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Showbiz Tonight

Showbiz Tonight for August 11, 2005, CNNHN

Aired August 11, 2005 - 19:00   ET

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


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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the PC police are back again, and this time it could change the way you watch sports, forever. Tonight, what`s in a name? And is political correctness out of control?

HAMMER (voice-over): Is Courtney Love out of control? There`s no love lost between her and the law. Could she be going to jail?

Plus, the Colin Farrell sex tape. A major new development. Will you get to see it? The answers in tonight`s "Legal Lowdown."

BRYANT: If you don`t have anything nice to say, go to a celebrity roast. Tonight, Pamela Anderson is in the hot seat. And you can only imagine what her famous friends had to say about her. I don`t know even know if we can put it on TV.

PAMELA ANDERSON, ACTRESS: Hi, I`m Pamela Anderson and if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant.

Tonight, some celebrities are trying to get you to save your own life. But are you paying attention?

HAMMER: The death of Peter Jennings this week from lung cancer has inspired people all over to place to quit the smoking habit, or at least it`s got them thinking about it.

BRYANT: But lung cancer is not the only disease that has celebrities trying to give you a wake-up call. CNN`s Kelly Wallace is here with the story for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Karyn and A.J.

To give you all a sense of the outpouring so far, more than 13,000 messages have been posted on ABC News` web site since Peter`s death. Many come from people saying they now plan to quit smoking. And so we wanted to take a look at the power of celebrity in encouraging people to change their lives for the better.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE (voice-over): It was the last time we saw Peter Jennings and he didn`t hide a thing.

PETER JENNINGS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Yes, I was a smoker until about 20 years ago, and I was weak in that I smoked over 9/11.

WALLACE: Peter`s candor and his battle with lung cancer are already changing lives. There are hundreds of messages posted on the ABC News web site, like this one, titled "Today I quit smoking, thanks to Peter."

And this one from Heather in Florida: "My first day without cigarettes."

"This morning, I had a nicotine attack," Heather wrote, but then she "started thinking about Peter and how many years were robbed from him."

We don`t know how many people like Heather are out there, but we do know celebrities and their stories are enormously powerful.

Consider lance Armstrong. After his fight with testicular cancer, his foundation started selling those yellow bracelets to raise money for cancer research. Sixty-five million have been sold so far.

And then there is Katie Couric. After she lost her husband to colon cancer, she under went a colonoscopy screening live on "The Today Show" and testified before Congress.

The result? What researchers actually coined the Katie Couric Effect: a 20 percent increase in colonoscopy screening in the first nine months after her reports.

DR. PETER CRAM, STUDIED "THE KATIE COURIC EFFECT": This shows that even healthy celebrities can have a powerful effect on the public`s behavior when it comes to health care.

WALLACE: But how long does it last? Five years after Katie`s colonoscopy, are screening rates still higher than before her series?

CRAM: We actually would love to know that, but -- but the study has yet to be done. That`s an area for future research.

WALLACE: But when celebrities like Katie Couric or Rudolph Giuliani, who battled prostate cancer, advocate cancer screening...

RUDOLPH GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: I would urge everyone to get the PSA test.

WALLACE: ... people definitely listen.

According to a survey of celebrity driven campaigns, 25 percent of women aged 40 or older who heard or saw a celebrity endorsement said it made them more likely to have a mammogram to detect breast cancer.

And 31 percent of men aged 50 or older said a celebrity message made them more likely to get screened for prostate cancer.

There was a downside, though, according to the authors of the study. They said celebrity endorsers don`t always mention risks associated with cancer screening and don`t always target the groups that would benefit most.

Jeff Stier, associate director of a health advocacy group, says celebrity endorsements should be grounded in science.

JEFF STIER, AMERICAN COUNCIL ON SCIENCE AND HEALTH: We need to make sure that celebrities who do not have an expertise in medicine yet have a disproportionate amount of media attention, that they are held to scientific standards at what they say is based on sound science.

WALLACE: No one disputes the science about smoking: it can kill. And in the case of Peter Jennings, one of his many legacies might be saving thousands of lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: And his colleagues hope, if anything positive can come from such a tragedy, it is a growing awareness of the dangers of smoking. Barbara Walters had this message for viewers, quote, "If you have kids who are smoking, for heaven`s sake, tell them we lost Peter" -- Karyn.

BRYANT: CNN`s Kelly Wallace for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you very much.

Tonight in our "SHOWBIZ Showdown," are the PC police out of control?

What`s in a name, you ask? Well, a lot, if it`s the name of a sports team. Tonight, the NCAA is asking TV networks that carry its college sports championships, to avoid using Indian-related team names on the air.

The NCAA will also ban from postseason tournaments Indian-related names and logos on uniforms. The rule will not apply to regular season games, however.

And it`s not just college teams. People are also upset about some professional sports teams` names, as well.

Joining us live tonight from Minneapolis is Vernon Bellecourt, the president of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media. And he`s a member of the Chippewa tribe. And joining us live from Sacramento is KFBK radio talk show host Mark Williams.

And Mark, I`m going to start with you. Is this just PC overload? Has it gone too far?

MARK WILLIAMS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: PC on steroids, maybe even literally along with figuratively, for all I know.

It`s nice that the NCAA decides to do the right thing but only postseason and then asks the networks to censor the names and the slogans and the mascots of the NCAA`s own teams. It`s kind of like, I mean, you`re halfway PC but not quite there. Maybe they`ll come along.

But it`s nice to know that the -- that we`ve come so far in this country dealing with American Indians. We`ve solved all their problems with poverty, with addiction, with segregated homelands and how to run casinos. So that we can now focus on the minutiae of what some kid calls a team or what some team calls itself out of a tribute to a brave and noble people who came before us.

BRYANT: Vernon, what are your thoughts.

VERNON BELLECOURT, NATIVE AMERICAN ACTIVIST: Well, first of all, there`s nothing to do with political correctness or trivia or minutiae. Racism is racism. You can`t put it in a little niche called political correctness and then ignore it.

This issue has been around a long time. The difference being we`re a living people with a living culture, beautiful traditions, dance, music, art. And when we see that reduced to a school mascot, be it high school, be it college, university, or professional football or baseball, it conjures up all the other kind of insulting behavior by fans, with thousands of people rising to their feet with chicken feathers in their hair, mother`s makeup on their face, Hollywood pseudo-attire with their pot bellies hanging out with a can of beer in one hand and a tomahawk in the other hand.

Is that supposed to feel -- make us feel honored and respected? Absolutely not.

WILLIAMS: I got to tell you, touring the Navajo reservation I saw guys like that and there was no game involved.

BELLECOURT: When we bring this issue -- when we bring this issue to the forefront...

WILLIAMS: I mean, sports fans will be rude on their own, but what is offensive about paying homage to a brave and noble people? You call a team the Warriors. That`s a tribute to American Indians.

BRYANT: Yes, how about that, Vernon? I have to say this. Vernon, listen, I totally understand. I have been caused all manner of awful things in my life. And I understand the sensitivity to this.

But I used to play, you know, baseball. I was on the Indians. I was on the Braves. To me, it was we are fighters; we are going to win. It connoted something very positive to me. And with Florida State, the Seminoles, that tribe has said it`s OK. They endorse the use of the name.

And that to me, I mean, I don`t understand, please enlighten us.

BELLECOURT: Sure.

BRYANT: I just don`t understand why that is negative.

BELLECOURT: You know, the fact is that we have been the victims of the American holocaust. Perhaps 16 million of us have been wiped out. And tow to say you honor us for our fighting spirit, that`s so much romantic and mystical buffalo chips, frankly.

BRYANT: OK.

BELLECOURT: It`s not an honor. Most of our people across the country, with the exception of a few. And they can always find somebody who will say, "Oh, I like it just the way it is."

But most of our people, the National Congress of American Indians, the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media is made up of 400 and some groups across the country of all races. They understand it.

But your other guests that you`ve got on, they don`t know us. They`ve been playing cowboys and Indians ever since they were children, trivializing a living people`s culture and identity.

(CROSSTALK)

WILLIAMS: I know you, and I know the group. I know you excel on extremism (ph).

BRYANT: Hold on, Mark. Hold on.

BELLECOURT: And regardless, when we tell them that we`re offended by it...

WILLIAMS: I know you`re on a fundraising jag, and I also know you`ve got no objection to the Boston Celtics.

BELLECOURT: It`s not -- it`s not for money.

BRYANT: Guys, hold on. Whoa. I`m going to blow the referee whistle here for a second.

BELLECOURT: Sure.

BRYANT: I understand your point, Vernon. And thank you for making it.

Mark, what is the big deal, though? How about if they change the name? The Washington Bullets, hey, we have urban problems. Maybe the name of a team shouldn`t be a bullet. People are getting shot a lot. Let`s change it. Big whoop, they became the Wizards. It`s fine. What is the big deal about changing the name?

WILLIAMS: Well, a better name for the Washington Bullets would have been the Washington Chalk Outlines instead of Wizards. This is so disingenuous and so...

BELLECOURT: How about the Washington Senators with their pockets full of money?

WILLIAMS: There you go. I`ll go for that one. But you`re not objecting...

BELLECOURT: But the Washington team.

WILLIAMS: You`re not objecting to the Aztec mascot of the San Diego State Aztecs, Montezuma. You`re not objecting to the drunken leprechaun...

BELLECOURT: Yes, we are.

WILLIAMS: ... for the Fighting Irish. You`re not objecting to the Boston Celtics leprechaun. This is -- this is just PC on overdrive.

BELLECOURT: It has nothing to do with PC. Racism is racism. It has nothing to do with PC.

WILLIAMS: What, would it be equally racist to name a school after an Indian?

BRYANT: Vernon, I`m giving you the last word. Real quick.

BELLECOURT: The Aztecs were willing to change. When you look at the nation`s capital, you have a team called the Washington Redskins. The "redskin" word is equivalent to the "n" word or other racial slurs that you`ll see in Random House Dictionary. And I don`t like to use those words and I won`t.

But how can a team be called the Washington Redskins?

BRYANT: All right.

BELLECOURT: So the thing is NCAI said it was abusive and said it was hostile.

BRYANT: Right.

BELLECOURT: Why don`t people like your guests and other institutions, you know -- the genie is out of the bottle.

BRYANT: It is. Well...

BELLECOURT: There`s no going back.

BRYANT: Gentlemen, we`re going to have...

BELLECOURT: They might as well change.

BRYANT: We`re going to have to stop it right here. And I`m sure this debate will continue. Vernon, thank very much. Mark, thank you, as well.

Whew. This is going to be a doozy. We want to hear from you. What are your thoughts? It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. When it comes to sports teams, should Native American team names be banned from TV? You can vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT and send us e-mails at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts later in the show.

Well, where do you get your news? More and more people have given up staring at the TV to stare at the computer screen. That`s coming up in our series, "The New News".

HAMMER: Plus, we all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So how can a bunch of people online have the final say so? Jeanne Moos tries to infiltrate "The Beautiful People." That`s coming up.

BRYANT: And lots of guys think Pam Anderson`s beauty is a no-brainer. It was boob jokes galore when the stars gathered to roast Pam. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there, and we`ve got that for you coming up.

HAMMER: Why boob jokes?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.

Now we`ve got a follow up on a story we recently told you about. The dating web site that you can only join if the members online say you`re beautiful enough.

Well, we here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT are thrilled to let you know that our own producer, Amy Schulman, made the cut. Nice going, Amy. CNN`s Jeanne Moos also decided to give this thing the old college try. Take a look at what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): All you beautiful people...

CARLY SIMON, SINGER (SINGING): You`re so vein...

MOOS: You probably think this web site is about you.

SIMON: One eye in the mirror and...

MOOS: Maybe both eyes if you think you belong on an Internet dating service called BeautifulPeople.net.

(on camera) Look at that. How am I supposed to compete with that?

(voice-over) Only beautiful people are allowed on, chosen by the beautiful people who are already members. Some so perfect...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh!

MOOS: ... their washboard abs inspire laugher. Only one in 10 get in. We wondered what does it take to join "The Beautiful People"?

(on camera) What we need is a guinea pig, not him, me.

(voice-over) In a fit of journalistic excess, I volunteered. First stop, the makeup room, where they sprayed every pore.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And maybe some false eyelashes?

MOOS (on camera): No, we`re not going that far.

(voice-over) A beautiful photo...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Excellent.

MOOS: ... is a must if you want to be among "The Beautiful People."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good. I like that little head tilt.

MOOS: DatingHeadShots.com specializes in taking pictures that look good on Internet sites.

Photo finished, it was time to fill in the application with a little help from my colleagues.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are going to lie...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are going to lie on this one, too.

MOOS (on camera): We are?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MOOS: Select body type. Uh-oh. Slim, average, toned, athletic, muscular, cuddly, or ample.

(voice-over) Next we had to write a profile.

(on camera) Outgoing but reclusive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, that`s not going to work.

MOOS (voice-over): We opted for over the top. Basically I`m here because I`m hot.

(on camera) Take my temperature.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

MOOS (voice-over): We then had to choose from dozens of photos.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s too sensitive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MOOS: I`m too sexy for my whatever.

RIGHT SAID FRED, MUSICIAN (singing): I`m too sexy.

MOOS: Into cyberspace I went, stacked up against cleavage and chiseled bodies and exposed, exposed, exposed flesh. Guys vote on female applicants; women vote on men.

GARY HODGE, WWW.BEAUTIFULPEOPLE.NET: Is it elitist? Yes, it is, because our members want it to be. Is it lookers? Yes, it is, because our members want it to be. Is it PC? No, it`s not, but it`s honest.

MOOS: And did I mention you have to pick a user name? Mine was FeastYourEyes. For three days they feasted. You can check out your rating in progress on a bar graph.

Remember take my temperature?

(on camera) Temperature`s plummeting.

(voice-over) Though nine out of ten are rejects, that didn`t soften the sting of the final e-mail: "The members of Beautiful people did not find your profile attractive enough."

But a producer up in SHOWBIZ got in.

AMY SCHULMAN, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT PRODUCER: It`s mean. It`s mean. And I do feel bad.

MOOS: Beautiful people have feelings too.

(on camera) How old are you?

SCHULMAN: I`m 27 1/2.

MOOS: She`s gotten e-mails from two guys and even a woman who called her absolutely stunning and offered to exchange numbers.

So what`s a rejected guinea pig to do? Maybe start my own web site, BeautifulGuineaPigs.com. Dark haired beauty with chestnut highlights, soft brown eyes, loves heavy petting.

NORAH JONES, SINGER (singing): I am beautiful. No matter they say. Words can`t bring me down

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: That is CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And Jeanne, you are beautiful, no matter what people say.

BRYANT: She is a true original. Got to love her.

Well, tonight, the ratings are in. And more than nine million people tuned in last night to watch ABC News` two-hour tribute to Peter Jennings. Nielson estimates, the special, called "Peter Jennings: Reporter," was the most watched show of the night.

Viewership peaked in the final half hour, when more than 10.6 million people were watching.

HAMMER: Peter Jennings` battle with lung cancer has brought a lot of attention to the disease`s No. 1 cause, which of course, is smoking. But what is Hollywood`s role? When celebrities light up, do children follow the example?

The book "Hollywood Speaks Out on Tobacco" says there is, in fact a link. And joining us live from Sacramento, California, the book`s author, Curtis Mekemson.

All right, Curtis, you`ve actually found a link. Tell us about it.

CURTIS MEKEMSON, "HOLLYWOOD SPEAKS OUT ON TOBACCO": Yes, there is. Number of studies have been done over the last several years out of Dartmouth College, and what they are suggesting is that 40-50 percent of the initiation of tobacco among kids is directly attributable to tobacco in the movies.

So you know, when a celebrity lights up on screen, what a young person sees is somebody he looks up to, you know, maybe even worships doing something he would love to do, and he`s doing it while smoking a cigarette. It sends a very powerful message to young people that smoking is a highly desirable activity.

HAMMER: So if that is the case, then something obviously needs to be done about it. I spent some time in India. I was astounded by the smoking problem over there. Bollywood, which is the center of film -- the film industry in India, has actually banned smoking from any of the movies that it puts out. Do you ever see that happening with Hollywood?

MEKEMSON: Well, you know what we`re hoping will happen with Hollywood is that the Motion Picture Association of America will modify their rating system. And get tobacco out of kid-oriented movies. That`s at least a start.

We`ve actually been working with the industry for the last 10 years in a whole wide range of activities. And unfortunately, all of our efforts have had almost zero impact on reducing tobacco in movies. So we`re hoping by modifying the MPAA guidelines, you know, that we will be able to at least take a giant first step in solving the problem.

HAMMER: In fact, Curtis, isn`t it true that instances of smoking in movies has actually gone up over the last year, compared to the last 10 years?

MEKEMSON: Yes, we saw the highest incidence this past year in 11 years, and that`s overall. In PG-13 movies, it was the highest number of incidents in 10 years. And for PG movies, it was the highest sentence in seven years.

HAMMER: Right.

MEKEMSON: So not only has tobacco use gone up, but it`s also increasing, you know, in kid oriented movies, you know, the ones that are the most likely to have a great influence on young people on their decision to start smoking.

HAMMER: Well, best of luck with your efforts. Curtis Mekemson, we appreciate you join us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

MEKEMSON: Thank you very much.

BRYANT: Why is Tori Amos bootlegging herself? And what exactly does that look like, exactly? We have the answers in the "SHOWBIZ Guide" to music online.

HAMMER: Plus, the roast with the most. It`s Pam Anderson, and she is a red hot bull`s eye as star after star takes a shot at her. Did they go for the easy jokes? We`re going to find out, coming up.

BRYANT: And, why does Dennis Leary spend so much time in his barn? We`re hanging out at home with the "Rescue Me" star. That`s on the way.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. It`s 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.

Joining us live from Hollywood, Melinda Newman, west coast bureau chief for "Billboard" magazine.

Now Melinda, I understand Verizon is offering what they`re calling a "V Cast." They`re going to be sending concerts to their subscribers. Can you tell us about that?

MELINDA NEWMAN, "BILLBOARD" MAGAZINE: That`s right. They`re three very hot Latin acts that are on tour: Alejandro Fernandez, Cheyenne (ph) and Mark Anthony. And they`re only going to 17 cities. But what V Cast is doing, what Verizon is doing is if you are a subscriber to their V Cast service, you can watch segments of these concerts for up to a week after the show for free on your phone.

BRYANT: How good is the sound quality going to be on that, though?

NEWMAN: The sound quality`s getting better and better. Of course, it`s not the same thing as being there. But with each new generation of phones, the sounds are getting much, much better.

BRYANT: OK. I want to talk about Tori Amos. She`s in the business a long time. She`s going to be bootlegging her own music. Obviously, bootlegs are something that, you know, used to be not sanctioned. They were illegal. And can you tell us about what she`s doing?

NEWMAN: What`s really cool is there are a number of other artists who have done this before her, like Pearl Jam or Dave Matthews Band actually have very, very strong fan bases.

And what she`s doing is she`s taking six concerts and she`ll be offering two disks of bootlegs from each of them on a site she set up called Tori Amos Bootleg. And she`s taking orders for them now. They`ll first be available August 30.

So it`s a really fun way, if you weren`t able to go, to hear her perform live. And if you were at one of those concerts, it`s an incredibly wonderful souvenir, and it won`t shrink like a T-shirt might.

BRYANT: Plus, by the way, T-shirts now at concerts, $40, $50. What is up with that? I don`t get it. That`s for another time.

NEWMAN: I think they realized people want to take something home with them, and they`re willing to pay for it.

BRYANT: I guess so. Well, Melinda Newman, thank you for joining us. Of course, Melinda of "Billboard" magazine -- A.J.

HAMMER: All right, Karyn. Pamela Anderson in the hot seat. Plus we`re going to have the celebrity roast of Pamela Anderson coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues in one minute. Hi, everybody, I`m Thomas Roberts with your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."

The couple accused of killing a prison guard during a courthouse escape in Tennessee will appear in court tomorrow. An extradition hearing is set for George and Jennifer Hyatte in Columbus, Ohio. That`s where they were finally tracked down by police after a tip from a cab driver who dropped them off at a motel.

A man shot and killed a police officer near Atlanta before running into a nearby post office. A SWAT team surrounded the building, but the suspect was later found dead inside. He apparently took his own life, and no one else was hurt.

People living on the East Coast will want to keep a very close eye on Tropical Storm Irene. Forecasters say that it should strengthen into a hurricane over the next few days and could hit anywhere from Georgia all the way to Virginia. But it could still take a very sharp turn and miss the coast completely.

That is the news for now. Thanks for joining us. I`m Thomas Roberts. And we take you back for more of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

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

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. You`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.

So, of course, the big Pam Anderson roast is airing this weekend. I heard the radio commercial for it this morning, as done by roastmaster Jimmy Kimmel, who basically, in the commercial, says, "If it weren`t for certain parts of Pam`s anatomy, she would have no career." So we sort of have an idea of where that roast will be going. We`ll give you some of the behind-the-scenes clips coming up a little later on in the show.

BRYANT: That`s right. And we`re also going to dish about Colin Farrell, because we all know he`s kind of a playboy. He made a sex tape with a playmate. He`s trying to keep it from being released. And we`re going to get to that in "Legal Lowdown."

HAMMER: Will you get to see it or not?

First, time to get to tonight`s "Hot Headlines." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer joins us live with those.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN HEADLINE NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, A.J. and Karyn.

Tonight, Oliver Stone is being fined for pot. The Oscar-winning director of "Platoon" and "Born on the Fourth of July" has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor possession of marijuana while driving. He was arrested at a police checkpoint back in May. Stone has to pay a $100 fine.

It`s not "The Sopranos" swan song just yet. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT learning today that the hit HBO show will air eight bonus episodes being in January of 2007. HBO, which is owned by Time Warner, like us, isn`t calling it another season, though. "The Sopranos" 12-episode sixth season is scheduled to kick off in March 2006.

And tonight, a battle is brewing that some say is an attack on free speech. The National College Athletic Association is asking TV stations that carry its sports championships, like basketball`s Final Four or football bowl games not to use Native American team names like Braves and Indians in their broadcasts. The NCAA says these names are, quote, "hostile and abusive."

And that`s a look at tonight`s "Hot Headlines" -- Karyn?

BRYANT: Thank you very much, David Haffenreffer.

And that last story leads to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Sports teams: Should Native American team names be banned from TV? You can keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight. You can also write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. And your e-mails will be on the air at 54 past the hour.

HAMMER: Tonight, and I apologize in advance for saying this, busting on Pamela Anderson. Yes, for years, the "Baywatch" beauty has been a sex symbol. And with that fame, of course, the butt of many jokes.

But as we got to see first-hand, Pam took all that prodding in stride, at her own celebrity roast. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson is live in Hollywood with more.

Brooke, I`m guessing they just kind of went after the obvious at that roast?

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of them definitely did, A.J. A lot of boob jokes. From Tommy Lee, to Dennis Rodman, to Courtney Love, it was a motley crew of Pam playmates on the carpet. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has all the dirty details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAM ANDERSON, ACTRESS: She could pass out during a rescue.

B. ANDERSON (voice-over): Here she is in her Emmy-worthy role, "Baywatch" babe. Here`s some top-rate acting in the movie "Barbed Wire."

P. ANDERSON: Can I count on you?

B. ANDERSON: Now she`s starring in the sitcom called, yes, "Stacked." But she`s known to a lot of fans as star of her own homemade sex tape. No, we`re not going to show you that.

P. ANDERSON: I`m used to being made fun of.

B. ANDERSON: And the jokes were flying at Comedy Central`s Pamela Anderson roast. The animal rights activist told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it was all for a good cause.

P. ANDERSON: I`m doing it for PETA. All the money goes to -- they`re giving PETA $200,000, which will support two years of their campaign. And, you know, this is for a good cause.

B. ANDERSON: Tell that to comedian Jeffrey Ross. He wore fur. Is that fur fake?

Check out some of Pam`s other wild friends. They look like animals, and they all wanted to know, who was Pam`s date?

P. ANDERSON: This is my date. I`m switching from animals to vegetable. Much more enjoyable.

B. ANDERSON: Lots of buxom blonds. Here`s Anna Nicole Smith.

(on-screen): You and Pamela seem to have a lot in common. What are your...

ANNA NICOLE SMITH, REALITY TV STAR: What are you talking about?

B. ANDERSON: Remember Charo? She told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they`ve got a lot in common, too.

CHARO, PERFORMER: She`s a survivor. I`m a survivor. And she`s very glamorous.

B. ANDERSON: Courtney Love agrees.

COURTNEY LOVE, ROCK SINGER: I mean, she`s kind of like -- her nostrils are symmetrical. It`s just nutty. And we had a sleepover. And I woke up. She was still sleeping. I was like, it`s crazy. You`re so pretty. It`s weird.

B. ANDERSON: Blonde Andy Dick brought his own blonde.

ANDY DICK, COMEDIAN: If you look around, everybody here is kind of a partier. It`s like a lot of party people. Is Tommy Lee here?

B. ANDERSON: Yes, Tommy Lee wouldn`t miss it. And Dennis Rodman dressed up for the event. But a few friends were worried about the roast, Jimmy Kimmel.

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": I don`t know. Being roasted, it`s terrible.

B. ANDERSON: And "Stacked" co-star Marissa Jaret Winokur.

MARISSA JARET WINOKUR, ACTRESS, "STACKED": I`m paranoid. I`m like scared to death that they`re going to be too mean.

B. ANDERSON: Cover your ears. She had a point.

Here`s comedian Lisa Lampanelli.

LISA LAMPANELLI, "ROASTER": Her life story should be a show on VH-1 called "I (beep) the `80s."

(LAUGHTER)

B. ANDERSON: And Sara Silverman complimented her animal rights activism.

SARA SILVERMAN, COMEDIAN: And she`s amazing, especially her work with the one-eyed trouser snake.

B. ANDERSON: Comedian Nick di Paolo spoke of her acting.

NICK DI PAOLO, COMEDIAN: Pam, you know how you say fur is murder? Well, so is watching you act.

B. ANDERSON: But Pam was a good sport.

KIMMEL: I like you. I want to thank everyone for coming tonight. Call the police!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

B. ANDERSON: And we showed you the tame stuff, if you can believe it. But if you want to catch more dirty details, the Pamela Anderson roast airs on Comedy Central this Sunday, A.J. I know you`ll be watching, right?

HAMMER: Locked in, Brooke Anderson, live in Hollywood. And, Brooke, I just want to be sure of this, no relation, Pam Anderson, Brooke Anderson?

B. ANDERSON: No relation that I know of.

HAMMER: Just needed to check -- Karyn?

B. ANDERSON: OK.

BRYANT: Well, now on to a guy who`s also been roasted by Comedy Central. It`s time for Thursday "InStyle." Tonight, at home with Denis Leary.

Now, you know him as a bittersweet, wise fireman, street-wise firemen, in the F/X series "Rescue Me." If you don`t know him, you need to watch the show, because it`s amazing.

But there is another side to Denis Leary, and it`s a very domestic side. I`m not kidding you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SYDNE BOLDEN, "INSTYLE" MAGAZINE: Denis Leary is at home with "InStyle." He and his wife, Ann, invited us to their beautiful home. When Denis and Ann found this country house -- they had been going to the country to retreat from their Manhattan life for many years. But they decided to pick up everything and make the move and have a family life.

Denis and his wife, Ann, whom he met years ago in college, and their two children, Jack and Devin, they have four dogs and four horses, on this beautiful rolling land country farmhouse with a renovated barn in Connecticut.

The house needed a little bit of renovation. They have -- which is so sentimental to me -- a center island in their kitchen. And all of the excess wood, they put it into the center island, so there`s all of the remnants of their renovations there.

One of their favorite rooms in the house is the sunroom. And it`s decorated, you know, cozy. They have a big chenille couch. And the dogs get on the couch, and people get on the couch. And they read there, and they have coffee there. And they just take in the beautiful views.

Denis had some ideas about the barn. So they converted the barn into somewhat of a personal sanctuary for him. And he has his study upstairs, where he writes. And downstairs is kind of a TV and a play room for he and his buddies when they get together away from the main house.

They converted a hockey rink into a tennis court. It`s huge, it`s big, and they use it. Even the pool has been designed to look like a miniature pond.

It`s surprising to me to see him in this setting, in this kind of house. It really shows his softer side, his family side. I think it makes him much more tangible to us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: If you want to read more on Denis Leary`s home life, pick up a copy of this month`s "InStyle" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.

HAMMER: Well, our big boss here at CNN may not like this one. More and more of you are turning off your televisions and booting up your computer. We`re going to show you exciting new ways to get the news you want when you want, as we wrap up our "New News" series, coming up next.

BRYANT: Plus, if you were just aching to see the Colin Farrell sex tape, I`m sorry, but you`re going to have to keep on waiting. That and more, in tonight`s "Legal Lowdown."

HAMMER: Also, why Willie Nelson clouds "Dukes of Hazzard" star Johnny Knoxville`s judgment, coming up in "Laughter Dark."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Tonight, we`ve got a lot to cover in the "Legal Lowdown," the Colin Farrell sex tape, and rocker Courtney Love is in trouble again. Joining us live from Hollywood, "Celebrity Justice`s" Harvey Levin, who is also an attorney.

Harvey, let`s get right to it. Courtney Love allegedly violated her probation on an assault charge. She was reportedly under the influence of a controlled substance. She`s had a lot of problems with drugs before. She`s due in court later this month.

If she did, in fact, violate her probation, could she, and more importantly should she, go to jail?

HARVEY LEVIN, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": She could go to jail. And I don`t think she should go to jail. I mean, I think there is something so dumb about a system where you basically look at somebody, who clearly has a problem, and Courtney Love has been battling abuse for a long, long time.

And the response should not be, if you can`t stay clean, we`re going to throw you in jail. That`s what we`re going to do. We`re going to throw you in jail. And it`s somebody who clearly can`t control this problem.

I think it`s just really a dumb way of handling the criminal justice system. You help people like that. You don`t say, "If you can`t do it" -- we know you can`t do it, because you`ve had these problems, "so we`re going to throw you in jail." It makes no sense.

BRYANT: I think maybe perhaps you`re just looking out for Frances Bean, trying to anyway, her daughter.

LEVIN: No, no, no. That`s a separate issue. With Frances Bean, her daughter, you can still take custody away temporarily, if she`s having a problem. But the solution is not to throw somebody in jail. It just doesn`t make sense.

BRYANT: It doesn`t help.

Well, let`s move on to Colin Farrell. He and his former girlfriend, playmate Nicole Narain, they made a sex tape together. Colin Farrell sued to keep her from selling the tape or displaying the tape. He got a restraining order. A judge has just extended that injunction. And Nicole Narain is the woman on the tape. She says -- or she won`t say that she won`t sell it.

So what if she violates this injunction, puts the tape out there? What could happen?

LEVIN: Well, two things could happen. Number one, he could sue her for damages. And number two, if she violates the order, she could be held in contempt of court and theoretically go to jail. And I think she`s sending a clear signal, even though she`s saying, "Gee, I had nothing to do with the release of the tape," pretty interesting, isn`t it, that she`s not saying, "Hey, I won`t release it ever." She wants to keep her options open.

BRYANT: Now, what do you think Colin`s chances are in this battle?

LEVIN: Well, I think he will win the battle. The question is, will he win the war? Will he keep this tape private?

It`s really hard in this climate to keep these tapes -- especially now that somebody has the tape, a guy who peddles these things -- it`s going to be real hard for this tape not to get out there.

And my guess is, honestly, my guess is it`s probably going to because, if somebody can make a buck in this climate, and they probably can off the tape, they`re going to do it.

BRYANT: Oh, sure. Yes, and those tapes make a lot of money. Just ask Paris Hilton.

LEVIN: I just don`t know how much it`s going to hurt Colin Farrell. It`s not like he`s known as kind of a priestly guy.

BRYANT: Right, exactly. Well, we`ll have to see. Thanks for joining us, Harvey Levin of "Celebrity Justice" -- A.J.?

HAMMER: I don`t think it`ll hurt him at all.

Well, now, as we wrap up our special series, "The New News," tonight, news video online. The competition is hotter than ever to get you to follow the news by watching video on the Internet.

CNN about to launch a revolutionary online news site called the Pipeline. It`s going to allow you to choose from several exclusive on- demand video feeds. CBS News says it`s about to become a major news destination for video online. And Yahoo! has just announced it, too, will be carrying video from CNN and ABC News.

Joining us live here in New York tonight to talk about this, Michael Burgi. He`s the editor for "Mediaweek" magazine. And Bart Feder, president and CEO of the Feedroom, a broadband video company that powers the online video for major media companies.

Guys, thanks for being here.

BART FEDER, CEO, THE FEEDROOM: Glad to be here.

MICHAEL BURGI, EDITOR, "MEDIAWEEK": Hi.

HAMMER: We`ve been talking about this all week.

And, Bart, I want to ask you, news on the net, nothing new. In fact, it`s been around about as long as the Internet has existed. You heard all of the outlets that I mentioned that are bringing on-demand video and the separate news feeds just for online. Why is it exploding now?

FEDER: Well, I think that -- we know that the Internet made the expectation that there would be 24/7 news. So that started it. Then the broadband explosion, the fact that people now have these high-speed connections in their homes means that quality video can be part of that package, along with text and pictures.

But probably most importantly -- and I think that`s why these big media companies are doing it -- is that advertisers have figured out. They`ve figured out that they can now reach an audience online that they can no longer reach on television or on cable.

And they`re supporting free video. All of those companies used to do subscription video. And so there wasn`t as much of it, and people weren`t willing to pay for it. But advertisers are willing to support it.

HAMMER: Now there is money to be made for sure.

Michael, one of the things we`ve been talking about all week is the bleeding off of the network news audience, the fact that people are not, you know, locking into one time a day when they sit down to get their news. In the past, all of this online news watching was really supplemental to what people would get elsewhere. Now it`s fair to say it`s really become an alternative, isn`t it?

BURGI: Well, yes, I definitely think so, because we`re living in an on-demand world. People are just so used to getting any number of things the way they want them to. And news is now just another one of those commodities that they can get how they want it, when they want it. And with, you know, the fatter pipelines into most people`s homes, they can get it in a much quicker, easier and simpler way. So it`s that much more compelling.

HAMMER: Bart, you mentioned the advertising. You know, you watch a network newscast, you can pretty well tell who those ads are targeted for, who the demographics are. It`s a much older audience.

If you look at the online news feeds, you`re seeing, you know, ads for soda products and things of that nature.

FEDER: That`s right.

HAMMER: So who is the audience online?

FEDER: Well, it started out as almost exclusively young men, because they had the broadband connections in the office, traditionally. And now it`s expanded to being young men, young women, and everyone, but specifically that`s where that audience now lives.

They live online. They`re watching their video online. They`re watching sports online. They`re spending much more time online than they are on television. And that`s what we found.

There was a study that showed that people with broadband connections were watching less television, two hours less a week of television, because they`re getting that information online.

HAMMER: And the younger demographic, typically the early adapters with the new technology, but the technology not perfect yet. What are some of the hurdles that that still needs to overcome for this to become more mass appeal?

BURGI: Well, I can tell you my own experience. I`m a Macintosh user in my office and in my home. And, you know, every time I try to see video footage online -- I tried to see the Toronto plane crash last week -- couldn`t do it. You know, the little error message comes up saying, "You`re not set up for this Flash plug-in."

I can`t even remember what the message is. But it`s frustrating as hell. I want to watch this stuff, too. I want to see it in an on-demand basis, and I don`t have the chance to.

FEDER: But that is changing. The technology is improving every day. Flash video is making a huge difference in being able to cross all those browsers and platforms. And the user experience, from when I started doing this five years ago to where it is today, has just been a tremendous difference. And it`s only going to get better.

HAMMER: But we have to do something about the bias against we Macintosh users.

BURGI: It`s frustrating. It`s really...

HAMMER: It can be. Well, thanks for helping us wrap up our series, Michael Burgi, Bart Feder. We appreciate you joining us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

FEDER: Great to be here. Thank you.

BURGI: Thank you.

BRYANT: Yes, I`m down with the P.C. over here. I`ve got to tell you.

Well, the stars of the "Dukes of Hazzard" are on the talk show circuit. And both Sean William Scott and Johnny Knoxville shared similar stories with two different late night hosts last night. Watch as the smoke clears with Scott on the "Tonight Show" and Knoxville on the "Late Show."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Now, of course, Willie Nelson`s in the film. And Willie Nelson -- Willie`s bus is legendary. Have you been on the bus?

SEAN WILLIAM SCOTT, ACTOR, "DUKES OF HAZZARD": No, Johnny Knoxville is like the king of partying. And, you know, he came to the set one day. And I was, like, he seemed kind of out of it. I mean, he`s always out of it, but he seemed like abnormally out of it.

And I said, "What`s up?" He goes, "I got on Willie Nelson`s bus yesterday. It`s all a big fog to me. I don`t know, man. I wouldn`t go on there." And I was like, "Well, if you say it`s too much for you, I`m not going on the bus."

So everybody`s like, "You got to go on Willie Nelson`s bus. It`s insane." And I was like, "I know what`s going to happen. I`m going to go on his bus, I`m going to partake in their herbal medicine, and you guys are going to wait for me to go number two in my pants. I`m not going to do it. So I never went on the bus."

LENO: Is that what happens, Kev, when you smoke...

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE SHOW": And Willie Nelson, what is it like to be around Willie?

JOHNNY KNOXVILLE, ACTOR, "DUKES OF HAZZARD": He`s just the sweetest guy in two shoes. And have you ever been on the bus, Dave?

LETTERMAN: I think I actually stuck my head in there once just to see what it was.

KNOXVILLE: It`s a little smoky on that bus.

(LAUGHTER)

LETTERMAN: Maybe they need to take it to Midas.

KNOXVILLE: You know, I walk on Johnny Knoxville and I walk off Doug Henning, just woo...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Tonight, Jay Leno welcomes Steve Carell. And on the "Late Show" with Dave, Rosie Perez stops by.

HAMMER: There`s still some time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Sports teams: Should Native American team names be banned from TV? If you`d like to vote, go to CNN.com/showbiztonight. If you want to write to us, our address is showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of your e-mails live, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Well, throughout the show, we have been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Sports teams: Should Native American team names be banned from television?

BRYANT: Well, the vote is very one-sided tonight. Eighty-six percent of you say no, they should not be banned from TV. Only 14 percent of you say yes, they should be banned.

And we`ve gotten a lot of e-mails. One of them from Kathy from Montana. She writes, "It is a fact, Native Americans were here first. And teams named after various tribes should be seen as a positive tribute."

HAMMER: But we also heard from Heather in California. She disagrees, saying, "As a university student myself, I find these mascots to be extremely offensive."

You can continue to vote by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight. One of those hot-button issues. We have gotten...

BRYANT: I know.

HAMMER: ... hundreds and hundreds of e-mails on this one.

BRYANT: And you can see the point on each side. I mean, it`s definitely a tough one to call.

HAMMER: Well, it is time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

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

MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, this Bill has never really fit the bill, but that`s OK with him, because he`s not shy about being "Politically Incorrect," just like the Marquee Guy. Bill Maher on blogs, books, and back to standup. Bill Maher, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Actually, Tommy Lee, we heard you`re going to college. And tomorrow, he`s pledging the SBT fraternity, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for you non-Greeks. Motley Crue`s bad-boy drummer Tommy Lee his new reality show. Don`t be late for class, kiddies. Tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

This is the Marquee Guy, also known as Dr. Feel Good.

HAMMER: That`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.

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

END