis before Guinness, start a small business.
• Cosmos before body shots of sake, excitedly sleep with someone stocky.
• Long Island Iced Teas before vodka-soaked Gummi Bears, throw up on the stairs.
• Tom Collins before a bucket of mead, forget how to read.
• Pilsners before absinthe, get stuck in a labyrinth.
• Accidentally swallow a cup of mouthwash before eating a scoop of dry margarita mix, get robbed at knife-point trying to scalp Taylor Swift tix.
• Rubbing alcohol cut with a Kool-Aid Jammer before NyQuil before jungle juice, party forever by yourself. Party. Alone. Forever.
-SamWeiner, first published in BS in 2016
BS WEB GOODIE:
How I’m spending my summer vacation: https://tinyurl.com/4khxtskb
BS RANDOM JOKE:
You call them “cuss words”. I choose to call them “sentence enhancers”.
BS PHONE STARTER:
If animals could talk, which would be the rudest?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
25% of us do not know their partner’s favorite WHAT?
Answer: Pizza topping
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
There are always flowers for those who want to see them.
