Wednesday, November 8, 2023 – Edition: #7592
The B.S. Press!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Megan Fox is reflecting on a heartbreaking personal chapter. In her new book of poetry “Pretty Boys Are Poisonous” she reveals that she suffered a miscarriage while just over 2 months pregnant with her and fiancé Machine Gun Kelly’s baby. In one poem, she writes: “There is an ultrasound by your side of the bed, 10 weeks and 1 day.” In a separate piece, she recalls having to say goodbye to her baby, concluding: “I will pay any price tell me please what is the ransom for her soul?” On “Good Morning America” Tuesday, Fox said: “I’ve never been through anything like that in my life…‘What does this mean?’ and ‘Why did this happen?'”
-E!
★
★ Apple TV+ has announced a new original “Peanuts” feature film. It’ll follow ‘Snoopy’ and ‘Charlie Brown’s’ biggest challenge yet, as the Peanuts characters embark on “an epic adventure to the Big City, learning the true meaning of friendship, while meeting some surprising new friends along the way.” Production from WildBrain Studios will begin in 2024. The project marks the first Apple original film from the partnership with Peanuts Worldwide and WildBrain that has been preceded by the streaming of library Peanuts originals and specials.
-Variety, Messenger
★ Rob Lowe’s new Fox competition show “The Floor” has set a January 2 premiere date, the network announced Monday. The “9-1-1: Lone Star” actor serves as a host and producer on the physical quiz show. The official logline says The Floor “is a spectacular battle of the brains in which 81 contestants stand on 81 squares on a massive game show floor, competing for a whopping $250,000 prize.”
-TheWrap
★ Former child actor Evan Ellingson, who starred in “CSI: Miami” and “24”, died Sunday at his home in San Bernardino County, CA. He was 35. Ellingson’s father said his son was found dead at a sober living home. The former actor had struggled with drugs in the past, and was living there while in recovery. Although he had stepped away from Hollywood after 2010, Ellingson had a sizable recurring role in CSI: Miami, playing ‘Kyle Harmon’, the son of David Caruso’s ‘Lt. Horatio Caine.’ No word on a cause of death.
-TVLine
★ A new book on the British royal family is said to contain “bombshell after bombshell”. Omid Scobie, the author behind the 2020 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle biography “Finding Freedom,” is set to release “Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival”, and its blurb describes the book as “explosive” and “a penetrating investigation into the current state of the British monarchy.” The Mail on Sunday quoted a publishing source as saying: “The word is this is going to have bombshell after bombshell.” Endgame will be released on Nov. 28.
-TheWrap
★ What’s Dr. Phil up to these days? Following the end of his daytime syndicated talk show, McGraw is launching Merit Street Media, a new news and entertainment cable TV network. It will be anchored by “Dr. Phil Primetime”, which will premiere Feb. 26, airing nightly at 8pm ET. No details yet on the new network’s distribution, but it is expected to have nationwide carriage. Merit Street will be based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where a new state-of-the-art broadcast center, spanning over 5 acres, is completing construction.
-Deadline
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Luke Grimes, Jelly Roll
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Matt Rife, Black Pumas
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): John Oliver, boygenius
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Leslie Jones, Judd Apatow, Rett Madison
• “The Daily Show (COM): Guest host Sarah Silverman
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Bravocon Live! – The Reading Room
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Hillary Clinton, Shannon Cohn
• “The Talk” (CBS): Rich Paul, Casey Wilson
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Ian Somerhalder, Amy Goodman
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Taylor and Taylor Lautner, Alex Aster, Asi Wind, J. Brown
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Geri Halliwell-Horner
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Colbie Durborow and her mom Amanda, Steph Roach
• “The Masked Singer (Fox): One Hit Wonders Night
• “Republican Presidential Debate (NBC): Lester Holt, Kristen Welker and Hugh Hewitt moderate the third Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 election cycle.
• “The 57th Annual CMA Awards” (ABC): Live from Nashville. Performers include Jelly Roll, K. Michelle, Little Big Town, Megan Moroney, Old Dominion and Carly Pearce. Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning host.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 in it’s first week of release, becoming her 13th #1 on the chart. Its 1.65 equivalent album units makes it the biggest first week for any album since 2015, when Adele’s “25” debuted with 3.48 million album units.
• Jung Kook – is doing his best to send his new song ‘Standing Next to You’ to #1. Friday, he released his debut solo album “Golden”. He also dropped a surprise EP containing the original version of the single, plus an instrumental, a full band recording, and 5 remixes. All consumption activity connected to the title—no matter the version, helps when it comes to its chart debut.
• The Beatles – Filmmaker Peter Jackson, whose technology made possible the release of the group’s supposed “final” song ‘Now and Then’, says more music is a possibility. Quote: “We can take a performance from Get Back, separate John and George, and then have Paul and Ringo add a chorus or harmonies. You might end up with a decent song but I haven’t had conversations with Paul about that”.
• Elton John – may be done touring, but, as he announced from the stage at the Rock Hall of Fame ceremony, he’s got a new album coming. As he inducted his musical partner Bernie Taupin, he said: “We’ve just finished an album in Los Angeles which is going to surprise the (bleep) out of you — oh I can’t swear! And it’s absolutely wonderful.”
• Dire Straits — bassist John Illsley says the band has no interest in reuniting, despite being regularly offered “huge amounts of money” to do so. The band called it quits in 1995.
• Jelly Roll – Over the weekend, he offered up an early Christmas present to Antioch TN-area fans. Jelly, who hails from the Nashville suburb, held a pop-up show in the Walmart parking lot. Local media reports he performed for hundreds after issuing a social media call that advertised a free performance for anyone who donated to his Christmas toy drive.
• CMA Awards – Presenters at tonight’s ceremony include: Keith Urban, Brian Kelly, Hailey Whitters, Parker McCollum, Darius Rucker, Martina McBride, Lady A and World Series MVP Corey Seager, the CMA has announced. Want more? Jordan Davis, Sara Evans, Craig Morgan, Chris Young, Paula Abdul, Bill Anderson, comedian Nate Bargatze, and “The Golden Bachelor” Gerry Turner.
• Luke Bryan – has hit the top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for the 35th time, with ‘But I Got a Beer in My Hand’ jumping to #10 on this week’s chart. He co-hosts tonight’s 57th Annual CMA Awards with Peyton Manning.
SHOOTING THE BULL
STUDENT “WELLFARE”:
Every student has done it at some point: Stayed up all night studying for an exam – or completing that important thesis that’s due in a matter of hours. Well, it turns out that pulling an all-nighter might have other benefits besides helping you not flunk out of the course. A team of researchers from Northwestern University says that “wired but tired” feeling due to lack of sleep for just one night might work as an antidepressant. While chronic sleep deprivation has been studied many times, the scientists were interested in looking into the effects of temporary sleep loss, such as that experienced by “a student pulling an all-nighter before an exam”. Study author Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy says they found that “sleep loss induces a potent antidepressant effect and rewires the brain.” She cautions that “this is an important reminder of how our casual activities…can fundamentally alter the brain in as little as a few hours.”
(I know. Just ask Seth Rogen!)
(That’s interesting. Because I NEVER felt very good at all after pulling an all-nighter in college. But a few aspirin and a greasy breakfast did help a bit…!)
-NYPost
SAY WHAT YOU PAY:
The province of Ontario will soon make it mandatory for employers to disclose wages on job postings. This could include information on an hourly rate or a “salary range”. The new rule is part of legislation aimed at increasing transparency for job seekers, and is expected to be table for approval next week. The concern is that when worker salaries are kept secret, the business doing the hiring has an advantage over the person applying for the job, said Labour Minister David Piccini. He also pointed out the frustration that many have felt after going through the process of applying and interviewing for a job, only to find out that it pays nowhere near the salary they were expecting. The province of British Columbia announced a similar move earlier this year.
(…not to mention the fact that some hiring managers get a bonus if they manage to fill a position with a person who’ll work cheaper than what the position is budgeted for…!)
(As a parent, I just wish they had to tell us if the benefits plan includes braces!)
-CTV
PHONE POLL:
How many times a day do you find yourself whipping out your phone to snap a picture? About 6, if you’re average, according to a new survey. OnePoll asked 2,000 Americans about their camera phone habits, and also found that when we go to a special event, we spend about 40% of the time peering through our phones, taking photos. The average person was found to have just under 2,800 pics on their camera roll. The most-popular photo subjects? In order: group photos with family (69%) and friends (66%), selfies (58%), pet pics (52%), and scenery (43%).
(What? Does no one take tons of pics of their thumb anymore? Just me?)
([***Co-host***] doesn’t need to spend the whole time taking pics at his Christmas get-together. That’s because when it comes to his family, if you’ve seen one of them, you’ve literally seen ‘em all!)
-StudyFinds
HOW TO KEEP YOUR POPPY FROM FALLING OFF:
➠ Eraser: Tear or cut off a bit of an eraser, push the pin through your coat, then add the eraser bit to the end, and voila! (Note: In this case, white-out is a poor substitute for an eraser.)
➠ Duct Tape: Either push your poppy through your coat and tape the pin down, covering the entire needle, or push the pin through, then wrap tape around the needle, preventing it from falling out. (And if duct tape won’t do it, it would be reasonable to believe that NOTHING will…)
➠ Safety Pin: Pull your poppy’s pin out entirely and replace it with a safety pin.
➠ Lapel Pin: Remove the needle and push through a flag pin. Then take the back and clasp it down, securing the poppy in place.
➠ Bend the Pin: Push the pin through your jacket. Then using a pair of pliers, carefully bend the needle so that it won’t easily slip out. (Or slip in – to your skin!)
➠ Weave the Pin: Try weaving the pin through your coat material. (Then sit back and watch the magical “unweaving”)
(I’m sticking to my tried-and-true method of buying 30 poppies and replacing them as I go!)
-NationalPost, first published in BS in 2019
COOLEST PLACES TO TRAVEL:
National Geographic Traveller has published its ranking of the 30 places and experiences comprising its 2024 “cool list”. Here are the top European destinations…
• Albanian Alps, Albania
• Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Galloway and Southern Ayrshire, Scotland
• Nordland, Norway
• North Yorkshire, England
• Pompeii, Italy
• Saimaa, Finland
• Tartu, Estonia
• The Euros, Germany
• Valletta, Malta
• Wales
• Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland
And here are the coolest spots to visit in the Americas…
• Atacema Desert, Chile
• Lima, Peru
• New York State, US
• Miami, US
• Texas, US
• Dominica
• Nova Scotia, Canada
• Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
• Iberá Wetands, Argentina
-CNN
DID YOU KNOW?
Heinz’s latest ketchup flavor just might save you a step when assembling your next hamburger or hot dog. Rolling out to grocery store shelves in early 2024, “Pickle Ketchup” combines the “tangy and savory flavor” of pickles with the “unmistakable taste” of its ketchup. The company says the condiment was created to “deliver on fans’ hunger for unique, elevated, and nuanced flavor experiences”. (And also, just to get people like me to talk about it – to people like you!)
-CNN
BS CHRONOMETER 11.08.23
BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Abet & Aid Punsters Day”, a day to make up incredibly bad puns, as proclaimed by the group Punsters Unlimited. The Most PUNderful Story We Could Find: “Did you hear about the Italian chef that died? He pasta way. We cannelloni do so much. His legacy will become a pizza history. Here today, gone tomato. How sad that he ran out of thyme. Sending olive my prayers to the family. His wife is really upset. Cheese still not over it. You never sausage a tragic thing.”
• “Cappuccino Day”, a good excuse to treat yourself to a kick of caffeine. Cappuccino was created in Italy in the 1600s. The name comes from an Italian order of monks known as the Catholic Capuchins. It’s prepared with espresso, hot milk, and a cap of foam.
• “Cook Something Bold & Pungent Day”, to offset the coming chills of Winter. What’s the most pungent thing you can cook? Cabbage rolls? Fish? Lamb? Garlic? Onions? (Whatever it is that Karen heats up in the office microwave 3 times a week?)
• “Dunce Day”, commemorating the anniversary of the death of Scottish philosopher, John Duns Scotus in 1308. He believed that cone-shaped hats increased learning potential, by allowing knowledge to flow from the point of the cap, down, and into the head of the wearer, making that person smarter. (Today, of course, a person wearing a dunce cap is thought to be, well, a dunce!)
• “Parents as Teachers Day”. Check out any kid who’s constantly scoring an ‘A’ and you’ll likely find that kid gets a lot of help at home (or their parent IS a teacher!)
• “X-ray Day”. It was Nov. 8, 1895 that physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen first observed X-rays, a significant scientific advancement that would ultimately benefit a variety of fields, most of all medicine, by making the invisible…visible.
• “World Pianist Day”, not to be confused with “Piano Day”. This day is about people and their achievements with the instrument, and the emotions that pianists give us with their talents. (So, just for today, keep your “pianist” jokes to yourself…)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Fried Chicken Sandwich Day
[Thurs] World Freedom Day
[Fri] Vanilla Cupcake Say
[Sat] Singles’ Day
This Week Is…Dear Santa Letter Week
This Month Is…Hip-Hop History Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [74] Bonnie Raitt, Burbank CA, blues-rock singer-guitarist (‘Something to Talk About’, ‘Love Sneakin’ Up on You’)/10 Grammy Awards/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 2000
1950 [73] Mary Hart, TV host (“Entertainment Tonight” anchor 1982-2011)
1966 [57] Gordon Ramsay, Johnstone Scotland, TV chef (more than 20 programs, including “Hell’s Kitchen”, “Kitchen Nightmares”, “MasterChef”, “Hotel Hell”, with more on the way…)/owner of “Gordon Ramsay Restaurants” group
1968 [55] Parker Posey, Baltimore MD, movie actress (“Café Society”, “Dazed & Confused”)/TV actress (“Lost in Space” 2018-21, The Good Wife” 2011-12) COMING UP…“The Parenting”
1972 [51] Gretchen Mol, Deep River CT, TV actress (“Boardwalk Empire” 2010-14)/movie actress (“Manchester by the Sea”)
1975 [48] Tara Reid, Wyckoff NJ, movie actress (“Sharknado” films, “American Pie”)
1983 [40] Chris Rankin, Auckland NZ, movie actor (‘Percy Weasley’ in “Harry Potter” films)
1985 [38] Jack Osborne, London England, reality TV star (“The Osbournes” 2002-05, “Jack Osbourne: Adrenaline Junkie” 2005-09), documentary producer (“God Bless Ozzy Osbourne”)/son of Ozzy and Sharon Osborne
1989 [34] SZA (Solána Rowe), St. Louis MO, pop-R&B singer (w/Kendrick Lamar-‘All the Stars’, ‘Kill Bill’)
1994 [28] Lauren Alaina, Rossville GA, country singer (‘Road Less Traveled’, w/Kane Brown-‘What Ifs’)/“American Idol” second-place finisher in season 10
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2002 [21] “8 Mile”, a semi-biographical look at Eminem’s early days as a struggling rapper in Detroit, opens in theaters. ‘Lose Yourself’ becomes the first rap song to win the Oscar for Best Original Song
2020 [03] “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek dies of pancreatic cancer at 80
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2002 [21] Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour is made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II
2014 [09] Florida Georgia Line take advantage of their hit song ‘Cruise’ to host the “This is How We Cruise” voyage, leaving Miami FL for a 4-day Caribbean adventure
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2001 [22] Microsoft releases its newly-developed game console ‘Xbox’ ($299)
TODAY’S FORTY-FIFTH . . .
2016 [07] Donald Trump is elected 45th President of the United States, defeating Hillary Clinton, despite Clinton receiving 2.9 million more votes
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ It snowed in the Sahara Desert for 30 minutes on February 18, 1979.
✓ Bill Gates aimed to be a millionaire by age 30. He was a billionaire at age 31.
✓ Cranes are built using…cranes.
✓ Sherlock Holmes NEVER said “Elementary, my dear Watson”.
✓ The sentence “Are you as bored as I am?” can be said backwards — and still make sense.
✓ The term “bank teller” originated in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash, when banks began hiring low-paid workers to “tell” throngs of frantic depositors that their money was gone.
-MentalFloss, UselessKnowledge
Best of BS . . .
BS STUPID WEIGHT LOSS QUESTIONS:
• Does eating fast-food count as “fasting”?
• How much fat do I burn by exercising poor judgment?
• Does it matter what kind of juice I bathe in for a juice cleanse?
• How much does Jenny Craig weigh?
• Is it better to lose 1,000 grams, or a kilogram?
• Will I lose weight if I eat a whole box of Thin Mints?
• Wouldn’t it be easier to just get fatter friends?
• Do the Weight Watchers watchers actually watch you 24/7?
• How many Skittles equal a serving of fruit?
• …and the stupidest weight loss question of all is: Any weight loss question directed at your wife!
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2022
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ Taylor Swift says that she loves her cats, but she’d never write a song about them. (Unless, of course, they wise up and leave her!)
➠ According to a report, watching a superhero movie boosts a man’s self-esteem. (I agree. After finishing “Superman”, I’m like, “Dammit, I’m gonna wear my cape and tights in public, too!”
➠ Researchers say people who believe in luck are more likely to live an unhealthy lifestyle. (Still, they’re way better off than those poor saps who believed in “Hope”!)
➠ Two nun sisters are accused of stealing religious paintings from their Convent in Spain. (Once they started taking priceless art, it was a hard HABIT to break….Groannnn…..)
➠ According to a poll, the number one fantasy for women is having sex with a stranger. (What about just someone who is strange? Asking for a friend…)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Caption says it all: https://tinyurl.com/39hdxnnr
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Anything done before the first coffee of the day could be classified as self-defence.
TRUTH OR BS:
• Goldfish have a 2-second memory. [BS. Their memories can actually last for months]
• The fear of water is called ‘acrophobia’. [BS. Acrophobia is the fear of heights. ‘Aquaphobia’ is the fear of water]
• Human facial hair grows faster than the hair on the rest of the body. [True]
• Mickey Mouse’s ’s name was originally going to be ‘Mortimer Mouse’. [True]
• ‘A’ is the most commonly-used letter in the English language. [BS. It’s ‘E’]
• Adding salt to pineapple makes it taste sweeter. [True]
• The largest mammals in the world are elephants. [BS. The Antarctic Blue Whale is the largest]
• Female reindeer do not grow antlers. [BS. They do.]
• Statistically, when in New York, you’re more likely to be bit by a New Yorker than a rat. [True]
-Cosmo, IcebreakerIdeas
BS PHONE STARTER:
To you, what was the saddest death of a fictional character?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 30% of us do this at home, 65% do it somewhere else — and 5% don’t do it at all. What is it?
Answer: Wash their vehicle
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience.
