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American Morning

90-Second Pop, Culture Watch

Aired December 22, 2003 - 07:42   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's time for "90-Second Pop," our lightning-fast look at the world of pop culture. Our panel this morning is going to tackle three hot topics, spending just a minute and a half on each. Those are the rules, ladies and gentlemen.
With us this morning, humorist Andy Borowitz.

Hey, Andy. Good morning.

ANDY BOROWITZ, HUMORIST: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: "New York Times" reporter Lola Ogunnaike joins us as well.

Hey, Lola. Good morning.

LOLA OGUNNAIKE, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Hey, good morning.

O'BRIEN: B.J. Sigesmund is a staff editor for "US Weekly."

Good morning, B.J. Nice to see you.

B.J., why don't you start for us? Let's talk about "Lord of the Rings," because why not? We talked about it before it came out. We talked about it when it was being released. We're talking about it again. The numbers are truly spectacular.

B.J. SIGESMUND, "US WEEKLY": Amazing, yes, $125 million. This is the biggest five-day opening in history. Now, the next thing people are going to be saying is: Can this movie be the next "Titanic?"

O'BRIEN: Can this movie, B.J., be the next "Titanic?"

SIGESMUND: Well, let me tell you, Soledad.

BOROWITZ: "Titanic."

SIGESMUND: The first two "Lord of the Rings" movies made -- topped out at about $350 million. Now, in order for this next one to reach "Titanic" levels, you need repeat business. Remember all of those teenage girls that went back to "Titanic" again and again? They are the ones who turned it into a $600 million movie.

O'BRIEN: What were the final numbers on "Titanic?"

SIGESMUND: Six-hundred million in the U.S. and 1.8 million -- I'm sorry -- 1.8 billion...

BOROWITZ: 1.8 billion.

OGUNNAIKE: Billion.

SIGESMUND: ... around the world. So, "Lord of the Rings," I don't think it's going to get there, because I don't think people are going to see it again and again. But still, this is going to make over $400 million, maybe 500 million.

O'BRIEN: It's pretty remarkable considering that when they first began it was considered this huge risk.

OGUNNAIKE: Yes.

BOROWITZ: Right.

OGUNNAIKE: Peter Jackson dedicated seven years of his life to this thing, and no one knew if it was going to work.

BOROWITZ: I think Peter Jackson is still out there shooting. No one told him come in. Peter, you can come home now.

(CROSSTALK)

BOROWITZ: You've done fine.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk a little bit about the best flicks, as we look back, for the year. Pick -- and, Lola, we're going to start with you. Pick what you would recommend to everyone as your favorite, and then give me a couple other options.

OGUNNAIKE: Well, I know the right answer is supposed to be "Mystic River" or "21 Grams."

O'BRIEN: Girl, I don't need the right answer. I want you to be honest.

OGUNNAIKE: But I personally enjoyed "School of Rock." Jack Black was genius. It was a perfect role. It fit like a snug pair of stretch jeans. I just enjoyed it. He was amazing. It was laugh-out- loud funny. I couldn't stop laughing throughout the entire movie.

"City of God" I enjoyed. That came out earlier this year, and I think a lot of people have forgotten about it, but it was such a brilliant, brilliant film. It's set in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. And it was just powerful. The performances were so riveting. I do recommend that people run out and see it, and it should be nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film.

O'BRIEN: And Anderson was telling me it's on DVD now, so you really can just run out and go buy it.

OGUNNAIKE: Go out and buy it.

O'BRIEN: How's that for a plug for a movie I haven't even seen yet?

Andy, what would you pick as your favorite movie?

BOROWITZ: I would pick "Lost in Translation," which I know a lot of people loved the film. Murray gives a great performance. I also did like "School of Rock." But I think my other two picks would be "American Splendor," which has kind of gotten lost in the shuffle. We haven't heard much about that. It didn't get any Golden Globes. And "Bad Santa," which is still in the theaters.

O'BRIEN: You've loved that. You've mentioned "Bad Santa."

BOROWITZ: I know.

O'BRIEN: Talk about someone who -- are you on the payroll for Billy Bob Thornton? Every week you talk about "Bad Santa."

OGUNNAIKE: It's the little midget, right?

BOROWITZ: I must disclose I am. That was just a really funny movie. And I also -- "School of Rock" is good. And also I think, you know, it's not a best movie, but "Elf" is still a very charming and funny movie.

SIGESMUND: I want to put in my one plug before we go (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for "Kill Bill." If we're going to go with personal ones, I just -- I'm such a guy in that way. I love splatter flicks, and this was fun and it was very campy and it was really out there and the performances were wild and wacky.

OGUNNAIKE: It worked for me, too, because I love women wielding swords and kicking butt. It was really good.

(CROSSTALK)

BOROWITZ: Or, as Alicia Silverstone called it at the Golden Globes announcements, "Bill Kill."

OGUNNAIKE: "Bill Kill."

BOROWITZ: It's also -- I believe that's also an acceptable title.

O'BRIEN: As Uma Thurman is sitting next to her practically.

BOROWITZ: Right.

O'BRIEN: Yes, that was a little bit of a boo-boo.

BOROWITZ: Yes, Thurman Uma, I think.

OGUNNAIKE: Thurman Uma.

O'BRIEN: You liked "Finding Nemo," too.

SIGESMUND: And "Finding Nemo," yes. And "Cold Mountain" -- I mean, there were a lot of great movies this year.

O'BRIEN: A lot of good movies this year, I have to say.

BOROWITZ: You just liked everything.

OGUNNAIKE: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Sea Biscuit" anyone? But truly, I actually thought this was a great year for movies, really when you look back.

BOROWITZ: Yes.

O'BRIEN: A lot of things to see.

OGUNNAIKE: I didn't love "Finding Nemo."

O'BRIEN: You didn't love "Finding Nemo?" Well, you guys can work it out after the show, because we're moving on to the next topic. Yes, we mentioned you'd be getting 90 seconds for each one.

BOROWITZ: Right.

O'BRIEN: We're ready to move on.

Michael Jackson had a big party. This is the before -- after my arraignment, before he goes to trial party?

BOROWITZ: Well, I've got to say...

SIGESMUND: Before he escapes to England for two weeks.

BOROWITZ: ... of all of the holiday parties I've been to, this was the best one, I think. You know, there was a lot of speculation -- it was out at Neverland Ranch, there was all of this speculation: Would any big superstars show up? And the answer is yes. M.C. Hammer was there, which was very exciting. Although I was thinking, you know, if I'm Michael Jackson, I don't know if I want a show of support from a guy whose biggest hit was called "You Can't Touch This." It seems wrong somehow.

O'BRIEN: He actually did have some -- I know Liz Taylor was invited.

BOROWITZ: Serena Williams was there.

O'BRIEN: I don't know if she went.

SIGESMUND: Serena Williams was really the only A-list person there. After that, it was M.C. Hammer, Ryan Seacrest from "American Idol"...

O'BRIEN: No, his publicist said in a note that he wasn't there, which I thought was sort of interesting in and of itself.

SIGESMUND: Oh, right.

BOROWITZ: Whose publicist sent out a note?

O'BRIEN: We got a message saying that Ryan Seacrest...

SIGESMUND: Ryan Seacrest.

O'BRIEN: ... was not there.

OGUNNAIKE: His stunt double was there?

O'BRIEN: I don't know.

(CROSSTALK)

BOROWITZ: This should appear on the CNN crawl, I think.

SIGESMUND: There were a lot of celebrities who at first came out for Michael Jackson -- Alicia Keys spoke out for him and Shawn P. Diddy Combs.

BOROWITZ: L.L. Cool J.

O'BRIEN: Right.

SIGESMUND: Yes, L.L. Cool J. Some big names spoke out for Michael Jackson.

O'BRIEN: What do you think...

SIGESMUND: It's different now.

O'BRIEN: What was behind this party? Was this party basically to bring people through, do a physical show of support, as opposed to an occasional sound bite here.

OGUNNAIKE: I think they're going to make a video out of this, too, I heard somewhere. They're going to turn this into -- they were shooting footage for a video.

(CROSSTALK)

OGUNNAIKE: No, I'm serious.

BOROWITZ: You know, I was making my general advice to Michael Jackson to stop make videos of things. It never helps. I just think it's just bad advice.

O'BRIEN: That's bizarre, I think.

OGUNNAIKE: Yes. It's a big publicity stunt.

SIGESMUND: Yes.

OGUNNAIKE: And I'm not sure if it's going to work out.

SIGESMUND: Well, he's trying to rally his fans. You know, he's trying to get his fans to speak up for him and go on the news wearing t-shirts that say "Leave him alone," and "I support Michael Jackson" and things like that.

BOROWITZ: So far, it's going great.

OGUNNAIKE: Beat it.

BOROWITZ: It's really working well.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Andy and Lola and B.J. -- oh, you guys crack me up. All right, thanks so much. 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 December 22, 2003 - 07:42   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's time for "90-Second Pop," our lightning-fast look at the world of pop culture. Our panel this morning is going to tackle three hot topics, spending just a minute and a half on each. Those are the rules, ladies and gentlemen.
With us this morning, humorist Andy Borowitz.

Hey, Andy. Good morning.

ANDY BOROWITZ, HUMORIST: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: "New York Times" reporter Lola Ogunnaike joins us as well.

Hey, Lola. Good morning.

LOLA OGUNNAIKE, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Hey, good morning.

O'BRIEN: B.J. Sigesmund is a staff editor for "US Weekly."

Good morning, B.J. Nice to see you.

B.J., why don't you start for us? Let's talk about "Lord of the Rings," because why not? We talked about it before it came out. We talked about it when it was being released. We're talking about it again. The numbers are truly spectacular.

B.J. SIGESMUND, "US WEEKLY": Amazing, yes, $125 million. This is the biggest five-day opening in history. Now, the next thing people are going to be saying is: Can this movie be the next "Titanic?"

O'BRIEN: Can this movie, B.J., be the next "Titanic?"

SIGESMUND: Well, let me tell you, Soledad.

BOROWITZ: "Titanic."

SIGESMUND: The first two "Lord of the Rings" movies made -- topped out at about $350 million. Now, in order for this next one to reach "Titanic" levels, you need repeat business. Remember all of those teenage girls that went back to "Titanic" again and again? They are the ones who turned it into a $600 million movie.

O'BRIEN: What were the final numbers on "Titanic?"

SIGESMUND: Six-hundred million in the U.S. and 1.8 million -- I'm sorry -- 1.8 billion...

BOROWITZ: 1.8 billion.

OGUNNAIKE: Billion.

SIGESMUND: ... around the world. So, "Lord of the Rings," I don't think it's going to get there, because I don't think people are going to see it again and again. But still, this is going to make over $400 million, maybe 500 million.

O'BRIEN: It's pretty remarkable considering that when they first began it was considered this huge risk.

OGUNNAIKE: Yes.

BOROWITZ: Right.

OGUNNAIKE: Peter Jackson dedicated seven years of his life to this thing, and no one knew if it was going to work.

BOROWITZ: I think Peter Jackson is still out there shooting. No one told him come in. Peter, you can come home now.

(CROSSTALK)

BOROWITZ: You've done fine.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk a little bit about the best flicks, as we look back, for the year. Pick -- and, Lola, we're going to start with you. Pick what you would recommend to everyone as your favorite, and then give me a couple other options.

OGUNNAIKE: Well, I know the right answer is supposed to be "Mystic River" or "21 Grams."

O'BRIEN: Girl, I don't need the right answer. I want you to be honest.

OGUNNAIKE: But I personally enjoyed "School of Rock." Jack Black was genius. It was a perfect role. It fit like a snug pair of stretch jeans. I just enjoyed it. He was amazing. It was laugh-out- loud funny. I couldn't stop laughing throughout the entire movie.

"City of God" I enjoyed. That came out earlier this year, and I think a lot of people have forgotten about it, but it was such a brilliant, brilliant film. It's set in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. And it was just powerful. The performances were so riveting. I do recommend that people run out and see it, and it should be nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film.

O'BRIEN: And Anderson was telling me it's on DVD now, so you really can just run out and go buy it.

OGUNNAIKE: Go out and buy it.

O'BRIEN: How's that for a plug for a movie I haven't even seen yet?

Andy, what would you pick as your favorite movie?

BOROWITZ: I would pick "Lost in Translation," which I know a lot of people loved the film. Murray gives a great performance. I also did like "School of Rock." But I think my other two picks would be "American Splendor," which has kind of gotten lost in the shuffle. We haven't heard much about that. It didn't get any Golden Globes. And "Bad Santa," which is still in the theaters.

O'BRIEN: You've loved that. You've mentioned "Bad Santa."

BOROWITZ: I know.

O'BRIEN: Talk about someone who -- are you on the payroll for Billy Bob Thornton? Every week you talk about "Bad Santa."

OGUNNAIKE: It's the little midget, right?

BOROWITZ: I must disclose I am. That was just a really funny movie. And I also -- "School of Rock" is good. And also I think, you know, it's not a best movie, but "Elf" is still a very charming and funny movie.

SIGESMUND: I want to put in my one plug before we go (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for "Kill Bill." If we're going to go with personal ones, I just -- I'm such a guy in that way. I love splatter flicks, and this was fun and it was very campy and it was really out there and the performances were wild and wacky.

OGUNNAIKE: It worked for me, too, because I love women wielding swords and kicking butt. It was really good.

(CROSSTALK)

BOROWITZ: Or, as Alicia Silverstone called it at the Golden Globes announcements, "Bill Kill."

OGUNNAIKE: "Bill Kill."

BOROWITZ: It's also -- I believe that's also an acceptable title.

O'BRIEN: As Uma Thurman is sitting next to her practically.

BOROWITZ: Right.

O'BRIEN: Yes, that was a little bit of a boo-boo.

BOROWITZ: Yes, Thurman Uma, I think.

OGUNNAIKE: Thurman Uma.

O'BRIEN: You liked "Finding Nemo," too.

SIGESMUND: And "Finding Nemo," yes. And "Cold Mountain" -- I mean, there were a lot of great movies this year.

O'BRIEN: A lot of good movies this year, I have to say.

BOROWITZ: You just liked everything.

OGUNNAIKE: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Sea Biscuit" anyone? But truly, I actually thought this was a great year for movies, really when you look back.

BOROWITZ: Yes.

O'BRIEN: A lot of things to see.

OGUNNAIKE: I didn't love "Finding Nemo."

O'BRIEN: You didn't love "Finding Nemo?" Well, you guys can work it out after the show, because we're moving on to the next topic. Yes, we mentioned you'd be getting 90 seconds for each one.

BOROWITZ: Right.

O'BRIEN: We're ready to move on.

Michael Jackson had a big party. This is the before -- after my arraignment, before he goes to trial party?

BOROWITZ: Well, I've got to say...

SIGESMUND: Before he escapes to England for two weeks.

BOROWITZ: ... of all of the holiday parties I've been to, this was the best one, I think. You know, there was a lot of speculation -- it was out at Neverland Ranch, there was all of this speculation: Would any big superstars show up? And the answer is yes. M.C. Hammer was there, which was very exciting. Although I was thinking, you know, if I'm Michael Jackson, I don't know if I want a show of support from a guy whose biggest hit was called "You Can't Touch This." It seems wrong somehow.

O'BRIEN: He actually did have some -- I know Liz Taylor was invited.

BOROWITZ: Serena Williams was there.

O'BRIEN: I don't know if she went.

SIGESMUND: Serena Williams was really the only A-list person there. After that, it was M.C. Hammer, Ryan Seacrest from "American Idol"...

O'BRIEN: No, his publicist said in a note that he wasn't there, which I thought was sort of interesting in and of itself.

SIGESMUND: Oh, right.

BOROWITZ: Whose publicist sent out a note?

O'BRIEN: We got a message saying that Ryan Seacrest...

SIGESMUND: Ryan Seacrest.

O'BRIEN: ... was not there.

OGUNNAIKE: His stunt double was there?

O'BRIEN: I don't know.

(CROSSTALK)

BOROWITZ: This should appear on the CNN crawl, I think.

SIGESMUND: There were a lot of celebrities who at first came out for Michael Jackson -- Alicia Keys spoke out for him and Shawn P. Diddy Combs.

BOROWITZ: L.L. Cool J.

O'BRIEN: Right.

SIGESMUND: Yes, L.L. Cool J. Some big names spoke out for Michael Jackson.

O'BRIEN: What do you think...

SIGESMUND: It's different now.

O'BRIEN: What was behind this party? Was this party basically to bring people through, do a physical show of support, as opposed to an occasional sound bite here.

OGUNNAIKE: I think they're going to make a video out of this, too, I heard somewhere. They're going to turn this into -- they were shooting footage for a video.

(CROSSTALK)

OGUNNAIKE: No, I'm serious.

BOROWITZ: You know, I was making my general advice to Michael Jackson to stop make videos of things. It never helps. I just think it's just bad advice.

O'BRIEN: That's bizarre, I think.

OGUNNAIKE: Yes. It's a big publicity stunt.

SIGESMUND: Yes.

OGUNNAIKE: And I'm not sure if it's going to work out.

SIGESMUND: Well, he's trying to rally his fans. You know, he's trying to get his fans to speak up for him and go on the news wearing t-shirts that say "Leave him alone," and "I support Michael Jackson" and things like that.

BOROWITZ: So far, it's going great.

OGUNNAIKE: Beat it.

BOROWITZ: It's really working well.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Andy and Lola and B.J. -- oh, you guys crack me up. All right, thanks so much. 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.