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American Morning
90 Second Pop: Culture Watch
Aired June 12, 2003 - 07:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We call it "90 Second Pop," a segment as fast as it is entertaining. We have our three-person panel with us weighing in on the most pressing pop culture news.
With us this morning, B.J. Sigusmund, entertainment reporter for "Newsweek," Joumana Kidd, special correspondent for the TV show "Extra," and Ben Pappas, senior writer for "Us Weekly."
Panelists, good morning, and good to have you with us.
B.J. SIGUSMUND, "NEWSWEEK": Good morning.
BEN PAPPAS, SENIOR WRITER, "US WEEKLY": Good morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: Let's get right to it.
B.J., we're looking at lists. Lists are great because everyone loves to argue about them. VH1 came up with what it believes are the top 100 pop songs.
SIGUSMUND: Of the last 25 years, right.
KAGAN: Yes.
SIGUSMUND: And even in the top 10, you've got Eminem up next to...
KAGAN: Let's have the list. Let's put the list up.
SIGUSMUND: OK. Well, you've got Eminem up next to Madonna up next to Run DMC up next to Whitney Houston, you know, topped off by Nirvana. It "Smells Like Teen Spirit." So, all week, we've been having fun looking at this list.
KAGAN: And for those of us that are not really having a nostalgic moment, the Nirvana song, we can listen for just a second to remind you of this special, special song.
Ben, doing it for you?
PAPPAS: I like the choice. I think rock 'n' roll is all about shaking things up. I think Nirvana is a good choice for that. I think if Michael Jackson was the first No. 1 single, we would just turn the list over and look for something else. I think it's important to have something that's controversial, and I think Nirvana is that, so.... SIGUSMUND: Although it is controversial, VH1 didn't stay away from Michael Jackson. They put him in the No. 2 slot with "Billie Jean," which is a problem for them, because Michael Jackson is not on anyone's most popular list right now.
KAGAN: Not right now, definitely not.
SIGUSMUND: But they still said, you know...
(CROSSTALK)
JOUMANA KIDD, "EXTRA" CORRESPONDENT: He's not, because that era in Michael Jackson, you can't discredit him for it, you know? I mean, it was...
SIGUSMUND: Right.
KIDD: He made that.
(CROSSTALK)
SIGUSMUND: That made him a star.
KIDD: Right, absolutely.
KAGAN: He was, he was. All right, Joumana, let's keep the controversy going. A new television network coming out there, Spike TV...
KIDD: Yes.
KAGAN: ... a network designed just for men.
KIDD: You know, I think it's great. I don't think that it's a sexist move. I think that, you know, we've got our Lifetime and Oxygen.
KAGAN: Well, that's true.
KIDD: You know, and I think it's not geared towards your MTV guy. I think it's...
KAGAN: Yes, but when you look at what they plan on playing here.
KIDD: Yes.
KAGAN: You have Pamela Anderson Stripperella cartoon.
SIGUSMUND: Right.
SIGUSMUND: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) into the 18, "Baywatch."
(CROSSTALK)
KIDD: You know, I'm curious about the Pam Anderson animated, because it's the same guy who did "Spider-Man." So, to me, you know...
SIGUSMUND: You know, I interviewed Pamela Anderson...
KIDD: Yes.
SIGUSMUND: ... for "Newsweek," and she said she was so excited about Stripperella because she could sit in a barn somewhere and eat cookies and never have to do...
KIDD: That's true.
SIGUSMUND: ... never have to work out, never have to do anything else.
KAGAN: Hair and makeup always looks good. Is it something you would watch, Spike TV?
PAPPAS: I think "Us" magazine, we would love to see John Gray (ph) host the show with both networks, Oxygen and Spike TV, a cross- network dating show...
(CROSSTALK)
PAPPER: ... try to bring in men and women together.
SIGUSMUND: It's kind of a cool lineup. It is a little stereotypical, but I can't remember the last time guys marched down the street complaining about stereotypes in this world.
KAGAN: And that's true. That's something that we tend to. But one guy who is complaining is Spike Lee. He doesn't like the idea of the name.
KIDD: Well, you know, I think they, you know, kind of created that monster because I think they had stated that he was a motivating factor for their channel, so...
SIGUSMUND: Right. They liked the name and Spike Lee himself was sort of an aggressive thing. It brought out that kind of personality that said that kind of thing. I'm not sure that his argument holds water. I mean, people breathe oxygen every day. Can we all sue the Oxygen Channel?
KAGAN: Yes.
KIDD: Well, I don't think we've gotten an opportunity to actually look at the logo and the whole, you know, like, the Website of it.
KAGAN: The look of it.
KIDD: It's not the most masculine thing I've ever seen, so that kind of confuses me a bit, too, yes.
SIGUSMUND: Well, that's interesting. KAGAN: Maybe he's offended about that. All right, Ben, in the final minute that we have left, people will sleep easy tonight because there is going to be a musical based on the music of Rod Stewart.
PAPPAS: Absolutely. And I just think it's such an interesting fun trend, Daryn. I would love to see some other artists come out to Broadway, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen. I think if Fleetwood Mac, if MTV was around back then the reality show about them would have made the Osbournes look like the Partridge Family, which they do these days.
KAGAN: That's true.
SIGUSMUND: It just seems inevitable that an aging rock act these days is going to get a musical based on, you know, their greatest hits. I mean, we have Abba, Queen, Billy Joel, and, of course...
KAGAN: Billy Joel won a Tony the other night.
SIGUSMUND: Right. We're rewarding him for that. Plus, these shows on Broadway like "Hairspray" and "The Producers" are recycled. I mean, they were movies originally. Plus, the Disney stuff, you know, "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast." So, it's just...
KAGAN: It's just proven (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
SIGUSMUND: Yes, it's what's out there already. It has, you know, pre-awareness, as they say in the movie biz. So, you know, why not create a musical based on the "Duran, Duran," you know, song? But I think that's next.
(CROSSTALK)
KIDD: I mean, you've got musicians that are sampling old rock, and, you know, artists such as Billy Joel and Rod Stewart. So why not? I think that's wonderful.
KAGAN: We should warn for those Rod Stewart fans out there, he will not actually appear in the musical.
SIGUSMUND: Although he has a financial stake in it.
KAGAN: That he does.
B.J., Jamal and Dan, thank you so much.
SIGUSMUND: Thank you.
KIDD: Thank you.
PAPPAS: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired June 12, 2003 - 07:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We call it "90 Second Pop," a segment as fast as it is entertaining. We have our three-person panel with us weighing in on the most pressing pop culture news.
With us this morning, B.J. Sigusmund, entertainment reporter for "Newsweek," Joumana Kidd, special correspondent for the TV show "Extra," and Ben Pappas, senior writer for "Us Weekly."
Panelists, good morning, and good to have you with us.
B.J. SIGUSMUND, "NEWSWEEK": Good morning.
BEN PAPPAS, SENIOR WRITER, "US WEEKLY": Good morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: Let's get right to it.
B.J., we're looking at lists. Lists are great because everyone loves to argue about them. VH1 came up with what it believes are the top 100 pop songs.
SIGUSMUND: Of the last 25 years, right.
KAGAN: Yes.
SIGUSMUND: And even in the top 10, you've got Eminem up next to...
KAGAN: Let's have the list. Let's put the list up.
SIGUSMUND: OK. Well, you've got Eminem up next to Madonna up next to Run DMC up next to Whitney Houston, you know, topped off by Nirvana. It "Smells Like Teen Spirit." So, all week, we've been having fun looking at this list.
KAGAN: And for those of us that are not really having a nostalgic moment, the Nirvana song, we can listen for just a second to remind you of this special, special song.
Ben, doing it for you?
PAPPAS: I like the choice. I think rock 'n' roll is all about shaking things up. I think Nirvana is a good choice for that. I think if Michael Jackson was the first No. 1 single, we would just turn the list over and look for something else. I think it's important to have something that's controversial, and I think Nirvana is that, so.... SIGUSMUND: Although it is controversial, VH1 didn't stay away from Michael Jackson. They put him in the No. 2 slot with "Billie Jean," which is a problem for them, because Michael Jackson is not on anyone's most popular list right now.
KAGAN: Not right now, definitely not.
SIGUSMUND: But they still said, you know...
(CROSSTALK)
JOUMANA KIDD, "EXTRA" CORRESPONDENT: He's not, because that era in Michael Jackson, you can't discredit him for it, you know? I mean, it was...
SIGUSMUND: Right.
KIDD: He made that.
(CROSSTALK)
SIGUSMUND: That made him a star.
KIDD: Right, absolutely.
KAGAN: He was, he was. All right, Joumana, let's keep the controversy going. A new television network coming out there, Spike TV...
KIDD: Yes.
KAGAN: ... a network designed just for men.
KIDD: You know, I think it's great. I don't think that it's a sexist move. I think that, you know, we've got our Lifetime and Oxygen.
KAGAN: Well, that's true.
KIDD: You know, and I think it's not geared towards your MTV guy. I think it's...
KAGAN: Yes, but when you look at what they plan on playing here.
KIDD: Yes.
KAGAN: You have Pamela Anderson Stripperella cartoon.
SIGUSMUND: Right.
SIGUSMUND: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) into the 18, "Baywatch."
(CROSSTALK)
KIDD: You know, I'm curious about the Pam Anderson animated, because it's the same guy who did "Spider-Man." So, to me, you know...
SIGUSMUND: You know, I interviewed Pamela Anderson...
KIDD: Yes.
SIGUSMUND: ... for "Newsweek," and she said she was so excited about Stripperella because she could sit in a barn somewhere and eat cookies and never have to do...
KIDD: That's true.
SIGUSMUND: ... never have to work out, never have to do anything else.
KAGAN: Hair and makeup always looks good. Is it something you would watch, Spike TV?
PAPPAS: I think "Us" magazine, we would love to see John Gray (ph) host the show with both networks, Oxygen and Spike TV, a cross- network dating show...
(CROSSTALK)
PAPPER: ... try to bring in men and women together.
SIGUSMUND: It's kind of a cool lineup. It is a little stereotypical, but I can't remember the last time guys marched down the street complaining about stereotypes in this world.
KAGAN: And that's true. That's something that we tend to. But one guy who is complaining is Spike Lee. He doesn't like the idea of the name.
KIDD: Well, you know, I think they, you know, kind of created that monster because I think they had stated that he was a motivating factor for their channel, so...
SIGUSMUND: Right. They liked the name and Spike Lee himself was sort of an aggressive thing. It brought out that kind of personality that said that kind of thing. I'm not sure that his argument holds water. I mean, people breathe oxygen every day. Can we all sue the Oxygen Channel?
KAGAN: Yes.
KIDD: Well, I don't think we've gotten an opportunity to actually look at the logo and the whole, you know, like, the Website of it.
KAGAN: The look of it.
KIDD: It's not the most masculine thing I've ever seen, so that kind of confuses me a bit, too, yes.
SIGUSMUND: Well, that's interesting. KAGAN: Maybe he's offended about that. All right, Ben, in the final minute that we have left, people will sleep easy tonight because there is going to be a musical based on the music of Rod Stewart.
PAPPAS: Absolutely. And I just think it's such an interesting fun trend, Daryn. I would love to see some other artists come out to Broadway, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen. I think if Fleetwood Mac, if MTV was around back then the reality show about them would have made the Osbournes look like the Partridge Family, which they do these days.
KAGAN: That's true.
SIGUSMUND: It just seems inevitable that an aging rock act these days is going to get a musical based on, you know, their greatest hits. I mean, we have Abba, Queen, Billy Joel, and, of course...
KAGAN: Billy Joel won a Tony the other night.
SIGUSMUND: Right. We're rewarding him for that. Plus, these shows on Broadway like "Hairspray" and "The Producers" are recycled. I mean, they were movies originally. Plus, the Disney stuff, you know, "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast." So, it's just...
KAGAN: It's just proven (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
SIGUSMUND: Yes, it's what's out there already. It has, you know, pre-awareness, as they say in the movie biz. So, you know, why not create a musical based on the "Duran, Duran," you know, song? But I think that's next.
(CROSSTALK)
KIDD: I mean, you've got musicians that are sampling old rock, and, you know, artists such as Billy Joel and Rod Stewart. So why not? I think that's wonderful.
KAGAN: We should warn for those Rod Stewart fans out there, he will not actually appear in the musical.
SIGUSMUND: Although he has a financial stake in it.
KAGAN: That he does.
B.J., Jamal and Dan, thank you so much.
SIGUSMUND: Thank you.
KIDD: Thank you.
PAPPAS: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
