Thursday, November 2, 2023 — Edition: #7588
Sheet for Brains!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Cher, plus a bevy of Broadway stars, will perform at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, it has been announced. Both the Parade and the NBC broadcast will kick off at 8:30am ET on Thursday, November 23, a half-hour earlier than usual. The event also will include Jon Batiste and the Broadway casts of “& Juliet”, “Back to the Future”, “How To Dance In Ohio”, “Shucked”, and “Spamalot”, plus a special appearance by Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells of “Gutenberg! The Musical!” The Thanksgiving event will also feature appearances and performances by, among others, Bell Biv DeVoe, Brandy, En Vogue, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Jessie James Decker, Pentatonix, and, of course, the Radio City Rockettes.
-Deadline
★ Matthew Perry‘s ‘Chandler Bing’ — the most sarcastic of the “Friends” gang – is the favorite character of the sitcom’s fans, according to votes on ranking site Ranker. Based on 169,000 total votes, (and admittedly, the scales are probably tipped toward the late Matthew Perry these days), Bing tops the list of the best characters on “Friends”. He’s followed in order by ‘Joey Tribbiani’ (played by Matt LeBlanc); ‘Rachel Green’ (Jennifer Aniston); ‘Phoebe Buffay’ (Lisa Kudrow); ‘Ross Gellar’ (David Schwimmer); and ‘Monica Gellar’ (Courteney Cox). Chandler Bing also won second funniest TV character ever, according to another Ranker poll, coming in behind only Steve Carell’s ‘Michael Scott’ from “The Office.”
-Variety
★ Alex Trebek is being honored after his death. On Wednesday, the late “Jeopardy!” host’s widow, Jean Trebek, and Stand Up To Cancer announced the launch of The Alex Trebek Fund to accelerate critical research with the goal of better treating pancreatic cancer, which has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. Alex died in Nov. 2020 after battling the disease for a year. The Fund, which was announced on the first day of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, has already raised more than $1 million, thanks to a donation from Jean, as well as the Estate of Barbara Hanania.
-ET
★ Wynonna Judd will join “The Voice” as a mega mentor for Season 24, NBC has announced. Judd joins coaches Niall Horan, John Legend, Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani on the 4-time Emmy-winning musical competition series. She’s the latest country music superstar to join the show, following last season’s exit of Blake Shelton. Reba McEntire served as a mega mentor for Season 23 and was promoted to judge for the current Season 24. Judd will mentor the artists who have made it through the Battle Rounds beginning Nov. 6.
-Deadline
★ Alec and Hilaria Baldwin could be bringing their life with 7 kids to reality television. The 65-year-old actor opened up to Kelly Ripa, revealing that he and his wife have been considering some reality TV show pitches as he tries to work close to home in New York. He said that he’s open to the idea due to the fact that with 7 children at home, he “can’t go anywhere for any length of time”, and that affects the jobs he is able to take. Baldwin said he recently turned down a TV series because he was unable to go to Vancouver for 5 months.
-PopCulture
★ Mariah Carey, Don Cheadle, Eddie Murphy and more will be among the honorees at the second annual Byron Allen Presents the Grio Awards, airing Nov. 25 on CBS and Paramount+. The event, which will be co-hosted by Sheryl Underwood and Roy Wood, Jr., will celebrate excellence in film, music, comedy, TV, sports, philanthropy, business, fashion, social justice, environmental justice, education, and cultural icons and innovators.
-TheWrap
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC/Global): Mariah Carey, Alex Edelman, Allison Russell
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Sheryl Crow, Cailee Spaeny
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Pete Buttigieg, Willie Nelson
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Austin Johnson
• “The Daily Show (COM): Guest host Charlamagne Tha God
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Austen Kroll, Alex Cooper
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Taylor Lautner, Taylor Lautner
• “The Talk” (CBS): Whitney Cummings, Jason Oppenheim
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Chef Melba Wilson, Monica Mangin
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Matt Rogers
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Sarah Cooper, Dan Churchill
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Octavia Spencer, Irany
• “The Golden Bachelor” (ABC): Followed by a new “Bachelor in Paradise”
• “Buddy Games” (CBS): Season 1 finale
• “SEAL Team” (CBS): Season 5 premiere. The team is shocked when they learn a training exercise is really cover for a covert mission.
• “Christmas Cookie Challenge” (Food): Season 7 premiere
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Dua Lipa – teased the new single ‘Houdini’ with a cryptic message to fans on Instagram. She posted a song snippet in which she can be heard singing, “Tell me all the ways you’ll need me”. Then, a series of numbers flash up, which when translated to their equivalent letters, can be re-arranged to form the name ‘Houdini’. She posted it on Oct. 31, the anniversary of the magician’s 1926 death. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yrfd5sup
• Jack Harlow — will perform during halftime at the Detroit Lions’ 84th annual Thanksgiving Day Classic on November 23 against the Green Bay Packers. The War And Treaty will perform the national anthem. The game will air on Fox-TV.
• Mötley Crüe – Former guitarist Mick Mars has released a video for his debut solo single. ‘Loyal To The Lie’ is the first song to emerge from Mars’ first solo album “The Other Side Of Mars”, out February 23. Mick quote: “I wanted to do something that was just big and mean.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5cwbaxs7
• John Lennon – The Apple TV+ 3-part documentary “John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial” will offer “the most comprehensive look into the truth of the tragic murder of music and cultural icon John Lennon, and the investigation and conviction of Mark David Chapman”. It’ll be narrated by Kiefer Sutherland. No release date yet.
• Ozzy Osbourne — will be honored with the Icon Award at the first-ever Rolling Stone UK Awards, set for Nov. 23 at the Roundhouse in London. He plans to be in attendance to make a speech, despite his health challenges. Ozzy quote: “I don’t know what to say! I wish I felt like a (bleeping) icon.”
• Chris Stapleton — is known for his drinking songs, but he’s not much of a drinker – anymore. Quote: “From a 45-year-old-man health perspective, a doctor’s gonna look at me and go, ‘Hey, man, probably cut out the drinking,’ and I’d be like, ‘Okay, cool.’” Stapleton said he tells people: “I got into a drinking contest with myself in my 20s, and I lost.”
• Parmalee — After topping the charts with ‘Girl In Mine’, they’ve dropped the new single ‘Gonna Love You’. It’s from their recently released expanded album “For You 2”. The group has scored 3 #1 singles in the past 3 years, more than any other group in country music during that time. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4wwknwfv
• Bailey Zimmerman – has a collab with Jonas Brothers coming. Jonas Brothers posted a teaser on their socials, showing each of their names written on red solo cups with Zimmerman’s name on a cup in the middle. Bailey commented: “This things gonna BANG”. They later confirmed the collaboration with a couple of videos just in time for Halloween. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3t254a69
SHOOTING THE BULL
TECH TALK:
❑ Yes, we all get glassy-eyed and bored when faced with the prospect of yet another Zoom meeting. But researchers from Aalto University say their study found that drowsiness during online meetings is largely due to a lack of mental stimulation and boredom. Study authors explain that it’s naturally much easier to maintain our focus during in-person face-to-face meetings, compared to virtual get-togethers. Why? Because video chats feature limited cognitive cues and sensory input, and therefore, the participant is left “under-stimulated and may start to compensate by multitasking.” (…which explains the 18-foot ‘paper-clip snake’ in [***co-host’s***] desk drawer!)
❑ Motorola has unveiled its innovative “e-bangle” smartphone that wraps around the user’s wrist like a slap bracelet. The latest prototype of the phone boasts a 6.9-inch HD+ display when it’s laid flat — and a 4.6-inch display when it is folded to stand by itself like a tent. The flexible device is backed by an orange fabric that connects to a magnetized wrist strap. The company says that its revolutionary technology “molds” to its consumers’ needs. It made its debut at the Lenovo Tech World conference in Texas, but is not available for purchase yet. (I’ll bet you $20 I’d still drop it under my seat at the theater!) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5a64sddx
-StudyFinds, NYPost
TRUTH ABOUT ‘TRIED AND TRUE’:
When was the last time you tried a new restaurant? According to a new poll, it might be about 5 months. And choosing a place to eat isn’t the only situation where we tend to stick to the same old, same old. The OnePoll survey looked at how open 2,000 adults in the US are to trying new things — and…yeah…we’re boring. The average person also hasn’t found a new song they liked — or watched a new TV show in 4 months. 56% of respondents said they identify as “creatures of habit,” while only 38% prefer to venture out of their comfort zone. And why are many of us hesitant to try new experiences? Those who stick to their comfort zone said they know what they like (64%) and they enjoy the comfort that comes with familiarity (60%). On the other hand, those who like trying new things say that doing so satisfies their curiosity (53%) and helps them keep an open mind (52%).
(They haven’t watched a new TV show in 4 months? My kids binge an entire series about once a WEEK!)
(I’m proud to say I tried a new restaurant just this week. That new KFC just up the street from the station!)
-Talker
SURPRISING BABY NAME TRENDS:
Sure, every year, we see the list of the most popular baby names, and every time, the ones that make the top 10 aren’t very surprising. We love you, Emma and Olivia, and you too, Liam and Noah, but we see you all the time! But in taking a closer look at data from the US Social Security Administration, you’ll find some interesting stuff. Here are some 2022 baby name stats that might surprise you…
⇒ Maverick is more popular than Christopher: There were 6,991 babies named Maverick, and 5,535 Christophers.
⇒ Brynlee is more popular than Brittany: Yup. Brynlee was the 204th most popular girls’ baby name, and Brittany was #329
⇒ Messiah is more popular than Patrick: Patrick came in as the #218 most popular boys’ name. Messiah? #188 (There are gonna be a lot of boys with swelled heads in the next few years!)
⇒ Wrenlee is the fastest-rising name for girls: It jumped 708 places from 2021 to reach #712. What’s more, Wrenly rose from #497 to #284.
⇒ Promise is more popular than Kelly: In 2022, 363 baby girls were named Promise, making it the 782nd most popular girl name. Kelly is #805.
⇒ Leonardo is more popular than Adam: Adam peaked at #18 in the 1980s, but now it’s down to #97. Leonardo ranks at #75.
⇒ Fewer than 80 girls were named Tracy, Gretchen or Lacy last year: There were just 75 newborn girls named Tracy, 52 Gretchens and 68 Lacys.
⇒ Oakley, Oaklee, Oakleigh, Oaklynn and Oaklyn are each individually more popular than Meredith: Meredith rose from #570 to #549 last year, but the name was still far below all of the Oak-names.
⇒ Axel is more popular than Robert: I did not see that coming. 4,318 boys were named Axel in 2022, ranking it #77. Robert came in 84th, going to 4,051 baby boys. (Better luck next year, Slash!)
-HuffPost
ANSWERS FOR “HOW ARE YOU” WHEN YOU’RE NOT OK:
Experts say that in the interest of your mental health, you shouldn’t ‘put a filter on’ your true feelings when someone innocently asks how you are. Here are some excellent responses for when you aren’t OK (but consider your relationship to who’s asking, before you use ‘em…)
• One minor inconvenience away from crying in public.
• The emotional equivalent of that tangled mess of headphones and trash at the bottom of your tote bag.
• Filled with caffeine and existential dread.
• Just ordered ice cream and tissues on Postmates.
• Retail therapy-ing so hard I need a basket at Sephora.
• Like Mercury has been in retrograde for the last 38 months.
• Just waiting for that spin class to kick in and cure my anxiety.
• Incredibly unchill.
• Panicking at the disco and also everywhere else.
• In desperate need of puppies, cheese, or a 6-hour nap. Or all three.
• Meh.
• My emotional-support water bottle is all I have right now.
• One stubbed toe short of giving up.
• They don’t have an emoji for me lying on my kitchen floor blankly staring at the ceiling, but…picture that.
• One 2-factor authentication pop-up away from burning it all down.
• My anxiety has anxiety.
• I’m not OK. But I will be.
• Had a few minor breakdowns today, but really hoping this oat milk latte fixes my entire life.
• Having a bit of a menty-b.
• Currently scrolling through random Twitter beefs just to feel something.
• Hard pass. Next question?
-Wondermind
DID YOU KNOW?
Social media site “X” is now worth less than half of what Elon Musk paid to buy it, when it was known as “Twitter” last year. A memo to employees said the company was valued at $19 billion—55% less than the $44 billion that Musk shelled out. What’s more, Fortune reports that Musk, as a shareholder of Tesla, lost $41 billion in 13 days recently, as the market for Electric Vehicles has tumbled.
-Insider, Fortune
BS CHRONOMETER 11.02.23
BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “All Souls’ Day”, the excuse for an annual “Kite Festival” in Santiago, Guatemala, when natives send massive, extremely colorful kites to the heavens, in an effort to communicate with the dead. In Mexico, it’s the second day of the “Day of the Dead” (‘El Dia de los Muertos’) celebration.
• “Deviled Egg Day”, saluting the dish that entails hard-boiled eggs cut in half and filled with the egg’s yolk mixed with mayonnaise & mustard.
• “Plan Your Epitaph Day”, dedicated to the proposition that a forgettable gravestone is a fate worse than death. Some actual tombstone epitaphs:
☞ “Pardon me for not getting up.”
☞ “I was hoping for a pyramid.”
☞ “She always said her feet were killing her, but no one believed her.”
☞ “Well, this sucks.”
☞ “I told you I was sick.”
• “Men Make Dinner Day”, Sure, millions of guys make dinner for their families on a regular basis, but this day is for the last remaining Neanderthals who never do…and for guys who are just too scared to cook. (Maybe it’s a good thing that it’s also “Sandwich Day”?)
• “Cookie Monster Day”, a celebration of the birthday of everyone’s favorite blue monster with a voracious appetite. Jim Henson created the original version for a General Foods commercial in 1966, and the beloved character appeared in the very first episode of “Sesame Street” in 1969. (All together now: “C is for cookie…”)
• “Practice Being Psychic Day”, I saw two psychics meet on the street yesterday. One said to the other “You are fine. How am I?”
• “Look for Circles Day”, simply follow the instructions in the name. Circles are everywhere. The wheels of cars, bubbles in the bathroom, and mysterious crop circles are only some examples. You’ll probably find a lot more circles than you expect. (I’ll be in the lunch room, looking for donuts…)
• “International Stout Day”, celebrating stout beer. “Stout” originally meant “proud” and “brave,” but later gained the meaning “strong.” The name became associated with any beer that was strong, regardless of if it was a dark beer or not.
• “Broadcast Traffic Professionals Day”, to honor “those in all radio and television traffic departments, who schedule and work very diligently with programs, announcements and commercials”, to keep programming flowing correctly. (And if you knew the term “Broadcast Traffic Professionals” has nothing to do with vehicular traffic, then you’ve probably worked in broadcasting!)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Jersey Day
[Fri] Sandwich Day
[Sat] Candy Day
[Sun] Daylight Saving Time ends
This Week is…Animal Shelter Awareness Week
This Month is…Family Stories Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1957 [66] Carter Beauford, Charlottesville VA, rock drummer (Dave Matthews Band-‘Crash Into Me’, ‘Don’t Drink the Water’)
1961 [62] (Kathryn Dawn) k.d. lang, Edmonton AB, country-pop singer (‘Constant Craving’, ‘Hallelujah’)/ Officer of the Order of Canada, 1996
1963 [60] Bobby Dall (Robert Kuykendall), Mechanicsburg, PA, rock bassist (Poison-‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’, ‘Talk Dirty to Me’)
1966 [57] David Schwimmer, Astoria NY, TV actor (“Friends” 1994-2004)/movie actor (“Madagascar” films)
1973 [50] Marisol Nichols, Chicago IL, TV actress (‘Hermoine Lodge’ on “Riverdale” 2017-22, ‘Zoe Keates’ on “NCIS” 2015-2016)
1974 [49] Nelly (Cornell Haynes Jr.), Austin TX, rapper (‘Hot in Herre’, ‘Over and Over’ w/Tim McGraw)/movie actor (“The Longest Yard”)
1980 [43] Karamo Brown, Houston TX, TV personality (“Karamo” since 2022, “Queer Eye” since 2018, contestant on “Dancing With the Stars” 2019)/movie actor (“The Princess Diaries”)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2003 [20] The cult favorite TV show “Arrested Development” premieres on Fox
2018 [05] The Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody”, starring Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, opens in theaters. It wins 4 Oscars, including ‘Best Actor’ for Malek
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1995 [28] Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders guest stars on the “Friends” episode ‘The One with the Baby on the Bus’. She sings ‘Angel of the Morning’ and learns ‘Smelly Cat’ from ‘Phoebe’
2020 [03] Thanks to a swell of views from children home during the pandemic, ‘Baby Shark’ overtakes ‘Despacito’ as the most-viewed video in YouTube history, with over 7 billion views
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2000 [23] The International Space Station becomes permanently staffed
2013 [10] In Wisconsin, 2 planes carrying 9 skydivers collide in midair, but amazingly there are no casualties, as the skydivers parachute clear of debris and the pilots survive with minor injuries
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Usually, Mercury, not Venus, is the closest planet to Earth.
✓ Movie theaters make roughly 85% of their profit off concession stands.
✓ “Tater Tots” originally failed because people thought the product was too cheap. Popularity rose after the price was raised.
✓ CDs were created to hold 74 minutes of music because that is the duration of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
✓ The Tyrannosaurus rex only lived an average of 27-33 years.
✓ In Greece, you can lose your driver’s license for being “poorly dressed” or “unbathed”.
-UnnecessaryKnowledge, BBC
Best of BS . . .
BS PROBLEMS AUTUMN BRINGS:
• Your Mom telling you what time it “really” is for 3 days after the clock change.
• It is now officially too late to take down your Christmas lights.
• Is that a leaf or dog doo?
• Having to spell Autumn.
• It takes too long to get a tan.
• Having to see all those “Winter is coming” memes.
• Too much flannel.
• Too much pumpkin spice.
• Tripping. A lot of tripping. After all, it is Fall.
• She talked me into leaving my wife, then told me she wasn’t looking for anything “serious.” And she chews gum with her mouth open. Oh, wait…wrong ‘Autumn’…
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, when our clocks “Fall Back”. (For me, it marks the beginning of the clock on the microwave being wrong for the next 8 months!)
➠ It was World Vegan Day yesterday. (…the day when Gwyneth Paltrow slides down the chimney with a reusable Whole Foods bag…and leaves Priuses for all the good girls and boys.)
➠ Kendall Jenner turns 28 tomorrow. (…and now that she’s finally a mature adult woman, maybe she won’t be so shy about showing off her body…!)
➠ A study found that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to make campaign donations online. (However, Republicans are more likely to do it if they have grandchildren who will show them how to use the internet…)
➠ A study found that just over 30% of parents “skip” pages in bedtime stories in order to make it end quicker. (I’m not going to admit that I did this with my kids, but to this day they have no idea that the last pig went, ‘wee-wee-wee, all the way home.’!)
BS WEB GOODIE:
There’s a chance he spent way too much time on this: https://tinyurl.com/y7v3cy3b
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Of all the lies I’ve told, “Just kidding!” is my favorite.
BS PHONE STARTER:
As a child, what did you think would be awesome about being an adult, but isn’t quite as awesome as you thought?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: When it comes to raising kids, almost one-third of dads say they can’t do THIS. What is it?
Answer: Pull a tooth
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
A wise man makes his own decisions. A foolish man follows public opinions.
