Born on this day!! Actor Dick Van Dyke is 96. Country singer Buck White of The Whites is 91. Actor-singer John Davidson is 80. Actor Kathy Garver (“Family Affair”) is 76. Singer Ted Nugent is 73. Guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan) is 73. Guitarist Ron Getman of The Tractors is 73. Country singer-guitarist Randy Owen of Alabama is 72. Actor Wendie Malick (“Hot in Cleveland,” ″Just Shoot Me”) is 71. Country singer John Anderson is 67. Singer Steve Forbert is 67. Singer Morris Day of The Time is 65. Actor Steve Buscemi is 64. Actor Johnny Whitaker (“Family Affair”) is 62. Bassist John Munson of Semisonic is 59. Reality TV star NeNe Leakes (“The New Normal,” ″The Real Housewives of Atlanta”) is 55. Actor-comedian Jamie Foxx is 54. Actor Lusia Strus (“50 First Dates”) is 54. TV personality Debbie Matenopoulos is 47. Singer-guitarist Tom Delonge of Angels and Airwaves (and Blink-182) is 46. Actor James Kyson Lee (“Heroes”) is 46. Actor Kimee Balmilero (“Hawaii Five-0″) is 42. Actor Chelsea Hertford (“Major Dad”) is 40. Singer Amy Lee of Evanescence is 40. Actor Michael Socha (“Once Upon a Time In Wonderland”) is 34. Trumpeter Wesley Watkins of Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats is 34. Actor Marcel Spears (“The Mayor”) is 33. Singer Taylor Swift is 32. Actor Maisy Stella (“Nashville”) is 18.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
1642 – New Zealand was discovered by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman.
1918 – President Wilson arrived in France, becoming the first U.S. president to visit Europe while in office.
1978 – The U.S. Mint began stamping the Susan B. Anthony dollar, the first U.S. coin honoring a woman.
1981 – The Polish government imposed martial law in an attempt to crush the Solidarity movement.
1989 – South African President F. W. de Klerk met with Nelson Mandela for the first time.
1996 – Kofi Annan of Ghana chosen to become UN secretary-general.
2000 – George W. Bush accepted presidency 36 days after election; Al Gore, Jr., conceded.
2003 – American forces captured Saddam Hussein who was hiding in a hole near his hometown of Tikrit.
Today Is: Day Of The Horse, Green Monday, National Guard Birthday
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – The Neighborhood / 8:30 – Bob Hearts Abishola / 9:00 – NCIS / 10:00 – NCIS Hawaii
NBC – 8:00 – The Voice / 10:00 – Michael Buble’s Christmas In The City
ABC – 8:00 – Monday Night Football
FOX – 8:00 – Gordon Ramsay’s Road Trip
CW – 8:00 – All American / 9:30 – 4400
TV Talk Shows
Jimmy Kimmel: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Black Pumas
Jimmy Fallon: Dakota Johnson, Bobby Cannavale, Kelly Clarkson
Stephen Colbert: Keanu Reeves, Brett Eldredge
Seth Meyers: Patti LuPone, James Acaster, Joy Crookes, Joe Russo
James Corden: Katie Couric, Zach Woods, Dave Gahan & Soulsavers
Watch What Happens Live: Ricki Lake, Sandra Bernhard
The View: Ralph Fiennes, guest co-host Amanda Carpenter
The Talk: TBA
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Jonathan Groff, Michael Symon, guest co-host Mark Consuelos
Ellen DeGeneres: Ken Jeong, Alison Sweeney, Brett Dennen
Wendy Williams: Guest host Sherri Shepherd
The Real: Roy Wood Jr.
Kelly Clarkson: Andy Cohen, Tori Kelly, She & Him
Tamron Hall: Brett Young
Drew Barrymore: Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Danny Pellegrino, Pilar Valdes
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: And just like WHAT?? Peloton STRIKES BACK at SATC, after Mr. Big dies on a Peloton, with this Ryan Reynolds spoof commercial!!!!!!!
QUESTION: Do YOU watch “too much” TV?? Do you and your s.o. NOT take pictures together??These are early warning signs of relationship FAIL!!
QUESTION: Is there something DIFFERENT about the brains of people who say they’ve had a UFO encounter? Yes! This scientist has FOUND IT!!!!
QUESTION: Think California has wild car chases?? Check out this FLORIDA WOMAN as she leads cops through a GOLF COURSE!!! Yikes!!!!!
QUESTION: Wondering why things are a little downcast in Mexico today?? Vicente Fernandez, “King of Ranchera,” has died at 81!!!!!! R.I.P.
Kim Kardashian Files To Restore Her Name
Kim Kardashian — who has been married to rapper Kanye West since 2014 — is requesting she be considered legally single. TMZ cited court documents filed Friday as saying Kardashian has asked a judge to separate issues of child custody and property from her marital status. She also is seeking to drop West as her last name. Both parties want joint custody of and are committed to co-parenting their four children — North, 8, Saint, 6, Chicago, 3, and Psalm, 2. E! News said it also independently verified Kardashian is moving forward with the dissolution of her marriage. The move came hours after West urged Kardashian — from the stage of his concert with Drake on Thursday — to reconcile with him. “She isn’t surprised that he pleads in public for her to run back to him. She is just trying to be respectful about it,” People.com quoted an unnamed source as saying.
********As long as she doesn’t change her last name to “Davidson,” he’ll be alright!!
*****When asked what they thought about their mom changing her name, the kids said: “Who?? We haven’t seen her for months!!”
*****When a Kardashian woman wants a divorce, it’s a gift!! Take it!!
*******Maybe he needs to do a little more sucking up!!!
Michael Nesmith Dies
The Monkees singer and guitarist Michael Nesmith died Friday. He was 78. Nesmith’s family confirmed the news in a statement to Rolling Stone and The Guardian. “With infinite love we announce that Michael Nesmith has passed away this morning in his home, surrounded by family, peacefully and of natural causes,” the statement read. “We ask that you respect our privacy at this time and we thank you for the love and light that all of you have shown him and us.” The Monkees quartet included Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Davy Jones. Jones died in 2012 and Tork in 2019. The Monkees were cast for the TV show, which ran from 1966-1968. They released nine albums from 1966-1970, including the soundtrack to their film Head.
****AND THEY’RE NOT IN THE R&R HALL OF FAME!! Which is another reason to hate the R&R HOF!!
James Bond Could Be Non-Binary
James Bond could be non-binary in the future, a producer has revealed. Barbara Broccoli confirmed the next 007 won’t be a woman, but the character could identify as non-binary during Friday’s episode of the “Girls on Film” podcast. Non-binary is defined as someone who doesn’t identify as being male or female, usually choosing to go by “they” or “them” pronouns. “I do, because I don’t think that we should be making films where women are playing men,” Broccoli replied. “I think we should be making more films about women,” she further explained. “I think Bond will be a man.” “Non-binary, perhaps, maybe one day?” host Anna Smith asked. “Who knows?” Broccoli replied. “I mean, I think it’s open. We just have to find the right actor.” Craig has previously said he doesn’t believe the next James Bond should be a woman either. “Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?” he told Radio Times in an interview. Craig will officially close out his run as the famous spy character with “No Time To Die.” Meanwhile, producer Broccoli previously said in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s “Today” that the search for Craig’s replacement will not begin until at least 2022, with no clear front runner emerging at the moment outside of fan speculation.
*****What they’re going for is not “non-binary,” it’s “un-popular!!!”
*****They killed him off in this one… let’s let him stay dead!!
WE HEAR they already know who they’re casting….
Rust Shooting Investigation
The State of New Mexico is now getting involved in the investigation of a fatal shooting on the movie set of ‘Rust.” Investigators want to talk to the man who court documents say, handed actor Alec Baldwin the gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. This is not part of the criminal investigation, but a separate investigation. OSHB, or the Occupational Health and Safety Bureau, the arm of the state that investigates workplace safety, wants to know what happened, and investigators think the film’s assistant director Dave Halls has some answers. Now they’re taking him to court so he’ll talk. “It is of particular importance that we interview Dave Halls as soon as possible,” said Mia Napolitano, an attorney for the New Mexico Environment Department. Court records show while inside the church on set, Halls handed actor Baldwin a gun, and yelled, “cold gun” indicating there were no live rounds in it. Turns out there was. “It’s the bureaus understanding that Mr. Halls was inside the church when this workplace fatality and injury to the second person occurred so the bureau needs to question Mr. Halls on what occurred inside the church,” Napolitano said. In records filed in this case, the state says they’ve tried to interview Halls with no luck, that his lawyer wants to wait until the criminal investigation is finished first. The state, though says they have a six-month deadline and need to talk to Halls as soon as possible.
********Before it’s all over, he’ll be wishing HE’D been shot!!!!
*****We’ve gotten past the “what happened” phase of the investigation.. now we’re up to the “who screwed up” phase!!
****All we know is that Alec Baldwin is NOT at fault!! He admitted as much!!
Peloton Takes Hit After “Sex and the City” Spinoff (SPOILER)
Peloton is hitting back after becoming ensnared in a controversial plot line in the new “Sex and the City” spinoff, “And Just Like That…” A lead character suffers a fatal heart attack during the first episode of the series after taking a spin class on one of the company’s pricey exercise bikes. Peloton shares plunged 11% following the midnight release of the highly anticipated premiere episode on Thursday, with many viewers expressing online concerns that the bikes could induce a coronary episode. However, cardiologist Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum — who works on Peloton’s Health & Wellness Advisory Council — has spoken out, saying the opposite is actually true. Steinbaum told Us Weekly that taking Peloton classes may help stave off heart attacks and other health problems. “I’m sure ‘SATC’ fans, like me, are saddened by the news that Mr. Big dies of a heart attack,” Steinbaum said. “Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle — including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks — and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6. These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death.” Meanwhile, “riding his Peloton bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event,” Steinbaum defiantly declared.
******We figured out how smart SATC fans are… and she’s probably wasting her breath!!
*****The people who watch that show think it’s a documentary!!
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
“SNL” Edits Rules For Pete’s Sake!-(National Enquirer)
Serial Casanova Pete Davidson 28, has finally gone too far! After the funnyman-about-town linked up with Kim Kardashian, insiders say the show has suddenly clamped down on cast members dating the celebrity hosts! There’s a long history of staff and hosts hooking up, from Ben Affleck to Emma Stone-and of course Scarlett Johansson, who ended up marrying Weekend Update’s Colin Jost in 2020. And Pete has been no stranger to billing and cooing with SNL” guests, including his whirlwind engagement to Ariana Grande. “But now, after Kim and Pete, for some reason the long-held practice is suddenly being discouraged!” snitched a source.
Zombies Are the Pitts-(Globe)
Brad Pitt investigates a zombie pandemic in the 2013 action horror movie World War Z. But just like zombies, the production’s problems kept multiplying! The initial budget of $125 million ballooned to $190 million as thousands of extras played the bloodthirsty hordes in international scenes of zombie infestations. Major action sequences, along with the original ending, were scrapped-but the movie took in over $540 million, making it the highest-grossing zombie flick of all time.
Loose Talk-(Us Weekly)
“There should be a special place in hell for whoever decided to change them with every new device.”-On how she’s always hunting for the right cord for her gadgets, Marcia Cross.
“There’s a reason why burning hair smells so bad. It’s God’s way of telling you ‘You are on fire right now.’”-On the Thanksgiving Day pizza oven explosion that singed his hair and eyebrows, Jimmy Kimmel.
“Everybody had gotten sick of me. I’d gotten sick of me.”-Revealing the reason she took a brief break from acting, Jennifer Lawrence.
Ben: I’ve Caused So Much Pain-(Star)
Ben Affleck knows a thing or two abut second chances in a recent interview, the 49-year-old opened up about getting sober and starting over with old flame Jennifer Lopez. Looking back at his years of alcohol abuse the Tender Bar actor, who shared three kids with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, admitted he has regrets: “Things I wish I had done differently, and they’re rooted in that instinct to look at my past and think, I wish I could have avoided this painful event. I wish I could have not caused someone else pain.” (Ben allegedly cheated on Garner with their kids nanny: Garner has said they were already separated.) Now, he says he’s grateful for his mistakes. “Life is difficult, and we are always failing,” he said. “And hopefully learning from those failures.”
Jingle Bell Rock-(Life & Style)
Anaheim, Calif., Nov. 28
The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing loud for all to hear-just ask Gwen Stefani! The No Doubt frontwoman performed a few hits-including “Jingle Bells”-off her 2017 holiday album, You Make It Feel like Christmas, for ABC’s The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration.
Sean Penn & Leila George: Back On?-(People)
The Oscar winner, 61, and the Australian actress, 29-who filed for divorce from him in October after a year of marriage-sparked reconciliation talk when they reunited Dec. 1 in Miami at a benefit for his nonprofit CORE.
Number of the Week-(In Touch)
1 Million
-dollars per show Adele is reportedly earning for her Las Vegas residency.
STUPID NEWS
Misspelled Sign Finally Replaced
An exit sign on a Delaware highway was replaced after drivers pointed out on social media that it misspelled the name of the state. Numerous posts appeared on social media this week when the Delaware Avenue exit sign on northbound Interstate 95 in Wilmington was installed and travelers quickly noticed it was spelled “Delware Ave.” The Delaware Department of Transportation said subcontractor ML Ruberton Construction Company had to make the sign in a hurry because the permanent replacement was not expected to arrive in time for the exit’s reopening this week. The Kiewit Infrastructure Company, the Department of Transportation’s contractor, said the spelling error wasn’t noticed until after the sign had been installed. DelDOT joked in a Facebook post that that sign’s typo had been a “test” to see if drivers were paying attention. See the pic HERE.
********Yes, drivers were reading the sign, and it caused several collisions!!
******Who spelled it “Delware?” Joe Biden???
******We should consider changing the spelling of several states!! Like… Massachusettsssssss??
Bear Cub Wrestles With Inflatable
A California woman captured video of a bear cub brawling with an inflatable reindeer in her neighborhood while the baby bruin’s mother watched from nearby. Donna Hargett of Monrovia posted a video to Facebook showing the bear cub wrestling with the giant inflatable Christmas decoration in a neighbor’s front yard. “I looked up and there it was jumping on the reindeer,” Hargett told CBS Los Angeles. “I was laughing to myself out in the street.” Hargett said the mother and cub are frequent visitors to the neighborhood. “We see these two around all the time,” she said. “They’re trouble.” Hargett said bears often come down from the nearby San Gabriel Mountains. She said the animals once broke into her home. See the video HERE.
*******These animals are gettin’ a little too cozy!!
*****When a bear thinks an inflatable reindeer is a sex toy, that’s a problem!!
TOPIC: The wildlife that came to my home!!!
Elon Musk Was Once A Teacher’s Assistant
A Boston-based auction house fetched a high bid of $7,753 for an unusual piece of celebrity memorabilia: University of Pennsylvania papers graded by Elon Musk. RR Auctions said the papers, which were written in 1995 by then-student Brian Thomas, were graded by the Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder when he was a teacher’s assistant for Professor Myles Bass at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. The papers are marked, graded and initialed by Musk, who etched only one comment on the documents — the word “graphic” in response to a profanity used by the student. Thomas said he does not remember Musk being present in the class, but he held onto the papers over the years because of his fond memories of Bass. He said it was his son who noticed the papers had been graded by the now-famous businessman. Thomas’ papers were sold to an unnamed buyer for $7,753. See the video HERE.
*****Don’t keep us in suspense!! What grade did he get??
*******Hey… Donald Trump went to the Wharton School of Business, too!! Great minds???
*******We would have saved the $7,000 towards a ride in a spaceship!!
Waitress Receives Many Tips From Viral Post
A satisfied customer’s social media post led to a Georgia waitress receiving more than $10,000 in tips from strangers. Rita Williams said in her Facebook post that she was dining out at the IHOP in Morrow with her mother when she was impressed by her server, Jazmine Castillo. “It was crazy crowded and our waitress was stretched so thin but she remained professional, so kind, patient and just overall provided amazing customer service,” Williams wrote. She said the service inspired her to leave a generous tip on her $30 tab. “I gave her the $20, and she was like, ‘Are you serious?'” Williams told WGCL-TV. “I handed her another $20, and she goes ‘No, really?'” Castillo, who said it usually takes waiting on about seven tables to earn $40 in tips, had a brief conversation with Williams and revealed she had been struggling financially. Williams asked Castillo for her Cash App information and sent her $500 later that day. She posted about her experience on Facebook, including Castillo’s information, and soon money began flooding into the waitress’ account. “I hear the notifications,” Castillo said. “I don’t usually get Cash Apps; I didn’t know what was going on.” Castillo said the tips from social media strangers exceeded $10,000 within the week. She said the tips couldn’t have come at a more fortuitous time. “I had a couple of bills overdue,” Castillo said. “My mom is sick, she just got out of the hospital Thanksgiving Day. Her medicine and hospital bills — I can finally help with that. It’s hard.”
*********Are there any openings at IHOP??
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: MASSIVE TORNADO THIS WEEKEND IN THE MIDWEST.
VIDEO: DRONE FOOTAGE TORNADO DAMAGE.
A LIST FOR MONDAY
6 Rude Comments Relatives Make At The Holidays (And How To Respond)
Huffington Post
- “Looks like you’ve put on some weight!”
You haven’t seen your Aunt Kathy in two years and the first thing out of her mouth as she greets you is about how you’ve gained weight since the last time you were together. Really?! Talking about weight changes — which are normal throughout the course of our lives, by the way — is uninteresting and pulls focus away from the meaningful things that are happening with us. And while strides have been made when it comes to cultural acceptance of larger bodies, we still live in a fat-phobic society where these kinds of comments can sting. If you have a history of disordered eating, these remarks can be triggering.
“It’s OK to set boundaries and let family members know that you don’t appreciate these types of comments,” New York City psychologist Melissa Robinson-Brown told HuffPost. ”Express your own love for your body just as it is.”
You could simply say “Yup” with a smile and leave it at that. Or try something like, “I’m happy and healthy, thanks for noticing,” eating disorder therapist Jennifer Rollin suggested in a HuffPost blog on the topic.
Another option? Tell them you don’t know if you’ve gained or not because you don’t weigh yourself. Boom.
- “Have you lost weight? You look skinny!”
Even compliments about your body from relatives — saying that you look thin or like you’ve lost weight — can be damaging, too. These people don’t know what you may have been dealing with behind closed doors: perhaps you’ve been too stressed to eat, living with a chronic illness or struggling with an eating disorder. Even if you’re in a good place, this intense focus on the size of your body can just be uncomfortable.
To respond, Allison Hart — a psychological assistant at Wellspace SF in Northern California — suggested acknowledging your relative’s good intentions but firmly stating that your body isn’t a topic of conversation. Try something along the lines of: “I know you mean that as a compliment, but I am not interested in discussing my appearance. Let’s talk about something else,” she said.
It’s especially common for new moms to get unsolicited feedback about their postpartum bodies — sometimes negative ones, sometimes “positive” ones about how they’ve lost the baby weight or “bounced back.”
Hart suggested saying something to the effect of, “I know you mean well but to discuss my weight after my body did something so incredible in making and giving birth to a baby just seems silly.”
- “You’re not drinking anymore? What a bummer.”
Navigating the holidays can be a challenging when you’re not drinking and everyone else seems to be getting plenty toasty. In fact, addiction experts have observed an uptick in relapses around this time of year.
Maybe you’re in recovery, maybe you’re sober curious or maybe you’re just not in the mood to drink at this particular party. Whatever the reason, some relative will inevitably make a comment about how holidays must suck if they don’t involve alcohol.
You don’t have to lament your decision not to drink if you don’t want to. Instead, try focusing on the bright spots of a sober holiday season.
You can say something like, “You know, I really love connecting to people through meaningful conversation and I have a lot of fun just being myself,” Hart suggested. “I get to be fully present for others and spend the night in ways that make me feel good about myself.”
If your cousin says something like, “Don’t you just want one drink?” Take a page from writer Brooke Knisley’s page and say: “Yes, I’d love to have just one, but I cannot — which is why I’m not drinking.”
- “So when are you going to settle down?”
Being a single person at a family gathering with a bunch of couples can make you feel like a bit of an oddity. Everyone is trying to get to the bottom of why you’re not in a relationship (the subtext: something must be wrong with you). It doesn’t occur to them that perhaps you’re happily single. Or maybe you’ve been dating up a storm but you just haven’t met the right person yet.
If you feel comfortable talking about it, let your family know where you stand on settling down, Robinson-Brown said, whether that’s something you see for yourself in the future or not.
“And feel free to share the things that you have going on in your life that are bringing you joy and leave it at that,” she added.
If you’re not in the mood, it’s OK to say you’re not interested in answering these types of question about your love life.
“Say you’ll let the family member know if and when that happens for you,” Robinson-Brown said.
- “You stillhaven’t found a job?”
When you’re not working, the barrage of judgmental questions from family about your employment status can be exhausting, to say the least. And if job stuff is a sore spot for you right now, they can be hurtful, too.
When the questions start coming, “grab a friend or other family member who can help distract from the conversation or ask for your help in the kitchen,” Robinson-Brown said. “Just because it’s your family, doesn’t mean you have to answer or endure conversations that are rude and insensitive.”
If you’re up for it, you can tell them you’re still looking and that the search process is working just fine for you, she added.
Deflecting in a cheeky way is an option, too.
“Feeling a little sassy?” Robinson-Brown said. “Try this! ‘The only job I’m looking to complete tonight is where I whoop your butt in this game of spades or Taboo or Cards Against Humanity.’”
- “When are you going to have a baby?”
Depending on your situation, your feelings toward this common question can range from mildly annoying to downright painful. If you’re childfree by choice, you might find it tiresome. If you’re dealing with fertility struggles, it can bring you to tears. No matter the circumstances, when you’re having kids, if at all, is really none of this person’s business.
An easy canned response to have at the ready: “‘We aren’t sure! Speaking of kids…’ and then redirect the conversation to another child in the family,” said Rockville, Maryland psychologist Samantha Rodman. “A lot can be solved by a one-sentence vague answer and topic change!”
If you’re feeling more forward, you could say, “That’s a rather personal question, don’t you think? Anyway, how’s your new job?” fertility advocate Rachel Gurevich wrote in a piece for VeryWell Mind.
Of course if you’re up for talking about your fertility journey, then you can use this opportunity to fill in your relative about what you’ve been going through. And if you’re not, pretending you didn’t hear them and changing the subject or walking away is perfectly acceptable, too.
The preceding material was compiled and edited by Brandon Castillo. The Editor-In-Chief is Gary Bryan. The Radio Genius Show Prep Service is licensed for use on-air only by subscribing radio stations. Other means of redistribution is forbidden.
© 2021 – Radio Genius Show Prep