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Showbiz Tonight
Study Raises Safety Concerns about Weight Reduction Surgery; Celebs Paid to Party?; Rod Stewart Tackles Song Classics
Aired October 19, 2005 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: I`m Brooke Anderson.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And I`m A.J. Hammer. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, stars and the scalpel. They`re dropping the weight. Their fans, doing the same, wanting a quick fix. But if you lose the pounds, will you lose your life? Tonight, startling new information about a popular Hollywood weight loss procedure. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks are celebrities sending the right message?
Plus, stars for sale. Tonight, another secret Hollywood doesn`t want you to know, revealed, the money the stars make just for showing up. The numbers will shock you. Hollywood for hire, an exclusive first look.
And...
ROD STEWART, MUSICIAN: Some guys have all the luck, eh?
HAMMER: We`ve heard you say that before, Rod. Tonight, Rod Stewart, his fifth decade making music, and what luck. Singing superstars join him. Tonight`s the night SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has Rod Stewart.
MELISSA ETHERIDGE, MUSICIAN: Hey, I`m Melissa Etheridge. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Good evening. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight obesity surgery, one of Hollywood`s most dramatic ways to lose weight, and plenty of stars have jumped on the bandwagon, from Roseanne to Al Roker. But before you look to battle the bulge the way they do, pay close attention. Because a new study just out today reveals the results could be deadly.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas, live in Hollywood tonight in our Hollywood newsroom with the story.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That`s right, A.J. A new medical study has found that obesity surgery is more dangerous than anyone originally thought. The surgery usually involves cutting off a part of the stomach. It`s a procedure that`s growing in popularity in America, especially here in Hollywood.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS (voice-over): John Popper is the front man for the Grammy award winning band Blues Traveler, and he`s a gastric bypass success story.
JOHN POPPER, MUSICIAN: I used to step on the gas station -- those little hoses, and it goes ding-ding. I could make it go ding just by stepping on it.
VARGAS: Pauper used to weigh over 400 pounds, but in 2000 he had a wake up call.
POPPER: I was 95 percent blocked in every artery in my heart. I knew that if I kept touring, I was probably going to die soon.
VARGAS: After the gastric bypass surgery, he lost about half his body weight. And he tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that it changed his life.
POPPER: It saved my life. It was absolutely that simple. The reason that I did it was not a cosmetic one.
VARGAS: Other stars have gone under the scalpel in the last few years and dropped the pounds fast. "Today Show" host Al Roker lost more than 100 pounds since he got the surgery in 2002.
Singer Carney Wilson slimmed down after the surgery and even broadcast it live on the Internet.
And the list goes on. Comedian Roseanne Barr, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, Nicole Richie`s main squeeze D.J. AM and even blues legend Etta James. James tells CNN it saved her life.
ETTA JAMES, SINGER: I was at the age where you`re cruising for a heart attack. But I was just -- I was tired of being fat.
VARGAS: But a new study just out today in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" says it`s people in Etta`s age group that have the most to worry about. Elderly bypass patients are nearly three times more likely to die earlier than they normally would from obesity surgery. And nearly one in 20 Medicare patients die within the first year of surgery. One in 20.
The procedure is only getting more popular, and not just with the stars. The American Society of Bariatric Surgery (ph) predicts obesity surgeries will be performed more than 150,000 times in the next year.
RON BISHOP, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DREXEL UNIVERSITY: Certainly, the number of folks who are getting gastric bypass has risen dramatically over the last three or four years. So there certainly is some evidence to suggest that, you know, folks are paying attention, at least, to celebrities who do avail themselves of the surgery.
VARGAS: Bishop is a professor of pop culture and communications for Drexel University. He told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he`s concerned about the message celebrities and the media send about obesity surgery.
BISHOP: My main concern would be just the notion that`s it`s a quick fix. I mean, it`s a very involved, serious procedure that requires a great deal of recuperation and a lot of behavior modification after the surgery.
VARGAS: The reality is that complications could be deadly. Among 35 to 44-year-olds, three percent of women and five percent of men died within a year of surgery.
And it`s also a matter of relearning eating habits and living with a whole new body.
POPPER: I fainted in airports twice on different occasions, because I didn`t get my food right. But other than that, I feel as good as I`ve ever felt in my life.
VARGAS: Regardless of the risks involved, most celebrities say obesity surgery saved their life, even if the road there wasn`t easy.
POPPER: I feel really lucky I got this chance. You know, technology caught up with precisely what was wrong with the way that I used food. I could have died or never -- I could have just been really fat for a long time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And Popper said that Roseanne Barr encouraged him to get the surgery, but it was some of his band members who finally convinced him to go through with the operations. Popper is now on tour with the Blues Travelers, celebrating a new album and adjusting to new life as a much slimmer rocker.
A.J., back to you.
HAMMER: So glad he adjusted his life, too, Sibila, because he is such a talented guy.
VARGAS: He sure is.
HAMMER: Thanks very much. Sibila Vargas, live in Hollywood.
Well, with the growing popularity of obesity surgeries, we want to know what you think about this. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Extreme weight loss: do celebrities set a bad example? You can go online to vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight and also e-mail us. ShowbizTonight@CNN.com is our e-mail address. We`re going to read some of your thoughts later in the show.
ANDERSON: Tonight, there`s no word yet if William Shatner is back on the set of "Boston Legal." The 74-year-old actor -- you know him as "Star Trek`s" Captain Kirk and as the quirky but competent Denny Crane on "Boston Legal" -- was taken to a Los Angeles area hospital last night after complaining of lower back pain. He was then sent home. Shatner won an Emmy Award for the Crane role last month, his second as that character.
HAMMER: Tonight, Hollywood and Hillary. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton`s biggest foe in the race for the New York U.S. Senate seat is slamming her for raising campaign money from Hollywood heavyweights.
Jeanine Pirro is quoted as saying, "This race is about everyday New Yorkers, not about Hollywood celebrities," unquote .
Live tonight from Washington for a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT news maker interview, the Republican candidate for Senate, Jeanine Pirro, who is also New York`s Westchester County district attorney. Thanks for joining us, Jeanine.
JEANINE PIRRO (R), NEW YORK SENATE CANDIDATE: Nice to be with you, A.J. How are you?
HAMMER: Appreciate you being here. I`m very well. Thank you. Set this straight for me, because it seems to me Ms. Clinton has a campaign to run, and she`s got to raise some money. What`s wrong with what she`s doing by going to Hollywood to get these funds?
PIRRO: Well, I think that this is just another example of the fact that Hillary is running for president and New Yorkers are in the rearview mirror. The truth is that when Hillary ran for Senate the last time in New York, she promised to commit a full term. She promised 200,000 jobs to New Yorkers.
She`s not being honest with New Yorkers right now by telling them what her intentions are.
And I`m concerned about everyday New Yorkers who are worried about the -- making sure they have the jobs that they need to be able to survive. I`ve been in Ithaca. I`ve been in Buffalo. I`ve been in Elmira. And this campaign is about New Yorkers, not about celebrities, not about Hollywood fundraisers. And most important thing a United States senator can do, someone who is working for New Yorkers, is to focus on New York issues.
HAMMER: Well, certainly the issues are very true, but the fact is we`re talking about raising money and fundraising, an essential part of any campaign before you can get elected and represent your constituents. So she`s simply going to Hollywood to do that because she has a lot of support out there. My question is, what`s wrong with that? What`s wrong with going to your friends outside of your home state?
PIRRO: The issue is focusing on the needs of New Yorkers and delivering on the promises that she made to New Yorkers. When she came here, we gave her the welcome mat. She promised 200,000 jobs. Having fundraisers with celebrities and hanging out in Hollywood helps only one person. And that`s Hillary Clinton.
HAMMER: But isn`t it fair to say that you`re going to go outside your own state to raise money necessary?
PIRRO: There is -- there is a myriad of places where someone can raise money or run for a particular race. But the issue for us in New York is whether or not Hillary is willing to commit to serving New Yorkers.
Because the truth is, A.J., that you can`t run for two offices at the same time. The issues that New Yorkers are concerned about are the issues of jobs, making sure the Bush tax cuts are permanent. As I travel through the state and I talk to New Yorkers, everyday New Yorkers, they`re not concerned about whether or not she`s going to raise enough money to run for president. They`re concerned about whether or not they`re going to be able to make their mortgage payments.
HAMMER: OK.
PIRRO: Whether or not they`re going to be able to have jobs and a good educational system.
HAMMER: Let me just get to a statement. A short time ago, we actually received a statement from a spokesman for Senator Clinton`s campaign. This is what they said to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "Ms. Pirro has nothing to offer New Yorkers except insults and attacks. Does this mean she wouldn`t take any money from Arnold Schwarzenegger," end quote.
That`s their statement. That`s what they`re putting out. So let me just ask you, on that end, again, not about, you know, what the issues at hand are. But if Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to offer funds to your campaign, if he wanted to donate money to your campaign, would you turn him down?
PIRRO: Well, the truth is that we are getting support from all over the country. But I`m traveling in New York and I`m talking to New Yorkers about their concern, and I really do want to answer the statement that they made.
You know, I have been working in the trenches in New York for 30 years. I have been a prosecutor, fighting for women, for children, for elderly, for everyday New Yorkers who end up being crime victims. And right now, we`re on the air in New York, trying to make sure that we get a civil confinement law so that sexual predators are not able to roam freely after they get out of prison. And I qualify...
HAMMER: I appreciate that, and I know your constituents appreciate that, as well.
PIRRO: It`s very important to New Yorkers, A.J.
HAMMER: And there`s no diminishing that. But at the same time, strictly trying to stick to the issue. You know, again, Arnold Schwarzenegger, another Hollywood heavyweight, Bruce Willis, a known Republican supporter, if he wanted to offer you money, would you accept those funds?
PIRRO: The truth is that we are taking money from all over the country.
HAMMER: OK.
PIRRO: That`s not the issue.
HAMMER: But that`s...
PIRRO: The issue is focusing on New York, as opposed to raising money for a presidential campaign. Hillary is not willing to commit to running for -- to, if she`s elected, being a senator for six years. And the problem with that, A.J., is you can`t run for two offices at the same time.
HAMMER: And an issue -- and an issue for us to take on at another time. But we do appreciate you very much, Jeanine Pirro, for joining us tonight. Republican candidate for one of New York`s U.S. Senate seats, Jeanine Pirro. We appreciate you being on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Got to love politicians.
Well, which super star singer had lunch at the White House with President Bush today, staying on the political theme? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has all the delicious details coming up.
HAMMER: And get ready, because SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is spilling the beans on one of Hollywood`s biggest secrets. This is a cool story. It`s about how stars cash in big time just for showing up at a party. Stars for sale, an exclusive first look, live next.
ANDERSON: Plus, hot Rod. Rod Stewart looks to the past one more time for present success. And he breaks some very interesting news to us about his future plans. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Still to come.
HAMMER: Now, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What was the name of the French poodle that accompanied novelist John Steinbeck in his trip across America? Was it Millie, Buddy, Ernest or Charley? We`re back next with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What was the name of the French poodle that accompanied novelist John Steinbeck in his trip across America? Of course, the answer was D, Charley.
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Well, President Bush isn`t attending -- planning to attend tonight`s U2 concert in Washington, D.C., but he did bring U2 to himself today. Bono, the lead singer of the Irish rock group, was invited over for lunch at the White House this afternoon.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the chat and chew was to follow up on the talks the two had during July`s G8 summit in Scotland. There they had spoken about fighting AIDS, disease and poverty.
HAMMER: Tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive first look. We are tearing the lid off one of Tinsel Town`s most closely guarded secrets, Hollywood for hire. Did you know that stars actually get paid big bucks renting themselves out for corporate parties and events, even for just walking down a red carpet? The numbers are staggering, and they are revealed in the upcoming issue of "Radar" magazine.
Tyler Gray co-wrote the story "Stars for Sale." Tyler joins us live.
Thanks for being here.
TYLER GRAY, WRITER, "RADAR" MAGAZINE: Thanks for having me.
HAMMER: We see the stars out all the time, being photographed in the magazines and in the newspapers. People don`t realize, they`re actually out on a pay day. They`re getting money most of the time, or some of the time, when we see them out. Is that right?
GRAY: It is true. And middle America, and people all over the world don`t realize that that`s what`s happening when they see these stars at these parties. They think they`re there because they want to be there.
HAMMER: Well, let`s crunch some numbers and see what we`re talking about here. Halle Berry, an Oscar-winning actress, you figure she probably is very selective about what kinds of events she attends. She actually gets huge dollars for showing up at these events. Talk to me about the numbers and what kinds of things she does.
GRAY: Well, a fellow reporter, Mac Montandon (ph) and I, did some research and found out that she makes almost -- well, close to $500,000 for things like showing up in Times Square to promote a tooth brush.
HAMMER: Are you kidding me?
GRAY: A toothbrush.
HAMMER: Half a million bucks, and what does she have to do? She shows up at the toothbrush appearance and does what? Makes a little speech?
GRAY: Well, maybe, I would guess, brush her teeth. But, you know, they have to do various different things depending on their contract. And it could be anything from shaking hands with fans to sitting in a box all by yourself and not being bothered at all.
HAMMER: So sometimes, at these events when you see a big star just handing over a big donation or something like that, they may actually be getting paid to do that?
GRAY: And sometimes they`re getting paid more than they`re handing over the donation, too.
HAMMER: It`s craziness. All right. Well, Paris Hilton is certainly someone who we consider to be, you know, top on the party scene. She`s on the circuit all the time. But a lot of the times, when she`s showing up to these night club openings or these dance clubs, she`s doing it for not a lot of time, and because she`s making a lot of money?
GRAY: A ton of money. And I mean, 20 minutes, she gets -- she brags herself that she gets $200,000 for a 20-minute appearance. More in Japan, she says.
HAMMER: She will show up at a party for $200,000, 20 minutes, and basically, that`s so it will show up in the next day in the gossip columns of the newspapers, I assume.
GRAY: Exactly. Wherever she wants it to show up. And occasionally, she`ll walk a runway. But when she does that, she gets at least 20 grand to do that.
HAMMER: Unbelievable. And this is rampant throughout Hollywood?
GRAY: It`s pretty rampant. And in most cases, these people are making, you know, more money in showing up to parties than they actually do in shooting TV and television -- and films.
HAMMER: Well, let`s talk about a guy who, you know, he`s certainly an entrepreneur and certainly is very good at making money, P. Diddy.
GRAY: Right.
HAMMER: He makes a lot of m money in so many different ventures, you know, from rap to his record label to his clothing line. But he`s actually out there, you know, selling -- renting himself out, so to speak?
GRAY: A hundred thousand dollars the guy gets. And sometimes it`s, you know, his own party and he gets paid to be there. And then, you know what`s funny is the people who are there with him, there`s kind of a reputation that follows Diddy around, even though he dropped the "P. now. I think at the VMAs, there was a big -- a big rumor that he wouldn`t leave his dressing room until he got a piece of cheesecake.
HAMMER: And you mentioned in your article that there are some people that you`ve spoken with that would be reluctant to hire him, because they don`t want to deal with...
GRAY: Exactly. A lot of frustrated people surrounding these folks.
HAMMER: And finally, real quickly, Tara Reid. You know, she`s somebody who I think is on the party scene regardless of whether she`s getting paid or not. What kind of money does a star like Tara get?
GRAY: Fifteen, $20,000 is what we found. And that`s -- that`s -- she`ll do quite a bit for that, show up, hang out, party. She`s a girl who apparently seems to like to be there, even more than -- if there`s truth in this at all, it`s probably in Tara. She actually likes to be there.
HAMMER: Well, it`s a really fascinating read. Tyler Gray from "Radar" magazine. We appreciate you joining us...
GRAY: Thanks a lot.
HAMMER: ... with us tonight.
You can read all the juicy details for yourself in this new issue, which hits news stands in New York and Los Angeles tomorrow. It`s everywhere else on Tuesday.
ANDERSON: I`m incredulous. Some people half a million dollars for showing up. Wow.
All right. Tonight, a rare and revealing interview with Rod Stewart. You know him, his big pop hits like "Maggie May," "Do You Think I`m Sexy?" and "Some Guys Have all the Luck."
Well, this guy`s got a lot more than luck going for him. Rod`s in his fifth decade of performing, and he just released a new collection of standards called "Thanks for the Memories: The Great American Songbook Volume 4." It features chart-toppers like "Blue Skies," "Making Whoopie," and of course, "Thanks for the Memories."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Rod Stewart has brought us a lot of memories, and his just released "Great American Songbook Volume 4" is chock full of even more nostalgia.
STEWART: I think there`s a bit more layering on this album than previous albums. The vocals are a lot better. I`ve really stepped up to the plate on this album.
ANDERSON: And brought some big name players with him; Chaka Khan, Elton John and Diana Ross all sing duets on the album. But Stewart told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT picking the tracks this time around was not easy.
STEWART: Since these albums have been successful, everybody wants to put their two cents worth in, you know. So we choose from about 30 songs. We culled about 20 and come up with 13 or 14 for a CD.
ANDERSON: Stewart`s first "American Song Book" collection was three years ago. The reaction was spectacular, something Stewart told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he didn`t expect.
STEWART: If it had sold 70,000, we obviously wouldn`t have done a No. 2, because we`d have realized there wasn`t a market for it. You know, people didn`t want to hear Rod Stewart sing these standards. But lo and behold, 30 million copies on, and it`s extraordinary.
ANDERSON: And singing old tracks is a little bit easier.
STEWART: If I was having to write songs, and this happens to all musicians. You do your first album and it does well. Then you can`t come up with the second album. Then the third album, then you`re scared. I know that the songs I`m singing are great. And I`ve just got to give a good interpretation of them.
ANDERSON: And it`s all good for Stewart. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT cameras where there last week when he got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And his longtime girlfriend, Penny Lancaster, is due to give birth to their first child together at the end of the year. That makes him a father for the sixth time. And he told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he`s not tired of diaper duty at all.
STEWART: No, are you kidding? Not at all. If anything, I`m enjoying it more. You know, you`ve seen my fiance, Penny, going by with baby clothes and a high chair and all that stuffs. It`s lovely. Plenty of lead in the old pencil still, you know? Plenty of songs in the old violin.
ANDERSON: And Stewart is staying home. He broke news to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he`s taking the next year off.
STEWART: I want to be with my family for a year and terrorize them. Watch the new one grow up and try and put the others on the straight and narrow path.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Stewart and Penny will head back to England soon. He told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that they both want the baby to be born in England. Stewart`s album, "Thanks for the Memories: The Great American Songbook 4," is in stores now.
HAMMER: The TV lawyer who came home to find his wife dead speaks out. We have his first, very emotional interview, coming up next.
ANDERSON: Plus, rock star Melissa Etheridge. She`s a breast cancer survivor and now is on a mission to wipe out the disease. Her inspirational message of hope, coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, country music legend Dolly Parton. What you`ll find on her tour bus, and how does Dolly do music? Is she an 8-track kind of woman -- you remember those -- or is Parton partial to the iPod? It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tonight, rocker Melissa Etheridge says she`s cancer free and raising money to battle the deadly disease. As part of this month`s breast cancer awareness campaign, Etheridge, who was diagnosed with it a year ago, is teaming up with the Hard Rock Cafe. She`s selling a special pin for the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, whose mission is to end breast cancer in 10 years.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Etheridge earlier today in New York City, and she says that 10-year target is no pipe dream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ETHERIDGE: I know that it`s possible, that cancer in 10 years will be a completely different diagnosis and outcome, completely. I -- you run this in 10 years and I`m here to tell you, there will be -- it will not be the death sentence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: What an inspiration. You can buy the breast cancer awareness pin at the Hard Rock Cafe and on HardRock.com, and Melissa will be joining us live here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow, so be sure to tune in for that.
HAMMER: Well, if you`ve got "American Idol" dreams or maybe you feel bound for Donald`s board room, you won`t want to miss this. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tells you how to make the cut and get on your favorite reality show. That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: Also, police might have found a break in the at-gunpoint robbery of a "Lost" star. We have the latest details on what happened to Josh Holloway, who plays Sawyer. That`s next.
HAMMER: And it is definitely one of the most talked about and most puzzling cases out there, the horrific murder of a TV lawyer`s wife. Well, now, he`s speaking out. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the emotional interview with Daniel Horowitz. That`s coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues in one minute. I`m Susan Hendricks with your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
Florida officials aren`t taking any chances. Starting tomorrow, mandatory evacuations begin in the Florida Keys as Hurricane Wilma approaches there. The powerful Category 5 is now pounding the Yucatan Peninsula. Most forecasts show the storm heading for Florida. Others have Wilma missing the state entirely.
An arrest warrant has been issued for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. That`s after being indicted on campaign finance charges. Observers say the move is made to embarrass DeLay and the warrant is strictly procedural.
The Senate Energy Committee has voted in favor of drilling for oil in the Alaska` Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Senate Budget Committee must approve the measure before it goes before the full Senate.
If you`re getting fat from fast food, some politicians say that`s your problem. The House has passed the so-called cheeseburger bill, preventing people from suing restaurants and food sellers for obesity-related problems.
That`s a look at the news. Back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson. You`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
A.J., TV legal commentator Daniel Horowitz, he found his wife dead in their California home just a few days ago. And now he`s opening up on the airwaves about his loss, about his grief. He spoke with Nancy Grace, his first TV interview since his wife was killed. Very emotional, very powerful interview. We`re going to have that, coming up, as well as the latest on the investigation.
HAMMER: Yes, a very candid interview, indeed.
And shifting gears to a different kind of an interview. We all know Dolly Parton has been in the public eye for the better part of her life. And we know what she`s like when she`s in the public eye. But what`s she like at home? What`s a Saturday night like at Dolly Parton`s house? Is she off there on the Internet sending out e-mails and going shopping? Well, you will find out in the interview you`ll see only here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s coming up in just a few minutes, as well.
ANDERSON: I bet a Saturday night with Dolly is quite fun. Lot of laughter going on there.
HAMMER: For sure.
ANDERSON: All right, A.J. Sounds good.
First, let`s get tonight`s "Hot Headlines." And for that, we go to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas. She`s joining us live from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Hollywood newsroom.
Hi, Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Brooke.
Well, tonight, MTV says better safe than sorry. The network has postponed the Latin American Music Video Awards because of Hurricane Wilma. The awards for scheduled for Playa del Carmen in Mexico. A new date has not been set.
Back in August, Hurricane Katrina forced VMA events to be rescheduled.
Mel Gibson has donated $1 million in hurricane relief to Mexico. Gibson met with Mexican President Vicente Fox today and made the donation. Now, Hurricane Stan left more than 1,500 people dead or missing in Mexico in Central America.
A mini-series on the pope, life of Pope John Paul II, will have its world premiere at the Vatican. Today, CBS said the premiere is set for November. And Pope Benedict is expected to attend. The four-hour miniseries, called "Pope John Paul II," will air in early December.
Tonight, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is facing some criticism about going to Hollywood to raise money for her reelection campaign. In an interview with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Republican Senate candidate Jeanine Pirro said the race shouldn`t be about Hollywood starts.
In a statement, the Clinton camp wonders whether that -- what that means. Ms. Pirro wouldn`t accept money from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines." Brooke, back to you in New York. Oh, actually, you`re in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: Sibila, thanks. I am. I`m right here in Hollywood with you. Thank you so much.
(LAUGHTER)
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas.
HAMMER: And here I am in New York.
Well, TV legal analyst Daniel Horowitz is opening up about the gruesome murder of his wife. Tonight, still no breaks in the murder case, which has become a media sensation. But days after finding his wife`s battered body at their California home, Horowitz took to the airwaves to remember her and to show his grief.
David Haffenreffer, live tonight in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom, with more on that powerful interview -- David?
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN HEADLINE NEWS CORRESPONDENT: It was powerful, A.J. And it came on last night`s NANCY GRACE program on this very channel, CNN`s Headline News.
Grace and Horowitz, who have often shared the screen as dueling legal analysts, spoke candidly about the horrific lost of his wife. It made for some powerful television.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANIEL HOROWITZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And I saw her. And everything -- I understood everything that I could see. I took it all in. And I knew she was dead.
HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): A still-shocked Daniel Horowitz bared his soul to Nancy Grace. He gave his first TV interview since he found his wife of 11 years, Pamela Vitale, beaten to death in their home east of Oakland, California, Saturday. The well-known defense attorney talked about the horrifying scene.
HOROWITZ: Well, you scream, you cry. But I know I just basically sat with her and I just told her, "I love you, and you`re beautiful." And, you know, just whatever things you say to somebody you love. Because to me, at that point, all that was there was the person I loved.
I mean, it didn`t matter anymore, you know, what was around her or the horror. I had just so much time with Pamela. So I just looked at her face, and it was beautiful.
HAFFENREFFER: Just last week, Horowitz was making headlines as the attorney in the trial of Susan Polk, the woman accused of killing her therapist husband. For years before that, he was a fixture on TV legal talk shows where he occasionally sparred with Nancy Grace over issues, like the Robert Blake murder trial.
HOROWITZ: And leaving your daughter in the clutches of this grifter, sex vendor, evil person, who...
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: Question. Wait a minute. Just wait one minute. Daniel Horowitz, can you show me one shred of evidence that this woman was a prostitute? That is simply not true.
HOROWITZ: Not a prostitute...
HAFFENREFFER: But there was nor sparring in last night`s interview, only sympathy, emotion, and compassion.
GRACE: Days have passed now. What has gone through your head? What do you want to do now?
HOROWITZ: I feel like picking up the phone and calling her. Now, today, I`m sort of in a really numb stage. You know, I`m just numb.
HAFFENREFFER: Five days after the killing, police have no suspects in custody. And the case remains wide-open. Police have questions Horowitz and a man who lives on the estate, with whom Horowitz and his wife had clashed in the past. That man has denied having anything to do with the killing.
In her interview, Nancy Grace asked Horowitz about the suspicions he may soon face.
GRACE: You know, that if this case doesn`t crack, people are going to start blaming you. You know that.
HOROWITZ: I don`t care. Right now, Nancy, my wife is gone. The only thing that I want from the media is what they`ve done, which is they put on her pictures, they`ve put on our friends to talk about how beautiful she was.
And that`s it, OK? So they`ve done what I need them to do. What they do with me doesn`t matter. I don`t really care.
HAFFENREFFER: Publicity from the killing has led to a mistrial in the Susan Polk murder case Horowitz was working on. Now, the attorney who won fame talking about crime is now left to talk about the pain of being a crime victim himself.
HOROWITZ: It`s not going to ever go away, but I`ll be able to have a life of some sort. And so, right now, people around me really love me. And people, Nancy -- I`m getting e-mails from people and calls from people. And, you know, there`s nothing anybody could say. But people just say, "I care. Is there anything I can do?" What else are they going to say?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: And a friend of Horowitz said on "LARRY KING LIVE" last night that Horowitz is, quote, "pretty sure who did this crime," unquote, but he isn`t saying so publicly.
Back to you.
HAMMER: Interesting bit of information there. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, thanks very much.
Well, tonight, there would be a break in the case of the star of the TV show "Lost" who was robbed at gunpoint. Police in Hawaii say they have arrested a possible suspect. A week ago, this guy, Josh Holloway, and his wife were held at gunpoint at their home in Hawaii.
Police say the man who was arrested matched the suspect`s description. He was taken into custody on outstanding burglary and felony warrants after police pulled him over in this car. But first, the potential suspect wouldn`t get out of the car, so police fired rubber and wooden bullets and sprayed pepper spray.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Extreme weight loss: Do celebrities set a bad example? Keep voting for us at CNN.com/showbiztonight. Write us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Your e-mails are coming up at 55 past the hour.
HAMMER: Well, think about this: What do you think the inside of Dolly Parton`s tour bus could possibly look like? She told us all about it and why she still loves life on the road. Part two of the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, coming up.
ANDERSON: Plus, does reality TV sound like the perfect home sweet home to show case your talents? We show you the secrets that could help you get on a reality show, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Well, if you`ve always wanted to be the next Kelly Clarkson or win a cool million dollars on "The Amazing Race," you might want to get some tips first. Reality TV has become the key to the everyday Joes` or Janes` claim to fame. And now there`s a method to the madness.
The name of the book is "How to Get on Reality TV." And joining us live, in Hollywood, is author Matthew Robinson.
Matthew, welcome.
MATTHEW ROBINSON, "HOW TO GET ON REALITY TV": Thanks for having me.
ANDERSON: Of course. Now, we talked before the show. You`ve interviewed former contestants. You`ve even been on a reality TV show, a dating reality TV show, yourself purely for research purposes.
ROBINSON: Of course.
ANDERSON: Some of your best friends are casting directors for these shows. You`ve spent a lot of time researching this. I want to know, what`s the most shocking thing you`ve found about reality TV?
ROBINSON: Well, right off the bat, I learned out that there`s writers for all these reality shows. I`d say 90 to 95 percent of reality shows have a cast of writers.
If you watch the credits -- you can TiVo or slow down -- you`ll see that they have, you know, five, 10 writers on every single show. And I found that, you know -- I mean, I had no idea. I thought, you know, reality TV, why would you need writers?
But there they are on the sides, sort of coaching, not really rewriting reactions, but let`s say you`re talking directly to the camera and you`re doing a confessional. Well, they`re going to sort of take what you`re saying and turn it into like a nice 10-second sound bite and kind of clean it up a little bit for you.
ANDERSON: Kind of putting words in their mouth. All right, not totally unscripted then.
All right. In your book, you have made categories, the different genres of reality TV shows. So let`s do the same. You tell us what casting directors want. We`ll go through some of the top reality shows. "American Idol," what`s the one thing that can get you on? It`s not just an incredible voice, right?
ROBINSON: No, no. Well, I mean, you`ve got to either be the best or the worst. In the audition process, they`re going to be taking -- you know, for those episodes, they`re going to take the best and the worse. And if you don`t think you can fall into one of those two categories, you`re going to be one of the first people to go.
You`ve either got to be hands-down the best singer or you`ve got to be prepared to kind of, you know, be laughed at a little bit, but in a loving way. They`re going to tell you that you`re going to be sort of poked fun at.
ANDERSON: So no middle ground there with "American Idol."
ROBINSON: Yes...
ANDERSON: And the social experiment-type show, like "The Real World," a unique casting approach here.
ROBINSON: Well, yes, what they do is, you`re going to be sat at a table with 10 other people. They`re going to toss controversial ideas at you, like, "How do you feel about gay marriage? And how do you feel about women getting an equal wage in the workforce?"
And it`s sort of the squeaky wheel gets oiled kind of thing there. They`re going to want the people who are the most aggressive, the type-A personality. If people who are not willing to argue and get emotional about -- or sorry, are willing to get emotional and argue about these things, yes.
ANDERSON: You`ve got to be pretty vocal and self-assured.
ROBINSON: Yes.
ANDERSON: And I do want to move on really quickly, actually, Matthew. The adventure competition shows, "Survivor" and my favorite -- the only one I watch religiously -- "The Amazing Race." What`s the secret here?
ROBINSON: You`ve got to be a big fan. They want you to show up, and they want you to know past strategies. They want you to know everyone`s name who`s been on the show. They want you to pinpoint a single strategy and how you think you can do it better. They want people who are going to, you know, do anything that they can to win, to get that money, and to, you know, to make entertainment television, to make it dramatic.
ANDERSON: And 15 seconds left. But sometimes it seems it`s not real and people are just trying to get on for their 15 seconds of fame. They`re not really into the concept of the show. Is it difficult to weed those people out?
ROBINSON: Yes. The casting directors all like to boast that they have a very sensitive radar for people who just want the celebrity of it. Those are, you know, the people that they quickly just get away and get off -- get them out of the room.
ANDERSON: Well, I have to say, I`ve seen some folks fall through the cracks.
Matthew, thanks for being here. We are out of time.
ROBINSON: Thank you so much.
ANDERSON: But appreciate you being here.
ROBINSON: It was fun. Thank you.
ANDERSON: Matthew Robinson, of course.
And you can find more reality TV tricks in Matthew`s book, "How to Get on Reality TV."
HAMMER: Time now for a "Showbiz Sitdown." Tonight, part two of my interview with country superstar Dolly Parton. Her new album of covers called "Those Were the Days" has been receiving rave reviews from everybody.
Dolly adds her unique country spin to classics like John Lennon`s "Imagine" and Peter, Paul and Mary`s "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" Well, in an interview you`ll see only here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Dolly reflects on her long career, what she`s got cooking in her kitchen, and she tells me what`s on her iPod or not.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: One of the things I`ve often seen written about your live performances is that you are all things to all people.
(LAUGHTER)
Is that pretty tough to live up to sometimes, because people do see you that way?
DOLLY PARTON, COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTAR: Well, I`ve been around a long time. And it`s like fun for me when I look out at the audience and, like I`ve said before, I see the, you know, the blue hairs, and the no-hairs, and the pierced hairs.
It`s like I have some of every -- and the little kids. You know, I have a big variety of fans. And I love that. You know, it`s only because I`ve been around a long time. And they`ve kind of grown up with me.
And some of them are just beginning to get into my music. So a lot of the young people, you know, they`ll say that I`ve inspired them.
And you never know what you`re going to mean to people. You never know how your life is going to turn out until you`re older, if you`re going to be loved, or if you`ve left a good thing, or if you`ve built character or whatever. So it makes you feel good when you know that you`ve got different kinds of people. And they all just kind of sit there and get along together and love it.
HAMMER: Yes, it`s nice to see that people get it.
PARTON: Yes, but I am all those people, too. I mean, I am all those people all the time. I know what they think. I know what they feel. And I try to work to them. I just sense what they need.
HAMMER: And you`re still touring. You`re currently in the midst of your Vintage Tour, getting rave reviews everywhere you go. You still love being on the road obviously?
PARTON: Well, you know what? I do. And this has been the most fun, I believe, I`ve ever had, singing these songs, because I think that knowing that everybody is in it together, and they know these songs, and they enjoy it, you know, and hearing them sing along with all this, and just getting to sing other people`s songs.
Because, see, I write all the time. And sing a lot of my stuff. But you get kind of sick of that.
HAMMER: OK.
PARTON: So this gave me a good reason to get to sing somebody else`s songs, because I`m a writer, and I`m an entertainer, and I`m also a singer. So as a singer, I really, really, you know, got my jollies, so to speak, getting to sing these great songs.
HAMMER: And the bus, for years being your home away from home, take us inside the Dolly Parton bus. Because I`ve got to imagine this is a pretty tricked-out, may I say pimped out -- I can`t believe I said that...
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: ... kind of a ride.
PARTON: Well, it is.
HAMMER: What do you got in there?
PARTON: Well, in my -- I have the whole half of the bus. And, of course, I`ve got to have my food. So I`ve got about two or three refrigerators. And then I got a shower and a bathtub.
And then I`ve got a big cabinet in the back for all my wigs, all my show wigs, and the casual wigs, and all that. Then I have a place for all my costumes and all that. Then I have a TV, and a DVD, and everything I need for that. So I just got everything I need.
HAMMER: What`s in the fridge? What`s the most popular item in the Dolly Parton refrigerator?
PARTON: Well, I cook, and then I bring all my stuff, like chicken and dumplings. And, you know, I just carry...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: So you don`t cook when you`re out on the road? You don`t...
PARTON: No, I cook when I`m home.
HAMMER: Right.
PARTON: And then I put it in containers. Then I put it in the refrigerator or in the freezer. But then I love to stop along the highway, if there`s a great rib place, or if there`s a -- you know, all road people know where the road kill is.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: And when you walk into a truck stop on the side of the road, do people just go bezerk?
PARTON: Yes.
HAMMER: Or they don`t quite believe it? What happens?
PARTON: Well, I don`t go in as much as I used to. But in the years past, oh Lord, I used to love to go in, because I loved -- you know...
HAMMER: You love creating the chaos.
(CROSSTALK)
PARTON: Yes, I do. And playing the jukebox. And it`s like being (INAUDIBLE) I get up, play your own records just for a laugh, you know, so -- but I hardy ever go in the truck stops now.
Usually, the driver or somebody will go in and get the meat loaf. But, usually, like I say, I carry all my own stuff for the most part and I just cook on the bus.
But the bus is set up perfect. I got my makeup mirrors, with my makeup lights, and, you know, just some of everything I need. So when I`m out, I enjoy it.
HAMMER: Talk to me about being at home and doing other stuff. I`m just curious, a little insight into -- you know, for instance, if you`re off, if you`re not working on a Saturday night, are you hanging out at home, watching a couple of DVDs, cooking up some chicken and dumplings?
PARTON: Yes, I am at home. I`m usually home with my husband or some member of my family. My sisters and I have sister nights. And we get together, different sisters, different nights, sometimes all of us. I have five sisters and six brothers.
And so, but I say, when I go home, my husband and I have a camper, a little RV that we travel around in. We don`t go to campgrounds. You know, we just love to travel around in that. We stop at specialty places...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: I love it. You`re on a bus all the time, and you`re still getting in a camper.
PARTON: My husband gets the biggest kick out of it. He`ll meet me at the bus in the camper. And then we`ll go all the way back to east Tennessee, 200 miles.
But I`m a true gipsy. I just love that motion. It doesn`t bother me, because it`s a whole different thing.
But anyway, if I`m home, I`d be cooking. And we`d be hanging out. We`d be catching up on things. Then I would probably read a book.
HAMMER: Do you e-mail? Does Dolly Parton have her own personal e- mail address?
PARTON: No, no.
HAMMER: Do you stay in touch with people -- do you have a laptop computer?
PARTON: No.
HAMMER: Do you have an iPod?
PARTON: No.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: How do you listen to music, just CDs that people give you?
PARTON: I just have CDs, yes. And I still listen to cassettes. I even got some eight-tracks.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Are you technologically impaired, Dolly? Is that what you`re saying?
PARTON: I am. I`m totally stupid, if you want to know the truth.
HAMMER: No, no...
PARTON: But, no, I really am not that involved in that. But everybody in my office, everybody in my family, and tons of stuff. I buy tons of equipment for everybody to do all that.
HAMMER: You`ve heard of the iPod?
PARTON: Oh, yes, I`ve heard of it. I know what it is.
HAMMER: It`s the wave of the future.
PARTON: I know what it is.
HAMMER: So you`re not just surfing on the Internet and shopping online?
PARTON: No, no.
HAMMER: I don`t know. That might be a good thing for you, because it`s dangerous.
PARTON: Well, I`m just dumb as I can be with that stuff. And I don`t care about it. But, to me, I`m out there creating stuff to put out there on those things. That`s my excuse.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Dolly Parton, totally stupid? I don`t think so. Dolly also told me that, as far as the paparazzi goes, she says it`s just part of being in the public eye. If she doesn`t want to deal with the paparazzi, she just stays away from the places where celebs like to hang out.
Dolly`s Vintage Tour wraps up in December.
ANDERSON: That was great, A.J.
All right. There`s still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Extreme weight loss: Do celebrities set a bad example?
Vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight or write us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails live, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Extreme weight loss: Do celebrities set a bad example?
The vote so far: 91 percent of you say, yes; 9 percent of you say no.
Here`s some of the e-mails we`ve received. Jeff from Connecticut writes, "Yes, I do think celebrities set a bad example. I think it`s ridiculous that they have to be so skinny. That`s not healthy."
But Stephanie from Alabama writes, "As a successful gastric bypass patient, I can only say that my decision had nothing to do with celebrities."
Thank you all for your e-mails. Keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight.
HAMMER: It is time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. Let`s take a look at the Wednesday night "Showbiz Marquee."
Marquee Guy, take it away.
MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, Melissa Etheridge comes to our window. She beat breast cancer and is now on a mission to end the disease once and for all. And she`s going to do it. Melissa Etheridge, live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, Val Kilmer. From "Top Gun`s" Ice Man to "Batman`s" Batman to "Top Secret." The secret is out. And now he reveals why he`s playing a gay detective in the new movie, "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang." Val Kilmer, live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
This is the Marquee Guy saying kiss kiss, and ending the show the way I always do, with a bang bang.
HAMMER: Thank you, Marquee Guy.
ANDERSON: Oh...
HAMMER: Brooke, Melissa Etheridge on the program tomorrow. Did you see her performing at the last Grammy Awards?
ANDERSON: I did, actually. What a performance. With Joss Stone, right?
HAMMER: Yes, and I`m not ashamed to admit this, literally brought me to tears, as I know it did for many Americans. We`ll talk to her about that, as well.
ANDERSON: Very emotional moving performance. Absolutely.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
END
