-
Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Jan 18, 2013
January 18, 2013
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
Reality Round-Up:
This could be the final season of "American Idol," if the ratings for the season premiere are any indication. Nielsen says Wednesday night's show only had 17.9-million viewers. That's down 21.9-million for last year's season opener, or about 19 percent! And compare that to the 2007 premiere, which had 37.4 million viewers.
But, in the all important 18-49 demo, "Idol" was still the most watched show Wednesday night. (Marino)What's the Buzz:
The Colorado movie theater that was the scene of a shooting rampage in July is back in business.
A night of remembrance was held last night at the Century 16 theater in Aurora, CO, with more than 2,000 tickets distributed to victims, first responders, volunteers, and hospital workers. After opening remarks and a tribute to the victims, "The Hobbit" was the first film shown in the newly-reopened theater.
Many of the theatergoers who were in the fateful screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" six months ago returned for the ceremony, even sitting close to or in the same seats they were in that night. (Maiman)Sucks to be you:
CHARLIE SHEEN's years of hard living are catching up with him. The "Rock Star from Mars" popped by to chat with health nut Dr. OZ this week and the physician showed him two lungs. One was light and airy from a healthy person, while the other was black, heavy, full of tar and emphysema and came from a heavy smoker. Chuck called it an "epiphanous moment," admitted the body parts were the truth and now may be thinking twice about his two-pack-a-day habit. (Lee)
Fashion Emergency:
Wrangler has come up with a new line of jeans that also moisturize your legs! And MICK JAGGER'S daughter is modeling them. The new "Denim Spa" jeans come in three varieties:
--"Smooth legs" which also claims to fight cellulite. Ingredients include caffeine, algae and retinol.
--Olive oil extract for moisturizing.
--Aloe Vera for sensitive skin.
LIZZIE JAGGER, Mick's daughter with model JERRY HALL, says the jeans feel "softer and smoother than regular jeans." The NY Daily News says dry winter weather is one of their big selling points.The jeans are specially treated to slowly release the moisturizers. But you shouldn't wash them "unnecessarily." And if you need a moisture boost, they sell cans of spray to reload product on the fabric. They go on sale on the asos.com website January 28th.Taking everything much too seriously:
Today's nominee for Most Patient, Accepting Husband Ever goes to BRIAN BELL of Ayrshire, Scotland, not only sticking by his Smurf-obsessed wife's side, but allowing her to convert a room in their house into a shrine for the little blue figurines and memorabilia she's collected in the past 30 years.
KAREN BELL is a museum curator and bona fide Smurf-aholic. She got her first Smurf toy at age 6 and now has 4,482. Converting the room into a Smurf sanctuary has cost some $32 grand.
"I know he still thinks it's a bit strange," she says, "but I think he's quite impressed, too. and it's great that he's finally agreed to let me have the spare room for my collection --although he won't let me paint it blue."
Editor's note: No, for that, he's hired the Blue Man Group to perform on her birthday. (Maiman)Health and Medical Briefs:
Warning: note subject matter:
To help prevent sexually transmitted diseases, students in 22 Philadelphia high schools have been able to use band-new, free condom dispensers since returning from the holiday break. (Preventing pregnancy is not one of the stated goals!)
ABC News reports confidential and voluntary STD testing of Philly students found that of the 130-thousand teens tested over the past five years, 65-hundred were positive for disease, including HIV. Until now, condoms were made available at the time of testing. In light of the results, administrators decided to make them available year-round.
The schools with the highest rates of STDs now have clear plastic condom dispensers in the nurse's office, available for anyone to access unless a parent has specifically stated otherwise to the school. Parents were informed last fall of the ability to opt out; the school district isn't discussing how many have.
Editor's note: This isn't a new idea. Advocates for Youth is a nonprofit that advocates for sexual health among young people and says there are at least 418 schools nationwide providing condoms.
Despite outrage from some parents, the school board in Springfield, MA, last summer approved a plan to distribute condoms in public high schools, as well as middle schools, providing free contraception to students as young as 11. --Kaye) -
-