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Showbiz Tonight

Showbiz Tonight for August 2, 2005, CNNHN

Aired August 02, 2005 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: I`m Karyn Bryant.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Jennifer Aniston speaks out for the first time since her split with Brad Pitt. Tonight what she has to say about Angelina, having children, and how she feels about Brad today.

BRYANT (voice-over): Attention for "Starved." A dark new sitcom about eating disorders is already being chewed out about being inappropriate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ate chocolate cake out of a trash can this morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you were a dog, I`d kick you in the face.

BRYANT: Tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showdown," are eating disorders too taboo for TV comedy?

ALAN FUNT, HOST, "CANDID CAMERA": Hello, there. I`m Alan Funt.

HAMMER: It`s the original reality show.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Smile. You`re on Candid Camera.

HAMMER: Our special series, "Summer Reality Check" continues tonight. Alan Funt`s son joins us live with news about "Candid Camera."

RANDY JACKSON, JUDGE, "AMERICAN IDOL": Yo, this is Randy Jackson. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, baby.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant.

Tonight Jennifer Aniston is silent no more. In an emotional and powerful interview, the former "Friends" star is opening up for the very first time about the end of her marriage to Brad Pitt.

HAMMER: And you`ll be very surprised at just how candid Aniston is about Pitt and his relationship with Angelina Jolie. The very latest now from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson, who`s live in Hollywood -- Brooke.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A.J., Karyn, Aniston`s comments appear in the September issue of "Vanity Fair" magazine, which comes out next week. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got an early look at the article and what at Aniston has to say about the breakup that still has Hollywood in shock.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON (voice-over): It`s the biggest question surrounding the biggest celebrity breakup in recent memory. Does Jennifer Aniston think her soon to be former husband, Brad Pitt, cheated on her with his "Mr. And Mrs. Smith" co-star Angelina Jolie?

LESLIE BENNETTS, "VANITY FAIR": She said to me, in the end, I don`t know. I`ll never know. But I choose to believe my husband.

ANDERSON: Leslie Bennetts of "Vanity Fair" magazine hit "The Today Show" this morning to talk about her hard hitting and emotional conversation with Jennifer Aniston. It`s Aniston`s first interview since her split with Brad Pitt.

KATIE COURIC, CO-HOST, "THE TODAY SHOW": How is she doing?

BENNETTS: I was thinking about yesterday, how I would describe her. If I had to use only two words to describe how she is now, I think she`s still sad.

ANDERSON: Aniston admitted as much in the "Vanity Fair" interview. She says, quote, "Am I lonely? Yes. Am I upset? Yes. Do I have my days when I`ve thrown a little pity party for myself? Absolutely."

So why is Aniston speaking up now, more than six months after her very public separation?

BENNETTS: Jennifer has conducted herself with enormous restraint in the last few months, despite constant provocations from the tabloids and to a certain extent from the way that her husband has conducted himself. And I think, finally, it may have been time for her to say what she really feels and set the record straight.

ANDERSON: And set the record straight, Aniston does. In the "Vanity Fair" article, she says she was aware of Pitt`s attraction to Jolie while the two were filming "Mr. And Mrs. Smith."

BENNETTS: At the very least, there was clearly emotional infidelity, that Jennifer said to me, you know, from the moment Brad started filming "Mr. And Mrs. Smith," he was gone. He was just not there for when "Friends" ended. She needed a lot of emotional support. It was the end of a 10-year family, you know, and job and community for her.

COURIC: And he didn`t come to the last taping.

BENNETTS: He didn`t even come for the last taping. He was just gone. It was like, "I`m working."

ANDERSON: Though she isn`t happy with some things he`s done since the breakup, she says, "I love Brad. I really love him. I will love him for the rest of my life. He really is a fantastic man."

Aniston also talks about Pitt and Jolie`s photo spread in "W" magazine in which the two pose as a 1960s married couple. Clearly hurt, Aniston tells "Vanity Fair," "There`s a sensitivity chip that`s missing from Pitt. Is it odd timing? Yes, but it`s not my life. He makes his choices. He can do whatever. We`re soon to be divorced, and you can see why."

BENNETTS: It was not the most considerate thing for Brad to be putting all of that out when she was trying to deal with the end of a marriage that, you know, she was committed to, and clearly in some ways he wasn`t.

ANDERSON: Aniston`s openness about the pain of her separation is already winning her sympathy, as we saw on "The View" this morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just love her. And I just feel so bad for her and all she`s been through.

ANDERSON: But don`t feel too bad for Aniston: she has four movies coming out, and Bennetts from "Vanity Fair" feels that Aniston will be just fine.

BENNETTS: She`s got an awful lot to look forward to. And she knows that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BENNETTS: In that "Vanity Fair" interview, Aniston also tries to knock down several rumors. She angrily denies that she and Pitt split up because she didn`t want children. On the contrary, she says she planned to be pregnant with Pitt`s child this year.

And she says she is not dating actor Vince Vaughn, with whom she`s starring in an upcoming movie, ironically titled "The Breakup."

Karyn, back to you.

BRYANT: Thank you very much. Brooke Anderson, live in Hollywood.

HAMMER: Well, tonight the TV comedy that not everyone is laughing about. And here`s why.

It`s a sitcom about people with eating disorders. The show, called "Starved," will debut this Thursday on FX. The National Eating Disorders Association is calling for a boycott of the show.

But Eric Schaeffer, who`s the star and creator of "Starved," says humor, for a lot of people, is a huge part of their recovery.

Lynn Grefe, the CEO of National Eating Disorders Association, joins us live here in New York to talk about the show.

Lynn, you had a chance to actually see the episode of "Starved." What is at issue for your organization?

LYNN GREFE, CEO OF NEDA: It`s terrible. We had that opportunity. FX certainly was very cooperative, and we -- I viewed the show with two parents of children with eating disorders and also a physician who treats eating disorders professionally on a regular basis. And truthfully, we`re just all appalled.

Eating disorders are mental illnesses. These are not lifestyle choices. They`re serious illnesses. We have about 10 million women and one million men that suffer from anorexia or bulimia. Another 25 million people suffering from binge eating disorder.

So it was very scary for us to see this, to see that there`s a comedy made about a potentially life threatening illness.

HAMMER: So you feel that it`s actually glamorizing these disorders and these addictions that people have?

GREFE: It absolutely ridicules people with eating disorders. It treats it as though it`s a choice, that people are just doing this. And one of our biggest fears is that it would create a cult.

I know that you all have covered pro-anorexic web sites, and now this show, we believe, will have a following of people who will say, "Well, I`m OK. I really don`t need treatment." Meanwhile, I`m eating every day.

People who have lost their children to these life-threatening illnesses, people who are missing pieces of their stomach, osteoporosis at young ages, losing their teeth, their hair. The health consequences for people with serious eating disorders just aren`t funny.

HAMMER: Well, this is, after all, a sitcom. So they are out there to be funny. Eric Schaeffer, who`s the creator and star of the show, has also been battling an eating disorder himself for the last 25 years. So would you not say he`s qualified and even entitled to do a show like this?

GREFE: I really can`t say that he`s qualified. I don`t know about Eric Schaeffer and his particular situation. He may be obsessed with food. But if, in fact, he`s been dealing with this for 25 years, I don`t know if he`s going to treatment. I hope he`ll get on our web site and perhaps look.

I`d also invite him to come to our conference in Denver this year, because families from all over the country are coming seeking help. Health insurance isn`t even available to people that have eating disorders. So it`s painful, and it`s painful to see this as something humorous, and there`s nothing humorous about it.

HAMMER: Eric Schaeffer popping up on the screen, stuck in a bit of traffic here in New York City. Thanks for joining us.

ERIC SCHAEFFER, CREATOR, "STARVED": Unbelievable. It`s amazing. I just pulled the scene out of "Broadcast News." It was great.

HAMMER: Well, I don`t know if you had an opportunity to hear what Lynn had to say about your program. But basically, you know her stance and what her organization has to say about it.

One thing that you had said to us, which I mentioned earlier, Eric, is that some people find humor -- or find humor is useful in getting through their disorders.

SCHAEFFER: Yes. In my experience -- and I`ve been recovering from alcohol and drug addiction for 22 years and from eating disorders for 22 years. Unfortunately, my recovery from eating disorders is a lot more challenging, because drugs and alcohol, you can just completely take the agent of your addiction out of your life. Whereas in food, you have to eat to survive. So it`s a much more challenging and slippery slope, recovering from food addiction.

And I can tell you that, in my experience in all recovery, humor is an essential antidote. And it`s not about making light or making fun of a tremendously challenging and awful disease. It`s about understanding that there`s a humanity to our lives, and in our humanity we have tragedy. We have humor. We have pathos. We have underbellies. It`s messy. It`s fantastic. It`s everything.

And so, to be honest with you, my show is about a lot of stuff. It`s about -- it`s about challenges with sexual overacting out, and it`s a show about alcoholism. It`s a show about infidelity. It`s a show about people just muddling in this world trying to do the best they can.

HAMMER: Well, Eric, I`m going to give you a chance to catch your breath. Lynn, you`re shaking your head. Go ahead and respond.

GREFE: I`m just sorry, Eric. Please come to our conference in Denver September 9 and 10. If you`re struggling after 22 years, there is help. Treatment is available.

But the danger and what happens to people`s bodies, the organs just -- they die. And people die. And it`s sad. And the numbers are staggering. And to make light of that -- we`ve had so many calls prior to this show, and families that are just appalled. They said, "How can they do this?" Would we have a show about Alzheimer`s? A comedy about Alzheimer`s? Or many of the other life-threatening illnesses?

HAMMER: Go ahead, Eric.

SCHAEFFER: See, here`s the thing. Have you seen the show?

GREFE: I have.

SCHAEFFER: OK. And what was your problem with it?

GREFE: Oh, many problems. I liked the opening scene with the music. I like the music.

HAMMER: One of the points, Eric, just to bring you back for what you may have missed, is her organization does feel that addictions and eating disorders are being glamorized by your show.

SCHAEFFER: OK. It`s a bombastic and ridiculous statement. My show is about four people who are in an eating recovery group on the show. Each of us have tremendous angst and shame and heartache about our eating disorders on the show. In no way are we excited about our eating disorders on the show. In no way is it a lifestyle choice that we`re excited about continuing. We`re trying to recover. And on my show, it offers a hope. It offers a humanity. It offers reality.

And I would say to you, you know, why is it Overeaters Anonymous talking to us right now? I`ll tell you why. Because as part of their tradition, they don`t get involved in outside issues, because they believe expending their energy in helping their membership recover. So I would ask you really why you`re on this program. What are you trying to do?

HAMMER: Ten seconds for your final word, Lynn.

GREFE: Eating disorders are mental illnesses. They are not lifestyle choices. And the behavior of the characters are not even realistic.

HAMMER: I would say, Eric, I`m sorry you were late. We`re going to have to wrap it up there.

SCHAEFFER: Thanks for having me.

HAMMER: We`re glad you`re able to make it.

SCHAEFFER: Yes. Thank you so much. Thank you.

HAMMER: And Lynn Grefe also from the National Eating Disorders Association. Eric Schaeffer, the creator and star of "Starved," and the show will debut on FX this Thursday.

Now we`d like to hear from you on this subject. Pretty hot topic. Our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Eating disorders: too taboo for TV comedy? You want to chime in, you can by voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can send us your e-mail, too. ShowbizTonight@CNN.com is our address. Some of your thoughts coming up later in the show.

BRYANT: Eating disorders aside, Hollywood does love its diets. A little later on in SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, now that the Atkins diet seems to be fading away, what are the stars doing to stay slim? We`ve got the secrets.

HAMMER: Plus smile, you`re on "Candid Camera." His dad could be considered the grandfather of all reality shows. And it all started with that smile. Peter Funt joins us live in our special series, "Summer Reality Check."

BRYANT: Plus the stars are used to having cameras pointed at them. But what are their favorite snapshots? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT gets the picture coming up.

Now we`ve got "Entertainment Weekly`s Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What is the name of the dog Ben Stiller famously battles in "There`s Something About Mary"? Is it Fluffy, Scrappy, Puffy or Buddy? We`ll be right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly`s Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What`s the name of the dog Ben Stiller famously battles in "There`s Something About Mary"? Fluffy, Scrappy, Puffy or Buddy? Well, that was Puffy who made the huge leap out that apartment window. So the answer is "C."

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant.

Tonight our special series, "Summer Reality Check." And smile, you`re on "Candid Camera."

Long before Ashton Kutcher`s show, "Punk`d," came on the scenes, the stars were smiling for the father of all reality shows, "Candid Camera." It all began in 1949 when TV was in its infancy, and viewers turned on their black and white sets to watch Alan Funt and his hidden camera show for pranks on regular folks, which sometimes even featured celebs like Woody Allen, Muhammad Ali and Jane Mansfield.

Well, now more than 50 years after the show`s debut on NBC, Alan`s son Peter Funt carries on the tradition, bringing "Candid Camera" to DVD. It is called "Candid Camera: Five Decades of Smiles." And Peter Funt is joining us now live in Los Angeles.

Welcome, Peter. Thanks for joining us.

PETER FUNT, "CANDID CAMERA": Well, it`s a pleasure. Thank you. Those are some nice clips you showed there.

BRYANT: Yes. Well, we`ll get to another clip in a bit. But last night, for example, a show called "Hijinks" premiered, where parents are pulling pranks on their kids. Why is this sort of "Candid Camera" formula, because essentially that is what they`re using, why is this still working on television today?

P. FUNT: Well, I think my family has proved that the format works. We`ve been doing it for 60 years. In fact, I wish the folks at "Hijinks" good luck, I guess. In another 60 years or so, they might have a DVD set to talk about.

Seriously, the hidden camera format has been tried many different times by many different imitators of "Candid Camera," some more successful than others. And I think it`s a genre the public likes. I like to think we do it best. And my dad sort of figured it out. And, you know, I`m proud of what we do. But there are a lot of other good shows that use hidden cameras.

BRYANT: And do you -- I`m curious how you think some of those measure up. For example, "Punk`d" or "Fire Me, Please." Are you a fan of either of those?

P. FUNT: You know, we always do "Candid Camera" with what we call a wink, not a snarl. We kind of celebrate the fact that people are great, not the fact that people might be stupid. And so I think other shows have a different sensibility, a different idea about what`s funny. And so good. You know, that`s why we have so many channels now. If people don`t like it, they can turn the dial. But I like it our way.

BRYANT: Well, I want to talk about one of your favorite clips. This is what I hear -- you`re a big fan of this clip. Basically, they take the engine out of a car, wheel it up a hill and have it roll back down, and a woman says, I need some help with my car. Can we look under the hood? We want to take a look at this clip here, because we hear it`s your favorite.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mister, all I`m talking is plain common sense. The engine has been...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But there`s a camera in the back of this car here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the three of us are on television now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What does it say. "You`re on Candid Camera?"

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Candid Camera."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here I am on television.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: That`s really the great fun of your show is that -- is that reaction that people have the very first time. Tell me about some of the moments you had with some of the celebrities: Woody Allen, Muhammad Ali.

P. FUNT: Well, people don`t know that Woody Allen actually was on the staff of "Candid Camera" for a year or two and got his start in showbiz doing the "Candid Camera" gigs.

Muhammad Ali was a friend of my dad`s, and he got to do several. And along the way, there have been quite a few celebrities who were on the show. And that`s part of this brand new Rhino collection.

But really, "Candid Camera" has never been a celebrity vehicle, per se. We like to remind ourselves that the unsuspecting real people are the stars of what we do, and we don`t like to lose sight of that too often.

BRYANT: All right. Well, great. You`ve got a brand new collection out. Peter Funt, I want to thank you.

You can pick up your own "Candid Camera: Five Decades of Smiles" DVD set today.

And, of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Summer Reality Check" series continues as we talk live with the stars of NBC`s latest reality show, "Meet Mr. Mom." That`s at 33 past the hour, so stay with us.

HAMMER: Well, it`s time now for "Tuesday InStyle." Tonight, "In Style" magazine`s Suzanne Zuckerman takes us through stars` favorite personal pictures.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE ZUCKERMAN, "INSTYLE" MAGAZINE: In our August issue, we have this wonderful, amazing personal story called "Just Shoot Me."

We put out a bunch of letters to celebrities, asking them to submit their most favorite and treasured personal photos. And we have a several page portfolio with just these really wonderful childhood snapshots and wonderful behind the scenes moments from the personal lives of these celebrities.

Well, everybody knows that Terri Hatcher is a glamour goddess, but seeing her in a photo booth with her 7-year-old daughter Emerson shows a really wonderful new side to Terri. Like her mom, Emerson is a natural vamp. They try on a variety of hats, and they`re just having a great time.

And what Terri says in her interview, is that all it takes is $5 and a simple photo booth at the mall to have some absolutely wonderful mother- daughter time.

Taye Diggs. Now here`s the case of a really cute kid who grew up to be an even hotter guy. And what a lucky mom he has. This photo was taken when she was 4 years old. He is cute as a button. They really don`t come cuter than that. It was his first apartment with his mom in Rochester, New York.

And what`s really sweet and poignant is that he says whenever life throws him a curveball, he looks at this photo, and it lifts his spirits.

Kelly Preston is married to John Travolta. These are two beautiful people who have clearly beautiful DNA and beautiful kids. There`s this really sort of Idyllic, beautiful photo of Kelly gazing at her young son Jet, who is 2 at the time. And he`s staring full on, straight at the camera with those Travolta baby blues.

The future Mrs. Kevin bacon. We see her at 2 years old, another example of a beautiful baby who grew up into an extremely stunning woman. She says that what she loves about this photo, which I think is taken by her uncle in Quebec, is that it`s a moment of sheer sort of unadulterated joy, and you can see it on her face.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: For more celebrity favorite photos, just grab your copy of this month`s "InStyle" magazine. You`ll find it on newsstands now.

BRYANT: Guess who has a new movie out on DVD? It is Ashton Kutcher. But is it any good? We`ll have the answer coming up in the "SHOWBIZ Guide."

HAMMER: Plus, from Jenny Craig to Trim Spa, what are the stars doing to slim down? The celebrity diet crazes. Should you go on them, too? That`s coming up.

BRYANT: And country superstar Dierks Bentley joins us live. He just got a history making invitation to join an elite club. And Dierks reveals what happened. That`s next. You`ll see it live right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Time for the "SHOWBIZ Guide," where throughout the week we decide you where to spend your bucks on movies, DVDs and more. Tonight, new DVD releases.

Joining me, live, Gitesh Pandya, the editor of the web site Box Office Guru. Gitesh, let`s hop right to it. One of the new ones in stores today, "Alexander," that three-hour Oliver Stone epic that didn`t do so great in theaters. Should we get it on DVD?

GITESH PANDYA, BOXOFFICEGURU.COM: Right. Well, "Alexander" was a huge box office bomb, grossed only $34 million. The director`s cut that Oliver Stone has done is now out on DVD today.

Now, unlike most DVDs which get longer with the director`s cut, this one actually gets shorter. He`s cut about a net total of eight minutes out of this film. There`s some material, you know, controversial material about his sexuality in the story. He took that out. Some of the protests have been coming because of what they took out of this DVD.

There are also some behind the scenes documentaries here. Three really good ones on the second disk. There is some good bonus material, how to make a big epic film. So outside of that, it`s not very much a different film than it was last November when it came out. So if you didn`t like it then, chances are you still might skip it this time.

HAMMER: And it`s Colin Farrell before he got into all that trouble.

All right. Let`s move on to Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher together in "Guess Who?"

PANDYA: Right. Well, "Guess Who?" actually grossed double the amount of "Alexander" at the box office, a fraction of the budget. It`s a loose remake of the 1967 Sidney Poitier comedy, "Guess Who`s Coming to Dinner?" But the races are reversed this time around. It`s a white man trying to fit into a black family. Really good comedy. It`s a different twist on an older story.

As far as the DVD extras go, pretty much the same thing, the usual suspects. A few deleted scenes. There`s a gag reel, which is really funny, director`s commentary. Otherwise, it`s a pretty standard DVD, but a good rental.

HAMMER: And we just want to make mention, one of the most popular television shows of all time, finally, the first season of "The Cosby Show" out on DVD.

PANDYA: That`s right. "Cosby Show," one of NBC`s biggest shows ever, 24 episodes now out on DVD.

HAMMER: All right. Gitesh Pandya from BoxOfficeGuru.com, we appreciate you stopping by tonight.

PANDYA: Thank you.

BRYANT: Will Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner be working together on more than marriage and family? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT sets the record straight coming up next.

HAMMER: Plus, can dad take the heat? Can he even find the kitchen? What happened when mom and dad switch roles for a new reality series? The whole family is here live, coming up next as our special series, "Summer Reality Check," rolls on on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: And from Atkins to Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig to Trim Spa. The stars are slimming down, but will it work for you? We`ll sort out fact from fiction coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOPHIA CHOI, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues in just a minute. But first, I`m Sophia Choi with your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."

A huge sigh of relief tonight in Canada where officials believe everyone has survived the crash of an Air France plane at the Toronto Airport. The 737 skidded off the runway and burst into flames. But authorities say the 309 passengers and crew got out before the fire started.

A grim marker for U.S. troops, as the number killed in the Iraq war tops 1,800. Seven Marines died yesterday in separate combat operations across Iraq. Meantime, the U.S. and Britain have begun talks aimed at setting a date to begin transferring control of parts of Iraq to local forces.

Well, it`ll be a NASA first. During a space walk tomorrow, an astronaut will go beneath the shuttle to remove some material protruding from Discovery`s underbelly. NASA says the protrusions could cause overheating during reentry.

That`s the news for now. I`m Sophia Choi. Now back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the Hollywood diet craze. The most popular ways stars slim down today and what you might see in diets of tomorrow. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT separates fad from fiction.

HAMMER: And "Summer Reality Check." Tonight, "Meet Mr. Mom." Mom`s on vacation, so Dad can run the house. Or will he run it into the ground? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s series on the hottest reality shows of the summer continues live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN WILLIAM SCOTT, ACTOR: Hey, I`m Sean William Scott. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s only live entertainment news show. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."

HAMMER: Tonight, Jennifer speaks. In her very first interview since her split with Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston tells "Vanity Fair" magazine she was shocked, upset and confused by the breakup. Aniston adds she still loves Brad and that she did want children. Tabloids have reported that she didn`t want children and that`s why Brad wanted out.

BRYANT: Pam Anderson salutes the troops in San Diego today. As part of the 60th anniversary of V-J day, the "Baywatch" star presented $100,000 to the United Service Organizations, which supports American military personnel. V-J, or Victory over Japan Day, took place on August 14th, 1945, and it was the day Japan surrendered to allied forces in World War II.

HAMMER: And will viewers have an appetite for "Starved"? The National Eating Disorders Association has called for a boycott of the new TV sitcom. The series focuses on eating disorders and it premieres Thursday on FX.

BRYANT: And that leads to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Eating disorders: Too taboo for TV comedy? You can keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight. You can also write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Your e-mails are coming up at 54 past the hour.

HAMMER: Well, tonight, there`s no double dare. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has put an end to rumors about "Daredevil 2" starring newlyweds Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. Just a short time ago, Jennifer Garner`s publicist told us that there are, quote, "no plans" for a "Daredevil 2" at this point. Reports had been out that Ben and Jen were going to pair up once again for their on-screen role, the first one since they got married in June. Affleck and Garner paired up for the first "Daredevil" back in 2003, based, of course, on Marvel comic books characters.

BRYANT: It is time now for our "Summer Reality Check." All this week, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is turning a spotlight on the most buzzed about reality shows of the summer. Tonight, NBC`s "Meet Mr. Mom," where busy mothers are surprised with a week-long luxury vacation, leaving the dads to run the household.

HAMMER: The absent moms, meanwhile, get to watch everything on a closed-circuit television. So joining us live to talk about the show on which they appeared, Tom Potter, his wife, Linda, their three daughters, Ashton, Madison, and Jordan. They get to experience this role reversal on tonight`s season premiere.

So, Tom, you`re a traveling salesman.

TOM POTTER, "MEET MISTER MOM": Yes.

HAMMER: You`re a stay-at-home mom.

LINDA POTTER, "MEET MISTER MOM": Right.

HAMMER: I can understand why you`d be interested in this little role reversal opportunity. What was the appeal to you, Tom?

T. POTTER: Surprise. I was supportive of what Linda wanted to do. We thought it was a show about active families. And to all of our surprise, when Mom was pulled from the house, we had no idea where she was going. We couldn`t speak to her for three, four days.

HAMMER: So you didn`t know the premise of the show?

T. POTTER: Absolutely not.

HAMMER: You didn`t know that you would be playing Mr. Mom?

T. POTTER: Absolutely not. We were just active family participating in a show that had a...

BRYANT: Surprise!

T. POTTER: ... cash award at the end, and bam.

BRYANT: Right.

T. POTTER: Our world was turned upside down.

BRYANT: I bet. Well, Linda, there are four elements on which you judge Tom, parenting, nutrition, time management, and housekeeping. How do you think he did? And going in, did you overestimate him or underestimate him?

L. POTTER: Well, again, as Tom had mentioned, we didn`t necessarily know the scope of what the show was going to be about. I don`t think I underestimated him. I anticipated coming back from my little mini-vacation probably to some pointers for myself. So he did OK.

BRYANT: And so you weren`t surprised by his grace with certain situations or his lack thereof in others?

L. POTTER: No, not really. He`s a very involved dad and spends a lot of time with the kids, you know, even though he does travel a lot. I was probably more concerned about the girls and their reaction, because we have very different parenting skills. But as you`ll see tonight, I think it all worked out.

HAMMER: Well, Tom, you do travel a lot as a traveling salesman. Obviously, there are a lot of day-to-day things you don`t get to do. What do you find the hardest to be?

T. POTTER: Well, laundry was one of them.

(LAUGHTER)

BRYANT: That can be tough.

T. POTTER: I mean, I was pretty afraid of having white clothes come out blue or red.

HAMMER: Did any of that happen?

T. POTTER: No, none of that happened.

BRYANT: It`s not like you had to get out the washboard, though. I mean, laundry is not that bad.

HAMMER: Did he mess up any of the clothes, guys? Is he telling us the truth?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

(CROSSTALK)

L. POTTER: He`s telling the truth or he messed them up?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s telling the truth.

BRYANT: Well, what did you kids think was the best thing about having your dad home?

L. POTTER: Ashton, you can go first, I guess.

ASHTON POTTER, "MEET MISTER MOM": I think that it was great having him home, because he`s a traveling man and we never get to spend time with him.

BRYANT: OK.

L. POTTER: Madison?

MADISON POTTER, "MEET MISTER MOM": I think that it was just fun just having him there, because he`s very involved. And so it wasn`t that hard for him to, you know, take control, so...

HAMMER: Jordan, what did you think Dad had a tough time with?

JORDAN POTTER, "MEET MISTER MOM": Just like all of the stuff that we had to do in such a short amount of time and having just everything kind of thrown at you unexpected. He got real stressed. But we...

HAMMER: What did he stress out over? What did he stress out over?

M. POTTER: Completing tasks, I would say. He is very set, and he wants to do what we need to get done, and that`s it. And whenever someone was like tired or Ashton`s like, "I`m hungry," or anything, he`s like, "No, we have to finish this."

HAMMER: I kind of wonder how the food was.

BRYANT: Yes, I can imagine.

One thing that I`m curious of, in this show, they do add the element of these surprises that the producers spring on you. Can you tell us about a couple of the ones that kind of came into your life that you didn`t know were coming?

T. POTTER: Well, one of the first surprises, we had to have a sleepover with six girls. But we found out at 1:00. And time management is a big piece of this.

So we had to go out, get a bunch of kids to sleep over. We had a themed party. We had to cook for all these kids. We`re about halfway through the party, in the middle of cooking dinner, and the doorbell rang. We had two unexpected guests.

BRYANT: OK. Well...

T. POTTER: That was...

(CROSSTALK)

J. POTTER: If it was our choice, they wouldn`t have come.

BRYANT: OK. Well, I`m just saying, Linda, next year, come your birthday or Mother`s Day, you`re going to score big, I`m sure, right?

L. POTTER: Yes, I cannot complain.

BRYANT: OK.

HAMMER: I get the idea that these guys had a good time being on TV. And Jordan, Ashton, Madison, and, of course, Tom and Linda, we would like to thank you for stopping by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

L. POTTER: Thank you.

J. POTTER: Are we done?

BRYANT: We are done. We`re like that sometimes, too.

T. POTTER: There`s some lovely dessert for you backstage.

(CROSSTALK)

L. POTTER: ... see the premier, because we have 20 minutes...

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: OK. We`ll let you get out of here.

Remember, all this week, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be spotlighting new shows in our summer series "Summer Reality Check." It`s our special series. Tomorrow, we join the original "Playboy" himself, Hugh Hefner, and his three girlfriends for "The Girls Next Door."

Thursday, it`s time to get our hands dirty with Discovery Channel`s "Dirty Jobs." And Friday, we finish up with what we can expect in the reality world in the fall.

HAMMER: Well, they`ve been talking all day and we`ve been listening. So now, as we do every day on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the best from today`s talk shows. Kevin Nealon joined the ladies of "The View" this morning and reprised his famous "Saturday Night Live" character Mr. Subliminal, just for them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN NEALON, COMEDIAN: Well, you know, I`ve always liked watching the view -- nauseating -- I mean, it`s a show that -- and, I mean, to be working with these lovely co-hosts -- hookers -- I mean, what`s better than that, you know what I mean?

(LAUGHTER)

But I`d say more importantly, it`s fun to be a guest on this show -- torture -- you know, it`s just a nice show. But it`s kind of like a second home to me -- Titanic -- you know what I mean?

You know, when I think of "The View" -- never -- I think of having a good time -- root canal -- you know? And telling the audience what I`ve been up to -- restraining order -- and letting the people see the side of me that they probably don`t know -- transvestite -- so that`s what it`s all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: We may have to ask Kevin to pull that one out tomorrow night. He`s going to drop by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to talk about his new show, "Weeds."

BRYANT: Well, it`s a great character. Well, one of Hollywood`s biggest diets has gone belly-up. So how will stars slim down? And what really helps you lose weight? Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the skinny on the Hollywood diet craze.

HAMMER: Plus, one of country music`s biggest stars gets a big surprise. And he`s in some pretty good company. Country singer Dierks Bentley joins us live.

BRYANT: And Dave Letterman has a surprise for seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. That`s coming up in "Laughter Dark."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant.

One of the hottest weight loss crazes of the last decade has fizzled. Atkins Nutritionals, the company behind the guy that mandates no carbs and lots of protein is filing for bankruptcy. The diet had more than 5 percent of all Americans counting their carbs on Atkins last year. Today, that number has dropped dramatically to only 1 percent.

The Atkins diet also hit Hollywood hard, with celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and her former husband, Brad Pitt, buying into the Atkins low-carb, high-protein motto. But Atkins isn`t the only diet craze to sweep through Hollywood. From macrobiotics to South Beach, celebrities can`t seem to get enough of them.

Well, joining us to separate fad from fact, Dana Points, executive editor of "Self" magazine.

Dana, I`m going to float this one out there. It`s kind of maybe an obvious question. But why is Hollywood so prone to the diet craze?

DANA POINTS, "SELF" MAGAZINE: You know, it`s obviously their business to keep slim and be toned. So it`s only natural that they would be dieting. But I`m not sure they`re really that much more prone to diets than the rest of America. It`s really just that we`re all watching them.

BRYANT: And what are your thoughts on, for example, Kirstie Alley teaming up with Jenny Craig, and Weight Watchers often has celebrity endorsers. Some of these other diets don`t have outright endorsements, but these do. What are your thoughts?

POINTS: Well, I think one thing people have to remember out there in America, when you`re looking at these people, you`re seeing them get fit. It`s their business. And often, they`re being paid to be spokespeople for these diets.

So there`s this element of advertising to it that I think it`s important to think about. You know, we`re out there, the regular people, dieting, and no one`s paying us. So we need more incentive than that.

BRYANT: Right. And, certainly, Anna Nicole Smith probably also got a heck of a payday from TrimSpa in there, as well.

POINTS: Right. TrimSpa is that mix of, you know, nutrients that`s sold as a supplement. She`s lost a lot of weight, obviously.

BRYANT: I`ll say.

POINTS: You know, it`s not something we at "Self" magazine would advocate. We`re really more about learning how to eat healthfully, and keeping track of what you`re eating, and watching your portion size. It`s not really the solution.

BRYANT: OK. So what is then on the horizon? What`s the next big diet craze? Or, you know, if the word "craze" is too negative, what`s the next sort of dieting trend in Hollywood?

POINTS: Well, I think that the word "diet" may be a little bit of a dirty word, and that what you might see going forward is people thinking more about philosophies of eating. So whether that`s veganism, which is something Alicia Silverstone has said she practices, or something, the hot new thing, biodynamic eating, which Elizabeth Hurley is apparently a fan of.

BRYANT: And what is that?

POINTS: Well, it`s really hard to explain. But basically, it`s a way of farming and growing food that keeps in mind sort of the rhythms of the Earth. And it`s a very sort of soulful way of thinking about food.

So these are people who are not just kind of eating to keep slim, although many of these diets are so restrictive that they do result in weight control or weight loss. But it`s a way of sort of thinking in a more philosophical or spiritual level about food, which is kind of interesting and something that might catch on, now that more people are doing it in Hollywood.

BRYANT: OK, and last question. Do you have any sort of words of advice for the people trying to make heads or tails out of all the different diets, and what should we basically focus on here?

POINTS: Well, think about portion size. Think about variety, eating in moderation. Remember, when you`re looking at celebrities in Hollywood, you know, you as a regular person, you might not have a trainer. You might not have a chef. You might not have meals delivered to you. You might not be paid to lose the weight that you`re losing.

So you have to find a system that works with your lifestyle and create your own rewards. Maybe you`re not going to film a blockbuster movie after you lose weight, but, you know, you could treat yourself to a massage.

BRYANT: All right. Well, thanks very much, Dana Points from "Self" magazine for joining us.

POINTS: Thanks.

HAMMER: It`s time now for our "Showbiz Sit-down" with country music star Dierks Bentley. In May, he released his second album, "Modern Day Drifter," which debuted at number one on the Billboard country music chart.

Just last week, at the age of 29, he was invited to become a member of one of country music`s hallowed halls, the Grand Ole Opry, which would make him the youngest member in there ever.

Dierks, joining us live here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, great to have you, man.

DIERKS BENTLEY, COUNTRY MUSIC STAR: Good to see you, dude.

HAMMER: So I want to start off by playing a little piece of tape for you. I want you to take a look at this. This was the scene last week at the House of Blues in Los Angeles when you were up on stage. Let`s roll the tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And on October the 1st, the Grand Ole Opry has sent me here to ask you if you would be the next member of the Grand Ole Opry? So will you marry the Grand Ole Opry? Can you do it?

BENTLEY: Hell, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Now, you were up there performing. Out of the blue, music legend Marty Stuart just jumps out on stage, interrupts you to let you know he wants you as a part of the Grand Ole Opry. Did you know that was going to happen?

BENTLEY: No, I had no idea. You know, we play just about every other week, so you get in the mode of being on stage. You don`t expect things like that to happen at all.

And it was -- it totally took me by surprise. And it`s just a huge, huge deal. The Grand Ole Opry is such an institution, when it comes to country music, and to be asked to be a member of that family is one of the biggest honors you can have, so...

HAMMER: And what a family, Emmylou Harris, George Jones, gosh, Clint Black, all of your idols, I`m sure.

BENTLEY: Yes, it`s a big deal. It really is. And that clip`s so funny, because I had no idea. You know, even looking at that clip now, it really blows my mind, because I had no words to say. I thought Marty Stuart had walked out to maybe play -- you know, pick a guitar up and play a few songs for us, or...

HAMMER: And you didn`t even know Marty Stuart was in the house?

BENTLEY: No. I thought maybe he just wanted to come up and sing a few songs. So it really took me by surprise. And it`s really just a huge honor. It`s like the ultimate honor when it comes to country music.

HAMMER: And you`ve had a few honors before. You certainly have your collection of trophies. You have a platinum album, a couple of number-one albums, number-one hit songs. Am I right that your primary home when you`re not on the road, you`re living on a rather inexpensive house boat with your dog and a fridge full of beer? Are you nuts? I mean, you can spend the money, man.

BENTLEY: My life is like the exact opposite of MTV "Cribs." Like, the more money those guys make, the more money they spend on stuff. You know, rock stars and rappers. And us, it`s like the more money I make, the less it goes anywhere.

I have like a house boat, and that`s about it. You know, really living on the bus and with my band, and just spend a lot of time just on the road.

HAMMER: Have you treated yourself to any big extravagance or something that you said, "One day, if I get a lot of money, I`m going to buy this kind of car," or something like that?

BENTLEY: No, I really haven`t. First-class, I flew up here first- class from San Francisco.

HAMMER: Now you`re living large.

BENTLEY: Actually, it was business class. I don`t want to get above my raisin. It was business class. But it was pretty cool.

So other than that, just really putting everything back into the shows, and the records, and the music, and being on the road.

HAMMER: You`re entitled to fly first-class. I just want to you know that.

So you are on the road. You`re on that bus an awful lot. What are the creature comforts you have on the bus? Because that really is your primary home. Do you have like the Gameboys or any video games, a lot of videotapes, some DVDs?

BENTLEY: Oh, yes. We`ve got -- definitely have some Xbox and stuff like that. The bus is a big deal. You know, those buses cost about $1 million. And it`s a really easy way to travel.

The guys that came before me, the Johnny Cashes of the world, you know, they traveled around in Lincolns and, you know, cars with the bass fiddles in between them. And you know, they`d have to actually drive the car themselves.

It`s no wonder a lot of them got hooked on drugs and whatnot, because they had to drive all night just to get to the next gig. So we`re pretty lucky to travel around in buses. But we got them souped up pretty nice with Xbox, and satellite TVs front and back, and refrigerators. And it`s a fun way to travel.

HAMMER: And you enjoy the life. You like being out there?

BENTLEY: Yes. The guys in the band are some of my best friends. And we really have a good time on the road. And getting to do this every day of the week, it`s a lot of fun.

HAMMER: Well, congratulations on your honor with the Grand Old Opry.

BENTLEY: Thanks, man.

HAMMER: And thanks for stopping by here, Dierks Bentley.

BENTLEY: Thanks, A.J.

HAMMER: And Dierks, of course, currently touring through the U.S., because that`s what he does most of the time. You can check out his web site, dierks.com, for dates.

BRYANT: It`s time to get your laugh on in "Laughter Dark." We do it every night. We bring you the late-night laughs you may have missed.

Well, I saw this last night. I thought it was great. Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong paid a visit to "The Late Show." And this was last night. For his seventh win, Dave gave Lance a one-of-a-kind gift to mark the occasion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE SHOW": It goes right on the handlebars.

LANCE ARMSTRONG, PROFESSIONAL CYCLIST: I`ll never forget the first time I was here. Somebody said to me, they said, "Are you going to bring Dave anything?" I said, "No, he doesn`t like to get anything. Sometimes he gives you things."

"Well, what is he giving you?" And you gave me those mats or the things that taxi drivers sit on here in the city, those beaded things. Dave cut one out the shape of a saddle, just the beads, and said, "Here, I thought you might like this."

But the two together, like, the seat and this, I might come back for number eight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Such a great visual. Well, tonight on "The Late Show," Dukes of Hazzard star Sean William Scott.

HAMMER: Still some time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Eating disorders: Too taboo for TV comedy? If you`d like to vote, go to CNN.com/showbiztonight. Want to write to us? The address is showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of your e- mails live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: We`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Eating disorders: Too taboo for TV comedy? Well, the vote so far has 45 percent of you saying yes, eating disorders are too taboo for comedy, which leaves 55 percent of you saying they`re not.

We`ve gotten some really fired up e-mails. Brian from Chicago, Illinois, writes, "Comedy tackles just about everything else, so why not about eating disorders?"

Maureen from Alabama disagrees. She says, "My family is appalled. We will not watch a show that makes fun of a serious disease."

But Brock from Oklahoma says, "Lighten up. It`s nice once in a while to laugh at life and the struggles that come with it."

And you can keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight.

HAMMER: We`ve reached that point in the program where we find out what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

BRYANT: Let`s take a look at the "Showbiz Marquee." Take it away, Marquee Guy.

MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, we`re heading to the suburbs with Kevin Nealon, where the grass is green and people plunk down green for grass. It`s a new comedy called "Weeds" about a mom who sells marijuana. And Kevin Nealon is one of her best customers. He joins us live tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, we knock on the door of the "Playboy" mansion and get a tour from the "Girls Next Door." It`s Hugh Hefner`s new reality show. It stars his girlfriends, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be there. Our reality check series tomorrow.

This is the Marquee Guy. And if I lived next door to the "Playboy" mansion, you can be that I`d be barring a lot of sugar.

HAMMER: Quite a place, that "Playboy" mansion.

BRYANT: Yes, it is. I should tell you: Dierks Bentley can be seen on the CMA Music Festival on ABC tonight.

And that does do it for us here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: And I`m A.J. Hammer. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.

SOPHIA CHOI, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, there. I`m Sophia Choi. Let`s get to your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."

Well, it appears all of the more than 300 passengers and crew aboard an Air France jet have survived a fiery crash in Toronto. The Airbus was trying to land during a driving rain storm when it overshot the runway and crashed into a tree-lined gully, bursting into flames. Officials say everyone on board got off the plane before the fire started.

A brain-dead Virginia woman on life support has given birth now to a baby girl. According to the woman`s brother-in-law, the one-pound, 13- ounce baby is doing well. The woman`s family opted to keep her on life support after she suffered a stroke in May to give the child a chance to survive.

President Bush has signed the Central American Free Trade Agreement, lifting trade barriers with five Central American countries. The measure barely squeaked through Congress last week.

That`s the news for now. I`m Sophia Choi.

END