Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
90-Second Pop: Culture Watch
Aired June 26, 2003 - 07:51 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" with a lightening-fast look at the world of pop culture.
Our panel this morning, B.J. Sigusmund, entertainment reporter for "Newsweek," Dina Wise of "Radar" magazine and actor/comedian Michael Ian Black.
Panelists, good morning to you.
B.J. SIGUSMUND, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER, "NEWSWEEK": Good morning.
MICHAEL IAN BLACK, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: Good morning.
DINA WISE, "RADAR" MAGAZINE: Good morning.
KAGAN: Let's get right to it. The Angels, B.J., are coming back to a theater near you.
SIGUSMUND: Yes, I can't think of the last movie that had this much cross-generational appeal, and I'm talking movie-going generation. We're talking teenagers and those in their 20s and 30s. But this is a movie that, like "Finding Nemo," has a little bit of something for everyone in it, and mostly importantly it appeals equally to women and men, a sure sign of a huge blockbuster.
KAGAN: And for obvious reasons, Michael?
BLACK: Well, I'm very excited to see it, yes to the special effects, and yes for the tremendous acting I'm sure we're all going to see. But primarily the reason I'm excited for "Charlie's Angels" is to see Cameron Diaz's boobs.
KAGAN: Well, at least you're honest.
WISE: That might be the best part of the movie from what I hear.
BLACK: It will be for me.
KAGAN: You're hearing it's not very good?
WISE: Well, I had some spies at the New York premiere last night that said that, you know, in the first one, there as part movie, part music video, which is where McGee (ph) comes from. And this one is just over the top music video after music video after music video. And it's a huge blockbuster whether or not there is a story. Obviously we've talked about... Yes, I mean...
WISE: ... whether blockbusters even need a story.
SIGUSMUND: Yes, plot-wise it comes up a bit thin...
WISE: "Cop II"...
SIGUSMUND: ... but sort of the '70s show.
WISE: Yes, you've got Demi Moore, you've got costumes, you've got Cameron's boobs, so I think that the plot doesn't (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
SIGUSMUND: Yes.
KAGAN: And women across America thank Demi Moore because she has now set the standard of what you're supposed to look like in a bikini at age 40.
BLACK: Oh, yes.
WISE: Yes.
KAGAN: Thank you, Demi. That is great.
Speaking of women in bikinis, another reality show out there that actually seems to be a success, "America's Top Model," brought to us by Tyra Banks.
WISE: Tyra Banks, this is 12 young women put in a penthouse apartment together in New York, duking it out for a modeling contract. And they are vicious!
SIGUSMUND: Right. This is -- I mean, in a TV landscape that seems ever-crowded right now, especially with reality shows, somehow this one has come to the surface and UPN. And UPN is totally milking it. They're now starting to rerun. I mean, this show has been on, like, five weeks. They're already starting to rerun last week. Next week on July 1 I think you can see a two-hour marathon of America's search for "America's Top Model."
KAGAN: Oh, well, thank goodness.
BLACK: Well, keep in mind, it is UPN. They don't have a whole lot of other things to put on.
SIGUSMUND: But there's not -- I mean, this couldn't help but be a great formula for success. You've got these gorgeous 18-year-olds in New York.
WISE: And they also -- they stole a little bit of the real world formula, where a lot of them are testifying to the viewing audience about how they hate the other one and why they should win and the other one shouldn't. So, it's a lot of that cattiness that's going on that is making it... KAGAN: A little bit of "Survivor" where they say, who would you vote off?
SIGUSMUND: Right.
KAGAN: And some of the girls say, well...
(CROSSTALK)
SIGUSMUND: As opposed to "American Idol," you know, where they all love each other...
KAGAN: Yes.
SIGUSMUND: ... and they would never have anything bad to say about each other.
BLACK: To me, this is "Are you Hot" without Lorenzo Lamas.
KAGAN: Which is a good thing.
BLACK: Right, I'm not offering an opinion.
SIGUSMUND: And hear, hear, for Tyra Banks, also. She's sort of out-Paula'ed (ph) Paula Abdul. She's not only the host of this thing, but she is one of the producers, so she's very involved. And she could have a new career out of this, I think.
KAGAN: Finally, talking about taking off with someone else's act. Eminem is overseas taking a page from Michael Jackson?
BLACK: Well, here is the person that I think is taking a page from. Yes, he dangled the baby off the balcony.
KAGAN: A doll.
WISE: A doll, yes.
BLACK: Well, yes, it was a doll. If he had putzpa (ph) it would have been a real baby. But I think the person he's really ripping off is Weird Al Yankovic, who, as you know, got his start parodying Michael Jackson. I see a turf war brewing here between Eminem and Weird Al Yankovic. This could put (UNINTELLIGIBLE) shame.
SIGUSMUND: To me, this just goes with everything that Eminem does. The reason that teenagers respond so well to him is he acts like a teenager himself. He's angry a lot of the time, nothing seems to please him, and he thinks everything is stupid. And this prank just goes with everything he does. He's constantly making fun of celebrities, constantly making fun of the media, especially the media that loves and hates him alternately. And he's even made fun of CNN.
KAGAN: This all kind of sounds like Jack. Forget Eminem.
WISE: You know what? I think people really respect him for it. I mean, I know women are -- there are some women that say Eminem is anti-women, but everybody I know just is obsessed with him. I mean, Eminem is going to marry me, he just doesn't know it yet.
KAGAN: Oh, OK.
WISE: So, if you're watching, by the way, you're going to marry me. But I think he's really talented and he's really honest. He is one of the few artists that really haven't sold out, even though he has sold, you know, millions and millions of albums. He is very true to what he believes. And he says to people, listen, this is what I do. If you don't want to hear it, like, shut off the radio.
KAGAN: And with that, we're out of time. We have now broken the news of Dina's future engagement. Thank you for that, panelists. Appreciate it.
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 26, 2003 - 07:51 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" with a lightening-fast look at the world of pop culture.
Our panel this morning, B.J. Sigusmund, entertainment reporter for "Newsweek," Dina Wise of "Radar" magazine and actor/comedian Michael Ian Black.
Panelists, good morning to you.
B.J. SIGUSMUND, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER, "NEWSWEEK": Good morning.
MICHAEL IAN BLACK, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: Good morning.
DINA WISE, "RADAR" MAGAZINE: Good morning.
KAGAN: Let's get right to it. The Angels, B.J., are coming back to a theater near you.
SIGUSMUND: Yes, I can't think of the last movie that had this much cross-generational appeal, and I'm talking movie-going generation. We're talking teenagers and those in their 20s and 30s. But this is a movie that, like "Finding Nemo," has a little bit of something for everyone in it, and mostly importantly it appeals equally to women and men, a sure sign of a huge blockbuster.
KAGAN: And for obvious reasons, Michael?
BLACK: Well, I'm very excited to see it, yes to the special effects, and yes for the tremendous acting I'm sure we're all going to see. But primarily the reason I'm excited for "Charlie's Angels" is to see Cameron Diaz's boobs.
KAGAN: Well, at least you're honest.
WISE: That might be the best part of the movie from what I hear.
BLACK: It will be for me.
KAGAN: You're hearing it's not very good?
WISE: Well, I had some spies at the New York premiere last night that said that, you know, in the first one, there as part movie, part music video, which is where McGee (ph) comes from. And this one is just over the top music video after music video after music video. And it's a huge blockbuster whether or not there is a story. Obviously we've talked about... Yes, I mean...
WISE: ... whether blockbusters even need a story.
SIGUSMUND: Yes, plot-wise it comes up a bit thin...
WISE: "Cop II"...
SIGUSMUND: ... but sort of the '70s show.
WISE: Yes, you've got Demi Moore, you've got costumes, you've got Cameron's boobs, so I think that the plot doesn't (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
SIGUSMUND: Yes.
KAGAN: And women across America thank Demi Moore because she has now set the standard of what you're supposed to look like in a bikini at age 40.
BLACK: Oh, yes.
WISE: Yes.
KAGAN: Thank you, Demi. That is great.
Speaking of women in bikinis, another reality show out there that actually seems to be a success, "America's Top Model," brought to us by Tyra Banks.
WISE: Tyra Banks, this is 12 young women put in a penthouse apartment together in New York, duking it out for a modeling contract. And they are vicious!
SIGUSMUND: Right. This is -- I mean, in a TV landscape that seems ever-crowded right now, especially with reality shows, somehow this one has come to the surface and UPN. And UPN is totally milking it. They're now starting to rerun. I mean, this show has been on, like, five weeks. They're already starting to rerun last week. Next week on July 1 I think you can see a two-hour marathon of America's search for "America's Top Model."
KAGAN: Oh, well, thank goodness.
BLACK: Well, keep in mind, it is UPN. They don't have a whole lot of other things to put on.
SIGUSMUND: But there's not -- I mean, this couldn't help but be a great formula for success. You've got these gorgeous 18-year-olds in New York.
WISE: And they also -- they stole a little bit of the real world formula, where a lot of them are testifying to the viewing audience about how they hate the other one and why they should win and the other one shouldn't. So, it's a lot of that cattiness that's going on that is making it... KAGAN: A little bit of "Survivor" where they say, who would you vote off?
SIGUSMUND: Right.
KAGAN: And some of the girls say, well...
(CROSSTALK)
SIGUSMUND: As opposed to "American Idol," you know, where they all love each other...
KAGAN: Yes.
SIGUSMUND: ... and they would never have anything bad to say about each other.
BLACK: To me, this is "Are you Hot" without Lorenzo Lamas.
KAGAN: Which is a good thing.
BLACK: Right, I'm not offering an opinion.
SIGUSMUND: And hear, hear, for Tyra Banks, also. She's sort of out-Paula'ed (ph) Paula Abdul. She's not only the host of this thing, but she is one of the producers, so she's very involved. And she could have a new career out of this, I think.
KAGAN: Finally, talking about taking off with someone else's act. Eminem is overseas taking a page from Michael Jackson?
BLACK: Well, here is the person that I think is taking a page from. Yes, he dangled the baby off the balcony.
KAGAN: A doll.
WISE: A doll, yes.
BLACK: Well, yes, it was a doll. If he had putzpa (ph) it would have been a real baby. But I think the person he's really ripping off is Weird Al Yankovic, who, as you know, got his start parodying Michael Jackson. I see a turf war brewing here between Eminem and Weird Al Yankovic. This could put (UNINTELLIGIBLE) shame.
SIGUSMUND: To me, this just goes with everything that Eminem does. The reason that teenagers respond so well to him is he acts like a teenager himself. He's angry a lot of the time, nothing seems to please him, and he thinks everything is stupid. And this prank just goes with everything he does. He's constantly making fun of celebrities, constantly making fun of the media, especially the media that loves and hates him alternately. And he's even made fun of CNN.
KAGAN: This all kind of sounds like Jack. Forget Eminem.
WISE: You know what? I think people really respect him for it. I mean, I know women are -- there are some women that say Eminem is anti-women, but everybody I know just is obsessed with him. I mean, Eminem is going to marry me, he just doesn't know it yet.
KAGAN: Oh, OK.
WISE: So, if you're watching, by the way, you're going to marry me. But I think he's really talented and he's really honest. He is one of the few artists that really haven't sold out, even though he has sold, you know, millions and millions of albums. He is very true to what he believes. And he says to people, listen, this is what I do. If you don't want to hear it, like, shut off the radio.
KAGAN: And with that, we're out of time. We have now broken the news of Dina's future engagement. Thank you for that, panelists. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
