Tuesday, May 20, 2025 — Edition: #7955
Another Sheetload of Bull!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
[***UPDATE***] ★ LaTonya Pottain, who appeared on the 11th season of the TLC reality show “My 600-lb Life”, has died. She was 40. She passed away Saturday in hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana. A spokesperson for the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office said that while no autopsy was performed, her preliminary cause of death was found to be congestive heart failure. Pottain’s heart issues were well documented, with her death coming roughly a year after she begged fans to “pray for me” amid her health battle. During her time on “My 600-lb Life,” Pottain struggled to stay on the weight-loss program despite hiring a trainer to help her reach her goals.
-NYPost
★ Mariska Hargitay’s new documentary, “My Mom Jayne,” doesn’t just explore the life of her famous mom, Jayne Mansfield. The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, also reveals the real identity of her biological father. For the first time, the “Law & Order: SVU” actress has revealed that her father is not actually bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay. 36 years ago, she found out her biological dad is a retired Las Vegas showman named Nelson Sardelli. Of learning this, she says: “It was like the floor fell out from underneath me”, and she was “living a lie” for decades. Mansfield had a brief affair with Sardelli, who is now 90, before reconciling with Mickey, whom she divorced in 1964.
-NYPost
★ On the heels of what is expected to be his farewell performance as ‘Ethan Hunt’, Tom Cruise is ready to revisit some of his other beloved roles. The 4-time Oscar nominee, who returns in “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning”, in theaters this Friday, recently said he’s “working on” a follow-up to 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, as well as a sequel to his 1990 NASCAR drama “Days of Thunder”.
-Deadline
★ Hallmark has set its starting lineup for “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story,” its second time teaming up with the NFL. Holland Roden, Matthew Daddario, Tony Danza, Tracy Pollan, Caroline Aaron and Steve Schirripa will star in the film, set to premiere during Hallmark Channel’s annual Countdown to Christmas. Head coach Sean McDermott, running back Ray Davis, safety Damar Hamlin, offensive tackle Dion Dawkins, tight end Dawson Knox, long snapper Reid Ferguson, defensive tackle DeWayne Carter and wide receiver Joshua Palmer will also appear in the movie.
-Variety
★ After ABC renewed a chunk of its reality lineup, the network is staying quiet on the futures of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette”. Although the franchise remains a staple on ABC, those 2 shows are nowhere to be found on the 2025-26 schedule. Earlier this year, The Bachelor showrunners Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner left the franchise after allegations of “toxic” and “hostile” behavior on set. The Bachelorette was previously pulled from ABC’s summer schedule, with the network saying they were “pausing” production on Season 22, but a late-year return was possible. According to The Hollywood Reporter, both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette remain in limbo.
-PopCulture
★ Ryan Straschnitzki’s life has been an open book since he was seriously injured in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, and his story will soon be shown on TV. The 26-year-old from Airdrie AB was paralyzed from the chest down in 2018, when a semi-trailer ran a stop sign and barreled into the path of the junior hockey team’s bus in rural Saskatchewan. Sixteen people died and 13 were hurt. A film crew followed Straschnitzki for 8 months and created a 6-part series called “We Were Broncos.” It will air on AMI, or Accessible Media Inc., beginning Monday.
-Canoe
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Sarah Silverman, Paul W. Downs, Sharon Van Etten & The Attachmen
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Jessica Biel, Simon Pegg, Isabela Merced, sombr
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): James Comey, Meghann Fahy
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Adam Levine, Martha Stewart (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Janet Caperna, Jason Caperna
• “The Daily Show” (COM): TBA
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Angela Bassett, Dawn Staley
• “Today” (NBC): Gary Sinise. John Krasinski and Natalie Portman
• “GMA3” (ABC): Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Banks, Nicole Kidman, Murray Bartlett, Henry Golding
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Elizabeth Banks; Josh Holloway; ABC’s “American Idol” winner performs.
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Joe Jonas, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Drew dedicates the entire show to breast-related topics. (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Elisabeth Moss
• “FBI” (CBS): Season 7 finale
• “The Voice” (NBC): Season 27 finale. Guest performers include Blake Shelton, Foreigner, Joe Jonas, Sheryl Crow, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson and James Bay.
• “Breaking the Deadlock: A Power Play” (PBS): Premiere. A panel participates in a hypothetical story around executive power by a pair of fictional, rival U.S. presidents.
• “The Curse of Oak Island” (HIS): Season 12 finale
• “NHL Playoffs” (SN, CBC, TNT): Conference final game #1: Florida @ Carolina
• “NBA Playoffs” (ESPN, SN): Conference final game #1: Minnesota # Oklahoma
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – The NFL is teasing the prospect her singing the national anthem at a Thanksgiving game. The league announced its schedule for the holiday (Packers-Lions, Chiefs-Cowboys, Bengals-Ravens), and schedule creator Mike North, the NFL’s VP Broadcast Planning, said: “Maybe we can get Taylor to sing the National Anthem, and we can get people involved beyond the hard-core fans.”
• Katy Perry – is having a tough go lately. Following the backlash from her Blue Origin spaceflight and 2 poorly received tours, it’s being reported that Resorts World Las Vegas has dropped plans to renew her “PLAY” residency due to financial losses. A report claims she was paid $750-$900K per show, and “the entire run, she underperformed and Resorts World lost money.”
• The Who — Zak Starkey is out as the group’s drummer – again. Pete Townshend posted that Zak had left the band, but Starkey responded by writing: “I was fired 2 weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical endeavors, this would be a lie.”
• Jane’s Addiction — Eight months after they canceled the remainder of a US tour after an onstage altercation between singer Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro, Navarro said “there’s no chance for the band to ever play together again.”
• Bruce Springsteen – The biopic “Deliver Me From Nowhere” has a release date. Starring Jeremy Allen White, it will hit theaters on Oct. 24. It focuses on the Boss’ life during the making of his 1982 album “Nebraska”.
• Linda Ronstadt – will be honored at a Country Music Hall of Fame concert featuring Trisha Yearwood, James Taylor, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris and Patti Scialfa. “Trisha Yearwood and Friends Celebrate Linda Ronstadt and Los Angeles Country-Rock” is set for July 22 in Nashville.
• Morgan Wallen – His new album “I’m the Problem had a predictably thunderous opening weekend. In its first day, it became the most-streamed country album of 2025 on Spotify and Amazon Music. And Billboard reported that it had become its biggest country album of 2025 by first-day streams.
• Carly Pearce — For the 4th year in a row, she’s hosting her “Carly’s Closet” fundraiser during CMA Fest. It’ll take place June 7 at Music City Center. She posted that it’ll feature the “largest amount of clothes we have ever put up for sale”, and “some of our best items yet!” In addition to the pop-up shop, she’ll also play an acoustic show. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mjz7ha6w
• Garth Brooks – only has one concert planned for this year. He’s booked to play the 2025 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix on Oct. 18 in Austin TX. The 3-day event kicks off Oct. 17 with DJ and producer KYGO, and wraps Oct. 19 with Turnpike Troubadours.
SHOOTING THE BULL
THE JOB-JUGGLE STRUGGLE:
If you could use your hobby or special skills to make some extra money, why wouldn’t you? And that’s exactly what many people are doing these days, because, as we all know, sometimes your regular job just doesn’t cut it when it comes to paying the bills. Side hustles have become a big part of many people’s lives – and a big part of their incomes. According to a survey from Lending Tree, 44% of Americans have a side hustle, and 43% of those who do say it’s to help cover their living expenses. How much extra income are we talking about? 71% of people make $500 or less per month from their secondary income stream. 19% take home between $501 and $2,000. And I don’t know what these people are doing in their spare time, but 9% said they make more than $2,000 monthly from their extra work. So, what are the best paying side jobs? Most are web-based, such as website designer and video editor. The most popular? Those are drop-shipping, driving for ride-hailing apps, delivery driving, and recording voiceovers. Oh, and just because you have a second job, that doesn’t mean your main job stinks. 40% of those with a side hustle have household incomes of at least $100,000.
($100K used to mean success. Now it apparently means you’re still editing TikTok videos at midnight…)
(My side hustle is trying to find a side hustle…)
-MorningBrew
RECLINE REDEFINED:
The question of whether it is socially-acceptable to recline your seat while flying on a plane is one of that comes up all the time. Well, thanks to Air Zealand, that debate may be over. The airline, which is ranked as the best in the world, says it has come up with a solution. It has unveiled its redesigned 787-9 Dreamliner, which features an entirely new cabin experience spread across Business Premier, Business Premier Luxe, Premium Economy and Economy. Now, while those traveling in Business Premier seats will have perks like have sliding privacy screens, a 24-inch inflight entertainment screen, and a full lie-flat recline with a headrest lift for movie-watching, us normal schmoes who travel economy will be treated to increased storage space, side wings for privacy…and, get this: a fixed outer shell, so you can recline your seat without disturbing the person behind you. In addition, there’s a new “Economy Stretch” seating option that includes 39% more legroom. The aircraft will enter service this week.
(Don’t worry: There are lots of offensive things that boorish passengers can still be caught on video doing!)
(But can you still feel a child kicking you from behind? Asking for every kid I’ve ever sat in front of!)
-CNN
CLASH OR CRASH?
Have you ever watched one of those news stories where a couple is celebrating a 70th or 80th wedding anniversary, and one of them inevitably attributes the secret of their long marriage to the fact they “never go to bed angry”? But according to some experts, there are actually several benefits to doing just that. Psychologists Dr. Samantha Rodman and Dr. Sabrina Romanoff believe that trying to settle things while tired can actually backfire – because your emotional control, listening skills, and problem-solving ability all suffer when you’re exhausted. Instead, it’s often better to pause and revisit the issue after a good night’s sleep. If you struggle to let things go, it might be “attachment panic”—a fear of disconnection. The key is to reassure your partner (even with a grumpy “I love you”) and agree to talk about the issue later. Keeping small rituals, like a goodnight kiss, helps affirm your bond. Ultimately, they say, putting your disagreement on hold until the next day isn’t about avoiding conflict, but learning to handle it with care, patience, and emotional maturity. Afterall, Romanoff said: “A well-rested brain is better equipped to engage in thoughtful, respectful communication.”
(But on the other hand, as I learned from my first wife, if you don’t go to bed angry, you have time to stay up and plot!)
(So it can be a good thing to go to bed angry? Hey honey! There’s hope for us after all!)
-CNN
2025 SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS:
Summer blockbuster season will officially begin with this Friday’s release of “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”. Here are the 10 movies coming to theaters this summer that are vying to be “THE” blockbuster of the year, à la “Jaws” or “E.T.” or “Independence Day”, etc…
✪ “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (May 23): It will follow on from the evil A.I./missing submarine storyline introduced in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”. The title seems to suggest that this will be the final Mission: Impossible film (or at least the last one featuring Tom Cruise as ‘Ethan Hunt’…)
✪ “28 Years Later” (June 20): The third installment takes place 28 years after the Rage Virus escaped a research lab, where survivors have found ways to exist amidst the infected. When a father and his son leave the island on a mission, they discover secrets, wonders, and horrors of the outside world.
✪ “F1” (June 27): Brad Pitt plays a washed-up Formula One driver coming out of retirement to mentor an up-and-coming rookie. “Top Gun: Maverick’s” Joseph Kosinski directs.
✪ “Jurassic World Rebirth (July 2): Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali lead the cast, and “Godzilla’s” Gareth Edwards is in the director’s chair. Original Jurassic Park writer David Koepp handled the script.
✪ “Superman” (July 11): This reboot of the franchise was written and directed by James Gunn and stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel. Rather than rehashing the character’s familiar origin story, it sees ‘Clark Kent’ trying to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his adoptive upbringing in Smallville, Kansas.
✪ “The Smurfs Movie (July 18): Rihanna leads a star-studded voice cast in the role of ‘Smurfette’. She also produced the film – and recorded the songs. “Puss in Boots” director Chris Miller and “South Park” writer Pam Brady are also aboard.
✪ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (July 25): Set in a retro-futuristic, ‘60s-inspired world, it sees the superhero team struggling to defend Earth from ‘Galactus’ and his herald, the ‘Silver Surfer’. It stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
✪ “The Naked Gun” (Aug. 1): In this reboot, Liam Neeson takes over the starring role from Leslie Nielsen as ‘Frank Drebin, Jr.’ (presumably the son of the original ‘Frank Drebin’). Pamela Anderson plays his love interest. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but, really, we’ll only be there for the farcical elements.
✪ “Freakier Friday” (Aug. 8): More than 20 years after the original, Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis have reunited for a “Freaky Friday” sequel. We’ll see ‘Anna Coleman’, now a mother herself, once again switching bodies with her mother, ‘Tess’.
✪ “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (July 18): A group of friends is terrorized by a stalker who knows about a gruesome incident from their past. This sequel comes 27 years after the second installment in the trilogy “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer”, featuring some characters from the original films. (Ummmm…I count ONE film here that’s not a sequel or a reboot!)
-ScreenRant
DID YOU KNOW?
It’s commonly thought that eggs are strongest at their ends — after all, it’s how they’re packaged in the carton. But when MIT scientists squeezed eggs in both directions during a compression test, they cracked under the same amount of force. Additionally, in experiments conducted with over 200 eggs, it was found that eggs are less likely to crack when they fall on their side. What does this mean when it comes to deciding the best way to crack an egg for breakfast? Not much, because a break around the middle is the best way to get the edible insides out. But scientists said it could help with hard-boiling eggs in a pot: Dropping eggs in horizontally seems to be less likely to cause a stray crack that can unleash the egg’s insides in a puffy, yucky mess. (Where are these guys getting funding to buy 200 eggs?)
-AP
BS CHRONOMETER 05.20.25
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Dinosaur Day”, a Paleontologists favorite day! Dinosaurs are thought to have first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 231 million years ago. The name ‘dinosaur’ is Greek, meaning “terrible lizard”. (BS FACTOID: While many think dinosaurs were massive, they were usually human sized or smaller. Scientists believe that bones from larger ones were easier fossilized, and therefore more likely to survive to present-day.)
• “Be a Millionaire Day”, a celebration of the joys of achieving millionaire status. Here’s how you go about it: First, get a whole bunch of money …
• “Streaming Day”. It was established in 2014 by Roku to celebrate the anniversary of their first streaming device launch, the Netflix Player, on May 20, 2008. Some streaming services use the occasion to offer promotions or discounted products.
• “Eliza Doolittle Day”, in honor of the lead character in the famous musical “My Fair Lady”. The occasion is inspired by the lyrics: “Next week on the 20th of May/I proclaim Eliza Doolittle Day”. Participants are encouraged to mark the day by making proper use of language. (Why not? It’s only one day a year!)
• “Pick Strawberries Day”, which sounds like lots of fun until you get down in the dirt on hands & knees with sweat trickling down your forehead and spiders crawling up your arms…
• “Weights & Measures Day”, marking an 1875 treaty that established the International Bureau of Weights & Measures. That means you’re just as fat in Pago Pago as you are here at home.
• “World Bee Day”, to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face, and their contribution to sustainable development. LINK: https://www.un.org/en/observances/bee-day
• “Flower Day”. Some flowers are associated with certain meanings. For example, red roses are associated with love, poppies with consolation after death, iris and lilies with burial, and daisies with innocence. (…and lilacs with bathroom air freshener?)
• “International Red Sneakers Day”, to save the lives of those with food allergies while sharing the story of 11-year-old Oakley Debbs, who loved red sneakers. He had a nut allergy, and died in 2016 after eating a slice of cake made with walnut extract. Wear your red runners today, and post a pic with the #redsneakersforoakley.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Tea Day
[Wed] I Need a Patch for That Day
[Thurs] Harvey Milk Day
[Fri] Taffy Day
This Week is…Safe Boating Week
This Month is…Health and Fitness Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1946 [79] Cher (Cheryl Sarkisian), El Centro CA, pop singer (‘Believe’, Sonny & Cher-‘I Got You Babe’)/movie actress (“Mask”, Oscar-“Moonstruck”)
1949 [76] Dave Thomas, St. Catharines ON, TV actor-comedian (“SCTV” 1976-82, ‘Russell Norton’ on “Grace Under Fire” 1993-98)/movie actor (“Strange Brew”)/Canada’s Walk of Fame, 2002/brother of Ian Thomas
1958 [67] Jane Wiedlin, Oconomowoc WI, pop guitarist-singer (The Go-Go’s-‘We Got the Beat’, solo-‘Rush Hour’)
1959 [66] Bronson Pinchot, New York City NY, TV actor (‘Balki’ on “Perfect Strangers” 1986-1993)/movie actor (“Beverly Hills Cop” movies)
1960 [65] Tony Goldwyn, Los Angeles CA, TV actor (‘Fitzgerald Grant’ on “Scandal” 2012-18, “Chambers” 2019)/movie actor (“Ghost”) COMING UP…”The Billion Dollar Spy”
1968 [57] Timothy Olyphant, Honolulu HI, TV actor (‘Raylan Givens’ on “Justified” 2010-15, “Santa Clarita Diet” 2017-19) COMING UP…“Alien: Earth” 2025
1972 [53] Busta Rhymes (Trevor Smith Jr), Brooklyn NY, rapper (ft. Janet Jackson-‘What’s it Gonna Be?!’, w/Pussycat Dolls-‘Don’t Cha’) COMING UP… “The Naked Gun” movie 2025
1985 [40] Jon Pardi, Dixon CA, country singer (‘Night Shift’, ‘Heartache on the Dance Floor’)
1992 [33] Jack Gleeson, Cork Ireland, TV actor (‘Joffrey Baratheon’ on “Game of Thrones” 2011-2014)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2003 [22] “America’s Next Top Model”, created and hosted by Tyra Banks, debuts on UPN.
2015 [10] David Letterman hosts the “Late Show with David Letterman” for the last time, ending 33 years in late-night television.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2012 [13] Robin Gibb of Bee Gees dies from colorectal cancer-related kidney and liver failure at age 62.
2013 [12] Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for The Doors, dies at age 74 in Germany, while receiving treatment for bile duct cancer.
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1873 [152] Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis patent the first blue jeans with copper rivets.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ If your view is unobstructed, you can see about 2,500 stars in the night sky.
✓ Beginning at about age 30, humans gradually begin to shrink in size.
✓ There’s a 400-year-old Japanese tradition that if a sumo wrestler can make your baby cry, it means he or she will live a healthy life.
✓ Facebook designers originally planned to call the “Like” button the “Awesome” button.
✓ Crying does make you feel better. Studies show that it stimulates the production of endorphins and feel-good hormones, such as oxytocin.
✓ Someone once tried to sell New Zealand on eBay. Bidding reached $3,000 before the listing was pulled.
-BestLife, BathroomReadersInstitute
Best of BS . . .
BS ODD THINGS OVERHEARD DURING A MARATHON:
• “If I collapse, pause my watch.”
• “I thought “carb-loading” meant carbonara every mile.”
• “This seemed like a great idea 3 months and zero training ago.”
• “You mean this isn’t the Running Of the Bulls?”
• “These wooden shoes were funny for the first half-mile.”
• “Crap … no one move … lost a contact!”
• “I trained for this by chasing my toddler for a year.”
• “14,728 steps. 14,729 steps. 14,730 steps …
• “Are we there yet?”
• “I ran 26 freakin’ miles and all I get is a lousy T-shirt?”
-First published in BS in 2011
BS WHYZITS:
• Whyzit when someone says ‘Got a minute?’, you might as well pencil them in for the next 2 hours?
• Whyzit expenses always rise to meet income?
• Whyzit insurance always seems to cover everything EXCEPT what happens?
• Whyzit the amount of sleep needed by the average person is always “10 minutes more”?
• Whyzit boring people are never hoarse?
• Whyzit we think the traffic light will change if we talk to it?
• If sleep regenerates us, whyzit we look like that when we first get up in the morning?
-First published in BS in 2003
BS WEB GOODIE:
A visual representation of my complicated relationship with my brother: https://tinyurl.com/tdazpn2s
BS RANDOM JOKE:
8 billion people on earth – and somehow, I’m the best driver…
☎ BS PHONE STARTER:
What did you really, really want as a kid…but now you look back on it and shake your head? (For me it was wanting to live in a water tower…)
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
The average person will forget THIS 4 times this week. What is it?
Answer: Their kid’s names
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
You have to be where you are to get where you need to go.
