Thursday, October 26, 2023 – Edition: #7583

Sheet Happens!

 

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Britney Spears’ one-time husband, Jason Alexander, is changing his tune about their Las Vegas nuptials. The wedding crasher told TMZ this week that he and the singer were “absolutely in love” and “weren’t boozing” at the time of the impromptu wedding. Alexander’s comments come after the release of Spears’ new memoir, “The Woman in Me,” where she said that she and her longtime friend were “drunk” and “bored” when they went to a chapel in 2004, writing: “I don’t even remember that night at all”. She also said they were “not in love”. But in an interview 10 years ago, Alexander said the 2 were doing all sorts of “drugs”, including alcohol.
-PageSix
★ “The Rock” has been corrected. France’s Musée Grévin museum took Dwayne Johnson’s comments and social media outcry over the star’s botched wax figure to heart. Within 24 hours, his figure was updated by artists who gave it a slightly darker skin tone with meticulous strokes of oil painting. Johnson’s suburban dad-esque outfit, however, remains. The museum’s PR person explained that the original version was made from “several photos — but…pictures can be very tricky because the nuances of skin tones can differ, depending on the lighting.”
-Variety
★ Nick Cannon is set to introduce new talent discovered during his “Future Superstars Tour 2023”. VH1 and Cannon’s Ncredible Entertainment have teamed up on the new docuseries “Nick Cannon Presents: Future Superstars”. Hosted by Cannon, it will take viewers on a coast-to-coast journey during the 2023 tour, showcasing the talents of 9 emerging artists: Big Boss Vette, DW Flame, Hitman Holla, JD McCrary, Jilly, Klondike Blonde, Pop Money, Symba and Trae Two Three. Described as artists who are on the cusp of making their mark in the music industry, each half-hour episode delves into their unique musical gifts and personal journeys. It’ll premiere on Nov. 21.
-Deadline
★ Rumor has it that John Travolta and Kurt Russell will star in Quentin Tarantino’s final movie. The potential plans were unearthed by Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider on his Hot Mic podcast with John Rocha. Sneider revealed that Russell is among the names being tossed around for “The Movie Critic”, said to be Tarantino’s final film. Also rumored to star in the movie are Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta. In March, it was reported that Tarantino has set up his next film, which will be his 10th. In the past, the director has implied that he was retiring after making his 10th movie, so speculation has been swirling ever since.
-PopCulture
★ Daniel Radcliffe is exec-producing a documentary about his former stunt double, who was left paralyzed following an accident on the “Harry Potter” set. “David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived” is the coming-of-age story of a talented teenage gymnast who formed a bond with ‘Harry Potter’ star Radcliffe. Holmes was working on “Deathly Hallows: Part 1” when an explosion that was part of a planned stunt sent him plummeting to the ground, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. It’ll air Nov. 15 on HBO.
-Deadline
★ The iconic home from the “Halloween” movie where Jamie Lee Curtis’ character, the teenaged ‘Laurie Strode’ sat out front holding a pumpkin, has a new owner — making a killing in the sale just in time for…uh…Halloween. The South Pasadena, CA home that served as a filming location for the 1978 horror flick has officially sold for $1.68 million. It hit the market last month with a $1.8 million list price.
-TMZ

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global):  Tiffany Haddish, Jeff Ross, Tate McRae
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Tim Grover, Jorja Smith
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Keegan-Michael Key, Elle Key, John Carpenter
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Morgan Freeman, McKay Coppins
• “The Daily Show (COM): Guest host Desus Nice
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Kristen Stewart, Jana Kramer
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Sally Mueller and Michelle Jacobs
• “The Talk” (CBS): Josh Duhamel, Luann De Lesseps
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): TBA
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Sam Jay, Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): John Stamos
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Chelsea Handler
• “The Golden Bachelor (ABC): Followed by a new “Bachelor in Paradise”
• “Buddy Games” (CBS): Teams must balance the pressure of the competition and the strength of alliances as a major curveball challenge throws the house for a spin.
• “Transplant” (NBC): Bash treats a woman whose ketamine therapy goes awry; Mags loses confidence in her new boss; June realizes she has too much on her plate.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – ‘Cruel Summer’ has hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, 4 years after its release. The song, from the “Lover” album, first reached the top 10 in July, and was a consensus pick among many for 2023’s “song of the summer.” But since then, the popularity of Swift’s new “Eras Tour” concert movie and the release of 2 fresh versions of the song, have finally catapulted the song to the top.
• Camila Cabello – Is she teasing a new musical era? She shared an Instagram post which features photos of her in the studio working with producers Jasper Harris, Bart Schoudel, and Spanish musician and singer El Guincho. In the caption, she wrote: “Someday you’ll miss this.” She first started teasing a new album in the summer. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2m7nwn5m
• Heart – has announced its first concert since 2019. Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson have announced a New Year’s Eve show at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, with special guest Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening. The news comes after Nancy turned up as an unannounced special guest at Ann’s gig with her band, Tripsitter, in Northern California earlier this month. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2wvb5uv8
• Duran Duran – drop their new Halloween-themed album “Danse Macabre” tomorrow. They call it a “crazy Halloween party”, channeling some of their musical friends and heroes in a series of scary covers. Their version of the Talking Heads classic ‘Psycho Killer’, featuring Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin, is out now. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yc3a93em
• R.E.M. – You may have heard that Kurt Cobain’s daughter, Frances Bean, and Tony Hawke’s son, Riley, got married. What you may NOT have heard is that the ceremony was officiated by R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, who is Frances’ godfather. TMZ reports the couple was wed Oct. 7 in San Diego County.
• Carrie Underwood – has been added to the list of performers at the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Other newly-announced stars set to grace the stage Nov. 3 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY are: Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, Common, Miguel and Sia. Chris Stapleton and Brandi Carlile have been previously announced as performers at the event. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/25w3vy77
• Nate Smith – His latest single ‘World on Fire’ was partly inspired by the 2018 wildfire in his hometown of Paradise, California. He said: “There’s definitely nuggets in there about not recognizing the place that you used to go”, but the song also contains the storyline of a painful romantic split.
• Garth Brooks – gave fans a preview of 2 new songs off his upcoming album during the Monday edition of his “Inside Studio G” Facebook livestream. He performed ‘Pleasure in the Pain’ and ‘Saint Paul Minneapolis (A True Story)’ on acoustic guitar. Brooks’ 7-disc box set “The Limited Series” will include a new studio album, and arrives on Nov. 24.

SHOOTING THE BULL

TECH TALK:
❑ It turns out that about 99% of Netflix’s subscribers are missing out on a major perk. In recent years, the streamer has branched out into the video games industry, acquiring gaming studios and making a games library available via the Netflix mobile app with every subscription. The library of more than 70 games features award-winning titles including “Immortality”, “Kentucky Route Zero” and “Before Your Eyes”, all at no extra cost. But the games feature is little-used. A CNBC report found that just 0.88% of Netflix subscribers play one of the streamer’s games daily.
❑ Really? Tinder is now letting the people in your life — including, perhaps, your parents — play cupid for you. The world’s most popular dating app has launched “Tinder Matchmaker”, a new feature that lets a user’s friends and family access Tinder, to recommend profiles for them. The new feature could help you figure out if a potential match passes the “friend test” — and if they’ll get your parents’ approval. Tinder says that over 75% of singles said in a survey that they discuss their dating life with friends multiple times a month. (But NONE talk about it with their parents! What are they thinking?!?!?)
-NYPost

OVERSTEPPING:
☞ A car dealership in Australia has backpedaled after its $35 surcharge to pay in cash went viral, sparking outrage. A man named Peter was shocked to see the list of transaction fees at Sydney City MG dealership. The list, which he shared, included surcharges of 0.5 to 2% to pay with various types of credit cards. But what sparkplugged online backlash was the final surcharge – of $35, if the buyer wanted to pay in cash. Some noted that the maximum cash transaction allowed at the dealership was $3174, which works out to be a 1.1% surcharge – more than it would cost you to pay with a MasterCard debit card. The company says it will now absorb the cost. (That’s car-dealer language for “they’ll find a way to hide it on your bill” …)
☞ A restaurant in Georgia is causing raised eyebrows online after word of its dining surcharge — for “bad parenting” — went viral. The Toccoa Riverside Restaurant says it may add the extra fee to parents of unruly kids at the discretion of the business. The warning, right on the restaurant’s bill of fare, bluntly reads: “Adult surcharge: For adults unable to parent: $$$.” A pic of the menu recently appeared on Reddit with the caption: “This restaurant charges you extra for bad parenting.” (Harsh, yes, but just imagine the incidents that occurred which led to this…!)
☞ Some fed-up renters are calling out a landlord online after spotting a strange requirement on one listing. A “designer micro apartment” is advertised for rent, but guests are not permitted overnight. The one-bed unit is up for $370 a week in a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. According to the ad: “Guests are permitted to visit but are not able to stay overnight.” The strange requirement prompted a hysterical reaction on social media, with a TikTok user saying: “Australian landlords are literally banning sex in their apartments.” True or not, the owner of the apartment building claims “each apartment is for single occupancy only due to council and fire restrictions”. (Hundreds of fathers with college-age daughters are already on a waiting list!)
-News.com.Au, NYPost

CARDIOUT:
Sure, doing cardio is good for your health, but if you’re looking to burn fat and build muscle, you’re way better off pumping iron. A new study found that those who did strength training lost more fat, built more muscle, and had better blood sugar maintenance than those who did cardio, or a combination of both. Researchers from Stanford University looked at nearly 200 people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who participated in a 9-month exercise routine of strength training, cardio or both. Their findings show that the group that did just strength training exercises had better progress, compared to those who utilized the treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike. The researchers point out that while one workout of strength training might not burn as many calories as a cardio workout, it builds muscle tissue — which requires more energy to maintain — so a program of strength training can ultimately burn more calories overall.
(OK – There’s my excuse to skip the cardio…Now all I need is a good reason to avoid lifting weights!)
(On the other hand, I’ve found that I get laughed at a lot less when I’m doing cardio . . . Unless I fall on the treadmill…!)
-NYPost

TOP TOYS FOR CHRISTMAS 2023:
With just 60 shopping days left, here is a list of what are expected to be the most in-demand toys among kids this Christmas, according to Wal Mart Canada…
⇒ Gabby’s Dollhouse, Gabby Cat Friend Ship
⇒ VTech Storytime With Sunny
⇒ Kinetic Sand Rainbow Cake Shoppe
⇒ MGA’s Miniverse Make It Mini Collectibles
⇒ Squishmallows 10″ Disney Hugmees
⇒ LEGO Friends Bedroom Sets
⇒ LEGO Speed Champions
⇒ Twister Air Party Game
⇒ Cool Maker PopStyle Bracelet Maker
⇒ Smashers Monster Truck Surprise
⇒ Bitzee, Interactive Toy Digital Pet and Case
⇒ Magic Mixies Pixlings Doll
⇒ MEGA Pokémon Building Kit
⇒ Cookeez Makery Oven Playset
⇒ L.O.L. Surprise! Magic Flyers
⇒ PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, Transforming Vehicle with Mighty Pups Action Figure
⇒ Robo Blast – YCOO Robot
(When I was a kid, toys had one-word names…)
-WalMartCanada

DID YOU KNOW?
The USFDA is weighing approval for the FluMist nasal spray vaccine. If approved, next year, Americans could self-administer the vaccine at home. The vaccine, the only nasal spray option against flu, has been on the market in the US since 2003. AstraZeneca has asked the FDA to allow adults ages 18-49 to be able to give themselves the vaccine, or administer it to children as young as age 2.
-CNN

BS CHRONOMETER 10.26.23

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Pumpkin Day”, celebrating the orange member of the squash family best known for being carved into jack-o-lanterns or made into pie filling. Did you know that pumpkins are 90% water? At one time, they were recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites. (Not saying it worked, just that it was recommended…)
• “Mincemeat Day”. Odds are you either love it or you can’t stand the stuff. Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits, spices, and sometimes beef suet. Originally, it always contained meat; many modern recipes use vegetable shortening in its place.
• “Horseless Carriage Day”, in the early days of automobiles, it was common that carriages were pulled by animals, typically horses, but automobiles were not. More recently, the phrase has been compared to “Retronyms” terms like ‘cordless phone’ and ‘wireless internet’, when a new technology is described by what it does not have, compared to older technology. Other examples include ‘acoustic guitar’, ‘natural flavor”, and ‘black-and-white TV’.
• “Mule Day”, celebrating these unique hybrid animals. Mules are the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse and are more common than hinnies, the offspring of a female donkey and a male horse. Because donkeys and horses are different species with a different number of chromosomes, their offspring are nearly always sterile. (And stubborn!)
• “Worldwide Howl at the Moon Night”, an annual pre-Halloween tradition. A wolf howl can carry up to 10 miles in areas where there are no trees. Owoooooo!

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Frankenstein Friday
[Fri] Bandanna Day
[Sat] Chocolate Day
[Sun] Internet Day
This Week is…Massage Therapy Awareness Week
This Month is…Bake and Decorate Month

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1945 [78] Jaclyn Smith, Houston TX, TV actress (“Charlie’s Angels” 1976-1981)/businesswoman (“Jaclyn Smith Brands” fashion & skincare icon since 1985)

1946 [77] Pat Sajak, Chicago IL, TV game show host (“Wheel of Fortune” since 1981, retiring in 2024)

1947 [76] Hillary Rodham Clinton, Park Ridge IL, politician (former US presidential candidate/Secretary of State 2009-13/US Senator 2001-08/First Lady 1992-2000/married to Bill Clinton since 1975

1954 [69] James Pickens Jr, Cleveland OH, TV actor (‘Dr Richard Webber’ on “Grey’s Anatomy” since 2005, “The Conners” since 2018

1956 [67] Rita Wilson, Los Angeles CA, movie actress (“That Thing You Do!”, “Jingle All the Way”)/married to Tom Hanks since 1988

1961 [62] Dylan McDermott, Waterbury CT, TV actor (“The Practice” 1997-2004, “American Horror Story”, “FBI: Most Wanted” since 2022)

1962 [61] Cary Elwes, London England, movie actor (“The Princess Bride”, “Saw”, “Twister”)

1967 [56] Keith Urban, Whangarei New Zealand, country singer (‘Wasted Time’, ‘Blue Ain’t Your Color’)/married to Nicole Kidman since 2006

1973 [50] Seth McFarlane, Kent CT, TV showrunner-writer-actor (“Family Guy” since 1999, “American Dad!” since 2005, “The Cleveland Show” 2009-13)/filmmaker-movie actor (“Ted” movies). COMING UP… “Ted” TV series

1975 [48] Paula Faris, Jackson MI, TV personality (“The View” 2015-18, “Good Morning America Weekend” 2014-18)

1977 [46] Jon Heder, Fort Collins CO, movie actor (“Napoleon Dynamite”, “Blades of Glory”) COMING UP…“Tapawingo”

1971 [52] Anthony Rapp, Chicago IL, TV actor (“Star Trek: Discovery” since 2017)/movie actor (“Rent”)/stage actor (“Rent”, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ. . .
1984 [39] “The Terminator,” directed by James Cameron, and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, is released. It is credited with launching Cameron’s film career and solidifying Schwarzenegger’s status as a leading man. (And it would “be back…”)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2011 [12] A coroner’s inquest on the death of Amy Winehouse reaches a verdict of ‘misadventure’, a nice way of saying her blood alcohol content was more than 5 times the legal driving limit

2015 [08] Justin Bieber cleans up at the MTV European Music Awards, winning ‘Best Male’, ‘Best North American Act’, ‘Best Collaboration’, ‘Biggest Fans’, and ‘Best Look’

2019 [04] The beat-up green cardigan Kurt Cobain wore on “MTV Unplugged” sells at auction for $334,000

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1901 [122] The first recorded use of a “getaway car” occurs, after the hold-up of a shop in Paris

1975 [48] The ‘Heimlich Maneuver’ is first approved as an aid for people choking on food (named for co-developer, Dr Henry Heimlich, who used his own maneuver in 2016 at age 96 to save an 87-year-old woman in his senior’s home)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1990 [33] Wayne Gretzky of the LA Kings becomes the first (and still the only) NHL player to reach 2,000 career points

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Eating grapefruit can restrict the effects of 43 different kinds of medications.
✓ Scientists say the T-Rex likely had feathers.
✓ The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows. Shaved eyebrows were the fad when she was painted.
✓ Statistically, sports teams that wear red uniforms play better.
✓ Surgeons who play video games at least 3 hours a week perform 27% faster and make 37% fewer errors.
✓ There’s a town in Oklahoma named “Hooker,” and its slogan is: “it’s a location, not a vocation.”
-BestLife, BathroomReadersInstitute

Best of BS . . .
BS SIGNS YOUR HOUSE IS HAUNTED:
• The phrase “If these walls could talk” isn’t just a saying at your place.
• At midnight, you hear a voice that says “Get out!”, and for once, it’s not your wife.
• When you bought it, there was a “Haunted House for Sale” sign in the front yard.
• There are actual skeletons in the closet.
• Your kids’ Halloween treats disappear. (It’s gotta be a ghost…honest!)
• Parked out front, there is a vehicle marked “Mystery Machine” with a bunch of meddling kids and a Great Dane in it.
• The ghost dragging the dead corpses around tells you it’s haunted.
• Someone hired a bunch of C-level actors and made a crappy movie about it.
• Ectoplasm on the stairs!
• The ceiling bleeds blood down the walls at midnight. Not a definite sign, but a really strong indication.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018

TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS . . .
➠ Halloween is my favorite time of year. (I can pretend all the dust and cobwebs in my home are Halloween decorations.)
➠ Don’t you just love Halloween time? Seeing all those lil’ monsters with their fake smiles and freakish hair, begging for your approval?? (Heck, I may even turn off “The View” and hand out candy, who knows…)
➠ Halloween is just days away. (Not sure about you, but the houses with Halloween Decorations aren’t nearly scary as the ones that still have last year’s Christmas decorations up…)
➠ Halloween is just days away. (…the one night of the year that I buy bags upon bags of chocolate treats – then turn off my porch light and act like I’m not home!)
➠ A company is selling a “sexy” Donald Trump costume. (Oh, so like…we’re somehow supposed to believe it’s possible for Donald Trump to be even SEXIER? Yeah, right!)

BS WEB GOODIE:
She fell harder than the Roman Empire (sound definitely up):  https://tinyurl.com/k25fzryd

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Remember – Potato chips have very little nutritional value. That’s why you need to eat the whole bag.

BS PHONE STARTER:
What Halloween costumes do you remember wearing as a kid?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  46% of men find THIS attractive on a woman. What is it?
Answer:  A tattoo

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Whatever you do, do it with feeling.