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Showbiz Tonight
Stewart Visits Her Company`s Headquarters; Kirstie Alley`s New Showtime Sitcom `Fat Actress` Premiers
Aired March 07, 2005 - 19:00 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.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: Martha Stewart`s post-prison recipe for success.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And Kirstie Alley opens up about "Fat Actress" and Hollywood`s double standard.
I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant, and this is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Martha`s recipe for a good thing. Just out of prison, she`s cooking up a whole new image.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTHA STEWART, MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA: We may not have always been clear in our message.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Weighing in with Kirstie Alley. Tonight`s the debut of "Fat Actress," a morsel of the show, but is Hollywood too biting to women?
HAMMER: Rick Schroder live. From precinct to punching bag, his new movie, "Black Cloud," has a silver lining.
BRYANT: "Desperate" decor. We`ll show you how to change your living room from plain Jane to Wisteria Lane.
HAMMER: Cover girl. Britney`s first alluring magazine cover since she became Mrs. Federline. We`ll show you the brand-new pictures inside.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIVICA FOX, "MISSING": Hey, what`s (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Vivica Fox. If it happens today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant, and you`re at the top of the show.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We`re live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.
BRYANT: It`s Martha, Martha everywhere. But will the makeover work?
HAMMER: Martha Stewart held court this afternoon. No, not that kind of court. She held court at her company`s Manhattan headquarters, back at work and inviting all the world to see. It was just the latest episode of Martha after jail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTHA STEWART, MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA: I am extremely proud of each and every one of you, and it`s time for all of you to receive your due.
HAMMER (voice-over): Today was Martha Stewart`s first day back at work, as she made a triumphant return to her company`s headquarters in New York City. Martha gushed with thanks to her employees for sticking with her while she was locked up, microwaving chicken wing in jail.
STEWART: I know now more than ever how important these values are for happiness.
HAMMER: It`s a warmer, fuzzier side of Martha Stewart, the first step in the Martha makeover.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CYBILL SHEPHERD, "MARTHA INC.": I want cotton. I want 300-thread- count minimum, or this face doesn`t sell these sheets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This was the not so softer side of Martha in the 2003 made- for-TV movie, "Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart," in which she was portrayed as a ruthless CEO. Just the year before, it was Martha on the defensive on the CBS "Early Show," chopping salad and getting grilled just days after the ImClone scandal broke.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: My employees and I are hard at work at making our company the best omnimedia company in the world, Jane. And we will continue to do that, and I want to focus on my salad because...
JANE CLAYSON, CO-HOST: One more question...
STEWART: ... that`s why we`re here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: But today Martha was working on slicing up her bad-girl image.
ERIC DEZENHALL, CRISIS MANAGEMENT EXPERT: One of the biggest myths is the myth of the great makeover. There`s never been a complete makeover in American history that worked because you are who you are. The best you can do is get people to accept you for the flawed person that you are. So any effort for Martha Stewart to become a different personality, to become Mother Teresa, will not work.
HAMMER: But Martha gets points for trying. Take the day she got out of jail, first serving hot chocolate to reporters waiting outside in the bitter cold.
STEWART: You look gorgeous. Oh, your hair`s so long!
HAMMER: Then there was the video of Martha the homemaker in her kitchen, distributed by Martha`s very own company.
STEWART: Right before I left, she handed me this.
HAMMER: And today it was Martha proudly showing off her poncho, made by a fellow inmate. So is Martha working on a recipe for rehabilitation?
DEZENHALL: The recipe for Martha Stewart`s success is, No. 1, defining your audience, recognizing that she should be preaching to the choir, as opposed to preaching to everyone. No. 2, she should be regulating the degree of her public exposure. She really has to get back to work and get back to business.
HAMMER: And today, that`s exactly what she did. But now she`s doing it wearing an electronic ankle bracelet as a much-unwanted fashion accessory.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Stewart told her staff today that she`s going to take the tough lessons learned in prison to the boardroom. She said that the entire experience was, quote, "a tremendous privilege."
BRYANT: Well, Martha Stewart is getting her own version of Donald Trump`s "The Apprentice," and tonight, Trump says Dan Rather should`ve heard those famous two words, "You`re fired." Trump told "Fox News Sunday`s" Chris Wallace, if it were up to him, Rather would have been canned a long time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": How does this guy stay in position when he always has the lowest ratings? I mean, he`s had bad ratings for years. Now, this isn`t just a new phenomena. Dan Rather`s had the worst ratings for years, and he continues to go forward. So I never understood it. So I`m not a big fan of Dan Rather. I don`t want to be a fan of Dan Rather. I don`t think he`s good at the news. I don`t think a lot of people think he`s good at the news. He was always highly overrated.
CHRIS WALLACE, HOST: What would you do?
TRUMP: I would have fired him a long time ago.
WALLACE: How would you have done it?
TRUMP: I would have said, Dan, you`re fired.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: And today, the man who Rather replaced, Walter Cronkite, told CNN`s Wolf Blitzer his thoughts about Memo-gate, which led many to call for Rather to step down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALTER CRONKITE, FORMER CBS NEWS ANCHOR: He hung on too long to his faith in his staff. They had provided him this material, and he trusted them implicitly in all things and insisted that the information was correct for a whole week, when evidence was beginning to pile up that it wasn`t.
Well, we don`t know, of course, what conversations went on between Dan and his producers. Whatever the conversation was, he accepted, obviously, their version of the story. I think he did make a mistake. We all know he made a mistake by now.
Well, I think that there was a general feeling among quite a lot of us around the CBS shop, and indeed, some of the viewers, that Dan gave the impression of playing a role, more than simply trying to deliver the news to the audience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Dan Rather has been with CBS News since 1962 and has served as anchor and managing editor of "The Evening News" for the last 24 years. Rather`s last day is this Wednesday.
HAMMER: Well, tonight`s a pretty big night for Kirstie Alley. Her new show, "Fat Actress," is premiering. It`s the talk of Hollywood, a town where, of course, thin is in. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas tells us this Hollywood heavyweight is winning even as she`s losing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIBILA VARGAS, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT (voice-over): Kirstie Alley is back in a big way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kirstie. It`s Sam. How`s the diet going?
KIRSTIE ALLEY, "FAT ACTRESS": Really well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that`s good news because I have an offer for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: An offer is just what Alley`s character is looking for in Showtime`s new series, "Fat Actress."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEY: What kind of offer?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s from Jenny Craig.
ALLEY: Oh! Oh!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: So how much of the show is based on her life?
ALLEY: Most of it`s fiction. You know, most of it`s (UNINTELLIGIBLE) You know.
VARGAS: But the job offer from Jenny Craig is the real deal. Alley is their new spokesperson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEY: Jenny Craig, please. This is Kirstie Alley. It`s in regards to me being fat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Fat is generally a four-letter world in Hollywood. Being too fat or too thin can make you tabloid fodder.
ALLEY: For 20 years of my career, I`ve been on the cover of the tabloids for being fat. You know, if I weighed 140, I was on the cover of the tabloids being fat, 150 I was on the cover. So it sells a lot of magazines for them.
HAMMER: With this new show, Alley`s character highlights the double standards that actresses face in Hollywood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEY: I mean, look, John Goodman`s got his own show, and Jason Alexander looks like a frickin` bowling ball. And then how about James Gandolfino? He`s, like, the size of whale. He`s way, way, way fatter than I am!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEY: Networks are ruthless with girls` weight. If you are a man in Hollywood and you want your own sitcom, you got to be really frickin` fat. That`s -- it`s, like, written.
VARGAS: From her days on "Cheers" to "Veronica`s Closet," it`s been a while since Alley`s last hit. But she hopes that being a big star grappling with weighty issues will lead to another success.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEY: Choose me! Choose me!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas in Los Angeles. So if you want to get a morsel of "Fat Actress," Showtime is unscrambling their signal until after the show airs.
Well, it`s time now for more "SHOWBIZ Shorts," a look at more stories that are making news tonight. Nick Carter arrested. "Celebrity Justice" reports today that the Back Street Boy was picked up in California Saturday evening for allegedly driving while intoxicated. He was released later that night. Carter`s publicist told us today that her client, quote, "deeply regrets the current situation. He is on doctor-prescribed medication and was unaware of interaction possibilities."
BRYANT: Ed McMahon hospitalized. Tonight the 82-year-old McMahon, best known, of course, for his role as Johnny Carson`s sidekick, has a mild concussion. A spokeswoman said he fell in his home, but he`s doing fine. He`ll be released in the next few days.
We`ve got more "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Shorts" coming up throughout the show.
HAMMER: Well, grab a gardener, because we are off to Wisteria Lane. I am not your gardener! We`re going to show you how to have a house like a "Desperate Housewife" coming up.
BRYANT: Plus, Martha Stewart`s back to work, but is she on the right track? We`ll take it to the "Buzz Bench" coming up.
Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Who is the only rap star to have won an Oscar for Best Original Song? Is it, A, Eminem, B, Queen Latifah, C, Ice-T, or D, Eve? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back. So again, today`s "Entertainment Weekly" pop culture quiz. Who is the only rap star to have won an Oscar for Best Original Song, A, Eminem, B, Queen Latifah, C, Ice-T, or D, Eve? The answer is A, Eminem.
BRYANT: Well, Eminem is no stranger to getting attacked for his controversial lyrics. Tonight he has company. Much of the rap world is getting slammed for promoting violence in songs. Today the Reverend Al Sharpton called for a 90-day ban on radio and TV airplay for performers who use violence to settle scores or to promote records. Now, this comes just days after a dispute between rapper 50 Cent and his protege, The Game, may have led to one member of The Game`s entourage being shot. And rapper Lil` Kim is now on trial, charged with perjury over a shooting involving her camp and that of a rival.
Which all leads to our "SHOWBIZ Showdown." Our hot topic tonight is violence in music. Joining us live, Ron Kuby, an attorney host of the WABC Radio show in New York City, and Curtis Sliwa. Well, he does a show, Curtis and Kuby, with this other guy, Curtis Sliwa.
(LAUGHTER)
BRYANT: Now, first, though, Ron says radio stations should not ban music that promotes violence. Ron`s co-host, Curtis Sliwa, says, Yes, radio and TV should crack down on music that promotes violence.
Curtis, I`m going to start with you. I`m sure you`ve got a strong opinion. What is it?
CURTIS SLIWA, "CURTIS & KUBY IN THE MORNING": Oh, yes. Radio stations lend their microphones to these degenerate rappers who start wars on the air that end up affecting all their sycophants, toadies and lackeys who want to keep it real. So they go outside of the radio stations, they have shootouts, they have feuds. Meantime, they sell more CDs, it hypes the station, but pollutes the airwaves with a message -- it`s like a modern-day fatwa, a domestic fatwa. They`re urging that they do this to the wife, they turn you into a Maytag, they shoot you, they kill you, they stab you, and everyone benefits financially. Unfortunately, culturally, we sink right into a sinkhole.
BRYANT: OK, Ron, what do you say? Obviously, you think that they should not ban the music.
RON KUBY, "CURTIS & KUBY IN THE MORNING": Well, it`s that pesky 1st Amendment once again. You know, the reality is, in the United States, we have a protected constitutional right to freedom of speech. The government can regulate decency, in the sense it can regulate sexual content, graphic sexual depictions, but the Supreme Court has said over and over again, the 1st Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech allows for violent speech, provocative speech, profane speech. You can`t engage in sexual activity, so I suppose it`s perfectly OK to take a pillow and smother somebody with it on television, that`s OK, but of course, you can`t show people actually having sex on that pillow. That`s the state of the 1st Amendment. So you can`t ban it, I mean, as much as you might want to.
BRYANT: Yes, Curtis, what do you think of that? I mean, it is freedom of speech, be it something that you don`t necessarily want to hear. Don`t they have the right to sing those songs?
SLIWA: Wait a second. It`s different than when you just sing a song. What they`re saying is, Yo, you can take my words, take my lyrics, and keep it real.
BRYANT: So you`re saying this is a problem specific to rap, then.
SLIWA: Oh, there`s no question.
BRYANT: OK.
SLIWA: I mean, the hip hop monster is there, the Uzi-toting, dope- sucking psychopathic killing machines, they literally go out and they do drive-by shootings! So if the message of the music is you go out and do it, and radio stations are aiding and abetting in that process and they`re profiting from that, then they have to be stopped.
KUBY: Well, of course, here`s the problem. Let`s look at country- Western music, for example. Toby Keith`s famous post-9/11 (UNINTELLIGIBLE) We`ll put a boot up your ass. Well, that certainly promotes violence. If you look at -- St. Patty`s Day is approaching, Curtis, 800 years of Irish folk music has celebrated every single battle, every shooting, every bombing...
SLIWA: Ron!
KUBY: ... by the freedom fighters. The "Battle Hymn of the Republic" -- how does it end? "Let us fight to make men free." You`re going to be on "The Star-Spangled Banner"!
SLIWA: Well, Ron, when`s the last time you went to a country-Western station? Hank Williams, Jr., was always half in the bag. All of a sudden, it`s having a shootout at the A-OK corral!
KUBY: Well, then you ban the shooting!
SLIWA: With them it`s just words!
BRYANT: Guys, here`s the...
KUBY: You ban shooting people, not singing songs! That`s simple enough!
BRYANT: That`s -- that`s one option, yes, tighter gun control, perhaps. What about the idea that the radio stations should take a little bit of responsibility and perhaps maybe educate along with playing the new 50 Cent record, maybe, you know, have some forums, have some actual discussion on the air, saying, you know, This isn`t right, Can we help our city kids? Can we -- you know what I`m saying? Can`t there be something more positive?
KUBY: Like a disclaimer. Right. Warning! What you`re about to hear is not right, it`s not good, it`s violent, we don`t like it, but it makes us a lot of money, so we`re going to play it. Something like that?
BRYANT: Something like that.
KUBY: Yes, what do you think, Curtis? You think that would work?
SLIWA: Well, you know, that`s relegated to Sunday mornings at 7:00 o`clock. They call that their public service broadcasting.
BRYANT: Right.
SLIWA: Nobody listens to it. Come on! They`re a money-making machine. And you know what`s best? If the rappers actually end up room temperature and end up getting sprayed with bullets, they`ll sell more CDs than ever before, like Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls...
(CROSSTALK)
KUBY: ... it`s doing Tupac and Biggie a lot of good now, Curtis!
BRYANT: Guys -- well, yes, here we go. I mean...
KUBY: Really.
BRYANT: ... this is a discussion definitely, that, you know, I`ve had at home, and I probably will continue to have going on and on. But Ron Kuby and Curtis Sliwa, of course, of the "Curtis & Kuby" show, thanks for joining us here and talking about this one with us.
We do want to know your thoughts at home. Should radio and TV stations ban music that promotes violence? Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or e-mail us what`s on your mind at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts live.
HAMMER: Well, first "Silver Spoons," then "NYPD Blue." Now Rick Schroder is on to even bigger things. He`s stopping by to tell us all about his first time directing a movie. That`s coming up live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
BRYANT: Plus, how hot was the "Be Cool" movie at the box office this weekend? We`ll check the numbers coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: A diesel-powered box office this weekend. In final numbers out just this afternoon, Vin Diesel`s family flick, "The Pacifier," did a whole lot better than expected. It pulled in more than $30 million. Diesel beat out John Travolta. His "Be Cool" opened with $23.5 million, but it was Travolta`s biggest weekend opening ever. Rounding out the top five, "Hitch," "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" and the Oscar-winning "Million Dollar Baby."
BRYANT: Right now, Travolta and the gang are in London, premiering the movie there. It is definitely a cool crew. Not only are John and Uma back on the dance floor, but Andre 3000 is on the big screen. Vince Vaughn has an identity crisis. And The Rock gets stopped.
So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson is in LA. Now, you sat down with them. Explain this whole gang to us, if you will.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: I did, Karyn. And you`re absolutely right, this is a cool crew. And The Rock got pretty soft in his interview with me, too. He was hilarious. This entire cast had a lot of fun with this project, not only on screen, but in the hot seat, the interview seat, as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, player (ph). Stop hating. Stop hating. Start participating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I went and studied a lot of the old "Sanford and Sons" with Redd Foxx, a lot of the old "Good Times."
ANDERSON (voice-over): It`s the sequel to "Get Shorty." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is taking you inside this wiseguy comedy all about the music biz. John Travolta, who played gangster-turned-movie-producer Chili Palmer in "Get Shorty," gets into music this time around. He`s teaming up with Uma Thurman again. Remember their dance from "Pulp Fiction"? Well, they`re at it again.
JOHN TRAVOLTA, "BE COOL": Uma can do anything, as we know, but I mean, it was fun being with her again.
ANDERSON: Uma tells me getting her groove on with Travolta was the reason she wanted to "Be Cool."
UMA THURMAN, "BE COOL": To get to work with John again was certainly nothing I would ever shy away from. I love working with him. I love dancing with him. We just have a great time.
ANDERSON: A great time was had by the entire A-list cast. Cedric the Entertainer plays a...
CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER "BE COOL": Get stuff started (ph) kind of guy.
ANDERSON: And you`ve never seen Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson like this before.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DWAYNE JOHNSON, "BE COOL": Oh, I`ll bring it. Don`t worry. I never do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (on camera): Wrestler to action star to this hilarious gay man!
JOHNSON: I play a man who wants a bigger life, an aspiring actor. That was me five years ago, a guy who has nothing now. He has no money. That was me eight, ten years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNSON: Scorchin`!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNSON: That was never me, but...
ANDERSON: Andre 3000 of Outkast is tackling his second movie role. I found out he`s not afraid to veer off script.
ANDRE BENJAMIN, "BE COOL": The gun went off when it wasn`t supposed to. I threw the pistol down and said something like...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN: Don`t give me no gun there!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN: It wasn`t scripted.
ANDERSON: Nor was this.
(on camera): Can you give me the eyebrow?
JOHNSON: Of course. Are you ready?
ANDERSON: I don`t know if I`m ready.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: I need a seat belt on for this!
JOHNSON: Strap yourself in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: What a mess he is! Karyn, I know the film was just No. 2 at the box office this weekend, but you can`t deny it`s a No. 1 cast. You`ve also got Danny DeVito, Christina Milian, Steven Tyler and celebrity cameos Fred Durst, Anna Nicole Smith and Seth Green among them. Back to you.
BRYANT: All right, Brooke. Good to see that you`re having some fun on the job. Brooke Anderson in Los Angeles -- A.J.
HAMMER: Well, Karyn, a bad girl paid Usher a visit this weekend. Beyonce joined him on stage during "Bad Girl" at his live concert in Puerto Rico. Usher told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Friday that there would be some surprises. Beyonce was one of them. Rappers Fat Joe and Ludacris turned up, as well. During the concert, Usher also said this would be his last performance of the year so he could focus on his other projects, including a movie career.
BRYANT: Britney Spears speaks out. Two weddings, the paparazzi, diets and baby talk. Britney bears all in this month`s "Allure" magazine. "Allure" beauty editor Diana Byrne said Britney`s matured and has actually grown to like the tabloid attention. Sort of.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANA BYRNE, "ALLURE" BEAUTY EDITOR: She`s been through the slaughterhouse. I mean, yes, they`ve loved her, but they`ve also hated her. And so she said, No, they really helped me kind of see that I was at this low (ph). They showed me that I had put on a little weight and needed to lose it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Britney shed more than body fat. In a shocking admission, she opens up, saying her marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander was a regrettable cry for attention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BYRNE: It was such a crazy time in her life and really felt like this was her cry for help. She need to be home. She needed to be with her family. And this was kind of her subconscious way of getting that attention that she needed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Lest we forget, her former performer boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, with whom she`s still in touch. You can pick up a copy of April`s "Allure" magazine starting March 15.
Well, there is a lot more Britney to talk about -- the tabloids, the first husband. We`ll take it to the "Buzz Bench" coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, should you spend your cash on 50 Cent? His new record coming up in "People`s" music "Picks and Pans."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Rick Schroder live. The former child star is still a star, but now he`s graduated to writing and directing. He drops by to tell us about his new flick, "Black Cloud."
BRYANT: House call, desperate housewife withdrawal? Tonight, it`s all about the decorating. We`ll show you how to make your house fit for Wisteria Lane.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG SAVAN: Hi, I`m Doug Savan. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Welcome back h to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: And I`m A.J. Hammer.
Here are tonight`s hot headlines.
Martha`s makeover continues. It`s her fourth day out of prison today, and, as we showed you earlier, first day back at work in New York City. She gave her employees a pep talk, and the TV cameras, of course, captured it all live. Stewart is under house arrest, but can leave her home for up to 48 hours per week.
BRYANT: Kirstie`s big night. Kirstie Alley premieres her Showtime sitcom, "Fat Actress," tonight. She plays herself, an overweight and out of work actress. As we showed you earlier, the former "Cheers" star tells us she thinks there`s a double standard in Hollywood. Overweight men get jobs more easily.
HAMMER: Well, we`ve been asking you to vote on tonight`s SHOWBIZ showdown question of the day, Should radio and TV ban music that promotes violence? We`d like you to keep on voting by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. You can also e-mail us your thoughts at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We will share some of what you have to say coming up at about 55 past the hour.
BRYANT: From upscale formal living, to country cottage shabby chic, they`ve got it all on Wisteria Lane. Tonight, we`re taking you behind the curtains of ABC`s hit drama "Desperate Housewives," as we show you how to have a house like a desperate housewife.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES," ABC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Slow down, you jerk! this is a residential neighborhood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT (voice-over): It`s America`s most popular street, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is taking you where many can`t go, inside the homes of Wisteria Lane`s domestic divas. They each have a distinctive look. Susan Mayer, shabby chic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES")
SUSAN MAYER: Why are you taking my flowerpot?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Lynette Scavo, shore inspired.
Gabrielle Solis.
GABRIELLE SOLIS: We just appreciate you all stopping by.
BRYANT: Gothic modern. Bree Van De Kamp, traditional formal.
CHRISTOPHER LOWELL, INTERIOR DESIGNER: The facades of these sets are unbelievable, so you would want a house that looks like that.
BRYANT: So how do you get one? We went to the expert, interior decorator Christopher Lowell.
Susan`s house is underdressed, a country cottage feel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES")
MAYER: Oh, what are you doing here?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LOWELL: These are the colors that Susan already has. She`s into pastel colors, things like they whitewashed baskets just filled with all sorts of interesting organic textures, to really take the accessories evenly around the room. You take this very rustic thing, you put it against a fabric that we recommended, looks wonderful in that space. It says comfy, but it`s elegant country.
LOWELL: I think Terry`s house, I think, is the closest to her character. And I love what they have done with Felicity`s, because there`s always toys and things scattered around outside.
BRYANT: Felicity Huffman`s Lynette is frantic and frazzled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES")
FELICITY HUFFMAN: Come on, guys.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: But that doesn`t keep her from being fashionable.
LOWELL: One of thing that Lynette (UNINTELLIGIBLE)`s kind of a shore- inspired look. She`s got on much more aggressive as far as the wall color goes. She`s also taken it to her window treatments, fairly aggressive. Here`s a beautiful blue damask that can add a lot of tremendous luxury to that space without overpowering the space.
HUFFMAN: I would like to live in a house that nice, and, yes, my house is that messy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES")
SOLIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) hi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Gabrielle, she`s got a lot going on.
SOLIS: I actually just bought a house similar to the one Gabrielle has. Not as ostentatious. She has a lot of gaudy tastes in the house. But I love the style of the house. It`s gorgeous, and beautifully decorated.
LOWELL: She`s got a little bit of religious with a sponge-painted walls. Her furniture goes from being a little bit Gothic to being very modern. A table like this, which is very classic, but simple in shape, is a great transitional kind of piece of furniture. Color palettes such as this, where you have a beautiful chenille, a tapestry, a solid, and maybe a woven. Throw pillows like this against the cool environment in the living room will help bring all of that sort of tapestry terra-cotta from the dining room over into that space.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It kind of feels like Connecticut to me.
BRYANT: Bree`s house has an upscale East Coast feel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES")
VAN DE CAMP: Hey, where have you two been?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Lowell says it`s the Martha Stewart look.
LOWELL: Things like this import cachepots, jardinieres like this balanced with rustic cape plates, and then these throw pillows that add a lot of glitz and glamour against her very conventional sofas will give that a very traditional but dramatic look.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All it takes is a couple tweaks, and you`ll go from desperate to die for.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: Eva Longoria told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that she is such a fan of the show`s decor that she wants to hire the set designer for her new house.
HAMMER: It is time for more SHOWBIZ shorts. A Shannon split. "People" reporting tonight that Shannon Elizabeth, she played Nadia in "American Pie," has broken up with her husband, actor Joseph Wrightman. They got married back in June of 2002. Elizabeth`s publicist says the couple will remain friends.
Joan Lunden is a mother again, and again, and today we got our first look. The former "Good Morning America" host and her husband are the proud parents of their second set of twins. The same surrogate mother gave birth to the couple`s other set back in 2003.
BRYANT: Well, he made his acting debut at the age of 8 in the boxing movie "The Champ" in the 1980s. He was one of America`s most-recognized TV sons in "Silver Spoons." And later, one of TV`s most popular cops in "NYPD Blue." Now, now, he`s playing a hot-tempered rodeo rider whose past relationship with a Native American girl causes problems in the community.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BLACK CLOUD")
RICK SCHRODER, ACTOR: I was wondering if you`d stop by.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thought you might like to see your son.
SCHRODER: He`s older than I thought.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s been two years, Eddie.
SCHRODER: It`s been that long, huh? How you been?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`re doing fine.
SCHRODER: Well, glad to hear it. Hey, I qualified for the finals.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yippee.
SCHRODER: There`s my girl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: He wrote as well as made his directorial debut in this film. It`s called "Black Cloud."
Joining me now, Rick Schroder.
Thanks for coming.
And first and foremost, why did you want to tell this story? It`s about a Navajo boxer who tries to get into the Olympic boxing team.
SCHRODER: That`s right. It`s a coming of age film. It`s a story of hope and courage and redemption. And it`s a story about a young Indian man who overcomes a dead-end reservation life, where he`s headed for trouble, and with the help of his coach and his girlfriend, he achieves greatness, not only in the boxing ring, but in his life.
As a young man I grew watching John Wayne movies, and I dreamed about always making a movie where John Wayne had made all his Westerns, which is Monument Valley. So this gave me a chance to do that.
BRYANT: Did you catch the boxing bug all the way back when you were doing "The Champ"? I mean, you know, boxing`s so hip now with "Million Dollar Baby" and everything.
SCHRODER: Yes, "The Champ" was one of highlights of my career. And a great love story between a father and a son. And, you know, it`s amazing how boxing is interesting again, and people are really interested in it. I think it`s because Americans are fighters at heart. All of us have gotten knocked down in life, and we all have to pick ourselves up every day and go back at it.
And I think that`s why Americans like boxing films.
BRYANT: Great. Well, now, obviously, with the money that you`ve earned from, you know, "Silver Spoons" and "NYPD Blue," did you bankroll this film yourself? Because you wrote it, directed it, produced it. I mean, it`s all about Rick in this one. Did you pony up the money?
SCHRODER: Well, thankfully, I didn`t have to bankroll the whole film. But I found some great partners. This film was about 90, 95 percent financed by Indian tribes, tribes from Connecticut to California and everywhere in between. I was able to go out had -- go ahead and get their support. The Mohegan Sun is one of my main tribes that helped me make this movie. And they`re helping me release this movie this Friday across the whole nation.
BRYANT: Right, in Hartford, L.A., Connecticut, I mean, Boston, New York.
SCHRODER: That`s right.
BRYANT: So Mohegan Sun is a huge casino. What`s your game?
SCHRODER: I just learned craps.
BRYANT: Craps?
SCHRODER: I just learned craps. And it`s a fun game.
BRYANT: Yes.
SCHRODER: I try not to, you know, ever bet more than the minimum...
BRYANT: OK.
SCHRODER: ... because I usually lose, but (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
BRYANT: I hear you. I hear. And I, and reading on INDB, you were in "Battle of the Network Stars," "Circus of the Stars" thing. Any chance of that coming back?
SCHRODER: Golly, that was fun those days.
BRYANT: Oh, God, (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
SCHRODER: I did the highwire...
BRYANT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
SCHRODER: ... and I did trapeze.
BRYANT: Oh, my God. We`ll have to have you back.
Rick Schroder, the film is called "Black Cloud," and it does open March 11. Thanks for joining us.
SCHRODER: Thank you.
HAMMER: They need to bring back that "Battle of the Network Stars" thing. I miss that whole deal.
BRYANT: I loved that.
BRYANT: Well, there has been a bit of a black cloud over CBS since memogate, and as we reported earlier, now even Donald Trump is getting involved. The buzz bench is all fired up about it, and they`re coming right up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it`s the same way at every (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HALLE BERRY: John Legend right now. I cannot get enough of John Legend. And always Alicia Keys. I`ve worn that album out for about a year now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It is time for tonight`s edition of the buzz bench.
As we`ve been telling you, Martha Stewart has been busy making over her image since her release from prison on Friday. So who else needs a makeover, or is already working on one? That is what we`re buzzing about tonight.
BRYANT: Joining us on the buzz bench, comedian and TV personality Chuck Nice...
HAMMER: Yes, he is.
BRYANT: ... radio host Frank DeCaro, and "New York" magazine`s Sara Bernard.
Now, Sara, as we also showed you earlier, Britney Spears has, you know, done this whole article in "Allure," and she`s revealed a lot about herself. What`s your take on this? Are we reinventing Britney now?
SARA BERNARD, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Oh, of course. Again, for the sixth time. I think the most interesting thing about this, well, she`s been hiding out in Santa Barbara to avoid the paparazzi. And, of course, "Allure" magazine found her there anyway. But what`s so interesting about Britney is that she is now making her new husband, Kevin Federline, her project. She`s got a new manager. And together they`re trying to get him a record deal.
She`s already on the cover of "Details," and she`s regretting it, because now she`s realizing that she`s creating a monster, right? And she`s going to be putting him out there, and all these girls are going to be after him. And it just seems kind of like a, I don`t know, reminds of, like, the Julia Roberts marrying that camera guy, and now all of a sudden he`s getting all this attention.
BRYANT: It`s all about Danny, right.
What`s your take on the Britney?
FRANK DECARO, RADIO HOST: Well, she never, they, they, the marriage would totally have worked out if she hadn`t encouraged a career for him, I`m sure.
(CROSSTALK)
DECARO: ... you know, it`s just kind of a mess. But I think, you know, you don`t want your partner to be as successful as you are, so she`s trying to...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it`s a bad move.
DECARO: ... going down the wrong road, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HAMMER: Chuck, you`re excited about the Britney makeover.
CHUCK NICE, COMEDIAN: I`m very excited about them, and quite frankly, I can only hope we can get as many entertaining moments as we have out of Whitney and Bobby Brown.
HAMMER: Now, did anybody...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: ... notice, part of her makeover was taking that alleged time off. Did she take any time off? Did that actually happen?
BERNARD: Absolutely, about three weeks off, I think. That was probably all she needed.
NICE: I think it was a Tuesday afternoon, quite frankly. I distinctly remember missing her for one Tuesday afternoon.
BERNARD: Right, right.
HAMMER: All right. Well, let`s move on to the Martha makeover.
DECARO: Ah, Martha.
HAMMER: Yes, you know, a little earlier today, she was in front of her -- all of her employees for all of the world to see. Were you watching?
DECARO: You bet, I love Martha. I think, and I love that she turned her time in prison. It looks like she went to, like, a lesbian health spa or something, you know, really. And she came out looking great. And I want to buy that poncho on eBay or something.
(CROSSTALK)
DECARO: I think she (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HAMMER: The poncho got a lot of attention.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure.
DECARO: It was a, and she looked great, and I, and we`re all glad she`s back. And if you look at online polls, people are really saying, We`re going to watch her reality show, she`s going to be more successful when she gets, you know, now after prison.
BERNARD: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), she`s a billionaire again. All those stock went up, so she`s back to where she started. But what I really love about it is the fact that she`s going to, she`s going up there like nothing ever happened. And she`s just standing up there like Lizzie Grummond (ph) did, remember?
BRYANT: But she`s kinder and gentler now, perhaps, Chuck?
NICE: Well, I don`t know...
(CROSSTALK)
NICE: ... about the kinder and gentler. You know, quite frankly, I think that before we go overboard with the lovefest, we are dealing with a hardened convict here...
(CROSSTALK)
NICE: ... we got to wait and see, the jury`s still out on whether or not she`s sweet and innocent and lovable fuzzy Martha. You know, we got to wait and see if she uses those decorating powers for good or evil.
BRYANT: Right, right.
HAMMER: Her poncho was fuzzy...
(CROSSTALK)
DECARO: And ankle bracelets will totally be...
(CROSSTALK)
BRYANT: So Dan Rather is stepping down on Wednesday. It`s his last day. Donald Trump says he should have been fired long ago over memogate. All these other people were fired or asked to resign, and Dan wasn`t. What do you think of that?
NICE: Wow, you know, as much as I respect everything that Donald Trump says, I`m going to have to go out on a limb and disagree with him. Dan Rather made a mistake that was without malice, and, you know, all of a sudden he`s skewered like a freshly grilled kabob. I don`t get it. The man`s body of work speaks for itself. He is an icon. He`s got the short end of the stick.
Quite frankly, I think he ought to lie to the feds, do some time, and then maybe he can get some respect.
(CROSSTALK)
BRYANT: I know, I was thinking the same thing. If he goes to prison, then he comes back, it will just be like the Lizzie Grummon-Martha Stewart makeover for Dan.
NICE: And it`s not like he was making up whole stories, like he was working for "The New York Times," you know, even though...
(CROSSTALK)
NICE: What I hear, what I hear is that I hear, word has it on the street that they are interested now that he`s free, so...
HAMMER: Frank, is he getting a raw deal?
DECARO: No, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), no, he`s just doing just fine. I mean, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Dan Rather, he could go away. Just, you know what? If he just kind of scares me, not because of this. He`s just kind of this scary presence. you know.
(CROSSTALK)
DECARO: Remember when they put him in that cardigan? That didn`t work either. I mean, I...
(CROSSTALK)
DECARO: ... but I`m, I`ve always been just a little frightened. I miss the old man.
(CROSSTALK)
DECARO: Dan scares me. But it sounds like he`s your Martha. Because I was kind of like, Yay, Martha, rock on, come back, (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
NICE: I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) think you fail to see the facetiousness of my comments.
HAMMER: It may not have all been perfectly truthful what you were saying.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Buzz bench, we thank you once again. All right. Chuck Nice, TV personality and comedian, Frank DeCaro from "The Frank DeCaro Show," and Sara Bernard from "New York" magazine, we appreciate you guys stopping by and buzzing.
BRYANT: All right, thanks for coming.
BRYANT: Well, 50 Cent`s new record is out. It`s called "The Massacre," no violence there. And "People" magazine has had some time to give it a few spins. We`ll check it out, coming up next, in picks and pans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: It is time now for "People" magazine`s music picks and pans.
50 Cent and Shooter Jennings have new albums out this week. Should you run out and get them?
Well, joining us from "People" magazine is senior editor Julie Dam.
Julie, 50`s got the number one song in the nation. He`s got the number four song in the nation. The music`s not getting the attention right now, it`s sort of the violence and everything that`s been in the news lately. But how is the album?
JULIE DAM, SENIOR EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Well, call it number one with a bullet, you know. He`s got the three top five songs, and it`s really like what he did the last time around. It`s not quite as good, but, you know, he`s got the, you know, club song as well as the sort of bump and grind songs. And he has the gangsta violence, you know. He`s got a song called "I Was Supposed to Die Tonight." You know, he raps about, Do you want to be a victim, or do you want to lock and load?
HAMMER: Profanity on the album?
DAM: Yes, it`s, you know, what do you expect?
HAMMER: It`s (UNINTELLIGIBLE). OK. But it`s no doubt going to debut at number one.
DAM: Absolutely.
HAMMER: Well, let`s talk about Shooter Jennings, the son of a very well-known, prominent, legendary country music star.
DAM: Sure. He`s the son of Waylon Jennings. And although he tries to sidestep his father`s shadow, you know, he does do his own thing. He has a sort of heavy metal-country kind of thing. He once sat in for Axl Rose with Guns and Roses, so it...
HAMMER: It`s kind of like Guns and Roses meets Lynyrd Skynyrd, I believe I heard it once described as.
DAM: Exactly. You know, but he does do the bluesy ballads as well, and, you know, he does a good job with that.
HAMMER: And the name of the album is "Put the O Back in Country." I didn`t know the "O" was missing. And that one to 50 Cents already in, they`re both actually in stores.
DAM: Absolutely.
HAMMER: OK, well, thank you very much, Julie Dam, senior editor of "People" magazine, we appreciate you stopping by.
And if you want to check out this week`s "People" magazine, it is on stands everywhere.
BRYANT: Jay Leno is outsourcing some of his jokes to Brad Garrett. We`ll find out why coming up in laughter dark.
HAMMER: And there`s still time for you to sound off on tonight`s SHOWBIZ showdown question of the day. Should radio and TV ban music that promotes violence? You can vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight, or you can e-mail us, showbiztonight@cnn.com is the address. We`ll e-mail -- we`ll read some of your e-mail coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Beautiful shot of the Empire State Building there.
It is time to get your laugh on now in laughter dark.
HAMMER: As we do every night, we bring you the late-night laughs you might have missed.
As you may have heard, Jay Leno has been subpoenaed as a defense witness in the Michael Jackson trial. Well, as a result, he says he`s not allowed to tell jokes about the case on the "Tonight" show. But Jay says he can write them. So he brought on Brad Garrett to be his guest comedian to do the deed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TONIGHT WITH JAY LENO")
BRAD GARRETT: All right, so let`s see what`s new in the Michael Jackson trial, or, as we like to call it, diary of a mad white woman.
Now, they said this trial will probably last about six months, although Michael Jackson asked the judge today for some time off so he could entertain the troops. Isn`t that nice?
OK, they`re Cub Scout troops, but they`re (UNINTELLIGIBLE), they`re still troops, right? Troops are troops.
During the opening arguments the other day, two views of Michael Jackson actually were presented. The prosecution portrayed him as a perverted child molester, and the defense portrayed him as a really talented child molester.
Now, as we all know, Michael Jackson has been accused of supplying wine to underage boys. What`s Michael Jackson`s favorite whine? Come on, your mom won`t know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: See, I think that`s a good plan. It`ll be interesting to see who he has going to have on delivering the jokes.
BRYANT: That was a nice impression, impersonation, though, right there. I did like it. Brad Garrett.
HAMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BRYANT: OK, well, throughout the show, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ showdown question of the day. Should radio and TV ban music that promotes violence? Let`s take a look at how the vote is going so far, 58 percent of you said yes, radio and TV should ban music that promotes violence, and 42 percent of you said no, they should not ban music that promotes violence.
So you`ve also been sending us your e-mails on this question.
Salaam from Fort Hood, Texas, says, "It is a problem that goes beyond music and TV. This is the way people express what is going on around them."
And James from Mobile, Alabama, says, "The first amendment does not protect the incitement of violence."
And remember, you can continue to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or send us your thoughts to showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: It is time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this week. Let`s take a look now at the SHOWBIZ marquee.
ANNOUNCER: Playing tomorrow, Costner is cooking. A new marriage, a new movie. And can you believe this guy just turned 50? Kevin Costner, it is much better to look good than to feel good. Or is it the other way around? Anyway, Kevin Costner on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, Ron Eldard. He plays a blind cop with a gun in the new TV drama "Blind Justice." A blind cop with a gun? Now, how does that work? Ron Eldard tells all live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
And coming up Wednesday, it`s Robin in "Robots" and quite animated, we might add. What Robin Williams had to do to get all animated and stuff, Wednesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Ron Eldard, of course, from his new show, "Blind Justice"...
BRYANT: Right.
HAMMER: ... which is the new Steven Bochco show, which is going to take the old "NYPD Blue" spot. And a lot of people are wondering, a blind cop? What`s this going to be like? It`ll be interesting to talk to Ron and find out.
BRYANT: Yes, I`m excited. He was in that movie "The House of Sand and Fog," too. Perfect. Very good.
All right, well, that does it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We will see you right here tomorrow.
HAMMER: "NANCY GRACE" is coming up next right after the very latest from Headline News.
END
Aired March 7, 2005 - 19:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: Martha Stewart`s post-prison recipe for success.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And Kirstie Alley opens up about "Fat Actress" and Hollywood`s double standard.
I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant, and this is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Martha`s recipe for a good thing. Just out of prison, she`s cooking up a whole new image.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTHA STEWART, MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA: We may not have always been clear in our message.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Weighing in with Kirstie Alley. Tonight`s the debut of "Fat Actress," a morsel of the show, but is Hollywood too biting to women?
HAMMER: Rick Schroder live. From precinct to punching bag, his new movie, "Black Cloud," has a silver lining.
BRYANT: "Desperate" decor. We`ll show you how to change your living room from plain Jane to Wisteria Lane.
HAMMER: Cover girl. Britney`s first alluring magazine cover since she became Mrs. Federline. We`ll show you the brand-new pictures inside.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIVICA FOX, "MISSING": Hey, what`s (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Vivica Fox. If it happens today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant, and you`re at the top of the show.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We`re live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.
BRYANT: It`s Martha, Martha everywhere. But will the makeover work?
HAMMER: Martha Stewart held court this afternoon. No, not that kind of court. She held court at her company`s Manhattan headquarters, back at work and inviting all the world to see. It was just the latest episode of Martha after jail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTHA STEWART, MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA: I am extremely proud of each and every one of you, and it`s time for all of you to receive your due.
HAMMER (voice-over): Today was Martha Stewart`s first day back at work, as she made a triumphant return to her company`s headquarters in New York City. Martha gushed with thanks to her employees for sticking with her while she was locked up, microwaving chicken wing in jail.
STEWART: I know now more than ever how important these values are for happiness.
HAMMER: It`s a warmer, fuzzier side of Martha Stewart, the first step in the Martha makeover.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CYBILL SHEPHERD, "MARTHA INC.": I want cotton. I want 300-thread- count minimum, or this face doesn`t sell these sheets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This was the not so softer side of Martha in the 2003 made- for-TV movie, "Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart," in which she was portrayed as a ruthless CEO. Just the year before, it was Martha on the defensive on the CBS "Early Show," chopping salad and getting grilled just days after the ImClone scandal broke.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: My employees and I are hard at work at making our company the best omnimedia company in the world, Jane. And we will continue to do that, and I want to focus on my salad because...
JANE CLAYSON, CO-HOST: One more question...
STEWART: ... that`s why we`re here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: But today Martha was working on slicing up her bad-girl image.
ERIC DEZENHALL, CRISIS MANAGEMENT EXPERT: One of the biggest myths is the myth of the great makeover. There`s never been a complete makeover in American history that worked because you are who you are. The best you can do is get people to accept you for the flawed person that you are. So any effort for Martha Stewart to become a different personality, to become Mother Teresa, will not work.
HAMMER: But Martha gets points for trying. Take the day she got out of jail, first serving hot chocolate to reporters waiting outside in the bitter cold.
STEWART: You look gorgeous. Oh, your hair`s so long!
HAMMER: Then there was the video of Martha the homemaker in her kitchen, distributed by Martha`s very own company.
STEWART: Right before I left, she handed me this.
HAMMER: And today it was Martha proudly showing off her poncho, made by a fellow inmate. So is Martha working on a recipe for rehabilitation?
DEZENHALL: The recipe for Martha Stewart`s success is, No. 1, defining your audience, recognizing that she should be preaching to the choir, as opposed to preaching to everyone. No. 2, she should be regulating the degree of her public exposure. She really has to get back to work and get back to business.
HAMMER: And today, that`s exactly what she did. But now she`s doing it wearing an electronic ankle bracelet as a much-unwanted fashion accessory.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Stewart told her staff today that she`s going to take the tough lessons learned in prison to the boardroom. She said that the entire experience was, quote, "a tremendous privilege."
BRYANT: Well, Martha Stewart is getting her own version of Donald Trump`s "The Apprentice," and tonight, Trump says Dan Rather should`ve heard those famous two words, "You`re fired." Trump told "Fox News Sunday`s" Chris Wallace, if it were up to him, Rather would have been canned a long time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": How does this guy stay in position when he always has the lowest ratings? I mean, he`s had bad ratings for years. Now, this isn`t just a new phenomena. Dan Rather`s had the worst ratings for years, and he continues to go forward. So I never understood it. So I`m not a big fan of Dan Rather. I don`t want to be a fan of Dan Rather. I don`t think he`s good at the news. I don`t think a lot of people think he`s good at the news. He was always highly overrated.
CHRIS WALLACE, HOST: What would you do?
TRUMP: I would have fired him a long time ago.
WALLACE: How would you have done it?
TRUMP: I would have said, Dan, you`re fired.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: And today, the man who Rather replaced, Walter Cronkite, told CNN`s Wolf Blitzer his thoughts about Memo-gate, which led many to call for Rather to step down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALTER CRONKITE, FORMER CBS NEWS ANCHOR: He hung on too long to his faith in his staff. They had provided him this material, and he trusted them implicitly in all things and insisted that the information was correct for a whole week, when evidence was beginning to pile up that it wasn`t.
Well, we don`t know, of course, what conversations went on between Dan and his producers. Whatever the conversation was, he accepted, obviously, their version of the story. I think he did make a mistake. We all know he made a mistake by now.
Well, I think that there was a general feeling among quite a lot of us around the CBS shop, and indeed, some of the viewers, that Dan gave the impression of playing a role, more than simply trying to deliver the news to the audience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Dan Rather has been with CBS News since 1962 and has served as anchor and managing editor of "The Evening News" for the last 24 years. Rather`s last day is this Wednesday.
HAMMER: Well, tonight`s a pretty big night for Kirstie Alley. Her new show, "Fat Actress," is premiering. It`s the talk of Hollywood, a town where, of course, thin is in. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas tells us this Hollywood heavyweight is winning even as she`s losing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIBILA VARGAS, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT (voice-over): Kirstie Alley is back in a big way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kirstie. It`s Sam. How`s the diet going?
KIRSTIE ALLEY, "FAT ACTRESS": Really well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that`s good news because I have an offer for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: An offer is just what Alley`s character is looking for in Showtime`s new series, "Fat Actress."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEY: What kind of offer?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s from Jenny Craig.
ALLEY: Oh! Oh!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: So how much of the show is based on her life?
ALLEY: Most of it`s fiction. You know, most of it`s (UNINTELLIGIBLE) You know.
VARGAS: But the job offer from Jenny Craig is the real deal. Alley is their new spokesperson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEY: Jenny Craig, please. This is Kirstie Alley. It`s in regards to me being fat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Fat is generally a four-letter world in Hollywood. Being too fat or too thin can make you tabloid fodder.
ALLEY: For 20 years of my career, I`ve been on the cover of the tabloids for being fat. You know, if I weighed 140, I was on the cover of the tabloids being fat, 150 I was on the cover. So it sells a lot of magazines for them.
HAMMER: With this new show, Alley`s character highlights the double standards that actresses face in Hollywood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEY: I mean, look, John Goodman`s got his own show, and Jason Alexander looks like a frickin` bowling ball. And then how about James Gandolfino? He`s, like, the size of whale. He`s way, way, way fatter than I am!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEY: Networks are ruthless with girls` weight. If you are a man in Hollywood and you want your own sitcom, you got to be really frickin` fat. That`s -- it`s, like, written.
VARGAS: From her days on "Cheers" to "Veronica`s Closet," it`s been a while since Alley`s last hit. But she hopes that being a big star grappling with weighty issues will lead to another success.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEY: Choose me! Choose me!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas in Los Angeles. So if you want to get a morsel of "Fat Actress," Showtime is unscrambling their signal until after the show airs.
Well, it`s time now for more "SHOWBIZ Shorts," a look at more stories that are making news tonight. Nick Carter arrested. "Celebrity Justice" reports today that the Back Street Boy was picked up in California Saturday evening for allegedly driving while intoxicated. He was released later that night. Carter`s publicist told us today that her client, quote, "deeply regrets the current situation. He is on doctor-prescribed medication and was unaware of interaction possibilities."
BRYANT: Ed McMahon hospitalized. Tonight the 82-year-old McMahon, best known, of course, for his role as Johnny Carson`s sidekick, has a mild concussion. A spokeswoman said he fell in his home, but he`s doing fine. He`ll be released in the next few days.
We`ve got more "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Shorts" coming up throughout the show.
HAMMER: Well, grab a gardener, because we are off to Wisteria Lane. I am not your gardener! We`re going to show you how to have a house like a "Desperate Housewife" coming up.
BRYANT: Plus, Martha Stewart`s back to work, but is she on the right track? We`ll take it to the "Buzz Bench" coming up.
Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Who is the only rap star to have won an Oscar for Best Original Song? Is it, A, Eminem, B, Queen Latifah, C, Ice-T, or D, Eve? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back. So again, today`s "Entertainment Weekly" pop culture quiz. Who is the only rap star to have won an Oscar for Best Original Song, A, Eminem, B, Queen Latifah, C, Ice-T, or D, Eve? The answer is A, Eminem.
BRYANT: Well, Eminem is no stranger to getting attacked for his controversial lyrics. Tonight he has company. Much of the rap world is getting slammed for promoting violence in songs. Today the Reverend Al Sharpton called for a 90-day ban on radio and TV airplay for performers who use violence to settle scores or to promote records. Now, this comes just days after a dispute between rapper 50 Cent and his protege, The Game, may have led to one member of The Game`s entourage being shot. And rapper Lil` Kim is now on trial, charged with perjury over a shooting involving her camp and that of a rival.
Which all leads to our "SHOWBIZ Showdown." Our hot topic tonight is violence in music. Joining us live, Ron Kuby, an attorney host of the WABC Radio show in New York City, and Curtis Sliwa. Well, he does a show, Curtis and Kuby, with this other guy, Curtis Sliwa.
(LAUGHTER)
BRYANT: Now, first, though, Ron says radio stations should not ban music that promotes violence. Ron`s co-host, Curtis Sliwa, says, Yes, radio and TV should crack down on music that promotes violence.
Curtis, I`m going to start with you. I`m sure you`ve got a strong opinion. What is it?
CURTIS SLIWA, "CURTIS & KUBY IN THE MORNING": Oh, yes. Radio stations lend their microphones to these degenerate rappers who start wars on the air that end up affecting all their sycophants, toadies and lackeys who want to keep it real. So they go outside of the radio stations, they have shootouts, they have feuds. Meantime, they sell more CDs, it hypes the station, but pollutes the airwaves with a message -- it`s like a modern-day fatwa, a domestic fatwa. They`re urging that they do this to the wife, they turn you into a Maytag, they shoot you, they kill you, they stab you, and everyone benefits financially. Unfortunately, culturally, we sink right into a sinkhole.
BRYANT: OK, Ron, what do you say? Obviously, you think that they should not ban the music.
RON KUBY, "CURTIS & KUBY IN THE MORNING": Well, it`s that pesky 1st Amendment once again. You know, the reality is, in the United States, we have a protected constitutional right to freedom of speech. The government can regulate decency, in the sense it can regulate sexual content, graphic sexual depictions, but the Supreme Court has said over and over again, the 1st Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech allows for violent speech, provocative speech, profane speech. You can`t engage in sexual activity, so I suppose it`s perfectly OK to take a pillow and smother somebody with it on television, that`s OK, but of course, you can`t show people actually having sex on that pillow. That`s the state of the 1st Amendment. So you can`t ban it, I mean, as much as you might want to.
BRYANT: Yes, Curtis, what do you think of that? I mean, it is freedom of speech, be it something that you don`t necessarily want to hear. Don`t they have the right to sing those songs?
SLIWA: Wait a second. It`s different than when you just sing a song. What they`re saying is, Yo, you can take my words, take my lyrics, and keep it real.
BRYANT: So you`re saying this is a problem specific to rap, then.
SLIWA: Oh, there`s no question.
BRYANT: OK.
SLIWA: I mean, the hip hop monster is there, the Uzi-toting, dope- sucking psychopathic killing machines, they literally go out and they do drive-by shootings! So if the message of the music is you go out and do it, and radio stations are aiding and abetting in that process and they`re profiting from that, then they have to be stopped.
KUBY: Well, of course, here`s the problem. Let`s look at country- Western music, for example. Toby Keith`s famous post-9/11 (UNINTELLIGIBLE) We`ll put a boot up your ass. Well, that certainly promotes violence. If you look at -- St. Patty`s Day is approaching, Curtis, 800 years of Irish folk music has celebrated every single battle, every shooting, every bombing...
SLIWA: Ron!
KUBY: ... by the freedom fighters. The "Battle Hymn of the Republic" -- how does it end? "Let us fight to make men free." You`re going to be on "The Star-Spangled Banner"!
SLIWA: Well, Ron, when`s the last time you went to a country-Western station? Hank Williams, Jr., was always half in the bag. All of a sudden, it`s having a shootout at the A-OK corral!
KUBY: Well, then you ban the shooting!
SLIWA: With them it`s just words!
BRYANT: Guys, here`s the...
KUBY: You ban shooting people, not singing songs! That`s simple enough!
BRYANT: That`s -- that`s one option, yes, tighter gun control, perhaps. What about the idea that the radio stations should take a little bit of responsibility and perhaps maybe educate along with playing the new 50 Cent record, maybe, you know, have some forums, have some actual discussion on the air, saying, you know, This isn`t right, Can we help our city kids? Can we -- you know what I`m saying? Can`t there be something more positive?
KUBY: Like a disclaimer. Right. Warning! What you`re about to hear is not right, it`s not good, it`s violent, we don`t like it, but it makes us a lot of money, so we`re going to play it. Something like that?
BRYANT: Something like that.
KUBY: Yes, what do you think, Curtis? You think that would work?
SLIWA: Well, you know, that`s relegated to Sunday mornings at 7:00 o`clock. They call that their public service broadcasting.
BRYANT: Right.
SLIWA: Nobody listens to it. Come on! They`re a money-making machine. And you know what`s best? If the rappers actually end up room temperature and end up getting sprayed with bullets, they`ll sell more CDs than ever before, like Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls...
(CROSSTALK)
KUBY: ... it`s doing Tupac and Biggie a lot of good now, Curtis!
BRYANT: Guys -- well, yes, here we go. I mean...
KUBY: Really.
BRYANT: ... this is a discussion definitely, that, you know, I`ve had at home, and I probably will continue to have going on and on. But Ron Kuby and Curtis Sliwa, of course, of the "Curtis & Kuby" show, thanks for joining us here and talking about this one with us.
We do want to know your thoughts at home. Should radio and TV stations ban music that promotes violence? Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or e-mail us what`s on your mind at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts live.
HAMMER: Well, first "Silver Spoons," then "NYPD Blue." Now Rick Schroder is on to even bigger things. He`s stopping by to tell us all about his first time directing a movie. That`s coming up live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
BRYANT: Plus, how hot was the "Be Cool" movie at the box office this weekend? We`ll check the numbers coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: A diesel-powered box office this weekend. In final numbers out just this afternoon, Vin Diesel`s family flick, "The Pacifier," did a whole lot better than expected. It pulled in more than $30 million. Diesel beat out John Travolta. His "Be Cool" opened with $23.5 million, but it was Travolta`s biggest weekend opening ever. Rounding out the top five, "Hitch," "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" and the Oscar-winning "Million Dollar Baby."
BRYANT: Right now, Travolta and the gang are in London, premiering the movie there. It is definitely a cool crew. Not only are John and Uma back on the dance floor, but Andre 3000 is on the big screen. Vince Vaughn has an identity crisis. And The Rock gets stopped.
So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson is in LA. Now, you sat down with them. Explain this whole gang to us, if you will.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: I did, Karyn. And you`re absolutely right, this is a cool crew. And The Rock got pretty soft in his interview with me, too. He was hilarious. This entire cast had a lot of fun with this project, not only on screen, but in the hot seat, the interview seat, as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, player (ph). Stop hating. Stop hating. Start participating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I went and studied a lot of the old "Sanford and Sons" with Redd Foxx, a lot of the old "Good Times."
ANDERSON (voice-over): It`s the sequel to "Get Shorty." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is taking you inside this wiseguy comedy all about the music biz. John Travolta, who played gangster-turned-movie-producer Chili Palmer in "Get Shorty," gets into music this time around. He`s teaming up with Uma Thurman again. Remember their dance from "Pulp Fiction"? Well, they`re at it again.
JOHN TRAVOLTA, "BE COOL": Uma can do anything, as we know, but I mean, it was fun being with her again.
ANDERSON: Uma tells me getting her groove on with Travolta was the reason she wanted to "Be Cool."
UMA THURMAN, "BE COOL": To get to work with John again was certainly nothing I would ever shy away from. I love working with him. I love dancing with him. We just have a great time.
ANDERSON: A great time was had by the entire A-list cast. Cedric the Entertainer plays a...
CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER "BE COOL": Get stuff started (ph) kind of guy.
ANDERSON: And you`ve never seen Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson like this before.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DWAYNE JOHNSON, "BE COOL": Oh, I`ll bring it. Don`t worry. I never do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (on camera): Wrestler to action star to this hilarious gay man!
JOHNSON: I play a man who wants a bigger life, an aspiring actor. That was me five years ago, a guy who has nothing now. He has no money. That was me eight, ten years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNSON: Scorchin`!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNSON: That was never me, but...
ANDERSON: Andre 3000 of Outkast is tackling his second movie role. I found out he`s not afraid to veer off script.
ANDRE BENJAMIN, "BE COOL": The gun went off when it wasn`t supposed to. I threw the pistol down and said something like...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN: Don`t give me no gun there!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN: It wasn`t scripted.
ANDERSON: Nor was this.
(on camera): Can you give me the eyebrow?
JOHNSON: Of course. Are you ready?
ANDERSON: I don`t know if I`m ready.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: I need a seat belt on for this!
JOHNSON: Strap yourself in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: What a mess he is! Karyn, I know the film was just No. 2 at the box office this weekend, but you can`t deny it`s a No. 1 cast. You`ve also got Danny DeVito, Christina Milian, Steven Tyler and celebrity cameos Fred Durst, Anna Nicole Smith and Seth Green among them. Back to you.
BRYANT: All right, Brooke. Good to see that you`re having some fun on the job. Brooke Anderson in Los Angeles -- A.J.
HAMMER: Well, Karyn, a bad girl paid Usher a visit this weekend. Beyonce joined him on stage during "Bad Girl" at his live concert in Puerto Rico. Usher told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Friday that there would be some surprises. Beyonce was one of them. Rappers Fat Joe and Ludacris turned up, as well. During the concert, Usher also said this would be his last performance of the year so he could focus on his other projects, including a movie career.
BRYANT: Britney Spears speaks out. Two weddings, the paparazzi, diets and baby talk. Britney bears all in this month`s "Allure" magazine. "Allure" beauty editor Diana Byrne said Britney`s matured and has actually grown to like the tabloid attention. Sort of.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANA BYRNE, "ALLURE" BEAUTY EDITOR: She`s been through the slaughterhouse. I mean, yes, they`ve loved her, but they`ve also hated her. And so she said, No, they really helped me kind of see that I was at this low (ph). They showed me that I had put on a little weight and needed to lose it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Britney shed more than body fat. In a shocking admission, she opens up, saying her marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander was a regrettable cry for attention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BYRNE: It was such a crazy time in her life and really felt like this was her cry for help. She need to be home. She needed to be with her family. And this was kind of her subconscious way of getting that attention that she needed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Lest we forget, her former performer boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, with whom she`s still in touch. You can pick up a copy of April`s "Allure" magazine starting March 15.
Well, there is a lot more Britney to talk about -- the tabloids, the first husband. We`ll take it to the "Buzz Bench" coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, should you spend your cash on 50 Cent? His new record coming up in "People`s" music "Picks and Pans."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Rick Schroder live. The former child star is still a star, but now he`s graduated to writing and directing. He drops by to tell us about his new flick, "Black Cloud."
BRYANT: House call, desperate housewife withdrawal? Tonight, it`s all about the decorating. We`ll show you how to make your house fit for Wisteria Lane.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG SAVAN: Hi, I`m Doug Savan. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Welcome back h to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: And I`m A.J. Hammer.
Here are tonight`s hot headlines.
Martha`s makeover continues. It`s her fourth day out of prison today, and, as we showed you earlier, first day back at work in New York City. She gave her employees a pep talk, and the TV cameras, of course, captured it all live. Stewart is under house arrest, but can leave her home for up to 48 hours per week.
BRYANT: Kirstie`s big night. Kirstie Alley premieres her Showtime sitcom, "Fat Actress," tonight. She plays herself, an overweight and out of work actress. As we showed you earlier, the former "Cheers" star tells us she thinks there`s a double standard in Hollywood. Overweight men get jobs more easily.
HAMMER: Well, we`ve been asking you to vote on tonight`s SHOWBIZ showdown question of the day, Should radio and TV ban music that promotes violence? We`d like you to keep on voting by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. You can also e-mail us your thoughts at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We will share some of what you have to say coming up at about 55 past the hour.
BRYANT: From upscale formal living, to country cottage shabby chic, they`ve got it all on Wisteria Lane. Tonight, we`re taking you behind the curtains of ABC`s hit drama "Desperate Housewives," as we show you how to have a house like a desperate housewife.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES," ABC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Slow down, you jerk! this is a residential neighborhood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT (voice-over): It`s America`s most popular street, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is taking you where many can`t go, inside the homes of Wisteria Lane`s domestic divas. They each have a distinctive look. Susan Mayer, shabby chic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES")
SUSAN MAYER: Why are you taking my flowerpot?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Lynette Scavo, shore inspired.
Gabrielle Solis.
GABRIELLE SOLIS: We just appreciate you all stopping by.
BRYANT: Gothic modern. Bree Van De Kamp, traditional formal.
CHRISTOPHER LOWELL, INTERIOR DESIGNER: The facades of these sets are unbelievable, so you would want a house that looks like that.
BRYANT: So how do you get one? We went to the expert, interior decorator Christopher Lowell.
Susan`s house is underdressed, a country cottage feel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES")
MAYER: Oh, what are you doing here?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LOWELL: These are the colors that Susan already has. She`s into pastel colors, things like they whitewashed baskets just filled with all sorts of interesting organic textures, to really take the accessories evenly around the room. You take this very rustic thing, you put it against a fabric that we recommended, looks wonderful in that space. It says comfy, but it`s elegant country.
LOWELL: I think Terry`s house, I think, is the closest to her character. And I love what they have done with Felicity`s, because there`s always toys and things scattered around outside.
BRYANT: Felicity Huffman`s Lynette is frantic and frazzled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES")
FELICITY HUFFMAN: Come on, guys.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: But that doesn`t keep her from being fashionable.
LOWELL: One of thing that Lynette (UNINTELLIGIBLE)`s kind of a shore- inspired look. She`s got on much more aggressive as far as the wall color goes. She`s also taken it to her window treatments, fairly aggressive. Here`s a beautiful blue damask that can add a lot of tremendous luxury to that space without overpowering the space.
HUFFMAN: I would like to live in a house that nice, and, yes, my house is that messy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES")
SOLIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) hi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Gabrielle, she`s got a lot going on.
SOLIS: I actually just bought a house similar to the one Gabrielle has. Not as ostentatious. She has a lot of gaudy tastes in the house. But I love the style of the house. It`s gorgeous, and beautifully decorated.
LOWELL: She`s got a little bit of religious with a sponge-painted walls. Her furniture goes from being a little bit Gothic to being very modern. A table like this, which is very classic, but simple in shape, is a great transitional kind of piece of furniture. Color palettes such as this, where you have a beautiful chenille, a tapestry, a solid, and maybe a woven. Throw pillows like this against the cool environment in the living room will help bring all of that sort of tapestry terra-cotta from the dining room over into that space.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It kind of feels like Connecticut to me.
BRYANT: Bree`s house has an upscale East Coast feel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES")
VAN DE CAMP: Hey, where have you two been?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Lowell says it`s the Martha Stewart look.
LOWELL: Things like this import cachepots, jardinieres like this balanced with rustic cape plates, and then these throw pillows that add a lot of glitz and glamour against her very conventional sofas will give that a very traditional but dramatic look.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All it takes is a couple tweaks, and you`ll go from desperate to die for.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: Eva Longoria told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that she is such a fan of the show`s decor that she wants to hire the set designer for her new house.
HAMMER: It is time for more SHOWBIZ shorts. A Shannon split. "People" reporting tonight that Shannon Elizabeth, she played Nadia in "American Pie," has broken up with her husband, actor Joseph Wrightman. They got married back in June of 2002. Elizabeth`s publicist says the couple will remain friends.
Joan Lunden is a mother again, and again, and today we got our first look. The former "Good Morning America" host and her husband are the proud parents of their second set of twins. The same surrogate mother gave birth to the couple`s other set back in 2003.
BRYANT: Well, he made his acting debut at the age of 8 in the boxing movie "The Champ" in the 1980s. He was one of America`s most-recognized TV sons in "Silver Spoons." And later, one of TV`s most popular cops in "NYPD Blue." Now, now, he`s playing a hot-tempered rodeo rider whose past relationship with a Native American girl causes problems in the community.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BLACK CLOUD")
RICK SCHRODER, ACTOR: I was wondering if you`d stop by.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thought you might like to see your son.
SCHRODER: He`s older than I thought.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s been two years, Eddie.
SCHRODER: It`s been that long, huh? How you been?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`re doing fine.
SCHRODER: Well, glad to hear it. Hey, I qualified for the finals.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yippee.
SCHRODER: There`s my girl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: He wrote as well as made his directorial debut in this film. It`s called "Black Cloud."
Joining me now, Rick Schroder.
Thanks for coming.
And first and foremost, why did you want to tell this story? It`s about a Navajo boxer who tries to get into the Olympic boxing team.
SCHRODER: That`s right. It`s a coming of age film. It`s a story of hope and courage and redemption. And it`s a story about a young Indian man who overcomes a dead-end reservation life, where he`s headed for trouble, and with the help of his coach and his girlfriend, he achieves greatness, not only in the boxing ring, but in his life.
As a young man I grew watching John Wayne movies, and I dreamed about always making a movie where John Wayne had made all his Westerns, which is Monument Valley. So this gave me a chance to do that.
BRYANT: Did you catch the boxing bug all the way back when you were doing "The Champ"? I mean, you know, boxing`s so hip now with "Million Dollar Baby" and everything.
SCHRODER: Yes, "The Champ" was one of highlights of my career. And a great love story between a father and a son. And, you know, it`s amazing how boxing is interesting again, and people are really interested in it. I think it`s because Americans are fighters at heart. All of us have gotten knocked down in life, and we all have to pick ourselves up every day and go back at it.
And I think that`s why Americans like boxing films.
BRYANT: Great. Well, now, obviously, with the money that you`ve earned from, you know, "Silver Spoons" and "NYPD Blue," did you bankroll this film yourself? Because you wrote it, directed it, produced it. I mean, it`s all about Rick in this one. Did you pony up the money?
SCHRODER: Well, thankfully, I didn`t have to bankroll the whole film. But I found some great partners. This film was about 90, 95 percent financed by Indian tribes, tribes from Connecticut to California and everywhere in between. I was able to go out had -- go ahead and get their support. The Mohegan Sun is one of my main tribes that helped me make this movie. And they`re helping me release this movie this Friday across the whole nation.
BRYANT: Right, in Hartford, L.A., Connecticut, I mean, Boston, New York.
SCHRODER: That`s right.
BRYANT: So Mohegan Sun is a huge casino. What`s your game?
SCHRODER: I just learned craps.
BRYANT: Craps?
SCHRODER: I just learned craps. And it`s a fun game.
BRYANT: Yes.
SCHRODER: I try not to, you know, ever bet more than the minimum...
BRYANT: OK.
SCHRODER: ... because I usually lose, but (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
BRYANT: I hear you. I hear. And I, and reading on INDB, you were in "Battle of the Network Stars," "Circus of the Stars" thing. Any chance of that coming back?
SCHRODER: Golly, that was fun those days.
BRYANT: Oh, God, (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
SCHRODER: I did the highwire...
BRYANT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
SCHRODER: ... and I did trapeze.
BRYANT: Oh, my God. We`ll have to have you back.
Rick Schroder, the film is called "Black Cloud," and it does open March 11. Thanks for joining us.
SCHRODER: Thank you.
HAMMER: They need to bring back that "Battle of the Network Stars" thing. I miss that whole deal.
BRYANT: I loved that.
BRYANT: Well, there has been a bit of a black cloud over CBS since memogate, and as we reported earlier, now even Donald Trump is getting involved. The buzz bench is all fired up about it, and they`re coming right up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it`s the same way at every (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HALLE BERRY: John Legend right now. I cannot get enough of John Legend. And always Alicia Keys. I`ve worn that album out for about a year now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It is time for tonight`s edition of the buzz bench.
As we`ve been telling you, Martha Stewart has been busy making over her image since her release from prison on Friday. So who else needs a makeover, or is already working on one? That is what we`re buzzing about tonight.
BRYANT: Joining us on the buzz bench, comedian and TV personality Chuck Nice...
HAMMER: Yes, he is.
BRYANT: ... radio host Frank DeCaro, and "New York" magazine`s Sara Bernard.
Now, Sara, as we also showed you earlier, Britney Spears has, you know, done this whole article in "Allure," and she`s revealed a lot about herself. What`s your take on this? Are we reinventing Britney now?
SARA BERNARD, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Oh, of course. Again, for the sixth time. I think the most interesting thing about this, well, she`s been hiding out in Santa Barbara to avoid the paparazzi. And, of course, "Allure" magazine found her there anyway. But what`s so interesting about Britney is that she is now making her new husband, Kevin Federline, her project. She`s got a new manager. And together they`re trying to get him a record deal.
She`s already on the cover of "Details," and she`s regretting it, because now she`s realizing that she`s creating a monster, right? And she`s going to be putting him out there, and all these girls are going to be after him. And it just seems kind of like a, I don`t know, reminds of, like, the Julia Roberts marrying that camera guy, and now all of a sudden he`s getting all this attention.
BRYANT: It`s all about Danny, right.
What`s your take on the Britney?
FRANK DECARO, RADIO HOST: Well, she never, they, they, the marriage would totally have worked out if she hadn`t encouraged a career for him, I`m sure.
(CROSSTALK)
DECARO: ... you know, it`s just kind of a mess. But I think, you know, you don`t want your partner to be as successful as you are, so she`s trying to...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it`s a bad move.
DECARO: ... going down the wrong road, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HAMMER: Chuck, you`re excited about the Britney makeover.
CHUCK NICE, COMEDIAN: I`m very excited about them, and quite frankly, I can only hope we can get as many entertaining moments as we have out of Whitney and Bobby Brown.
HAMMER: Now, did anybody...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: ... notice, part of her makeover was taking that alleged time off. Did she take any time off? Did that actually happen?
BERNARD: Absolutely, about three weeks off, I think. That was probably all she needed.
NICE: I think it was a Tuesday afternoon, quite frankly. I distinctly remember missing her for one Tuesday afternoon.
BERNARD: Right, right.
HAMMER: All right. Well, let`s move on to the Martha makeover.
DECARO: Ah, Martha.
HAMMER: Yes, you know, a little earlier today, she was in front of her -- all of her employees for all of the world to see. Were you watching?
DECARO: You bet, I love Martha. I think, and I love that she turned her time in prison. It looks like she went to, like, a lesbian health spa or something, you know, really. And she came out looking great. And I want to buy that poncho on eBay or something.
(CROSSTALK)
DECARO: I think she (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HAMMER: The poncho got a lot of attention.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure.
DECARO: It was a, and she looked great, and I, and we`re all glad she`s back. And if you look at online polls, people are really saying, We`re going to watch her reality show, she`s going to be more successful when she gets, you know, now after prison.
BERNARD: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), she`s a billionaire again. All those stock went up, so she`s back to where she started. But what I really love about it is the fact that she`s going to, she`s going up there like nothing ever happened. And she`s just standing up there like Lizzie Grummond (ph) did, remember?
BRYANT: But she`s kinder and gentler now, perhaps, Chuck?
NICE: Well, I don`t know...
(CROSSTALK)
NICE: ... about the kinder and gentler. You know, quite frankly, I think that before we go overboard with the lovefest, we are dealing with a hardened convict here...
(CROSSTALK)
NICE: ... we got to wait and see, the jury`s still out on whether or not she`s sweet and innocent and lovable fuzzy Martha. You know, we got to wait and see if she uses those decorating powers for good or evil.
BRYANT: Right, right.
HAMMER: Her poncho was fuzzy...
(CROSSTALK)
DECARO: And ankle bracelets will totally be...
(CROSSTALK)
BRYANT: So Dan Rather is stepping down on Wednesday. It`s his last day. Donald Trump says he should have been fired long ago over memogate. All these other people were fired or asked to resign, and Dan wasn`t. What do you think of that?
NICE: Wow, you know, as much as I respect everything that Donald Trump says, I`m going to have to go out on a limb and disagree with him. Dan Rather made a mistake that was without malice, and, you know, all of a sudden he`s skewered like a freshly grilled kabob. I don`t get it. The man`s body of work speaks for itself. He is an icon. He`s got the short end of the stick.
Quite frankly, I think he ought to lie to the feds, do some time, and then maybe he can get some respect.
(CROSSTALK)
BRYANT: I know, I was thinking the same thing. If he goes to prison, then he comes back, it will just be like the Lizzie Grummon-Martha Stewart makeover for Dan.
NICE: And it`s not like he was making up whole stories, like he was working for "The New York Times," you know, even though...
(CROSSTALK)
NICE: What I hear, what I hear is that I hear, word has it on the street that they are interested now that he`s free, so...
HAMMER: Frank, is he getting a raw deal?
DECARO: No, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), no, he`s just doing just fine. I mean, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Dan Rather, he could go away. Just, you know what? If he just kind of scares me, not because of this. He`s just kind of this scary presence. you know.
(CROSSTALK)
DECARO: Remember when they put him in that cardigan? That didn`t work either. I mean, I...
(CROSSTALK)
DECARO: ... but I`m, I`ve always been just a little frightened. I miss the old man.
(CROSSTALK)
DECARO: Dan scares me. But it sounds like he`s your Martha. Because I was kind of like, Yay, Martha, rock on, come back, (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
NICE: I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) think you fail to see the facetiousness of my comments.
HAMMER: It may not have all been perfectly truthful what you were saying.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Buzz bench, we thank you once again. All right. Chuck Nice, TV personality and comedian, Frank DeCaro from "The Frank DeCaro Show," and Sara Bernard from "New York" magazine, we appreciate you guys stopping by and buzzing.
BRYANT: All right, thanks for coming.
BRYANT: Well, 50 Cent`s new record is out. It`s called "The Massacre," no violence there. And "People" magazine has had some time to give it a few spins. We`ll check it out, coming up next, in picks and pans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: It is time now for "People" magazine`s music picks and pans.
50 Cent and Shooter Jennings have new albums out this week. Should you run out and get them?
Well, joining us from "People" magazine is senior editor Julie Dam.
Julie, 50`s got the number one song in the nation. He`s got the number four song in the nation. The music`s not getting the attention right now, it`s sort of the violence and everything that`s been in the news lately. But how is the album?
JULIE DAM, SENIOR EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Well, call it number one with a bullet, you know. He`s got the three top five songs, and it`s really like what he did the last time around. It`s not quite as good, but, you know, he`s got the, you know, club song as well as the sort of bump and grind songs. And he has the gangsta violence, you know. He`s got a song called "I Was Supposed to Die Tonight." You know, he raps about, Do you want to be a victim, or do you want to lock and load?
HAMMER: Profanity on the album?
DAM: Yes, it`s, you know, what do you expect?
HAMMER: It`s (UNINTELLIGIBLE). OK. But it`s no doubt going to debut at number one.
DAM: Absolutely.
HAMMER: Well, let`s talk about Shooter Jennings, the son of a very well-known, prominent, legendary country music star.
DAM: Sure. He`s the son of Waylon Jennings. And although he tries to sidestep his father`s shadow, you know, he does do his own thing. He has a sort of heavy metal-country kind of thing. He once sat in for Axl Rose with Guns and Roses, so it...
HAMMER: It`s kind of like Guns and Roses meets Lynyrd Skynyrd, I believe I heard it once described as.
DAM: Exactly. You know, but he does do the bluesy ballads as well, and, you know, he does a good job with that.
HAMMER: And the name of the album is "Put the O Back in Country." I didn`t know the "O" was missing. And that one to 50 Cents already in, they`re both actually in stores.
DAM: Absolutely.
HAMMER: OK, well, thank you very much, Julie Dam, senior editor of "People" magazine, we appreciate you stopping by.
And if you want to check out this week`s "People" magazine, it is on stands everywhere.
BRYANT: Jay Leno is outsourcing some of his jokes to Brad Garrett. We`ll find out why coming up in laughter dark.
HAMMER: And there`s still time for you to sound off on tonight`s SHOWBIZ showdown question of the day. Should radio and TV ban music that promotes violence? You can vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight, or you can e-mail us, showbiztonight@cnn.com is the address. We`ll e-mail -- we`ll read some of your e-mail coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Beautiful shot of the Empire State Building there.
It is time to get your laugh on now in laughter dark.
HAMMER: As we do every night, we bring you the late-night laughs you might have missed.
As you may have heard, Jay Leno has been subpoenaed as a defense witness in the Michael Jackson trial. Well, as a result, he says he`s not allowed to tell jokes about the case on the "Tonight" show. But Jay says he can write them. So he brought on Brad Garrett to be his guest comedian to do the deed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TONIGHT WITH JAY LENO")
BRAD GARRETT: All right, so let`s see what`s new in the Michael Jackson trial, or, as we like to call it, diary of a mad white woman.
Now, they said this trial will probably last about six months, although Michael Jackson asked the judge today for some time off so he could entertain the troops. Isn`t that nice?
OK, they`re Cub Scout troops, but they`re (UNINTELLIGIBLE), they`re still troops, right? Troops are troops.
During the opening arguments the other day, two views of Michael Jackson actually were presented. The prosecution portrayed him as a perverted child molester, and the defense portrayed him as a really talented child molester.
Now, as we all know, Michael Jackson has been accused of supplying wine to underage boys. What`s Michael Jackson`s favorite whine? Come on, your mom won`t know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: See, I think that`s a good plan. It`ll be interesting to see who he has going to have on delivering the jokes.
BRYANT: That was a nice impression, impersonation, though, right there. I did like it. Brad Garrett.
HAMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BRYANT: OK, well, throughout the show, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ showdown question of the day. Should radio and TV ban music that promotes violence? Let`s take a look at how the vote is going so far, 58 percent of you said yes, radio and TV should ban music that promotes violence, and 42 percent of you said no, they should not ban music that promotes violence.
So you`ve also been sending us your e-mails on this question.
Salaam from Fort Hood, Texas, says, "It is a problem that goes beyond music and TV. This is the way people express what is going on around them."
And James from Mobile, Alabama, says, "The first amendment does not protect the incitement of violence."
And remember, you can continue to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or send us your thoughts to showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: It is time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this week. Let`s take a look now at the SHOWBIZ marquee.
ANNOUNCER: Playing tomorrow, Costner is cooking. A new marriage, a new movie. And can you believe this guy just turned 50? Kevin Costner, it is much better to look good than to feel good. Or is it the other way around? Anyway, Kevin Costner on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, Ron Eldard. He plays a blind cop with a gun in the new TV drama "Blind Justice." A blind cop with a gun? Now, how does that work? Ron Eldard tells all live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
And coming up Wednesday, it`s Robin in "Robots" and quite animated, we might add. What Robin Williams had to do to get all animated and stuff, Wednesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Ron Eldard, of course, from his new show, "Blind Justice"...
BRYANT: Right.
HAMMER: ... which is the new Steven Bochco show, which is going to take the old "NYPD Blue" spot. And a lot of people are wondering, a blind cop? What`s this going to be like? It`ll be interesting to talk to Ron and find out.
BRYANT: Yes, I`m excited. He was in that movie "The House of Sand and Fog," too. Perfect. Very good.
All right, well, that does it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We will see you right here tomorrow.
HAMMER: "NANCY GRACE" is coming up next right after the very latest from Headline News.
END
