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Showbiz Tonight
Showbiz Tonight for August 4, 2005, CNNHN
Aired August 04, 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, a Jackson jury shocker. Then, they said not guilty; tonight, they say guilty. And they`re about to tell the whole world the incredible story of why they changed their minds.
BRYANT (voice-over): Also tonight, is the media missing the point? Laci Peterson, Jennifer Wilbanks, Natalee Holloway, all missing persons all over the media. So, why don`t we hear the stories of others? Does race play a role? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes in-depth.
HAMMER: If you think your job is bad you ain`t seen nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holy crap.
HAMMER: Put on your gloves and put down your dinner, because tonight we`ve got sewers, septic tanks and sludge.
CATHY GRIFFIN, ACTRESS: Hi, I`m Cathy Griffin. It is happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: Hello, I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: Tonight, a startling new twist in the Michael Jackson case. Two of the jurors who found him not guilty are reportedly ready to tell the world he should have been convicted! And they may be doing that telling in a tell-all book.
HAMMER: And in just a minute, live here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the man who may be helping the jurors write one of those books. But first, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson is live in Hollywood with the latest on the story -- Brooke.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Karyn, A.J., it was June 13 when the Jackson jurors announced that they found him not guilty on charges of molesting a 13-year-old cancer survivor and giving him alcohol. All the jurors stood by their verdict, including the two that now reportedly say he`s guilty.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): No one can forget the media frenzy surrounding the Michael Jackson trial or the first time America was able to see the 12 jurors behind the controversial verdict.
Seventy-nine-year-old Ellie Cook is one of the jurors who found Jackson innocent. But now Cook, along with another juror, Ray Hultman, are reportedly working on separate books in which they`re expected to say they really wanted to convict Jackson.
Right after the trial, Cook passionately defended her decision.
ELLIE COOK, MICHAEL JACKSON JUROR: I disliked it intensely when she snapped her fingers at us.
ANDERSON: After candidly saying she didn`t like the way the mother of the accuser acted during the trial.
COOK: That`s when I thought, "Don`t snap your fingers at me, lady."
ANDERSON: Cook is sure to write about that and a lot more in her book, which is expected to be called "Guilty as Sin, Free as a Bird."
And for that second juror, Larry Hultman, who reportedly now also believes Jackson is guilty, he made no bones from the very beginning how difficult it was to come to the verdict.
RAY HULTMAN, MICHAEL JACKSON JUROR: I feel that Michael Jackson probably has molested boys. I cannot believe that, after some of the testimony was offered, I can`t believe that this man could sleep in the same bedroom for 365 straight days, and not do something more than just watch television and eat popcorn.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hultman`s book is expected to be called "The Deliberator."
And A.J., a few more things. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT contacted both Ellie Cook and Ray Hultman for comments. Both declined to talk.
Now California law prohibits jurors from making a book deal until 90 days after they`re dismissed from service. That means the earliest we`ll hear directly from them is sometime next month in September.
Back to you.
HAMMER: Brooke Anderson live in Hollywood, thanks very much, Brooke.
And now let`s talk to the man who says he may be writing one of the books, Stacy Brown, joining us live here in New York. He co-wrote the successful book "The Man Behind the Mask" with Jackson`s former publicist, Bob Jones. Stacy is also a former friend of the Jackson family and he says he has spoken with the two jurors that we`re talking about here about the trial.
All right, Stacy, take me to square one here. Supposedly, you spoke with Ellie Cook and Ray Hult (sic). How did you get roped into the situation?
STACY BROWN, AUTHOR, "MICHAEL JACKSON: THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK": Well, a guy by the name of Larry Garrison of Silver Creek Entertainment and I share the same agent, Bill Gladstone of Waterside Productions. And they felt, because I wrote "Michael Jackson: The Man Behind the Mask" with Bob Jones, I`d be the perfect person to help them write their book.
HAMMER: OK, and as far as Ellie and Ray are concerned, what do you know about how their book deal came about? Did they seek it out? Did people reach out to them? Because as we just reported, you`ve got to wait 90 days before you can have a book deal.
BROWN: Certainly, they`ve gotten people -- overtures from others. People have reached out to them, and they`ve had expressed, obviously, a lot of interest in doing this, after some thought. And I know Ellie, in particular, really is excited about telling her story.
HAMMER: OK, and allegedly, supposedly they told you their story themselves, so what did Ellie and Ray have to say to you?
BROWN: Well, as your banner ran, that they kind of had a change of heart there. They feel that they may have made a mistake, and they want to talk more about that mistake that they`ve made.
HAMMER: What do you mean a mistake, specifically, that they should have said guilty and they didn`t?
BROWN: That they should have said guilty, yes.
HAMMER: And did they say why they didn`t stick to their guns?
BROWN: Well, in Ellie`s case and I think she`s going to talk more about it soon, that she felt that she was pressured into voting not guilty. She thought all along that he was guilty, according to her. And she...
HAMMER: So the other jurors putting pressure on her to go their way.
BROWN: Yes, exactly. The other jurors were putting pressure on her. She said that there were some who kind of formed a bond, and they went against her. At one point, they even thought about removing her or having her removed from the jury.
HAMMER: So she supposedly told you that they were ganging up on her. What about Ray?
BROWN: Well, Ray was more, as the book says, the deliberator. He kind of took charge of that situation. He -- he became the foreperson, unofficially. You know, of course a guy by the name of Roger Egis (ph) was the foreperson, but Ray kind of took over. He was the one that, you know, really put his hands in the mud and said, "Let`s deliberate this thing."
HAMMER: As we heard in that sound byte in a report a moment ago, he was a little more vocal about what he thought what actually happened.
BROWN: Yes. You saw the press conference after the trial. He said that he thought Michael had molested boys in the past.
I think they had problems with this particular family in this particular case, and they wasn`t convinced. They felt something wrong, but they just wasn`t totally convinced. And you know, you have that beyond a reasonable doubt.
And if you listen to Ray, they don`t really know what that means, and I think a lot of the times you run into jurors who don`t know what beyond a reasonable doubt is. Some think it`s beyond a shadow of a doubt.
HAMMER: Right.
BROWN: In this case I think you had some who just felt, as they will tell you, Ray and Ellie will tell you, that there were some who just said, "Not my Michael."
HAMMER: It is very easy for people to say the jurors are going to put their books out and no doubt, we may see 12 books when they`re allowed to release them. They put them out purely for profit. According to you, it seems like Ray and Ellie actually have a story to tell. What do you think the motivation is here for these two?
BROWN: Well, I think they feel that it was their community. They were given a responsibility to -- to render a fair verdict, and they feel that they kind of let some people down, including themselves, and so I think they really want -- it`s almost like getting it off their chest.
HAMMER: They have a burden to bear and they feel they need to let it go?
BROWN: Absolutely.
HAMMER: Stacy, you know the Jackson family. You`ve worked with them in the past. How are they going to react to this?
BROWN: Well, the same way they reacted to "The Man Behind the Mask." They -- they felt they were betrayed. They`re going to really feel betrayed, because Ellie actually developed some sort of relationship with Katherine Jackson during the course of that trial. They winked and nodded at each other, for everyone to see.
So I think they`re going to feel that it`s, in their case, it`s probably going to say sour grapes. You know, Michael`s a free man. Nothing we can do about it. They made a decision in June to free him, and I`m sure the Jacksons` reaction will be they need to stick by it.
HAMMER: All right. Stacy Brown, thanks for filling us in on what you supposedly heard.
And now we`d like you to be our jurors. We`d like to hear from you on this. Our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day is Jackson molestation case: is it OK for jurors to now profit? If you want to vote, go to the Web. CNN.com/ShowbizTonight is the address. The e-mail address, if you have more to say, is ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. And we`re going to read some of your e-mails later on in the show.
BRYANT: Tonight in "The Show`s Biz," the most powerful young stars in Hollywood. For the first time, "Teen People" magazine asked its readers to vote on the top 10 players. And as you`ll see now, you don`t have to be older to be rich and powerful in Hollywood.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT (voice-over): They`re some of Hollywood`s most dominating stars and they`ve only just begun. "Teen People" magazine gave SHOWBIZ TONIGHT a sneak peek inside their reader-voted most powerful list.
At number 10, Nick Cannon made the grade. Look for him later this month in "Underclassman," a movie he wrote and produced.
NICK CANNON, ACTOR: Anybody got a problem with it you tell them to take it up with the new black guy.
BRYANT: Screen siren Scarlett Johansson is also a reader favorite. She found fame after "Lost in Translation."
SCARLETT JOHANSSON, ACTRESS: Having a nice time?
BRYANT: And Jessica Alba successfully made the transition from "Dark Angel" to big screen angel. This year alone she starred in mega-hits like "Sin City" and "Fantastic Four."
Jake Gyllenhaal, he`s ranked, too. The favorite of independent movies crossed over last year, thanks to "The Day After Tomorrow."
JAKE GYLLENHAAL, ACTOR: Look, come on!
BRYANT: Natalie Portman lands a spot on "Teen People`s" list. She got an Oscar nomination last year for her role in "Closer," bringing her closer to the top of the list.
NATALIE PORTMAN, ACTRESS: Of course.
BRYANT: What about the top five? What sets them apart?
LAURA MORGAN, DEPUTY EDITOR, "TEEN PEOPLE": Their earning power is very important, but so is their future potential. These people are really in it for the long run.
BRYANT: Coming in at number five, Reese Witherspoon, whose films have garnered more than $300 million at the box office. The southern sweetheart also has her own production company.
Hilary Duff is up to snuff at No. 4. The singer-actress just added a clothing line to her long list of accomplishments.
And Orlando Bloom`s popularity flowered, thanks to his role in the billion dollar-grossing trilogy "Lord of the Rings." He`s No. 3.
Lindsay Lohan is runner up on "Teen People`s" power list. This tabloid favorite commands a whopping $7.5 million per picture, not bad for nineteen.
So who`s Hollywood`s most powerful? Drum roll, please. It`s Ashton Kutcher.
MORGAN: He has the chops in front of the camera as an actor but also behind the scenes. He`s a major player, producing shows like "Punk`d" and "Beauty and the Geek." So really, he`s got it going on on both levels. He`s kind of a mogul, and he`s an actor at the same time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: "Teen People`s" power list hits stands tomorrow. You can also check out the magazine`s "Up and Comers" list. That`s in the same edition.
HAMMER: Well, still ahead here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Natalee Holloway, missing people, TV and race. Is the media biased when it comes to coverage? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going to tackle this touchy subject, coming up next.
BRYANT: Also tonight, a religious Jew who does reggae? You`ve got to see and hear it to believe it, because his rhymes -- his rhymes are getting a lot of airtime. That`s still to come.
HAMMER: And before you tell your boss to "take this job and shove it," if you were thinking about doing that, well, you may want to put yourself in other people`s shoes, because they put their shoes in all kinds of nasty stuff. Brace yourself for the dirtiest jobs in America as our "Summer Reality Check" series continues.
BRYANT: Now -- I was looking at the visuals for that. It`s freaking me out. Tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What was the name of the 1997 album that marked the first effort of Sean Combs` alter-ego, Puff Daddy? Was it "I`m the Man," "Been Around the World," "No Way Out," or "Puffy`s House"? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What was the name of the 1997 album that marked the first effort of Sean Combs` alter-ego, Puff Daddy? Was it "I`m the Man," "Been Around the World," "No Way Out," or "Puffy`s House"? Well, it did include the song "Been Around the World" and also the song, "It`s All About the Benjamins." The answer is "C," "No Way Out."
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Tonight, in "SHOWBIZ In-Depth," is the media biased in how they cover missing person cases? A controversial story that will air on "Dateline NBC" is raising new questions about why so many of the stories seem to be about women who are attractive and white.
There is, of course, the ongoing story of teenager Natalee Holloway. You can`t escape it. She, of course, disappeared during a group trip to Aruba.
There was also the Laci Peterson case, of course. Her husband Scott was later convicted of killing her and their unborn child.
In contrast, take the case of Tamika Huston. She`s a missing, black 24-year-old from South Carolina who has received very little national coverage. Mark Memmott has written about this for "USA Today" and joins us live from McLean, Virginia. And live in Tampa, Florida, Ali Colon with the Poynter Institute, a school for journalists.
And Mark, I want to start with you. As I said, you`ve written about this. You`re been on this beat. What`s going on here? Why are the cases that we`re seeing in the media of missing persons tending to be white attractive women?
MARK MEMMOTT, "USA TODAY": Well, it`s complicated, A.J. You know, the critics will say that newsrooms are still dominated by white males, like myself, who just identity more with missing white people, especially if they`re young, vulnerable women, and that probably, they say, explains for the most part the reason why we see so many of these stories.
HAMMER: Ali, can you break it down for me about the Natalee Holloway case, because this is what really has raised some questions about the media`s coverage of missing person`s cases? Why is the media so fascinated and obsessed continually with this particular story in the context of what we`re dealing with here?
ALI COLON, THE POYNTER INSTITUTE: Well, I think it is very natural, as Mark says, that the news media identifies with a lot of the subjects. And someone like Natalee would be someone that the news managers, who decide what goes on TV, could relate to. And that brings them to the kinds of people that they`re going to show and that they can follow up on.
HAMMER: Mark, I mentioned the case of Tamika Huston. I known you know something about this. She`s a missing black woman, an attractive woman by all accounts. Her family has made all attempts to, you know, pursue the media, much in the way that Natalee Holloway`s family has really kept the case in the media`s focus. Why isn`t this case getting that same kind of attention?
MEMMOTT: Boy, that`s a god question, A.J. They did do everything right. They got the local media interested. They got the coverage in Spartanburg, where she`s been missing. They got a web site set up. They got a reward. The reward is now up to $50,000.
But when they started to call the national media, they just weren`t interested.
Now, in the media`s defense, it can be said that maybe there wasn`t enough video, maybe there wasn`t enough good pictures. But still the really compelling story and they couldn`t get them interested. And I think we just have to go back to not enough newsroom editors and producers can identify with a missing minority, or a missing man, for that matter.
HAMMER: But nobody you`ve spoken with dealing with this controversy has said specifically that there is, in fact, a bias, that "we avoid these stories"?
MEMMOTT: Well, the news producers and others who I`ve spoken to and interviewed, they`re not going to admit to that. They may say perhaps they do tend to focus a bit too much on the kind of people they identify with more readily, and no one from outside.
You know, Eugene Robinson, "The Washington Post" editor and columnist, has written very eloquently, and he didn`t charge flat out racism. He just said it`s more of a sensitivity and an awareness issue, if anything.
HAMMER: Well, Ali, let me have you break it down for me. Let`s hit the bottom line on the Natalee Holloway case. All other things being equal, if she were black, do you think we would be seeing the same kind of media attention that we are seeing in this case?
COLON: No, I don`t think we would. I think the fact is that race is a factor. Not necessarily in the conscious way that people might want to assume, but in the very fact that the people who are in the newsroom are going to advocate. They`re going to push. They`re going to follow up on news that they believe relates to things that they can connect to. And they can connect, when they are news managers who are white, to those that look like them.
HAMMER: Well, I appreciate you both joining us tonight to talk about this. And obviously, the fact that we`re discussing, you know, it`s bringing attention to the issue, so perhaps we will see a season of change. Ali Colon and Mark Memmott, thanks for chiming in on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
MEMMOTT: Thank you.
COLON: Thank you.
BRYANT: Tonight a legendary columnist who may have been the best connected man in Hollywood is calling it quits. Army Archerd, who has written for the entertainment paper, "Daily Variety" for 52 years, said today that he`s putting down his pen.
Archerd`s "Just for Variety" column has been full of star scoops and inside Hollywood info. He`s also been the official greeter on the Oscar red carpet since 1958 and has appeared on the "People`s Choice Awards" since the 1970s. Archerd`s last column will run on September 1.
Tonight a sitcom unlike any other will be served up, but it`s already caused some to lose their appetite. We`ve got a preview of "Starved." That`s next.
HAMMER: And it`s a show that might make you lose your appetite. We`re getting down and dirty with these dirty jobs in SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s series on the hottest reality shows of the summer, "Reality Check," coming up.
BRYANT: And talk about genre jumping, he`s a little bit reggae, a little bit rap and a very religious Hassidic Jew. His story is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. OK, are you ready? We`re going to introduce you to a musician with a mission. This guy is a religious Hassidic Jew who is rocking the music world with reggae. His name is Matisyahu Miller, and even he admits that when people see him perform, they kind of have a hard time believing what they`re seeing and what they`re hearing.
Here is CNN`s Mary Snow for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first glance, it may sound out of place. Take a look closer in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, though, and it may not look so unusual. It is a community where Caribbean culture and Hasidic Jews mix. But what catches many off-guard is the man who mixes reggae and religion.
MATISYAHU MILLER, MUSICIAN: Obviously, the two pictures don`t mix. What you`re hearing and seeing don`t go together.
SNOW: Meet Matisyahu Miller.
At 26 he makes his living as a reggae artist and lives the life of a devout Hasidic Jew.
MILLER: If people hear about it at first, they expect it`s like a spoof or a joke, because that could be the only way you could imagine it, you know, like two opposite things coming together is like comedy.
SNOW: But Matisyahu is very serious. Every Friday at sundown he observes the Sabbath and won`t perform until it ends late Saturday. The seriousness he gives to religion...
(MUSIC)
SNOW: ... he also gives to reggae. Normally associated with Rastafarians. But Matisyahu finds more similarities than differences.
MILLER: In some ways it`s similar, in the fact that I think probably both Rastafarians and Hasidim are kind of like going against the mainstream a little bit and both focused on spirituality, on an inner kind of life to the universe.
SNOW: Going against the mainstream has always been in Matisyahu`s nature. For most of his life, he was Matthew Miller and spent his teenage years growing up in a New York suburb and began his love affair with reggae music.
MILLER: From the time I was 14 I started listening to Bob Marley.
SNOW: He dropped out of high school, followed the Grateful Dead, and lacked direction. He credits a trip to Israel with helping to change his life.
MILLER: By the time I was in my early 20s, so it made sense to me that, you know, I had to be like -- I had to take a certain step, that it was not just about listening to music and knowing that I`m Jewish.
SNOW: A boy who once rebelled against authority became Hasidic, and dropped the name Matthew for its Hebrew version, Matisyahu.
With songs like "Father in the Forest," and "King Without a Crown," he blends spirituality with song. He says when he looks out into the crowd when he sings and sees what he describes as hippies and Rastafarians, he sees a bit of himself.
MILLER: That`s the world I come from, you know, and Judaism is much different. You have to reach people where they are. And I`m trying to provide a service for people, and I always wanted to make music. And I always wanted to have people connect to that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Just fascinating. I can see why people are kind of shocked the first time they see him. That was CNN`s Mary Snow for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. If you want to hear more from Matisyahu, his album is "Live at Stubb`s," and it will be re-released on August 23. He`s going to be touring this fall.
BRYANT: You want to got check that out with me, A.J.?
HAMMER: I would love to check that out to with you.
BRYANT: That would be a good time.
Well, will Lindsay Lohan be taking the stand, and could Michael Jackson be facing another trial? We`ve got a lot to talk about tonight in "The Legal Lowdown."
HAMMER: Plus, meet the men and women who clean up the muck. Would you do the dirtiest jobs in America? Stay with us for our special "Summer Reality Check" series.
BRYANT: And how denim can get you downloads. That and more in the "SHOWBIZ Guide" to what`s new in online music. That`s 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."
And this just in to Headline News. Chief Justice William Rehnquist has been hospitalized outside of Washington, D.C. He seemed to have a fever. It`s the second emergency treatment in two months for the 80-year- old justice who has been battling thyroid cancer.
Osama bin Laden`s top deputy is promising more attacks, like last month`s bombings of London`s transit system, in a new video. Ayman Al- Zawahiri blames British Prime Minister Tony Blair for the bombings and warns the U.S. to expect violence that will make it, quote, "forget the horrors of Vietnam," unless American troops leave Muslim land.
Also, a civil liberties union is suing New York City to stop random bag searches on the subway. The lawsuit claims the searches are unconstitutional and an ineffective tactic against terrorism.
Well, that`s the news for now. I`m Sophia Choi. Now back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
BRYANT: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, food for thought. There`s a new sitcom about eating disorders, but not everyone is laughing. Tonight, a look at the controversy surrounding "Starved."
HAMMER: Down and dirty reality TV. Our special series, "Summer Reality Check," continues. The host of "Dirty Jobs" joins us live.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE GREG MATHIS, TELEVISION HOST: I`m Judge Mathis. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We are TV`s only live entertainment news show. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s "Hot Headlines." Ashton Kutcher is the most powerful young person in Hollywood. That is according to "Teen People" magazine, anyway. The magazine cites his TV and movie career and his successful production company. The list out today says Lindsay Lohan is number two.
HAMMER: Well, it`s good to be Dr. Phil. Today, we learned Dr. Phil has signed on to stay on the air at least until 2014 -- check it out -- to the tune of more than $75 million. That means on daytime TV only Oprah will be making more money.
BRYANT: Two jurors in the Michael Jackson trial are writing books about the case. Today, "The New York Daily News" reports that the jurors will both say that they think Jackson was guilty. The jurors reportedly wanted to convict Jackson, but later went along with the other ten jurors who wanted to acquit.
And that leads us to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Jackson molestation case: Is it OK for jurors to now profit? You can vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. You can also write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com, and we`ll put some of your e-mails on the air at 54 past the hour.
HAMMER: Well, the subject of eating disorders has always been a hot- button issue in Hollywood. It`s about to get a bit hotter. A new sitcom debuting tonight called "Starved" has a lot of people questioning the comedy even before the show hits the airwaves. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson joins us live in Hollywood with more -- Brooke?
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A.J., this new offering on the FX menu is stirring up some debate. One organization says "Starved" is appalling and is calling for a boycott. But the producers of the show say the series is not in poor taste, and that they`re just satisfying a hunger for comedy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ate chocolate cake out of the trash can this morning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you were a dog, I`d kick you in the face.
ANDERSON (voice-over): A scene from "Starved," a new television sitcom premiering tonight on FX.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m Adam, and I`m bulimic.
GROUP: It`s not OK.
ANDERSON: "Starved" follows four 30-something friends in Brooklyn, each battling an eating disorder, including anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive overeating. The series is described as a comedy. But some, including Sandra Fischbein, don`t find it amusing. Fischbein is a recovered bulimic and now a psychotherapist for people who suffer from eating disorders.
SANDRA FISCHBEIN, RECOVERED BULIMIC: It`s trivializing behavior that ends up killing people in this country and all over the world. But there aren`t any other shows being put on the air about leukemia, cancer, other illnesses that are killing people.
ANDERSON: This new series comes at a time in Hollywood when you can never be too thin, as evidenced by Mary Kate Olsen, Nicole Ritchie and Lindsay Lohan, who told CNN she doesn`t have an eating disorder.
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I`m healthy, and I`m not an idiot. I don`t want to be sick. I`m not like that.
ANDERSON: The National Eating Disorders Organization has called for a boycott of "Starved." CEO Lynne Grefe says the show could be dangerous to those with eating disorders.
LYNNE GREFE, CEO, NATIONAL EATING DISORDERS ASSOCIATION: So it attracts those people who are in denial about their eating disorder. And rather than seek treatment, they just find themselves reassured that this is a lifestyle choice, and it`s OK, and don`t worry about it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Damn it!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 5`9", 140.
ANDERSON: Eric Schaeffer is the creator, executive producer, writer, director, and star of "Starved." Schaeffer, who revealed he`s been battling food addiction for 22 years, says laughter is the best medicine.
ERIC SCHAEFFER, CREATOR AND STAR, "STARVED": I know from my recovery and all areas of addiction that humor is a tremendously important antidote to recovery.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So I had this idea that maybe, if I weigh my laxatives like I weigh my food, I might be able to keep them to a management amount.
ANDERSON: Grefe says this is no laughing matter.
GREFE: Nearly 10 million women suffer from anorexia or bulimia and one million men, and another 25 million people with binge-eating disorder.
ANDERSON: But Schaeffer insists his show is not harmful.
SCHAEFFER: At the heart of my show is a spirit of thoughtfulness, and kindness, and consideration.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: FX told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that so far there have been no boycotts from advertisers. None of the sponsors have pulled out. In fact, sponsors for the show include the heavy-hitters Coca-Cola and McDonald`s. "Starved" premieres tonight on FX -- A.J.?
HAMMER: Almost a little ironic there, Brooke. Thank you very much, Brooke Anderson live in Hollywood.
Everybody`s a little stirred up over this story. We`re going to stay on it for you. Both Lynn Grefe of the National Eating Disorders Association and the creator of "Starved," Eric Schaeffer, are going to join us live to talk more about the controversy tomorrow night here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- Karyn?
BRYANT: It is time for the "Showbiz Guide," where, throughout the week, we help you decide where to spend your hard-earned dollars on movies, DVDs, music and more.
Tonight, we`re talking online music. John Mayer wants your help. And the GAP will trade try-ons for tunes. And Queen invites you to check out their new front-man.
Well, joining me live in New York City to explain how you can get all this stuff online, Jonathan Cohen from Billboard.com.
Jonathan, Queen is a fantastic group. Unfortunately, Freddie Mercury, a former singer, passed away some time ago. They`ve got a new singer and they`re basically letting you check it out online, right?
JONATHAN COHEN, BILLBOARD.COM: That`s right. They`ve been touring in Europe. It`s been really successful so far. And they`re going to play two dates in the fall here in the states. But if you`re curious, you can go on their web site, which is Queenpluspaulrodgers.com, and you can purchase up to -- I think there`s 50 live tracks there to sample, all the classics. So check it out. Maybe you`ll see them live after you hear those.
BRYANT: And it`s "Rodgers," Paul Rodgers formerly of...
COHEN: Yes, Bad Company, and for a couple classic rock acts.
BRYANT: Nice. Nice. Great. And Queen, I mean -- Freddie Mercury had the voice. Paul`s got big shoes to fill there. But we`ll have to check it out.
So let`s talk about the GAP. They`ve got a new campaign. You`re getting online downloads, as well?
COHEN: Well, yes, there`s a CD with exclusive music that you get when you spend, I believe, $60 in their stores.
BRYANT: But that`s in the store. We`re talking online.
COHEN: That`s right. When you go in and try on a pair of jeans, you can get a free iTunes music download. And you can, in theory, go in there as many times as you want, try on 15, 20 pairs of jeans, and wind up with 20 iTunes downloads.
BRYANT: I was going to say, because I don`t know what it`s like for you. You look like an easy fit. But you know, women are prone to take in at least eight, ten pairs in there.
COHEN: Sure. Go in and try on as many as you like. You`ll get some music out of it.
BRYANT: All right, very nice. And let`s talk about John Mayer, a very popular singer. And basically he needs people`s help with something now?
COHEN: Yes, that`s right. He has some lyrics that he never finished and also needs some music to go with it. So he`s seeking fans` contributions. He writes a column for "Esquire" magazine, and in the next issue, you`ll hear all about that.
But you can send in your music set to his lyrics. And if you`re lucky, and he likes it, the best one`s will show up on "Esquire`s" web site later this fall.
BRYANT: So you can send in your music for his lyrics, or you can send in lyrics for his songs?
COHEN: Well, there are lyrics that are ready to go. But you know, I think, if you wanted to create a whole new composition out of what he has there, go for it.
BRYANT: That`s kind of a cool idea. I mean, that`s a little risky to -- I mean, not risky, I suppose, but it should be kind of interesting to see if people sort of want to take him in a new direction with rock `n` roll rap, this, what have you.
COHEN: That`s right. He could wind up -- who knows how it could wind up. But the best ones will wind up on the web. And I think the winner`s going to receive an autographed guitar.
BRYANT: Nice.
Now, let`s talk about MTV. They also have this thing, "Overdrive." You can see some exclusive Eminem footage?
COHEN: Yes, well, "Overdrive" is their broadband channel, which recently launched on MTV.com. And they have a special that aired first on "Overdrive" that`s available now to view. About four days before, it`s going to show up on MTV. This is a behind-the-scenes special about the Eminem-50 Cent Anger Management tour. So it`s a good reason to go check out "Overdrive."
BRYANT: And that`s rolling into New York City pretty soon. And Showtime`s actually going to be showing Eminem`s concert, too.
COHEN: That`s right. They`re taping that for a December broadcast.
BRYANT: Very nice. Well, thank you, Jonathan Cohen, for joining us here from "Billboard" magazine.
COHEN: Thank you.
HAMMER: Legal drama for Michael Jackson, Robert Blake, Lindsay Lohan, and Martha Stewart. That is all coming up in our "Celebrity Justice" round-up.
BRYANT: Plus, they`re dirty jobs but somebody`s got to do them. And somebody else has to host the show about the dirty jobs. It`s a show called "Dirty Jobs," and the host joins us live in our series, "Summer Reality Check." That`s coming up next.
HAMMER: And it`s a feel-good hit of the summer, but is there a dark side to "March of the Penguins"? We`ve got the answer, coming you way in "Laughter Dark."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant. It is time now for "Summer Reality Check." It`s our special series on the most buzzed-about reality shows of the summer.
Tonight, it`s a dirty job, but somebody`s got to do it. His name is Mike Rowe. And on his weekly Discovery Channel show "Dirty Jobs," he introduces viewers to men and women who hold down some of the dirtiest jobs anyone could imagine.
We are just a few weeks in a new season. Already viewers have watched Rowe corral bees, process fish, and shovel some ungodly loads, let`s say.
Joining us live tonight, Mike Rowe. He`s (INAUDIBLE) the dirty jobs.
Mike, why did you want to share these jobs with us, because some of them are just disgusting?
MIKE ROWE, "DIRTY JOBS" HOST: I don`t know.
(LAUGHTER)
I mean, this started as a really simple plan, just to give people a look behind the curtain at what hard-working, honest people do to earn a buck. And it`s turned into these series of tributes, really, because everybody knows somebody who has a job worse than theirs, but you have never seen or met the people that do these kinds of things.
It winds up becoming very visual, a lot of fun, but in the end, like I said, they`re tributes, because, really, better them than me.
BRYANT: Right. Now, I want to talk about the episode with the moldy toilet after a sewage explosion. Can you...
ROWE: Disaster cleanup, yes. Yes, that was a really unfortunate event. Mrs. Frazier (ph), I believe, was the woman in question. She owns a home in Jamaica, Queens. And somewhere down the line in a pumping station there was some kind of event, an explosion.
To make a long story short, about a ton and a half of raw sewage flew backwards through the pipes. And through some diabolical mishap of unfortunate engineering, all of it exited through one toilet in her basement. So a disaster cleanup crew was called in to fix the basement.
BRYANT: Oh, my god. I would just move. I would burn it down and move.
I want to talk about the fishing boat incident, too, because the thing about your show, Mike, is I`m glad it`s not in smell-o-vision.
ROWE: No.
BRYANT: You know what I`m saying? This is really gross. You were chumming some fish. Can we talk about this one?
ROWE: Yes, sure, we can. I mean, first of all, the show is really a very, very honest look at things. And that`s me making chum on a boat. And five hours later, in heavy seas, pretty soon the inevitable happens. And you know, the cameramen get sick. Everybody`s sick, including the host.
The point of the show, really, in this case, is to highlight the shark biologist, a guy named Greg Slocum (ph), who just does great work. And, you know, he does this day after day after day. We caught dozens of sharks that day, tagged them, released them. He does his work.
But in the process, everybody`s sick as a dog. It`s just unseemly, day after day after day.
BRYANT: Is there anything that you won`t do?
ROWE: I won`t direct.
BRYANT: Ah, very funny.
ROWE: It`s just too hideous.
BRYANT: Yes.
ROWE: No, you know what? Honestly, we get pitched for a lot of things. And there`s some things we can`t do for a long list of insurance and legal reasons. But by and large, I`m shoulder-to-shoulder with the men or women who do the work.
So if I need some inspiration, I typically turn to my left or right, and I see the guy that`s actually doing it. And that brings some amount of comfort, you know, at least I`m fairly certain it`s not going to kill me.
BRYANT: All right. Well, Mike Rowe, better you than me. Let`s just say that. Thanks for joining us here. The show is called "Dirty Jobs."
And remember, tomorrow night here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we will wrap up our "Summer Reality Check" series with a preview of the reality shows coming up in the fall.
HAMMER: It`s time now for the "Legal Lowdown," celebrity court cases. Two of the jurors from Michael Jackson`s child molestation case reportedly say they think the pop star is guilty, even though they voted to acquit the singer. Both are reportedly prepared to tell all in two upcoming books.
Teen star Lindsay Lohan will likely be called to testify in her parents` divorce trial. That got under way this week. The court proceedings are closed to the media. And the actress may even have to testify via videotape.
Domestic diva Martha Stewart has an extra three weeks of staying domestic under house arrest. There is no word as to exactly what infractions Stewart may have committed.
And finally, actor Robert Blake, who was acquitted of the charges that he shot and killed his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, is new facing a new allegation from his first wife in a civil suit that was filed by Bakley`s four children.
Well, we`ll get somebody to figure all of that out for us. In fact, right now, joining us live from Hollywood to give us the "Legal Lowdown," "Celebrity Justice`s" Harvey Levin. Harvey, also an attorney.
So much going on here. Make some sense of this Michael Jackson thing for me, because, earlier in the program, we spoke with Stacy Brown, who might be an author. He allegedly spoke with two of the jurors who are out there supposedly about to write a book in which they will supposedly say, "We thought he was guilty. We said not guilty, but we thought he was guilty."
Is this coming as a surprise, Harvey?
HARVEY LEVIN, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": You know, I`ve covered so many trials in Hollywood. These jurors are so whacked out that they would do something like this. I mean, it sickens me, actually.
I mean, they voted not guilty. If they believed he was guilty, and they really believed it to the standard they were supposed to observe, then they should have said guilty, and there should have been a hung jury.
But for them to say this now -- and, on the cusp of all of it, saying, "We`re writing a book," just shows me, honest to god, I think this jury system is so tainted and especially when there`s a celebrity and money at the end of the rainbow. You know, I`m starting to lose faith quickly.
HAMMER: It seems really, really odd.
LEVIN: It`s wrong. It`s not just odd, A.J. It`s wrong.
HAMMER: Of course, civil charges have not yet been filed. If the family does decide to move forward with civil proceedings, which they said they wouldn`t do, but if they go ahead and do that, what do you think their chances are?
LEVIN: Well, I think they probably will end up filing something against Michael Jackson. And my guess is, it will never go to trial. Because, remember, since he was found not guilty, Jackson would have to testify in a civil case. He does not want to do that.
And I think the family clearly knows that. And they know they have leverage. So my guess is, they will file a civil lawsuit. It will settle. It will go away. And Michael Jackson will give them several million dollars.
HAMMER: Once again.
OK, well, let`s move on to Lindsay Lohan. Her dad, Michael, already been found guilty on assault charges, among other things, now wants a piece of Lindsay`s money. What the heck are his chances here? Is this realistic at all?
LEVIN: Again, an odious human being he is for doing something like this. He`s basically saying, "I`m responsible for what Lindsay Lohan is today, and I want a cut of this."
Number one, anything that is Lindsay Lohan`s right now he doesn`t have claim to in a divorce proceeding. The divorce proceeding is against his wife, not against Lindsay. So they`re not going to be able to fleece Lindsay because he`s getting involved in a divorce. So I think his chances in that respect are slim to none.
HAMMER: OK. Well, run it down for me now on Martha Stewart. We would have thought she would have kept her nose a little cleaner and avoided anything that could have extended her house arrest. It`s been extended for three weeks.
When those three weeks are over, do you think that`s it? Do you think they`re out there looking for more things to get her on and maybe make a further example of her?
LEVIN: Well, I think it probably is it, if she can survive the next three weeks. But Martha Stewart went into this thing being hammered because of who she is. They never would have gone after somebody under these circumstances if it wasn`t somebody as famous as Martha Stewart.
And you`re seeing now at the back end of all of this, they`re doing the same thing to her. They`re hammering her. Maybe she went to a yoga class and went off-roading at some point. But for crying out loud, you know, they`re treating this like it`s the Manson murders. And, you know, she lied.
HAMMER: Yes. And it really does seem like they`re trying to make an example of her.
Well, let`s get to Robert Blake, because this is a little confusing. His former life, still living, now in some pre-civil trial hearings or statements, whatever`s going on with that, saying that he had put a hit out on her. Can you run this down for us?
LEVIN: Yes, there is a civil lawsuit filed by the family of Bonny Lee Bakley, who was murdered, and they are saying Robert Blake did it. They`re trying to press this civilly.
During the depositions of this case, they had the woman who was once married to Robert Blake take an oath. And she said that, at one point, she was told that Robert Blake had put a hit out on her and the man she was dating.
And my understanding is, it is an actor who played Charles Manson in "Helter Skelter."
HAMMER: Right.
LEVIN: And this is what she says she heard. And it`s unclear to me if she has any firsthand knowledge of it. So my guess is it came out in a deposition and it`s not going to come out in the trial, because I don`t think it`s going to be admissible.
HAMMER: All right. It will continue to unfold, for sure. Lots going on. Harvey Levin from "Celebrity Justice," we appreciate you helping us sort all of this out.
LEVIN: See you, A.J.
BRYANT: It`s time for a little levity. Let`s get your laugh on in "Laughter Dark." As we do every night, we bring you those laughs you might have missed last night. The hit documentary "March of the Penguins" illustrates the strength and the loving nature of penguins in Antarctica.
Well, as Jay Leno shows us on "The Tonight Show," there`s another side to these birds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Well, you know what`s interesting about this movie, even in the penguin community there are a lot of petty jealousies. I found a scene that was not in the movie, was edited out, because they didn`t want to show the penguin -- well, watch, take a look. Watch what happens here.
MORGAN FREEMAN, NARRATOR, "MARCH OF THE PENGUINS": And finally, often on the same day, even around the same time, they will arrive at the place where...
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: A little smack down. Tonight, Jay welcomes the star of "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo," Rob Schneider.
HAMMER: Want to sound off on tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day"? There is still some time. Jackson molestation case: OK for jurors to now profit?
Vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. Write to showbiztonight@CNN.com. Your e-mails live, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: We have been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We appreciate you chiming in on the Jackson molestation case. Is it OK for jurors to now profit? A lot of people think it`s not such a good idea.
Seventeen percent of you say yes, it`s OK for jurors profit; 83 percent of you say no, not a good idea.
E-mails on the subject include one from Kristi (ph) in Iowa, who writes, "Why not let Jackson jurors profit? They gave up their lives, including family, time and salaries for that trial."
We also heard from Susie. She lives in Arkansas and writes, "Not only do I not think the jurors should not make a profit, I wouldn`t buy their books."
I believe that was a triple negative.
BRYANT: I believe so.
HAMMER: Not really sure what that meant. Keep voting by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight.
BRYANT: Time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
HAMMER: Just being honest.
Take a look at the "Showbiz Marquee" with our Marquee Guy.
MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, fired up about the new "Apprentice"? Will you be watching "Big Brother"? I will. We`re wrapping up our "Summer Reality Check" series with a fall season preview. How to be a reality show "Survivor," in the new season, tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, movie madness. Between the guy kicking your chair, the cell phones ringing, and the guy who won`t shut up, don`t you just hate going to the movies sometimes? Tomorrow, madness at the movie house, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
This is the Marquee Guy. And I must confess, I was the one throwing all those milk duds at A.J. from the back row.
HAMMER: Probably going to be getting an angry e-mail from Susie.
BRYANT: From Susie in Arkansas, yes.
HAMMER: That`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hello, there. I`m Sophia Choi with your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
Well, President Bush says terrorists will not drive U.S. forces from Iraq. He is responding to a videotape from Al Qaeda`s deputy leader, threatening with U.S. forces with tens of thousands of casualties if they don`t leave Iraq immediately. The president says troops will stay until Iraq can defend itself.
And a developing story right here. Chief Justice William Rehnquist taken to a hospital in Arlington, Virginia, for observation. He`s said to have a fever. It`s the second emergency treatment in two months for the 80-year-old justice who`s been battling thyroid cancer.
Also, Discovery has been cleared now to return to Earth next week. NASA says there`s no need for another spacewalk to repair a torn thermal blanket near the cockpit window.
In the meantime, the views from space not all that great. Astronauts say they can see widespread environmental damage in parts of the world.
That`s the news for now. I`m Sophia Choi.
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