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Showbiz Tonight

Rock `N` Roll Hall of Fame Inductions; `Idol" Favorite Drops Out, CNNHN

Aired March 14, 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: Honoring U2. We`re there live with or without you.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And an "American Idol" favorite drops out and speaks up. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: An "American Idol" shocker, a Mario mystery. One of the big favorites suddenly quit. Tonight, Mario speaks out for the first time.

BRYANT: U2 back in New York, this time to join some serious company.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BONO, U2: Think of the Beatles. Think of the Who. Think of the Clash.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: We`ve got Bono, and we`re live for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame`s big night.

HAMMER: Gene Simmons has a new TV show. With Fabio? Yes, Fabio. Kiss your expectations good-bye. Gene Simmons and Fabio here live to explain.

BRYANT: Movie review blues. They`re getting panned in the papers but doing great in theaters. Tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showdown": Are movie critics out of touch?

HAMMER: Bowling with Ciara. She`s been called the first lady of crunk, but can she kick it on the lanes? We took Ciara bowling. That`s just how we roll.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CIARA, "CIARA`S GOODIES": Hey (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I`m Ciara. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant, and you are at the top of the show.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We are live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York for the next hour.

BRYANT: Are you ready to rock? Well, you better be because tonight`s the night the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame welcomes its newest members, and that includes U2.

BRYANT: One of your favorites, of course. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is live right now. He`s at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. David, set the scene for us.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Boy, this is quite an assignment down here. You know, it was six years ago on this very night that U2`s front man, Bono, helped to induct Bruce Springsteen into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Tonight, at this very hotel, in the very same room, Bruce Springsteen will help to induct U2 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here`s a look at the class of 2005.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): At the head of the class is U2. The Irish super-group enters the Hall of Fame while still at the top of its game. The band`s latest CD, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," has gone triple platinum, and U2 just won three Grammys for the song "Vertigo." That makes it 17 Grammys and still counting, 115 million albums sold and still counting, and the indisputable status as one of the greatest rock bands of the last few decades.

Also on the fame gang is the English group the Pretenders. In the 1980s, they led what some call the second British invasion and recorded such hits as "Back on the Chain Gang and "Brass in Pocket."

The next inductee, the O`Jays, almost single-handedly put Philly soul at the forefront of the R&B music scene. Between 1972 and 1987, the smooth-sounding group put more than 40 singles on the R&B charts. Nine of them went to No. 1.

Rounding out this year`s class, soul singer Percy Sledge, who has a long and distinguished musical resume but is best known for the classic "When a Man Loves a Woman."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Other members of the class of 2005, those being inducted this evening, include veteran blues guitarist Buddy Guy, also agent and promoter Frank Barsalona, as well as Sire Records chairman Seymour Stein.

CNN`s pop culture correspondent, Toure, had an opportunity to sit on the red carpet and hobnob with some of the celebs on the way in. Lucky you!

TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that`s right. I was on the red carpet. Many of the stars are still in their hotels, but I spoke with Buddy Guy and B.B. King. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

B.B. KING, ROCK-AND-ROLL HALL OF FAME: We are hoping we can get more, more people to be recognized as the great Buddy Guy`s band is recognized tonight.

TOURE: Right. He changed music, didn`t he.

KING: Well, I think people changed. They started listening to him. He`d been doing the things that he do now for a long, long time. But you know, it`s a new -- it`s 2005, so Guy`s had to change a little bit.

TOURE: And your friends, U2, are going in tonight, as well.

KING: Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. If they set angels down on the earth, U2 are certainly some of them.

TOURE: You know what I love is that they need two people to induct you, right?

(LAUGHTER)

BUDDY GUY, ROCK-AND-ROLL HALL OF FAME: Well, I got two of best of them to do it. You know, I got Mr. B.B. King and Mr. Eric Clapton. You couldn`t ask for anything better than that, if you`re talking about guitar players. So you know, when I heard they were going to do it, I had a few more wanted to come in, I told them, Bring them all, you know? I need all the help I can get, you know?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TOURE: On Friday night, I spoke with Bono. Said he`s terrified to leave U2. We`ll have that for you in a little while. Back to you, velvet Hammer.

HAMMER: All right.

(LAUGHTER)

HAMMER: Well, Karyn`s very jealous about that, velvet Toure. That`s CNN pop culture correspondent Toure, live at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City -- Karyn.

BRYANT: Breaking news in the "American Idol" drop-out drama. Mario is speaking out. "American Idol" favorite Mario Vazquez startled everyone, even his own mother, when he suddenly announced he was dropping out of the show. Mario stayed mum until just a short time ago. Let`s get right to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas in Hollywood -- Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Hey, guys. It`s hard to believe, but it`s true. The remaining "Idol" finalists won`t have to worry about going up against arguably one of the show`s biggest stars, Mario Vazquez. He gave Paula goosebumps, impressed Randy with his style, and Simon said he could sail through the competition on his charm alone. Mario Vazquez was a fan favorite and expected by many to win it all.

But yesterday, suddenly and mysteriously, he quit, saying only that he had some personal issues to tend to. Just a short time ago, Mario was mobbed by fans and reporters in New York City, refusing to speak with anyone except a local Fox TV station. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT cameras were there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIO VAZQUEZ, "AMERICAN IDOL": Well, I`m sorry, but this is something that`s been very hard for me. It`s a hard decision (UNINTELLIGIBLE) And overall, it was basically my intuition telling me that it wasn`t the right time for me. Basically, I have to focus on some personal areas in my life. And for me, it really meant that I couldn`t continue in the competition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS: Now that Mario`s out, ousted Nikko Smith is back in. "American Idol" producers are bumping the son of the famous baseball player, Ozzie Smith, into Mario`s spot. In last Wednesday`s episode, he got the second most votes behind Mario.

Well, the show, as they say, must go on. Tomorrow, "American Idol" producers will hold a press conference to elaborate on how the rest of the season will continue without Mario. So the show goes on. Let`s stay tuned.

BRYANT: All right. Thank you very much. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas in Hollywood.

HAMMER: Well, it`s time for "SHOWBIZ Shorts," a look at more stories that are making news tonight. TV stars past and present gathered at the third annual TV Land Awards, where "The Bob Newhart Show" was honored with an Icon Award. Newhart is back on TV this year. He`s making a guest appearance on "Desperate Housewives." The TV Land Awards air on Wednesday night.

Other news from Wisteria Lane, the FCC ruled today that there was nothing indecent about the "Monday Night Football" skit that showed Nicolette Sheridan dropping her towel and jumping into Terrell Owens`s arms. ABC got complaints when the segment aired in November.

We have more "SHOWBIZ Shorts" coming up throughout the show.

BRYANT: Tonight, the boy at the center of the Michael Jackson trial is home after facing some tough questions on the stand today. Pat Lalama of "Celebrity Justice" is live for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT from Burbank to fill us in. Pat, now, M.J. made it to court on time today, right?

PAT LALAMA, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Oh, not only on time, but boy, I think he consulted with his tailor once again. He was wearing a lovely, bright, blood-red outfit far, far removed from what he wore last week, which was the pajama bottoms that are so famous. And he didn`t seem to have any sort of a back problem today. Back to normal, it looks like to me.

BRYANT: OK. Now, I know there was talk about the young boy`s testimony, that at one point, he told one of his school administrators that nothing happened, and then he`s saying it did. What`s going on with the truth?

LALAMA: Well, the latest today was that he did admit to Tom Mesereau that he had told a teacher that nothing had ever happened to him, that Michael Jackson, in fact, never had touched him. So that would be another little dark cloud hanging over the prosecution, at least for today. He did remain very, very stern, though, that there was a lot of drinking going on. And he said he never did speak to Jay Leno about raising money, had only left a message on his answering machine. Those are the highlights today.

Oh, one other thing. This is something the defense attorney doesn`t like. The judge really hounded on Mr. Mesereau for what seemed like relentless questioning of the child and said, in front of the court, in open court, Stop that. You`re arguing your own case, so let`s move on.

And those would be the highlights for today, Monday. But who knows what comes tomorrow.

BRYANT: Who knows? Well, thank you, Pat Lalama of "Celebrity Justice," joining us from Burbank.

HAMMER: Gene Simmons and Fabio? They`re an unlikely pair teaming up in the name of romance. They stop by to talk about their reality show coming up.

BRYANT: Plus, "The Pacifier" is going strong at the box office but getting smacked down in the reviews. Is it critical mass or critical miss? That`s coming up in the "SHOWBIZ Showdown."

HAMMER: It is time now for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" `Great American Pop Culture Quiz." "Malcolm in the Middle" Jane Kacmarek is married to which other TV star? Is it Jeffrey Tambor, Bradley Whitford, James Gandolfini or Peter MacNicol? We`re coming right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back. So again, today`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." "Malcolm in the Middle" star Jane Kacmarek is married to which other TV star? Is it Jeffrey Tambor, Bradley Whitford, James Gandolfini or Peter MacNicol? The answer is B, Bradley Whitford.

BRYANT: It was a big robotic weekend at the box office. And this afternoon, we got the final numbers. The animated movie "Robots" opened at No. 1, making more than $36 million. Vin Diesel is still going strong in "The Pacifier," slipping from the top spot to No. 2. "Be Cool" starring John Travolta and Uma Thurman was third. The Bruce Willis thriller "Hostage" came in fourth, followed by Will Smith`s romantic comedy "Hitch."

HAMMER: Yes, it is 14 past the hour. Time now for our "SHOWBIZ Showdown." Tonight, our hot topic, movies and movie critics. As we just mentioned, "The Pacifier`s" still going strong, despite getting slammed by the critics. And just recently, the same thing happened with "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" and Keanu Reeves` "Constantine." All of which leads to our "SHOWBIZ Showdown" hot topic: Movie critics, are they out of touch with audiences?

Joining us from Chicago, Richard Roeper is the columnist for "The Chicago Sun-Times," and of course, half of film critic duo "Ebert and Roeper." He says, No, not all movie critics are out of touch with audiences. And joining us live from New York is Mike Isbell of Aintitcoolnews.com, who says, Yes, movie critics are out of touch with audiences.

Well, gentlemen, both. Mike, critique the critics for us.

MICHAEL ISBELL, "AIN`T IT COOL NEWS": Sure. One of the problems with critics is that they`re often seeing too many movies, to begin with. People in other professions have an expertise that they bring and that they talk about. You know, I don`t know what business certain people have critiquing urban films, for example, if they haven`t seen a lot of them or if they don`t have the kind of cultural background to be able to deal with that. One of the advantages that Aintitcool.com has is they know what their expertise is. They tend to zero in on genre films, and they have not only expertise in growing up with them -- Harry Knowles spent a lot of his time at science fiction and comic book conventions growing up, and so has particular expertise with those. But also, we`re looking to expand into other areas, but -- that`s it.

HAMMER: All right, Richard, what`s your take?

RICHARD ROEPER, MOVIE CRITIC, "EBERT & ROEPER": Well, first of all, I mean, if you have to be an expert in the field, I guess I should be a teenage girl to review "The Ice Princess" when it comes out because it`s about teenage figure skaters. I mean, I see 350 movies a year. I see all different sorts of films. On "Ebert & Roeper," we talk about documentaries, we talk about foreign films and, of course, we talk about the big blockbusters.

The fact that "The Pacifier" did well at the box office doesn`t mean we`re out of touch. I thought it would do well at the box office. I still think it`s a piece of junk.

HAMMER: What about that, Mike? You know, he`s basically saying, Well, this is how I feel about it. But you know, I know that some movies are going to do well and some others simply aren`t.

ISBELL: Well, anybody can say, you know, I feel -- you know, I feel something about this. The question is how -- whether or not they should be taken seriously. You know, it`s -- no offense, Richard.

(LAUGHTER)

ROEPER: Hey, I take Aintitcool seriously when I go on there. I mean, obviously...

ISBELL: You read us? That`s great.

ROEPER: Absolutely. And you know, the late Gene Siskel used to say, What does it take to be a movie critic? You have to have an opinion, and you have to have somebody who will pay you for your opinion. That`s what you need to be a film critic.

My point is, I don`t think "The Pacifier" is a very good movie, and I do think that most word of mouth about it`s going to be bad. A lot of these movies are going to do well because they`re on 3,000 or 4,000 screens their opening weekend. They can`t help but make $20 million or $30 million.

ISBELL: Absolutely. When they get thrown up on that many screens, they`re going to make -- they`re going to make the money. But the question`s whether they`re a good film. I`m one the few critic who gave a very bad review to "Million Dollar Baby," for example, and the -- you know, it baffles me, you know, how that thing made money, except that every critic in the country started to push it out there. And I argue that part of this is because critics exist in a bubble. I mean, let`s face it, most professional movie critics go see movies at 10:00 AM. They see them with clean, well-educated audiences. They see them, you know, in highly hermetically sealed circumstances, which sort of...

ROEPER: I know.

ISBELL: ... isolates them from the audience.

(CROSSTALK)

ROEPER: Isn`t life great?

(LAUGHTER)

HAMMER: But Richard, so what, ultimately, is your job? I mean, you`re trying to help people, you know, spend their money as best they can because movies are pretty darn expensive.

ROEPER: Exactly.

HAMMER: But at the same time, you`re not going to go tell them to see a movie that you just don`t like.

ROEPER: No, I`m never going to tell people to like a movie because I think the critics are going to like it or because I think it`s going to be a big hit. "Ebert and Roeper," our show, is all about the viewers and what we think you should spend your $9 or your $10 on.

HAMMER: Right.

ROEPER: And if I think a movie`s bad, I`m going to tell you it`s bad, even if I think it`s going to do well at the box office.

HAMMER: OK. We`ll have to end it there, guys. Richard Roeper, of course, we appreciate you joining us, from "The Chicago Sun-Times" and "Ebert and Roeper." And Michael Isbell from Aintitcoolnews.com.

And now, of course, we want to know what your thoughts are. Our hot topic debate leads us, of course, to the "SHOWBIZ Showdown" question of the day, which is: Are movie critics out of touch with audiences? Let us know what you think by taking our poll at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you have to say later in the show.

BRYANT: Coming up, we`re going back to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony live. And we`ll hear what Bono told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about joining the ranks of rock`s greatest.

Plus: Reality TV has a knack for putting together some unlikely characters. This time around, it`s Gene Simmons and Fabio. They`re both joining us live coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It is time for more "SHOWBIZ Shorts." Parting ways, "Sideways" director Alexander Payne and Sandra Oh, one of the stars of the film, are separating after two years of marriage. A spokeswoman says they will stay friends. Rod Stewart has a new fiancee in his heart and in his soul. Stewart proposed to his girlfriend, Penny Lancaster, at the top of the Eifel Tower. They plan to get married later this year.

And we`ve got more "SHOWBIZ Shorts" coming up throughout the show.

BRYANT: Well, what do a rock legend and a Harlequin romance cover boy have in common? Well, we`ll tell you. KISS`s Gene Simmons and Fabio are teaming up for a new show debuting tonight on the Oxygen network. They`ll join us live in just a moment. But first, let`s take a look at the show, "Mr. Romance."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FABIO, PAGEANT COMMENTATOR: Hello. I`m Fabio. And welcome to the Mr. Romance Academy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boy, boy, he`s cut down a lot of trees, by the look of that body!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Joining us from Los Angeles, show co-creator Gene Simmons of the legendary rock band Kiss and the original Mr. Romance, Fabio. Guys, thanks for joining me here. Gene, I want to start with you...

FABIO: Oh, thank you for having us.

BRYANT: Oh, yes. Not a problem. Gene, I want to start with you. Fifteen years ago, if somebody said you`d be teaming up with Fabio for a television show, what do you think you would have said?

GENE SIMMONS, SHOW CREATOR: I would probably have thought they were crazy. But a correction, please. I`m the creator of Mr. Romance.

BRYANT: Creator?

SIMMONS: Yes. And Fabio is actually the guy that made the show come alive. About six months ago, I met a beautiful girl named Cindy, who was in "Playboy" magazine, and she happened to be on the cover of these beautiful romance novels. And the more I asked about it, the more I found out, Oh, this is the world of Fabio. I wonder how the new guys wind up coming into that? And therein lied the seed of "Mr. Romance."

BRYANT: OK. So then, Fabio, did you just get a call from Gene? And if so, what was your reaction to this idea?

FABIO: Yes. Let me tell you, we have quite a few things in common. First of all, we both love women.

BRYANT: Great. Good start.

FABIO: And we have good sense of humor. And you know, and we have a lot of fun, you know, because life is too short. And when Gene called me about this project, I was delighted because they offer me a lot of different reality show, but all the reality show, they always degrading to people. They always made fun of people. They always negative. And you know, I think life is better than that.

And when Gene told me about this reality show, it was very different. It was very positive. It was very upbeat. We have 12 contestants, and you know, like, they`re cheering for each other.

BRYANT: Sure.

FABIO: Nobody gets eliminated until the end. And when you put a lot of -- you know, 12 guys in one room and you got a lot of testosterone...

BRYANT: OK...

FABIO: ... you know, and that`s good for comedy. But I`m telling you, those 12 guys with testosterone, there`s no match for Gene.

BRYANT: All right. Well, that`s what I was going to say, Gene. I mean, I know the stories of the ladies you`ve had. It is legendary. But what kind of -- what kind of romance authority are you?

SIMMONS: I am not a romance authority. All men are just students at your feet. We just take our cues from you. The women of the world actually are the ones that crack the whip, and all we do is sit up, we fetch, we beg. All we`re trying to do is to get you to smile in our general direction.

FABIO: Well, let me tell you something. Most -- we did a poll. I was going around and asking about women from different nationality and background, what they look for that perfect man. And 90 percent of the women said, We`re looking for a guy with a great sense of humor.

BRYANT: Yes.

FABIO: That`s why, you know, he is very successful.

BRYANT: Oh, well, there`s no -- I believe it. That is definitely way up there in the list of priorities for a guy. Although I have to say on this, guys -- and I mean this with sincerity -- it just seems like we get to have the show with a little bit of cheese at the same time. Like, you look like you`re having fun with the idea of romance and playing -- I mean, it`s -- you know, it`s tongue in cheek, yes?

FABIO: Totally. You know, this show, it`s fun. It`s comedy. We got Fred Wheeler (ph). And you know, it`s a lot of fun, you know? It`s very upbeat. It`s positive. It`s very different from any reality show...

BRYANT: Great.

FABIO: ... out there.

BRYANT: All right. Well, guys, thank you so much. Creator Gene Simmons and Fabio of "Mr. Romance." It debuts tonight on Oxygen. Thanks a lot, guys.

HAMMER: All right. Well, when PETA dedicates an entire Web site to a celebrity, it`s usually no love letter. The group`s latest target, Jennifer Lopez. We`ll take it to the "Buzz Bench" coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.

HAMMER: "He never did anything to me." Under cross examination today, Michael Jackson`s teenage accuser said that`s what he told an administrator at his school. The boy also added that his testimony that Jackson had touched him inappropriately was in fact truthful. The trial began its third week today in Los Angeles.

BRYANT: Mario, out! Just a short time ago, we caught up with American idol finalist Mario Vazquez, who unexpectedly quit the show. He still says it`s because of personal reasons. And Nikko Smith, who was voted off last Wednesday, has been added as the twelfth finalist.

HAMMER: As we told you earlier, it`s a big night for rock and roll. U2, the Pretenders, O`Jays and Percy Sledge and Buddy Guy inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S David Haffenreffer is live with us again now at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. David, anybody else show up?

HAFFENREFFER: A lot of people have been showing up here all evening A.J.. This is, as you said, the 20th annual rock and roll hall of fame induction ceremonies. They get under way officially, the ceremony itself, in less than 30 minutes` time. They will air this Saturday on VH-1. CNN`s pop culture correspondent Toure caught up with a number of the celebs and VIP attendees on their way in on the red carpet, in this tent directly behind us here and talked to a number of them, including a surprise performance by the O`Jays.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of young groups patterned a lot of the things that they do after the O`Jays and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) also. So I think that that`s a great honor to know that you influenced the flavor of today. You know, with something you did yesterday. I think it goes on. I think it is a great compliment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What they do? Smile in your face.

TOURE: "When a Man Loves a Woman" is one of the greatest songs ever recorded. When you did it, did you have any idea that it would last for decades and decades?

PERCY SLEDGE, HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE: No. No. It took me about a year around the world before I really realized what I had done.

TOURE: How excited is Bruce to be inducting U2 tonight?

STEVEN VAN ZANDT, THE E STREET BAND: I`m sure he`s going to have a good time. He always writes a funny speech. So I`m looking forward to that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: And the man on the red carpet for us this evening was Toure, CNN`s pop culture correspondent. He joins us now with more on a special interview with that guy from U2.

TOURE: That guy from U2. Yeah, we had a lot of fun last Friday night. Bono, his wife, Ali, and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) made the jeans that I`m wearing, have started a clothing line trying to save the world called Eden. We talked that, how Bono is terrified to leave U2 and the future of the band.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOURE: Now, you`re going to the rock and roll hall of fame on Monday, and, yet, your band is still viable and contemporary and growing. Isn`t the hall of fame for the end of your career? You are still in the middle of it.

BONO: Well, thank you. Look, it`s an amazing thing. We`re the youngest band ever to be put into the rock and roll hall of fame. It`s a big compliment. We still feel like a punk rock band from the north side of Dublin.

TOURE: Anything you can tell us about the tour?

BONO: We still don`t know. It`s a few weeks away. So that`s a bit of a worry, right?

TOURE: Tell me about Eden, your new clothing line.

BONO: It`s not my clothing line. It`s everyone`s clothing line. It belongs to all people everywhere. It is a very simple idea. People who make the clothes, people who are involved in the chain that brings your jeans to you and we respect them and we hope it`s going to be sexy and fun.

TOURE: How much longer does U2 go on?

BONO: I don`t know. I don`t know.

TOURE: It`s up to you guys. We`ll follow you wherever.

BONO: That`s a very, very kind thing to say. Look, our band means everything to me. It`s my thing. It`s my oxygen. I can`t breathe without it. I`m terrified of being outside of U2. I guess it`s going to happen. It could happen sooner rather than later. I don`t know. I don`t want it to happen. I think our band right now is on fire.

TOURE: Yeah.

BONO: But when that fire starting to go out, feel free with the fire hydrant to put us out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TOURE: Let`s hope U2 sticks around for a long time. Back to you (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HAMMER: All right, Toure. You got the one word name now. All you need are the really cool wraparound sunglasses. CNN pop culture correspondent Toure live at the rock and roll hall of fame induction ceremony in New York City -- Karyn.

BRYANT: We have been asking you to vote on tonight`s show biz showdown question of the day. Are movie critics out of touch with audiences? You can go to cnn.com/showbiztonight or e-mail us what`s on your mind at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts live later on in the program.

HAMMER: It is time now for more show biz shorts. A who`s who list. Ashton Kutcher, Bernie Mac, Chris Rock and others showed up for last night`s "Guess Who" premier. The flick which deals with interracial relationships is a sort of remake of Sydney Poitier`s "Guess Who`s Coming to Dinner." Kutcher and Mac star in the film which opens on March 25.

Close encounter, Glenn Close joined Michael Chiklis this weekend at the season premier of the cop drama, "The Shield." Close is joining the series as precinct commander. The fourth season kicks off tomorrow on FX. We`ve got more show biz shorts coming up later.

BRYANT: Hey, Mario, what gives? More on the "American Idol" just up and left.

And Martha Stewart gets some fashion help, while PETA thinks J.Lo needs to get right with her fashion. Our buzz bench speaks out.

HAMMER: And you can bring home an incredible Oscar winner. That`s in tonight`s people picks and pans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GWEN STEFANI, SINGER: Versace. My Italian side really feels like it`s coming out tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Oh, yeah. It is time -- you all right with that? Startling isn`t it? Wake up. It`s buzz bench time where today`s water cooler conversations take center stage. Tonight, an American idol says bye-bye. Designers give Martha`s ankle bracelet a place to hide and PETA says J. Lo`s designs just won`t fly.

HAMMER: It`s very exciting on the buzz bench tonight. We have a newcomer with us, from Fuse network, one of the VJs there, Marianela is here, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S Amy Kean and comedian and TV personality Chuck Nice.

BRYANT: Yes, he is.

HAMMER: So, Chuck, let`s get right to it. Mario Vazquez, he was looking like he was the guy to win. He was the guy to beat in "American Idol," drops out and it`s a little fishy because he`s not telling why.

CHUCK NICE, COMEDIAN AND TV PERSONALITY: Yeah. The odds-on favorite, creating a big buzz because now all eyes are on him. Everybody`s forgotten about "American Idol." I think that was his master plan, you know what I mean? I will be the one. I will drop out and then although here is Mario Vazquez. The guy is an evil genius. That`s what it is. He`s an evil genius.

MARIANELA, FUSE VJ: Great publicity stunt. But it`s sort of weird, personal business and then he says his family is his top priority, then his mom and brother have no idea. We`re not quite sure what happened.

AMY KEAN, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: If you go on the Internet, there`s so many thousands of people writing in having different theories that he`s gay. I`m not saying that this is true, but that he`s a felon or that he is becoming a father, his girlfriend is pregnant. It`s all very suspicious. I think it`s a business thing.

NICE: But let`s be for real. All of those things actually help your career nowadays.

MARIANELA: There is a thing about bad press. I think he owes it to his fans to really come up with like a better explanation than personal business.

BRYANT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for "American Idol" too though, because now I think a lot more people will tune in wondering if they`re going to stay or explain what happened.

KEAN: They are going to have a press conference. But one of the theories is that Mario may have dropped out because, if he had won, he would have been locked into this one contract or even if he had come in second and maybe he`s getting out early so that he can get a better deal.

HAMMER: Now you`re making sense.

KEAN: He already got the attention. So in a way, it doesn`t even matter now. It doesn`t even matter if he goes any further because everyone already thinks he`s a great singer and they say he would have won and he`s a favorite. So it doesn`t even matter.

NICE: I just feel sorry for Nikko because now this guy is back in. He had to hit the snooze alarm on his 15 minutes.

BRYANT: If he just gets kicked out next week, won`t that just be sad?

NICE: How bad. He`s like a kitten with a ball of yarn. Come on. Let`s go. It`s terrible.

BRYANT: Speaking of yarn, nice segue, baby! That was great, right? You get points for that. We want to talk about Martha Stewart. Now the poncho that was made for her.

KEAN: The freedom poncho.

BRYANT: The freedom poncho.

KEAN: It`s so funny. If you go on the Internet and you type in Martha Stewart, poncho, thousands of Web sites come up with all these crazed crochet people saying, you know -- discussing what was the pattern, what stitch was used.

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: An inmate made it for her (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KEAN: Talking about inmate (UNINTELLIGIBLE). People like me. Somebody made me this poncho. I`m so homespun and nice.

BRYANT: It humanizes her. There`s also talk that there`s one shoe designer is going to make special shoes for her that will hide the ankle bracelet that will also have a sort of poncho over there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These shoes are the tackiest. They`re just like cheap shoes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would sport the ankle bracelet to be honest.

KEAN: What`s funny is that on the Web site they`re called just out and it says for all of the women who want to hide their unsightly, their ankle bracelets. I feel like, are there really a lot of felons right out of jail who need these shoes?

MARIANELA: For all the women in jail, for all of you on house arrest, all you women, your worries are over (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HAMMER: There are other things, though.

(CROSSTALK)

NICE: You have actually given this little thing a real use because cankles (ph) are a problem that nobody wants to see.

HAMMER: I don`t even want to talk about the cankles anymore. Let`s talk about PETA and of course I`m not talking about the bread. Of course PETA going after J. Lo now. She did an uh-oh by putting some fur in her new sweet face line. Marianela.

MARIANELA: Well, it`s a sensitive topic. I`m a huge animal lover and I have to commend PETA for really raising awareness. It`s really a horrible thing what goes on with the animals. At the same time, raising awareness is good but a personal attack on J.Lo, like down with J.Lo, your bloody business. I mean, she`s one of the million designers that have come out with fur. It`s sort of the kind of thing that with the (UNINTELLIGIBLE). You raise awareness, which is great for your speech. You have freedom of choice.

KEAN: If you go on the Web site, you go on the PETA Web site, they have this very -- I`m an animal rights person, too. But the Web site is kind of -- the piece is a little bit manipulative because it shows animals being battered. Then it shows Jennifer Lopez. But I do think it`s a great opportunity for Jennifer Lopez because she`s got so many fans, she doesn`t really need to wear as much fur as she wears. And I think that if she came out and said that she was going to at least consider changing --

BRYANT: . lot more options.

KEAN: Yes. I think it`s a great opportunity for her.

NICE: The thing is, that`s how PETA absolutely advances their cause, by going after famous people. They`re not going after Mary Smith in Iowa because she got a new rabbit coat. You know what I mean? Mary, you fur pimp! That`s not going to happen. So you got to go after the famous people to draw attention to the cause. Truthfully, I don`t personally have a problem with somebody who wears fur. But I can understand somebody who does because most furry animals are cute. I think we should just use really ugly animals to make jackets. Like a platypus jacket.

MARIANELA: Like throwing red paint on people.

KEAN: If your tactic is hostile, people don`t care to listen to your message. But she does wear more fur than most people. Every time you see her she`s in a different fur coat.

HAMMER: She does but she doesn`t have cankles.

(CROSSTALK)

HAMMER: Thank you to the buzz bench. Welcome Marianela from Fuse. We appreciate you being here. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S Amy Kean and Chuck Nice, TV and comedian personality and all sorts of other things.

NICE: Thank you.

BRYANT: It is almost the end of the show and we are getting really animated. So "People" magazine is here to help us out. They`ve got some goodies in their DVD picks and pans.

HAMMER: And Ciara brings her goodies to the bowling alley. We had a blast, but no we did not wear matching team jackets. That`s coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It is time now for more showbiz shorts. Coldplay plays. The British rock bank played two concerts over the weekend, one a surprise. The second was a benefit for a Los Angeles radio station. Coldplay also said its new album called "X and Y" will be released on June 6.

Sticking with the cold theme, the "Ice Princess" premiered this weekend in Los Angeles. Jodie Foster made a surprise appearance even though she`s not in the film. The flick, which stars Joan Cusack and Michelle Trachtenberg skates into theaters on Friday.

BRYANT: It`s time now for "People" magazine`s DVD picks and pans. It won best animated film at the Oscars and tomorrow`s the day you can pick up your own copy on DVD. Plus, if you are really feeling animated, there`s even more in stores. Here to fill us in from "People" magazine, assistant managing editor, Albert Kim. Albert, first of course, I`m talking about "The Incredibles." It just won an Oscar. So many people saw this movie. It made a lot of money. What are we going to get as extras?

ALBERT KIM, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: Extras on "The Incredibles" is incredible. You get everything from behind the scenes documentaries that show every stage of the animation process. And it is really a fascinating thing to look at. Plus there`s an all new bonus short which is about the story of baby Jack Jack.

BRYANT: Jack Jack, he`s so great.

KIM: And when the parents were away which is fabulous to see. Plus you got the trailer, the animated short that preceded the movie in theaters, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) which is great. It really does add up to a terrific package. This is definitely one for your collection.

BRYANT: And is it something that adults will enjoy the extras as well as the children? Sometimes if it is too heady, if it`s too much about the making of, the kids won`t really enjoy it.

KIM: Now the extras are just like the movie. They will be loved by the parents as well as kids. That`s what really makes "The Incredibles" so special because the parents will want to watch it many times just as the kids will. So you won`t really get tired on it.

BRYANT: OK great. Well, I want to move on to "Shark Tale." This movie was not as critically loved as "The Incredibles" but it still did pretty well in the box office. This one`s been in the stores a little bit longer. What do you get extra here?

KIM: "Shark Tale" came out last month and it is fun. It`s good. It`s a well made, animated film. It`s not quite as deep or as entertaining as "The Incredibles." But there`s a lot of extras in there including what went on behind the making of the move and as you know, the big thing with "Shark Tale" was all the celebrity voices. So you can see all the celebrities and how they made the film, Renee Zellweger, Will Smith, Jack Black and Bob De Niro, yeah.

BRYANT: Great. Lastly, the SpongeBob movie, SpongeBob getting a lot of play lately. What`s up with this DVD?

KIM: SpongeBob is weird but it`s one of those rare movies that actually played better ass a DVD than it did in the theaters and I think that`s because SpongeBob belongs on TV. That`s really why and the kids will love it because there`s some great behind the scenes stuff and educational underwater life feature as well.

BRYANT: All right. Well, terrific. There`s three things in stores. Thank you assistant managing editor, Albert Kim. Now of course, for more picks and pans, you can check out this week`s "People" magazine at newsstands everywhere.

HAMMER: Ciara has got the one-two step down but can she step it up at the bowling alley? We`ll find out coming up next.

BRYANT: And there`s still time for you to sound off on tonight`s show biz showdown question of the day. Are movie critics out of touch with audiences? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It is time now to go bowling with Ciara. The 19-year-old is hotter than ever. Her debut album "Goodies" has gone platinum. She just won two "Soul Train" music awards including entertainer of the year. And as Ciara showed me when we hit the lanes together in New York City, this is one singer who`s not easy to pin down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Do you have much experience with bowling?

CIARA: I haven`t bowled in a while OK? I haven`t.

HAMMER: They have a little kiddie thing.

CIARA: The one where they pull up the gutter sides.

HAMMER: Yeah. We can pull the gutters up.

CIARA: Oh, we don`t need that one. I got this.

HAMMER: You`ve been dubbed the first lady of (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It`s just something that happens. You and I know what crunk is.

CIARA: You know what, I like to say that crunk music is kind of like - for me it`s a high energy music. The way that I define it, it`s like the heavy metal of hip-hop. If you go to a club in Atlanta where they get crunk, you literally may need your elbows, you may need your pads, your knee pads and everything because it`s crazy.

HAMMER: Making a record is kind of like bowling. Sometimes you`re going to bowl a strike. Sometimes it`s going to be in the gutter.

How great for you, your first time out, to be able to work with Lil Jon and Missy Elliott and Ludacris. Talk to me a little bit about (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

CIARA: She`s like a mentor to me. She`s like a big sister to me. She`s been in the industry for so long and she`s been consistent with hits and she remains humble. And I think a lot of times people lose that, once they get to a certain status and they accomplish so much. I think that the more humble you are, the more the blessings will flow.

HAMMER: We`re thinking about starting our own league, she is I. Watch out for Ciara`s new music video. It`s called "O" and it features Ludacris. It will be on the air waves this week.

BRYANT: Throughout the show we`ve been asking you to vote online on our showbiz showdown question of the day: are movie critics out of touch with audiences? It is a landslide, 89 percent of you say yes. Movie critics are out of touch with audiences. Only 11 percent of you said no. And we`ve gotten this e-mail Chris Lin (ph) from Dallas, Texas says I believe that some professional movie critics don`t have open minds anymore. Now remember, you can continue to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or send us your thoughts showbiztonight@cnn.com. It is time now to see what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this week.

HAMMER: Let`s take a look at the SHOWBIZ marquee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s up against the clock. She`s a mommy but with some very naughty kids. They`re terrorists.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`re going to have to wait and see for ourselves whether she`s going to change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s a mommy to do? The star of "24" and Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

He was a tough guy in a general hospital. Then he was a tough guy with a big part in a full house. Now he`s a work in progress as a guy named Jake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, I remember you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We remember you, too, John Stamos and we`ll see you live tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

She`s going to light up our set Wednesday. A shining star, a powerful star, a star with a lot of wattage. It is the rings Naomi Watts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it`s pretty scary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But is "The Ring Two" scarier than the first one? Tell us, Naomi, please. This Wednesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

END


Aired March 14, 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: Honoring U2. We`re there live with or without you.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And an "American Idol" favorite drops out and speaks up. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: An "American Idol" shocker, a Mario mystery. One of the big favorites suddenly quit. Tonight, Mario speaks out for the first time.

BRYANT: U2 back in New York, this time to join some serious company.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BONO, U2: Think of the Beatles. Think of the Who. Think of the Clash.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: We`ve got Bono, and we`re live for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame`s big night.

HAMMER: Gene Simmons has a new TV show. With Fabio? Yes, Fabio. Kiss your expectations good-bye. Gene Simmons and Fabio here live to explain.

BRYANT: Movie review blues. They`re getting panned in the papers but doing great in theaters. Tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showdown": Are movie critics out of touch?

HAMMER: Bowling with Ciara. She`s been called the first lady of crunk, but can she kick it on the lanes? We took Ciara bowling. That`s just how we roll.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CIARA, "CIARA`S GOODIES": Hey (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I`m Ciara. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant, and you are at the top of the show.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We are live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York for the next hour.

BRYANT: Are you ready to rock? Well, you better be because tonight`s the night the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame welcomes its newest members, and that includes U2.

BRYANT: One of your favorites, of course. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is live right now. He`s at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. David, set the scene for us.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Boy, this is quite an assignment down here. You know, it was six years ago on this very night that U2`s front man, Bono, helped to induct Bruce Springsteen into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Tonight, at this very hotel, in the very same room, Bruce Springsteen will help to induct U2 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here`s a look at the class of 2005.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): At the head of the class is U2. The Irish super-group enters the Hall of Fame while still at the top of its game. The band`s latest CD, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," has gone triple platinum, and U2 just won three Grammys for the song "Vertigo." That makes it 17 Grammys and still counting, 115 million albums sold and still counting, and the indisputable status as one of the greatest rock bands of the last few decades.

Also on the fame gang is the English group the Pretenders. In the 1980s, they led what some call the second British invasion and recorded such hits as "Back on the Chain Gang and "Brass in Pocket."

The next inductee, the O`Jays, almost single-handedly put Philly soul at the forefront of the R&B music scene. Between 1972 and 1987, the smooth-sounding group put more than 40 singles on the R&B charts. Nine of them went to No. 1.

Rounding out this year`s class, soul singer Percy Sledge, who has a long and distinguished musical resume but is best known for the classic "When a Man Loves a Woman."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Other members of the class of 2005, those being inducted this evening, include veteran blues guitarist Buddy Guy, also agent and promoter Frank Barsalona, as well as Sire Records chairman Seymour Stein.

CNN`s pop culture correspondent, Toure, had an opportunity to sit on the red carpet and hobnob with some of the celebs on the way in. Lucky you!

TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that`s right. I was on the red carpet. Many of the stars are still in their hotels, but I spoke with Buddy Guy and B.B. King. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

B.B. KING, ROCK-AND-ROLL HALL OF FAME: We are hoping we can get more, more people to be recognized as the great Buddy Guy`s band is recognized tonight.

TOURE: Right. He changed music, didn`t he.

KING: Well, I think people changed. They started listening to him. He`d been doing the things that he do now for a long, long time. But you know, it`s a new -- it`s 2005, so Guy`s had to change a little bit.

TOURE: And your friends, U2, are going in tonight, as well.

KING: Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. If they set angels down on the earth, U2 are certainly some of them.

TOURE: You know what I love is that they need two people to induct you, right?

(LAUGHTER)

BUDDY GUY, ROCK-AND-ROLL HALL OF FAME: Well, I got two of best of them to do it. You know, I got Mr. B.B. King and Mr. Eric Clapton. You couldn`t ask for anything better than that, if you`re talking about guitar players. So you know, when I heard they were going to do it, I had a few more wanted to come in, I told them, Bring them all, you know? I need all the help I can get, you know?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TOURE: On Friday night, I spoke with Bono. Said he`s terrified to leave U2. We`ll have that for you in a little while. Back to you, velvet Hammer.

HAMMER: All right.

(LAUGHTER)

HAMMER: Well, Karyn`s very jealous about that, velvet Toure. That`s CNN pop culture correspondent Toure, live at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City -- Karyn.

BRYANT: Breaking news in the "American Idol" drop-out drama. Mario is speaking out. "American Idol" favorite Mario Vazquez startled everyone, even his own mother, when he suddenly announced he was dropping out of the show. Mario stayed mum until just a short time ago. Let`s get right to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas in Hollywood -- Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Hey, guys. It`s hard to believe, but it`s true. The remaining "Idol" finalists won`t have to worry about going up against arguably one of the show`s biggest stars, Mario Vazquez. He gave Paula goosebumps, impressed Randy with his style, and Simon said he could sail through the competition on his charm alone. Mario Vazquez was a fan favorite and expected by many to win it all.

But yesterday, suddenly and mysteriously, he quit, saying only that he had some personal issues to tend to. Just a short time ago, Mario was mobbed by fans and reporters in New York City, refusing to speak with anyone except a local Fox TV station. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT cameras were there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIO VAZQUEZ, "AMERICAN IDOL": Well, I`m sorry, but this is something that`s been very hard for me. It`s a hard decision (UNINTELLIGIBLE) And overall, it was basically my intuition telling me that it wasn`t the right time for me. Basically, I have to focus on some personal areas in my life. And for me, it really meant that I couldn`t continue in the competition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS: Now that Mario`s out, ousted Nikko Smith is back in. "American Idol" producers are bumping the son of the famous baseball player, Ozzie Smith, into Mario`s spot. In last Wednesday`s episode, he got the second most votes behind Mario.

Well, the show, as they say, must go on. Tomorrow, "American Idol" producers will hold a press conference to elaborate on how the rest of the season will continue without Mario. So the show goes on. Let`s stay tuned.

BRYANT: All right. Thank you very much. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas in Hollywood.

HAMMER: Well, it`s time for "SHOWBIZ Shorts," a look at more stories that are making news tonight. TV stars past and present gathered at the third annual TV Land Awards, where "The Bob Newhart Show" was honored with an Icon Award. Newhart is back on TV this year. He`s making a guest appearance on "Desperate Housewives." The TV Land Awards air on Wednesday night.

Other news from Wisteria Lane, the FCC ruled today that there was nothing indecent about the "Monday Night Football" skit that showed Nicolette Sheridan dropping her towel and jumping into Terrell Owens`s arms. ABC got complaints when the segment aired in November.

We have more "SHOWBIZ Shorts" coming up throughout the show.

BRYANT: Tonight, the boy at the center of the Michael Jackson trial is home after facing some tough questions on the stand today. Pat Lalama of "Celebrity Justice" is live for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT from Burbank to fill us in. Pat, now, M.J. made it to court on time today, right?

PAT LALAMA, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Oh, not only on time, but boy, I think he consulted with his tailor once again. He was wearing a lovely, bright, blood-red outfit far, far removed from what he wore last week, which was the pajama bottoms that are so famous. And he didn`t seem to have any sort of a back problem today. Back to normal, it looks like to me.

BRYANT: OK. Now, I know there was talk about the young boy`s testimony, that at one point, he told one of his school administrators that nothing happened, and then he`s saying it did. What`s going on with the truth?

LALAMA: Well, the latest today was that he did admit to Tom Mesereau that he had told a teacher that nothing had ever happened to him, that Michael Jackson, in fact, never had touched him. So that would be another little dark cloud hanging over the prosecution, at least for today. He did remain very, very stern, though, that there was a lot of drinking going on. And he said he never did speak to Jay Leno about raising money, had only left a message on his answering machine. Those are the highlights today.

Oh, one other thing. This is something the defense attorney doesn`t like. The judge really hounded on Mr. Mesereau for what seemed like relentless questioning of the child and said, in front of the court, in open court, Stop that. You`re arguing your own case, so let`s move on.

And those would be the highlights for today, Monday. But who knows what comes tomorrow.

BRYANT: Who knows? Well, thank you, Pat Lalama of "Celebrity Justice," joining us from Burbank.

HAMMER: Gene Simmons and Fabio? They`re an unlikely pair teaming up in the name of romance. They stop by to talk about their reality show coming up.

BRYANT: Plus, "The Pacifier" is going strong at the box office but getting smacked down in the reviews. Is it critical mass or critical miss? That`s coming up in the "SHOWBIZ Showdown."

HAMMER: It is time now for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" `Great American Pop Culture Quiz." "Malcolm in the Middle" Jane Kacmarek is married to which other TV star? Is it Jeffrey Tambor, Bradley Whitford, James Gandolfini or Peter MacNicol? We`re coming right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back. So again, today`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." "Malcolm in the Middle" star Jane Kacmarek is married to which other TV star? Is it Jeffrey Tambor, Bradley Whitford, James Gandolfini or Peter MacNicol? The answer is B, Bradley Whitford.

BRYANT: It was a big robotic weekend at the box office. And this afternoon, we got the final numbers. The animated movie "Robots" opened at No. 1, making more than $36 million. Vin Diesel is still going strong in "The Pacifier," slipping from the top spot to No. 2. "Be Cool" starring John Travolta and Uma Thurman was third. The Bruce Willis thriller "Hostage" came in fourth, followed by Will Smith`s romantic comedy "Hitch."

HAMMER: Yes, it is 14 past the hour. Time now for our "SHOWBIZ Showdown." Tonight, our hot topic, movies and movie critics. As we just mentioned, "The Pacifier`s" still going strong, despite getting slammed by the critics. And just recently, the same thing happened with "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" and Keanu Reeves` "Constantine." All of which leads to our "SHOWBIZ Showdown" hot topic: Movie critics, are they out of touch with audiences?

Joining us from Chicago, Richard Roeper is the columnist for "The Chicago Sun-Times," and of course, half of film critic duo "Ebert and Roeper." He says, No, not all movie critics are out of touch with audiences. And joining us live from New York is Mike Isbell of Aintitcoolnews.com, who says, Yes, movie critics are out of touch with audiences.

Well, gentlemen, both. Mike, critique the critics for us.

MICHAEL ISBELL, "AIN`T IT COOL NEWS": Sure. One of the problems with critics is that they`re often seeing too many movies, to begin with. People in other professions have an expertise that they bring and that they talk about. You know, I don`t know what business certain people have critiquing urban films, for example, if they haven`t seen a lot of them or if they don`t have the kind of cultural background to be able to deal with that. One of the advantages that Aintitcool.com has is they know what their expertise is. They tend to zero in on genre films, and they have not only expertise in growing up with them -- Harry Knowles spent a lot of his time at science fiction and comic book conventions growing up, and so has particular expertise with those. But also, we`re looking to expand into other areas, but -- that`s it.

HAMMER: All right, Richard, what`s your take?

RICHARD ROEPER, MOVIE CRITIC, "EBERT & ROEPER": Well, first of all, I mean, if you have to be an expert in the field, I guess I should be a teenage girl to review "The Ice Princess" when it comes out because it`s about teenage figure skaters. I mean, I see 350 movies a year. I see all different sorts of films. On "Ebert & Roeper," we talk about documentaries, we talk about foreign films and, of course, we talk about the big blockbusters.

The fact that "The Pacifier" did well at the box office doesn`t mean we`re out of touch. I thought it would do well at the box office. I still think it`s a piece of junk.

HAMMER: What about that, Mike? You know, he`s basically saying, Well, this is how I feel about it. But you know, I know that some movies are going to do well and some others simply aren`t.

ISBELL: Well, anybody can say, you know, I feel -- you know, I feel something about this. The question is how -- whether or not they should be taken seriously. You know, it`s -- no offense, Richard.

(LAUGHTER)

ROEPER: Hey, I take Aintitcool seriously when I go on there. I mean, obviously...

ISBELL: You read us? That`s great.

ROEPER: Absolutely. And you know, the late Gene Siskel used to say, What does it take to be a movie critic? You have to have an opinion, and you have to have somebody who will pay you for your opinion. That`s what you need to be a film critic.

My point is, I don`t think "The Pacifier" is a very good movie, and I do think that most word of mouth about it`s going to be bad. A lot of these movies are going to do well because they`re on 3,000 or 4,000 screens their opening weekend. They can`t help but make $20 million or $30 million.

ISBELL: Absolutely. When they get thrown up on that many screens, they`re going to make -- they`re going to make the money. But the question`s whether they`re a good film. I`m one the few critic who gave a very bad review to "Million Dollar Baby," for example, and the -- you know, it baffles me, you know, how that thing made money, except that every critic in the country started to push it out there. And I argue that part of this is because critics exist in a bubble. I mean, let`s face it, most professional movie critics go see movies at 10:00 AM. They see them with clean, well-educated audiences. They see them, you know, in highly hermetically sealed circumstances, which sort of...

ROEPER: I know.

ISBELL: ... isolates them from the audience.

(CROSSTALK)

ROEPER: Isn`t life great?

(LAUGHTER)

HAMMER: But Richard, so what, ultimately, is your job? I mean, you`re trying to help people, you know, spend their money as best they can because movies are pretty darn expensive.

ROEPER: Exactly.

HAMMER: But at the same time, you`re not going to go tell them to see a movie that you just don`t like.

ROEPER: No, I`m never going to tell people to like a movie because I think the critics are going to like it or because I think it`s going to be a big hit. "Ebert and Roeper," our show, is all about the viewers and what we think you should spend your $9 or your $10 on.

HAMMER: Right.

ROEPER: And if I think a movie`s bad, I`m going to tell you it`s bad, even if I think it`s going to do well at the box office.

HAMMER: OK. We`ll have to end it there, guys. Richard Roeper, of course, we appreciate you joining us, from "The Chicago Sun-Times" and "Ebert and Roeper." And Michael Isbell from Aintitcoolnews.com.

And now, of course, we want to know what your thoughts are. Our hot topic debate leads us, of course, to the "SHOWBIZ Showdown" question of the day, which is: Are movie critics out of touch with audiences? Let us know what you think by taking our poll at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you have to say later in the show.

BRYANT: Coming up, we`re going back to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony live. And we`ll hear what Bono told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about joining the ranks of rock`s greatest.

Plus: Reality TV has a knack for putting together some unlikely characters. This time around, it`s Gene Simmons and Fabio. They`re both joining us live coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It is time for more "SHOWBIZ Shorts." Parting ways, "Sideways" director Alexander Payne and Sandra Oh, one of the stars of the film, are separating after two years of marriage. A spokeswoman says they will stay friends. Rod Stewart has a new fiancee in his heart and in his soul. Stewart proposed to his girlfriend, Penny Lancaster, at the top of the Eifel Tower. They plan to get married later this year.

And we`ve got more "SHOWBIZ Shorts" coming up throughout the show.

BRYANT: Well, what do a rock legend and a Harlequin romance cover boy have in common? Well, we`ll tell you. KISS`s Gene Simmons and Fabio are teaming up for a new show debuting tonight on the Oxygen network. They`ll join us live in just a moment. But first, let`s take a look at the show, "Mr. Romance."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FABIO, PAGEANT COMMENTATOR: Hello. I`m Fabio. And welcome to the Mr. Romance Academy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boy, boy, he`s cut down a lot of trees, by the look of that body!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Joining us from Los Angeles, show co-creator Gene Simmons of the legendary rock band Kiss and the original Mr. Romance, Fabio. Guys, thanks for joining me here. Gene, I want to start with you...

FABIO: Oh, thank you for having us.

BRYANT: Oh, yes. Not a problem. Gene, I want to start with you. Fifteen years ago, if somebody said you`d be teaming up with Fabio for a television show, what do you think you would have said?

GENE SIMMONS, SHOW CREATOR: I would probably have thought they were crazy. But a correction, please. I`m the creator of Mr. Romance.

BRYANT: Creator?

SIMMONS: Yes. And Fabio is actually the guy that made the show come alive. About six months ago, I met a beautiful girl named Cindy, who was in "Playboy" magazine, and she happened to be on the cover of these beautiful romance novels. And the more I asked about it, the more I found out, Oh, this is the world of Fabio. I wonder how the new guys wind up coming into that? And therein lied the seed of "Mr. Romance."

BRYANT: OK. So then, Fabio, did you just get a call from Gene? And if so, what was your reaction to this idea?

FABIO: Yes. Let me tell you, we have quite a few things in common. First of all, we both love women.

BRYANT: Great. Good start.

FABIO: And we have good sense of humor. And you know, and we have a lot of fun, you know, because life is too short. And when Gene called me about this project, I was delighted because they offer me a lot of different reality show, but all the reality show, they always degrading to people. They always made fun of people. They always negative. And you know, I think life is better than that.

And when Gene told me about this reality show, it was very different. It was very positive. It was very upbeat. We have 12 contestants, and you know, like, they`re cheering for each other.

BRYANT: Sure.

FABIO: Nobody gets eliminated until the end. And when you put a lot of -- you know, 12 guys in one room and you got a lot of testosterone...

BRYANT: OK...

FABIO: ... you know, and that`s good for comedy. But I`m telling you, those 12 guys with testosterone, there`s no match for Gene.

BRYANT: All right. Well, that`s what I was going to say, Gene. I mean, I know the stories of the ladies you`ve had. It is legendary. But what kind of -- what kind of romance authority are you?

SIMMONS: I am not a romance authority. All men are just students at your feet. We just take our cues from you. The women of the world actually are the ones that crack the whip, and all we do is sit up, we fetch, we beg. All we`re trying to do is to get you to smile in our general direction.

FABIO: Well, let me tell you something. Most -- we did a poll. I was going around and asking about women from different nationality and background, what they look for that perfect man. And 90 percent of the women said, We`re looking for a guy with a great sense of humor.

BRYANT: Yes.

FABIO: That`s why, you know, he is very successful.

BRYANT: Oh, well, there`s no -- I believe it. That is definitely way up there in the list of priorities for a guy. Although I have to say on this, guys -- and I mean this with sincerity -- it just seems like we get to have the show with a little bit of cheese at the same time. Like, you look like you`re having fun with the idea of romance and playing -- I mean, it`s -- you know, it`s tongue in cheek, yes?

FABIO: Totally. You know, this show, it`s fun. It`s comedy. We got Fred Wheeler (ph). And you know, it`s a lot of fun, you know? It`s very upbeat. It`s positive. It`s very different from any reality show...

BRYANT: Great.

FABIO: ... out there.

BRYANT: All right. Well, guys, thank you so much. Creator Gene Simmons and Fabio of "Mr. Romance." It debuts tonight on Oxygen. Thanks a lot, guys.

HAMMER: All right. Well, when PETA dedicates an entire Web site to a celebrity, it`s usually no love letter. The group`s latest target, Jennifer Lopez. We`ll take it to the "Buzz Bench" coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.

HAMMER: "He never did anything to me." Under cross examination today, Michael Jackson`s teenage accuser said that`s what he told an administrator at his school. The boy also added that his testimony that Jackson had touched him inappropriately was in fact truthful. The trial began its third week today in Los Angeles.

BRYANT: Mario, out! Just a short time ago, we caught up with American idol finalist Mario Vazquez, who unexpectedly quit the show. He still says it`s because of personal reasons. And Nikko Smith, who was voted off last Wednesday, has been added as the twelfth finalist.

HAMMER: As we told you earlier, it`s a big night for rock and roll. U2, the Pretenders, O`Jays and Percy Sledge and Buddy Guy inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S David Haffenreffer is live with us again now at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. David, anybody else show up?

HAFFENREFFER: A lot of people have been showing up here all evening A.J.. This is, as you said, the 20th annual rock and roll hall of fame induction ceremonies. They get under way officially, the ceremony itself, in less than 30 minutes` time. They will air this Saturday on VH-1. CNN`s pop culture correspondent Toure caught up with a number of the celebs and VIP attendees on their way in on the red carpet, in this tent directly behind us here and talked to a number of them, including a surprise performance by the O`Jays.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of young groups patterned a lot of the things that they do after the O`Jays and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) also. So I think that that`s a great honor to know that you influenced the flavor of today. You know, with something you did yesterday. I think it goes on. I think it is a great compliment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What they do? Smile in your face.

TOURE: "When a Man Loves a Woman" is one of the greatest songs ever recorded. When you did it, did you have any idea that it would last for decades and decades?

PERCY SLEDGE, HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE: No. No. It took me about a year around the world before I really realized what I had done.

TOURE: How excited is Bruce to be inducting U2 tonight?

STEVEN VAN ZANDT, THE E STREET BAND: I`m sure he`s going to have a good time. He always writes a funny speech. So I`m looking forward to that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: And the man on the red carpet for us this evening was Toure, CNN`s pop culture correspondent. He joins us now with more on a special interview with that guy from U2.

TOURE: That guy from U2. Yeah, we had a lot of fun last Friday night. Bono, his wife, Ali, and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) made the jeans that I`m wearing, have started a clothing line trying to save the world called Eden. We talked that, how Bono is terrified to leave U2 and the future of the band.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOURE: Now, you`re going to the rock and roll hall of fame on Monday, and, yet, your band is still viable and contemporary and growing. Isn`t the hall of fame for the end of your career? You are still in the middle of it.

BONO: Well, thank you. Look, it`s an amazing thing. We`re the youngest band ever to be put into the rock and roll hall of fame. It`s a big compliment. We still feel like a punk rock band from the north side of Dublin.

TOURE: Anything you can tell us about the tour?

BONO: We still don`t know. It`s a few weeks away. So that`s a bit of a worry, right?

TOURE: Tell me about Eden, your new clothing line.

BONO: It`s not my clothing line. It`s everyone`s clothing line. It belongs to all people everywhere. It is a very simple idea. People who make the clothes, people who are involved in the chain that brings your jeans to you and we respect them and we hope it`s going to be sexy and fun.

TOURE: How much longer does U2 go on?

BONO: I don`t know. I don`t know.

TOURE: It`s up to you guys. We`ll follow you wherever.

BONO: That`s a very, very kind thing to say. Look, our band means everything to me. It`s my thing. It`s my oxygen. I can`t breathe without it. I`m terrified of being outside of U2. I guess it`s going to happen. It could happen sooner rather than later. I don`t know. I don`t want it to happen. I think our band right now is on fire.

TOURE: Yeah.

BONO: But when that fire starting to go out, feel free with the fire hydrant to put us out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TOURE: Let`s hope U2 sticks around for a long time. Back to you (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HAMMER: All right, Toure. You got the one word name now. All you need are the really cool wraparound sunglasses. CNN pop culture correspondent Toure live at the rock and roll hall of fame induction ceremony in New York City -- Karyn.

BRYANT: We have been asking you to vote on tonight`s show biz showdown question of the day. Are movie critics out of touch with audiences? You can go to cnn.com/showbiztonight or e-mail us what`s on your mind at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts live later on in the program.

HAMMER: It is time now for more show biz shorts. A who`s who list. Ashton Kutcher, Bernie Mac, Chris Rock and others showed up for last night`s "Guess Who" premier. The flick which deals with interracial relationships is a sort of remake of Sydney Poitier`s "Guess Who`s Coming to Dinner." Kutcher and Mac star in the film which opens on March 25.

Close encounter, Glenn Close joined Michael Chiklis this weekend at the season premier of the cop drama, "The Shield." Close is joining the series as precinct commander. The fourth season kicks off tomorrow on FX. We`ve got more show biz shorts coming up later.

BRYANT: Hey, Mario, what gives? More on the "American Idol" just up and left.

And Martha Stewart gets some fashion help, while PETA thinks J.Lo needs to get right with her fashion. Our buzz bench speaks out.

HAMMER: And you can bring home an incredible Oscar winner. That`s in tonight`s people picks and pans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GWEN STEFANI, SINGER: Versace. My Italian side really feels like it`s coming out tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Oh, yeah. It is time -- you all right with that? Startling isn`t it? Wake up. It`s buzz bench time where today`s water cooler conversations take center stage. Tonight, an American idol says bye-bye. Designers give Martha`s ankle bracelet a place to hide and PETA says J. Lo`s designs just won`t fly.

HAMMER: It`s very exciting on the buzz bench tonight. We have a newcomer with us, from Fuse network, one of the VJs there, Marianela is here, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S Amy Kean and comedian and TV personality Chuck Nice.

BRYANT: Yes, he is.

HAMMER: So, Chuck, let`s get right to it. Mario Vazquez, he was looking like he was the guy to win. He was the guy to beat in "American Idol," drops out and it`s a little fishy because he`s not telling why.

CHUCK NICE, COMEDIAN AND TV PERSONALITY: Yeah. The odds-on favorite, creating a big buzz because now all eyes are on him. Everybody`s forgotten about "American Idol." I think that was his master plan, you know what I mean? I will be the one. I will drop out and then although here is Mario Vazquez. The guy is an evil genius. That`s what it is. He`s an evil genius.

MARIANELA, FUSE VJ: Great publicity stunt. But it`s sort of weird, personal business and then he says his family is his top priority, then his mom and brother have no idea. We`re not quite sure what happened.

AMY KEAN, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: If you go on the Internet, there`s so many thousands of people writing in having different theories that he`s gay. I`m not saying that this is true, but that he`s a felon or that he is becoming a father, his girlfriend is pregnant. It`s all very suspicious. I think it`s a business thing.

NICE: But let`s be for real. All of those things actually help your career nowadays.

MARIANELA: There is a thing about bad press. I think he owes it to his fans to really come up with like a better explanation than personal business.

BRYANT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for "American Idol" too though, because now I think a lot more people will tune in wondering if they`re going to stay or explain what happened.

KEAN: They are going to have a press conference. But one of the theories is that Mario may have dropped out because, if he had won, he would have been locked into this one contract or even if he had come in second and maybe he`s getting out early so that he can get a better deal.

HAMMER: Now you`re making sense.

KEAN: He already got the attention. So in a way, it doesn`t even matter now. It doesn`t even matter if he goes any further because everyone already thinks he`s a great singer and they say he would have won and he`s a favorite. So it doesn`t even matter.

NICE: I just feel sorry for Nikko because now this guy is back in. He had to hit the snooze alarm on his 15 minutes.

BRYANT: If he just gets kicked out next week, won`t that just be sad?

NICE: How bad. He`s like a kitten with a ball of yarn. Come on. Let`s go. It`s terrible.

BRYANT: Speaking of yarn, nice segue, baby! That was great, right? You get points for that. We want to talk about Martha Stewart. Now the poncho that was made for her.

KEAN: The freedom poncho.

BRYANT: The freedom poncho.

KEAN: It`s so funny. If you go on the Internet and you type in Martha Stewart, poncho, thousands of Web sites come up with all these crazed crochet people saying, you know -- discussing what was the pattern, what stitch was used.

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: An inmate made it for her (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KEAN: Talking about inmate (UNINTELLIGIBLE). People like me. Somebody made me this poncho. I`m so homespun and nice.

BRYANT: It humanizes her. There`s also talk that there`s one shoe designer is going to make special shoes for her that will hide the ankle bracelet that will also have a sort of poncho over there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These shoes are the tackiest. They`re just like cheap shoes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would sport the ankle bracelet to be honest.

KEAN: What`s funny is that on the Web site they`re called just out and it says for all of the women who want to hide their unsightly, their ankle bracelets. I feel like, are there really a lot of felons right out of jail who need these shoes?

MARIANELA: For all the women in jail, for all of you on house arrest, all you women, your worries are over (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HAMMER: There are other things, though.

(CROSSTALK)

NICE: You have actually given this little thing a real use because cankles (ph) are a problem that nobody wants to see.

HAMMER: I don`t even want to talk about the cankles anymore. Let`s talk about PETA and of course I`m not talking about the bread. Of course PETA going after J. Lo now. She did an uh-oh by putting some fur in her new sweet face line. Marianela.

MARIANELA: Well, it`s a sensitive topic. I`m a huge animal lover and I have to commend PETA for really raising awareness. It`s really a horrible thing what goes on with the animals. At the same time, raising awareness is good but a personal attack on J.Lo, like down with J.Lo, your bloody business. I mean, she`s one of the million designers that have come out with fur. It`s sort of the kind of thing that with the (UNINTELLIGIBLE). You raise awareness, which is great for your speech. You have freedom of choice.

KEAN: If you go on the Web site, you go on the PETA Web site, they have this very -- I`m an animal rights person, too. But the Web site is kind of -- the piece is a little bit manipulative because it shows animals being battered. Then it shows Jennifer Lopez. But I do think it`s a great opportunity for Jennifer Lopez because she`s got so many fans, she doesn`t really need to wear as much fur as she wears. And I think that if she came out and said that she was going to at least consider changing --

BRYANT: . lot more options.

KEAN: Yes. I think it`s a great opportunity for her.

NICE: The thing is, that`s how PETA absolutely advances their cause, by going after famous people. They`re not going after Mary Smith in Iowa because she got a new rabbit coat. You know what I mean? Mary, you fur pimp! That`s not going to happen. So you got to go after the famous people to draw attention to the cause. Truthfully, I don`t personally have a problem with somebody who wears fur. But I can understand somebody who does because most furry animals are cute. I think we should just use really ugly animals to make jackets. Like a platypus jacket.

MARIANELA: Like throwing red paint on people.

KEAN: If your tactic is hostile, people don`t care to listen to your message. But she does wear more fur than most people. Every time you see her she`s in a different fur coat.

HAMMER: She does but she doesn`t have cankles.

(CROSSTALK)

HAMMER: Thank you to the buzz bench. Welcome Marianela from Fuse. We appreciate you being here. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S Amy Kean and Chuck Nice, TV and comedian personality and all sorts of other things.

NICE: Thank you.

BRYANT: It is almost the end of the show and we are getting really animated. So "People" magazine is here to help us out. They`ve got some goodies in their DVD picks and pans.

HAMMER: And Ciara brings her goodies to the bowling alley. We had a blast, but no we did not wear matching team jackets. That`s coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It is time now for more showbiz shorts. Coldplay plays. The British rock bank played two concerts over the weekend, one a surprise. The second was a benefit for a Los Angeles radio station. Coldplay also said its new album called "X and Y" will be released on June 6.

Sticking with the cold theme, the "Ice Princess" premiered this weekend in Los Angeles. Jodie Foster made a surprise appearance even though she`s not in the film. The flick, which stars Joan Cusack and Michelle Trachtenberg skates into theaters on Friday.

BRYANT: It`s time now for "People" magazine`s DVD picks and pans. It won best animated film at the Oscars and tomorrow`s the day you can pick up your own copy on DVD. Plus, if you are really feeling animated, there`s even more in stores. Here to fill us in from "People" magazine, assistant managing editor, Albert Kim. Albert, first of course, I`m talking about "The Incredibles." It just won an Oscar. So many people saw this movie. It made a lot of money. What are we going to get as extras?

ALBERT KIM, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: Extras on "The Incredibles" is incredible. You get everything from behind the scenes documentaries that show every stage of the animation process. And it is really a fascinating thing to look at. Plus there`s an all new bonus short which is about the story of baby Jack Jack.

BRYANT: Jack Jack, he`s so great.

KIM: And when the parents were away which is fabulous to see. Plus you got the trailer, the animated short that preceded the movie in theaters, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) which is great. It really does add up to a terrific package. This is definitely one for your collection.

BRYANT: And is it something that adults will enjoy the extras as well as the children? Sometimes if it is too heady, if it`s too much about the making of, the kids won`t really enjoy it.

KIM: Now the extras are just like the movie. They will be loved by the parents as well as kids. That`s what really makes "The Incredibles" so special because the parents will want to watch it many times just as the kids will. So you won`t really get tired on it.

BRYANT: OK great. Well, I want to move on to "Shark Tale." This movie was not as critically loved as "The Incredibles" but it still did pretty well in the box office. This one`s been in the stores a little bit longer. What do you get extra here?

KIM: "Shark Tale" came out last month and it is fun. It`s good. It`s a well made, animated film. It`s not quite as deep or as entertaining as "The Incredibles." But there`s a lot of extras in there including what went on behind the making of the move and as you know, the big thing with "Shark Tale" was all the celebrity voices. So you can see all the celebrities and how they made the film, Renee Zellweger, Will Smith, Jack Black and Bob De Niro, yeah.

BRYANT: Great. Lastly, the SpongeBob movie, SpongeBob getting a lot of play lately. What`s up with this DVD?

KIM: SpongeBob is weird but it`s one of those rare movies that actually played better ass a DVD than it did in the theaters and I think that`s because SpongeBob belongs on TV. That`s really why and the kids will love it because there`s some great behind the scenes stuff and educational underwater life feature as well.

BRYANT: All right. Well, terrific. There`s three things in stores. Thank you assistant managing editor, Albert Kim. Now of course, for more picks and pans, you can check out this week`s "People" magazine at newsstands everywhere.

HAMMER: Ciara has got the one-two step down but can she step it up at the bowling alley? We`ll find out coming up next.

BRYANT: And there`s still time for you to sound off on tonight`s show biz showdown question of the day. Are movie critics out of touch with audiences? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It is time now to go bowling with Ciara. The 19-year-old is hotter than ever. Her debut album "Goodies" has gone platinum. She just won two "Soul Train" music awards including entertainer of the year. And as Ciara showed me when we hit the lanes together in New York City, this is one singer who`s not easy to pin down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Do you have much experience with bowling?

CIARA: I haven`t bowled in a while OK? I haven`t.

HAMMER: They have a little kiddie thing.

CIARA: The one where they pull up the gutter sides.

HAMMER: Yeah. We can pull the gutters up.

CIARA: Oh, we don`t need that one. I got this.

HAMMER: You`ve been dubbed the first lady of (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It`s just something that happens. You and I know what crunk is.

CIARA: You know what, I like to say that crunk music is kind of like - for me it`s a high energy music. The way that I define it, it`s like the heavy metal of hip-hop. If you go to a club in Atlanta where they get crunk, you literally may need your elbows, you may need your pads, your knee pads and everything because it`s crazy.

HAMMER: Making a record is kind of like bowling. Sometimes you`re going to bowl a strike. Sometimes it`s going to be in the gutter.

How great for you, your first time out, to be able to work with Lil Jon and Missy Elliott and Ludacris. Talk to me a little bit about (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

CIARA: She`s like a mentor to me. She`s like a big sister to me. She`s been in the industry for so long and she`s been consistent with hits and she remains humble. And I think a lot of times people lose that, once they get to a certain status and they accomplish so much. I think that the more humble you are, the more the blessings will flow.

HAMMER: We`re thinking about starting our own league, she is I. Watch out for Ciara`s new music video. It`s called "O" and it features Ludacris. It will be on the air waves this week.

BRYANT: Throughout the show we`ve been asking you to vote online on our showbiz showdown question of the day: are movie critics out of touch with audiences? It is a landslide, 89 percent of you say yes. Movie critics are out of touch with audiences. Only 11 percent of you said no. And we`ve gotten this e-mail Chris Lin (ph) from Dallas, Texas says I believe that some professional movie critics don`t have open minds anymore. Now remember, you can continue to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or send us your thoughts showbiztonight@cnn.com. It is time now to see what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this week.

HAMMER: Let`s take a look at the SHOWBIZ marquee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s up against the clock. She`s a mommy but with some very naughty kids. They`re terrorists.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`re going to have to wait and see for ourselves whether she`s going to change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s a mommy to do? The star of "24" and Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

He was a tough guy in a general hospital. Then he was a tough guy with a big part in a full house. Now he`s a work in progress as a guy named Jake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, I remember you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We remember you, too, John Stamos and we`ll see you live tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

She`s going to light up our set Wednesday. A shining star, a powerful star, a star with a lot of wattage. It is the rings Naomi Watts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it`s pretty scary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But is "The Ring Two" scarier than the first one? Tell us, Naomi, please. This Wednesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

END