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Showbiz Tonight
Showbiz Tonight for July 26, 2005, CNNHN
Aired July 26, 2005 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And I`m Karyn Bryant. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Jane Fonda and the war of words over the war in Iraq. They once called her "Hanoi Jane." Now Fonda is furious about what`s going on in Iraq, and she`s going to let the world know in a big way. Tonight, a "SHOWBIZ Showdown." Should Jane hit the road?
HAMMER (voice-over): Also, "Lost" and found. Tonight, the amazing story of how a hit TV show helped solve a real-life mystery: the kidnapping of a brother and sister. The show`s creator joins us live with the unbelievable story.
BRYANT: And, "iPod Nation." How this small device is making big changes in the music industry. Tonight, how the iPod is changing what you listen to and how you hear it. It`s our special SHOWBIZ TONIGHT series.
Jessica Simpson, SINGER/ACTRESS: Hi, I`m Jessica Simpson. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: Hello, I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer.
Tonight, America is back in space in a big way after a heart-stopping launch today when the Space Shuttle Columbia (sic) was seen around the world on television.
BRYANT: It`s fantastic. But right now the world is watching elsewhere, getting an unprecedented chance to keep up with the out-of-this- world journey into space by turning to cyberspace.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And lift off of Space Shuttle Discovery, beginning America`s new journey to the moon, Mars and beyond.
BRYANT: At 10:39 a.m. Eastern, America returned to space. For a couple of minutes after the launch, millions of viewers were glued to TV sets. The heart pounding drama was the first space mission since the 2003 Columbia disaster, a point network news channels made quite clear during their live coverage of the launch.
ANNOUNCER: "Discovery: Return to Flight."
BRYANT: But while the launch was covered heavily on TV, the best way to keep tabs on the mission may be online. This morning, AOL.com offered viewers not one but four different live camera angles of the launch. The site, which, like this network, is owned by Time Warner, will offer a live NASA TV feed of the 14-day Discovery mission to resupply the International Space Station.
AOL isn`t the only one. NASA has also teamed up with Yahoo and Internet content company Akamai Technologies to provide live, streaming coverage of the mission.
LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT"/FOUNDER, SPACE.COM: Web science has not paid much attention to space at all. It`s paying a great deal of attention to today`s launch because it`s return to flight after the Columbia disaster.
BRYANT: Our CNN friend, Lou Dobbs, knows what he`s talking about. Besides hosting his own show, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT," on our sister network, CNN, Dobbs is also the founder of Space.com, which calls itself the first multimedia company devoted to space.
DOBBS: The coverage on the Web is critically important, because it allows a greater detail.
NEIL ARMSTRONG, ASTRONAUT: That`s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
DOBBS: When I go back to the Apollo missions, we have the wonderful footage of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the face of the moon, brought to you by the networks and NASA, of course, but so many gaps in the coverage.
Today`s launch of Discovery, we got to watch the blastoff, taking us back to flight after two and a half years. Then we actually got to see the separation between the external fuel tank and the orbiter. That`s extraordinary. That`s entirely new.
BRYANT: It`s a new era in space exploration, and it looks like it`s now a new era in space coverage.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: And while we`re at it, you can check out the online coverage of the Discovery mission on CNN.com. There`s a lot of info and interactive features about America`s return to space.
HAMMER: Tonight, controversy over Jane Fonda`s latest antiwar stance. Get ready now for a "SHOWBIZ Showdown."
Fonda still can`t shake the nickname "Hanoi Jane." She got it after being photographed sitting on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun used to fire against American pilots during the height of the Vietnam War back in 1972. Just recently, she apologized for what she did back then.
Now Fonda is planning to protest against the war in Iraq. She`s going to drive across the U.S. in a bus powered by vegetable oil. She`s going to make stops with families of Iraq war veterans. She won`t do it until next year, but tonight she once again is an antiwar lightning rod.
Joining us in New York to talk about it on tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showdown," Curtis Sliwa, who`s a talk show host on WABC Radio in New York City. And live in Detroit, Nancy Skinner. She`s the morning radio talk show host from WDTW.
OK, Curtis, I`m going to start with you, and let me just lob this one out at you. Curtis, there are a lot of people out there protesting this war. Why not Jane Fonda? And will the Hanoi Jane history that she has get in the way of what she`s try to do.?
CURTIS SLIWA, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: She gave comfort and solace to the enemy. Her hero was Ho Chi Minh. She wore the black pajamas of the Vietcong, who were killing Americans in the rice paddies of Vietnam. And worse yet, she went to the Hanoi Hilton and give absolution to those torturers who were literally putting our servicemen on the rack. She said, "Oh, no. They have all the amenities at home. The only thing they`re missing is Mom`s cooking."
And now she needs to recreate that, because she`s going through a Sixties flashback. Except it`s a lot different now. There`s no draft. Veterans aren`t coming back saying, "Oh, what a disgrace that is." In fact, they`re reupping.
And more importantly, what`s she going to do to top sitting underneath the akk-akk (ph) gun? Is it she going to put a kafir (ph) around her head, hold an RPG and shoot a Humvee with a facsimile of Marines in it, in order to get across the point that she supports the insurgents instead of the Americans and the coalition forces?
HAMMER: I`m going to collect my thoughts for a moment, Nancy, and let you take a stab at this.
NANCY SKINNER, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Curtis, it`s so good to be back with you again, honey. Hi, Curtis.
How do you start with Curtis? I`ll tell you what. Here`s what`s different this time.
She`s not going to be with the insurgents in Falluja. OK? This time around she`s going to be with veterans in America on a bus trying to forever remove our ties with Mideastern oil. And that`s one thing that we`ve got to remember here.
And you know, what`s the same, thought, as you think about this, when you look back to Vietnam, President Johnson lied to this nation about the war. And the mainstream press reported the official line, and we went to war. Fifty thousand soldiers ended up -- more than 50,000 -- dead in Vietnam.
We`re finding out now that the intelligence was twisted and we may have been lied to, and we`re in a war in the same circumstances. So there are some things the same and some things that are different.
But just today, think about this. The Congress, they passed an energy bill, no conservation, no -- to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. No renewables, no solar, none of that. They suspended the defense bill till December for the gun industry. And Karl Rove, you want to talk about damage done to this country? Karl Rove is doing -- allegedly what he did was far more dangerous to this country than anything Jane Fonda can manage to pull off.
HAMMER: OK. Let`s bring it back to Jane Fonda, Nancy.
And Curtis, I don`t suppose it`s going to help us. I mentioned a moment ago, she`s going to be with the families of veterans of this Iraq war. It does nothing for you, does it?
SLIWA: No, because we`re not talking the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, John Kerry forging outside of the White House, taking their medals, throwing it over the fence. You just don`t see symbols like that involving this one.
And think of it. If you were a veteran of Iraq or Afghanistan, there`s no gin mills to go to. You can`t shake skirts. You can`t even look at the women. Who would want to resign up there? And yet men and women are resigning up to go in heat of 130 degrees. We complain what we`re going through in the Midwest and the East, 100 degrees. A hundred and 30 degrees with no rescue or relief whatsoever. And they`re signing up to go back, so Nancy, what are you talking about?
SKINNER: What are you talking about, signing up? The Army says they`re going to miss their recruiting goals this year. They`ve raised the age limit to 42, just because they know they`re going to be, like, shopping through retirement homes soon. Are you crazy? You think that there`s a big rush of people that want to go over to war...
HAMMER: And Nancy, do you think that Jane will help bring attention to this issue? Do you think Jane will help the cause?
SKINNER: I don`t think she`ll hurt the cause, because 59 percent of Americans now say that they oppose it, that it wasn`t the right thing to do. But I don`t know how much more visibility she can bring to it.
But I know she`s going to be a lightning rod for people like Curtis and others who are going to go all the way back and call her Hanoi Jane. She apologized. She said that was a lapse of judgment, the worst she`s ever had in her life. Can`t you let this woman start again?
And why shouldn`t she speak? Curtis, why -- you`re speaking every day. I`m on here. Why can`t Jane Fonda? Arnold Schwarzenegger is the governor.
HAMMER: Real quickly, the last word, Curtis. Go ahead.
SLIWA: Nancy, a whole -- a whole generation is going to be confused. They remember Jane Fonda: "Oh, that`s right. Calisthenics, isometrics. What are we suppose to do? Buy her book?"
SKINNER: Oh, please.
SLIWA: "Oh, she`s on `Oprah`." Come on. I mean, she`s try to go recapture her past, and in this war it just doesn`t work.
HAMMER: And we`ll agree to disagree. Curtis Sliwa, Nancy Skinner, I thank you both for joining us.
And just to let you know, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did reach out to Jane Fonda to join us tonight, but as of show time she did not get back to us.
Well, you`ve heard both sides, but what do you think? That`s what we`d like to know, and it`s the topic of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Iraq war protests, should Jane Fonda get involved? If you`d like to chime in, go to CNN.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say? Send us an e- mail. SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com is our address. We`ll read some of your thoughts later on in the show.
BRYANT: Tonight, next door to Iraq, Ricky Martin is apologizing for creating some controversy of his own. The pop star was in Jordan for a youth conference on combating Arab stereotypes. At one point he put on a traditional Palestinian scarf with the slogan "Jerusalem is ours" written in Arabic.
Through his record label, Sony BMG, Martin says quote, "I had no idea that the kaffiyeha scarf presented to me contained language referring to Jerusalem."
Israel, of course, claims Jerusalem as its capital; Palestinians say it`s theirs.
HAMMER: A hit TV drama helps to solve a real life mystery and finds two missing kids. You`re going to hear the gripping story, live, from the show`s creator, coming up next.
BRYANT: Plus, they suffered a tragic lost. So is the group that gave us "Waterfall" and "No Scrubs" really looking for a new member? Find out as TLC joins us for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown."
HAMMER: And it has changed the way we look, the way we travel, hang out with friends. Now the iPod is dramatically changing the way the whole music business works and what you listen to. We`re going to talk about it tonight as we continue our "iPod Nation" series.
BRYANT: Now, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." As you may or may not know, "Melrose Place" was actually a spinoff of "Beverly Hills 90210." But which "Melrose" character served as the link between the two shows? Was it A, Jake; B, Amanda; C, Billy or D, Jo? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: One again tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." "Melrose Place" was actually a spinoff of "Beverly Hills 90210." Which "Melrose" character served as the link between the two shows? Was it Jake, Amanda, Billy or Jo? The answer is A, Jake, who was played by Grant Show.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Tonight, a fictional, hit CBS TV show is getting credit for helping solve a real-life kidnapping case. "Without a Trace," which stars Anthony Lapaglia, tells missing person stories and it features a public service announcement at the end of each show asking the public`s help in solving a real-life case.
Well, a viewer watching the PSA last Thursday called police after recognizing 8-year-old Nicholas Antonio Candela. Nicholas and his 7-year- old sister, Gianna, were found in Tuckahoe, New York, yesterday. The children`s mother had them. She is accused of kidnapping her kids from their custodial father in Oklahoma nearly two years ago. Tonight, the kids are reunited with their dad.
And joining us live in Hollywood right now, Hank Steinberg, who created "Without a Trace." He`s also the show`s executive producer.
Thanks for joining us, Hank.
HANK STEINBERG, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "WITHOUT A TRACE": Absolutely, glad to be here.
HAMMER: So how did you find out this case was cracked, and what was your reaction?
STEINBERG: I was in the middle of a writers` meeting. And one of the other writers came in and said, "Did you hear?"
and I said no.
And he said, you know, "We found somebody. One of our PSA`s came through, and somebody called in a tip and these two missing kids were found." And I was thrilled.
HAMMER: You must have been overwhelmed. Did you share the news with the cast immediately?
STEINBERG: We did. We called all the cast members, and everybody was very excited. You know, it`s a custodial kidnapping, so you know, those are always complicated when it`s between two parents. But from everything that I understand, it seems like the kids are in the right place. And whatever it is, they`re going to get it all worked out and they`re going to get it worked out legally. so we`re thrilled about that.
HAMMER: Sure. Good news for sure when kids are reunited with their parents or the people that they`re supposed to be with.
The public service announcement at the end of the show seems like a perfect fit. Where did that idea come from?
STEINBERG: It actually originated in the first season. One of the other executive producers, Ed Redwick (ph), came to me and said, "What do you think about doing this?"
And I said, "Great."
So we called the network and said, "Can you give us 15 seconds at some point in the show to do this?" And CBS was right on board all the way, as was Warner Brothers television. And we`ve been running them every episode since the beginning. And we`ve been waiting, hoping at one time this would come through, and episodes later, all the reruns and, you know, it finally happened. So it`s...
HAMMER: Quick overview of "Without a Trace" for those who may not be familiar with your show?
STEINBERG: It`s a show about an FBI unit that searches for missing people. And it gets into the complex psychology of why they went missing, and the forensics and the evidence, and you know, they try to save them every week. And this is amazingly gratifying, given the fact it`s a real- life case and we had something to do with solving it.
HAMMER: So glad you were able to join us and share the story with us. Hank Steinberg, appreciate it.
The new season of "Without a Trace" will premiere on September 22.
BRYANT: Time now for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown." Tonight, T-Boz and Chilli from the five time Grammy ward wining group, TLC. They hit it big in the `90s with hits like "Waterfall" and "Creep," selling more than 33 million albums.
A tragic accident took the life of band mate Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez three years ago. But now T-Boz and Chilli are looking to continue the legacy of TLC by giving fans the opportunity to audition for their group. You can follow them through the audition process in their upcoming reality show, "Are You the Girl?"
T-Boz and Chilli join me now here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Ladies, thanks for coming.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
BRYANT: It`s good to see you here. First and foremost, can you set the record straight? Are you in fact looking for a third member of the group permanently, or someone to perform with you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not at all. Not at all. This is not about a replacement, never, never that.
BRYANT: OK. So what is it, then, that the people will be auditioning and basically competing for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s giving a special girl, a chance, an opportunity to sing on -- sing a rap, rather on one of our singles that`s going to be on our greatest hits and perform that single with us.
BRYANT: Sing or rap? So that`s cool. You`re kind of opening it up there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sing or rap. Whatever we come up with. But the song`s already done. I say rap maybe. Maybe we`ll sing a little.
BRYANT: And what was it, though, that made you decide to keep going as a group? Because in light of such a tragic accident, people would completely understand if you just wanted to say, "We`re done with TLC."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, fans come up to us all the time and say, "You guys can`t be done yet. We miss you guys. We want to hear some more TLC music." And you know, that means a lot to us. And we want to continue to do that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s still in our hearts, we`re not done yet, you know? And we`re not adding someone to TLC. TLC is T-Boz, Left Eye and Chilli. We`re just -- it`s almost like a guest appearance.
BRYANT: OK. And that must have been difficult, though, to keep working right after. Did you take some down time? Did you just go right back in and finish? What happened. Because you were in the middle of recording, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we were. And we were almost forced to go back and record, you know, that last CD, because after she passed away, the record company wanted to put out our greatest hits at the time. And it wasn`t time yet. We`re like, "No, that`s crazy."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We weren`t finished what we started together and put the album out. We had to do that. You know?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And if we had our way, we would have had time to grieve, you know, really without having to go through that in front of the whole world and that album would have come out a lot later.
BRYANT: So why do a reality show search? I don`t know if you`ve seen the INXS show, "Rock Star," where they`re looking for someone to perform with them, you know, after...
Yes, right. It`s a little bit different. But what leads you to decide to go the route of a reality show for this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, we were approached. We were like, "Hmm." But we had to make it clear that we did not want to replace Lisa. And once that was clear, we went, "OK, we`re ready. Let`s have fun." And I mean, the thing about the show is it`s fun, energetic. You see a lot of our personalities. No judges, just us.
BRYANT: We`ve been talking all this week about iPods. And obviously, people would imagine that you two, as musicians, would probably have crazy music on your iPods. You`re loaded up. Are you into the digital music? Do you have the iPods?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is, I`m not. I`m a cave woman.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I live with mine every day. She is ridiculous. She`s not into TiVo or iPods or anything. But I live with my iPod every day. I got it for my birthday.
BRYANT: So what are you listening to then?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got a little TT`s play lift. We have everything. I`m taking it back to Marvin Gaye and you come in there. I have everything. Every -- I have 8,000 songs.
BRYANT: Anything anybody would be surprised by? Are you al of a sudden into Metallica, that nobody would expect?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, maybe Kurt Cobain or something, the old Nirvana.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said The Gorillas.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, The Gorillas.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because my son just asked me to buy that CD the other day, and I was listening to it and this one song in particular. I`m like, that`s jamming.
BRYANT: Well, thanks for joining us here, T-Boz and Chilli.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you kicking us off?
BRYANT: We`re not kicking you off. It`s time to go. We`ve got to let you know that the show is premiering. It`s called "Are You the Girl?" It premieres tomorrow night on UPN. You can hang if you want, but...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, we`re bonding. We`re having girl talk.
BRYANT: I know, I`m saying, you know? Thanks for joining us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
HAMMER: Up next the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT guide to new DVDs.
BRYANT: Also the iPod is dramatically changing everything you thought you knew about music. Our "iPod Nation" series continues.
HAMMER: And 50 Cent, he survived the dangerous streets to rise to the top of the rap charts. We`ve got a story and a special report coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: It is time now for the "SHOWBIZ Guide," where throughout the week, we help you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, DVDs and more. Tonight, we`re focusing on new releases on DVD.
On sale today, the second season of a beloved TV classic, the "Upside" of owning a Joan Allen flick, and one lovable "Jerk" 26 years later.
Joining us live with her thoughts is Nicki Gostin from "Newsweek" magazine.
Nicki, I`m going to get right to it. "The Jerk," the Steve Martin movie, literally one of my top three movies of all time. The man is brilliant. This movie is brilliant. Why should I buy the DVD? Of course, I`m getting it. Why should I get it?
NICKI GOSTIN, "NEWSWEEK": Because like you said, it is a great classic, sort of dumb movie.
BRYANT: It`s dumb?
GOSTIN: Smart dumb. And it`s the 26th anniversary, which is sort of great, as well. It`s not the 25th anniversary. And it`s just a wonderful Steve Martin movie. It`s his first movie, and it`s just great.
BRYANT: It really made him a star. And not only I, but the American Film Institute says this is one of the funniest movies of all time, as well.
GOSTIN: Totally is. I mean, the extras aren`t great. There`s no interviews with Carl Reiner or the director or Steve Martin, which is sort of weird. But still, it`s just a great movie.
BRYANT: So brilliant. It`s so funny.
OK. Well, let`s move on to "The Upside of Anger." This is Joan Allen and Kevin Costner. It did OK at the theaters. But why should I buy the DVD?
GOSTIN: Because it`s the type of movie, it`s like a small movie. So that if you didn`t see it in the movie theater, you wouldn`t be seeing anything, but you can enjoy it at home. It`s just a small movie and John Allen is fabulous, and Kevin Costner is actually really good in it. So there`s some great acting. And it`s the type of movie where you`re not going to be disappointed to watch at home.
BRYANT: She`s fantastic. And also especially beloved to those of us in the news industry, is "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." This is the second season, 24 episodes?
GOSTIN: Right.
BRYANT: Tell me about this, because this is your favorite one this week.
GOSTIN: I mean, talk about a classic sitcom. They just don`t make sitcoms like this any more. It`s just a great, great sitcom. And there`s a million extras on it. There`s a clip from the Emmys from 1972, (UNINTELLIGIBLE). There`s a karaoki version of the theme song. There`s commentary on three of the episodes with Ed Asner on one of them and Gavin McLeod on another one. And you`ve got Mary. You can`t beat that.
BRYANT: And you`ve got Mary. All right. Well, thank you very much for joining us, Nicki Gostin from "Newsweek."
GOSTIN: Thank you very much.
BRYANT: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, if you are a fan of "Star Wars," we know when the new movie is coming out on DVD. And that`s coming up.
BRYANT: Plus Rolling Stones fans, mark down September on your calendars, because Jagger and company have a big announcement.
HAMMER: And of course, you can get the Rolling Stones on your iPod, and of course, you can get a whole lot more. We`re going to talk about how the iPod is making the music business play along. There`s a lot to talk about, part of our special series, "iPod Nation," which is coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues in one minute. Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts with your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
NASA is studying videotape that shows a piece of tile falling off the shuttle`s belly during this morning`s launch. By Sunday, engineers should know whether Discovery can safely land August the 7th.
The Boy Scout Jamboree reopens tomorrow with a memorial service for four scout leaders killed in a freak accident. They were electrocuted apparently after losing control of a giant tent pole that fell against a power line. President Bush will travel to Bowling Green, Virginia, to address the scouts tomorrow.
After receiving new information, Aruban investigators searching for missing Alabama teen Natalee Holloway tell CNN they will bring (INAUDIBLE) near a beach where two brothers say they dropped off Holloway and suspect Joran Van Der Sloot.
And the man accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart from her Salt Lake City home has been found incompetent to stand trial. The judge has ordered Brian David Mitchell into a state hospital for mental and health treatment.
That is the news for now. Thanks very much for joining us. We take you back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, welcome back to "iPod Nation." Our series continues as we look at how iPods have changed the music biz.
BRYANT: Plus, from his mug shot days to a multimillion-dollar empire, life is all about change for 50 Cent. Tonight, an in-depth look at how he got rich, but almost died trying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
50 CENT, MUSICIAN: Hey, what`s up, y`all? I`m 50 Cent. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s only live entertainment news show. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. Here are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
BRYANT: A father who hadn`t seen his children for almost two years says a tip from a "Without a Trace" viewer reunited him with his children. A missing child profile aired after an episode of the show. And the tip led police to New York State, where the children were found safe with their mother. That mother is accused of taking the kids on the day she lost custody to their father, back in October 2003.
HAMMER: Ricky Martin has apologized for wearing a scarf with the slogan "Jerusalem is Ours," written in Arabic. He put on the traditional Palestinian scarf while on a humanitarian trip in Jordan yesterday. He says he didn`t know what the message said.
BRYANT: Jane Fonda is planning a cross-country bus tour next year to protest the war in Iraq. Fonda says she has a lot of baggage from the controversy in 1972 when she posed for a picture on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. But she says some veterans encouraged her to join the opposition to the Iraq war.
HAMMER: And that leads us to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Iraq war protests: Should Jane Fonda get involved? You can keeping voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight. If you`ve got more to say, write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of your e-mails at 54 past the hour.
BRYANT: Time now for the "Show`s Biz."
The Rolling Stones are starting things up again. Their tour kicks off next month, and today we learned that the new album, called "A Bigger Bang," will come out September 6th. It will include 16 new tracks. It`s the first album of new material in eight years.
The year-long world tour starts in Boston August 21st. And one other nugget of Stones trivia: Mick Jagger turned 62 today. Happy birthday, Mick.
HAMMER: Well, from the biggest stars in the world to John Q. Public, there is one thing that has become a national obsession, that little music player that is turning us into an "iPod Nation." Tonight, in our special series, as it continues, we`re going to reveal how the iPod has not only changed the way we listen to music, but the music industry, as well.
And joining me live to discuss, Brian Garrity. He`s the senior business writer for "Billboard." "Rolling Stone" magazine`s senior editor Joe Levy is here with us. And Sarah Lewitinn, who is a former editor with "Spin" magazine, also the author of "The Pocket DJ: A Guide to Building the Best Music Library."
All right, Brian, I`m hearing from a lot people they are suddenly passionate about music again. It had gone away from their life for a while. And now they`re back into it. How has the iPod rekindled people`s love of music?
BRIAN GARRITY, SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER, "BILLBOARD": Well, it allows the consumer to basically be their own radio station. They can basically, you know, walk around with their entire CD collection in their pocket. So it just enables massive amounts of exploration and new interaction with music.
HAMMER: Joe, other ways you`re seeing it reinvigorate?
JOE LEVY, "ROLLING STONE": Well, I mean, it`s a sexy device. I mean, it`s been a long time since there`s been anything that came along that felt cool about getting records or getting songs. CD players didn`t feel anymore.
This is a sexy device. And it`s like a ray gun. It dematerializes CDs. They disappear into this tiny little box. That`s just cool.
HAMMER: And it`s really affected the way we shop for music and browse for music. And one of the terrific things that it`s done is allow people to explore other genres of music. As opposed to, if you can get your butt off the couch to go a CD store, where you would go to maybe one section, the rock section or the pop section, now through iTunes or other music stores, people are exploring different genres.
How is that impacting the music industry?
LEVY: Well, I`m not sure that`s impacting the music industry. You`re beginning to see little glimmers of cross-genre collaborations. They might have been there anyway. They might be iTunes related. When you see John Mayer pop up on a Kanye West record, you know, look here`s a white guy whose a crooner, kind of a mellow dude, popping up on a hot hip-hop record.
And you`re going to see maybe some more collaborations like that. I mean, the iPod makes it easier. It makes it maybe easier for Kanye West to listen to things he wouldn`t listen to before. I don`t know.
HAMMER: Well, Sarah, you`re riding about it in a book. What`s your take on how it`s rekindled people`s spirit towards music?
SARAH LEWITINN, AUTHOR, "THE POCKET DJ": Well, I think, above all, to add to what they said, I think it makes music listening a lot more convenient. So with like commuters, it made music more accessible.
It`s right at their fingertips. They don`t have to worry about, are they bringing the right CDs for the trip? Are they going to be listening to the right music? It`s all right there in this tiny little device. And it revolutionized the way people listen to music, and made it a lot easier.
HAMMER: And revolutionizing the music business in one particular way: The single is back. I was always -- I had thousands of singles in my collection at home. When the CDs came along, the CD singles not so popular. And just a few years, a lot of singles were not being sold. Suddenly, people are buying songs, song for song. You don`t have to buy the whole album.
How`s that affecting the business?
LEWITINN: Well, it makes people -- it makes record labels question how they`re approaching bands. Do they want to sign career artists or do they want to sign artists that will have 12 singles per album, because that means more songs will be sold by that artist on things like iTunes and Rhapsody?
So when you`re signing a band, how much do you want to sign them for? Is it going to be lucrative? Is it going to make sense to do it that way? And so that`s the way it`s changed a lot of the way people sign bands.
HAMMER: And the music industry is finally embracing the technology. Years ago, of course, when the VCR first came out, the movie industry freaked out, didn`t want it to happen. And then they realized, "Oh, we can make some money here." And they embraced the technology. Basically, the same thing is happening here with downloadable music, isn`t it?
GARRITY: Yes, absolutely. I mean, it`s a case of, "If you can`t beat them, join them." And that`s really been a motivating factor for the recording industry, especially in recent years where CD sales have been down. This has, you know, emerged as a great way to make up some of that loss.
LEVY: Although it only makes up some of that loss. You know, these songs sell on iTunes for 99 cents. The record labels are not making a tremendous amount of money off these sales. ITunes is a great way of selling iPods, but it hasn`t saved the revenues of the music industry yet.
HAMMER: Even when you`re selling in bulk? You know, there was a figure recently where iTunes reached their 500 millionth single sold. So even at 99 cents a pop, volume, volume, volume.
LEVY: Yes, volume, volume, volume, and a couple of pennies going to the record industry or to artists along the way. I mean, the record industry was much happier when they were selling 500,000, a million things at $20 a pop than 500 million songs at 99 cents a pop.
I can`t do the math. It`s two complicated for me. But I`m pretty sure, when you`re moving that unit at $20 a shot, it`s better overall.
HAMMER: Real quickly, Sarah, how is the industry going to continue to change with the technology?
LEWITINN: I think they`re going to focus their energies more on different methods of marketing their artist. And the music industry is going to focus more on getting that music to the people faster, perhaps not even releasing full albums, but having artists sign deals where they`re just...
HAMMER: Signing for songs.
LEWITINN: Yes, signing for songs, exactly.
HAMMER: Sarah Lewitinn, Joe Levy, Brian Garrity, thank you for joining us in the "iPod Nation" this week.
Now, coming up in our "iPod Nation" series tomorrow, we`re going to take a look at some iPod alternatives. There are other portable music players out there. We`re going to tell you what they are.
On Thursday, we`re going to take a look at what`s next for the iPod.
HAMMER: One more iPod alternative is already in the works. XM Satellite Radio and Samsung are making portable digital players that play MP3 audio files and XM programming. The gadgets will come with docking stations that store XM satellite broadcasts on the players. You`ll also be able to transfer digital music files from your computer.
The players should be available by the end of next year. No word yet on what they`ll be called or how much they`ll cost.
HAMMER: 50 Cent`s long road from dodging bullets to making millions. That`s coming up next in a revealing special report.
BRYANT: Plus, "Star Wars" fans, we`ve got three little letters for you: DVD. We`re going to tell you when to expect "The Revenge of the Sith" DVD and what the extras are. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, Lance Armstrong, you`ve just won your seventh Tour de France. What are you going to do now? Jimmy Kimmel has some advice for Lance`s retirement. It`s coming up in "Laughter Dark."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant.
Tonight, "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" and one of the most successful rappers in the world who goes by the name of 50 Cent. But he is not just a story about rap. It is about a young man who broke free from his life as a drug dealer to build what is now a multimillion-dollar empire.
Here is CNN`s Tony Harris for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nowadays, even on mainstream and pop airwaves, rap rules. One of the undisputed rulers of the kingdom is 50 Cent, topping the charts with songs like "In Da Club."
MIMI VALDES, EDITOR, "VIBE" MAGAZINE: 50 Cent has very much a typical gangster rapper image. He`s hard. You know, he has an attitude. You know, there`s no sort of sugar-coating his message of, you know, what he wants to do, in terms of having that success. Any means necessary to get it.
HARRIS: His racy and violent lyrics push the balance of good taste, but with upwards of 15 million albums sold, he is proving that he knows what fans want.
50 CENT, MUSICIAN: I`m trying to be as sexy as I could possibly be without being obscene or disrespectful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This guy has incredible credibility and staying power in not only -- forget about rap community, just the music community. I mean, he would not be this popular if you also didn`t have a whole bunch of white kids in suburban areas buying this record and thinking this guy is the coolest guy in the world.
HARRIS: Coolest guy in the world? Maybe. But there was a time not so long ago when record labels wanted nothing to do with him.
In 1999, the rapper had signed a deal with Columbia Records. But demons from his former life as a drug dealer caught up with him in a blaze of gun fire outside his grandmother`s house in New York. Shot a staggering nine times, he was rushed to the hospital. 50 Cents later dramatized the event in one of his music videos, but it nearly ended his life and his music career.
When Columbia Records heard what happened to its newest artist, the label dropped him immediately.
50 CENT: When I got shot, I was scared to death, man, because they heard all the things that I said on the records, and then people begin to confirm it. And then they`re like, "Wow, OK, we`re not going to deal with this," you know? It`s easier to just walk away from it.
HARRIS: The 24-year-old hadn`t even gotten the chance to release a record, and he saw his dreams disappearing before his eyes.
50 CENT: I remember being confused, like, what am I going do with my life? Like, what am I going to do, period? And that was the most painful portion of that situation.
If I couldn`t make music, I was going to be back in the street. So that`s the only other thing I know how to provide for myself, outside of that. I never filled out a job application in my life.
HARRIS: After weighing his meager options, 50 Cent decided not to give up on the music business. Only this time, he would have to go a nontraditional route, releasing his songs directly on the inner city streets, through mix tapes, cassettes and DVDs produced by local deejays.
Eminem, himself a rapper known for bold, controversial lyrics, held the underground songs and introduced the novice to legendary producer Dr. Dre. The two of them went on to produce 50 Cent`s debut, "Get Rich or Die Trying."
The record was a smash hit, with anthems like "In Da Club" and "P.I.M.P.," it skyrocketed to number one in its first week on the charts and went on to sell more than 11 million copies. 50 Cent felt vindicated.
VALDES: He recognized that there was an appeal in just being true to who he was, because there`s so many kids out there who have gone through the same thing, who have gone through the same struggles. And I think, for him, he just sort of saw that there was sort of an opening there, a niche for someone just to come out and be so unapologetic about his background, that I think that`s the reason why he`s so successful.
HARRIS: And like most modern-day superstars, the man became a brand, one that would translate into millions of dollars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he`s one of the best marketing people to ever -- like since Madonna. I think he`s one of the greatest marketing people that ever hit the record business.
HARRIS: In 2004, the unlikely corporate pitchman made $20 million just from sales of his G-Unit sneaker line with Reebok. He also started a popular clothing line and a record label that has turned several of his long-time friends into fellow platinum-selling artists.
50 CENT: I made more money outside of music than I do off of my actual music. You know, and that`s because I take advantage of the opportunities that are opening up for me. And I`m moving forward at a pace that they haven`t seen.
HARRIS: 50 Cent`s success didn`t just bring cash. It also brought conflict that sometimes spilled over from the air waves on to the streets. He detailed his fight with another platinum rapper, Ja Rule, in the song "Wanksta".
VALDES: What happens when you come from nothing, the only thing you have is your respect. That`s sort of, you know, what you live and stand by. And anytime someone questions that, whether they criticize your music, or criticize your, you know, way of life or your dress, it becomes this sort of battle, so to speak, where people feel they have to defend themselves.
HARRIS: Earlier this year, right before the release of 50 Cent`s sophomore album, "The Massacre," he got into another public spat with his newest rap protege, The Game. The war of words culminated in shots being fired outside a popular New York radio station.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right after this whole incident, and the flying bullets, and all the, you know, all the trash talking, one album sold like over a million units. So you have to wonder, and a lot of people do, was this all a ploy? Was it all fake?
HARRIS: Publicity ploy or not, "The Massacre" went straight to number one and broke a Soundscan record by selling one million-plus copies in its first four days. Despite his overwhelming success on and off the charts, 50 Cent promises not to turn his back on what enabled him to go from selling drugs to selling his own multimillion-dollar brand.
50 CENT: Music is definitely my priority. Because without the music, I wouldn`t be able to do any of the other things. I wouldn`t generate that interest that allows me to do business with RBK. I wouldn`t be able to do gym clothing, I wouldn`t be able to (INAUDIBLE) vitamin or anything, watched.
I got G-Unit drawers on right now. That`s serious. It`s that serious right now for me. And I don`t want to try to sell anything that isn`t the best possible product. And I can vouch, these drawers feel good.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: That was CNN`s Tony Harris reporting for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" airs Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN. And you can pick up a copy of "People" magazine on newsstands now.
HAMMER: It`s time now for more of the "Show`s Biz." If you`re a "Star Wars" fan, you`re going to want to mark your calendar. "Revenge of the Sith" is coming out on DVD this fall.
The two-disc "Revenge of the Sith" DVD is going to come out on November 1st. And it`s going to include a new full-length documentary. It`ll have two new featurettes, including an in-depth look at the movie`s stunts and a 15-part collection of LucasFilm`s web documentaries.
The release of "Revenge of the Sith" November 1st is going to be the very first time the fans can own every single one of all six episodes of the entire "Star Wars" saga. And that same day, a new "Star Wars" videogame will also be on shelves. It`s called "Star Wars Battlefront II."
BRYANT: It is time to get your laugh on in "Laughter Dark." As we do every night, we bring you the late-night laughs you may have missed.
On "Jimmy Kimmel Live," we got some new ideas about how Lance Armstrong might spend his new free time. This is compliments of our own Headline News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": He won his seventh and he says final Tour de France. Not only did he win it, he once again obliterated the competition.
His plan now is to retire from racing and focus on, I guess, becoming the most successful delivery boy in Chinese food history.
(LAUGHTER)
On the news today, they asked people what they think Lance will do now that he`s retired, as if they know. But here are their answers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His army of fans all around the world will now wonder what the next chapter in an incredible life will hold.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can definitely see Lance Armstrong going into charity work, because he`s a big inspiration for the American public.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s announcing his retirement is because he wants to spend more time with his children.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t care what he does, as long as he keeps wearing those tight shorts.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Tonight on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Terrence Howard, an actor getting a lot -- a lot -- of positive reviews for his film, "Hustle and Flow."
Still some time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Iraq war protest: Should Jane Fonda get involved?
Vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. Write to us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. Your e-mails live, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, where, throughout the show, we have been asking you to vote online of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day, which is: Iraq war protests: Should Jane Fonda get involved?
Here`s how the vote`s been going so far. Well, only 17 percent of you say yes, she should get involved; 83 percent of you say no, she should not.
Among the e-mails we`ve received on the topic, one from Victoria in Oklahoma who writes, "Fonda did enough damage during Vietnam. She is just using this as a way to get back in the Hollywood limelight again."
Also, from Dwayne in New Jersey who writes, "Jane Fonda is an American citizen and a registered voter. That gives her the right to say what she wants."
You can keep voting by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight.
BRYANT: It is time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
HAMMER: Good, because we get to look at the "Showbiz Marquee," with the Marquee Guy.
Take it away.
MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, all is fair in war and TV. Behind the scenes of Stephen Bochco`s controversial new series about the ongoing war in Iraq. That`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, more on the iPod nation. If you haven`t joined the iPod people, there are plenty of other gadgets that let you take your music with you, besides the iPod. IPod alternatives, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
This is the Marquee Guy. And I`m a little behind the times. A.J. and Karyn, can you show me how to download music onto my 8-track tapes, please?
HAMMER: Actually, I can. And we may have to work that into the segment, because I know how you can do that. You can put records -- you can actually transfer vinyl. It`s possible.
BRYANT: Sweet.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I am A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody, I`m Thomas Roberts. And it`s time for your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
After a two-and-a-half year hiatus, America has a space shuttle back in orbit. But NASA isn`t taking any chances. The space agency will be studying photos of this morning`s launch to make sure the Discovery wasn`t hit by any debris during liftoff. That`s what led to the deadly Columbia disaster in 2003.
As America struggles through a blistering heat wave, health officials from Missouri to New Jersey and into the deep south are investigating more than 40 deaths believed to have been heat-related. The National Weather Service posting warnings now and advisories across the country. Power usage is hitting records, as you can imagine.
And the Republican-controlled Senate has put off a multi-billion dollar defense bill to act on the National Rifle Association`s top priority. The bill would shield gun manufacturers and dealers from being sued over gun crimes. A test vote today indicated plenty of support to pass the bill before the week`s end.
That is the news for now. Thanks so much for joining us. I`m Thomas Roberts.
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