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CNN Live Sunday
Interview With Elizabeth Spiers
Aired February 08, 2004 - 11:25 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The Grammy awards are on tap tonight, and all eyes are on Janet Jackson. That's right. One of her long time producers Jimmy Jam said last night at the pre-Grammies party that Janet is on the fence about whether she'll actually show up. Could all the controversy from the Super Bowl turn out to be just another marketing tool? Elizabeth Spiers, a columnist from "New York" magazine, can tell us all about it.
Elizabeth, good to see you this morning.
ELIZABETH SPIERS, COLUMNIST, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: My pleasure.
WHITFIELD: So what is this, her publicist had said earlier in the week, no way, she wouldn't be there. Now one of her good friends and long-time producers says she might be there. What is this all about?
SPIERS: I think this is very good for her. I think that she'll probably show up. She's done a really good job in the last couple of weeks of putting her name out there and, you know, even with all the scandal, has done a good job of sort of...
WHITFIELD: But her name was out there. She's an established entertainer. I mean, some would argue whether she really did need this for her career.
SPIERS: I agree with you. I think she's established, but I also believe her career has kind of been in a slump in the last couple of years. This was definitely a big sort of comeback event for her.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, CBS now is saying for this evening's Grammy awards there's going to be at least a five-second delay just in case another moment like that were to occur.
SPIERS: Right.
WHITFIELD: Is this the right, you know, move for the network to take considering there have been so many other sort of boob kind of moments on other programs, whether it be on cable or one of the big three, in the past?
SPIERS: You know, I'm actually surprised they haven't done that before. I mean, anything has come out of the Janet Jackson debacle, it is if you have a production that big, you can't control every variable. If you have a performer that's live, and they decide at the last minute to hell with it, I'll do whatever I want, there's really not a lot you can do about it, and afterwards, you don't have a lot of recourse. I think it's probably a good, pragmatic move on the part of the organizers.
WHITFIELD: What's different about what occurred during the Super Bowl halftime show and what happened at the MTV awards with Diana Ross and Lil' Kim, with Lil' Kim wearing a little pasty as she was up there being an awards presenter, and then most recently at the Golden Globes, Bono spewing out a profanity on the air. It went on the air live. What's the difference? Why are these incidents being treated differently?
SPIERS: I think, first of all, I think the Super Bowl is one of the more mainstream kind of program. So that's part of it. I think that people are anticipating that more of middle America will be watching those shows. Whereas at the VMAs, you know, they've had scandal before. I don't think it's entirely surprising when Lil' Kim shows up with a pasty.
WHITFIELD: Even though Janet Jackson is still on the fence about whether to be at the Grammy awards, Justin Timberlake will certainly be there. He's up for a couple of Grammies. Does this hurt or help his career, since you believe that this incident during the Super Bowl helped Janet's career?
SPIERS: I think it doesn't help him in the same way it helps Janet, because I feel like his career is already sort of, if not peaking, it's doing very well right now. It may have hurt him a little bit, because his audience, also his demographic is maybe a little younger than Janet's.
WHITFIELD: He said after the incident that he was rather embarrassed. He had a good year, that 2003 was a great, strong year for him, and that he has a rather wholesome reputation, even though he voluntarily is doing the gyrating there during the halftime show. But, you know, he says that if anything, it really was an embarrassment for his family, as well.
SPIERS: I'm sure. I'm sure. Again, he has a younger demographic and I'm sure the kids that listen to Justin Timberlake...
WHITFIELD: You see him trying to recover from this?
SPIERS: Yes, yes.
WHITFIELD: All right. Elizabeth Spiers, thanks very much for joining us this morning. Good to see you.
SPIERS: You too.
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 February 8, 2004 - 11:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The Grammy awards are on tap tonight, and all eyes are on Janet Jackson. That's right. One of her long time producers Jimmy Jam said last night at the pre-Grammies party that Janet is on the fence about whether she'll actually show up. Could all the controversy from the Super Bowl turn out to be just another marketing tool? Elizabeth Spiers, a columnist from "New York" magazine, can tell us all about it.
Elizabeth, good to see you this morning.
ELIZABETH SPIERS, COLUMNIST, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: My pleasure.
WHITFIELD: So what is this, her publicist had said earlier in the week, no way, she wouldn't be there. Now one of her good friends and long-time producers says she might be there. What is this all about?
SPIERS: I think this is very good for her. I think that she'll probably show up. She's done a really good job in the last couple of weeks of putting her name out there and, you know, even with all the scandal, has done a good job of sort of...
WHITFIELD: But her name was out there. She's an established entertainer. I mean, some would argue whether she really did need this for her career.
SPIERS: I agree with you. I think she's established, but I also believe her career has kind of been in a slump in the last couple of years. This was definitely a big sort of comeback event for her.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, CBS now is saying for this evening's Grammy awards there's going to be at least a five-second delay just in case another moment like that were to occur.
SPIERS: Right.
WHITFIELD: Is this the right, you know, move for the network to take considering there have been so many other sort of boob kind of moments on other programs, whether it be on cable or one of the big three, in the past?
SPIERS: You know, I'm actually surprised they haven't done that before. I mean, anything has come out of the Janet Jackson debacle, it is if you have a production that big, you can't control every variable. If you have a performer that's live, and they decide at the last minute to hell with it, I'll do whatever I want, there's really not a lot you can do about it, and afterwards, you don't have a lot of recourse. I think it's probably a good, pragmatic move on the part of the organizers.
WHITFIELD: What's different about what occurred during the Super Bowl halftime show and what happened at the MTV awards with Diana Ross and Lil' Kim, with Lil' Kim wearing a little pasty as she was up there being an awards presenter, and then most recently at the Golden Globes, Bono spewing out a profanity on the air. It went on the air live. What's the difference? Why are these incidents being treated differently?
SPIERS: I think, first of all, I think the Super Bowl is one of the more mainstream kind of program. So that's part of it. I think that people are anticipating that more of middle America will be watching those shows. Whereas at the VMAs, you know, they've had scandal before. I don't think it's entirely surprising when Lil' Kim shows up with a pasty.
WHITFIELD: Even though Janet Jackson is still on the fence about whether to be at the Grammy awards, Justin Timberlake will certainly be there. He's up for a couple of Grammies. Does this hurt or help his career, since you believe that this incident during the Super Bowl helped Janet's career?
SPIERS: I think it doesn't help him in the same way it helps Janet, because I feel like his career is already sort of, if not peaking, it's doing very well right now. It may have hurt him a little bit, because his audience, also his demographic is maybe a little younger than Janet's.
WHITFIELD: He said after the incident that he was rather embarrassed. He had a good year, that 2003 was a great, strong year for him, and that he has a rather wholesome reputation, even though he voluntarily is doing the gyrating there during the halftime show. But, you know, he says that if anything, it really was an embarrassment for his family, as well.
SPIERS: I'm sure. I'm sure. Again, he has a younger demographic and I'm sure the kids that listen to Justin Timberlake...
WHITFIELD: You see him trying to recover from this?
SPIERS: Yes, yes.
WHITFIELD: All right. Elizabeth Spiers, thanks very much for joining us this morning. Good to see you.
SPIERS: You too.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
