Friday, March 1, 2024 – Edition: #7668
Deja Moo!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ WeightWatchers has announced that Oprah Winfrey is leaving its board after nearly 10 years. Winfrey shared the news with the diet company this week, and although a reason was not revealed, a WeightWatchers statement said that her “decision was not the result of any disagreement” or “any matter relating to the company’s operations, policies or practices.” However, Winfrey’s decision to end her long-term relationship with WeightWatchers comes a few months after she admitted to using a weight-loss drug to shed unwanted pounds. The “Color Purple” star plans to donate her stock to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
-PageSix
★ Kate Middleton’s camp has set the record straight amid speculation over her whereabouts following abdominal surgery in January. The Princess of Wales has been recovering behind closed doors since being discharged from hospital on Jan. 29, but there have been endless conspiracy theories about her whereabouts. Now, a rep says: “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates”, and the princess is “doing well.” Meanwhile, Prince William resumed his public duties Thursday after mysteriously pulling out of his godfather’s memorial service, for “personal reasons”.
-NYPost, PageSix
★ Amy Poehler has been selected to receive CinemaCon‘s Vanguard Award during the convention’s Big Screen Achievement Awards at Caesars Palace on April 11. Mitch Neuhauser, managing director of CinemaCon, called Poehler: “One of the most versatile, recognizable and talented performers of our generation who simply brings joy, happiness, and a smile to our faces with each new role.” She joins a roster of honorees that includes Lupita Nyong’o (Star of the Year) and Shawn Levy (Director of the Year). -HollywoodReporter
★ Bravo has unveiled a first look at the “Vanderpump Rules” spinoff series “The Valley,” premiering March 19. The official description explains that it “follows a group of close friends as they trade bottle service in West Hollywood for baby bottles in the Valley, all while they navigate bustling businesses, rocky relationships and feisty friendships.” Five main couples will be featured in season 1, plus a few friends. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/ytpv9nse
-Variety
★ Paramount has announced a release date for its remake of “The Naked Gun” starring Liam Neeson. Set for July, 2025, the still untitled “Naked Gun” re-do sees Akiva Schaffer direct and executive produce. It’s unknown how closely this new iteration will follow the original. The “Naked Gun” franchise, which spawned 3 films between 1988-94, followed ‘Frank Drebin’ (played by Leslie Nielsen) and was a send-up of popular crime dramas.
-TheWrap
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): TBA
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Dave Bautista, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Esther Povitsky
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Matt Damon, Danielle Pinnock (R)
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Billy Eichner, Pete Holmes, Nico Santos (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Sarah Paulson, Punkie Johnson, Brad Meltzer (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Day of Hot Topics
• “The Talk” (CBS): William H. Macy, Rachel Platten
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Lionel Richie, DJ Pauly D
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Isla Fisher, Chloe Stroll
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Reba McEntire
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): La La Anthony, Nichelle Lewis
• “S.W.A.T.” (CBS): The squad leaps into action when assassins descend on LA, targeting mysterious Japanese ex-pats; Nichelle is accused of taking bribes.
• “20/20” (ABC): A Florida university campus is on edge when a student disappears; Police say love, lies and obsession led to murder.
• “Shark Tank” (ABC): A vegan marshmallow creme; a non-invasive digital pet thermometer; a drawing app that utilizes augmented reality; a line of Filipino American sauces and condiments.
SATURDAY-
• “Planet Earth III” (BBC): Bonus Edition: Extremes. Animals battle to survive the elements in a world of extremes.
• “Single Black Female 2: Simone’s Revenge” (Life): After escaping the murderous clutches of her half sister, Simone, Monica gets a fresh start in Seattle as the host of a TV show. When amnesiac Simone sees her on TV, memories come rushing back, leading to a fateful reunion.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host Sydney Sweeney; Kacey Musgraves performs.
SUNDAY-
• “The Equalizer” (CBS): After a high-powered real estate developer is killed by a subway train, his widow hires McCall to investigate his death.
• “American Idol” (ABC): Auditions continue
• “I Am Jackie O” (CW): Interviews and archival footage provide insight into the extraordinary life and legacy of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Billie Eilish and Finneas – will perform at the Oscars for the 3rd year in a row. They will deliver ‘What Was I Made For?’ from “Barbie”, which is widely expected to win Best Original Song. In fact, all 5 of this year’s nominees in that category will perform, also including Mark Ronson and Ryan Gosling, Becky G, Jon Batiste, and Scott George and the Osage Singers.
• Joe Keery – The “Stranger Things” heartthrob is now a Billboard Hot 100 artist. Keery, who plays ‘Steve Harrington’ in the Netflix show, has debuted at #51, under his musical pseudonym Djo. The synth-pop breakout viral hit ‘End of Beginning’ was streamed 8.4 million times last week. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/ynyh7nzw
• Adele – has postponed all of the March dates of her Caesars Palace residency, due to illness. She wrote on IG: “I was sick at the end of the last leg and all the way through my break. I hadn’t quite gotten the chance to get back to full health before shows resumed, and now I’m sick again.” “Weekends with Adele” is currently set to resume on May 18. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/y9d4nznr
• Eagles – are reported to still be negotiating a residency at the new Sphere venue in Las Vegas. Talks started in August, but now, owner James Dolan is reported to be intent on booking the group to step into the classic rock void that will be left by U2 when their gig there ends tomorrow. Eagles are currently on their “Long Goodbye” farewell tour through mid-November.
• Def Leppard – will belatedly celebrate the 40th anniversary of monster album “Pyromania” with a reissue featuring previously unreleased songs, live footage and more. “Pyromania 40” will arrive on April 26 in formats including a 4-CD/Blu-ray box, a 1-LP half-speed master, 2-LP black vinyl, two-LP colored vinyl, 2-CD and digitally. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/39unvamj
• Loverboy – has dropped a video of them performing ‘Turn Me Loose’ from the upcoming “Live in ‘82”, a new concert film and live album, out June 7. 16mm footage was taken from the personal archives of guitarist Paul Dean, then fully restored and remixed. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/3pvtypp2
• Parker McCollum — says seeing fans sing his songs back to him during concerts makes him feel fulfilled as a songwriter. Quote: “It’s the gratification of knowing that you’re a good songwriter and your songs are connecting.” He’s currently on his “Burn It Down Tour”.
• Chris Janson – revealed in an Instagram video how he got the kiss tattoo on his arm. Long story short: The lip, which belongs to Janson’s wife, Kelly, was tattooed while he was touring with Lee Brice. Quote: “My buddy Lee Brice actually had a tattoo artist on the road. So, I made Kelly kiss my arm and then we tattooed it.” LINK: http://tinyurl.com/yx2bpmyp
• The Grand Ole Opry – has announced the newest group of artists for its Opry NextStage program, which spotlights country music’s rising talent on the Opry stage and across Opry Entertainment Group platforms. The class of 2024 includes: 49 Winchester, Anne Wilson, Charles Wesley Godwin, Chase Matthew, Ella Langley, Flatland Cavalry, Josh Ross, Madeline Edwards and Wyatt Flores.
SHOOTING THE BULL
NEW MOVIES THIS WEEK:
• “Dune: Part Two” (PG-13, Sci-fi/Adventure): Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he tries to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. (Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler) Tomatometer: 96%
• “Spaceman” (R, Sci-fi/Adventure, Drama, Netflix release): Half a year into his solo mission on the edge of the solar system, an astronaut concerned with the state of his life back on Earth is helped by an ancient creature he discovers in the bowels of his ship. (Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan, Paul Dano) Tomatometer: 59%, Audience Score: 79%
TECH TALK:
⇒ Samsung took the wraps off of its “smart ring” this week, debuting the Galaxy Ring, after teasing it earlier this year. The device has multiple sensors that can track health markers, such as the wearer’s heart rate and sleep monitoring — while also giving users a score of their readiness for the day. The company is considering adding a feature that would allow the Galaxy Ring to do contactless payments, as with smartphones. (How about a “readiness score” for that? It could tell me whether I can pay for my groceries or not…!)
⇒ The Hyodol just might be the strangest and creepiest product to debut at the MWC trade show in Barcelona this year. It looks like a Cabbage Patch doll, but is designed as a kind of surrogate grandchild and minder for elderly folks. Powered by ChatGPT, the doll has touch-sensitive patches and buttons you can press to elicit responses. It can prompt seniors to take their medication, remind them of meal times, and suggest exercise routines, but it speaks in a child’s voice (and sounds very patronizing). The South Korean company behind the Hyodol says it can speak in several languages, and an app allows someone to set up schedules and review how the doll owner is getting on. List price: $1,800. (What would be REALLY creepy would be if they modeled it after ‘Chucky’, instead of a Cabbage Patch doll!)
-CNBC, Wired
NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ A woman in Ireland lost a more-than $800,000 injury lawsuit stemming from a car crash — after photos showed her launching a Christmas tree during a post-holiday competition – and winning the event. 36-year-old Kamila Grabska sued an insurance company after a 2017 crash, which she claimed caused her debilitating neck and back pain that prevented her from holding down a job. But newspaper reports surfaced of Grabska competing in a Christmas tree-throwing event about a year after the accident supposedly left her with “disabling” pain.” The competition involves people throwing 5-foot spruce trees as far as they are able. The judge said: “I’m afraid I cannot but conclude the claims were entirely exaggerated”. (He threw out that case like she threw…well, you know…!)
➢A man is facing up to 5 years in prison for stealing a horse — and trying to hide it in his 3rd floor apartment. When police in Wejherowo, Poland, received a call about a man trying to lead a horse to the upper floors of a residential building, they thought it was a prank. But when they sent out a crew to investigate, they were shocked to find a full-grown horse being led upstairs by a young man who appeared to be arguing with disgruntled neighbors. Police later learned that the unnamed resident had stolen the animal and was trying to conceal it, never apparently considering how conspicuous that operation would be, or how he would keep a full-grown mare in his 2-bedroom apartment — if he had managed to get it through the front door. (Also: Where on earth he’d get large enough poo-bags!)
-Unilad, OddityCentral
CHEAPEST CITIES TO MOVE TO:
These are the world’s most affordable cities for expats, according to a new study by tax services company Greenback, estimating the cost of living across 184 countries and 43 major cities . . .
1. Cape Town, South Africa: The average monthly cost of living here is around $1,447 for an individual, and $2,694 for a family.
2. Denpasar, Indonesia: $1,516, $2,678
3. Athens, Greece: $1,674, $3,688
4. Mexico City, Mexico: $1,882, $3,501
5. Bangkok, Thailand: $1,891, $3,293
6. Glasgow, Scotland: $1,989, $4,055
7. Istanbul, Türkiye: $2,083, $3,915
8. Lisbon, Portugal: $2,199, $4,084
9. Barcelona, Spain: $2,230, $4,119
10. Birmingham, England: $2,255, $4,710
(BTW, the MOST expensive city is San Francisco, USA: $6,118 for an individual, $8,836 for a family of 4.
-TimeOut
DID YOU KNOW?
It would seem that TikTok is beginning to suffer from ‘Facebook-itis’. As in: For the “olds”. Or, at least, the app is not as Gen Z-focused as it once was. Journalist Ryan Broderick reports that nearly 40% of TikTok users are in their 30s and 40s — in other words, millennials and Gen Xers. For comparison, that age group accounted for just 20% of Instagram’s user base a decade ago. Another interesting thing that might spook the teens in your life into deciding that TikTok is no longer cool: Users 35–49 years old are more likely to upload videos than the 18-34 crowd.
-Insider
BS CHRONOMETER 03.01.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Peanut Butter Lovers’ Day”, ah, but is one day enough? FUN FACT: The slang term for peanut butter during World War II was “monkey butter”. (***A good day to have callers try a tongue twister with a mouthful of smooth or crunchy***)
• “World Compliment Day”, billed as the most positive day of the year. There is an art to it, though. A true compliment must be genuine, or the receiver will see through it. Just as importantly, the receiver must accept the compliment with a heartfelt “Thank-you!” (Or “I know…”)
• “Horse Protection Day”, to raise awareness about the abuse, neglect, homelessness, and slaughter of horses, and to promote adoption events to help unwanted horses find a home. LINK: http://www.horseprotectionday.com
• “Pig Day”, honoring the “most intelligent and useful of domesticated animals”. Studies show pigs are much smarter than horses (…but harder to ride).
• “Plan a Solo Vacation Day”, to inspire singles to spice up their lives by checking out solo travel options. What’s the biggest thing that would dissuade you from traveling on your own?
• Employee Appreciation Day”, when employers are encouraged to express gratitude to employees who make that extra effort. (…by allowing you to keep your job for another day…)
• “Chalandamarz” in Switzerland, when they drive away Winter by ringing bells and cracking whips. (Of course, around here, the boss does the same thing at the end of lunch break…)
• “Refired, Not Retired Day”, a day for those who’ve left the workforce, to reinvigorate themselves with new interests and goals.
• “Day of Unplugging”, a day to pledge you’ll spend time with real people and detach yourself from all electronic gadgets. The ‘day’ runs from sundown tonight to sundown tomorrow. LINK: http://nationaldayofunplugging.com/about-us/
• “Dress in Blue Day”, to raise awareness about colon cancer, to celebrate survivors, and to help patients in need during “Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month”.
• “Self-Injury Awareness Day”, a grassroots global event in which several organizations raise awareness about self-harm and self-injury. Some wear an orange awareness ribbon, write ‘Love’ on their arms, or draw a butterfly on their wrists in observance.
• “Wedding Planning Day”, signifies the end of proposal season and the beginning of a brand-new time for recently-engaged couples.
SATURDAY-
• “Dr Seuss Day”, celebrating the 1904 birth of Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield MA, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of children’s books including “The Cat in the Hat,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” and many other classics. He died in 1991. Fun Fact: “Seuss,” which was also his mother’s maiden name — was pronounced “Zoice” by the family, and by Geisel himself.
• “Old Stuff Day”, a celebration of antiques (either that, or someone is finally appreciating my home decor!)
• “Banana Cream Pie Day”, the English version of banana cream pie is called ‘banoffee’ pie, being a portmanteau of ‘banana’ and ‘toffee’. The recipe for this dessert is much richer than its American counterpart, calling for lashings of condensed milk and toffee, and often served with ice cream.
• “International Rescue Cat Day”, a good day to add a new member to your family by adopting a cat! There are so many out there just waiting for a home, so make sure to get a ‘rescue’ when you decide to adopt a cat.
• “World Teen Mental Wellness Day”, to raise awareness about mental health issues among teens and to provide education about removing stigmas surrounding preventative mental health. Teens are encouraged to practice self-care and silence their self-doubt. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3ve2e4kc
SUNDAY-
• “I Want You to Be Happy Day”, a day to show love, care, and concern for others. (Tomorrow is “OK, My Turn Day”.)
• “American National Anthem Day” in observance of the bill designating ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ as the US national anthem being passed by Congress and signed into law by President Hoover on this date in 1931.
• “Cold Cuts Day”, You might pop deli meats into sandwiches, you might have them drizzled with oil and with a few slices of cheese – whatever way you like them, today is all about celebrating the tasty meats that are somehow even tastier when served up in slices. (No matter what science tells us about how healthy they are…) But more importantly, it’s also…
• “Canadian Bacon Day”, as it’s known in the US (“back bacon” to Canadians). It is actually a little more like ham than bacon. It is served formed into a cylindrical shape, and is sold ready to eat.
• “33 Flavors Day”, all about ice cream, of course! Baskin Robbins is known for its 31 flavors, not 33, so we’re not really sure why today is called 33 Flavors Day, but just go with it…
• “Mulled Wine Day”, one of the most delicious ways of serving up your usual cheeky glass of red. Laden with spices and fruit, mulled wine brings out the natural sweetness of the alcoholic drink and gives it an extra sparkle of flavor. On a chilly night, curling up with a warm glass is the perfect tonic to winter blues.
• “International Ear Care Day”, to raise awareness and promote ear and hearing care across the world. (As mom used to say, “Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear”)
• “World Wildlife Day”, the 11th annual, proclaimed by the UN to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora (the famous nature twins). This year’s theme is “Connecting People and Planet”. LINK: https://www.wildlifeday.org/
• “Talk in Third Person Day”, the day is quite simple—it is spent speaking in the third person. During the first celebration, in 2006, the day’s creator said: “It’s finally here. Russell is very excited!”
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1944 [80] Roger Daltrey, London England, classic rock singer (The Who-‘Who Are You’, ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’)
1954 [70] Ron Howard, Duncan OK, movie director (“Apollo 13”, “A Beautiful Mind”)/movie & TV producer (“Arrested Development”)/TV actor (“Happy Days” 1974-84)
1956 [68] (George) Tim Daly, Sufferin NY, TV actor (‘Joe Hackett’ on “Wings” 1990-97, “Madam Secretary” 2014-19)/movie actor “Made in Heaven”)/married to Téa Leoni since 2014
1967 [57] George Eads, Fort Worth TX, TV actor (“MacGyver” 2016-19, “CSI” 2000-15)
1969 [55] Javier Bardem, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Spain, movie actor (“Skyfall”, “No Country for Old Men”)/married to Penélope Cruz since 2010. COMING UP… “Dune: Part Two”, opening today
1973 [51] Ryan Peake, Brooks AB, rock guitarist (Nickelback-‘Photograph’, ‘How You Remind Me’)
1974 [50] Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Los Angeles CA, TV actor (“Saved by the Bell” 1989-92, 2020-21, “Mixed-ish” 2019-21, “Found” since 2023)
1983 [41] Lupita Nyong’o, Mexico City Mexico, movie actress (“Black Panther” movies, Oscar-“12 Years a Slave”) COMING UP… “A Quiet Place: Day One”, 2024
1987 [37] Kesha (Sebert), Los Angeles CA, pop singer (w/Pitbull-‘Timber’, ‘Tik Tok’)
1994 [30] Justin Bieber, London, ON (raised in Stratford ON), pop singer (‘Yummy’, ‘Baby’)
SATURDAY- Jon Bon Jovi (Bon Jovi-‘Livin’ on a Prayer’) is 62; Daniel Craig (‘James Bond’ in 5 films) is 56; Chris Martin (Coldplay) is 47; Rebel Wilson (“Pitch Perfect” movies) is 44; Bryce Dallas Howard (“Jurassic World” films) is 43; Ben Roethlisberger (retired NFL QB) is 42; Nathalie Emmanuel (“Game of Thrones”) is 35; Luke Combs (‘Fast Car’) is 34; Becky G (w/Pitbull-‘Can’t Get Enough’) is 27
SUNDAY- George Miller (director-“Mad Max” films) is 79; Miranda Richardson (“Harry Potter” films) is 66; Tone Loc (‘Funky Cold Medina’) is 58; Julie Bowen (“Modern Family”) is 54; ‘Buddy’ Valastro (“Cake Boss”) is 47; Jessica Biel, (“The Rules of Attraction”) is 42; Joe Garvey (Hinder) is 40; Camila Cabello (‘Havana’) is 27
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2010 [14] After a failed primetime experiment, Jay Leno returns as host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” (bumping off Conan O’Brien, who later ends up at TBS)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1973 [51] Pink Floyd release “Dark Side of The Moon”. It becomes far and away the longest-charting record on the Billboard albums chart, largely thanks to a run from 1977-1988, when it never leaves. In total, it has spent 988 weeks in the top 200…almost 19 years
2012 [12] On Justin Bieber’s 18th birthday, he appears on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, where his manager presents him with a Fisker Karma luxury electric car worth about $100,000
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1969 [55] Britain’s Prince Charles is officially invested “Prince of Wales” (His coronation as “King” was last year)
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
2006 [18] The English-language version of Wikipedia reaches its 1 millionth article (Now: 6.8 million)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ It would take about 3 years of non-stop pedaling to ride your bike to the moon.
✓ The chess term “checkmate” is from the 14th-century Arabic phrase, “shah mat,” meaning “the king is helpless.”
✓ Before airplanes existed, ‘jet lag’ was called ‘boat lag’.
✓ We change our voice when we talk to people we like.
✓ The opposite of paranoia is pronoia. A person suffering from pronia feels that people or entities around them are plotting to do them good.
✓ Sniffing Crayola crayons has been found to lower blood pressure.
-DidYouKnow, WhattheFFacts FactRetriever
Best of BS . . .
BS SIGNS YOU’RE SUFFERING FROM ROAD RAGE:
• State Farm refuses to insure your personal vehicle … because of the gun turrets.
• That throbbing vein in your forehead is big enough to honk the horn on its own.
• You keep a 7-iron in the back seat … just in case.
• You’ve developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in your middle finger.
• You’ve mounted your windshield wipers on the inside, to clear the spittle.
• You swear more before you get to work than most rappers do all day.
-First published in BS in 2016
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ A study found that cats have horrible short-term memories. (In fact, they sometimes go as long as 30 seconds before remembering that they hate you…)
➠ Nebraska is in the process of changing their state’s motto “Nebraska, honestly it’s not for everyone.” (They’re replacing it with one geared towards a younger demographic: “Nebraska, honestly it’s not for everyone: Starring Taylor Swift”)
➠ Taco Bell has rolled out a new ‘Veggie Meal For 2’ menu item. (They reportedly came up with the idea after realizing they were getting sick and tired of turning a profit…)
➠ 12 years ago this week, Davy Jones of the Monkees passed away. (For those too young to remember, The Monkees were a fake rock band back in the day before every rock band was fake…!)
➠ Justin Bieber and Ke$ha are both celebrating birthdays today. (So, the horoscope for March 1 definitely did NOT say, “You will make music that will stand the test of time.”)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Self-preservation: http://tinyurl.com/yc7mt7pm
BS RANDOM JOKE:
A clean house is a sign of a wasted life.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s the nicest thing that has happened to you while working at your job?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 23% of people agree: THIS thing, which you may do on the weekend, is an instant mood booster. What is it?
Answer: Getting a car wash
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Misery might love company, but so does joy. And joy throws much better parties.
