Born on this day!! Opera singer Placido Domingo is 80. Actor Jill Eikenberry is 74. Guitarist Jim Ibbotson (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 74. Singer-songwriter Billy Ocean is 71. Actor Robby Benson is 65. Actor Geena Davis is 65. Actor Charlotte Ross (“NYPD Blue”) is 53. Singer Marc Gay of Shai is 52. Actor Karina Lombard (“The L Word”) is 52. Actor Ken Leung (“Marvel’s Inhumans,” ″Lost”) is 51. Rapper Levirt of B-Rock and the Bizz is 51. Drummer Mark Trojanowski of Sister Hazel is 51. Singer Cat Power is 49. DJ Chris Kilmore of Incubus is 48. Singer Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) of the Spice Girls is 45. Actor Jerry Trainor (“Wendell & Vinnie,” ″iCarly”) is 44. Singer Nokio of Dru Hill is 42. Actor Izabella Miko (“Coyote Ugly”) is 40. Actor Luke Grimes (TV’s “Yellowstone,” film’s “Fifty Shades”) is 37. Actor Feliz Ramirez (TV’s “Grand Hotel”) is 29.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
1793 – King Louis XVI was guillotined for treason.
1915 – The first Kiwanis Club was founded in Detroit.
1924 – Vladimir Ilyich Lenin died in Moscow.
1950 – George Orwell died in London.
1954 – USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine was launched.
1977 – President Carter pardoned most Vietnam War draft evaders.
2003 – The U.S. Census Bureau reported that Hispanics had surpassed Blacks as the largest minority group.
2010 – In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court rules in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that the government cannot restrict the spending of corporations for political campaigns, maintaining that it’s their First Amendment right to support candidates as they choose. This decision upsets two previous precedents on the free-speech rights of corporations.
Today Is: Get to Know Your Customers Day, International Sweatpants Day, National Cheesy Socks Day, National Hugging Day, National Hug Your Puppy Day, Women’s Healthy Weight Day
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – Young Sheldon / 8:30 – Be Positive / 9:00 – Mom / 9:30 – Unicorn / 10:00 – Star Trek Discovery
NBC – 8:00 – Mr. Mayor / 8:30 – Superstore / 9:00 – Law and Order: SVU / 10:00 – Dateline NBC
ABC – 8:00 – Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune / 9:00 – The Chase / 10:00 – The Hustler
FOX – 8:00 – Hell’s Kitchen / 9:00 – Call Me Kat / 9:30 – Last Man Standing
CW – 8:00 – Walker / 9:00 – Legacies
TV Talk Shows
Jimmy Kimmel: Allison Janney, Dana Bash, Best Coast
Jimmy Fallon: Shaquille O’Neal, Alison Brie, Pa Salieu
Stephen Colbert: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Derek DelGaudio, Frank Oz
James Corden: Regina King, Quinn XCII featuring Chelsea Cutler
Lilly Singh: Javicia Leslie
Conan: Rachel Brosnahan
Watch What Happens Live: Shep Rose, Leva Bonaparte
The View: Day of Hot Topics
The Talk: Jane Krakowski
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Priyanka Chopra, Jared Padalecki, Monica Mangin
Ellen DeGeneres: Pharrell, Ashe
The Real: Carson Kressley, Francia Raisa
Kelly Clarkson: Paul Bettany, Maria Bakalova
Tamron Hall: Ty Pennington, Alycesaundra & Giavanna Lyerly
Drew Barrymore: Kat Graham, Dr. Thanuja Hamilton
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: What is the biggest problem with “Bridgerton” on Netflix?? Keeping the SEX SCENES off porn sites!! It’s happening to a lot of Netflix shows!!!!!
QUESTION: Was she being patriotic… or SENDING A MESSAGE? Lady Gaga’s inauguration outfit is being compared to Effie Trinkett in “The Hunger Games!!”
QUESTION: Bitter?? Much?? Joe Exotic rips into Trump for not giving him a pardon.. saying, “I am TOO INNOCENT.. and TOO GAY to be pardoned!!!” Hmm..
QUESTION: Who’s MAKING HISTORY at this year’s SUPER BOWL? Is it old Tom Brady?? NO… it’s Sarah Thomas.. the FIRST FEMALE SUPER BOWL REF!!!!!!!!!!
QUESTION: Did Trump follow the custom of leaving a letter in the Oval Office for his successor??? Yes, he did!! And here’s what it said:
Willie Wonka Prequel
Warner Bros. has announced that a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel, titled Wonka, will be released on March 17, 2023. Wonka will focus on Willy Wonka’s early days before opening up his candy factory, as seen in Roald Dahl’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its two film adaptations. Warner Bros. hopes to begin casting for the film soon. Gene Wilder portrayed Willy Wonka in 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Johnny Depp then portrayed the character in director Tim Burton’s 2005 version, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
****The Willy Wonka prequel is called “Wonka,” because it happens before his “Willy” popped out!!
*****The movie will show his weird uncle, “Willard Wonka,” tempting him with candy!!
******They’ll be suing the muppets for using the phrase, “Wonka, Wonka!!”
More Super Bowl Performers Announced
Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan will sing the national anthem together at Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7. H.E.R. will perform “America the Beautiful” as part of Super Bowl LV’s pregame lineup. Super Bowl LV is taking place live from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay. The big game will air nationally on CBS and be broadcast worldwide. Demi Lovato, Gladys Knight, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Luke Bryan, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Jennifer Hudson, Billy Joel, Pink, Idina Menzel, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys and Neil Diamond have previously performed the national anthem at the Super Bowl. The Weeknd was selected in November to headline the Pepsi Super Bowl LV halftime show.
TOPIC: Who did the best rendition of the anthem at the Super Bowl?? For our money: Whitney!!!
Silence Of The Lambs Reunion
Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster have virtually reunited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of “The Silence of the Lambs.” The movie, which premiered on Valentine’s Day 1991, tells the tale of an FBI cadet who must resort to receiving help from an incarcerated cannibal to catch another serial killer. The film grossed more than $270 million worldwide and earned five Oscars, including for Best Actor and Best Actress. Hopkins and Foster teamed up for Variety’s annual Actors on Actors series to discuss the movie’s legacy. Hopkins, who famously gave a new meaning to fava beans and a nice Chianti, told Variety that he initially thought “The Silence of the Lambs” was a movie for children – at least until he read the script. “I was in London in 1989, doing a play called ‘M. Butterfly,’” he recalled. “My agent sent the script.” After 10 pages, Hopkins immediately called his agent back, wanting to know if the offer to star in “Silence of the Lambs” was real. “This is the best script I’ve ever read,” Hopkins declared at the time. Foster admitted that Hannibal’s cell was just as scary as it looked on screen.
*********Anthony later admitted he was gnawing on his agent’s brain when he took the part!!
*******Hannibal Lector was ahead of his time!! He had a COVID mask before anyone!!
*****The Lambs were only silent because they were deplatformed on Twitter!!
Kim and Kanye’s Divorce To Be Televised!
Kim Kardashian has filmed her marriage problems with Kanye West for the final episodes of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” A source with knowledge of their show — which is ending after more than a decade-long run and 20 seasons on E! later this year — said the disintegration of Kim and Kanye’s marriage will feature heavily in the final storyline as they make their exit from the reality show. The source said, “the Kardashians intend to go out with a bang. They’ve filmed Kim discussing her marriage problems. But everybody involved is on a nondisclosure agreement, because the finale won’t screen until later in 2021.” Kim and Kanye had separated and are negotiating the terms of a divorce after nearly seven years of marriage. They have four children: daughter North, 7; son Saint, 5; daughter Chicago, 3; and son Psalm, 20 months.
*****She’s exploiting her marital difficulties?? Nooooo!!
*****Is this the “Kardashian Kurse??”
******At least he’s getting out with most of his genitals intact!!!
Meghan’s Dad Opens Up About Released Letter
Meghan Markle’s estranged father Thomas has reportedly explained what led him to famously leak a private letter from his daughter to the press. In 2019, Thomas allowed a private letter from his daughter to be published by the Mail on Sunday newspaper and on the MailOnline website after tension grew between himself and his daughter. Meghan is now suing publisher Associated Newspapers for invasion of privacy and copyright infringement over the five articles that included portions of the handwritten letter. Now, nearly two years after the publication of the correspondence, Thomas has explained exactly why he felt the need to make the letter public. He said in court that he felt “vilified” by an article published by People magazine, according to a witness statement obtained by E! News. “When I read the article ‘The Truth About Meghan’ in People magazine I was shocked by what it said about me,” said the statement. “It was a total lie. It misrepresented the tone and content of the letter Meg had written me in August 2018, and I quickly decided I wanted to correct that misrepresentation.” On Feb. 6, 2019, People published an article called “The Truth About Meghan Markle’s Dad — and the Letter She Wrote Him After the Wedding,” in which a “longtime friend” addressed the letter, claiming she was “heartbroken” to hear about her father’s health scare and wrote to him to tell him that she loves him and wanted to “repair” their relationship.
********Long story short?? He was broke and needed the money!!!
*******Remember: when you marry HER, you marry her family!!!
*******If someone sends you a letter, doesn’t that become YOUR property?? Asking for a friend!!!
Joe Exotic Still In Prison
Joe Exotic failed to win a pardon from President Donald Trump — even though his legal team was so “confident” in one, they had a limo ready to whisk him away. He was not on the list of the more than 100 pardons and commutations that Trump issued early Wednesday. “It is the President’s Constitutional right to Pardon and we have to accept and respect his use of discretion. Our mission is just and continues,” Exotic’s lawyer, Francisco Hernandez, wrote on Facebook. Eric Love, who spearheaded Exotic’s bid for freedom, had been optimistic earlier about Exotic’s prospects of being released from Fort Worth’s Federal Medical Center. “We’re confident enough we already have a limousine parked about half a mile from the prison. We are really in action mode right now,” he told Metro.co.uk. His team had also brought professionals for hair, makeup and wardrobe in the event of his release — and pre-recorded a thank-you video for Trump.
********Don’t worry: Biden will pardon Joe when he pardons Hunter, just to provide some cover!!!
*****Joe should have made friends with Snoop Dogg!! He got all the pardon action!!!
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
Zilch Left In Marriage of Zoe Kravitz, Karl Glusman-(National Enquirer)
“Big Little Lies” hottie Zoe Kravitz unveiled a big surprise recently when she filed for divorce from her hubby of 18 months, actor Karl Glusman. The split came after the daughter of musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet marked their wedding anniversary in June by sharing a black-and-white photo of their wedding day on Instagram with the caption, “One year.”
Skaggs’ Ticker Was Ticking Time Bomb-(Globe)
Legendary country star Ricky Skaggs is lucky to be alive, thanks to an emergency quadruple bypass that saved his ticking time bomb of a ticker! “I have thanked the Lord hundreds of times that I wasn’t out in the middle of Texas on a tour bus, miles away from a hospital,” croons the singer, 66. “It was a major blessing I didn’t have a heart attack. Nothing was hurt, and nothing was destroyed or irreparable.” After suffering symptoms of a heart condition for several months, such as fatigue, tightness in his chest and shortness of breath prior to lifesaving surgery, the star now warns: “Don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today. That surgery gave me a brand-new heart. Not only a real heart, but a spiritual heart that has now been cleaned out, so I can hear Him better than ever before.” Amen!
Emma & Dave: Baby on Board-(Us Weekly)
Emma Stone and Dave McCary’s family will soon be getting a wee bit bigger! The actress, 32, and the SNL writer, 35-who tied the knot last year-are expecting their first child together, a source confirms. “She seems very excited about becoming a mother,” the source says of Stone, who was spotted cradling her belly while out for a walk in L.A. on Dec. 30. “She’s been staying active and gets her daily exercise in.” Adds the source, “She looks great and is glowing.”
La Bella Vita-(Star)
Tulum, Mexico, Jan. 4
Getting a jump-start on the New Year! Splashing out on romantic getaway, Bella Thorne and boyfriend Benjamin Mascolo made time to keep it tight on the sand. The Girl star, 23, and the 27-year-old were spotted doing stretches and lunges before taking a breather from their workout to enjoy the view. It seems getting in shape was one of Bella’s resolutions for 2021, as evidenced by a video she posted on social media of herself doing squats with a trainer. “It’s been 3 years of not working out and staying healthy,” she admitted. “I really need to get back to it.” Nobody could blame the actress for not finding the time to hit the gym, however. In 2020 alone, she starred in four movies and appeared on The Masked Singer.
Say What?!-(Life Style)
“I’m always losing my phone in my house or office, and I never know where my keys are. My phone is always dead. I get days and dates confused all the time, but guaranteed, I’ll remember every detail of a conversation, what you were wearing or how your hair was styled.”-Beyonce, on her “ridiculous” shortcomings.
“I don’t really have a voice for animation-I have kind of a strange, monotone voice.”-Cher, on playing herself in Bobbleheads: The Movie.
“The hats, the hats are insane. The hats are out of control. We may have, we may have lost our minds with the hats this season.”-Rachel Brosnahan, on the costumes for season 4 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
One Last Thing: Kyra Sedgwick-(People)
The actress, 55, stars in the new ABC comedy series Call Your Mother.
Last moment of nostalgia-
This morning I was singing “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is,” and it put me right into 1973. I was 8 years old, listening to that on someone’s radio on the streets of New York, eating a slice of pizza. I remember that vividly.
Last thing I cooked-
Right now I’m making the best black bean soup. Usually I follow recipes, and Kevin [Bacon, her husband] wings it. His is pretty much always amazing-and irritating.
Last fashion disaster-
There’s this great picture of Kevin and me at the Golden Globes in, like, 19-something. I had on this turquoise blue suit, and he wore a crushed-velvet suit. We just kind of went wrong.
Gaga’s Getting Married!-(In Touch)
After two failed engagements, Lady Gaga is planning an amazing Italian wedding. With six No. 1 albums, 11 Grammys, two Golden Globes and an Oscar, Lady Gaga has already reached the pinnacle of her career. But there’s one big thing she still wants out of life. “Marriage,” the singer said recently. “I’m going to get married, and that’s it.” Gaga, 34, is set to tie the knot with her tech entrepreneur boyfriend of more than a year, Michael Polansky. “She and Michael have deliberately kept their romance private, and it’s made them closer than ever. Of course she said yes when he asked her to marry him!”
STUPID NEWS
Owl Rescued From Exhaust Fan
Animal rescuers in Britain were called to a hotel at which an owl had been wedged for two days in a greasy kitchen extractor fan. The RSPCA said animal rescue officer Leanne Honess-Heather was dispatched Monday to the Alhambra Court Hotel in York, England, after the closed facility’s owner discovered the source of a sound she had been hearing for two days was an owl trapped in a kitchen extractor fan. Honess-Heather said the tawny owl “seemed bright and alert despite being trapped.” “When I arrived at the disused hotel, the owl, who had tried to push her way out, was then wedged tight between the fan blades in the extractor,” she said. Honess-Heather said the owl is believed to have fallen down the large extractor and became wedged in the fan while trying to climb out. “The fan was sticky and covered in grease which made it harder for the bird to free herself,” she said. The rescuer said the owl was freed by removing the fan’s cover. She said the bird had no major injuries, but was dehydrated and covered in grease.
********Dehydrated and covered in grease? Sounds like a Toyota mechanic!!
*******The owl didn’t give a hoot. Or maybe they did.
********If there’s that much grease in the fan, how much is in the food???
Record Breaking Wheelie!
An Alberta BMX rider broke a Guinness World Record with a 2,126.87-foot manual — a wheelie trick where the rider is not allowed to pedal while the wheel is off the ground. Max Ganakovsky of Calgary said he had long aspired to set a Guinness World Record before attempting his record-breaking manual, which broke the previous record of 1,112.2 feet. His wheel was off the ground for just under 2 minutes. “It feels surreal. Being a Guinness World Record holder has always been one of my dreams,” Ganakovsky told CBC Radio’s Calgary Homestretch. “And it feels great to have this dream come true.” He said the most important parts of the trick are acceleration before the manual and making sure the wheel is lifted at the right moment so as not to slow down the momentum. “This manual skill is kind of very important for my sport, and I always do it every day when it’s nice weather,” he said.
*******This seems like an oddly specific skill set!!???
Soccer Ball Washes Up Onshore
An Irish girl’s soccer ball floated out to sea and was found seven days later washed up on a beach 124 miles away in Wales. Aline Denton, a volunteer at Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Center, said she found the ball while participating in a beach clean-up in Llanrhystud and noticed it was marked with the name Aoife Ni Niocaill. Denton posted photos of the ball to Facebook, along with an appeal for help finding the girl. “Her football’s just washed up on Llanrhystud beach — West Wales! Wonder how long it’s taken to get here from Ireland?” Denton wrote. The post came to the attention of Aoife’s father, who revealed the 10-year-old girl had lost the ball at Woodstown beach in County Waterford about seven days earlier. “It went in the water as the tide was going out and all we could do was watch it drift away,” the father wrote in a Facebook comment. Denton said the ball will be returned to the girl.
********Irish people never take showers!! They just wash up on shore!!
Dog Imitates Owners Limp
A British man said he spent about $400 to have a veterinarian examine his dog’s limp, but it turned out the canine was just imitating his owner, who had a broken ankle. Russell Jones of London said he noticed after his ankle was broken that his dog, Billy, was keeping one of his front paws raised while walking. Jones posted a video to Facebook showing the dog hopping next to him as he walks with the use of crutches. Jones said he spent about $400 to have a veterinarian examine Billy and take X-rays of his apparently injured leg, but the medical professional was unable to find anything wrong. The veterinarian told Jones his dog was imitating the way he walks with his broken ankle. Jones said Billy had been limping since the day after his ankle injury.
*******The empathy goes both ways!! His owner was trying to lick his own b*lls!!!
*******The dog was so upset, he hadn’t sniffed a butt in weeks!!
********This is a case of “doggy see, doggy do!!!”
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: BILL CLINTON APPEARS TO FALL ASLEEP DURING INAUGURATION
VIDEO: HOW TO MAKE A CHICKEN QUESADILLA AT TACO BELL.
A LIST FOR THURSDAY
Some benefits of virtual icebreakers for remote teams include:
Owl Labs
- Two Truths and a Lie
Ask each team member to come up with two truths and one lie about themselves, and have the rest of the team members guess which is the lie for this quick and silly icebreaker.
- Miscellaneous Question
Take a few minutes to have everyone on the remote team write a miscellaneous question (For example, What is your favorite movie of all time? How many cousins do you have? What is the name of your childhood pet?) and add all the questions to a Google Doc. Before each meeting, pick one question at random to ask at the top of your meeting for an easy, fast icebreaker.
- Desert Island Movies/Books
Have each team member pick the three movies or books that they would bring to a desert island for this fun, classic icebreaker.
- Where are you joining us from?
This icebreaker is ideal for fully remote teams. Take a few minutes at the top of your next team meeting to show off your home office or work from anywhere space to get the full picture of where your remote coworkers work from.
- One Word Summary
Have each team member summarize their week so far in one word. The person whose word has the highest Scrabble score gets to pick the icebreaker for the next meeting!
- Dance Break!
For icebreakers at the beginning of lowkey or more casual team meetings, have every team member hit play on either the same synched up jam or their own dance classic and bust a move! The perfect icebreaker to get blood pumping, even moving as small as head nods count as dancing!
- Coffee Cooldown
For an early morning team meeting, do a coffee mug catwalk for your icebreaker. Each team member can show off their strong mug game while taking turns to say their ideal coffee order.
- Emoji Check-In
For text-only virtual team bonding, have each team member send 1 emoji that expresses how they feel that day for a quick, cute icebreaker.
- Sketch Sesh
Ask your remote team a prompt question that can be answered visually, have team members draw their answers, and have the other team members guess what they drew. Questions like “Who is your favorite fictional character?” or “What is your spirit animal?” are perfect for this icebreaker. The less artistically talented your team is, the better!
- Ten Things in Common
For an icebreaker that requires teamwork and fosters camaraderie, have your remote team work together to determine 10 things that you collectively have in common. Starting with “we are all wearing jeans” seems easy, but soon it can grow to become a fun challenge.
Breaking down barriers at the office facilitates more effective work. You’ll learn more, and have fun along the way! Once you get comfortable with regular virtual icebreakers, explore more ways to support your remote and hybrid team.
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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