Born on this day!! Singer Dash Crofts of Seals and Crofts is 82. Singer David Crosby is 79. Country singer Connie Smith is 79. Actor-musician Steve Martin is 75. Actor Antonio Fargas (“Starsky and Hutch”) is 74. Bassist Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone is 74. Actor Susan St. James is 74. Romance novelist Danielle Steel is 73. Keyboardist Terry Adams of NRBQ is 72. Cartoonist Gary Larson (“The Far Side”) is 70. Actor Carl Lumbly (“Alias”) is 69. Actor Jackee Harry (“Sister, Sister,” ″227″) is 64. Actor Marcia Gay Harden is 61. Singer Sarah Brightman is 60. Actor Susan Olsen (“The Brady Bunch”) is 59. Actor Halle Berry is 54. Actor Ben Bass (“Rookie Blue”) is 52. Actor Catherine Bell (“JAG”) is 52. Keyboardist Cody McCarver of Confederate Railroad is 52. Guitarist Kevin Cadogan (Third Eye Blind) is 50. Actor Lalanya Masters (“Barbershop”) is 48. Actor Christopher Gorham (“Ugly Betty”) is 46. Actor Mila Kunis is 37. Actor Lamorne Morris (“New Girl”) is 37. TV personality Spencer Pratt (“The Hills”) is 37. Actor Marsai Martin (“black-ish”) is 15.

THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY

1900 – International forces entered Beijing, China, in an effort to suppress the antiforeign uprising known as the Boxer Rebellion.
1935 – The Social Security Act became law.
1945 – Japan surrendered to the United States, ending World War II.
1947 – Pakistan became independent of British rule.
1951 – Newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst died in Beverly Hills, California.
1995 – Shannon Faulkner became the first female cadet at the Citadel, the state military college of South Carolina.
1997 – Timothy McVeigh was sentenced to death for the Oklahoma City bombing.
2003 – The largest blackout in North American history hit the northeast. The blackout spread so far due to a software bug.

Today Is: Kool-Aid Day, Military Marriage Day, National Navajo Code Talkers Day, Shop Online For Groceries Day, V-J Day, World Calligraphy Day

TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)

CBS – 8:00 –  Greatest At Home Videos  /  9:00 – Magnum PI  /  10:00 – Blue Bloods
NBC – 8:00  – The Blacklist  /  9:00 – Dateline NBC
ABC – 8:00 –  Shark Tank  /  9:00 – 2020
FOX – 8:00 – Friday Night Smackdown
CW – 8:00 –  Masters Of Illusion  /  8:30 – Masters Of Illusion  /  9:00 – Being Reuben  /  9:30 – Being Reuben

TV Talk Shows

Seth Meyers: Sean Penn, Jane Curtin, Thaddeus Dixon (R 8/3/20)
James Corden: Don Cheadle, Black Eyed Peas (R 6/24/20)
Lilly Singh: Thomas Lennon, Aisling Bea (R 12/10/19)
The View: Lauren Leander, Sean Penn (R 5/7/20)
The Talk: Walton Goggins (R 10/1/19)
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Maria Shriver, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Christopher Jackson, Gabby Barrett, Dr. Jennifer Jellison (R)
Ellen DeGeneres: Laura Dern, Noah Jupe (R 11/12/19)
The Real: Storm Reid (R 2/28/20)
Kelly Clarkson: Rob Lowe, Esme Creed-Miles, Mireille Enos, Kirk Franklin, Bill Engvall (R 7/13/20)
Tamron Hall: Spike Lee, Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Tamika Palmer, Ben Crump, Lonita Baker, Rob Kenney (R 6/15/20)

WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!

QUESTION: Remember the old BILLBOARD STUNT? Steve-O does!! He had himself DUCT-TAPED TO A BILLBOARD in Hollywood! Why? Click here!!!

 

QUESTION: Where’s the weirdest place YOU’VE had sex?? The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills tell THEIR stories.. and they’re not too proud of themselves!!!

 

QUESTION: Have you ever overheard the neighbors SAYING SOMETHING FUNNY??? These people have!!! “Don’t put the pigs on the trampoline!!” (Huh??)

 

QUESTION: Have you got 2020 BURNOUT??? (duh!!) Here are experts who have tips on how to take care of your mental.. and physical health!!! We need it!!

 

QUESTION: Is this JUST WHAT WE NEEDED?? David Blaine, in his first stunt in 10 years, will fly over New York City, HOLDING ONTO A BUNCH OF BALLOONS!!!!

New Prince Philip Found

The Crown has found its Prince Philip for Seasons 5 and 6.  Netflix confirmed that British actor Jonathan Pryce, 73, will play Philip in the show’s final two seasons.  Pryce joins Imelda Staunton, who will portray Queen Elizabeth II, and Lesley Manville, who will play Princess Margaret, in Seasons 5 and 6.  Pryce previously collaborated with Netflix on the film The Two Popes. The movie, released in November, starred Pryce and Anthony Hopkins as the future Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI.  “I’m delighted to be working with Netflix again,” Pryce said in statement. “The positive experience I had making ‘The Two Popes’ has given me the confidence to tackle the daunting prospect of portraying Prince Philip.”  “To be doing so with [series creator] Peter Morgan in the company of Imelda and Lesley will be a joy,” he added.  Pryce will take over the role of Philip from Tobias Menzies, who played the prince in Season 3 and will return in the upcoming fourth season. Matt Smith portrayed Philip in Seasons 1 and 2.
******NOW the Queen is excited!! “I’D do HIM!!!”
******The real Prince Phillip, however is not happy: “He’s not nearly as sexy as I am!! He’s an old man!!”
******They extended to a 6th season, so the Queen can see how it turns out!!

Meghan Markle Was Furious At Her Sister

Meghan Markle was “furious” when members of her family made “absurd claims” about her relationship with Prince Harry.  The claim is made in the book “Finding Freedom.”  On Wednesday, the U.K.’s DailyMail reported she was stunned when her estranged half-sister Samantha Markle began speaking out to tabloids when they allegedly had “only bumped into each other twice” since they were children.  In the book, a confidant accused Samantha of trying to pretend the pair were much closer than they really were.  “That’s not the case,” said the insider, as quoted by the outlet. “Meg didn’t grow up with Samantha. She barely saw her.”  Meghan was apparently “weirded out” when Samantha attempted to deliver a letter to Kensington Palace demanding a face-to-face meeting. According to the outlet, the letter was dropped off at the wrong security gate.  But it wasn’t just Samantha who left the Duchess of Sussex bewildered.  Her estranged half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., previously wrote an open letter to Harry claiming the couple was not a good fit. He also accused Markle of leaving their father, former Hollywood lighting director Thomas Markle, “forgotten, alone and bankrupt.”  The siblings also complained to the press that they weren’t invited to the royal wedding.
********Sounds like a normal family to us!!
*****Insiders say Harry and Meghan basically wrote this book, even though they claim they didn’t!!
******We may have to pull out the “world’s smallest violin” for Meghan!!
******Their new house has 16 toilets!! Which probably means they’re full of crap!!

Wendy Williams Sells Jersey Home

Wendy Williams has finally sold her New Jersey home that she shared with ex-husband Kevin Hunter.  She unloaded it for $1.4 million, records show, after slashing the price from its original asking price of $1.895 million when they listed it in August 2019. She then reduced it to $1.575 million before finally accepting $1.4 million.  The former couple originally paid $2,100,000 in 2008 for the Livingston property, which is located in the exclusive Bel Air gated community.  Williams moved to New York City shortly after putting the home up for sale.
********The house had problems!! For one thing, the floor had buckled under the weight of all the food!!
******There’s so much THC in the house, you’ll get high if you touch the walls!!
******Let’s put it this way: Oprah wouldn’t use this place as an outhouse!!

Jake Paul Talks About FBI Raid

You Tube star Jake Paul posted a since-deleted video that addressed the FBI federal search warrant on his Calabasas, Calif., home earlier this month. The raid turned up a bunch of weapons amid complaints from neighbors who claimed to have heard regular explosions coming from the YouTuber’s mansion.  “Just to clarify things and set the record straight, the FBI raid is entirely related to the Arizona looting situation that happened,” he said. ”It’s an investigation. There are rumors about it having to do with so many other things that have nothing to do with me or my character and the s–t that people are making up is absolutely absurd.”  He was charged for being part of a “riot” in which looters stormed an Arizona mall.  He insisted that he was only documenting the looting when he was caught on video.  Scottsdale police charged him with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly which are both misdemeanors.“Gimme my charges and let’s put the focus back on George Floyd and Black Lives Matter,” the YouTuber tweeted shortly after the charges were announced.  Paul — who has over 20 million YouTube subscribers — seemed to place the blame for the raid on someone in his circle.  “That being said, when I become aware of someone around me who is doing malicious things they are immediately cut out of my life. I don’t put up with bulls–t, I don’t surround myself with bad people. If someone does something bad, they will be removed from my life.”
********The fact that we even know who he is… indicates that we must be in the end times!!

Simon Cowell Injury Update

Simon Cowell is doing “spectacularly well” after breaking his back in three places — and could even soon return to “America’s Got Talent,” according to co-star Howie Mandel.  He admitted to E! News that Cowell’s serious injury — after falling off a new high-powered electric bike at his LA home — had thrown the return of the talent show into “disarray.”  “We were worried about our friend, and our boss, and our leader, Simon Cowell,” Mandel said.  But Cowell was “doing spectacularly well, considering,” Mandel insisted, confirming he was already walking around.  “The latest I’ve heard is that after a six-hour operation, and some fused discs, and the rod put in his back, yesterday, he was up on his feet, already, he’s already mobile!” he said.  “So, as I’ve been saying to a few other people, I wouldn’t count out seeing Simon again before this season’s end,” Mandel insisted of the assumption Cowell would be forced to miss the full “AGT” season.
********This sounds like he’s trying to not lose his job!! Just sayin’!!
******At first they said he’d miss the first two shows!! Like he was coming back in a week!! As if!!
******Remember when Kevin Hart downplayed HIS injuries? Same thing!!

AMC To Sell Cheap Tickets

AMC Theaters will sell movie tickets for a dirt-cheap 15 cents a pop next week — to lure folks back to the big screen amid the coronavirus crisis.  The cinema chain said it will hawk the film passes for pennies — roughly the price of a ticket in the 1920s — on the first day of its reopening on Aug. 20, Variety reported.  Starting August 21, movie buffs can buy $5 tickets to classic films such as “Back to the Future,” “Ghostbusters,” and “Grease” at roughly 100 re-opened AMC venues nationwide, the entertainment news outlet reported.  The company is then planning a larger phased reopening, with the goal of having nearly 400 of its 600 locations up and running in time for the Sept. 3 release of the new spy thriller “Tenet.”  AMC says it will implement new cleaning measures, and keep venues at limited capacity so guests can social distance, according to the report, which didn’t elaborate on the number of people allowed at each show.  The first round of openings includes theaters in Chicago, Dallas, Miami, and Atlanta. Cinemas in New York and Los Angeles, where heath officials have not approved cinema reopenings, will stay closed.
*********In California, they like to open things and then close them again.. to crush the human spirit!!
*****The ticket is 15 cents.. the popcorn is $1500!!!

 

Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!

Oh Goody!  Beckinsale Shares Love For Boytoy Grace!-(National Enquirer)

British beauty Kate Beckinsale, 47, and her boytoy beau Goody Grace, 23, don’t mind the age gap-they’re blasting “I love you’s” at each other on Instagram!  The “Love & Friendship” star went public with her passion for Goody on her birthday, only three months after word leaked of her lockdown love with the singer-who is just two years older than Kate’s daughter, Lily.

Rod Hit Bottle To Write His Hits!-(Globe)

Rock icon Rod Stewart has revealed the secret behind writing his hit tunes-boatloads of booze!  The 75-year-old crooner, whose six No.1 hits include “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” and “Maggie May”, confesses back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, the members of his band The Faces “used to have to lock me up with a bottle of wine and say, ‘Get it finished in the next four or five hours.’”  He’d hear them “in the corridor at the Holiday Inn, laughing, ‘Oh yeah, look at Stewart.  He is there trying to finish the lyrics.’”  It worked.  Rod’s sold 250 million records and is worth $240 million.  But he says it takes more than booze to write hits.  “You’ve really got it or you haven’t,” he adds.

Spears vs. Spears-(Us Weekly)

Britney Spears’ siblings, Bryan and Jamie Lynn, and mother Lynne are joining the #FreeBritney movement, which advocates for the end of her dad Jamie’s conservatorship over the pop star, 38.  They’re planning to give interviews to sway public support, a source says.  Jamie fired back on Aug. 1 to refute claims against him, saying:  “I love my daughter.  I love all my kids.  But this is our business.  It’s private.”  Either way, says the source, “the conservatorship is under scrutiny.  It could end after the pandemic.”  [As of now, Britney’s conservatorship extends to Aug. 22.]

Chris’ Weight-Loss Woes:  Where’s That Six-Pack?-(Star)

It looks like Chris Pratt has gained the quarantine 15!  Pals say the Guardians of the Galaxy hunk-who once admitted it took “hours a day of just consistent, ass-kicking hard work” to achieve his famously ripped bod for the 2014 movie-has packed on at least that many pounds during lockdown.  “He took up golf to help him de-stress. But it started to replace his gym routine-and now he’s got a belly again,” an insider says.

Thomas & Michelle’s Secret Getaway-(Life & Style)

A baby-friendly vacation!  Michelle Williams and husband Thomas Kail took a trip to upstate New York, their first as a family of four.  The 39-year-old actress, who’s already mom to daughter Matilda, 14, and the Hamilton director, 42, were spotted picking up some groceries at a local farmers market on July 25 with their newborn.  “Thomas organized a getaway so they could enjoy some quality time together, and to let Michelle catch her breath as she adapts to being a new mom again,” shares a source.  “Obviously, the baby and Matilda are with them, but they manage to squeeze in some couples time during the evenings.  Thomas cooks romantic dinners and is totally hands-on with the baby.”

Sean Penn’s Secret Wedding-(People)

Surprise!  Sean Penn and his girlfriend of nearly four years, Leila George, are married.  The actor, 60, and the Australian-American actress, 28, wed in a secret ceremony-news of which leaked July 31 via a congratulatory Instagram post from the couple’s friend, philanthropist Irena Medavoy.  (A source confirms the two indeed tied the knot.)  Penn was previously wed to Madonna, 62, from 1985 to 1989 and has daughter Dylan, 29, and son Hopper, 27, with his second wife, Robin Wright, 54.

Last Laugh-(In Touch)

“Supermodel Bar Refaeli was convicted of evading taxes.  In her defense, she didn’t actually evade the taxes; she strutted up to the taxes, struck a pose, then sashayed away.”-Joe Toplyn.

“Cheez-Its is bringing back its box that is half house wine and half Cheetz-Its.  Nowadays, Americans are like, ‘I need something stronger.  Do you have Flamin’ Hot Doritos and absinthe?”-Jimmy Fallon.

“A seagull in Britain was rescued after it got a disposable face mask tangled around its legs.  ‘That’s how I wear it!’ said joggers in New York.”-Seth Meyers.

 

STUPID NEWS

Lizard On The Loose!

A Louisiana man is warning neighbors to be on the lookout for his unusual escaped pet — a Nile monitor lizard.  Michael Lauraine said in a Facebook post his 2 1/2-foot lizard, Kido, escaped from his home during the weekend and is believed to be wandering loose in the area. Lauraine warned neighbors not to try to capture the reptile without expert assistance.  “Please do not try to pick him up he doesn’t know you and will react out of fear,” Lauraine wrote.  Nile monitors can grow to be up to 7 feet long and are known to eat smaller animals.  Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said an investigation has been opened into the lizard’s escape.  “The LDWF Enforcement Division is currently looking into whether or not any regulations were violated in relation to the liberating of this lizard into the wild. We cannot comment any further on it at this time,” the department said in a statement.
********Call the Swamp People!!! (Remember them??)
******There may be some alligators who can take care of the problem for ya!!
******Great pet!! Does he fetch???

Circus Selling Lion Poop!

A German circus that has been closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic is making some extra money by selling lion poop.  The Krone Circus said it is selling jars filled with big cat droppings, which officials said can be spread in a home garden to keep pets and wild animals from damaging plants.  The circus said customers can visit the pop-up store during special business hours Monday through Friday, and the jars of lion feces can also be purchased for shipment online.  The circus erected a large sculpture dubbed “Mr. Poo” outside the business to celebrate the new venture.  See the video HERE.
******They tested it, and just as we suspected, they found traces of Carole Baskin’s first husband!!
******If you’re a lion, the world is your cat box!!!
******Germany has gone “cat-sh*t crazy!!”

Aquarium Collects Tossed Coins

An aquarium in North Carolina said it drained a wishing waterfall to cash in on 14 years of tossed coins — about 100 gallons’ worth.  The North Carolina Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores said employees drained the waterfall, which for 14 years served as a wishing fountain for visitors seeking to trade their coins for good luck.  The aquarium said employees sifted out about 100 gallons of coins — as well as objects including eyeglasses, toys and jewelry.  Officials said the money removed from the waterfall will go toward care for the animals at the facility, which has been closed to the public for nearly six months amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  They said employees do not yet know exactly how much money was removed from the waterfall.  See the pic HERE.
******They’re taking it down to the coin machine at the supermarket!!
******Now that we have a coin shortage, they can probably double their money!!
*******The fish were like, “We want OUR cut!!”

Teen Stuck In Gun Safe

Firefighters responded to a gun range in Florida to rescue a teenager who became trapped inside a large gun safe on the showroom floor.  The Orlando Fire Department said the teen girl climbed into the safe Tuesday at Shooters World in Orlando and the door closed behind her, trapping her inside.  Orlando Fire District Chief JJ White said the Tower 10 crew used hydraulic extraction tools to force the door open.  “We tried the manufacturers’ suggestions and unfortunately the fail-safe system failed on it,” White told WKMG-TV.  The teenager was not injured during the rescue.  “We were able to tell the minor what we were doing from the outside so they wouldn’t be too concerned or scared, and had them back away as far away as possible from our entry point,” White said.
*******She came out shooting!!!

Mosquito Removed From State Flag Proposal

Mississippi’s flag commission said a proposed state flag bearing the image of a giant mosquito has been removed from the shortlist and was only included due to a typo.  The Mississippi Department of Archives and History said the “Mosquito Flag,” a variation on the popular “Hospitality Flag” design with a giant mosquito inside a circle of stars instead of a larger star, was never meant to be one of the 147 designs in Round Two of the flag selection.  The department said the flag was initially included in the gallery as a result of a typo in a list of flag numbers submitted by a flag commission member.  The Hospitality Flag was notably absent from the Round Two gallery, and MDAH Director Katie Blount said it was removed from consideration because its designer, Laurin Stennis, did not want it to be in the running.  The flag commission is expected to choose a final design Sept. 2, and voters will then decide in November if the flag will be adopted as the state’s new symbol. If the vote is unsuccessful, a new selection process will begin and another vote will be held in November 2021.
********The mosquito is Mississippi’s state bird!!
*******They’re getting rid of the old one because… you know!!

 

STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL

VIDEO: COVID REOPENING EXPLAINED THRU MONTY PYTHON!!!

VIDEO: BEIRUT EXPLOSION CAUGHT ON HOSPITAL CAMERAS.

VIDEO: TRIP TO 7-11 IN 1987.

 

A LIST FOR FRIDAY

TOP DRIVING SONGS FOR 2020

Insurance.com commissioned a survey of 1,000 drivers and asked them to choose the best and worst songs for driving, as well as the music they listen to in the car that they don’t publicly admit liking.

 

Here are the results from this year:

• Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen — 17%
• Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey — 13%
• Highway to Hell by AC/DC — 12%
• Life is a Highway by Tom Cochrane — 11%
• Dancing Queen by ABBA — 8%
• Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson — 8%
• I Can’t Drive 55 by Sammy Hagar — 6%
• You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC — 5%
• Any Way You Want It by Journey — 5%
• American Girl by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — 5%
• Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen — 4%
• Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival — 4%
• Radar Love by Golden Earring — 4%

 

 

Which song from the past few years will be a go-to classic driving song in the coming years?

• Uptown Funk – Bruno Mars — 18%
• Old Town Road – Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus — 14%
• Can’t Stop the Feeling – Justin Timberlake — 9%
• Shut Up and Drive – Rihanna — 9%
• Radioactive – Imagine Dragons — 9%
• Brightside – The Killers — 6%
• Shut Up and Dance – Walk the Moon — 5%
• Teenage Dream – Katy Perry  — 5%
• Lookin’ For a Good Time – Lady A — 5%
• Getaway Car – Taylor Swift — 4%
• One Last Time – Ariana Grande — 4%
• Castle On The Hill – Ed Sheeran — 4%
• Sorry Not Sorry – Demi Lovato — 4%
• Sucker – Jonas Brothers — 4%

 

 

Guilty listening pleasures while driving

There are artists who you may enjoy, but don’t want anyone to know. You won’t Beliebe who’s number one on the guilty pleasure list:

• Justin Bieber — 12%
• Taylor Swift — 10%
• Miley Cyrus — 10%
• Lady Gaga — 9%
• Katy Perry — 8%
• Britney Spears — 8%
• Bon Jovi — 8%
• Celine Dion — 7%
• Jonas Brothers –7%
• Adele — 6%
• Kelly Clarkson — 6%
• Coldplay — 6%
• John Legend — 6%
• Journey — 5%
• Lana Del Ray — 3%
• Dan and Shay — 3%

 

 

A whopping 90% of women say they sing while driving compared to 73% of men. Men are more likely to play imaginary instruments (16% of men and 5% of women play air drums and 11% of men and 5% of women play air guitar).

 

Who controls the dial when you drive?

Most respondents said the driver chooses the tunes.

• Driver – because I drive alone — 49%
• Driver – whoever it is — 33%
• Mom – if driver or passenger — 10%
• Dad – if driver or passenger — 3%
• Kids – because I like to hear what they are listening to — 3%
• Kids – because I hope it stops them from whining in the car   — 2%

 

Men are more likely to say they drive alone, so they control the radio dial (54% to 45%).

Sometimes, though, children want to listen to their music. What do parents do?

• I let them, I like it too and/or it doesn’t bother me — 27%
• I let them because it’s easier than fighting over it — 15%
• I compromise and sometimes we listen to what they want, sometimes what I want — 15%
• Not an issue; they listen on their phones with headphones — 10%
• I don’t let them; I dislike their musical taste — 5%
• I don’t let them; I find their music inappropriate — 3%

 

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.
© 2020 – Radio Genius Show Prep