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Showbiz Tonight

Showbiz Tonight for June 14, 2005, CNNHN

Aired June 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.


A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: New Michael Jackson questions.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And how the King of Pop could get back on top. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT (voice-over): Tonight, the Michael Jackson verdict is in. And the reaction is out...

KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": Making your job as a parent to protect your kid.

BRYANT: ... worldwide. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s all over the story that`s all over the airwaves.

HAMMER: Also, an extreme Michael makeover. Should he get a new do? Should he leave Neverland for other lands? We`ve got some extraordinary ideas, for an unordinary person.

BRYANT: And, stars speak out. More celebrities weigh in on the verdict. And the late night crew kicks it into high gear, pounding on the King of Pop.

JAY RODRIGUEZ, MUSICIAN: Hey, this is Jay Rodriguez, and if is happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and you`re at the top of the show.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. You`re watching TV`s only live nightly entertainment news program.

HAMMER: Well, tonight, a new mystery surrounding Michael Jackson: when will we see him again? Jackson has remained out of sight, but of course, not out of mind, since being acquitted of all charges at his child molestation trial.

BRYANT: But, while Michael remains silent, the whole world is talking about him today. And, we bring you coverage tonight around the world, beginning with CNN`s Ted Rowlands, who is live for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT at Jackson`s Neverland Ranch near Los Olivos, California.

Ted, what`s the latest?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Karyn, dozens of Jackson supporters have spent the day in the heat outside the gates of Neverland Ranch, hoping to get a glimpse of Michael Jackson. Thus far, though, no sign of the top star, who presumably is relaxing inside his private residence.

His father, Joe Jackson, did leave this morning at one point, stop for a little while, rolled his window down and then sped off. Jackson`s mother also left the property at some point this morning.

One thing we do know, according to Jackson`s attorney, Thomas Mesereau, is that, while Michael Jackson is very appreciative of his fans, he will no longer allow strangers very close into his life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS MESEREAU, MICHAEL JACKSON`S ATTORNEY: As far as his entertainment career goes, I`m not the expert on that. I haven`t talked to him about it. But as far as Neverland and his home, he`s been too nice to too many people.

You know, people get to Michael with a sad story about their life. And he`s so generous, he`s so kind hearted. He takes people in and does nice things for him, and they suddenly decide they want to get rich off of Michael Jackson. And that has to change. He has to be a lot tougher with who he lets into his life and who he allows to run around his home. And that will happen.

SOLEDAD O`BRIEN, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": Does that mean the sleepovers are over?

MESEREAU: Well, it means that he`s going to be a lot more careful about who he lets into his life.

O`BRIEN: I`m not sure that you answered my question. Does that mean that the sleepovers are over?

MESEREAU: I`m not sure what you mean by sleepover, because he`s allowed his own children in his room. He`s allowed to have friends come into his room if he chooses. But he`s not going to allow people like the ones who accused him of this to enter his life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: Now, obviously, Jackson staff members know the fans are out here. They at one point brought out water and beverages for everybody, but there are no plans, according to an employee for Michael Jackson, to come out and address his fans -- Karyn.

BRYANT: All right. Thanks very much. CNN`s Ted Rowlands, reporting live for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, from the Neverland Ranch in California.

HAMMER: Michael Jackson was the hottest topic on TV today. You just couldn`t escape it. And that story now from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, who is live right now in New York City`s Times Square -- David.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A.J., it almost seems like a bit of an obsession. There`s one thing we can take away from today, especially if you turned on the television this morning when you got up, is that all of this coverage that we`ve been seeing is not going to go away just because of that verdict.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): One guy who`s happy to see the Jackson trial end is "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams, who ended the newscast with...

BRIAN WILLIAMS, NBC NIGHTLY NEWS ANCHOR: Tonight at long last, it is time to move on.

HAFFENREFFER: But it became obvious that moving on from the Jackson trial is something the media is not ready to do just yet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning, victory, Michael Jackson not guilty on all counts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This morning, Michael Jackson not guilty on all counts.

BILL HEMMER, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": Michael Jackson a free man this morning.

HAFFENREFFER: The Jackson story was the hot topic for just about every news and talk show today.

ROBERT THOMPSON, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: If you were to simply watch TV to get this story, you`d swear we were about to declare a national holiday for the acquittal of Michael Jackson.

HAFFENREFFER: And the holiday is still going on. "The Today Show" got the ball ruling with what it called the first interview with Thomas Mesereau since his major court victory yesterday. Mesereau wasn`t exactly a gracious winner. He didn`t miss a chance to take a shot at the prosecution.

MESEREAU: I think we clobbered them throughout the trial. A lot of their theories and arguments made no sense, and they didn`t have a case. I`m not surprised that we won, because we should have won.

HAFFENREFFER: The lawyers aren`t the only ones hitting the airwaves. The booking wars between the morning newscasts intensified as Jackson jurors were all over the place, explaining their decision. Some of them even flew cross the country to be on "Good Morning America," where they talked about what may have been the one thing that hurt the Jackson prosecutors the most: the victim`s mother.

DIANE SAWYER, CO-HOST, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": You said at one point that she was sort of waving her finger at you. Show me what she did.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just like that. And you don`t snap your fingers at a jury.

HAFFENREFFER: Even Kelly Ripa, on "Live with Regis and Kelly," had words about the victim`s mother.

RIPA: Any parent at all who lets their kid sleep in the bed of some stranger, I don`t care who it is, there`s probably something wrong there.

HAFFENREFFER: While Jackson was the talk of the airwaves today, tomorrow the media will likely take Brian Williams` advice and move on to something else. But there`s nothing more the media love more than controversy, and nothing says controversy like Michael Jackson.

THOMPSON: The last dozen years, we`ve been looking forward to his next controversy more than we`ve been looking forward to his next music release. Just when you thought it was safe to quit thinking about Michael Jackson, he would dangle a child off of -- off of a balcony. As strange as it would seem, who knows, Michael Jackson could do something within the next year that would start all of this controversy all over again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: And you know, in a bit of television irony it was 10 years ago today that Michael Jackson made another big media splash. It was when he and his wife at the time, Lisa Marie Presley, did a live prime time interview on ABC with Diane Sawyer. At the time, Presley said that they were actually a couple and they did have sex. Michael Jackson denied child molestation claims.

A.J., back to you.

HAMMER: Interesting coincidence there. Thanks very much, David Haffenreffer, live in Times Square.

BRYANT: As Michael Jackson figures out his future, there`s little doubt he needs to be thinking about an image makeover, big time. But what should he do? That is our focus tonight on "Showbiz In Depth."

We`ve got two leading celebrity publicists with us, joining us live from Hollywood. Howard Bragman, who handles "Today Show" co-host Katie Couric and Paris Hilton`s mom, Kathy. And live with us here in New York is Marvet Britto, who just worked with Mariah Carey on her new No. 1 album. We`re going to kick it off with Marvet.

Now, they say image is everything. What the heck does Michael have to do with his? What`s the first thing he should do?

MARVET BRITTO, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: First, Michael Jackson has to remove the veil of secrecy that`s followed him for decades. He -- no one knows who Michael Jackson is. And I think the air of secluded celebrities doesn`t work anymore. Not in the era of reality television shows.

You know, his children have veils. He walks around with a surgical mask. No one knows who he is. That doesn`t work anymore. He`s too, you know -- you know, you can`t live your life as a recluse. And the world isn`t Neverland. So the minute he changes, and he needs to change his image, his appearance. He looks the same way he looked, except for the color of his skin, the same way he looked in 1985. He walks around with medals, you know, as if he`s fought in a war. It just doesn`t work.

BRYANT: Howard, what would you say the first thing Michael should do?

HOWARD BRAGMAN, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: Well, you know, we like a catharsis in America. We saw Russell Crowe on Letterman. We remember Hugh Grant on Leno. And we like to see a catharsis. We like to see somebody get out there and sort of handle their situation with some levity and humor.

I remember when I worked with Monica Lewinsky. We put her on "Saturday Night Live." Maybe we throw Michael on "Saturday Night Live."

BRYANT: I think that would be risky. Marvet, do you think -- do you think Michael Jackson could survive a "Saturday Night Live" appearance?

BRITTO: He could definitely survive it, but guess what? It would be press in and of itself because it`s normal. Do you know what I mean? What does Michael Jackson do that`s normal? There`s nothing that he does that`s normal. Everything he does is over the top when he`s out in public.

And Michael Jackson still has one of the most relevant, strongest brands in -- on the musical landscape. So certainly, he could reclaim his position of No. 1.

BRYANT: Howard, speaking of talking to the press and getting out there with the people, would you recommend that he flood the press, or should he stay away from them and sort of regroup before he goes out?

BRAGMAN: Well, you know, there`s such a thing as a quiet period. And I think we like people to sort of disappear for awhile and come back when they`re ready and they have something to say professionally.

But you know, there`s another strategy that I`ve talked to clients about. And that is, when the press is hounding you, go out and just be a press junky for a month. Talk to every newspaper, every TV station, every radio station, and people get sick of you and say, "Oh, he`s done everything now. We don`t want him." So that`s really one way to protect yourself.

But Michael is never going to do that, realistically. Michael`s going to take some quiet time and maybe do one -- one key interview when he comes back.

BRYANT: OK. Marvet, let`s talk about the music. You`ve worked with people who know how to make a No. 1 record. Musically, where should Michael go next?

BRITTO: I think musically he should do what`s natural to him. Do you know what I mean? But I think, you know, his brand hasn`t evolved. And I think music is important. But it`s, you know, you have to do music and you have to have an image that`s palatable to your consumer. His consumer has grown over the years, but he hasn`t. So musically, I think, he needs to evolve, as well. He can`t come out in with a "Thriller" album in 2005.

BRYANT: Right. Howard, what about the idea that Michael needs to act his age?

BRAGMAN: You know, Michael has always acted like Michael. Somebody asked me, "Well, shouldn`t Michael have dressed different for court and worn his Brooks Brothers suit?" Michael`s got to be Michael.

When you say acting his age, you know, Michael -- Michael doesn`t think the way you and I think about things. Michael`s -- Michael`s a genius, I don`t think -- musically, and I don`t think you can ever take that away. And Michael thinks differently than we are.

I`ve been in a room with him. We`ve talked about things. And he looks at things in a different plain than we do. So I don`t think people should say -- tell Michael how to act, but I do think Marvet`s right, that Michael`s got to get back to his music and what made him famous and what made him successful and popular in the first place.

BRYANT: All right. Well, we will see what happens. Howard Bragman, thank you for joining us. Marvet Britto, thank you, as well.

And there you have it. We`ll see what happens next with Michael Jackson -- A.J.

HAMMER: OK, so that`s how Michael can pump up his image. Now we`re going to work on his looks. Still ahead, we`ve got an extreme Michael makeover, a head-to-toe redo with celebrity stylist Philip Bloch.

BRYANT: Also, Michael`s the talk of talk radio. Some of the most outspoken hosts from the dial, dial in next. And what they`re saying and hearing will burn your ears.

HAMMER: Plus another strike against the paparazzi, how a well known magazine says they will pull back on invading the privacy of stars. That`s coming up.

BRYANT: Now, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Actor Vince Vaughn appeared in which country singer`s video? Was it Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley or Dwight Yoakam? We`ll be right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. Still, once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Actor Vince Vaughn appeared in which country singer`s video? Was it Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley or Dwight Yoakam? Well, the answer is D, Dwight Yoakam.

And, the year was 1998, the song was "These Arms," and that man right there, Dwight Yoakam, will be on with us live tomorrow night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Well, tonight we`ve got the talk of the town, actually many towns across the nation, and what people are saying about the Michael Jackson acquittal. The Jackson verdict, of course, instantly became the talk of the dial from coast to coast. So we`re going to find out what radio listeners across the country are saying.

Joining us live from Los Angeles, Phil Hendrie of "The Phil Hendrie Show." Also, from Washington, D.C., WMAL`s Michael Graham, and here in New York City, WABC Radio`s Curtis Sliwa. Gentlemen, thank you all for being with us.

Curtis, I`m going to fire it off with you. What were your listeners saying today?

CURTIS SLIWA, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, it was jawboning galore. Basically, the women were sympathetic and empathetic to Michael Jackson, saying, "Oh, it`s not sexual. You just don`t understand. He`s just a screwball, an oddball."

Whereas guys were generally saying, "Get out of here. This guy was guilty as the day was long."

In fact, based on the number of black callers to the show that I host with Ron Kuby, I`ve got to tell you, if the blacks had been on that jury, I have a feeling that Michael Jackson might have been doing some time in San Quentin and maybe even facing the gas house.

That`s basically the way the feedback was coming our way.

BRYANT: All right. Phil, was it divided on racial lines at all from your listeners?

PHIL HENDRIE, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, I would say that the big concern was probably is this a green light for pederasts? I had a caller last night, a gentleman by the name of Herb Sewell, who spent time in Atascadero for this. And -- and he called up, and he sort of speaks like this, and he said, "You know, I was at a barbeque, and we were having some cabbage salad. And everybody was on ham radio, basically, saying, you know, it`s on. It`s time we can kind of come out from under the rafts, you know."

I said to him, of course, "Are you serious?"

Well, he`s not -- "Of course I`m not a repeat offender, but some people are saying that perhaps it`s time we can start cruising the parks a little bit, you know."

HAMMER: Yes. All right, Michael, let me throw it to you. What kind of reaction were you getting?

(CROSSTALK)

HENDRIE: That`s what the people were saying. That`s what the people were saying.

MICHAEL GRAHAM, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Yes, and unfortunately I didn`t have a lot of pederasts on my show. My pederast listenership was not, you know, what we were hoping for in the last trend.

But it`s so funny to me to hear people talking about Michael Jackson being special, because my listeners would take that -- unless you`re using the phrase "special" in the sense of special bus "special."

They see this guy as a 40-something-year-old creep. And they just can`t get past it. And I was interested, because they`re proposed to acknowledge that the case that was put together was weak. They were prepared to acknowledge that they weren`t sure they could vote for him on this case. But they want him in jail anyway, just because anyone who goes on TV and admits that he sleeps with little kids needs to be in jail.

HAMMER: All right. Doesn`t sound like there was a lot of sympathy, then, from your listeners.

HENDRIE: Why?

HAMMER: What about that sympathy factor from your callers today, Curtis.

SLIWA: Oh, there was no sympathy for the woman. They wanted that woman put on a rack, stretched, bagged, tagged, found guilty, even though she wasn`t up on charges. I have never seen such animosity towards a witness.

In fact, Michael Jackson was virtually given absolution, because he`s a freakazoid but a celebrity, so given that, he`s eccentric. But the woman, she was the one who was put up on the cross and crucified today on talk radio.

HAMMER: Phil, what about your listeners, because she was vilified throughout much of the trial. And now that he was acquitted on all 10 counts, how are they reacting today?

HENDRIE: Well, my listeners don`t know what vilified means.

HAMMER: OK.

HENDRIE: So I have to use smaller words. We have people calling us - - and I`m sure the other gentlemen understand, although maybe not to the extent. I`m out on the west coast, and we have a higher per capita redneck. And most of them are saying things like, "Well, now, just because he`s black, is that why he got off? Can you tell me?"

And I say I don`t know, and then we go to a commercial.

BRYANT: OK. Maybe it will help your listeners along to the "V`s" (ph) by tomorrow`s program.

HENDRIE: Not likely.

BRYANT: Michael, tell me, how were you guys on this?

GRAHAM: Here`s -- here`s the deal: the attitude of some of my listeners was we should not focus on the mother at all. The fact is, there`s a little boy who they believe -- they believe the charges. They believe that Michael Jackson molested him. And they think it`s terrible that people are focusing on the mother and the jury -- the jury let their hatred for the mother affect the case bothered them.

But at the same time, I made this point and some people agree, that Michael Jackson is like Curtis said. He`s just a freak. He`s like a leopard in the cage. Who`s worse? The leopard in the cage or the mom who puts her kid in the cage? The leopard`s a leopard. It`s going to eat the kid. It`s the mother that`s worse.

HAMMER: All right. Well...

HENDRIE: The guy`s a freak. Other than the fact that he molested some kids, I don`t know why he`s a freak.

HAMMER: All right. Curtis, I`m going to throw this last question out to you first.

HENDRIE: Oh, sure, Curt, yes. Throw it to Curtis.

HAMMER: Thanks, Phil.

I just want to know what your listeners were saying about whether or not they`ll support Michael in the future, and from the sound of it, it doesn`t sound like they will.

SLIWA: Well, wait, you mean buy his CD`s. Of course they already have his old classics, Jackson 5, and they have his "Thriller" album. They`re just hoping that he sort of gets some -- some sort of glide in his stride and gets hip to the times with his music.

They`ll forgive him from being a pedophile, a molester. It doesn`t matter. In fact, the North American Man Boy Love Association will be having a party in his honor. If the music is good these suckers will go out and buy it.

HAMMER: Phil, over to you.

HENDRIE: Well, I would say the North American -- is that a treaty? Is NAMBLA a treaty? Because I`m in favor of it.

I think that -- I think that Michael Jackson is a great symbol of American justice. He is a guy who -- look. He`s a lightweight. As my friend Herb would say, "He`s an amateur."

HAMMER: We`ll end it with Herb, then, Phil. Thank you very much for chatting.

HENDRIE: You bet.

HAMMER: Phil Hendrie, Michael Graham.

HENDRIE: He`ll take you down.

HAMMER: And Curtis Sliwa, we appreciate you joining us tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

And now we want to hear from you.

BRYANT: Here`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. I`m such a Phil head. He`s great (ph).

Let me get to the question of the day: Michael Jackson, does he need an extreme makeover? You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Or if you want to tell us more, e-mail us at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say later in the show.

Well, the late night talk show hosts had a field day last night with Michael Jackson jokes. And throughout the show tonight, we`ll be bringing you the funniest ones in "Laughter Dark."

Now, if you`ll remember, Jay Leno testified at the Jackson Trial, but last night, he was once again joking about Michael on "The Tonight Show".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Good news, Michael Jackson not guilty on all 10 counts. The bad news, he`s going to Disneyland. Yes.

I tell you, you know something? If he would have been a black guy, he would have got convicted like that. You know?

I tell you, though, it was rather touching when Michael`s motorcade pulled in to the Neverland Ranch after the trial. His whole staff came down from the main house to greet him. Did you see that? It was really lovely. Here he is. There`s the gates opening. OK. Now, watch, you`ll see the staff run down from the main house. There they are right there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Tonight, Hay`s guests are Cedric the Entertainer and Dwight Yoakam.

HAMMER: From Leno to Letterman, we`re going to hear what Dave had to say about Michael Jackson. More late night laughs are coming up.

BRYANT: Also, stylist to the stars Philip Bloch blends Justin, Brad and Paris to come up with a Michael? You`ve got to see this extreme Michael makeover to believe it. That`s next.

HAMMER: And father figure photos: what happens when John Travolta, Antonio Banderas and Nelly`s kids get a hold of a camera? Actually, some pretty amazing pictures. It`s Thursday "In Style," and you can see it right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, where tonight throughout the show we are bringing you the best and funniest from the late night laughs about the Michael Jackson trial.

HAMMER: A couple of minutes ago, we heard from Jay Leno. Now here is David Letterman`s take from "The Late Show."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Well, the verdict is in. Michael Jackson is not guilty. Not guilty. However -- however, his plastic surgeon, guilty on all counts.

And, by the way, this just in, Saddam Hussein would like his trial moved to Santa Maria, California.

After the verdict was handed down, the press were talking to the jurors, interviewing the jury, and the one juror said Michael`s innocence was as plain as the nose on his face. What?

But you know, you`d be surprised. Michael Jackson`s whole ordeal actually had his supporters. That`s true. You`d find it hard to believe. Michael Jackson actually had supporters. In fact, even if he had been convicted, the chimp said that he`d wait for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Tonight Dave welcomes Dan Aykroyd to "The Late Show." And definitely stick around for more of the late night Jackson laughs coming up a little later in the show.

BRYANT: Michael Jackson`s star status spans the globe. What the world is staying tonight, that is also still ahead.

Plus photos finished? If some paparazzi don`t chill, they`re going to get the cold shoulder from a best selling tabloid.

HAMMER: And the paparazzi was buzzing when Britney got hitched, but she kept it pretty private. Well, now, Britney and Kevin talk about their wedding day, and you`re going to see that right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s coming up, as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts. And here is your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."

A new search is underway near an Aruba beachfront hotel for any signs of a missing Alabama team. Police with dogs are combing the beach and boats are patrolling the waters. Last night, two hotel security guards held in connection with Natalee Holloway`s disappearance were released by authorities. Three other men remain in custody.

Supporters of a new measure on Capitol Hill are hoping to protect people who use medical marijuana in states where it`s legal. The proposal would prohibit the Justice Department from prosecuting those who smoked marijuana on the advice of their doctors. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that federal anti-drug laws trump states` medical marijuana laws.

And one of Disney World`s most popular rides has reopened today after the death of a 4-year-old boy. The boy passed out yesterday afternoon while riding Epcot`s Mission: Space. He later died at the hospital. Authorities still aren`t sure of the cause of death. A preliminary autopsy showed no signs of trauma.

That`s the news for now. I`m Thomas Roberts. We take you back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Making Michael over, does Michael Jackson need to start with the man in the mirror? Tonight, we`ll take a look at some of the extreme makeover options.

BRYANT: Celebrity reaction to the verdict. We`ll see what the always-outspoken Rosie O`Donnell has to say, and more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRY CONNICK, JR., SINGER AND ACTOR: I`m Harry Connick, Jr. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.

BRYANT: A day after being acquitted on all charges, Michael Jackson is holed up tonight at his Neverland Ranch in California. His Web site is comparing the acquittal to events like the fall of the Berlin Wall and the freeing of Nelson Mandela. Tonight, Jackson`s father told reporters that Michael is fine and that he`s going to be all right.

Well, Jackson`s lawyer says Michael`s days of letting boys sleep in his bed are over because it makes him vulnerable to false charges. Today, Thomas Mesereau also said he thinks it will be a while before Jackson goes out to public again, since the trial took a lot out of him.

There are reports that an unnamed hotel and casino is offering Jackson a gig in Las Vegas. One of the owners says he was talking to Jackson about performing there before the trial started, and he still hopes to make that deal.

HAMMER: Well, of course, that gig in Las Vegas, if it did happen, could be one way for Michael to regain his hold on the public eye. But before he does that, he really may need some help with his image, as everybody`s been talking about.

So tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to offer Michael some of that help. We call it "Extreme Makeover: Michael Jackson." Here live in New York to walk us through what he should do, celebrity stylist, Phillip Bloch.

This is right up your alley, man. This is what you do for a living.

PHILLIP BLOCH, CELEBRITY STYLIST: The job of a lifetime.

HAMMER: Let`s get into it. What is the absolutely first thing he needs to do for his makeover?

BLOCH: Definitely needs to clear up spiritually. You know, he`s got to get rid of Liz and Liza, and all of these older women that he`s kind of emulating. And he`s got to hang out with Oprah, Dr. Phil, Iliana Vandant (ph). He just needs a whole spiritual overhaul.

HAMMER: People who are a little more spiritually connected, you`re saying?

BLOCH: Exactly. Get down to the real.

HAMMER: OK, well, that`ll take care of his mind, hopefully. Let`s talk appearance, now, because, certainly, there is a lot to talk about with Michael Jackson. Give me four things that you would absolutely do right away for his appearance.

BLOCH: First of all, we`ve got to start with the hair. Give that hair to Locks for Love, you know, donate it there. He`s got to get a tan. Got to get a tan. He`s whiter than anybody I`ve seen, you know?

HAMMER: OK, but he was diagnosed with vitiligo. So we should, you know...

BLOCH: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

HAMMER: He was, Phillip.

BLOCH: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

HAMMER: What`s the third thing?

BLOCH: When the powder comes off, he`s darker than he appears to be.

HAMMER: OK.

BLOCH: Then we want to definitely get that body in shape. You know, hang out with somebody who lifts a little weights, you know, maybe Schwarzenegger, even, could give him a little training there.

HAMMER: Perhaps, right.

BLOCH: And get rid of those clothes. He`s got to get rid of this Vegas act kind of uniform thing, and just get down to Earth. Be a little more real.

HAMMER: OK. But he needs to maintain his uniqueness, which we had a publicist earlier in the show say. Michael has got to be Michael.

BLOCH: Yes, but a little less Michael would still go a long way.

HAMMER: OK. Well, then, if he were to emulate some other celebrities out there -- I know you have come with some suggestions on certain people he might want to take after. Why don`t we run through those?

BLOCH: OK. Well, definitely, Puffy is right there on the list. You know, he`s kind of pimping. He`s got a playa attitude. Michael is definitely supposed to be a lady`s man, so I think there we go.

HAMMER: So what do you think? I mean, is this a good look for him?

BLOCH: I think it`s definitely a good look. Or he could even go after, like, Usher, Jay-Z, you know, a little more back to his roots, shall we say.

HAMMER: OK, who else would you try to have him emulate?

BLOCH: Brad Pitt. Come on, sex symbol, he`s casual, age appropriate. You know, he acts his age, but he`s sexy. The women love him. So definitely, you know, t-shirt, great leather jacket. Get rid of all this fantasy fetish wear.

HAMMER: You want to see Michael come back with a little more sex appeal.

BLOCH: Little more, lot more sex appeal, I think.

HAMMER: All right. Move it along.

BLOCH: Colin Farrell. Colin Farrell. You know, a little tougher. Let`s get rid of this namby-pamby talking like this, you know, just like a little Peter Pan business. You`re a grown man. Come on. Get a little rougher, a little tougher, you know?

HAMMER: All right, well, Colin Farrell certainly has that bad-boy image.

BLOCH: He does. He does. And he is bad, you know? I mean, as opposed to Michael who just sings "Bad."

HAMMER: OK.

BLOCH: And then Justin, Just Timberlake, definitely. He`s hot, he`s young, he`s cool, he`s current, you know? I mean, look, there you go. But see, you`ve got to visualize it without that hairdo.

HAMMER: OK. I want to go back to the hair for a moment. First of all, is that Michael`s real hair?

BLOCH: Your guess is as good as mine.

HAMMER: I mean, they`ve shown close-ups in the newspaper, you know, where you could try to see where it`s weaved together. I just wanted to get your professional opinion.

BLOCH: We were talking before. And we`re thinking a fro. Come on, go back to your roots. Let`s be real. Let`s keep it real, Michael. It`s all about being who you are, be proud of it, you know?

I mean, he is legendary. He has just launched so many looks over the years, but these last few years are scary.

HAMMER: It`s about keeping it real.

BLOCH: Keep it real.

HAMMER: Phil Block, celebrity stylist, always good to see you. Thanks for stopping by.

BLOCH: Thanks.

HAMMER: That, of course, leads us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. And this is what we`re asking. Michael Jackson: Does he need an extreme makeover? Maybe one of Phil`s ideas. You can keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. More to say? E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to share some of what you had to say coming up at :54 past the hour.

BRYANT: Well, tonight, the Michael Jackson acquittal is the talk of Hollywood. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is rounding up the reaction.

Rosie O`Donnell was in Florida when she heard and wrote this in her blog, along with a picture. It says, "Two nights in Miami, Michael not guilty. As the sun began to set, peace be with him." Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with some other celebs who had plenty to say after the verdict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAI RODRIGUEZ, "QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY": ... inspired so many people, like me. I mean, I`m singing on Broadway and stuff, doing all like Michael cover tunes. I don`t know. It`s just he`s a great performer. And I hope he gets back to it.

PENNY MARSHALL, ACTRESS, PRODUCER: It doesn`t matter. He`s not going to jail. And people will stop suing celebrities, whoever they are, athletes, and that, for money.

WILL FARRELL, ACTOR: Kind of amazing the amount of attention this whole thing has gotten here and probably around the world. So I`m sure he`s relieved, yes.

RICHIE SAMBORA, BON JOVI GUITARIST: Glad it`s over, man. You know, let`s move on and get to the important things in the world. The case was really hard on me, man.

RICK SCHRODER, ACTOR: I think the whole country was a little bit shocked that there was absolutely no level of conviction. So I think -- you know, I wasn`t in the jury room. And I don`t know what the evidence was. And we really can`t speculate. We weren`t there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Liz Taylor, a long-time friend of Michael Jackson`s, said this in a statement. Quote, "Thank God Michael is vindicated for all time. Now maybe people will leave him alone."

HAMMER: Well, there`s a reason they call Michael Jackson the King of Pop. He remains one of the world`s biggest superstars, famous in every country around the world. And his acquittal was the lead story in every newscast.

It also made front-page news in almost every newspaper you could imagine. From Israel, the Ma`ariv headline reads, "He`s the victor." In Germany, "Michael Jackson absolved." In Britain, where Jackson`s considered God-like, "Jury Acquits." It`s front-page news in Poland, "Michael Jackson Innocent." And in the fashion capital of Italy, they`re calling it, "A Surprise."

It doesn`t end there. CNN`s Paula Hancocks takes us around the world, where his loyal fans remain loyal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning. Michael Jackson has been found not guilty of molesting a 13-year-old boy at his Neverland Ranch.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael Jackson`s acquittal hits headlines across the world. The freed King of Pop spread on most front- pages, many newspapers dedicating several more pages to analysis and fan reaction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`d say, percentage rate, I`d say 70/30, 30 says, yes, he`s innocent, 70 says, no, he`s not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s a wonderful man. And I guess the jury made their own decision, didn`t they?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m a bit surprised he didn`t get a letter of offense of some sort.

HANCOCKS: Murtaza Arif has been a Michael Jackson fan for 19 years.

MURTAZA ARIF, MICHAEL JACKSON`S FAN: ... they said not guilty for every charge, everyone just screamed. And I was like -- it was outside Santa Maria. And it was a dramatic moment, a very emotional moment, as well.

HANCOCKS: Michael Nathan has made his living out of looking like Michael Jackson for 19 years. He says he was cheering and tearing when he heard the news, but never once doubted Jackson would be found not guilty.

MICHAEL NATHAN, JACKSON LOOKALIKE: Michael is the most amazing star we`ve had this century. And there is no one really we can compare him to. He`s just an all-round superstar.

HANCOCKS: But many fans are expressing worries about his health.

MATT BLANK, MICHAEL JACKSON WORLD NETWORK: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a very ill man. He came out of this a very ill man. He`s very frail, very thin. And my hope would be that he concentrate on his health, his happiness, spend some time with his family, and just enjoy, you know, being Michael Jackson, enjoy being himself.

HANCOCKS: Online fan clubs are being inundated with messages of congratulations from across the world. And many of them are saying that now is the perfect time for the King of Pop to make a musical comeback.

Paula Hancock, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Well, no matter what happens with Michael Jackson`s future around the world, he is certainly a piece of world history. His CD "Thriller" has sold an incredible 46 million copies to date, making it the biggest album ever, almost half, 20 million, were sold outside the U.S.

BRYANT: Are the tabloids cracking down on the paparazzi? We`ve got that story on the way.

Also, it was the best-kept secret in entertainment. Tonight, a sneak peek at how Britney Spears pulled off her top-secret wedding to Kevin Federline. That`s coming up.

HAMMER: Plus, with Father`s Day right around the corner, tonight, we`re getting an up-close look at some Hollywood dads through the eyes of their kids. That`s still to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Tonight, "US Weekly" has a new message for the paparazzi: Be careful how you take your pictures, or we won`t buy them. The celebrity magazine says it`s banning photos taken in a, quote, "reckless" manner. Photographers who, quote, "violate traffic laws, trespass on private property, or invade the privacy of children at school," end quote, should take their business elsewhere.

Los Angeles officials are currently investigating whether or not certain actions taken by celebrity photographers are criminal. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will take an in-depth look at the paparazzi in a series called, "The Stories You Didn`t Know." That`s all next week, right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: Pregnant pop star Britney Spears knows a thing or two about the paparazzi. They constantly follow her and her husband, Kevin Federline. So it came as a big shock to everyone when they managed to keep their wedding last fall a secret. Tonight, on the finale of Britney`s reality show "Chaotic," she and Kevin tell the story of the wedding, and they even show the pictures.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN FEDERLINE, HUSBAND OF BRITNEY SPEARS: Man, I`m nervous that she`s going to go running out the back door, you know, pulling a Julia Roberts on me. It was a happy nervous. And then I look over, and I see her dad walking with her. And I just lost it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Britney also debuts her new music video for the song, "Someday I Will Understand." That`s on the finale of "Chaotic" tonight on UPN.

HAMMER: It is time now for Tuesday in-style. Tonight, celebrity dads through the eyes of their kids. In honor of Father`s Day, which, of course, is this Sunday, "InStyle Magazine" let the kids take the pictures and tell the stories of their famous fathers. Here`s a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE ZUCKERMAN, "INSTYLE" MAGAZINE: A lot of people know that John Travolta is this huge aviation buff. He even, I think, has, like, a Boeing 707 plane parked in the backyard at his Florida home. So his little 5- year-old daughter, Ella Blue, photographed him next to one of his jets. And my suspicion is that they named her Ella Blue because she has her dad`s amazing blue eyes.

Peter Gallagher is one of those Hollywood actors who`s been around for a really long time. And of course, now he`s on this runaway smash success show "The O.C." His 11-year-old daughter, Kathryn, took his photo with one of their family dogs in Santa Monica. He says that he never knew his capacity for love, fatigue, and strength before he was a father.

Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas have an 8-year-old daughter together named Stella. And she took a picture of her dad wearing this really cute pink t-shirt and matching pink bandana in their music studio at their home in L.A. He says, like a lot of these Hollywood dads, that she`s really taught him what it means to be a man. She`s taught him about unconditional love. And he says that every day he wakes up with having Stella in his life is sort of a new joy and a challenge to him.

Nelly, at 31, is a relatively young dad, which is convenient, because he really likes -- he`s a big kid who really likes to sort of get down there and do the kid stuff with his 11-year-old daughter, Chanel. His hometown is St. Louis, and Chanel took this photo there. She loves the fact that everyone at school knows who her dad is. And she just seems really proud, which is funny and sweet.

Everybody knows Al Roker as the "Today" show`s favorite teddy bear. And he doesn`t seem to be that much different at home. His 6-year-old, Layla Roker (ph), took a photo of him by their fridge in their New York City apartment. Her favorite thing about her dad is when he gives her piggyback rides to bed.

What`s really great about this portfolio in our June issue is that, while these men are all famous actors and they`re known to millions as movie stars, at home, they`re just dad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: For more about celebrity dads, just pick up a copy of this month`s "InStyle" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.

BRYANT: Now it`s time to see what you tuned into. Final Nielsen ratings just out today for last week`s shows. As we do every Tuesday, here`s a first look at the network`s top five.

"Dancing with the Stars" was the most-watched show for the week. It was followed by "CSI." "Primetime Live Special Edition," featuring Brad Pitt, came in third. And tied for fourth, the "Two and a Half Men" marathon on CBS.

HAMMER: As we have been doing throughout the show, we`ve been bringing you the late-night laughs about Michael Jackson. Well, last night on the "Late, Late Show" with Craig Ferguson, we found out where Michael was headed after his not guilty verdict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRAIG FERGUSON, HOST, "THE LATE, LATE SHOW": I was particularly intrigued by a report that the BBC had with their on-the-spot man in Santa Maria, Nigel Pansington. Take a look at this.

Nigel Pansington from BBC here. Well, the verdict came in this afternoon, and I`m standing here live at the victory party in Santa Maria. I`d love to go inside myself, but I`ve heard from Jackson`s handlers that I`m just too old. Well, I didn`t do it.

Michael Jackson has proved that Billy Jean is not his lover, if Billy and Jean were two boys under the age of 12. In summation, I think what we`ve all learned here is that, if you`re an international celebrity accused of child molestation, keep on with the force, don`t stop. Don`t stop `til you get enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, tonight on the "Late, Late Show," Skeet Ulrich and Cheryl Ladd.

Apparently, there was a parade for Michael to celebrate his acquittal. And only the folks at "Jimmy Kimmel" apparently got the tape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": Needless to say, his friends and family are excited. His adopted hometown of Santa Barbara actually welcomed back its favorite son with a parade this afternoon. I guess they`re talking about making it an annual holiday.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Tonight, George Foreman stops by "Jimmy Kimmel Live." And my guess is this will all continue for some time.

BRYANT: I have a feeling. I have a feeling you`re right.

Well, there is still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day.

HAMMER: Michael Jackson: Does he need an extreme makeover? Continue to vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. If you`d like to write to us, you can. Showbiztonight@cnn.com is our e-mail address. We`re going to read some of what you had to say, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, we have been bringing you the best in late-night laughs, the focus being the hot topic, of course, Michael Jackson.

HAMMER: Well, on the "Daily Show," Jon Stewart had some information on what Michael planned to do after he got home after the verdict. Let`s just say it will bowl you over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Michael Jackson is now, from what I understand -- and again, I`m not privy to all the inside information -- he is heading to Neverland to celebrate with a big bowl of boys. He`s going to fix himself a big old boll of boys. And just dive in. It`s the most loving thing he can do.

He`s not guilty on all counts. We, as Americans, are saying to him, "Oh, you sleep with boys? OK."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Will Farrell stops by to chat with Jon tonight on the "Daily Show."

HAMMER: Well, throughout the show, we have been asking you to vote on-line on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, which is, Michael Jackson: Does he need an extreme makeover?

And here`s how the vote`s been going so far. Guess what? Ninety-two percent of you say, yes, he does need an extreme makeover. Only 8 percent say no, he doesn`t. We`d like to know what your thoughts are on what he doesn`t need to do.

We did hear from Michael in Hawaii -- a different Michael, inevitably -- who said, "He needs to put all of this behind him and focus on a career and a personal makeover. He should lose the long hair and make-up."

Also from Jay (ph) in Tennessee who says, "Michael needs the guys from `Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.` They can get him back together."

And remember, you can continue to vote. CNN.com is the Web site that you go to. I`m just befuddled by our responses to this.

BRYANT: Oh, my god. Get it together, man. Get to together.

It is time to see what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

HAMMER: The Marquee Guy will save us. Take it away, Marquee Guy.

MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, Dwight Yoakam. He`s an actor, a musician, a country superstar. He has a brand new album out and a new connection with the Beatles? Are you kidding me? No, I`m not. Dwight Yoakam, live, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

OK, kids, play along. Two words. First word, one syllable. Oh, forget about it. It`s celebrity charades with Chad Lowe. He and his wife, Hilary Swank, are really acting things out and invited their famous friends along for the ride. Chad Lowe is here live, tomorrow.

This is the Marquee Guy. And I love a charade.

HAMMER: Oh, who doesn`t, Marquee Guy? That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.

HAMMER: Goodbye.

THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts. And it`s time for your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."

Seven passengers aboard a sight-seeing helicopter survive when it plunged into New York`s East River just after takeoff. One woman was seriously injured. Amazingly, the other passengers escaped injury. Witnesses say the chopper did a 360 spin before the pilot deployed the floatation and landed hard in the water. Then wind flipped the chopper over. Still no word on exactly what caused the trouble.

More than two weeks after the disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway, a search is underway in the waters of an Aruba beachfront hotel. Dogs are also being used along the beach. Meanwhile, authorities in Aruba have released two hotel security guards. They were the first men arrested in connection with that case.

And in Los Angeles, what was old is new again. Phil Jackson is once again the head coach of the L.A. Lakers. Jackson has agreed to a three- year contract. The announcement comes almost one year to the day after the Lakers let him go following three NBC championships in five years.

That`s the news for now. Thanks for joining us. I`m Thomas Roberts.

END


Aired June 14, 2005 - 19:00:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: New Michael Jackson questions.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And how the King of Pop could get back on top. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT (voice-over): Tonight, the Michael Jackson verdict is in. And the reaction is out...

KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": Making your job as a parent to protect your kid.

BRYANT: ... worldwide. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s all over the story that`s all over the airwaves.

HAMMER: Also, an extreme Michael makeover. Should he get a new do? Should he leave Neverland for other lands? We`ve got some extraordinary ideas, for an unordinary person.

BRYANT: And, stars speak out. More celebrities weigh in on the verdict. And the late night crew kicks it into high gear, pounding on the King of Pop.

JAY RODRIGUEZ, MUSICIAN: Hey, this is Jay Rodriguez, and if is happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and you`re at the top of the show.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. You`re watching TV`s only live nightly entertainment news program.

HAMMER: Well, tonight, a new mystery surrounding Michael Jackson: when will we see him again? Jackson has remained out of sight, but of course, not out of mind, since being acquitted of all charges at his child molestation trial.

BRYANT: But, while Michael remains silent, the whole world is talking about him today. And, we bring you coverage tonight around the world, beginning with CNN`s Ted Rowlands, who is live for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT at Jackson`s Neverland Ranch near Los Olivos, California.

Ted, what`s the latest?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Karyn, dozens of Jackson supporters have spent the day in the heat outside the gates of Neverland Ranch, hoping to get a glimpse of Michael Jackson. Thus far, though, no sign of the top star, who presumably is relaxing inside his private residence.

His father, Joe Jackson, did leave this morning at one point, stop for a little while, rolled his window down and then sped off. Jackson`s mother also left the property at some point this morning.

One thing we do know, according to Jackson`s attorney, Thomas Mesereau, is that, while Michael Jackson is very appreciative of his fans, he will no longer allow strangers very close into his life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS MESEREAU, MICHAEL JACKSON`S ATTORNEY: As far as his entertainment career goes, I`m not the expert on that. I haven`t talked to him about it. But as far as Neverland and his home, he`s been too nice to too many people.

You know, people get to Michael with a sad story about their life. And he`s so generous, he`s so kind hearted. He takes people in and does nice things for him, and they suddenly decide they want to get rich off of Michael Jackson. And that has to change. He has to be a lot tougher with who he lets into his life and who he allows to run around his home. And that will happen.

SOLEDAD O`BRIEN, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": Does that mean the sleepovers are over?

MESEREAU: Well, it means that he`s going to be a lot more careful about who he lets into his life.

O`BRIEN: I`m not sure that you answered my question. Does that mean that the sleepovers are over?

MESEREAU: I`m not sure what you mean by sleepover, because he`s allowed his own children in his room. He`s allowed to have friends come into his room if he chooses. But he`s not going to allow people like the ones who accused him of this to enter his life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: Now, obviously, Jackson staff members know the fans are out here. They at one point brought out water and beverages for everybody, but there are no plans, according to an employee for Michael Jackson, to come out and address his fans -- Karyn.

BRYANT: All right. Thanks very much. CNN`s Ted Rowlands, reporting live for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, from the Neverland Ranch in California.

HAMMER: Michael Jackson was the hottest topic on TV today. You just couldn`t escape it. And that story now from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, who is live right now in New York City`s Times Square -- David.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A.J., it almost seems like a bit of an obsession. There`s one thing we can take away from today, especially if you turned on the television this morning when you got up, is that all of this coverage that we`ve been seeing is not going to go away just because of that verdict.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): One guy who`s happy to see the Jackson trial end is "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams, who ended the newscast with...

BRIAN WILLIAMS, NBC NIGHTLY NEWS ANCHOR: Tonight at long last, it is time to move on.

HAFFENREFFER: But it became obvious that moving on from the Jackson trial is something the media is not ready to do just yet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning, victory, Michael Jackson not guilty on all counts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This morning, Michael Jackson not guilty on all counts.

BILL HEMMER, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": Michael Jackson a free man this morning.

HAFFENREFFER: The Jackson story was the hot topic for just about every news and talk show today.

ROBERT THOMPSON, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: If you were to simply watch TV to get this story, you`d swear we were about to declare a national holiday for the acquittal of Michael Jackson.

HAFFENREFFER: And the holiday is still going on. "The Today Show" got the ball ruling with what it called the first interview with Thomas Mesereau since his major court victory yesterday. Mesereau wasn`t exactly a gracious winner. He didn`t miss a chance to take a shot at the prosecution.

MESEREAU: I think we clobbered them throughout the trial. A lot of their theories and arguments made no sense, and they didn`t have a case. I`m not surprised that we won, because we should have won.

HAFFENREFFER: The lawyers aren`t the only ones hitting the airwaves. The booking wars between the morning newscasts intensified as Jackson jurors were all over the place, explaining their decision. Some of them even flew cross the country to be on "Good Morning America," where they talked about what may have been the one thing that hurt the Jackson prosecutors the most: the victim`s mother.

DIANE SAWYER, CO-HOST, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": You said at one point that she was sort of waving her finger at you. Show me what she did.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just like that. And you don`t snap your fingers at a jury.

HAFFENREFFER: Even Kelly Ripa, on "Live with Regis and Kelly," had words about the victim`s mother.

RIPA: Any parent at all who lets their kid sleep in the bed of some stranger, I don`t care who it is, there`s probably something wrong there.

HAFFENREFFER: While Jackson was the talk of the airwaves today, tomorrow the media will likely take Brian Williams` advice and move on to something else. But there`s nothing more the media love more than controversy, and nothing says controversy like Michael Jackson.

THOMPSON: The last dozen years, we`ve been looking forward to his next controversy more than we`ve been looking forward to his next music release. Just when you thought it was safe to quit thinking about Michael Jackson, he would dangle a child off of -- off of a balcony. As strange as it would seem, who knows, Michael Jackson could do something within the next year that would start all of this controversy all over again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: And you know, in a bit of television irony it was 10 years ago today that Michael Jackson made another big media splash. It was when he and his wife at the time, Lisa Marie Presley, did a live prime time interview on ABC with Diane Sawyer. At the time, Presley said that they were actually a couple and they did have sex. Michael Jackson denied child molestation claims.

A.J., back to you.

HAMMER: Interesting coincidence there. Thanks very much, David Haffenreffer, live in Times Square.

BRYANT: As Michael Jackson figures out his future, there`s little doubt he needs to be thinking about an image makeover, big time. But what should he do? That is our focus tonight on "Showbiz In Depth."

We`ve got two leading celebrity publicists with us, joining us live from Hollywood. Howard Bragman, who handles "Today Show" co-host Katie Couric and Paris Hilton`s mom, Kathy. And live with us here in New York is Marvet Britto, who just worked with Mariah Carey on her new No. 1 album. We`re going to kick it off with Marvet.

Now, they say image is everything. What the heck does Michael have to do with his? What`s the first thing he should do?

MARVET BRITTO, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: First, Michael Jackson has to remove the veil of secrecy that`s followed him for decades. He -- no one knows who Michael Jackson is. And I think the air of secluded celebrities doesn`t work anymore. Not in the era of reality television shows.

You know, his children have veils. He walks around with a surgical mask. No one knows who he is. That doesn`t work anymore. He`s too, you know -- you know, you can`t live your life as a recluse. And the world isn`t Neverland. So the minute he changes, and he needs to change his image, his appearance. He looks the same way he looked, except for the color of his skin, the same way he looked in 1985. He walks around with medals, you know, as if he`s fought in a war. It just doesn`t work.

BRYANT: Howard, what would you say the first thing Michael should do?

HOWARD BRAGMAN, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: Well, you know, we like a catharsis in America. We saw Russell Crowe on Letterman. We remember Hugh Grant on Leno. And we like to see a catharsis. We like to see somebody get out there and sort of handle their situation with some levity and humor.

I remember when I worked with Monica Lewinsky. We put her on "Saturday Night Live." Maybe we throw Michael on "Saturday Night Live."

BRYANT: I think that would be risky. Marvet, do you think -- do you think Michael Jackson could survive a "Saturday Night Live" appearance?

BRITTO: He could definitely survive it, but guess what? It would be press in and of itself because it`s normal. Do you know what I mean? What does Michael Jackson do that`s normal? There`s nothing that he does that`s normal. Everything he does is over the top when he`s out in public.

And Michael Jackson still has one of the most relevant, strongest brands in -- on the musical landscape. So certainly, he could reclaim his position of No. 1.

BRYANT: Howard, speaking of talking to the press and getting out there with the people, would you recommend that he flood the press, or should he stay away from them and sort of regroup before he goes out?

BRAGMAN: Well, you know, there`s such a thing as a quiet period. And I think we like people to sort of disappear for awhile and come back when they`re ready and they have something to say professionally.

But you know, there`s another strategy that I`ve talked to clients about. And that is, when the press is hounding you, go out and just be a press junky for a month. Talk to every newspaper, every TV station, every radio station, and people get sick of you and say, "Oh, he`s done everything now. We don`t want him." So that`s really one way to protect yourself.

But Michael is never going to do that, realistically. Michael`s going to take some quiet time and maybe do one -- one key interview when he comes back.

BRYANT: OK. Marvet, let`s talk about the music. You`ve worked with people who know how to make a No. 1 record. Musically, where should Michael go next?

BRITTO: I think musically he should do what`s natural to him. Do you know what I mean? But I think, you know, his brand hasn`t evolved. And I think music is important. But it`s, you know, you have to do music and you have to have an image that`s palatable to your consumer. His consumer has grown over the years, but he hasn`t. So musically, I think, he needs to evolve, as well. He can`t come out in with a "Thriller" album in 2005.

BRYANT: Right. Howard, what about the idea that Michael needs to act his age?

BRAGMAN: You know, Michael has always acted like Michael. Somebody asked me, "Well, shouldn`t Michael have dressed different for court and worn his Brooks Brothers suit?" Michael`s got to be Michael.

When you say acting his age, you know, Michael -- Michael doesn`t think the way you and I think about things. Michael`s -- Michael`s a genius, I don`t think -- musically, and I don`t think you can ever take that away. And Michael thinks differently than we are.

I`ve been in a room with him. We`ve talked about things. And he looks at things in a different plain than we do. So I don`t think people should say -- tell Michael how to act, but I do think Marvet`s right, that Michael`s got to get back to his music and what made him famous and what made him successful and popular in the first place.

BRYANT: All right. Well, we will see what happens. Howard Bragman, thank you for joining us. Marvet Britto, thank you, as well.

And there you have it. We`ll see what happens next with Michael Jackson -- A.J.

HAMMER: OK, so that`s how Michael can pump up his image. Now we`re going to work on his looks. Still ahead, we`ve got an extreme Michael makeover, a head-to-toe redo with celebrity stylist Philip Bloch.

BRYANT: Also, Michael`s the talk of talk radio. Some of the most outspoken hosts from the dial, dial in next. And what they`re saying and hearing will burn your ears.

HAMMER: Plus another strike against the paparazzi, how a well known magazine says they will pull back on invading the privacy of stars. That`s coming up.

BRYANT: Now, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Actor Vince Vaughn appeared in which country singer`s video? Was it Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley or Dwight Yoakam? We`ll be right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. Still, once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Actor Vince Vaughn appeared in which country singer`s video? Was it Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley or Dwight Yoakam? Well, the answer is D, Dwight Yoakam.

And, the year was 1998, the song was "These Arms," and that man right there, Dwight Yoakam, will be on with us live tomorrow night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Well, tonight we`ve got the talk of the town, actually many towns across the nation, and what people are saying about the Michael Jackson acquittal. The Jackson verdict, of course, instantly became the talk of the dial from coast to coast. So we`re going to find out what radio listeners across the country are saying.

Joining us live from Los Angeles, Phil Hendrie of "The Phil Hendrie Show." Also, from Washington, D.C., WMAL`s Michael Graham, and here in New York City, WABC Radio`s Curtis Sliwa. Gentlemen, thank you all for being with us.

Curtis, I`m going to fire it off with you. What were your listeners saying today?

CURTIS SLIWA, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, it was jawboning galore. Basically, the women were sympathetic and empathetic to Michael Jackson, saying, "Oh, it`s not sexual. You just don`t understand. He`s just a screwball, an oddball."

Whereas guys were generally saying, "Get out of here. This guy was guilty as the day was long."

In fact, based on the number of black callers to the show that I host with Ron Kuby, I`ve got to tell you, if the blacks had been on that jury, I have a feeling that Michael Jackson might have been doing some time in San Quentin and maybe even facing the gas house.

That`s basically the way the feedback was coming our way.

BRYANT: All right. Phil, was it divided on racial lines at all from your listeners?

PHIL HENDRIE, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, I would say that the big concern was probably is this a green light for pederasts? I had a caller last night, a gentleman by the name of Herb Sewell, who spent time in Atascadero for this. And -- and he called up, and he sort of speaks like this, and he said, "You know, I was at a barbeque, and we were having some cabbage salad. And everybody was on ham radio, basically, saying, you know, it`s on. It`s time we can kind of come out from under the rafts, you know."

I said to him, of course, "Are you serious?"

Well, he`s not -- "Of course I`m not a repeat offender, but some people are saying that perhaps it`s time we can start cruising the parks a little bit, you know."

HAMMER: Yes. All right, Michael, let me throw it to you. What kind of reaction were you getting?

(CROSSTALK)

HENDRIE: That`s what the people were saying. That`s what the people were saying.

MICHAEL GRAHAM, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Yes, and unfortunately I didn`t have a lot of pederasts on my show. My pederast listenership was not, you know, what we were hoping for in the last trend.

But it`s so funny to me to hear people talking about Michael Jackson being special, because my listeners would take that -- unless you`re using the phrase "special" in the sense of special bus "special."

They see this guy as a 40-something-year-old creep. And they just can`t get past it. And I was interested, because they`re proposed to acknowledge that the case that was put together was weak. They were prepared to acknowledge that they weren`t sure they could vote for him on this case. But they want him in jail anyway, just because anyone who goes on TV and admits that he sleeps with little kids needs to be in jail.

HAMMER: All right. Doesn`t sound like there was a lot of sympathy, then, from your listeners.

HENDRIE: Why?

HAMMER: What about that sympathy factor from your callers today, Curtis.

SLIWA: Oh, there was no sympathy for the woman. They wanted that woman put on a rack, stretched, bagged, tagged, found guilty, even though she wasn`t up on charges. I have never seen such animosity towards a witness.

In fact, Michael Jackson was virtually given absolution, because he`s a freakazoid but a celebrity, so given that, he`s eccentric. But the woman, she was the one who was put up on the cross and crucified today on talk radio.

HAMMER: Phil, what about your listeners, because she was vilified throughout much of the trial. And now that he was acquitted on all 10 counts, how are they reacting today?

HENDRIE: Well, my listeners don`t know what vilified means.

HAMMER: OK.

HENDRIE: So I have to use smaller words. We have people calling us - - and I`m sure the other gentlemen understand, although maybe not to the extent. I`m out on the west coast, and we have a higher per capita redneck. And most of them are saying things like, "Well, now, just because he`s black, is that why he got off? Can you tell me?"

And I say I don`t know, and then we go to a commercial.

BRYANT: OK. Maybe it will help your listeners along to the "V`s" (ph) by tomorrow`s program.

HENDRIE: Not likely.

BRYANT: Michael, tell me, how were you guys on this?

GRAHAM: Here`s -- here`s the deal: the attitude of some of my listeners was we should not focus on the mother at all. The fact is, there`s a little boy who they believe -- they believe the charges. They believe that Michael Jackson molested him. And they think it`s terrible that people are focusing on the mother and the jury -- the jury let their hatred for the mother affect the case bothered them.

But at the same time, I made this point and some people agree, that Michael Jackson is like Curtis said. He`s just a freak. He`s like a leopard in the cage. Who`s worse? The leopard in the cage or the mom who puts her kid in the cage? The leopard`s a leopard. It`s going to eat the kid. It`s the mother that`s worse.

HAMMER: All right. Well...

HENDRIE: The guy`s a freak. Other than the fact that he molested some kids, I don`t know why he`s a freak.

HAMMER: All right. Curtis, I`m going to throw this last question out to you first.

HENDRIE: Oh, sure, Curt, yes. Throw it to Curtis.

HAMMER: Thanks, Phil.

I just want to know what your listeners were saying about whether or not they`ll support Michael in the future, and from the sound of it, it doesn`t sound like they will.

SLIWA: Well, wait, you mean buy his CD`s. Of course they already have his old classics, Jackson 5, and they have his "Thriller" album. They`re just hoping that he sort of gets some -- some sort of glide in his stride and gets hip to the times with his music.

They`ll forgive him from being a pedophile, a molester. It doesn`t matter. In fact, the North American Man Boy Love Association will be having a party in his honor. If the music is good these suckers will go out and buy it.

HAMMER: Phil, over to you.

HENDRIE: Well, I would say the North American -- is that a treaty? Is NAMBLA a treaty? Because I`m in favor of it.

I think that -- I think that Michael Jackson is a great symbol of American justice. He is a guy who -- look. He`s a lightweight. As my friend Herb would say, "He`s an amateur."

HAMMER: We`ll end it with Herb, then, Phil. Thank you very much for chatting.

HENDRIE: You bet.

HAMMER: Phil Hendrie, Michael Graham.

HENDRIE: He`ll take you down.

HAMMER: And Curtis Sliwa, we appreciate you joining us tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

And now we want to hear from you.

BRYANT: Here`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. I`m such a Phil head. He`s great (ph).

Let me get to the question of the day: Michael Jackson, does he need an extreme makeover? You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Or if you want to tell us more, e-mail us at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say later in the show.

Well, the late night talk show hosts had a field day last night with Michael Jackson jokes. And throughout the show tonight, we`ll be bringing you the funniest ones in "Laughter Dark."

Now, if you`ll remember, Jay Leno testified at the Jackson Trial, but last night, he was once again joking about Michael on "The Tonight Show".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Good news, Michael Jackson not guilty on all 10 counts. The bad news, he`s going to Disneyland. Yes.

I tell you, you know something? If he would have been a black guy, he would have got convicted like that. You know?

I tell you, though, it was rather touching when Michael`s motorcade pulled in to the Neverland Ranch after the trial. His whole staff came down from the main house to greet him. Did you see that? It was really lovely. Here he is. There`s the gates opening. OK. Now, watch, you`ll see the staff run down from the main house. There they are right there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Tonight, Hay`s guests are Cedric the Entertainer and Dwight Yoakam.

HAMMER: From Leno to Letterman, we`re going to hear what Dave had to say about Michael Jackson. More late night laughs are coming up.

BRYANT: Also, stylist to the stars Philip Bloch blends Justin, Brad and Paris to come up with a Michael? You`ve got to see this extreme Michael makeover to believe it. That`s next.

HAMMER: And father figure photos: what happens when John Travolta, Antonio Banderas and Nelly`s kids get a hold of a camera? Actually, some pretty amazing pictures. It`s Thursday "In Style," and you can see it right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, where tonight throughout the show we are bringing you the best and funniest from the late night laughs about the Michael Jackson trial.

HAMMER: A couple of minutes ago, we heard from Jay Leno. Now here is David Letterman`s take from "The Late Show."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Well, the verdict is in. Michael Jackson is not guilty. Not guilty. However -- however, his plastic surgeon, guilty on all counts.

And, by the way, this just in, Saddam Hussein would like his trial moved to Santa Maria, California.

After the verdict was handed down, the press were talking to the jurors, interviewing the jury, and the one juror said Michael`s innocence was as plain as the nose on his face. What?

But you know, you`d be surprised. Michael Jackson`s whole ordeal actually had his supporters. That`s true. You`d find it hard to believe. Michael Jackson actually had supporters. In fact, even if he had been convicted, the chimp said that he`d wait for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Tonight Dave welcomes Dan Aykroyd to "The Late Show." And definitely stick around for more of the late night Jackson laughs coming up a little later in the show.

BRYANT: Michael Jackson`s star status spans the globe. What the world is staying tonight, that is also still ahead.

Plus photos finished? If some paparazzi don`t chill, they`re going to get the cold shoulder from a best selling tabloid.

HAMMER: And the paparazzi was buzzing when Britney got hitched, but she kept it pretty private. Well, now, Britney and Kevin talk about their wedding day, and you`re going to see that right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s coming up, as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts. And here is your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."

A new search is underway near an Aruba beachfront hotel for any signs of a missing Alabama team. Police with dogs are combing the beach and boats are patrolling the waters. Last night, two hotel security guards held in connection with Natalee Holloway`s disappearance were released by authorities. Three other men remain in custody.

Supporters of a new measure on Capitol Hill are hoping to protect people who use medical marijuana in states where it`s legal. The proposal would prohibit the Justice Department from prosecuting those who smoked marijuana on the advice of their doctors. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that federal anti-drug laws trump states` medical marijuana laws.

And one of Disney World`s most popular rides has reopened today after the death of a 4-year-old boy. The boy passed out yesterday afternoon while riding Epcot`s Mission: Space. He later died at the hospital. Authorities still aren`t sure of the cause of death. A preliminary autopsy showed no signs of trauma.

That`s the news for now. I`m Thomas Roberts. We take you back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Making Michael over, does Michael Jackson need to start with the man in the mirror? Tonight, we`ll take a look at some of the extreme makeover options.

BRYANT: Celebrity reaction to the verdict. We`ll see what the always-outspoken Rosie O`Donnell has to say, and more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRY CONNICK, JR., SINGER AND ACTOR: I`m Harry Connick, Jr. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.

BRYANT: A day after being acquitted on all charges, Michael Jackson is holed up tonight at his Neverland Ranch in California. His Web site is comparing the acquittal to events like the fall of the Berlin Wall and the freeing of Nelson Mandela. Tonight, Jackson`s father told reporters that Michael is fine and that he`s going to be all right.

Well, Jackson`s lawyer says Michael`s days of letting boys sleep in his bed are over because it makes him vulnerable to false charges. Today, Thomas Mesereau also said he thinks it will be a while before Jackson goes out to public again, since the trial took a lot out of him.

There are reports that an unnamed hotel and casino is offering Jackson a gig in Las Vegas. One of the owners says he was talking to Jackson about performing there before the trial started, and he still hopes to make that deal.

HAMMER: Well, of course, that gig in Las Vegas, if it did happen, could be one way for Michael to regain his hold on the public eye. But before he does that, he really may need some help with his image, as everybody`s been talking about.

So tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to offer Michael some of that help. We call it "Extreme Makeover: Michael Jackson." Here live in New York to walk us through what he should do, celebrity stylist, Phillip Bloch.

This is right up your alley, man. This is what you do for a living.

PHILLIP BLOCH, CELEBRITY STYLIST: The job of a lifetime.

HAMMER: Let`s get into it. What is the absolutely first thing he needs to do for his makeover?

BLOCH: Definitely needs to clear up spiritually. You know, he`s got to get rid of Liz and Liza, and all of these older women that he`s kind of emulating. And he`s got to hang out with Oprah, Dr. Phil, Iliana Vandant (ph). He just needs a whole spiritual overhaul.

HAMMER: People who are a little more spiritually connected, you`re saying?

BLOCH: Exactly. Get down to the real.

HAMMER: OK, well, that`ll take care of his mind, hopefully. Let`s talk appearance, now, because, certainly, there is a lot to talk about with Michael Jackson. Give me four things that you would absolutely do right away for his appearance.

BLOCH: First of all, we`ve got to start with the hair. Give that hair to Locks for Love, you know, donate it there. He`s got to get a tan. Got to get a tan. He`s whiter than anybody I`ve seen, you know?

HAMMER: OK, but he was diagnosed with vitiligo. So we should, you know...

BLOCH: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

HAMMER: He was, Phillip.

BLOCH: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

HAMMER: What`s the third thing?

BLOCH: When the powder comes off, he`s darker than he appears to be.

HAMMER: OK.

BLOCH: Then we want to definitely get that body in shape. You know, hang out with somebody who lifts a little weights, you know, maybe Schwarzenegger, even, could give him a little training there.

HAMMER: Perhaps, right.

BLOCH: And get rid of those clothes. He`s got to get rid of this Vegas act kind of uniform thing, and just get down to Earth. Be a little more real.

HAMMER: OK. But he needs to maintain his uniqueness, which we had a publicist earlier in the show say. Michael has got to be Michael.

BLOCH: Yes, but a little less Michael would still go a long way.

HAMMER: OK. Well, then, if he were to emulate some other celebrities out there -- I know you have come with some suggestions on certain people he might want to take after. Why don`t we run through those?

BLOCH: OK. Well, definitely, Puffy is right there on the list. You know, he`s kind of pimping. He`s got a playa attitude. Michael is definitely supposed to be a lady`s man, so I think there we go.

HAMMER: So what do you think? I mean, is this a good look for him?

BLOCH: I think it`s definitely a good look. Or he could even go after, like, Usher, Jay-Z, you know, a little more back to his roots, shall we say.

HAMMER: OK, who else would you try to have him emulate?

BLOCH: Brad Pitt. Come on, sex symbol, he`s casual, age appropriate. You know, he acts his age, but he`s sexy. The women love him. So definitely, you know, t-shirt, great leather jacket. Get rid of all this fantasy fetish wear.

HAMMER: You want to see Michael come back with a little more sex appeal.

BLOCH: Little more, lot more sex appeal, I think.

HAMMER: All right. Move it along.

BLOCH: Colin Farrell. Colin Farrell. You know, a little tougher. Let`s get rid of this namby-pamby talking like this, you know, just like a little Peter Pan business. You`re a grown man. Come on. Get a little rougher, a little tougher, you know?

HAMMER: All right, well, Colin Farrell certainly has that bad-boy image.

BLOCH: He does. He does. And he is bad, you know? I mean, as opposed to Michael who just sings "Bad."

HAMMER: OK.

BLOCH: And then Justin, Just Timberlake, definitely. He`s hot, he`s young, he`s cool, he`s current, you know? I mean, look, there you go. But see, you`ve got to visualize it without that hairdo.

HAMMER: OK. I want to go back to the hair for a moment. First of all, is that Michael`s real hair?

BLOCH: Your guess is as good as mine.

HAMMER: I mean, they`ve shown close-ups in the newspaper, you know, where you could try to see where it`s weaved together. I just wanted to get your professional opinion.

BLOCH: We were talking before. And we`re thinking a fro. Come on, go back to your roots. Let`s be real. Let`s keep it real, Michael. It`s all about being who you are, be proud of it, you know?

I mean, he is legendary. He has just launched so many looks over the years, but these last few years are scary.

HAMMER: It`s about keeping it real.

BLOCH: Keep it real.

HAMMER: Phil Block, celebrity stylist, always good to see you. Thanks for stopping by.

BLOCH: Thanks.

HAMMER: That, of course, leads us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. And this is what we`re asking. Michael Jackson: Does he need an extreme makeover? Maybe one of Phil`s ideas. You can keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. More to say? E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to share some of what you had to say coming up at :54 past the hour.

BRYANT: Well, tonight, the Michael Jackson acquittal is the talk of Hollywood. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is rounding up the reaction.

Rosie O`Donnell was in Florida when she heard and wrote this in her blog, along with a picture. It says, "Two nights in Miami, Michael not guilty. As the sun began to set, peace be with him." Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with some other celebs who had plenty to say after the verdict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAI RODRIGUEZ, "QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY": ... inspired so many people, like me. I mean, I`m singing on Broadway and stuff, doing all like Michael cover tunes. I don`t know. It`s just he`s a great performer. And I hope he gets back to it.

PENNY MARSHALL, ACTRESS, PRODUCER: It doesn`t matter. He`s not going to jail. And people will stop suing celebrities, whoever they are, athletes, and that, for money.

WILL FARRELL, ACTOR: Kind of amazing the amount of attention this whole thing has gotten here and probably around the world. So I`m sure he`s relieved, yes.

RICHIE SAMBORA, BON JOVI GUITARIST: Glad it`s over, man. You know, let`s move on and get to the important things in the world. The case was really hard on me, man.

RICK SCHRODER, ACTOR: I think the whole country was a little bit shocked that there was absolutely no level of conviction. So I think -- you know, I wasn`t in the jury room. And I don`t know what the evidence was. And we really can`t speculate. We weren`t there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Liz Taylor, a long-time friend of Michael Jackson`s, said this in a statement. Quote, "Thank God Michael is vindicated for all time. Now maybe people will leave him alone."

HAMMER: Well, there`s a reason they call Michael Jackson the King of Pop. He remains one of the world`s biggest superstars, famous in every country around the world. And his acquittal was the lead story in every newscast.

It also made front-page news in almost every newspaper you could imagine. From Israel, the Ma`ariv headline reads, "He`s the victor." In Germany, "Michael Jackson absolved." In Britain, where Jackson`s considered God-like, "Jury Acquits." It`s front-page news in Poland, "Michael Jackson Innocent." And in the fashion capital of Italy, they`re calling it, "A Surprise."

It doesn`t end there. CNN`s Paula Hancocks takes us around the world, where his loyal fans remain loyal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning. Michael Jackson has been found not guilty of molesting a 13-year-old boy at his Neverland Ranch.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael Jackson`s acquittal hits headlines across the world. The freed King of Pop spread on most front- pages, many newspapers dedicating several more pages to analysis and fan reaction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`d say, percentage rate, I`d say 70/30, 30 says, yes, he`s innocent, 70 says, no, he`s not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s a wonderful man. And I guess the jury made their own decision, didn`t they?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m a bit surprised he didn`t get a letter of offense of some sort.

HANCOCKS: Murtaza Arif has been a Michael Jackson fan for 19 years.

MURTAZA ARIF, MICHAEL JACKSON`S FAN: ... they said not guilty for every charge, everyone just screamed. And I was like -- it was outside Santa Maria. And it was a dramatic moment, a very emotional moment, as well.

HANCOCKS: Michael Nathan has made his living out of looking like Michael Jackson for 19 years. He says he was cheering and tearing when he heard the news, but never once doubted Jackson would be found not guilty.

MICHAEL NATHAN, JACKSON LOOKALIKE: Michael is the most amazing star we`ve had this century. And there is no one really we can compare him to. He`s just an all-round superstar.

HANCOCKS: But many fans are expressing worries about his health.

MATT BLANK, MICHAEL JACKSON WORLD NETWORK: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a very ill man. He came out of this a very ill man. He`s very frail, very thin. And my hope would be that he concentrate on his health, his happiness, spend some time with his family, and just enjoy, you know, being Michael Jackson, enjoy being himself.

HANCOCKS: Online fan clubs are being inundated with messages of congratulations from across the world. And many of them are saying that now is the perfect time for the King of Pop to make a musical comeback.

Paula Hancock, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Well, no matter what happens with Michael Jackson`s future around the world, he is certainly a piece of world history. His CD "Thriller" has sold an incredible 46 million copies to date, making it the biggest album ever, almost half, 20 million, were sold outside the U.S.

BRYANT: Are the tabloids cracking down on the paparazzi? We`ve got that story on the way.

Also, it was the best-kept secret in entertainment. Tonight, a sneak peek at how Britney Spears pulled off her top-secret wedding to Kevin Federline. That`s coming up.

HAMMER: Plus, with Father`s Day right around the corner, tonight, we`re getting an up-close look at some Hollywood dads through the eyes of their kids. That`s still to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Tonight, "US Weekly" has a new message for the paparazzi: Be careful how you take your pictures, or we won`t buy them. The celebrity magazine says it`s banning photos taken in a, quote, "reckless" manner. Photographers who, quote, "violate traffic laws, trespass on private property, or invade the privacy of children at school," end quote, should take their business elsewhere.

Los Angeles officials are currently investigating whether or not certain actions taken by celebrity photographers are criminal. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will take an in-depth look at the paparazzi in a series called, "The Stories You Didn`t Know." That`s all next week, right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: Pregnant pop star Britney Spears knows a thing or two about the paparazzi. They constantly follow her and her husband, Kevin Federline. So it came as a big shock to everyone when they managed to keep their wedding last fall a secret. Tonight, on the finale of Britney`s reality show "Chaotic," she and Kevin tell the story of the wedding, and they even show the pictures.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN FEDERLINE, HUSBAND OF BRITNEY SPEARS: Man, I`m nervous that she`s going to go running out the back door, you know, pulling a Julia Roberts on me. It was a happy nervous. And then I look over, and I see her dad walking with her. And I just lost it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Britney also debuts her new music video for the song, "Someday I Will Understand." That`s on the finale of "Chaotic" tonight on UPN.

HAMMER: It is time now for Tuesday in-style. Tonight, celebrity dads through the eyes of their kids. In honor of Father`s Day, which, of course, is this Sunday, "InStyle Magazine" let the kids take the pictures and tell the stories of their famous fathers. Here`s a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE ZUCKERMAN, "INSTYLE" MAGAZINE: A lot of people know that John Travolta is this huge aviation buff. He even, I think, has, like, a Boeing 707 plane parked in the backyard at his Florida home. So his little 5- year-old daughter, Ella Blue, photographed him next to one of his jets. And my suspicion is that they named her Ella Blue because she has her dad`s amazing blue eyes.

Peter Gallagher is one of those Hollywood actors who`s been around for a really long time. And of course, now he`s on this runaway smash success show "The O.C." His 11-year-old daughter, Kathryn, took his photo with one of their family dogs in Santa Monica. He says that he never knew his capacity for love, fatigue, and strength before he was a father.

Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas have an 8-year-old daughter together named Stella. And she took a picture of her dad wearing this really cute pink t-shirt and matching pink bandana in their music studio at their home in L.A. He says, like a lot of these Hollywood dads, that she`s really taught him what it means to be a man. She`s taught him about unconditional love. And he says that every day he wakes up with having Stella in his life is sort of a new joy and a challenge to him.

Nelly, at 31, is a relatively young dad, which is convenient, because he really likes -- he`s a big kid who really likes to sort of get down there and do the kid stuff with his 11-year-old daughter, Chanel. His hometown is St. Louis, and Chanel took this photo there. She loves the fact that everyone at school knows who her dad is. And she just seems really proud, which is funny and sweet.

Everybody knows Al Roker as the "Today" show`s favorite teddy bear. And he doesn`t seem to be that much different at home. His 6-year-old, Layla Roker (ph), took a photo of him by their fridge in their New York City apartment. Her favorite thing about her dad is when he gives her piggyback rides to bed.

What`s really great about this portfolio in our June issue is that, while these men are all famous actors and they`re known to millions as movie stars, at home, they`re just dad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: For more about celebrity dads, just pick up a copy of this month`s "InStyle" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.

BRYANT: Now it`s time to see what you tuned into. Final Nielsen ratings just out today for last week`s shows. As we do every Tuesday, here`s a first look at the network`s top five.

"Dancing with the Stars" was the most-watched show for the week. It was followed by "CSI." "Primetime Live Special Edition," featuring Brad Pitt, came in third. And tied for fourth, the "Two and a Half Men" marathon on CBS.

HAMMER: As we have been doing throughout the show, we`ve been bringing you the late-night laughs about Michael Jackson. Well, last night on the "Late, Late Show" with Craig Ferguson, we found out where Michael was headed after his not guilty verdict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRAIG FERGUSON, HOST, "THE LATE, LATE SHOW": I was particularly intrigued by a report that the BBC had with their on-the-spot man in Santa Maria, Nigel Pansington. Take a look at this.

Nigel Pansington from BBC here. Well, the verdict came in this afternoon, and I`m standing here live at the victory party in Santa Maria. I`d love to go inside myself, but I`ve heard from Jackson`s handlers that I`m just too old. Well, I didn`t do it.

Michael Jackson has proved that Billy Jean is not his lover, if Billy and Jean were two boys under the age of 12. In summation, I think what we`ve all learned here is that, if you`re an international celebrity accused of child molestation, keep on with the force, don`t stop. Don`t stop `til you get enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, tonight on the "Late, Late Show," Skeet Ulrich and Cheryl Ladd.

Apparently, there was a parade for Michael to celebrate his acquittal. And only the folks at "Jimmy Kimmel" apparently got the tape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": Needless to say, his friends and family are excited. His adopted hometown of Santa Barbara actually welcomed back its favorite son with a parade this afternoon. I guess they`re talking about making it an annual holiday.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Tonight, George Foreman stops by "Jimmy Kimmel Live." And my guess is this will all continue for some time.

BRYANT: I have a feeling. I have a feeling you`re right.

Well, there is still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day.

HAMMER: Michael Jackson: Does he need an extreme makeover? Continue to vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. If you`d like to write to us, you can. Showbiztonight@cnn.com is our e-mail address. We`re going to read some of what you had to say, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, we have been bringing you the best in late-night laughs, the focus being the hot topic, of course, Michael Jackson.

HAMMER: Well, on the "Daily Show," Jon Stewart had some information on what Michael planned to do after he got home after the verdict. Let`s just say it will bowl you over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Michael Jackson is now, from what I understand -- and again, I`m not privy to all the inside information -- he is heading to Neverland to celebrate with a big bowl of boys. He`s going to fix himself a big old boll of boys. And just dive in. It`s the most loving thing he can do.

He`s not guilty on all counts. We, as Americans, are saying to him, "Oh, you sleep with boys? OK."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Will Farrell stops by to chat with Jon tonight on the "Daily Show."

HAMMER: Well, throughout the show, we have been asking you to vote on-line on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, which is, Michael Jackson: Does he need an extreme makeover?

And here`s how the vote`s been going so far. Guess what? Ninety-two percent of you say, yes, he does need an extreme makeover. Only 8 percent say no, he doesn`t. We`d like to know what your thoughts are on what he doesn`t need to do.

We did hear from Michael in Hawaii -- a different Michael, inevitably -- who said, "He needs to put all of this behind him and focus on a career and a personal makeover. He should lose the long hair and make-up."

Also from Jay (ph) in Tennessee who says, "Michael needs the guys from `Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.` They can get him back together."

And remember, you can continue to vote. CNN.com is the Web site that you go to. I`m just befuddled by our responses to this.

BRYANT: Oh, my god. Get it together, man. Get to together.

It is time to see what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

HAMMER: The Marquee Guy will save us. Take it away, Marquee Guy.

MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, Dwight Yoakam. He`s an actor, a musician, a country superstar. He has a brand new album out and a new connection with the Beatles? Are you kidding me? No, I`m not. Dwight Yoakam, live, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

OK, kids, play along. Two words. First word, one syllable. Oh, forget about it. It`s celebrity charades with Chad Lowe. He and his wife, Hilary Swank, are really acting things out and invited their famous friends along for the ride. Chad Lowe is here live, tomorrow.

This is the Marquee Guy. And I love a charade.

HAMMER: Oh, who doesn`t, Marquee Guy? That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.

HAMMER: Goodbye.

THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts. And it`s time for your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."

Seven passengers aboard a sight-seeing helicopter survive when it plunged into New York`s East River just after takeoff. One woman was seriously injured. Amazingly, the other passengers escaped injury. Witnesses say the chopper did a 360 spin before the pilot deployed the floatation and landed hard in the water. Then wind flipped the chopper over. Still no word on exactly what caused the trouble.

More than two weeks after the disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway, a search is underway in the waters of an Aruba beachfront hotel. Dogs are also being used along the beach. Meanwhile, authorities in Aruba have released two hotel security guards. They were the first men arrested in connection with that case.

And in Los Angeles, what was old is new again. Phil Jackson is once again the head coach of the L.A. Lakers. Jackson has agreed to a three- year contract. The announcement comes almost one year to the day after the Lakers let him go following three NBC championships in five years.

That`s the news for now. Thanks for joining us. I`m Thomas Roberts.

END