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American Morning
90-Second Pop, Culture Watch
Aired September 25, 2003 - 07:54 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, it is time, once again, for the lightning-fast feature we call "90-Second Pop." Our panel of experts gives us 90 seconds each on three hot topics from the world of pop culture.
With us this morning, Clarissa Cruz, "Entertainment Weekly" reporter, Leah Rozen, film critic for "People" magazine, and humorist Andy Borowitz, author of "Who Moved my Soap: The CEO's Guide to Surviving in Prison."
That made me laugh alone.
OK, so to get this thing rolling, let's start with Clarissa.
CLARISSA CRUZ, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": Yes.
COSTELLO: "The Bachelor" again.
CRUZ: Oh, I'm sorry. I know. It's the fifth season. It debuted last night, and the ladies man is someone we've actually seen before. It's Bob Guiney who was memorably dissed on last season's "The Bachelorette." But this time, I mean, ABC has high hopes for this guy. He's a seemingly sort of regular guy, and he's a 32-year- old.
COLLINS: He ain't pudgy anymore, though, is he?
CRUZ: He isn't pudgy. He lost 30 pounds. I mean, he's also -- he's not a millionaire. He doesn't have movie star looks, but he's accessible. They got 15,000 women to apply to be his wife, compared to other bachelors who had gotten 2,000 to 3,000, so...
COSTELLO: That is crazy.
CRUZ: Yes.
LEAH ROZEN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: What they've really got is the alliteration working here.
CRUZ: Bachelor Bob.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: That is the secret. OK, Andy, this new show, "Coupling." The ads kind of irritate me. You know, they're all in towels and all over each other. ANDY BOROWITZ, HUMORIST: Well, you know, I'm not so irritated about the fact that it's dirty. That's never a problem for me. But, you know, what bothers me is that it's British, because, you know, when I think like a British sex comedy, I get these nightmarish flashbacks to Benny Hill. And...
COSTELLO: I love Benny Hill.
BOROWITZ: Well, I'm sorry. We're really parting company today. But I just really don't want to be getting our ideas of sex and dirtiness from the British. I really don't think we should.
COSTELLO: It should be good old American dirtiness.
BOROWITZ: Smut, yes, exactly.
ROZEN: Well, NBC really seems to be pushing it as sort of, like, the next "Friends", and, you know, it's not quite that.
BOROWITZ: You know...
COSTELLO: And let's face it. Our smut ain't as good as British smut.
BOROWITZ: Well, no. But, you know, if it succeeds, there is going to be a pressure on every show to be dirtier, including AMERICAN MORNING. And, I mean, I don't know how we can be sexier than we are. I mean, we already have Jack. I mean, so I don't know.
COSTELLO: Do you hear that Jack?
BOROWITZ: Absolutely.
ROZEN: He doesn't want to see Benny Hill on this show.
BOROWITZ: No, I certainly don't.
ROZEN: Its not happening.
COSTELLO: OK, Leah, let's talk about movies, because this movie, "Lost in Translation," has been getting such good press.
ROZEN: I love this movie. "Lost in Translation" is a terrific movie with Bill Murray in it, and it's going wider this weekend. It's going to be in about 460 theaters. So, probably it's in a town near you.
COSTELLO: So, he's really that good in a movie?
ROZEN: Yes, Bill Murray is really that good. But you just...
COSTELLO: He could win an Oscar?
ROZEN: He certainly has a good shot at a nomination, yes.
BOROWITZ: I will vouch for this. This is the best movie I've seen this year.
ROZEN: You just -- you see that Murray is so much more than just a funny guy. He plays these melancholy notes. I mean, it's a terrific, surprising performance in a film that's actually very funny, but also touching, poignant -- you name it.
CRUZ: Will people be, you know, upset by the fact that they don't actually hook up? I mean, mainstream audiences, are they ready for that kind of...
COSTELLO: You just...
(CROSSTALK)
ROZEN: That is the cardinal rule of movie reviewing is you never give away the ending.
COSTELLO: You'll be punished in some way for that.
BOROWITZ: Well done, Clarissa. Well done.
CRUZ: Thank you.
COSTELLO: What other movies are on tap?
ROZEN: Well, also in theaters this weekend actually couples can go to the movies and then split up at the megaplex. Women will want to go see "Under the Tuscan Sun," which is a lot of fun with Diane Lane. And men, I think, just may have some fun at the "Rundown," which stars The Rock. And how do I say this? I'm kind of finding I don't mind The Rock. He's sort of funny, and this film, there's actually a lot of humor in the "Rundown," and there are really good action scenes.
COSTELLO: Yes, and...
BOROWITZ: You know, we have to give The Rock credit for just not running for office somewhere. I think it's just great.
COSTELLO: That's coming.
BOROWITZ: It shows so much restraint.
COSTELLO: But it's coming.
ROZEN: You know, putting the article in front of his name, The Rock, rather than just Rock.
BOROWITZ: The Rock.
COSTELLO: Yes, true.
BOROWITZ: The Rock, I love him. I love him.
COSTELLO: OK, thanks all of you. That's all the time we have.
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 September 25, 2003 - 07:54 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, it is time, once again, for the lightning-fast feature we call "90-Second Pop." Our panel of experts gives us 90 seconds each on three hot topics from the world of pop culture.
With us this morning, Clarissa Cruz, "Entertainment Weekly" reporter, Leah Rozen, film critic for "People" magazine, and humorist Andy Borowitz, author of "Who Moved my Soap: The CEO's Guide to Surviving in Prison."
That made me laugh alone.
OK, so to get this thing rolling, let's start with Clarissa.
CLARISSA CRUZ, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": Yes.
COSTELLO: "The Bachelor" again.
CRUZ: Oh, I'm sorry. I know. It's the fifth season. It debuted last night, and the ladies man is someone we've actually seen before. It's Bob Guiney who was memorably dissed on last season's "The Bachelorette." But this time, I mean, ABC has high hopes for this guy. He's a seemingly sort of regular guy, and he's a 32-year- old.
COLLINS: He ain't pudgy anymore, though, is he?
CRUZ: He isn't pudgy. He lost 30 pounds. I mean, he's also -- he's not a millionaire. He doesn't have movie star looks, but he's accessible. They got 15,000 women to apply to be his wife, compared to other bachelors who had gotten 2,000 to 3,000, so...
COSTELLO: That is crazy.
CRUZ: Yes.
LEAH ROZEN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: What they've really got is the alliteration working here.
CRUZ: Bachelor Bob.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: That is the secret. OK, Andy, this new show, "Coupling." The ads kind of irritate me. You know, they're all in towels and all over each other. ANDY BOROWITZ, HUMORIST: Well, you know, I'm not so irritated about the fact that it's dirty. That's never a problem for me. But, you know, what bothers me is that it's British, because, you know, when I think like a British sex comedy, I get these nightmarish flashbacks to Benny Hill. And...
COSTELLO: I love Benny Hill.
BOROWITZ: Well, I'm sorry. We're really parting company today. But I just really don't want to be getting our ideas of sex and dirtiness from the British. I really don't think we should.
COSTELLO: It should be good old American dirtiness.
BOROWITZ: Smut, yes, exactly.
ROZEN: Well, NBC really seems to be pushing it as sort of, like, the next "Friends", and, you know, it's not quite that.
BOROWITZ: You know...
COSTELLO: And let's face it. Our smut ain't as good as British smut.
BOROWITZ: Well, no. But, you know, if it succeeds, there is going to be a pressure on every show to be dirtier, including AMERICAN MORNING. And, I mean, I don't know how we can be sexier than we are. I mean, we already have Jack. I mean, so I don't know.
COSTELLO: Do you hear that Jack?
BOROWITZ: Absolutely.
ROZEN: He doesn't want to see Benny Hill on this show.
BOROWITZ: No, I certainly don't.
ROZEN: Its not happening.
COSTELLO: OK, Leah, let's talk about movies, because this movie, "Lost in Translation," has been getting such good press.
ROZEN: I love this movie. "Lost in Translation" is a terrific movie with Bill Murray in it, and it's going wider this weekend. It's going to be in about 460 theaters. So, probably it's in a town near you.
COSTELLO: So, he's really that good in a movie?
ROZEN: Yes, Bill Murray is really that good. But you just...
COSTELLO: He could win an Oscar?
ROZEN: He certainly has a good shot at a nomination, yes.
BOROWITZ: I will vouch for this. This is the best movie I've seen this year.
ROZEN: You just -- you see that Murray is so much more than just a funny guy. He plays these melancholy notes. I mean, it's a terrific, surprising performance in a film that's actually very funny, but also touching, poignant -- you name it.
CRUZ: Will people be, you know, upset by the fact that they don't actually hook up? I mean, mainstream audiences, are they ready for that kind of...
COSTELLO: You just...
(CROSSTALK)
ROZEN: That is the cardinal rule of movie reviewing is you never give away the ending.
COSTELLO: You'll be punished in some way for that.
BOROWITZ: Well done, Clarissa. Well done.
CRUZ: Thank you.
COSTELLO: What other movies are on tap?
ROZEN: Well, also in theaters this weekend actually couples can go to the movies and then split up at the megaplex. Women will want to go see "Under the Tuscan Sun," which is a lot of fun with Diane Lane. And men, I think, just may have some fun at the "Rundown," which stars The Rock. And how do I say this? I'm kind of finding I don't mind The Rock. He's sort of funny, and this film, there's actually a lot of humor in the "Rundown," and there are really good action scenes.
COSTELLO: Yes, and...
BOROWITZ: You know, we have to give The Rock credit for just not running for office somewhere. I think it's just great.
COSTELLO: That's coming.
BOROWITZ: It shows so much restraint.
COSTELLO: But it's coming.
ROZEN: You know, putting the article in front of his name, The Rock, rather than just Rock.
BOROWITZ: The Rock.
COSTELLO: Yes, true.
BOROWITZ: The Rock, I love him. I love him.
COSTELLO: OK, thanks all of you. That's all the time we have.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
