Wednesday, October 25, 2023 – Edition: #7582
Sheet For Brains!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ After Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson smack-talked his new wax figure, Paris’ Grévin Museum says it smelled what he was cooking. The museum unveiled the figure last week, and was immediately met with criticism from fans and Johnson himself for his “whitewashed” skin tone. Now, museum director Yves Delhommeau says that his staff would work “all night” to make sure the wax figure meets “fans’ expectations.” He blamed the skin tone on a “lighting issue” and said Johnson would be invited to see the updated figure in person “to see if there are other modifications that need to be made.”
-Messenger
★ “The Hunger Games” is coming to the stage! The first-ever play adaption is set to arrive in London next year, directed by Matthew Dunster and adapted by playwright Conor McPherson, according to multiple reports. Based on the novel series of the same name — as well as the movie franchise starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth — the production will focus on the first book, where young contestants are selected to fight in a televised battle royale. The play will follow Lawrence’s character ‘Katniss Everdeen’ taking her sister’s place to participate in the 74th annual Hunger Games, as chronicled in the 2008 book and 2012 movie. It will make its stage debut next fall.
-People
★ Kim Kardashian is expanding her brand of undergarments, by formally launching Skims Men. The new line, which debuts tomorrow, will feature 3 collections — “cotton,” “stretch” and “sports” — and includes apparel like briefs, boxers and undershirts. And Kimmy K says Skims may eventually roll out “shapewear” for men. In a statement, Kardashian said: “SKIMS has evolved into becoming a brand that can provide comfort for all audiences, not just for women.”
-Messenger
★ You’d think that volunteering to go on a reality TV series based on a show about a deadly competition would mean you’re prepared to at least ‘fake die’ — but based on the new trailer for “Squid Game: The Challenge,” that didn’t occur to every contestant. In the new promo for the unscripted show, which debuts Nov. 22 on Netflix, 456 people are competing for the $4.56 million prize, just like in the first season of “Squid Game.” Of course, in this game, people’s lives aren’t actually on the line — but they still get fake “shot” during a game, and go tumbling to their supposed “death” off a bridge in a later challenge. And being fake-killed is still apparently shocking, judging by the reaction of the first to be “hit”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yc7m2uu3
-Variety
★ Tom Bergeron recently opened up about his firing from “Dancing With the Stars”. During an interview with Cheryl Burke for her “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast, Bergeron mentioned a time when he strongly advocated for keeping political figures of any kind off the show. He says show execs agreed with him initially, but weeks later they told him that Sean Spicer, the ex-White House Press Secretary for the Trump administration, was coming on the show in 2019. Bergeron said that made him furious, and he even offered to “take this season off”. He eventually decided to not make an issue out of it, but felt he should “at least…let people know that they…lied to me.”
-PopCulture
★ (***Caution: content***) Because he has nothing else to do, like perhaps save his floundering social media company, Elon Musk has made a veiled swipe at Wikipedia, offering the online encyclopedia a billion dollars to change its name to something crude…that rhymes with Wikipedia, but starts with the letter “d”. We think he was joking. The billionaire businessman posted on X: “I will give them a billion dollars if they change their name to D***ipedia.” When a user pointed out that they could change the name back after they banked the cash, he replied: “One year minimum. I mean, I’m a not fool lol.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2p8hcjjf
-Bang
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Meg Ryan, David Duchovny, Joe Walsh
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Cameron Diaz, Guy Raz, Eslabon Armado Ft. Gabito Ballesteros
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Talking Heads, Mae Martin
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Allison Williams, Fisher Stevens
• “The Daily Show (COM): Guest host Desus Nice
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Kyle Richards, Teddi Mellencamp
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Morgan Freeman
• “The Talk” (CBS): Paul Reiser, Jeff Guenther
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Allison Williams, Shannon Doherty, Chris Janson
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Eric McCormack, Jenna Lyons, Grace Potter
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Reggie Watts, Dr. Cara Natterson, Vanessa Kroll Bennett
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Jaime Camil
• “Celebrity Jeopardy!” (ABC): Quarterfinal #5: Mira Sorvino, Adam Rodriguez, Peter Schrager
• “The Masked Singer” (Fox): Harry Potter Night
• “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” (Bravo): Season 13 premiere
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Rihanna – Five years after taking a hiatus from the music business, fans are going wild with the news that she’s plotting her comeback in the form of a 2024-25 world tour. Apparently, she has signed a $39 million deal with Live Nation for that, and is working on 2 new albums, which she hopes to drop soon.
• Bad Bunny — has scored his third chart-topping album with “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana”. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart dated Oct. 28. Drake’s “For All the Dogs” has dropped to #2 after topping the chart last week.
• Robert Plant – Saturday, he performed the Led Zeppelin classic ‘Stairway to Heaven’ live for the first time in 16 years during a charity show in England. Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor, who is battling colon cancer, organized the event, with proceeds benefiting the Cancer Awareness Trust. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mt3dwdfe
• Green Day — fans attending the When We Were Young festival in Vegas on Sunday were able to pick up an exclusive 7-inch vinyl single from the band, featuring new single ‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’ and a second new song ‘Look Ma, No Brains’ on the B-side. Naturally, the band also played both tunes during their set at the 85,000 capacity Las Vegas Festival Grounds.
• Bob Seger – Sunday, he made a surprise appearance to help induct Patty Loveless into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She was visibly moved as Seger stepped onstage to perform her hit ‘She Drew a Broken Heart’ in her honor. Wynonna Judd kicked off Tanya Tucker’s induction with a rendition of ‘Delta Dawn’. Following that, Jessi Colter and Margo Price dueted on ‘It’s a Little Too Late’.
• Lee Brice – helped raise more than $570,000 for pancreatic cancer research. He was on hand for the 10th Annual Homecoming Golf & Concert event benefitting the Nikki Mitchell Foundation at the Bowery in Myrtle Beach SC. Other performers were Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson and Jerrod Niemann.
• Chris Lane — has released his new 5-song EP “From Where I’m Sippin”. Lead single ‘Find Another Bar’ is currently climbing the country charts. First shared in August, the post-breakup anthem has already surpassed 3.4 million global streams.
• Kane Brown — celebrated his 30th birthday over the weekend with a Halloween-themed birthday party planned by his wife, Katelyn. His Instagram shows pics of Brown and guests in spooky outfits. He paid homage to his #1 hit ‘Bury Me in Georgia’ by dressing as a zombie in a red and white Georgia Bulldogs jersey. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bdzu6adh
SHOOTING THE BULL
SWITCH WITCH:
It’s a hot new Halloween trend that has some young candy-lovers seriously spooked. But others love it. Some parents are taking part in “Switch witch”, where their kids are encouraged to trade their trick-or-treat candy for toys. Why? To discourage excess sugar consumption, and the health concerns that go along with it, like obesity and tooth cavities. To take part in Switch-witch, parents still encourage their children to enjoy a night of trick-or-treating, but when they return home, they pick out a certain number (5 or 6) of their favorite candies to keep. The rest? It is placed in a special spot, and during the night, the Switch witch comes to collect the candy, leaving a gift in return. Some parents say their little ghosts and goblins are just as excited for the Switch witch to come as they were for Halloween.
(…and so are the parents. After all, you can’t let all those peanut butter cups go to waste, can you?)
***Caution***(And other kids are tempted to use another word that rhymes with ‘switch’ and ‘witch’!)
-NYPost
DINNER TIME:
Good news if you’re the type, like me, who starts getting hungry for dinner right after your afternoon snack: A study found that eating later increases your risk for obesity. And eating earlier has the opposite effect. Actually, several studies have made this conclusion, but researchers at the Brigham Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders wanted to find out why. The scientists concluded that when all other factors are kept consistent (caloric intake, physical activity, sleep and light exposure, etc.), eating 4 hours later “makes a significant difference for our hunger levels, the way we burn calories after we eat, and the way we store fat.” They say this could apply to those who eat either meals or snacks later in the day.
(Good – let’s eat!)
(My grandparents eat so early, they have lunch at 10:30, dinner at 4, and breakfast the night before!)
-StudyFinds
NEW DEVELOPMENTS:
➢ A Japanese handyman has invented a new foldable electric guitar – for traveling. Yuji Shimano’s fold-up guitar comes with a velvet-textured briefcase featuring a built-in speaker and amplifier – which means an entire basic guitar set-up can be carried in one briefcase. While in the case, the neck of the guitar is concealed behind its body, and the guitar strings are loose. He says his design will make it easier for players to make music when on the move. (A fold-up guitar? That’s a new wrinkle!)
➢ For “Croc Day” on Monday, footwear maker Crocs released its new $120 “Crocs Classic Cowboy Boots” – complete with spurs. “Croots”, as they have been nicknamed, feature “a high shine croc-embossed texture and bold western-inspired stitching”. It is “embellished with unique metallic Jibbitz charms and a first-of-its-kind spin-able spur charm attached to the backstrap of the shoe”. The boot will be available for a limited time. (Yup, they’re real – real ridiculous!) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4hstmpwv
-Guitar, Guardian
“GRATE” SAYINGS”:
A LinkedIn survey found that workplace jargon is like a “different language” to Gen Z, and many people in that demographic are turning to TikTok to mock common corporate phrases. Here are some of the most “cringeworthy” workplace phrases that they are laughing at you for using…
☞ “Blue-sky thinking”: Used to describe a form of creative brainstorming. It encourages people to think creatively without being inhibited by existing beliefs or ideas. (How ‘bout just ‘brainstorming’?)
☞ “Boiling the ocean”: Business speak for taking on an impossible or unnecessarily difficult project. It is usually considered a negative phrase to describe a task.
☞ “A quick flag”: When a manager says this, they either want to raise something important or something that’s potentially an issue.
☞ “Ducks in a row”: It’s all about making sure that you’re properly prepared and organized for a task or project.
☞ “Herding cats”: In the corporate world, ‘cat-herders’ are those who can organize different people to come together and complete a difficult task, despite possible conflicting views.
☞ “Low-hanging fruit”: Refers to tasks that are the easiest to accomplish. The fruit that hangs lowest on the tree is easiest to pick, after all.
☞ “Singing from the same hymn sheet”: It refers to people having the same understanding of something or saying the same thing, often publicly.
☞ “Move the needle”: In business speak, “moving the needle” is about completing tasks that have a noticeable impact — or enough of an effect that people notice.
(Well, now that we’ve addressed the ‘elephant in the room’…)
LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mry2fef5
-Insider
DID YOU KNOW?
Bobi, the world’s oldest known dog, has died at age 31. Guinness World Records reported that Bobi, who lived with his human family in a rural village in Portugal, died over the weekend. The purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a farm and watch-dog breed known for its confidence and calm demeanor, lived at the home his entire life, where he ate an “all-natural” diet and lived an “anxiety-free” life. Guinness says Bobi was born May 11, 1992.
-USAToday
BS CHRONOMETER 10.25.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Punk for a Day Day”, so get on your faux-hawk, your stick-on tats, your imitation leather and strut your stuff! (And should I also forget how to play musical instruments?)
• “International Artists Day”, honoring the contribution artists make to society. Today, visit a gallery, participate in something creative, or buy that painting that you’ve been admiring.
• “Cartoonists Against Crime Day”, honoring cartoonists, graphic artists, and illustrators who promote crime prevention through their works. (Stop varmint … or I’ll draw!)
• “Chucky the Notorious Killer Doll Day”, celebrating the murderous, knife-wielding doll brought to life in the horror films: “Child’s Play” (1988); “Child’s Play 2″ (1990); “Child’s Play 3″ (1991); “Bride of Chucky” (1998); “Seed of Chucky” (2004); “Curse of Chucky” (2013); “Cult of Chucky” (2017), and “Child’s Play” (2019), plus the TV series “Chucky” (since 2021)
• “Greasy Foods Day”. From pizza and nachos to burgers and French fries, it’s nearly impossible to ignore this guilty pleasure. (Especially if it’s someone else’s!)
• “World Pasta Day”, honoring one of Italy’s greatest gifts to the world. It’s estimated there are around 350 different types of pasta . . . and about 4 times that many names for them.
• “Lung Health Day”, observed annually on the 4th Wednesday of October, encouraging us to breathe easier by observing healthy respiratory practices.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Horseless Carriage Day
[Thurs] Howl at the Moon Night
[Fri] Boxer Shorts Day
[Sat] Make a Difference Day
This Week Is…Massage Therapy Awareness Week
This Month Is…Pretzel Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1928 [95] Marion Ross, Watertown MN, TV actress (‘Marion Cunningham’ on “Happy Days” 1974-1984)
1957 [66] Nancy Cartwright, Dayton OH, voice actress (‘Bart Simpson’ and others, including ‘Nelson Muntz’, ‘Ralph Wiggum’, ‘Todd Flanders’, and ‘Maggie’ on “The Simpsons” since 1989)
1961 [62] Chad Smith, St Paul MN, rock drummer (Red Hot Chili Peppers-‘Scar Tissue’, Chickenfoot-‘Oh Yeah’)
1969 [54] Samantha Bee, Toronto ON, comedian-TV personality (“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” 2016-22/“The Daily Show” correspondent 2003-15)
1970 [53] (Lloyd) Ed Robertson, Scarborough ON, pop singer-guitarist (Barenaked Ladies-‘If I Had a Million Dollars’, ‘One Week’)
1971 [52] Craig Robinson, Chicago IL, movie actor (“Sausage Party”, “Hot Tub Time Machine” films)/TV actor (“The Office” 2005-13)/TV host (“Last Comic Standing” 2010)
1984 [39] Katy Perry (Hudson), Santa Barbara CA, pop singer (‘I Kissed a Girl’, ‘Firework’)/“American Idol” judge since 2018/engaged to Orlando Bloom
1985 [38] Ciara (Wilson), Fort Hood TX, pop singer (‘Goodies’, ‘Love Sex Magic’ ft. Justin Timberlake)/Global Brand Ambassador for Revlon/married to Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson since 2016
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1978 [45] “Halloween”, directed by John Carpenter, starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis (in her debut), is released (the 13th movie in the series, “Halloween Ends”, was released last year – starring Jamie Lee Curtis)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2014 [09] Taylor Swift applies to trademark several phrases related to her album “1989”, including “Party Like It’s 1989,” “This Sick Beat” and “’Cause We Never Go Out of Style”
2017 [06] Nashville stages a star-studded farewell concert for Kenny Rogers, who is retiring after a 60-year career. Chris Stapleton sings ‘The Gambler’, Lionel Richie sings ‘Lady,’ and Don Henley performs the Eagles’ ‘Desperado’, which Rogers covered. The highlight: Rogers takes the stage with Dolly Parton to close out the night with ‘Islands in the Stream’
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1991 [32] 33-year-old Jack Feeser sets the unofficial ‘World Car Kissing Record’ in Hanover, Pennsylvania by smooching a Geo Storm for 145 hours, 14 minutes to win the vehicle from a dealership
2021 [02] Elon Musk makes a record $25 billion in one day, pushing his estimated worth to $255.2 billion, making him likely the richest person ever, according to Forbes
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Men are more likely than women to run stoplights, but women are more likely to change lanes without signaling.
✓ In a study, posting reminder signs in ladies’ restrooms increased handwashing by 36%. Men’s rooms: 0%.
✓ During normal conversation, each speaker’s “turn” averages 2 seconds, and the pause in between is only 200 milliseconds. That figure is nearly universal.
✓ In 18th century Paris, street vendors sold baths, physically carrying tubs and water into private homes.
✓ If you order a large tea, the tea bag is the same as in a small or a medium – you’re paying for the extra water.
✓ The little piece of paper sticking out of a Hershey’s Kiss is called a “niggly wiggly”.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, BestLife
Best of BS…
BS REASONS YOU WON’T BE WINNING THE HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST:
• The ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ had big hair and a small butt, not the other way around.
• Your ‘Liposuction Byproduct’ costume may be mistaken for a ‘Bowl of Tapioca Pudding’ costume.
• Your prison uniform rips every time you bend over.
• Thanks to the sliding humps, no one will know whether you’re supposed to be a camel or Dolly Parton.
• Your ’80s Wardrobe’ costume involves the same clothes you wear any other day.
• You can’t get the zipper on your Leo DiCaprio costume to stay up.
• Even though your ‘Viagra Man’ outfit is clever, people may just mistake you for a lawyer.
• Nobody likes a farting clown.
-Adapted from TopFive, first published in BS in 2011
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS . . .
➠ There’s a rumor that Taylor Swift is buying a house with Travis Kelce in the Kansas City area. (Makes sense. “House” has more rhymable words than “Kelce”…!)
➠ Porn star Jessica Drake claims Donald Trump once hugged and kissed her without permission. (Well, that’s horrible! Side note: If my wife asks, I have NO IDEA who Jessica Drake is…!)
➠ A southern Minnesota teacher just grew a record-breaking 2,749lb pumpkin. (And that concludes this month’s edition of “News from Southern Minnesota”.
➠ Vladimir Putin is reportedly stockpiling gold. (He’s keeping it in a vast, empty space called “his shirt closet.”)
➠ Fact: 2.5 billion people globally lack toilets. (Wow. So…what do they cling to when they’re promising God they’ll never drink again?
BS WEB GOODIE:
Dad humor (sound up): https://tinyurl.com/4ay6wwp8
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I always double-check that our garage door is closed at night. I don’t want someone stealing all the stuff we’ve been trying to get rid of for years…
BS HERE OR HEREAFTER?
Halloween’s coming…are these celebs still kickin’…or “walking among us”?
• Actor Gene Hackman [Alive at 93]
• Actress Catharine Zeta-Jones [Alive at 54]
• Boxer Muhammad Ali [Died in 2016]
• Actor Dick Van Dyke [Alive at 97]
• Singer Pat Benatar [Alive at 70]
• Politician Boris Yeltsin [Died in 2007]
• Baseball pro Willie Mays [Alive at 92]
• Actor Roger Moore [Died in 2017]
• Singer Tony Bennett [Died this year at 96]
• Actress Loni Anderson [Alive at 78]
• Singer Boy George [Alive at 62]
• Comedian Louie Anderson [Died in 2022]
• Singer Luciano Pavarotti [Died in 2007]
BS PHONE STARTER:
What really needs to be modernized?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 71% of us have one of THESE that has been passed down from their parents or grandparents. What is it?
Answer: A family recipe
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Fear can paralyze you. Or it can fuel you. Let it do the latter.
