Friday, June 9, 2023 – Edition: #7492

Sweet Sheet!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Credit where it’s due: Kate Middleton and Prince William have offered to replace food and other donated items that were stolen from a food bank. Reverend Steven Bunting of St Thomas Church in Swansea, Wales says that after arriving to open up on Monday, “all the existing food supplies” were discovered missing, plus other items meant for those who need them, such as a bike and some children’s toys. But, he said: The Prince and Princess of Wales, who visited the parish a few months ago, contacted the church, and indicated “they would like to replace the food that was taken”. The church also posted a note to the perpetrators on its Facebook page, saying: “We are a forgiving bunch and would love to support you out of that situation.”
-People
★ Chris Hemsworth isn’t digging the negativity for the franchise that made him famous: the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He spoke with GQ in a new interview about backlash from Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino over the beloved series of superhero films. Tarantino had blamed Hollywood’s lack of movie stars on the MCU, and Scorsese went so far as to claim that Marvel flicks should not be considered cinema. Hemsworth, who has played ‘Thor’ in several Marvel movies, said: “That’s super depressing when I hear that. There goes two of my heroes I won’t work with. I guess they’re not a fan of me.” But despite the comments, Hemsworth said: “In a heartbeat I would leap to work with any of them.”
-NYPost
★ Amazon Prime Video is reportedly about to jump on the commercial bandwagon. Following the recent introduction of Netflix with ads and Disney+ with ads, the Amazon-backed streamer is reportedly in the “early stages” of introducing a Prime Video ad-supported subscription tier. The company is reportedly looking at several ways it could implement ads, such as showing more ads to existing Prime subscribers and giving them an option to pay more for an ad-free alternative. It is also said to be in talks with both Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global about adding the ad-based tiers of their streaming services through Prime Video Channels.
-PopCulture
★ Tom Holland is out of office. The 27-year-old “Spider-Man: No Way Home” star has decided to take a hiatus from acting after producing and starring in the Apple TV+ limited series “The Crowded Room.” In an interview, he called making the show “a tough time, for sure”. He said as it was put together, “We were exploring certain emotions that I have definitely never experienced before. And then on top of that, being a producer, dealing with the day-to-day problems that come with any film set, just added that extra level of pressure.” Despite enjoying his role, the actor admitted the show “did break him” in the process, and his newly announced one-year break “is a result of how difficult this show was.”
-PageSix
★ Shannen Doherty revealed on Wednesday that her Stage 4 breast cancer has spread to her brain. On Instagram, the “Beverly Hills, 90210” star shared a video of her CT scan from January, in which doctors determined that the cancer had metastasized. The previous day, she shared a clip of herself getting fitted for the mask for her first radiation brain treatment. She said of being confined in the small space of the CT machine: “My fear is obvious. I am extremely claustrophobic and there was a lot going on in my life.”
-TheWrap
★ “Expendables 4” is coming soon to theatres, and we now have the movie’s explosive first trailer. The teaser for the new film reveals the return of some franchise favorite stars — like Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham — as well as a handful of newcomers, like Megan Fox and 50 Cent. This time around, the crew “are drawn into a conspiracy that will ignite a nuclear conflict between Russia and the United States.” The movie hits theaters Sept. 22. LINK: https://youtu.be/DhlaBO-SwVE
-PopCulture

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Michelle Obama, Marc Maron (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Martin Short, Juno Temple, Demi Lovato (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Samuel L. Jackson, Clarissa Ward (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): David Letterman, Adam Duritz (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Common, Dr. Jennifer Ashton
• “The Talk” (CBS): Zach Braff, guest co-hosts Lisa Rinna & Morris Chestnut (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Mary J. Blige, Daniel Wu
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Meghan Trainor, Tom Pelphrey, Jeremy Ford (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Tig Notaro, Pilar Valdes (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Alfonso Ribeiro (R)
• “NBA Final” (Check local listings): Game #4: Denver @ Miami
SATURDAY:
• “Avatar: The Way of Water” (HBO): Jake Sully, Neytiri and their children explore the mysterious lands of Pandora. When a familiar threat resurfaces, they must fight a difficult war to protect their planet.
• “Mary J. Blige’s Real Love” (LIFETIME): College student Kendra is determined to keep things professional with Ben, her photo class partner. Despite disapproving parents, financial hardships and an unexpected pregnancy, they soon find themselves falling hard for each other.
• “Stanley Cup Final” (Check local listings): Game 4: Las Vegas @ Florida
SUNDAY:
• “76th Annual Tony Awards” (CBS): Honoring excellence on Broadway; Ariana DeBose hosts. Tentatively canceled due to the WGA strike, a waiver has allowed it to proceed, probably without scripted material.
• “The Pregnancy Scheme” (LIFETIME): Pregnant and newly single, Julia faces catastrophe when she loses her job. An unlikely lifeline arrives when her new friend Alana says she knows people who’d pay top dollar for positive pregnancy tests.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• One Direction — Niall Horan says of reunion rumors: “The conversation hasn’t happened.” He did, however open up about his most embarrassing stage mishap. In a Seventeen interview, he said: “One night I mounted an inflatable banana and ran up this big long platform…and completely stacked it and fell over the banana and face planted onto the ground.”
• Ed Sheeran – hinted on the “Today Show” that a genre-shift may be coming. After admitting that he’s known “for 13 years” that his latest album “-” would be the end of that cycle of his career, Carson Daly asked about a pivot to country music. Sheeran responded: “I lived in Nashville for a couple of years, and I kind of fell in love with [country music] there. That’s something I would love to do at some point”.
• Foo Fighters — have seemingly confirmed they’ll be playing a surprise set at Glastonbury. On the official itinerary for the world-famous music festival, there is a band called The Churnups set to play June 23. In a handwritten note on social media, Dave Grohl thanked fans for their support during their recent shows, closing with: “it feels good to see you, churning-up these emotions together. See you soon.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mu4ahn4j
• The Rolling Stones — have teamed up with coffee-maker Keurig to release a limited edition Start Me Up iced coffee kit. The group has also put its name to a medium roast coffee blend and tumbler, complete with the band’s famous Hot Lips logo. Want more? They’ve also come up with a curated Spotify playlist featuring Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley and, of course, themselves. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/33pdmfmh
• Guns N’ Roses – Tantalized fans outside a stadium in Tel Aviv by playing the unreleased tune ‘Perhaps’ during soundcheck. Hardcore fans recognized it as a much-buzzed-about song from the “Chinese Democracy” that was never released. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/25jw4bur
• Bailey Zimmerman – has shared footage of his album release week. He recently released his highly anticipated debut record “Religiously. The Album”. He wrote on social media: “I wanted to show you what it was like during the week it was released”, and posted footage featuring himself performing at the 2023 ACM Awards and onstage at various shows, as well as meeting fans and rehearsing backstage. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4atp7u4u
• Garth Brooks – says there are 5 more albums coming from his rock alter-ego Chris Gaines. The 1999 album “Garth Brooks… In the Life of Chris Gaines” served as a “Greatest Hits” for the fictional artist (created for a film that was never made), who supposedly released 5 albums. In a Q&A, he told the audience: “The five albums have to come out.”
• Jelly Roll – has gone viral with a TikTok video, where he rolls up to a Whataburger drive-thru, and asks the teen working how many are working with him. When the young fan says there are 5, Jelly Roll explains that he’s going to send him $1000, and he must give each coworker $200. He looks into the camera to say: “My dude don’t believe me, y’all, but we’re gonna hit ’em with the big ol’ bank roll.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4j374jeb

SHOOTING THE BULL

THIS WEEK’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” (PG-13, Action/Adventure): Set in the 1990s, the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons join the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons. Noah and Elena are swept up in the conflict as Optimus Prime and the Autobots face a terrifying new nemesis named Scourge. (Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Michelle Yeoh) Tomatometer: 55%
• “97 Minutes” (No rating available-Mystery/Thriller, limited): A hijacked 767 will crash in just 97 minutes when its fuel runs out. NSA Director Hawkins prepares to have the plane shot down, leaving the fate of the innocent passengers in the hands of an undercover Interpol agent. (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Alec Baldwin, MyAnna Buring) No Tomatometer score.
• “Mending the Line” (R, Drama, limited): A Marine wounded in Afghanistan returns to a VA hospital in Montana where he meets a Vietnam vet who teaches him fly fishing as a means of coming to terms with his physical and emotional trauma. (Brian Cox, Sinqua Walls, Perry Mattfeld) Tomatometer: 83%

NEW TO YOU (AND ME):
❑ Coca-Cola is launching a new limited-edition flavor – aimed at gamers. For the new flavor, called “Coca-Cola Ultimate”, the soda maker partnered with Riot Games, which publishes the multi-player online game “League of Legends”. The line of abstract flavors, each paired with a digital experience, is designed to drum up excitement for Coke among younger consumers by focusing on music and online games. It rolled out globally this week, and hits stores in North America on Monday. What’s it taste like? No official comment, but Coke does say it offers drinkers the taste of “experience points”, which are earned by League of Legends players. (In other words, you have to buy it to “experience” it!)
❑ Taco Bell is testing a vegan version of its popular Crunchwrap, made with plant-based beef and cheese, in 3 US cities for about a week. Customers in LA, New York and Orlando can order the Vegan Crunchwrap, the chain has announced. Taco Bell has long been a favorite for customers who don’t eat meat, thanks to its vegetarian substitutes such as beans and potatoes. Nearly a quarter of the items it sold last year were vegetarian. Taco Bell used pea protein and soy to make the vegan beef in the new Crunchwrap. (As long as it doesn’t have the same result 20 minutes later, I’m good with it!)
-CNN, CNBC

WEIRDEST HOTEL ROOM-SERVICE REQUESTS:
From around the world, as revealed in the first-ever Hotels.com Room Service Report…
1. Diet water
2. Melted ice cream
3. Blowfish (What? No Hootie?)
4. Boiled bottled water
5. A raw fish that the guest brought with them to cook
6. Cockle popcorn
7. No egg white omelette
8. Rice bowl for dogs
9. Bison
10. Eggless eggs in hell (shakshuka)
-YahooNews

NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
 A US driver was arrested after making a wrong turn and ending up in a line to cross the Canada border while in possession of more than $815,000 in cash and a large amount of cannabis. Last Friday, the 60-year-old male was following GPS coordinates that he’d entered improperly, according to the RCMP, and “took a wrong turn and ended up in the border line up” at Niagara Falls ON. Because he had no passport, he was referred for a secondary examination, where officers discovered 181kg (399lbs) of cannabis and over $600,000 US dollars (worth $816,167CAD). Coincidentally, 3 days later, a wrong turn landed a female US driver in jail after she accidentally ended up on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls — and officers discovered she was in a stolen car. (Apparently neither men NOR women are willing to stop and ask for directions these days!)
➢ A Belgian company says it has developed a system that converts pig’s blood into water fit for human consumption. Veos specializes in producing animal proteins for the food industry. Until recently, the company relied solely on large quantities of groundwater to clean the massive tanks it stored pig blood in, but, thanks to a €2 million investment in a state-of-the-art water purification installation, Veos can actually use the stored pig blood to make drinkable water. Veos co-CEO Robert Slee said the treatment plant can provide 150,000 liters of potable water per day. (Or did he say “pot-bellied water”? Not sure…)
-CTV, OddityCentral

DID YOU KNOW?
It takes less than 20 minutes for the average person to know if they want a second date, according to new research. A survey of 2,000 single Americans (who are dating and/or looking for a partner) revealed the average respondent knows whether or not they’d like to see someone again at the 19-minute mark of their first date. When it comes to a potential mate, physical appearance is important to 44% of respondents, but a greater value is placed on manners (51%), personality (48%) and conversational skills (47%). And older respondents were found to have higher standards for a potential partner — 67% of Gen Zers said they have high standards, while 77% of Gen X said the same. (If you answered that question by saying you DON’T have high standards, I’m concerned about your standards!)
-StudyFinds

BS CHRONOMETER 06.09.23

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Donald Duck Day”, marking the cartoon character’s debut on this day 89 years ago (1934) as a bit player in the Walt Disney cartoon “The Little Wise Hen”. (***Insert Donald Duck impersonation here: “Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!”***) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/uwvxkcn5
• “Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day”, honoring the popular pie that mixes the sweet and the tart. The earliest known rhubarb dates back to 2700 BC in China, where it was cultivated for medicinal purposes.
• “Earl Day”, dedicated to those “with a particular qualification and a genuine capacity for achievement”. On National Earl Day, we honor those legends named Earl. (Quick! Name one…)
• “World APS Day”, also known as World Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome Day. APS is an autoimmune disorder in which the body recognizes certain components of blood and/or cell membranes as foreign substances, and produces antibodies against them.
• “Writers’ Rights Day”, going back to 1992, when writers called for more timely and higher pay, additional pay for subsequent use of their work, and increased copyright protection. (At least that’s what I heard. I’m waiting for the movie version…)

SATURDAY:
• “Ball Point Pen Day”, commemorating its 1943 invention by Lasalo Biro of Hungary. During WW2, Britain’s Royal Air Force commissioned him to develop an instrument that could write under low atmospheric pressure at high altitude. (Did they not think of using a pencil?)
• “Iced Tea Day”, celebrating the favorite Summer cooler of millions. The origins of early non-alcoholic iced tea recipes can be traced to 1876. A few years later, sweet tea began to take hold in the Southern US. Iced tea’s popularity really took off after visitors to the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis embraced it. (Let’s get this parTEA started!)
• “Herb and Spice Day”, an essential part of flavorful cooking, as well as fun and easy to grow. (It takes some thyme, though. Sorry.)
• “Black Cow Day” A Black Cow is a root beer float – made with vanilla ice cream and root beer. But in some places, a black cow or a “brown cow” is made with cola instead of root beer. And in other places, a “root beer float” has strictly vanilla ice cream; a float made with root beer and chocolate ice cream is a “chocolate cow” or a “brown cow”.
• “Alcoholics Anonymous Founders’ Day” On June 10, 1935, Bill Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith set out to find the best way to reform alcoholics, and Alcoholics Anonymous was born. (In Canada, the organization is called “AA, eh?”)
• It’s also both “World Gin Day” and National Rosé Day”, so take your pick. (Wait…“Name Your Poison Day” was on Thursday!)

SUNDAY:
• “Corn on the Cob Day”, Corn is an ancient plant native to the Americas. It is believed to have been first cultivated in Mexico and spread around the world via European explorers in the 15th and 16th centuries. Because eating it is a messy affair, and leads to corn sticking to your teeth, etiquette rules that it should never be served at formal occasions (or ordered on a first date!).
• “Cousteau Day”, a celebration of Jacques Cousteau’s life. In his 87 years, Captain Cousteau’s immense contributions to marine science and conservation, including the production of more than 120 documentaries, advancing the science of scuba, and promoting environmental activism, are indisputable.
• “German Chocolate Cake Day”, the first thing you should know about it is that it is not from Germany! It is named after American Samuel German, who came up with a dark baking chocolate for Baker’s Chocolate Company in 1852, which was named Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate.
• “National Making Life Beautiful Day”, dedicated to encouraging and celebrating those who are doing just that. Whether you’re creating beauty through building relationships or helping others, one small action can lead to a ripple effect, making life beautiful not just for yourself, but for those around you, too.
• “King Kamehameha Day”, honoring Hawaii’s first king, who unified the Hawaiian Islands in 1810. Not very significant to the rest of us … but it sure is fun saying “Kah-MAY-uh-MAY-uh”! LINK: http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/kamehameha-day

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1956 [67] Patricia Cornwell, Miami FL, author (one of the world’s top-selling crime novelists, her best-known series features forensic pathologist ‘Dr. Kay Scarpetta’)/over 100 million books sold

1961 [62] Michael J. Fox, Edmonton AB, TV actor (“Family Ties” 1982-89, “Spin City” 1996-2000)/movie actor (“Back to the Future” films)/founder of Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. (What does the ‘J’ stand for? Andrew, of course.)

1963 [60] Johnny Depp, Owensboro KY, TV actor (“21 Jump Street” 1987–1990)/movie actor (“Alice in Wonderland” films, “Pirates of the Caribbean” films)/married to Amber Heard 2015-17

1978 [45] Matt Bellamy, Cambridge England, rock guitarist-keyboardist-vocalist (Muse-‘Uprising’, ‘Supermassive Black Hole’)/Kate Hudson’s baby daddy

1978 [45] Michaela Conlin, Allentown PA, TV actress (‘Angela Montenegro’ on “Bones” 2005-16)/movie actress (“The Lincoln Lawyer”)

1981 [42] Natalie Portman (Hershlag), Jerusalem Israel, movie actress (Oscar-“Black Swan”, “Thor” films) COMING UP… “Lady in the Lake” series

1988 [35] Mae Whitman, Los Angeles CA, TV actress (“Good Girls” 2018-21, “Parenthood” 2010-15)

SATURDAY- Gina Gershon (“Showgirls”) is 61; Kate Flannery (“The Office”) is 59; Elizabeth Hurley (“The Royals”) is 58; Theresa Caputo (“Long Island Medium”) is 57; DJ Qualls (“Road Trip”) is 45; Lee Brice (‘Rumor’) is 44; Fashion model Kate Upton is 31; Daughter of former US president Obama, Sasha Obama is 22

SUNDAY- Children’s author Robert Munsch is 78; Hugh Laurie (“House MD”) is 64; Mehmet Oz (“The Dr. Oz Show” is 63; Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”) is 54; Joshua Jackson (“Dawson’s Creek”) is 45; Shia LaBeouf (“Transformers” films) is 37; Claire Holt (“The Originals”) is 35

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2006 [17] The animated movie blockbuster “Cars” debuts in theaters (spawns 2 sequels, 2 spin-offs, TV shows and video games)

2013 [10] “Kinky Boots”, with music by Cyndi Lauper & book by Harvey Fierstein, wins ‘Best Musical’ and several other Tony Awards

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2017 [06] Katy Perry begins live-streaming 4 days straight to promote the release of her new album, “Witness”. We learn that of her ex-boyfriends, John Mayer was the best in bed

2022 [01] 40-year-old Britney Spears marries 28-year-old actor/model/trainer Sam Asghari. Guests include Madonna, Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymore, and an interloper who crashes the ceremony: Jason Alexander, whom Spears was married to for 55 hours in 2004

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2007 [16] Top-seeded Justine Henin defeats Ana Ivanovic, becoming the first female to win 3 French Open championships in-a-row since Monica Seles in 1992

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2021 [02] A 1933 US “Double Eagle” gold coin (face value: $20) sells for a record $18.9 million in New York

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Camels originated in North America.
✓ Not getting enough sleep and being hungry are the 2 biggest reasons for being angry.
✓ Eating cucumber can cure bad breath.
✓ A rat can fall from a five-story building without injury.
✓ Forest fires move faster uphill than downhill.
✓ There’s a 99.9999% chance that any given person is your 16th cousin.
-Amazing Facts, Parade

Best of BS . . .
BS SIGNS YOU ARE LAZY:
• You watch the Weather Channel for 3 hours because the batteries in the remote died.
• You leave an outline when it rains.
• You were quarantining before it was cool.
• You planned to work out but it didn’t work out.
• You refer to the “Lazy Susan” as just “Susan”.
• A weekend wasted isn’t a wasted weekend.
• You’re a cat.
• I’ll tell you after my nap.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2020

TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ According to a report, 1 in 4 adults have the math skills of a 9-year-old. (How awful. That’s like . . . uh . . . 50%. Or something.)
➠ Disney owns Star Wars, Marvel, Indiana Jones, Disney World and the Simpsons. (If they could somehow acquire my old skateboard and parent’s divorce papers, they’d own my entire childhood!)
➠ Kanye West turned 46 yesterday. (Or, as he puts it: The Sun completed its 46th revolution around him…)
➠ Johnny Depp turns 60 today. (He isn’t sure how he’s celebrating, because Tim Burton hasn’t told him yet…)
➠ Donald Duck was “born” 89 years ago today, when he made his film debut in “The Little Wise Hen.”  (If you are planning on a gift– PANTS wouldn’t be a bad choice!)

BS WEB GOODIE:
Shotgun King:   https://tinyurl.com/522d3rcs

BS RANDOM JOKE:
If my boss knew how unproductive I am on Fridays, he wouldn’t want me here either.

BS PHONE STARTER:
(***CAUTION: Badass!***) What is the most badass thing you’ve ever done?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  Over half of us who have one of THESE in our car, say we almost NEVER use it. What is it?
Answer:  A sunroof

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
They say a person needs just 3 things to be truly happy in this world: Someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.