Monday, September 17, 2007 Edition: #3614
Ah, the Sweet Smell of BS!
WEEKEND TABLOID & BLOG BS:
• Diddy’s commercial for his new fragrance, ‘Unforgivable’, is so hot that TV execs are ordering the rapper to make changes or it will not be aired. The shoot shows Diddy feeling up a model and pulling off her underwear. (Doesn’t he know there’s a difference between sexy and skanky?)
– blogowogo.com
• Another train wreck was averted before it got underway as negotiations intended to land Britney Spears on the “Emmy Awards” LAST NIGHT fell through. Show host Ryan Seacrest says he had trouble figuring how Britney fit into the context of TV’s biggest night anyway. (That’s about as controversial as Mr Milquetoast will ever get.)
– “Us Weekly”
• Meantime, Simon Cowell & his fellow “American Idol” judges have offered to help save Britney’s career … if she agrees to take their advice & dump her entourage. Cowell, Paula Abdul & Randy Jackson say they’d help Spears get her career back on track by taking her under their collective wing for 6 months and creating a ‘whole new Britney’. (After the week she’s just gone through, that might be the best offer she’s going to get.)
– Crosbie Media
• Less than a week after 18-year-old “High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens’ goody two-shoes public image was obliterated by a nude photo circulated online, a whole whack of new pics show that the embarrassing pose wasn’t just a one-off mistake. New racy pics show her posing in underwear, cuddling up with girlfriends while faking tongue-y almost-kisses, posing seductively on a bed, and doing a striptease. Word has it there’s also a 45-second video shot on a cellphone that’ll make the still shots pale by comparison if & when it surfaces. (She’ll be getting a Disney severance package any day now.)
– HecklerSpray.com
• A 9-foot-tall portrait of Tom Cruise is the main attraction in a new exhibition featuring 31 paintings & drawings of the movie star. Artist Mark Stockton has created a series of Cruise images for his show, “1983”, which just opened at the Acuna-Hansen Gallery in Los Angeles. The actor didn’t actually sit for Stockton; the artist created the works using movie stills. (9-ft-tall … that’s like twice life-size!)
– StarPulse News Blog
• 21-year-old actress Lindsay Lohan’s ex-con dad Michael says that during their first face-to-face meeting in 3 years, she promised him she was going to quit films, leave Hollywood, and dump bad-boy lover Calum Best in a bid to stay clean & sober. (If there’s a smell of BS in the air, that could be because she’s been cleaning up horse muffins as part of her rehab duties.)
– “News of the World “
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Alabama – The retired group’s lead vocalist Randy Owen has enlisted Big & Rich’s John Rich to produce his 1st solo album. No title or release date has been announced.
• 50 Cent – He’s now backtracking on his promise to retire if Kanye West’s album outsells his (although his sales are picking up, it’s no contest). And now he’s being upstaged by Eminem, who announced he’s coming out of retirement … during a Fiddy radio interview in NYC.
• Jamie Foxx – FRIDAY he received the 2,347th star on the “Hollywood Walk of Fame”. The singer/actor’s new film, “The Kingdom”, hits theaters SEPTEMBER 28th.
• Led Zeppelin – Tens-of-millions of fans worldwide (averaging 80,000 per minute) have rushed online attempting to get tix for the legendary rockers’ 1st performance in 19 years. The official website will be open until midday TODAY (GMT) to register for the ticket lottery, a necessity since the seating capacity of London’s O2 Arena is just 23,000. How long you think before they announce a tour?
NET: http://www.ahmettribute.com/
• Madonna – She celebrated the Jewish New Year in Israel FRIDAY by taking part in a Kabbalah conference with fellow devotees, among them Demi Moore & Ashton Kutcher.
• Motley Crue – Tommy Lee’s bandmates are reportedly no longer returning his calls but he insists he’s still a member of the group. If he actually has been cast adrift, maybe he & Kid Rock could hook up on something?
• Neil Young – The classic rocker is heading on the road in support of his new album “Chrome Dreams II”. The tour kicks off OCTOBER 18th in Boise ID, 2 days after the album hits stores.
• Radiohead – They may not have a record deal but they do have a new record. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood says they’ve finally completed recording their new studio album and are currently considering distribution options.
• Reba McEntire – She’ll receive “Billboard” magazine’s 1st-ever ‘Woman of the Year Award’ in NYC OCTOBER 5th. The award recognizes women who’ve made significant contributions to the music biz & inspire other women to assume greater responsibilities in the industry.
• Shakira – She’s just completed a course at UCLA entitled “Introduction to Western Civilization: Ancient Civilizations from Prehistory to Circa AD 843”. Clearly, this girl’s got a lot more than hips.
• White Stripes – They’ve pulled the plug on their US tour at the last minute because ‘Meg White is suffering from acute anxiety & is unable to travel at this time’. Fans can obtain refunds for their tickets at point of purchase. Seems their recent cross-Canada tour wore Meg out.
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• Arcade Fire – Following a series of international dates, they’re returning to North America for a fall tour with LCD Soundsystem that launches TONIGHT at Denver CO’s Red Rocks Amphitheater.
• Britney Spears/Kevin Federline – A custody hearing is scheduled TODAY in LA. He’s seeking primary physical custody of their sons Sean Preston & Jayden James. The judge will rule on whether the media will be allowed access details of the arrangements between the two. Lawyers hammered out a spousal support settlement FRIDAY that will continue to give Federline $20,000-a-month until NOVEMBER, after which he’ll only receive child support for his sons.
• Diana Krall – TODAY the jazz diva’s on “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated/CTV) to promote THIS WEEK’s release of her new greatest hits collection, “The Very Best Of Diana Krall“.
• Emmylou Harris – She performs TONIGHT on the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC).
• KT Tunstall – TONIGHT she’s on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” (NBC) to flog her new album, “Drastic Fantastic”, which is coming out TOMORROW.
• Mandy Moore – TODAY she’s a guest on “The View” (ABC/CTV).
• Missy Elliott – Her new ad for Doritos Collisions debuts TODAY, in which she’s pictured pausing in the recording studio to snack on the product. Inspired by the 2 different-flavored chips in the same bag, she has an epiphany & mashes up her tune in 2 different styles … hip-hop with country.
JUST A SPOONFUL:
The World Health Organization recommends that no more than 10% of daily calories come from sugar. For most of us, that’s about 200 calories … about 50 teaspoons. Now that sounds like loads, right? Yet many of us get double that, according to Dr Walter Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health. For example, a single 20-ounce serving of Coca-Cola contains – are you ready? – 16 teaspoons of sugar!
– “Boston Globe”
WE’RE A BUNCH OF LOOKY-LOOS:
Most people traipsing through real estate open houses – perhaps as many as 9-out-of-10 at expensive or unique properties – have no serious interest in buying the place. The first arrivals are usually folks who’ve walked over from adjacent homes. Nosy neighbors might seem like an annoyance, but real estate agents actually welcome them. Why? They can be a valuable marketing tool. After all, they have a vested interest in helping to find the new neighbour.
– “The Plain Dealer”
THE CHOCOLATE CURE:
An Indiana hospital has opened a “Chocolate Wellness Café” in the hopes of de-stressing and comforting patients, family, and hospital staff. It’s been so successful that satellite cafes will open in other hospitals later THIS YEAR. And don’t worry about becoming a chocoholic; a British researcher has just announced that, despite the difficulty of fighting off chocolate cravings, chocolate is not, in fact, addictive. Sweet!
– “Cosmo Daily”
BLANKET HOGS COST US Zs:
Couples spend nearly a third of their lives sleeping together, or at least trying to sleep. Because each person has different sleep needs, preferences and problems, 1-in-4 adults reports that their bed partner’s sleeping habits interfere with their own sleep. According to a Harris Interactive survey, 47% say they lose at least 3 hours of sleep a week because of their significant other; 25% lose 5-or-more hours. Who’s the worst snorer in your relationship?
– WebMD
DON’T THINK OF A WHITE BEAR:
Ever notice the harder you try to stop thinking about something, the harder it is to forget? Harvard psychiatrist Daniel Wegner says that’s a normal human condition. In fact, trying very hard not to think about something almost guarantees we will think about it. The more we try to control our thoughts, the more they do what they want. It’s a lot like trying to fall asleep. The secret, Wegner says, is not to try so hard to control them and sometimes, paradoxically, to do the opposite of what you want to do. Wegner’s written a book on the topic called, “White Bears & Other Unwanted Thoughts: Suppression, Obsession & the Psychology of Mental Control”.
– “Psychology Today”
GOOGLE-EYED MOON:
Search engine Google has announced that it’s sponsoring a $30-million robotic race to the Moon organized by the X Prize Foundation, an American non-profit organization that issues multimillion-dollar scientific challenges. A $20-million ‘Google Lunar X Prize’ will go to the 1st team that lands a privately funded spacecraft on the Moon, takes it on a 500-meter trek, and broadcasts video back to Earth by December 31, 2012.
– “Wired”
DID YOU KNOW?
• While married men do less housework than live-in boyfriends, the opposite is true among females, according to a recent analysis of surveys in 28 countries. Overall, men put in 9 hours of housework per week vs 20 hours for women. Does cleaning the car count?
– LiveScience.com
• There are now more cellphones than people in the UK. The country’s 45 million adults have 71 million handsets. Only 12% of British adults do not possess a mobile phone; 9% own 4 of them … or more!
– “Daily Telegraph”
AND WE QUOTE:
“It’s a challenge for me to try to be funny because I don’t consider myself to be a very funny person one-to-one.”
– “The Office” star Steve Carell, who also admits in the OCTOBER issue “Elle” magazine that he’s so insecure, he gets flop sweat when he goes on talk shows.
BS CHRONOMETER 09.17.07
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1960 [47] Kevin Clash, Baltimore MD, Muppeteer (‘Elmo’ on “Sesame Street” since 1985)
1962 [45] Baz Luhrmann, Sydney, Australia, movie director/writer/producer (“Moulin Rouge”) UP NEXT: Now shooting the period epic, “Australia”, starring Nicole Kidman & Hugh Jackman, his first film in 7 years.
1979 [28] Chuck Comeau, Montréal QC, punk-pop drummer (Simple Plan-“Untitled [How Could This Happen to Me?]“, “Welcome to My Life”)
BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “American Citizenship Day” (aka “Constitution Day” and “I Am An American Day”) focusing on the rights and responsibilities of American citizens. The choice of September 17 for this observance commemorates the date in 1787 when the US Constitution was signed in Philadelphia and celebrates the oldest working constitution in the world. Originally designed to recognize those who became American citizens during the past year, it’s now observed to honor both native-born and naturalized foreign-born citizens in the United States.
• “Apple Dumpling Day”, celebrating the tasty Fall treat that’s made by filling pastry with sweet, delicious apples. Apples are the world’s most varied food, with some 7,500 varieties. On average, Canadians eat 86 apples each per year according to Agriculture Canada.
• “BBC Radio 1 Anniversary”, the 40th birthday celebration of Britain’s national rock & pop radio station, which will be celebrated through September 28th with a series of guest DJs, including Arctic Monkeys, Deborah Harry (Blondie), Fatboy Slim, Gwen Stefani, Ozzy Osbourne, and Noel Gallagher (Oasis). Paul McCartney kicks off the series TODAY.
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1983 [24] ‘Miss New York’, Vanessa Williams, becomes the 1st black woman to be crowned ‘Miss America’ in the 62-year history of the pageant but quickly has to relinquish the title when nude pics of her are published in “Penthouse” magazine (she now plays ‘Wilhelmina Slater’ on TV’s “Ugly Betty”)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1955 [52] Shortest song ever released is a Les Paul single called “Magic Melody, Part 2” which consists of just 2 notes, the last part of the musical phrase “Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits”
1999 [08] Celine Dion receives a star on ‘Canada’s Walk of Fame’ in Toronto
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1974 [33] 4 women swear oaths of allegiance to RCMP to become 1st female ‘Mounties’
1975 [32] 1st-ever ‘Playing President’ of a sports franchise (Gordie Howe with the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association)
1920 [87] The NFL is organized in Canton OH as 12 teams pay a fee of $100 each to obtain franchises (by contrast, the Houston Texans expansion franchise cost $700 million in 2002)
COMING UP . . .
[Tues] Play-Doh Day
[Tues] Dream Concert (NYC)
[Wed] Talk Like a Pirate Day
[Thurs] International Student Day
[Thurs] UN International Day of Peace
[Fri] Miniature Golf Day
[Fri] World Gratitude Day
THIS WEEK IS . . .
Adult Day Care Center Week / Child Care Week / Chiropratic Week / Courtesy Week / Farm Animals Awareness Week / Farm Safety Week / International Priorities Week / Laundry Workers Week / Osteopathic Medicine Week / Tolkein Week
BULL’S BITS
BS CLASSIC TV TRIVIA:
• In which TV series did 36 different cats play the role of ‘Fluffy’?
a. “Family Ties”
b. “Cheers”
c. “The Brady Bunch” [CORRECT]
– “Trivia World”
• Who was the first couple to be shown in bed together on primetime television?
a. ‘Cliff & Clair Huxtable’ on “The Cosby Show”.
b. ‘Lucy & Desi Arnaz’ on “I Love Lucy”.
c. ‘Fred & Wilma Flintstone’ on “The Flintstones”. [CORRECT]
– “TV Times”
• What popular show was the first ‘spin-off’ in TV history?
a. “Laverne & Shirley”
b. “The Andy Griffith Show” [CORRECT, a spin-off of “The Danny Thomas Show”.]
c. “Frasier”
– “Extra!”
BS PHONE STARTER:
California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has just signed a bill that makes it illegal for anyone under 18 to use a cellphone while driving. A new study by the Ford Motor Company has determined that teens are 4 times more distracted than adults when chatting on mobile phones. California Highway Patrol claims cellphone use is the leading cause of distracted-driver accidents. So, do we need this here?
BS BLATANT JOKE:
Wow, the coffee this morning is terrible! At least, the piece I had was.
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: North Americans use THESE over 12 billion times a year.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Elevators.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Regular people aren’t full of crap.
BS FRESH MEAT:
Welcome to this week’s “BS” samplers that include Dale Robbins @ Classic Rock 105.7 [KOZZ] Reno NV; Jeffrey Louis Gill-Greve @ Newsradio 1200 [WOAI] San Antonio TX; David Christensen @ 105.5 The Buzzard [KRBI] Mankato MN; Mike Muscatello @ 98 Rock [KRXQ] Sacramento CA; Bobby Quinn @ WARM 103.3 York PA; Jenny Malai Ali @ Kristal FM in Brunei Darussalam; Monica Smith @ 94 Country [KRVL] Kerrville TX; and George Luckingstal @ Country 104.7 [WKKY] Geneva OH. And oh yeah … we’ve finally found the perfect “Bull Sheet” subscriber – 94.5 THE BULL [CIBU] Wingham ON. Welcome aboard to PD Jay Stevens & his crew!
