Thursday, November 24, 2022 – Edition: #7366
The BS Press!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ (***CHECK FOR DATING***) Without explanation, J. Lo’s social media accounts have gone dark, and her widely followed Instagram has been completely erased. The Instagram account for the singer, actor and producer — which, with 226 million followers, is her most widely followed platform — suddenly showed that it had no posts, and the profile pic was replaced with a solid black image. J. Lo’s Twitter (with 45.5 million followers) and TikTok (15.4 million) accounts also had their profile pics replaced with a black image, but on those platforms her previous posts have not been deleted. Reps for Lopez did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the past, celebs have zeroed-out social-media accounts ahead of a major announcement, such as a new album. LINK: https://www.instagram.com/jlo/
-Variety
★ Cheryl Burke has left the dance floor—but only for the time being. The “Dancing With the Stars” pro, who has announced her exit from the series after nearly 17, has revealed what her next moves are—and no, it’s not a tango with season 31 partner Sam Champion. During Monday’s taping of the season finale, she told E! News that she’s “really into mental health right now,” and believes she’s “been given and blessed to have this platform” to talk about her own experience. Burke says when it comes to mental health, “I’m no professional, but I do know how I help people by talking about my journey.” She hopes to launch a dance program in 2023 that “has to do with mental health and movement,” as well as working on her podcast, and says she also has another TV show in the works.
-E!
★ Amber Heard says her million-dollar insurance policy does, in fact, cover her in the Johnny Depp trial and verdict, and she’s asking a judge to confirm it. She has countersued New York Marine and General Insurance Co. after they first asked a judge to let them off the hook for a $1 million liability policy she’d taken out to protect her from defamation claims. Their argument was based on the fact the jury found Heard committed willful misconduct in her defamation of Depp, so they’re not responsible. In new court docs, Heard argues that New York Marine promised to pay her defense costs and judgments against her up to a million dollars, according to the unconditional deal she claims they struck with her.
-TMZ
★ (***Caution – language***) How expensive is “Avatar: The Way of Water”? Early reports claim the production budget alone was in the $250 million range, but director James Cameron isn’t willing to give a hard number just yet. The only answer he would give about the sequel’s budget when asked by GQ was this: “Very f-ing [expensive].” Cameron apparently told Disney and 20th Century Studios execs that his sequel budget was so high, it represented “the worst business case in movie history”, and according to his own estimates, Avatar 2 has “to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history” in order to break even. “Avatar: The Way of Water” opens in theaters Dec. 16. The movie’s final trailer was released this week. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yc4688jh
-Variety
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Kumail Nanjiani, Pink (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Devine, Bruce Springsteen
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Luke Evans, Dr. Phil McGraw, The Interrupters (R)
• The View” (ABC/CTV): Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Sean Patrick Thomas, Chinonye Chukwu, Amber Tamblyn (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Matthew Modine, Jeremy Allen White (R)
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Khloé Kardashian, Michael Ray (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Nicole Richie, Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil, Nate Burleson (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Laverne Cox, Jacob Collier (R)
• “Sherri” (Check local listings): Danny & Lucy DeVito
• “The 96th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade” (NBC): Live from New York, the annual parade kicks off the holidays with its signature mix of giant helium balloons and floats, marching bands, musical performers, celebrities and more.
• “FIFA World Cup 2022” (Fox, TSN): Switzerland vs. Cameroon; Uruguay vs. South Korea; Portugal vs. Ghana; Brazil vs. Serbia
• “The Masked Singer” (Fox): The contestants participate in a 3-way battle; one is eliminated and the remaining 2 advance to the finals.
• “NFL Football” (CBS, NBC, Fox): Buffalo @ Detroit; New England Patriots @ Minnesota Vikings; NY Giants @ Dallas
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Sabrina Carpenter – says her current single ‘Nonsense’ was the most fun to write of all the tunes on her “Emails I Can’t Send” album, but “It’s just the silliest song, and when we were writing it, I was like, ‘It’s never gonna be put out.’” But here we are. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/nhen5x3p
• Iggy Azalea — has sold her master recording and publishing catalog to Domain Capital for an 8-figure sum. The deal includes 100% of Azalea’s share of her existing catalog, including the #1 ‘Fancy’ (ft. Charli XCX), ‘Black Widow’ (ft. Rita Ora), and ‘Problem’ (w/Ariana Grande).
• Elton John and Britney Spears — have released the acoustic version of their chart-topping duet ‘Hold Me Closer’. The stripped down, piano-based version of the song highlights Spears’ vocals and is accompanied by a new video featuring Olympic Gold Medalist ice skater Nathan Chen. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/25bzmumm
• Metallica – Their “Helping Hands” concert, to benefit the band’s All Within My Hands foundation, will stream on Paramount+ in the US and Canada on Dec. 16. Taking place at the Microsoft Theater in LA, the third edition of the Helping Hands Concert & Auction will open with a set from Greta Van Fleet followed by a unique set from Metallica. The concert will stream in other countries on Dec. 17 or 18.
• Men at Work – have been awarded the APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) AMCOS’ Billions Award for their 1981 pop classic ‘Down Under’, for surpassing one billion streams across all platforms. Frontman and co-writer Colin Hay says the song came about from a “deep love” for Australia.
• Thomas Rhett – thinks it’s “absolutely insane” that ‘Half of Me’ (w/Riley Green) is his 20th #1 hit. In a new interview, he said: “I’m 32 years old. I feel so blessed to just have accomplished what we’ve gotten to do in the last 10 years.” He feels the song is special, too. Not only is it a collab with his buddy Riley, it’s “One of the simplest songs about beer that I think has ever existed.”
• Breland – will perform in the one-hour holiday special “CMT Crossroads Christmas: For King + Country & Friends”. For King + Country, known for country collabs with artists like Dolly Parton, will host the event, which will also feature singer and actor Chrissy Metz, Christian artist Natalie Grant and Australian Christian singer Rebecca St. James. It premieres Dec. 12.
• Morgan Wallen – teamed with the non-profit Greater Good Music to provide Thanksgiving meals to 2,000 families in underserved Tennessee communities, including Wallen’s hometown of Sneedville. On Instagram, the organization posted a picture of a line of cars waiting to pick up pre-made Thanksgiving meals, and thanked Wallen. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5yntats4
SHOOTING THE BULL
ELON-TERM PLANS:
One thing about Elon Musk – no one can say he’s not ambitious. In addition to the fact that he founded and/or oversees several multi-billion-dollar companies, he has taken on what may be his most difficult challenge yet – turning Twitter around. And so far, all he has managed to do it turn it upside down…but he definitely has big plans. Such as? Monday, Musk said he plans to add video and voice call features, plus ‘secure direct-messaging’ to the social-media platform. At the company’s San Francisco headquarters, Musk gave a presentation with slides entitled “Twitter 2.0.” Under the plans, DMs would be encrypted, meaning the text could only be read by participants, as is the case on platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal. That feature, and voice and video chatting (both already available on Facebook and WhatsApp) could be tied to Musk’s idea of “creating X, the everything app.” He bought the domain name “X.com” over 5 years ago, and has spoken about creating a “super-app” comparable to China’s WeChat.
(So that trending “RIPTwitter” hashtag from last week might have been correct?)
(THAT’S what Twitter is missing! A chance for someone to question the validity of my parents’ marriage certificate via encrypted message!)
-Insider
HOLIDAY HOSTING:
➠ Are you hosting family or friends from out of town this festive season? Then plan to miss out on some holiday slumber. A survey of 2,000 Americans found that those hosting others during the holidays lose 2½ hours of sleep per day when preparing to have company in their homes. Once they arrive, guests don’t necessarily get the best sleep, either. 75% say they feel compelled to go to bed and wake up at the same time as their host. (So, feel free to doze off on the couch beside Grandpa right after second dessert!)
➠ If you’ve got picky eaters at your table for the holidays, steer clear of the color red. As festive as it is, red dishware makes fussy eaters even less likely to eat a meal, researchers from the University of Portsmouth found. Their analysis found that study participants’ desire to eat potato chips was impacted by the color of bowl they were presented in. This was especially so among the pickiest of eaters, who claimed the chips were saltier in blue and red bowls. Red bowls ranked last when it came to desirability. (So, if you serve the dessert on red plates…that means more of it for you and me!)
-NYPost, SWNS
CLIMATE CHANGES:
⇒ People’s headaches are getting worse, and a new study says climate change may be to blame. According to researchers from the American Academy of Neurology, global warming is fueling a rise in neurological diseases ranging from migraines to Alzheimer’s. People with Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis may also experience worsening symptoms, and strokes may become more prevalent as the planet heats up. The team notes that global warming causes air pollution, which has been linked to worsening brain health due to tiny toxic particles called particulate matter, which enters the bloodstream after being inhaled, eventually traveling to the brain. (If nothing else, at least now you have an excuse not to jog to work, instead of taking the bus!)
⇒ Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered that the planet has a “stabilizing feedback” system which keeps global temperatures within a steady and habitable range. One grad student involved in the research said: “On the one hand, it’s good because we know that today’s global warming will eventually be canceled out through this stabilizing feedback. But on the other hand, it will take hundreds of thousands of years to happen, so not fast enough to solve our present-day issues.” In its research, the team examined global temperature fluctuations over millions of years. (So, they’re able to examine weather trends going back to the Jurassic period, but can’t correctly tell me what the temperature will be this weekend?)
-StudyFinds
THE MOST POPULAR DOG NAMES OF 2022:
Here is the first of the hundreds of ‘year-end’ lists you’ll see between now and Dec. 31. According to the website Rover.com, these are the most popular dog names of 2022, for males and for females…
MALE: FEMALE:
Max Luna
Charlie Bella
Cooper Daisy
Milo Lucy
Buddy Lily
Rocky Zoe
Bear Lola
Teddy Sadie
Duke Bailey
Leo Stella
(Still the best dog name we’ve ever heard: “Askem”!)
-Slice
HARMLESS WAYS TO MESS WITH SOMEONE:
(According to contributors to an AskReddit thread…)
☞ “Carefully step over a non-existing obstacle.”
☞ “Say ‘no pun intended’ after a sentence where there was clearly no pun.”
☞ “When you shake someone’s hand, move yours left to right. As they do the traditional ‘up and down’, a hilarious circle ensues.”
☞ “Don’t turn around when you walk into a lift (elevator)”
☞ “When you’re talking to someone, keep handing them random items. They’ll just keep taking them without realizing it.”
☞ “Say ‘hi-five’ to someone, but don’t put your hand up.”
☞ “After giving a compliment, say: “no offense,” and watch them struggle to find the non-existent insult.
-50NerdsofGrey
DID YOU KNOW?
Shortly before he made headlines this week with the news that he’ll be parting ways with Manchester United, forward Cristiano Ronaldo became the first person to amass 500 million followers on Instagram. And his lead over the person with the second-most followers is astounding: Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is next with 377 million. Kylie Jenner is in third spot with 372 million followers while Selena Gomez and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson are 4th and 5th with 357 and 347 million, respectively.
-NDTV, Instagram
BS CHRONOMETER 11.24.22
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Thanksgiving Day” in the US, an annual feasting tradition proclaimed for all states in 1863 and made a national holiday set on the 4th Thursday of November in 1879. The event that Americans commonly call the ‘First Thanksgiving’ was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World in 1621. (No ‘Black Friday’ that year!) A few facts …
– The original Thanksgiving festivities date back 2,000 years to Celtic priests, the Druids, who celebrated a harvest festival.
– Canadian Thanksgiving was originally celebrated at the same time as in the US, but was eventually moved to the 2nd Monday of October to reflect the earlier harvest season.
– The term ‘turkey’ was used by New England pilgrims to mean any sort of wild fowl. It could have been seagull. (Yum!)
• “Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day”, saluting the individual abilities each of us has. Okay, so what is it that you can do that no one else can? Whistle through your nose? Play both armpits simultaneously? Recite the alphabet backwards?
• “D.B. Cooper Day”, also known as Dan Cooper, a pseudonym for an unknown man who in 1971 hijacked a plane traveling from Portland to Seattle, and parachuted out with $200,000 in ransom money. An extensive manhunt ensued, but he was never identified or seen again, resulting in one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in US history.
• “Brownielocks Day”, to celebrate being a brunette (or “brownielocks”). As some people have “big” brown hair, the day has also been called Big Hair Day. It has also been referred to as Brunette Pride Day.
• “National Sardines Day”, Here are 5 things to know about Sardines:
– Sardines are the most plentiful edible fish in the world.
– Sardines live short lives, and grow quite quickly. They can reach a length of 23cm in 2 years.
– The main ingredient in Worcestershire sauce is fermented sardines.
– The term sardine was first used in the 15th century and may come from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which sardines were once abundant.
– The original ‘secret’ ingredient in Caesar Salad is…crushed sardines.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Parfait Day
[Fri] Flossing Day
[Sat] Good Grief Day
[Sun] Pie in the Face Day
This Week is…GERD Awareness Week (aka Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Week)
This Month is…Model Railroad Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1942 [80] (Sir) Billy Connolly, Anderston Scotland, comedian/movie actor (“The Boondock Saints”, “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events”)
1955 [67] Clem Burke (Bozewski), Bayonne NJ, rock drummer (Blondie-‘Call Me’, ‘One Way or Another’, Ramones, Romantics)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2006
1964 [58] Conleth Hall, Ballycastle Northern Ireland, TV actor (‘Lord Varys’ on “Game of Thrones” 2011-19)
1977 [45] Colin Hanks, Sacramento CA, TV actor (“Impeachment: American Crime Story” 2021, “Life in Pieces” 2015-19)/movie actor (“King Kong”)/son of Tom Hanks
1978 [44] Katherine Heigl, Washington DC, TV actress (“State of Affairs” 2014-15, “Grey’s Anatomy” 2005-10)/movie actress (“Knocked Up”)
1983 [39] Gwilym Lee, Bristol England, movie actor (‘Brian May’ in “Bohemian Rhapsody”)
1990 [32] Sarah Hyland, NYC, TV actress (‘Haley Dunphy’ on “Modern Family” 2009-20) COMING UP…“Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin” TV series
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1991 [31] Under the new ownership of actor John Candy, Wayne Gretzky and LA Kings owner Bruce McNall, the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts win the Grey Cup with a 36-21 victory over the Calgary Stampeders at Winnipeg Stadium
2016 [06] Florence Henderson, who played Mom ‘Carol’ in “The Brady Bunch”, dies at 82
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1991 [31] Queen singer Freddie Mercury dies of AIDS-related complications at 45
2007 [15] Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea’s $4.8 million home is “burnt to a crisp” in a wildfire that sweeps through 54 properties in Malibu CA
2019 [03] Taylor Swift wins 6 American Music Awards, including Artist of the Year and Artist of the Decade
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1874 [148] Inventor Joseph Glidden patents barbed wire (without it, there’d be a lot of people with no idea of what tattoo to get!)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ NONE of the passengers on the Mayflower had middle names.
✓ The little bumpers on the underside of a toilet seat are called ‘buculets’.
✓ A balanced diet for a human is about the same as that of a rat.
✓ In the U.S., there’s an official ‘Rock Paper Scissors League’.
✓ In Spanish, the word “esposas” means both “wives” and “handcuffs.”
✓ A “butt” was a Medieval unit of measure for wine.
-FactSlides, BathroomReadersInstitute
Best of BS . . .
BS BOOKS FOR DOGS:
• Fifty Shades of Stay
• Are You There, Dog? It’s Me, Margaret
• Fetcher in the Rye
• A Tale of Two Pitties
• Never Cry Woof
• A Few Good Boys
• Of Mice and Mailmen
• Game of Throws
• Lord of the Fleas
• The Bitches of Eastwick
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2020
BS HOW TO RECOGNIZE A TURKEY:
• By the way it’s dressed.
• It is drinking out of a gobble-let.
• I’m not sure, but if it contains a bag of giblets, there’s a pretty good chance that’s it.
• You were bowling and got 3 strikes in a row.
• It is NOT crossing the road.
• Looks like the label on the 25 empty bottles in the back of Uncle Ernie’s pick-up.
• It has a tendency to talk “jive”.
• Open up your “maps” app and see if you are anywhere near Istanbul.
• It’s the big brown lumpy stuff in the giant 70s retro Tupperware container sitting in the back of the fridge, oozing penicillin.
• It puts pineapple on pizza.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
BS WEB GOODIE:
Black & white magic: https://tinyurl.com/4ymmczw5
BS RANDOM JOKES:
• I miss the good old days when Black Friday actually WAS on a Friday.
• I’ve been described as “introverted” by dozens of people I didn’t want to talk to.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What TV character would it be the most fun to change places with for a week?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTIONS:
• Question: 21% of us have done THIS to end a conversation on the phone. What is it?
Answer: Yawn
• Question: 36% of hosts will do THIS before their Thanksgiving guests arrive. What is it?
Answer: Light a scented candle
BS DEEP THOUGHTS:
• Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
• Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, never have enough.
