BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Actress Scarlett Johansson is now dating some French dude named Romain Dauriac, a journalist and former editor of an art magazine (aho, ho, ho, seems she haz been seduced by zee ceety of love) . . . ABC-TV drama “Last Resort”, starring Scott Speedman & Andre Braugher as officers on a renegade Navy sub, has been cancelled but the net will air all 13 episodes that are in the can (making it about as much fun as watching a relative die slowly) . . . Movie star Anthony Hopkins says he tries to avoid working with method actors (we talking ‘bout you, Daniel Day-Lewis) who stay in character when cameras aren’t rolling, because he finds them ‘unpleasant, grumpy and miserable’ (it’s unclear what his ‘motivation’ was) . . . “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston tells “New Yorker” he doesn’t need to dig too deep to play the show’s dark scenes, as he often channels the day he heard a loud thud while walking a NYC street and ended up holding a dying man in his arms who had jumped off a building (no wonder ‘Walter White’ comes off so creepy!) . . . Actress Sandra Bullock’s cheating ex-husband Jesse James is hoping to wed again after reportedly proposing to drag racer Alexis DeJoria (would be his 4th wife but 5th engagement, as tattoo artist Kat Von D refused to stay in the picture) . . . Moviemaker Peter Jackson has fired back at claims 27 animals died due to poor treatment during the making of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”, claiming none died or were harmed during filming (except the 3,000 that were computer-generated) . . . Actress Anne Hathaway has been married only a month and already she’s telling “Hollywood Reporter” she really, really, really wants a baby (hopefully that’s not news to new hubby Adam Shulman) . . . On the other hand, “True Blood” actress Evan Rachel Wood is refuting reports she has a bun in the oven via 3-week husband Jamie Bell, a rumor started after she was spotted rubbing her stomach while wearing a baggy poncho (hmm, maybe just a taco problem?).
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Conan” (TBS) – Tenacious D (“Rize Of the Fenix”). Rerun.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC) – Flo Rida (“Wild Ones”).
• “Katie” (syndicated) – Alicia Keys (“Girl on Fire”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – The Features (“Wilderness”). Rerun.
• “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC) – Alicia Keys again.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – Gary Clark Jr (“Blak & Blu”); Willie Nelson (“The Classic Christmas Album”).
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated) – Nicki Minaj (“Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up”).
• “The View” (ABC) – Pitbull (“Global Warming”).
• “The X Factor” (FOX) – Hopefuls perform.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• AC/DC – They’ve finally made the move to make their music available on iTunes after famously holding out on digital sales in order to promote album format sales. They are one of the last few big acts to hop on the digital bandwagon.
• Backstreet Boys – they’re hard at work on a currently-unnamed new album, which will be their first released independently after having left Jive Records. Nick Carter says they’ve been working on the project with a few ‘young cats’.
• Kid Rock – He’s performing live at halftime of his hometown Detroit Lions’ annual Thanksgiving game tomorrow, vs Houston Texans. It’s his 2nd performance at the traditional game in 3 years.
• Kenny Chesney – He’s helping kick-off the Salvation Army’s 122nd annual Red Kettle Campaign with a performance during tomorrow’s Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game vs the Washington Redskins.
• PSY – “Gangnam Style” is on its way to surpassing Justin Bieber’s YouTube milestone of 800 million views. “Baby” reached that mark in 33 months; PSY is just 60 million views behind after only 4 months.
• Stone Temple Pilots – Frontman Scott Weiland has confirmed to “Rolling Stone” that he’s engaged to photographer Jamie Wachtel, whom he met last year while shooting videos for his holiday album, “The Most Wonderful Time Of the Year”. He’s been married twice before.
• Trace Adkins – He’s set to release a brand new, Celtic-infused version of the Christmas classic, “We Three Kings”, via digital retailers next week. He’ll perform the TV debut of the song on NBC’s “Christmas in Rockefeller Plaza” on November 28th.
TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS . . .
• “Life of Pi” ( PG Adventure ): A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor … a fearsome Bengal tiger. Directed by Ang Lee. Based on the novel by Yann Martel.
NET: http://www.lifeofpimovie.com
• “Red Dawn” ( PG-13 Action ): In a remake of a 1984 film, a group of teenagers look to save their town from a foreign invasion. Filmed back in 2009, this project has been on the shelf due to numerous problems. In the interim, the invading Chinese troops have been given a digital makeover and are now North Korean. Stars Chris Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas.
NET: http://www.reddawnfilm.com
• “Rise Of the Guardians” ( PG Animated Fantasy ): An adaptation of William Joyce’s book “The Guardians of Childhood”. When the evil spirit ‘Pitch’ launches an assault on Earth, the ‘Immortal Guardians’ team up to protect the innocence of children around-the-world. Voice cast includes Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, Chris Pine.
NET: http://www.riseoftheguardians.com
• “Silver Linings Playbook” ( R-Rated Dramedy opens wide): After a stint in a mental institution, a former teacher (Bradley Cooper) moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get even more challenging when he meets a mysterious girl with problems of her own. Co-stars Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro.
NET: http://silverliningsplaybookmovie.com
HOW TO SURVIVE THE MAYAN APOCALYPSE:
According to an ancient prophecy (aka Internet rumor), which no one has ever quite got to the bottom of, a sleepy French village in the Pyrenees by the name of Bugarach will be the only place on Earth left standing when the world ends December 21, 2012 as predicted by the much-talked-about ‘Mayan calendar’. With its 2 narrow streets and 176 residents, it was barely heard of a few years ago. Now, it’s arguably the most famous village in France, known as ‘The Doomsday Destination’. French government officials counted 2.5 million websites referencing the Bugarach end-of-the-world phenomenon. But that was 2 years ago … they’ve since mushroomed. (You can bet local souvenir manufacturers have been working overtime.)
– Guardian.co.uk
LIFE BY THE NUMBERS:
A BS breakdown of who we are and what we do …
• 62% of Americans say they won’t be heading to stores on ‘Black Friday’ as they’re looking to avoid crowds.
• 49% of adults have some kind of piercing on their body.
• 33% of dog owners talk to their pet on the phone on a regular basis.
• 21% of 4-year-olds now know how to use a smartphone.
• 15% of us have actually ‘mooned’ someone, though many more claim to have.
• 5% of us completed our holiday shopping by the end of October.
DRUMMER’S HIGH:
Jealous of the ‘runner’s high’ serious athletes feel after an intense workout? Well, newly published Oxford University research reveals 3 alternative ways you can release those mood-enhancing endorphins: singing, dancing, and drumming. Experiments have shown that people who’ve just been playing music have a higher tolerance for pain, an indication their bodies are producing endorphins. Simply listening to music does not produce this positive effect, so researchers conclude it’s the actual performance that generates the endorphin high. (A lot of rock drummers are high on something else entirely.)
– “Pacific Standard Magazine”
HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, KID:
Italian mannequin-maker Almax is selling the $5,000 EyeSee store mannequin, which uses a camera mounted behind one of its eyes to feed data into facial-recognition software and thereby log the age, gender, and ethnicity of passers-by. The mannequin, which has been in use for almost a year, has discovered some interesting shopping patterns: one retailer finding that men who shop the first 2 days of a sale spend more than women; another discovering that a third of shoppers using one of its doors after 4 pm is Asian. If all that’s not creepy enough, Almax is now testing a modification that would allow retailers to eavesdrop on what shoppers say about the mannequin’s attire. (Just how “Wow, that really sucks!” will be of use to them is hard to say.)
– BetaBeat.com
BS CUTTING-EDGE VOCAB:
New terms leaking into our lingo …
✓ ‘Banner Blindness’ – The ability to ignore banner advertising on websites. (When was the last time you actually clicked on a banner? Has it become an outmoded way of advertising that’s a waste of money and effort?)
✓ ‘Textonym’ – A word that is produced by predictive texting, that is not the word you want. (What are the worst websites for using predictive texting to anticipate what you’re trying to keyboard? Google, obviously, but also eBay and Kijiji.)
✓ ‘Word of Post’ – Gossip and news spread by online posts, particularly via social media or blogs. (“It doesn’t matter that the movie is getting panned by professional critics, the word of post is … it’s a blockbuster!”)
THE NEW FAT-BURNING ‘MIRACLE’:
A new form of high-intensity, interval training called ‘Tabata’ has become a hot trend at many health clubs and gyms. Basically, the idea is to cycle 20 seconds of maximum-effort cardio activity with 10 seconds of rest, and repeat as many times as you can. In brief bursts, participants jump rope, perform push-ups, do squats, burpees and several other gasp-inducing moves. Even though devotees describe it as ‘brutal’, ‘hardcore’, and ‘tortuous’, the 4-minute workout is catching on like wildfire. Why? It allows you to get a lot of work done in a short amount of time. And because the workouts are brief, you don’t have as much pounding on the knees and joints. (Sounds like a shortcut to a heart attack.)
– “Contra Costa Times”
DID YOU KNOW?
You need a license to sell seaweed in England.
– “Western Morning News”
BS CHRONOMETER 11.21.12
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1945 [67] Goldie Hawn (Btudlendgehawn), Washington DC, movie actress (“Private Benjamin”, Oscar-“Cactus Flower”)/Kurt Russell’s longtime partner/actress Kate Hudson’s mom
1963 [49] Nicollette Sheridan, Worthing UK, TV actress (“Desperate Housewives” 2004-09, “Knots Landing” 1986-93) who unsuccessfully sued for wrongful dismissal
1965 [47] Bjork (Gudmundsdottir), Reykjavik, Iceland, weird rock singer (“The Dull Flame of Desire”, “I Miss You”)/weirder film actress (“Dancer In the Dark”)
1966 [46] Troy Aikman, West Covina CA, TV football game analyst (FOX-TV since 2001, teamed with play-by-play man Joe Buck since 2002)/former NFL QB (3 Super Bowls-Dallas Cowboys 1989-2000)/Pro Football Hall of Fame 2006
1971 [41] Michael Strahan, Houston TX, TV personality (“Live With Kelly & Michael” 2012, “FOX NFL Sunday” since 2008)/former NFL player (1 Super Bowl-NY Giants 1993-2007)
1985 [27] Carly Rae Jepsen, Mission BC, pop singer (w/Owl City-“Good Time”, “Call Me Maybe”) BS FACTOID: She’s performing in the 86th Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade tomorrow in NYC.
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “False Confessions Day”, highlighting the problem of innocent people being coerced into admitting guilt.
• “Tie One On Day”, celebrating the apron and the previous generations of women who’ve worn one. It was initiated by Ellyn Anne Geisel, author of “The Apron Book”. To participate, tie one on!
NET: http://www.apronmemories.com/tie-one-on-day
• “World Fisheries Day”, designed to draw attention to overfishing, habitat destruction, and other serious threats to the sustainability of our marine and freshwater resources.
NET: http://r4r.ca/en/theme/fisheries-day
• “World Hello Day”, the 40th annual observance that now takes place in some 180 countries. Participants are asked to spread goodwill by saying ‘hello’ to at least 10 people.
NET: http://www.worldhelloday.org/
Here’s how to say ‘hello’ in over 2,400 languages …
NET: http://www.elite.net/~runner/jennifers/hello.htm
• “World Television Day”, established in 1996 by the UN General Assembly to encourage nations to exchange cultural programming focusing on peace, security, economic & social development. (These certainly aren’t reality programs.)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1990 [22] Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger weds model Jerry Hall in Bali, Indonesia (annulled 8 years later after Hall learns Jagger is father of someone else’s child and a judge rules the marriage has never been registered)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1983 [29] Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video premieres in Los Angeles movie theaters
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1983 [29] ‘Hooters’ restaurant chain is launched
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1937 [75] Thomas Morris skips rope 22,806 times in 2 hours in Sydney, Australia (faster than 3 skips-a-second, equivalent to walking 12 miles)
1977 [35] 5 ski patrol members set a record in British Columbia by giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for 60 hours to a mannequin (“C’mon Chad, lighten up on the tongue!”)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Spike Lee doc “Michael Jackson: BAD25” premieres (ABC)
[Fri] Buy Nothing Day
[Fri] Sinkie Day
[Sat] Small Business Saturday
[Sun] Rolling Stones’ first 50th anniversary concert (London)
[Mon] Cyber Monday
This Week Is … Better Conversation Week
This Month Is … Adopt a Senior Pet Month
BULL’S BITS
BS THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS:
✓ Bloody Marys in the morning while determining how much to lay down on the Lions’ game.
✓ Saying you’re ‘doing great’ to all extended family who in turn say they’re ‘doing great’.
✓ Pretending you’re hearing Uncle Stan’s jokes for the first time then actually laughing … again.
✓ Being bummed you’re so full that you have no room for pie … then powering down a piece anyway.
✓ Massaging your wife’s shoulders while she cleans, then excusing yourself to go take a nap.
– Adapted from TTP
BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Which is the best Caribbean island for a Winter getaway? Why?
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
If left alone by humans and predators, which animal has the longest maximum lifespan?
a. Cow
b. Whale [CORRECT. A healthy whale might live into its 90s.]
c. Turkey
– “Readers’ Digest Book of Facts”
BS RANDOM JOKE:
No problem, always willing to share my ignorance …
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 46 million of THESE came out of Minnesota in 2011, more than any other state.
Answer: Turkeys.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Life is one long process of getting tired.
