Born on this day!! Actor Ronnie Schell (“Gomer Pyle, USMC”) is 90. Actor Frederic Forrest (“Lonesome Dove”) is 85. Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) is 81. Actor-comedian Harry Shearer (“The Simpsons”) is 78. Actor Susan Lucci (“All My Children”) is 75. Musician Adrian Belew (King Crimson) is 72. Guitarist Dave Murray of Iron Maiden is 65. Actor Joan Severance (TV’s “Wiseguy”) is 63. Singer Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam is 57. Jazz trumpeter Irvin Mayfield is 44. Actor Anna Maria Perez de Tagle (“Hannah Montana,” ″Camp Rock”) is 31. Actor Spencer Daniels (“Mom”) is 29. Actor Caleb Foote (TV’s “The Kids Are Alright”) is 28.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
1783 – George Washington resigned as commander-in-chief of the U.S. Army.
1788 – Maryland voted to cede a 100-square-mile area for the District of Columbia.
1823 – The poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (“‘Twas the night before Christmas”), written by either Clement C. Moore or Maj. Henry Livingston, Jr., was published in the Troy Sentinel of New York.
1913 – President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the Federal Reserve System.
1947 – The transistor was unveiled by American physicists John Bardeen, Walter H. Brattain, and William Shockley.
1948 – Hideki Tojo and six other Japanese war leaders were executed.
1986 – Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager completed the first non-stop, around-the-world flight without refueling aboard the experimental airplane Voyager.
Today Is: Family Roots Day, Festivus, Human Light Celebration, Metric Conversion Day
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – Young Sheldon / 9:00 – Ghosts
NBC – 8:00 – 5 More Sleeps Til Christmas / 8:30 – Trolls Holiday / 9:00 – Young Rock / 9:30 – Mr. Mayor / 10:00 – Kelly Clarkson Christmas
ABC – 8:00 – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town / 9:00 – Boy Band Holiday / 10:00 – CMA Country Christmas
FOX – 8:00 – Call Me Kat / 9:00 – Merry Elfin Christmas
CW – 8:00 – Silent Night
TV Talk Shows
Jimmy Kimmel: Ben Affleck, Jay Ellis, the Record Company (R 12/15/21)
Jimmy Fallon: Matthew McConaughey, Alana Haim, Niko Moon (R 12/14/21)
Stephen Colbert: Peter Dinklage, Lee Jung-Jae, Aaron & Bryce Dessner (R 11/30/21)
Seth Meyers: Michael Che, Rep. Adam Schiff, Jon Epcar (R 11/22/21)
Daily Show: Pre-empted
Watch What Happens Live: Pre-empted
The View: Kathy Griffin (R 12/2/21)
The Talk: Cheryl Hines, Katie Lowes (R 12/16/21)
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell (R 12/18/20)
Ellen DeGeneres: Neil Patrick Harris, Leon Howard, guest host Stephen “tWitch” Boss
Wendy Williams: Holly Robinson Peete, guest hosts Leah Remini & Michelle Visage (R 12/3/21)
The Real: Taryn Manning, Monique Kelley (R 9/30/21)
Kelly Clarkson: Machine Gun Kelly, Nikki Glaser, Alessia Cara (R 11/24/21)
Tamron Hall: Michael Michele, Boris Kodjoe, Jillian Mercado (R 9/30/21)
Drew Barrymore: Ron Howard, Clint Howard, Amy Sedaris, David Sedaris (R 10/20/21)
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: Ready for ANOTHER great idea?? “Experts” say that certain kinds of food need cigarette-style WARNING LABELS!! ‘Cause.. you’re dumb!!
QUESTION: Did you hear the one about $100 BILLION in Covid relief being SCAMMED?? Here are the most outrageous examples of fraud!!!!!!!!!!!!
QUESTION: Is this LIFE imitating ART?? A NY woman recreates “The Holiday” scenario, goes to England and finds her own “JUDE LAW!!!!!!!!!!!!”
QUESTION: Did they save the baby??? WORLD’S OLDEST WOMAN passes away at the age of 135!!!! Your move, Queen Elizabeth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
QUESTION: Who needs reindeer when you have a CASH COW??? Mariah Carey’s Christmas song has BILLIONS of streams, maing her MILLION$!!
TV Shows Cancel Taping Over COVID Concerns
Tapings of episodes of The Wendy Williams Show and Nick Cannon have been canceled because of the rise in cases of COVID-19 in New York City. Williams, who has Graves disease, has been off the show since September as she focuses on her health issues. Guest hosts have been filling in for her while she is away. “Due to the growing number of new COVID-19 cases and to ensure a safe return for our crew members and staff, “The Wendy Williams Show” will now return with new live episodes on Monday, January 10, rather than Monday, January 3, as previously scheduled,” the talk show’s Instagram account said Tuesday. “@MichaelRapaport, @KymWhitley & @FinesseMitchell and @sherrieshepherd will guest host the shows as previously announced. We continue to observe all relevant New York City health and safety protocols, and wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season.” “Due to the growing number of new COVID-19 cases and to ensure a safe return for our crew members and staff, “Nick Cannon” will now return with new episodes on Monday, January 10, instead of Monday, January 3, as previously scheduled,” Cannon posted on Instagram Tuesday.
****Do you get the feeling they’ll use any excuse not to do these shows???
Wheel Of Fortune Taking Heat Over Puzzle
Imagine solving a “Wheel of Fortune” puzzle only to miss out on an incredible prize over a very minor technicality. Such was the case for contestant Charlene Rubush on Tuesday’s episode of the popular game show. The contestant was not allowed to collect on a brand-new Audi Q3 in the Bonus Round because she paused a bit too long between words in her answer while correctly solving the puzzle. According to Yahoo Entertainment, Rubush went into the Bonus Round, which had the category clue “What Are You Doing?” with $16,500 in prize money. She first guessed “Choosing the right card,” but the correct answer was “Choosing the right word.” She eventually got there, but not in a way that’s acceptable to the rules of the game. Just before the buzzer, Rubush said “Choosing the right… word.” Unfortunately, that brief pause before the last word was more significant than she thought, as host Pat Sajak explained. “You know, this one’s tough because you said all the right words, including the word ‘word’ but, as you know, it’s gotta be more or less continuous. We’ll allow for a little pause but not four or five seconds. I’m sorry. You did a good job in getting it, but we can’t give you the prize, and it was the Audi.” Fans took to Twitter to complain about the technicality and demand that the contestant receives her Audi for getting the answer correct in the allotted time. “#WheelofFortune You know what?! I’m gonna take a long pause from wheel of fortune…” one upset viewer wrote.”Give her the car @WheelofFortune!! This is ridiculous,” someone else wrote.
********The new name is “Wheel of Torture!!!”
*******You have to be strict… otherwise, EVERYBODY wants a car!!
William Shatner Involved In Car Crash
William Shatner was photographed after being involved in a car accident in Studio City, California, on Tuesday afternoon. He appeared to be driving a black Mercedes SUV at the time of the collision. His two dogs were in the vehicle. Photos from the scene of the accident show Shatner’s Mercedes parked near a parking meter, with damage to the front end of the SUV. An unidentified woman’s small silver car had front end damage as well, and appeared to have been driven up onto the curb. It is not clear who caused the accident. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department says that an accident report was not filed by the officer who arrived in the scene because there were no injuries.
*******He went where no man has gone before… in his shorts!!!
*****You can leave the earth’s atmosphere… but the human race still catches up with ya!!
Britney Spears Teases New Music
Britney Spears is slowly getting back into music after being released from her conservatorship. She showed off her vocals and teased a new song in an Instagram post Wednesday where she — once again — took her family to task. “Just realized this today guys … after what my family tried to do to me three years ago … I needed to be my own cheerleader!!!! God knows they weren’t …so I just read up on my self and this is what I found,” she captioned a clip of herself singing in her bathroom while wearing low-rise jeans and a purple crop top. She made it clear to fans that she’s “not auditioning for anything,” but wanted to “remind my white ‘classy’ family that I haven’t forgotten what they did to me nor will I ever forget !!!!” She also revealed that she has a “new song in the works,” but did not provide any further details. Spears last released music in 2016 when she dropped the “Glory” album.
*********She just figured out her family is WHITE???
*********Is she broke yet???
Meghan Markle Could Be Called To Court
Meghan Markle could be among the dozen or so people deposed as part of a lawsuit brought against Prince Andrew by accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a report said. David Boies, who represents Giuffre, told Fox News they may depose Markle because they’re seeking witnesses who know the Duke of York or those who were in his “inner circle.” “We want to have at least a couple of depositions of people who knew Prince Andrew and were sort of members of his inner circle at various times and who might have either have knowledge themselves or have knowledge about people who would have knowledge,” Boies told the news channel. “Meghan Markle, because of her position in the family, is one of those people. And because she’s in the United States, it’s easier to take her deposition than people in the United Kingdom. She is somebody who we are considering,” he added. The possible deposition was first reported by the Daily Beast. Giuffre claims in her suit that she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and sexually abused by the embattled royal when she was 17 years old.
*********Prediction: Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial will result in a hung jury or an outright acquittal!!
*****They can’t “Epstein” her!!! It wouldn’t look good!!
********Meanwhile, Andrew’s mummy wants to take him over her knee!!!
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
Marry Me Hunk Lands His Bride-(National Enquirer)
Country musician Travis Clark, 20, got hitched to “Bringing Up Bates” star Katie Bates, 21, in Tennessee-nearly six months after his romantic proposal aired on the season finale of her family’s reality show. The “Will You Marry Me” singer and the blonde said in a joint statement, “We are excited to spend our lives learning and growing together.”
Depp Smells Like a Rose!-(Globe)
Accused wife beater Johnny Depp’s reputation has taken a brutal beating, but he’s enjoying the sweet smell of success because his Dior cologne, Sauvage-meaning savage in French-is selling out. Despite being dropped from Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise and Warner Brothers’ “Fantastic Beasts” flicks and dumped by some advertisers over his ugly divorce from Amber Heard, “Johnny’s fanbase has stuck by him and remains loyal to him,” blabs a source close to the star.
Not Looking Back-(Us Weekly)
Not only is Kim Kardashian one step closer to becoming an attorney (she finally passed California’s “baby bar” exam!), but the reality star is officially moving on with her life. On Dec. 10, almost 10 months after ending her marriage to Kanye West, 44, Kardashian, 41, filed legal documents to be declared legally single-and to drop “West” from her surname. “Kim will not be going back to Kanye,” an insider says. “She tried for so long to make their marriage work, and it didn’t. She will continue to have him in her life for the sake of their four kids, but will not be with him romantically.” The insider adds to Kardashian, “Plus, she’s already dating Pete Davidson.”
Queen of Christmas-(Star)
Nov. 27
“Tis the season!” Mariah Carey announced, officially ringing in the holidays by hanging up her stockings-and hanging out with her snoozy pooch. (Too much eggnog?)
Taylor’s Marriage Meltdown-(Life & Style)
When are you two going to get married?” It’s a question nearly every couple hears over the holidays-one that’s left Taylor Swift seeing red. A source claims the singer, 31, is “sick and tried” of being quizzed by family and friends about when Joe Alwyn will finally propose. She can’t shake the question off! “Truth is, Taylor’s got to be embarrassed at this point,” says a source. “Either Joe’s waiting for the perfect time or he’s dragging his feet.”
One Last Thing: Keira Knightley-(People)
The actress, 36, stars in the new film Silent Night.
Last time I danced-
About two days ago with my kids [Edie, 6, and Delilah, 2] in our kitchen. I am always informed that I must dance, and, like a sort of puppet, I have to get up and swing them around.
Last thing I discovered about myself-
I can spend a very, very long time perfectly happily coloring in books with two very small children. If I’m building something or coloring something in, then I’m all right.
Last time I cried-
Watching The Great British Bake Off. I’m dyslexic, and there was a woman on it who baked a dyslexic cake, and she said it was like the inside of her brain. It was so beautiful it literally had me bawling on the sofa.
Last Laugh-(In Touch)
“Annie Live! premiered on NBC. It’s been a tough year, so NBC wanted to lift our spirits with an orphan singing about how hard life is.”-Jimmy Fallon.
“A man in Italy wore a fake silicone arm to avoid getting his COVID vaccine. Wait till you hear how he got out of his vasectomy.”-Seth Meyers.
STUPID NEWS
Dog and Goat Wander Town Together
Authorities in South Carolina said they are trying to find the owner of a lost dog — and an accompanying goat. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said animal control deputies were dispatched Tuesday when a dog and a goat were spotted running loose in the Martin Creek Road area. The dog and goat, who appeared to be companions from the same home, were rounded up and taken to the shelter. The sheriff’s office said wants to return the animals to their home.
*****This is like a Pixar movie!!!
****Dogs and goats, hangin’ out together??? It’s obviously the end of the world!!!
Robert E. Lee Time Capsule Opened
An 1887 time capsule found at the base of a Virginia statue of Robert E. Lee was opened Wednesday, revealing items including an almanac, a pair of books, a cloth envelope and a coin. The time capsule, found Dec. 17 by workers dismantling the pedestal under the Richmond statue of the Confederate general, was opened Wednesday by Gov. Ralph Northam. The lead container, believed to have been placed in the pedestal on Oct. 27, 1887, was found to be holding items that included an 1875 almanac, two withered books, a cloth envelope and a coin. Chelsea Blake, a conservator with Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources, led the team that spent several hours working to open the box Wednesday. The team said the lead was heavily corroded and partly covered in mortar. Officials said the contents of the time capsule were wet, and steps are now being taken to ensure they are properly preserved. See the video HERE.
**********Meanwhile, BLM activists are asking to “kill him again!!!”
*******Weirdly, there was also an iPhone in the time capsule!! Was he a time traveler????
Woman Trades Bobby Pin For House!
A San Francisco woman who put a single bobby pin up for trade on Craigslist in May 2020 said it took her 28 exchanges and about a year and one-half to trade up to a Tennessee home. Demi Skipper, 30, who chronicled her “Trade Me Project” on TikTok, said she was inspired by Kyle McDonald, who executed a similar project in 2006 that began with a red paperclip and ended with a house. Skipper said some of her followers began to lose faith when she traded three tractors for a Chipotle celebrity card, which entitles the holder to free food from the chain, but she managed to then exchange the card for a $40,000 solar powered trailer, which was the item she traded for the home in Montgomery County, Tenn. “It’s been so surreal,” Skipper told NBC News. “Working toward something every day for more than a year and half, and now I wake up and think, ‘Is this actually real? Is this actually my house?'” Skipper said she and her husband are planning to relocate to Tennessee in January to renovate their new home. She said her trading days aren’t over — she’s planning to do the same project all over again.
**********THIS IS A GREAT RADIO BIT! At KISW, we started with a Jack Daniels bottle autographed by Van Halen and wound up with a car!!
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: YOU CAN TRACK SANTA ON CHRISTMAS EVE HERE!
A LIST FOR THURSDAY
The Toxic Phrases We Need To Stop Saying To Kids
Huffington Post
- “You’re OK!” or “It’s not a big deal.”
When a child falls down the playground, they’re inevitably met with a chorus of: “You’re OK!” Similarly, when a kid is in the midst of a problem that seems relatively benign — say, a friend takes a toy they were playing with, or an older child shares an off-handed comment from school that doesn’t seem all that serious — many of us parents respond with: “It’s not a big deal.”
That instinct is totally understandable, experts say.
“We often say [these phrases] to children in an attempt to help them feel better or calm them when they are feeling distressed or hurt,” explained psychologist Sarah Conway, founder of Mindful Little Minds. “We think that if we don’t make a big deal about it, they won’t either. However, when we say this to children, they feel dismissed and they feel unheard.”
If the child hears the message often enough, there’s a danger that they will feel like they can’t trust us with their difficult moments or emotions, Conway said. They might also start to feel like they can’t trust their own emotions. That’s why the similar phrase “stop crying” is also a problem. (It’s also ineffective. Reminder: Tears and tantrums are developmentally appropriate for younger kids.)
The good news? The alternative to reflexively telling kids they’re OK or that whatever they’re grappling with isn’t a big deal is pretty easy.
“Instead, try ‘Are you OK?’” Conway recommended. “This sends a message to kids that we care about how they feel and that they can share their emotions with us.”
- “You always … ” or “You never … ”
First and foremost, “always” and “never” are rarely true. But also, they can become self-fulfilling, particularly with children who are really figuring themselves out.
“When they hear these messages from us as their parents, they start to believe them. Then we see more of the behaviors that feed into this label they’re assigning to the definition of themselves,” Kimberley Bennett, psychologist and founder of The Psychologist’s Child.
To the extent it’s possible, shift your lens, she urged, and notice when they’re doing the opposite of the behavior that you don’t like.
“For example, if we’re saying, ‘You’re always rough with your little brother,’” Bennett said, “notice the occasions when they’re gentle, loving and kind, and celebrate that with them.” It can also be helpful to let your child overhear you talking about them positively to other adults, she said.
And when they’re engaged in a behavior you don’t like, invite them to try and solve the problem with you, Bennett said. Ask them questions like: “What can we do to stop this from happening?” Or, “What can you do the next time you feel that way?”
- “It makes me sad/angry/happy when you do XYZ.”
“Many parents believe they are teaching their children about empathy when they use this phrase,” Conway said. “However, this sentence sends a message to kids that they are the cause of our big feelings and that they are responsible for managing them.”
Ultimately, children might start hiding things from the adults in their life for fear of upsetting them. Also remember: perspective-taking — i.e., the ability to see something from another side — isn’t something younger kids (like, toddlers, preschoolers or even younger elementary school-age children) are developmentally capable of.
Of course, none of that is to suggest that you shouldn’t draw — and hold — firm parental boundaries and intervene when your child crosses them.
“Save the lesson on empathy for another time and just stick to the facts. Acknowledge how they feel and then clearly state your boundary by starting the sentence with, ‘I won’t let you … (hit me, kick your brother, etc.),’” Conway said.
- “Don’t be rude. Give so-and-so a hug.”
This one often comes up around the holidays when families are getting together, or right before bedtime when a parent urges their kiddo to give a grandparent or cousin a hug, even if their child isn’t into it. (I fully admit that I’ve had psychologists and therapists share this no-no with me for years now as I’ve worked on various parenting stories, and I still, every once in a while, encourage my totally hug-averse 7-year-old to hug his grandparents when he says goodbye.)
But what we teach our children in those moments is that their own boundaries don’t matter, said Ashurina Ream, founder of Psyched Mommy.
“When we force our kids to go hug somebody — or even apologize when they’re not ready — we teach them that they need to perform to please others,” she explained. “We’re also teaching them if their body feels uncomfortable hugging a relative, for example, and they do it anyway, that they need to ignore the signals their body sends them.”
This is a boundary parents really might need to hold firm for their children. Tell them it’s totally OK if they’d prefer to fist bump, blow a kiss or even just wave goodbye or good night. (Ask them: “What feels good to you?” Ream said.) Reassure your child — and the other adult in question — that they can still show respect and love toward others while listening to their own bodies.
- “That’s not true!”
“I actually caught myself doing this recently,” Ream said. Her son told her that no one ever wants to play with him. “My instinct is to say, ‘That’s not true!’ Or maybe it’s a teen girl who says, ‘I’m so ugly’ and our instinct is to say, ‘That’s not true!’ because it hurts us deeply to hear our kids hurting.’”
But when they tell us something that’s bothering them, and our parental instinct is to immediately respond “that’s not true,” they hear that we don’t believe them, Ream warned. Or that their own instincts or read on a given situation are not to be trusted.
“Even if what they’re saying is silly, it’s their reality at the end of the day. It’s not our job to tell them they’re wrong. It’s really our job to hear them out,” Ream said. Instead, be curious. Ask questions like: What makes you think that?
Remember: Our job as parents is not to fix everything for our kids, as much as we might like to. Nor is it to have a perfect script all the time. (There isn’t one!) Our job is to make sure our children feel comfortable coming to us with all of their emotions — good ones and tough ones — for years to come, and to really listen when they do.
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.
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