Monday, May 8, 2023 — Edition: #7469
If You Can’t Beguile Them With Brilliance, Baffle Them With Bull!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ King Charles III waited his whole life for the moment on Saturday when was finally officially crowned the King of England — but that didn’t stop Prince Louis from stealing the spotlight with another entertaining round of random facial expressions. The 5-year-old put on a show when the royal family stepped out onto the balcony at Buckingham Palace, at times looking intrigued and at other times bored. He also waved with a bit of sassiness. During the military flyover, he was also seen screaming at the top of his lungs, which prompted Princess Kate to chuckle.
-ETCanada
★ Prince Harry fulfilled predictions that he wouldn’t be sticking around for any post-coronation pleasantries with his family. The Duke of Sussex was on hand to attend the coronation ceremony of his father, King Charles III, but the lingering tensions between Harry and the rest of the royal family were on display. Harry’s status was evident in his seating, 2 rows back from Prince William and his family, in the same row as his disgraced uncle, Prince Andrew. Harry reportedly had no interactions with his father and Queen Camilla, nor brother Prince William and his family, and immediately after the ceremony, Harry sped back to the US while the rest of the royals joined the new King and Queen on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.
-ETCanada
★ Drew Barrymore pulled out of hosting last night’s MTV Movie & TV Awards, in a show of support and solidarity to the striking Writers Guild members. But as a sign of good faith to MTV, she also agreed to return and host next year’s ceremony. The MTV Movie & TV Awards still happened, but without a host, and not as an entirely live broadcast. Barrymore had already participated in several pre-taped short films, or bits, for the telecast — and those were still expected to air. Producers pivoted to their strike contingency plans, also canceling the red carpet and pre-show talent interviews.
-Variety
★ Production on the 5th and final season of “Stranger Things” has been halted as the writer’s strike marches on. Matt and Ross Duffer, the show’s creators, announced the news in a Twitter post that said: “Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work.” At this point, a release date has not been set for the show’s 5th season. It joins a growing group of Netflix series, including “Big Mouth” and “Cobra Kai,” that are facing production delays amid the ongoing writers’ strike.
-PopCulture, Variety
★ Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is keeping the momentum the box office enjoyed in April going with an estimated $114 million opening weekend. That’s on the lower end of box office projections, but the good news is that “Guardians Vol. 3” has earned stellar audience reception, the sort that Marvel used to enjoy on almost every film until it hit a rough patch with films like “Eternals,” “Thor: Love & Thunder,” and “Quantumania.” Vol. 3 has Rotten Tomatoes scores of 81% critics and 95% audience, along with an A on CinemaScore, matching the scores of the previous 2 “Guardians” films.
-TheWrap
★ Jeremy Renner is getting stronger every day, if the 2 Instagram videos he shared Saturday are an indication. The “Avengers” star continues to train in his comeback from his Jan. 1 snowplow accident, which resulted in more than 30 broken bones. In the post’s caption, Renner said: “The body is miraculous…. Even though I feel like the Tin Man, needing oil for all my new joints (hips, knees, ankles, tibia etc). Encouraged after this warm up to press on (don’t tell my PT).” Renner’s clip showed him using a pulley connected to a machine to work his leg muscles. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/ys9rwhb5
-Deadline
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): John Mulaney, India Amarteifio, Cannons (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Molly Shannon, Ramón Rodríguez, Sophie Buddle (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Woody Harrelson, Justin Theroux, the Walkmen (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): John Oliver (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Molly Shannon, Heléne Yorke, Drew Tarver
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Priyanka Chopra Jonas
• “The Talk” (CBS): Marcia Gay Harden, Golda Rosheuvel, India Amarteifio
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Elle Fanning, Omari Hardwick
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Jake Gyllenhaal, Daveed Diggs, Ian Munsick (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Vanessa Hudgens, Eitan Bernath
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Rainn Wilson, Lalah Hathaway
• “Jeopardy! Masters” (ABC): The top 6 highest-ranked current contestants face off: Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Andrew He, Sam Buttrey and James Holzhauer.
• “Fantasy Island” (FOX): Season 2 finale
• “NHL Playoffs” (Check local listings): Las Vegas @ Edmonton
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Rihanna – Her stunning Met Gala look was a bit bridal — and her latest Instagram post is adding fuel to the rumors. She shared pics of herself and ASAP Rocky at the star-studded event, but it’s her caption that caught everyone’s attention: “shout outz 2 the bridal party….here come de bride.” Sample fan comments: “She’s soft launching her marriage.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5bwzc3vb
• Taylor Swift — During her Friday show in Nashville, she announced that “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version”) will arrive on July 7. ‘Sparks Fly’, from the 2010 original “Speak Now” album, was her first song during the “Surprise Songs” segment of her show. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2p9c2yr5
• Smashing Pumpkins — Billy Corgan has revealed he had to pay a hacker’s ransom to prevent them leaking songs from the band’s new 3-part rock opera “Atum”, the third part of which dropped on Friday. He says that after someone got their hands on some of the album’s most commercial material, he was forced to give in and pay up.
• Prince – will have a highway named after him. Minnesota’s Senate has voted to rename State Highway 5 in the Minneapolis suburbs of Chanhassen and Eden Prairie “Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway”. The road runs past Prince’s Paisley Park museum and studios.
• Rush – Alex Lifeson’s Envy of None bandmate Andy Curran (ex-Coney Hatch) is speculating that the guitarist might reunite with Geddy Lee next year to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary. Quote: “Those guys are extremely creative guys…I would be shocked if they didn’t do something together.”
• Luke Bryan – Friday, he released the summer-themed single ‘But I Got A Beer In My Hand’. He said “It’s about a guy…his girl leaves him and he’s expecting to really be down about it. Instead, he goes out, gets a beer in his hand, starts partying and life’s pretty good.” He’ll perform the song on the “American Idol” season finale on May 21. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2wjd75jf
• Miranda Lambert – is now a best-selling author. In an Instagram video, she says: “OMG, y’all. I just got a call from my publishers that “Y’all Eat Yet? Welcome to the Pretty B*tchin’ Kitchen” is #3 on the New York Times Best Selling List.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2f9emm6p
• Chris Janson – As promised, on Friday he released the single ’21 Forever’, featuring Dolly Parton – and a guitar solo from Slash, that brings to mind Guns N’ Roses 1992 hit ‘November Rain’. The song will appear on Janson’s album “The Outlaw Side of Me”, out June 16. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2bcwuvbh
SHOOTING THE BULL
GOOGLE VIEWS:
❑ Thanks goodness, the days of having to come up with a password other than “Password123” are coming to an end. Google has begun rolling out support for “passkeys”, an alternative sign-in method that it says is an “easier to use and more secure” alternative to the password. With passkeys, users can access their accounts the same way they can unlock their phone: with a fingerprint, face scan or screen lock PIN. Passkey support was rolled out on Chrome and Android devices in October, but now the option is available across Google accounts, from Gmail to Drive. Apple rolled out its passkey option with the release of iOS 16. (Wait – did I just give out my password for, like, everything, a minute ago?)
❑ Because a new “flip-phone” is exactly what the world needs in 2023, Google has unveiled an early peek at its first foldable smartphone. In a video, the company teased a Pixel phone with a vertical hinge that can be opened to reveal a tablet-like display. The company didn’t reveal specs for the Pixel F. Despite great interest in foldable phones — and a resurgence in 90s-style flip phones among celebrities and influencers — the foldable market is relatively small. The company will host its annual developer conference this week. (…where they’ll show off a number of other exciting new products that other companies have been making for years!) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3khep72m
-CNN
ROYAL JUULS:
If it’s something you’re into, the king’s subjects now have the chance to suck on his infamous “sausage fingers”. But it’s not what you think. By now, you’ve no doubt heard of the royal kerfuffle regarding the thickness of King Charles’ chunky claws. Well, just ahead of Saturday’s big ceremony, an e-cigarette company debuted its “coronation collection” of vapes that actually look like King Charles III’s meaty mitts. For $63, the set of 10 from Riot E-Liquid is modeled after “the shape and size of the king’s own fingers” — one even bears a signet pinky ring. The e-cigs are available in the specialty flavors: English Breakfast Tea, Strawberry Jam, Victoria Sponge, Tea & Scone, Sausage Roll, Scotch Egg, Coronation Chicken, Champagne, Prawn Cocktail, and English Trifle. Riot Labs’ CEO Ben Johnson said: “It’s a bit of coronation fun, but the collection could make you more than ‘10-digits’ richer in 50 years time.”
(Well, you definitely can’t call it a “mist opportunity”!)
(I hope the King is getting paid ‘royalties’ on this. Sorry…)
-NYPost
NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ A team of doctors successfully performed brain surgery on an infant girl — before she was even born. Kenyatta Coleman and her husband Derek, of Baton Rouge LA learned late in her pregnancy that their baby had a rare and dangerous brain condition known as vein of Galen malformation. When they learned of a clinical trial run by some Boston-area hospitals to address it, they were in. Despite serious potential risks for mom and baby, surgeons were able to successfully perform the ultrasound-guided procedure. Yes, in-utero surgery has been used for other conditions, but this was among the first for such a rare and delicate condition. Two days later, Denver Coleman was born, weighing just over 4 pounds. Doctors say she’s doing very well, and there’s no sign she needs any further intervention. Her mom said: “She’s shown us from the very beginning that she was a fighter. She’s demonstrated … ‘Hey, I wanna be here.’”
➢ Mary Silvestri was a few decades late to her audition, but it was worth the wait. As a teen, the 92-year-old Connecticut resident was supposed to audition for The Rockettes, but missed out because, as she said, she “couldn’t get to New York and no one could take me. ” Her family recently contacted The Rockettes to share her story, and Silvestri was invited to come to their latest audition at Radio City Music Hall. Silvestri arrived ready for a day of dancing, and did just that, doing high kicks and learning how to bevel. She also gave a pep talk to the 800 Rockette hopefuls who came to the audition, saying: “Just keep moving, keep going, and keep going to dancing school…You have to enjoy what you’re doing.”
-CNN, TheWeek
FORBES 2023 HIGHEST-PAID ATHLETES:
It was reported last week that Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal has formally made an offer to soccer superstar Lionel Messi, which, depending on which report you believe, would pay him US$400-440 million per year. If that’s true, it’ll definitely put him at the top of this list for 2024…
1. Christiano Ronaldo ($136 million): The Portuguese superstar made the most ever for a soccer player. About $75 million of that came after he spurned Manchester United to sign with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, with the 37-year-old netting the other $90 million off the field.
2. Lionel Messi ($130 million): He made the most of his final season with Paris Saint-Germain. The 35-year-old, who is set to become available by free transfer, also captained Argentina’s run to its 3rd World Cup title.
3. Kylian Mbappé ($120 million): The 24-year-old French soccer sensation took in $100 million of his $120 million on the pitch. He also led France to the World Cup final, earning the Golden Boot and Silver Ball.
4. LeBron James ($119 million): The NBA’s only active billionaire (and its all-time leading scorer) earned $44.5 million through his work on the hardcourt with the Lakers. The rest? Other interests.
5. Canelo Alvarez ($110 million): The reigning super middleweight champion made the list after tallying $110 million, including $100M through his strong box office earnings.
6. Dustin Johnson ($107 million): Thanks to a massive payday from Saudi-backed LIV Golf, he earned $102 million of his $107 million payday on the green.
7. Phil Mickelson ($106 million): Similar to Johnson, Mickelson raked in $102 of his $106 million in earnings while competing in the LIV Golf organization.
8. Steph Curry ($100.4 million): The Golden State Warrior earned $48.4 million on the NBA floor, and $52 million through his other ventures.
(Apparently, being a pro outweighs the cons…)
-Forbes
DID YOU KNOW?
The cocktail bar-slash-chicken joint “Double Chicken Please” in New York, which took the #1 spot in the 2023 list of North America’s 50 Best Bars, serves up the wonderfully bizarre “Cold Pizza Cocktail” as one of its specialties. Double Chicken Please’s fun approach to libations also includes the meal-inspired “Waldorf Salad” (which has a whiskey base), and the rum-based Mango Sticky Rice. What’s in the Cold Pizza cocktail? Parmigiano Reggiano, tequila, tomato, basil, honey, egg white and burnt toast. (You’ll note there’s no pineapple…’nuff said!)
-CNN
BS CHRONOMETER 05.08.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “V-E Day”, Victory in Europe Day, generally known as V-E Day, or simply V Day, is the public holiday celebrated on 8 May 1945 to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces. It thus marked the end of World War II in Europe.
• “Give Someone a Cupcake Day”, happiness is spread far and wide today when people give each other cupcakes. It doesn’t matter if they are store-bought or homemade, cupcakes always make a day better.
• “Student Nurse Day”, As part of National Nurses Week, Student Nurses are honored today.
• “National Have A Coke Day”, a day to enjoy a glass of ice-cold Coca-Cola (or 2). Fun fact: Cans of Coke first appeared in 1955. Some call it ‘soda’. In other parts, it’s called ‘pop,’ or ‘tonic’. (In my family, it’s called ‘mix’!) [***See ‘Today’s Firsts’, below***]
• “No Socks Day”, when we’re encouraged to avoid wearing socks to feel less encumbered and help the environment by creating less laundry. (I fail to see how not covering my feet will in any way help the environment!)
• “World Red Cross Day”, celebrating the 1828 birth of Jean Henri Dunant in Geneva, Switzerland, founder of the International Red Cross/Red Crescent.
• “National Coconut Cream Pie Day”, whether vanilla, lemon, lime, peanut butter, banana, coconut or chocolate, find one today. And remember: It’s Gilligan’s favorite!
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Lost Sock Memorial Day
[Tues] Butterscotch Brownie Day
[Wed] Clean Up Your Room Day
[Thurs] Eat What You Want Day
This Week Is…Be Kind to Animals Week
This Month Is…Better Speech and Language Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1926 [97] David Attenborough, Isleworth England, TV show host/author (Legendary naturalist and nature documentary producer who created the documentaries “Planet Earth” and “The Life of Birds”, among many others)
1944 [79] Gary Glitter (Paul Gadd), Banbury England, currently-incarcerated glam-rock singer (‘Rock and Roll, Part Two’, ‘Do You Wanna Touch Me? [Oh Yeah]’)
1953 [70] Alex Van Halen, Nijmegen Netherlands, rock drummer (Van Halen-‘Jump’, ‘You Really Got Me’)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 2007/brother of Eddie Van Halen
1957 [66] Bill Cowher, Crafton PA, TV football analyst (“NFL Today on CBS” since 2007)/former NFL coach (Pittsburgh Steelers 1992-2007)/retired player (Super Bowl 40 winner, 2006)/Hall of Fame, 2020
1964 [59] Melissa Gilbert, Los Angeles CA, TV Actress (‘Laura Ingalls’ on “Little House on the Prairie” 1974-1983)
1972 [51] Darren Hayes, Brisbane Australia, pop singer (Savage Garden-‘I Want You’, ‘Truly Madly Deeply’)
1975 [48] Enrique Iglesias (Preysler), Madrid Spain, pop/Latin singer (‘Hero’, ‘I Like It’- f/Pitbull)
1996 [27] 6ix9ine (Daniel Hernandez), Brooklyn NY, rapper (w/Nicki Minaj-‘Trollz’)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1963 [60] The first James Bond film, “Dr. No”, starring Sean Connery, premieres
2006 [17] After holding his breath underwater for 7 minutes at NYC’s Lincoln Center, illusionist David Blaine fails to break the world record by having to be pulled out by divers 2 minutes short
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1993 [30] The newly formed Backstreet Boys give their first-ever public performance, at SeaWorld Orlando
2022 [01] Bono and The Edge of U2 play an acoustic set at a subway station in Kyiv that had been converted into a bomb shelter. Their appearance is in support of Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia months earlier
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1886 [137] Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta GA sells the first Coca-Cola
1987 [36] Canada’s 1‑dollar coin is introduced (it is quickly nicknamed the ‘loonie’, due to its reverse-side depiction of the common loon, a bird that’s well‑known in the country)
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2010 [13] At age 88, Betty White becomes oldest‑ever host of “Saturday Night Live”
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ If you unfolded your brain, it would cover an ironing board.
✓ The word “nice” originally meant ‘foolish’ or ‘stupid’.
✓ The 1989 article that proposed the acronym “LOL” also suggested using ‘H’ to mean “Huh?”
✓ A human-on-human bite will almost always become infected.
✓ By the age of 60, most people have lost 50% of their taste buds.
✓ Meghan Markle is of royal ancestry. Being a direct descendant of King Edward III, she is a very distant cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana…and Prince Harry.
–WhattheFFacts
Best of BS . . .
BS MUCH-NEEDED BASKETBALL RULES:
• Penalty for shoe-squeaking
• Miss a free-throw, 50 pushups.
• One tattoo per player.
• First basket wins the game.
• No dunkin’ without donuts.
• A special Oscar awarded in the category of “Best On-Court Flop”.
• All free throws must be made “Granny-style”.
• No drooling while dribbling.
• Football-style end zone dance required after a slam dunk.
• No crying in basketball, either.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
(Mother’s Day is coming…)
YOU KNOW YOU’RE A MOTHER WHEN …
• You regularly clean your kid’s face using ‘Mom spit’.
• You’re willing to kiss your child’s ‘boo-boo’ … regardless of where it is.
• You hear your mother’s voice coming out of your mouth when you say, “NOT in your good clothes!”
• Your idea of a good day is making it through without a child leaking any bodily fluids on you.
• You buy cereal with marshmallows in it.
• You have time to shave only one leg at a time.
• You find yourself cutting your husband’s sandwiches into cute little shapes.
• You donate to charities in the hope your child won’t get that disease.
• You hire a sitter because you haven’t been out with your husband in ages, then spend half the night checking on the kids.
• You stop criticizing the way your mother raised you.
BS WEB GOODIE:
Not using the product according to manufacturer’s guidelines: https://tinyurl.com/ddcxmpvw
BS RANDOM JOKE:
The best place to hide a dead body is the second page of Google search.
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• Which of the following apple types is green?
a) Golden Delicious
b) Granny Smith [CORRECT]
c) Fuji
d) Mandarin
• Which of the following ingredients would you find in Tiramisu?
a) Coffee [CORRECT]
b) Tea
c) Apple
d) Tears
• What type of stew is a Bouillabaisse?
a) Lamb
b) Beef
c) Seafood [CORRECT]
d) Little
-QuizTriviaGames
BS PHONE STARTER:
What is the worst shopping experience you’ve ever had?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: In a survey, 1 in 4 women said THIS has happened to them at a wedding. What is it?
Answer: Another woman showed up wearing the same outfit
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
You can’t fall if you don’t climb. But there’s no joy in living your whole life on the ground
