Open Thread

Billboard Magazine reports: You knew Lil Nas X was going to show up in a Super Bowl LIV commercial somehow. After the Grammy-winning rapper’s signature tune “Old Town Road” was recited by 75-year-old acting icon Sam Elliott in a teaser commercial for a Doritos ad slated to air during Sunday’s (Feb. 2) big game. The showdown at Cool Ranch (you …

Metro UK reports: Pet Shop Boys could be about to net their first number one album in the UK charts for more than 26 years – and we are living for it. The Left To My Own Devices stars – made up of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe – blessed us with Hotspot on 24 January. According to OfficialCharts.com, the …

Playbill reports: Check out Christopher Lloyd working the stage door above as Marty McFly and Doc show up late (another fan call-back) for places in a preview for the upcoming Back to the Future musical. The musical opens February 20 in Manchester, England, ahead of a West End bow. Olly Dobson stars as the time-traveling teen opposite Tony winner Roger …

CNET reports: Not even Apple is immune to the coronavirus sweeping the globe, with suppliers and stores impacted by the deadly disease. CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday said the company has suppliers in China’s Wuhan region, where the coronavirus first emerged. The iPhone maker has alternative sources for those components, he said, and it’s “working on mitigation plans to make …

Deadline reports: Quibi has given a series order to Florida Man (working title), a comedy series from Blue Mountain State writers Romanski (aka Chris Romano) and Drew Hancock, and Ace Entertainment. Written by Hancock and Romano, this outrageous anthology comedy series rips real headlines from insane stories, and tells us the made up tale of how they came to be. …

NBC News reports: A Florida man is facing several charges after allegedly pointing a laser at planes trying to land at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, injuring a pilot. Charlie Chapman Jr., 41, was arrested after was caught on camera on Wednesday using a laser pointer and aiming it towards planes four times. While a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was trying …

Billboard Magazine reports: Mean Girls will soon be singing and dancing its way back to the big screen. The Broadway musical adaptation of the 2004 teen comedy will now be adapted into a feature film of its own by Paramount. Mean Girls — both the original movie and the musical — follows teenager Cady Heron, who moves from Africa with …

Orlando’s ABC News affiliate reports: A Florida man dressed in an Easter Bunny costume was arrested last Thursday after he attempted to evade deputies following a hit-and-run crash in Seminole County, the Florida Highway Patrol said. A trooper was dispatched to a traffic crash involving a motorcycle, officials said. Investigators said the driver failed to stop at a stop sign …

Playbill reports: Tony and Grammy winners Ben Platt, Cyndi Lauper, and John Legend, as well as Tony nominee Debbie Allen, ballet superstar Misty Copeland, and violinist Joshua Bell, are among the artists who will take part in a tribute to Grammy executive producer Ken Ehrlich at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. To acknowledge the importance of music education in schools …

Playbill reports: Robert Mark Kamen, who wrote the screenplay for The Karate Kid, is at work on a musical adaptation of the 1984 Columbia Pictures movie. Joining him on the creative team are composer Drew Gasparini (We Aren’t Kids Anymore), director Amon Miyamoto (2004’s Pacific Overtures), and husband-and-wife choreographers Keone and Mari Madrid (the upcoming Once Upon a One More …

Orlando’s NBC News affiliate reports: A Florida man who co-workers said holds anti-government beliefs is accused of fatally stabbing his pro-President Trump boss during an argument at a construction site, an arrest affidavit said. Mason Trever Toney, 28, was arrested Monday on a first-degree murder charge in the killing of William Steven Knight, according to an Orange County Sheriff’s Office …

CNET reports: What if a stranger could snap your picture on the sidewalk then use an app to quickly discover your name, address and other details? A startup called Clearview AI has made that possible, and its app is currently being used by hundreds of law enforcement agencies in the US, including the FBI. The app works by comparing a …

The Des Moines Register reports: A Kansas man has asked an Iowa court to grant his motion for trial by combat so he can meet his ex-wife and her attorney “on the field of battle where (he) will rend their souls from their corporal bodies.” David Ostrom, 40, of Paola, Kansas, claims in court documents that his ex-wife, Bridgette Ostrom, …

NPR reports: The Transportation Security Administration is reminding airport travelers that it’s fine to stuff carry-on bags with clothes and toiletries. Just don’t pack any heat. TSA announced that its officers seized 4,432 guns at checkpoints last year — the most in the agency’s 18-year history. It also says that 87% of those guns (some 3,855) were loaded. “The continued …

Newsweek reports: An unidentified Florida man is on the loose after allegedly using Space Shoes—a type of e-mobility self-balancing hover roller skate—to help him make off with more than $500 worth of merchandise from a Winter Haven Walmart. The incident took place on January 8. Among the items reported missing from the store, according to a police report, are a …

Newsweek reports: A Florida man tried to evade arrest by hiding from police underwater in a pond — but was captured when he came up for air. Daniel Christopher Booth, 36, was working at the solar plant on Hogan Road near Wellborn, Florida, on Wednesday, the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Facebook. Booth had warrants …

Reuters reports: Yamaha Corporation has warned people not to try and squeeze inside musical instrument cases after reports former Nissan Motor boss Carlos Ghosn fled Japan concealed inside in one. “We won’t mention the reason, but there have been many tweets about climbing inside large musical instrument cases. A warning after any unfortunate accident would be too late, so we …

Orlando’s Fox affiliate reports: A Florida man, who claims to be a professional mixed martial arts fighter, was arrested for DUI despite offering deputies free classes for a month if they let him go. Calen Holcomb, 34, reportedly refused to complete a field sobriety exercise and test of his breath. He was placed under arrest for driving under the influence. …

Playbill reports: A memorial service for Broadway composer and lyricist Jerry Herman will be held at 3 p.m. on Feb. 3 at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Michael Feinstein is producing the tribute, which will feature performances from a number of notable legit stars, including Kristin Chenoweth, Harvey Fierstein, Sutton Foster, Kelli O’Hara, Bernadette Peters and Betty Buckley. Angela Lansbury is preparing …

Billboard Magazine reports: It’s a very good time to be RuPaul. Along with continuing his reign as the host of all the various renditions of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the star just debuted his new scripted series for Netflix, AJ and the Queen, and is currently preparing to begin a Las Vegas residency with RuPaul’s Drag Race Live. Now, Ru has …