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Showbiz Tonight
How Is Media Covering Wilma?
Aired October 21, 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 in Hollywood.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, another deadly hurricane sets its sights on the U.S. How is the media covering Wilma? Can viewers bear to watch more devastation? And whatever happened to those star- studded Katrina relief songs? Where did the money go? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes in-depth.
Plus, ruckus on the radio. Tonight, why did the Pentagon pull the plug on a radio show for the Armed Forces? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks, are the troops serving our country getting a disservice?
And...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, I`m just looking to get the crap kicked out of me.
HAMMER: Tonight, it`s vicious, it`s totally real, it`s packing them in, and it might be coming to a town near you. It`s cage fighting. But is it entertainment or just a dangerous blood sport? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
JOHN LITHGOW, ACTOR: Hi, I`m John Lithgow. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Hello, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
But it`s South Florida that`s going through an all-too-familiar routine tonight and preparing for the worst. Residents are glued to the TV because headed there yet another deadly hurricane, this one named Wilma. A devastating Category 4 storm at this point. We`re going to take you to Florida in just a minute.
ANDERSON: But first, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has spent the past six weeks since Hurricane Katrina covering how the stars have been helping its victims, raising money with concerts and songs. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates: Is all that help offering any relief?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): "Come Together, a "We Are the World"-style effort that brought together many stars. It was written and produced in part by Sharon Stone and just one of the many musical efforts created to support Katrina victims.
SHARON STONE, PRODUCER, "COME TOGETHER NOW": You can be there for your neighbor. If you`re in the position to help with Katrina, if you`re in the position to just help your neighbor down the street, that it`s a one-to-one thing, that service is a one-to-one call to action.
ANDERSON: And that call was heard by countless musicians. Sharon Osbourne remade Eric Clapton`s "Tears in Heaven." Another successful remake, Neil Young`s cover of Fats Domino`s "Walking to New Orleans."
And legendary singer Stevie Wonder performed his benefit song, "Shelter from the Rain," live for CNN and told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT everyone should do their part.
STEVIE WONDER, SINGER: Whether you be Stevie Wonder, or whether you be the president, whether you be a doctor, whether you be a lawyer, you`ve got to show your heart.
ANDERSON: And that`s why John Mayer and Aaron Neville teamed up to create "Heart so Heavy" for the effort. Earlier, they told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that they have high hopes for the song.
JOHN MAYER, RECORDED "HEART SO HEAVY": I`m going to run it to the guys at Columbia and say, "What kind of playbook do you have for this? And how long does it take to print these things up and get these things on shelves in every Wal-Mart across the country?"
ANDERSON: But the music hasn`t been at every Wal-Mart. And some say that`s a problem.
ITunes has been offering most of the Katrina tracks, and proceeds from downloads benefit Katrina. But CNN`s pop life music correspondent Denise Quan says musicians tell her distribution has been tough.
DENISE QUAN, CNN POP LIFE CORRESPONDENT: A lot of these big artists with some big hearts are recording some benefit singles, and they`re distributing them on places like iTunes. But you`re not hearing them on mainstream radio. And because of that, you don`t have your perfect commercial definitive hit.
ANDERSON: And that means money isn`t making it into the relief fund. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT spoke with "Billboard`s" Jonathan Cohen to get some answers.
JONATHAN COHEN, EDITOR, "BILLBOARD": I mean, I think it`s a mixed bag. The star power would suggest that perhaps these songs could get some air play, but on the other hand, I wouldn`t expect that there`s going to be wall-to-wall radio domination of songs like this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: ITunes told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it`s up to each individual artist and recording company to determine how much of the proceeds go to relief efforts. But most of the songs we mentioned have just found a new home. A double-CD titled "Hurricane Relief Come Together Now" will hit stores mid-November.
But that could be too late. The country is concentrating on other things, like Hurricane Wilma. Just as they did with Hurricane Katrina, news organizations all across America are mobilizing once again tonight, this time to cover Hurricane Wilma, which slammed into Mexico today.
The next stop could be Florida. CNN`s Rob Marciano joins us tonight from Sanibel Island on Florida`s west coast. Rob, thanks for being here.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No problem, Brooke. It`s a beautiful night here, actually, on Sanibel Island, one of the beautiful Barrier Islands in Lee County, which is where Fort Myers is, one of the bigger cities in Florida.
And they are preparing for Hurricane Wilma to come here likely now on Monday, hopefully as a weaker storm than it is right now as it slams into Mexico.
ANDERSON: All right. So it`s pretty calm there right now, but the local media have been telling people to get out of the way of Wilma. Are people heeding that warning?
MARCIANO: Well, the storm has slowed down quite a bit since the media started covering it, really, the middle part of this past week, even the beginning part of the week.
So, since the storm has put on the brakes, people have put on the brakes a little bit, too, as far as preparing and getting ready to get out of the way.
The officials here in Lee County are likely going to put up a mandatory evacuation starting tomorrow at noon for the Barrier Islands, of which I`m standing on one of them, Sanibel Island, and also for any mobile homes that are located south of the river in Fort Myers.
So not a whole lot of people have packed up and moved out, but we have seen a trickle so far. But I expect that trickle to start to pick up and become a pretty even flow beginning tomorrow afternoon. Contraflow is going to be in effect, meaning all the flow up on the bridges from the islands will be one-way and that will be inland beginning tomorrow.
ANDERSON: Might see that movement increase, like you say. And, Rob, since you`ve recently covered Katrina and Rita, do you get the sense that people are warn down. Twelve storms this year have become hurricanes. Are people weather-weary?
MARCIANO: Well, it`s been a record year, both on the number of storms named and also the number of hurricanes, like you said, 12 named storms, named hurricanes.
And yes, folks are weary, that`s for sure. But the folks here on the western part of Florida really haven`t seen a hurricane come in the angle that it`s going to come in as Wilma is since last year. So they`ve had a full 12, 13, even 14 months to recover from last year`s already active hurricane season.
So the folks here in the Fort Myers area, up towards Tampa and down towards Naples, they haven`t been pounded quite as much as the folks across the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico, but they`ve had their share certainly in the past 12 months.
To give you an idea of what the local newspaper says, the lead today just says, "Anyone`s Guess." And because this thing has slowed down so much, that`s one of the deals. A lot of people are just waiting. And I think tomorrow will be the go day, as far as whether people get up and get out of here or whether they hang tough and hunker out the storm.
ANDERSON: Kind of a wait-and-see time. Well, Rob Marciano, thank you so much for your reporting. And stay safe for us, OK?
MARCIANO: Will do, Brooke. Thanks.
HAMMER: Tonight, one of America`s most listened-to talk radio show hosts is accusing the Pentagon of censorship. Ed Schultz is considered by many to be the liberal alternative to conservative Rush Limbaugh. And his nationally syndicated radio show was supposed to starting on the American Forces Radio network this week.
But the Pentagon pulled the plug at the last minute. It all happened just after Schultz criticized President Bush`s teleconference with U.S. troops stationed in Iraq. You may remember that teleconference got an awful lot of attention for allegedly being staged.
Schultz also criticized Pentagon P.R. official Allison Barber, who was seen prepping the troops before their little chat with President Bush. And it was Barber who called Schultz Monday with the big news that his show was being pulled.
Ed Schultz joins us live tonight from Fargo, North Dakota, for a "Showbiz Newsmaker Interview."
Big Ed, I want to thank you for joining us. You had confirmation you were good to go. And on Monday, you were all set to debut your show on American Forces Radio Network. And then you got this call from the Pentagon, from Ms. Barber herself, saying your show would not be airing after all.
Were you totally caught off-guard and shocked by this?
ED SCHULTZ, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, A.J., it`s a heck of a way to start a week, that`s for sure. We were all set to go. We had confirmation on September 29th, after months of negotiation and positioning. They knew exactly what kind of program they were getting.
They had my demo tapes, and CDs, and resume, and everything else. And we got a confirmation on the 29th. And then I heavily promoted it on the air up until Monday, the 17th, at 6:00 in the morning, when we got the phone call that said, "No, boys, it`s not going to happen," and we weren`t given a reason for it.
So I think the timing is suspect. But the bigger picture here, beyond the Ed Schultz Show, is that this has been worked up on the Senate floor of the United States Senate a year ago, more than a year ago, in the Harkin amendment. A resolution was passed unanimously and sent to Secretary Rumsfeld about balance of political talk radio on Armed Forces Radio Network.
So we`re looking for an answer. We`re also looking for a start date.
HAMMER: Well, it is clear from listening to your show -- anybody who listens know -- you are indeed a patriot. You support our troops. You support our veterans.
So what are the messages that you`re trying to get out and hoping to get out to our U.S. troops that you feel aren`t getting onto American Forces Radio, with the programming they currently have?
SCHULTZ: Well, the program that they have right now, A.J., is, you know, Rush Limbaugh, James Dobson, and Dr. Laura, just to name a few. There are no progressives. There are no liberals. And they`re really only hearing one side of the story when it comes to American opinion.
Now, their argument is, "Well, they`ve got NPR." Well, there`s a big difference between NPR and commercial talk radio. Limbaugh spews a lot of stuff about Hillary Clinton, and Ted Kennedy, and how the Democrats don`t support the troops. And it`s simply not true.
And I`ve got a long record, growing up in Norfolk, Virginia, understanding the military about what the military`s all about and also how we support veterans benefits, and also more pay for the soldiers, and also medical support of the troops that have been injured.
Across the board, we`ve been very positive. But this teleconference obviously must have been a problem for them, because the timing of it is definitely suspect.
I know that there is going to be a press conference next week in Washington. This issue is not going to go away. I know that a lot of senators and congressmen are very concerned about this.
HAMMER: And, Ed, I have less than 30 seconds here, but to those who might say, "Well, the military should control the programming because we should absolutely not put anything on that could possibly demoralize the troops, like Bush bashing or anything against our president," what do you say to people who pose that argument?
SCHULTZ: What about the bashing that Limbaugh does of the Democrats? There are Democrats who are in the theater in Iraq and Afghanistan right now. We do a lot of positive stories and talk a lot of positive things about the troops.
And I am not a dissenting voice. I`m a very progressive and very supportive voice, but it`s about policy. It`s not about whether you support the troops or not. And I don`t think this story`s going to end any time soon.
HAMMER: Well, Ed, we look forward to finding out what, in fact, the end result of this will be and if your show does, in fact, make it onto American Forces Radio. And we thank you for joining us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
SCHULTZ: You bet. Thank you, A.J.
HAMMER: Now, the Pentagon has said that its decision whether or not to air Schultz`s show has nothing to do with his criticisms of President Bush. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did try to get a comment from the Pentagon and Armed Forces Radio, American Forces Radio today, but we were unsuccessful in that.
So now we want to hear from you on this. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Armed Forces Radio: Should the military control what the troops hear?
We`d like you to vote by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight. We want more of your thoughts, too, if you got them. E-mail us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`ll run down some of what you have to say later in the show.
ANDERSON: David letterman puts Madonna up to something she hasn`t done in a while because she got hurt while doing it. What happened this time? Find out next.
HAMMER: Also, imagine having to manage one really, really neurotic TV star, one that happened to co-create "Seinfeld." Well, that is Jeff Garlin`s job on HBO`s "Curb Your Enthusiasm." We`re going to ask him how he does it. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: And two guys in a ring beating the heck out of each other. People actually pay to see it, but is it entertainment or just plain wrong? The controversy over cage fighting, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Tonight, Rosie O`Donnell is speaking about a Tom -- not her favorite "Tommy," Tom Cruise -- but rather Texas Congressman Tom DeLay. The House majority leader in court today. He`s facing charges of conspiracy and money laundering. Here`s a look at his mug shot, taken when he was booked yesterday.
Today on her blog, Rosie O`Donnell didn`t particularly care for it. She writes, "Why is Tom DeLay`s mug shot numberless and without height stripes? It looks like the Sears portrait studio. Well, that`s showbiz, folks."
HAMMER: Tonight, Madonna`s back in the saddle again, thanks to David Letterman. Now, you may remember, back in August, she fell off her horse at her estate outside of London. And she suffered several broken bones in that accident, but that did not let her stop her from getting right back up on that horse, yesterday on "The Late Show with David Letterman."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE SHOW": Well, maybe you noticed this. We have horses outside, and that little tiny one is yours.
MADONNA, MUSICIAN: I don`t want a tiny one. I want the big one.
LETTERMAN: I don`t know. Would you like to try and get back on the horse? That`s what you got to do, you know, when you...
MADONNA: But I`m wearing high heels.
(APPLAUSE)
LETTERMAN: So am I.
You ready to go? Go ahead.
MADONNA: You ready?
LETTERMAN: Yes, be careful.
MADONNA: No cantering.
LETTERMAN: First one to the river. It`s easy, easy, easy.
MADONNA: This is crazy.
LETTERMAN: You feel all right?
MADONNA: I feel all right, yes.
LETTERMAN: It`s like the parade.
MADONNA: I`m a bit worried about my high heels...
LETTERMAN: I love...
(CROSSTALK)
MADONNA: ... but your horse is freaking my horse out.
LETTERMAN: All right. Let me see if I can get over here. Come on, buddy, over here a little bit.
MADONNA: Is yours a girl? No, yours is...
LETTERMAN: A boy.
This is very nice, don`t you think? Lovely evening for a ride.
MADONNA: Yes.
LETTERMAN: This is not bad.
MADONNA: I`ll add this to my list of reckless things I`ve done here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Good for her. You got to get back on the horse.
Madonna is out promoting her new album, "Confessions on a Dance Floor." It`s due out on November 15th.
ANDERSON: She is one determined woman.
All right, tonight a "Showbiz Sitdown" with Jeff Garlin. He starred on "Mad About You," and now he hangs out with a madman, of sorts, on quite possibly one of the funniest shows on television, "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
The critically-acclaimed HBO show is in its third season and stars Larry David, the guy who helped create "Seinfeld." Larry plays himself, getting into often oddball situations with people like Jeff Garlin, who plays Larry`s cheery manager, Jeff Greene.
Garlin is also co-executive producer of the show. And Garlin joins us now live from Hollywood.
Hey there, Jeff. Good to see you.
JEFF GARLIN, COMEDIAN/ACTOR, "CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM": How are you?
ANDERSON: I`m doing well. Thanks for joining us.
And I want to ask, this show is unlike any other, really. You basically have no script. How does that work? Are you given a plot line and then just, you say, "Have at it"?
GARLIN: We give it a plot line and say, "Have at it."
(LAUGHTER)
No, what it is, Larry writes like a seven-page story. And there`s the story that we read. And then we fill in all the dialogue. We make up what we say. Like, what we`re doing right now, that`s what I do on the show.
I know you`re interviewing me, although it`s weird, because you`re 20 feet away from me, and they have me locked in this other room, and you`re in some other room a few feet away from me. It`s the most peculiar show I`ve ever been on.
ANDERSON: Now, that`s hilarious, isn`t it? Now, that`s funny.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
GARLIN: OK, go ahead, what?
ANDERSON: Now, what`s the one thing -- you guys have ad-libbed on your show. You knew it wouldn`t make the cut. Now, what`s the one thing that, if you had, if it had made the cut, it would have been hilarious? Now, remember, we`re G-rated CNN here.
GARLIN: Well, now, you just said the reason why I can`t say it. You`re G-rated CNN. I can`t say that. But I will say this, though, that, in between shots, Larry and I do a lot of cage fighting.
ANDERSON: Oh.
GARLIN: And it is entertainment. We cage fight for hours at a time. It`s fantastic.
ANDERSON: Oh, well, hopefully, you`re not too bloody and battered after all that.
GARLIN: No, they wipe us down.
ANDERSON: OK, that`s good.
(LAUGHTER)
Has anyone ever mistaken you for Larry`s manager in real life? You share the same first name as your character.
GARLIN: Yes. Early on, people would stop me and say, "What`s it like dealing with all that money?" And I say, "Sir, I`m an actor."
ANDERSON: And, Jeff, I want to ask, on your official web site, it says you enjoy eating "puddin`," and it`s puddin`, not pudding. It`s puddin` with an apostrophe.
GARLIN: Well, puddin`s much smoother. You know, pudding is rough, but puddin` is, mmm, puddin`. I like puddin`.
ANDERSON: Well, what kind of puddin` do you like?
GARLIN: My two favorites are chocolate and rice pudding, not together. But I love rice pudding and chocolate.
ANDERSON: You also enjoy taking naps. What are some other things that you enjoy outside of...
GARLIN: By the way, that was written -- the eating puddin` and taking naps -- that was written before I got married and before I had children. And, so, I don`t eat very much puddin`, because it makes me gain weight and makes my wife angry, and it`s not good for me. And then I can`t take naps because my children won`t let me.
ANDERSON: Oh, well, you look fabulous. And I`m sure your children...
GARLIN: I`m a handsome young man.
ANDERSON: ... want to spend as much time as possible as they can with you.
GARLIN: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And you once said you don`t like being famous. When you`re out in a restaurant, out in public...
GARLIN: Ah, you read the "Entertainment Weekly" article. Yes, OK.
ANDERSON: I did my research.
GARLIN: Yes, you did.
ANDERSON: People approach you. Do you sign autographs? Do you give into the fans? How do you...
GARLIN: Of course I sign -- anyone who knows who I am and comes up to me and says they like me, that`s a wonderful thing, and I certainly sign autographs. And the article was certainly tongue-in-cheek.
However, I don`t have much interest in being very famous. I mean, yes, I`m on here, but I`m promoting my show. I`m promoting the DVDs. I`m not here -- I`d rather be home hanging out with my kids and our two new puppies.
ANDERSON: Ah, well, what a good dad you are.
GARLIN: Yes, that`s what I`d rather be doing. But you`re in another room! Why are you in another room and I am here? They put a pretty girl in another room. What`s going on?
ANDERSON: Next time, we`ll be in the same room, Jeff.
GARLIN: Oh, you bet, little lady, or there will not be any next time, if I am not in the same room with you.
ANDERSON: OK. All right. Go take care of your kids and those puppies. Jeff Garlin, thank you so much. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" airs on HBO on Sunday nights.
HAMMER: One of the greatest basketball players of all-time says he felt used. A sneak preview of Michael Jordan`s revealing interview`s coming up.
ANDERSON: Plus, one of the greatest country stars out there, Martina McBride, no stranger to the stage. But she`s nervous about an unprecedented performance this weekend. Martina McBride, live. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, still to come.
HAMMER: And, of course, it`s Friday. That that means it`s time for the "Showbiz Guide to New Movies," reviews of flicks starring Charlize Theron, Steve Martin and Claire Danes, and Ewan McGregor, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Time now for the "Showbiz Guide," where we help you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, music, DVDs and more. Tonight, "People" magazine`s "Picks and Pans," new movies. We`re talking about "North Country," "Shopgirl" and "Stay," which are all out in theaters.
Joining us from "People" magazine, movie critic Leah Rozen. Happy Friday to you, Leah.
LEAH ROZEN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Thank you. Same to you.
HAMMER: Let`s get first to a very highly anticipated movie, "North Country." Woody Harrelson recently on this very program talking about what an important story this is to get out there.
ROZEN: Well, this is the first movie that is -- really big Hollywood film that is about sexual harassment. It`s about a class-action, the first real-life sexual harassment case that was class-action. And it`s about women miners in northern Minnesota in the late `80s. Charlize Theron is in it, and she`s really good.
HAMMER: Oscar-worthy performance?
ROZEN: Probably a nomination. And it`s a less showy performance than she did in "Monster" and, therefore, all the more effective. What this film really does well is just show the complete brutality of sexual harassment and how it has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with resentment, anger, and power trips.
HAMMER: That`s your critics pick. A terrific movie.
ROZEN: Yes.
HAMMER: OK, let`s move onto "Shopgirl." Two of my favorite actors, actually, one of my favorite young actors, Claire Danes and Steve Martin.
ROZEN: This movie is Claire Danes. I mean, this -- she is so good in this. She plays a young shop girl at Saks Fifth Avenue. Steve Martin`s an older man. He falls for her, but he sort of can`t get beyond seeing her as an object.
It`s really quite a heart-breaking little film. It`s well done. In the end, though, it struck me as little inconsequential, because you`re sort of going, "But they`re doing this in such nice, lovely houses. It`s so sunny in L.A. Are they really suffering that much?"
HAMMER: Huh, OK. So it makes you think a little bit.
And "Stay," our final choice for today. Should we go to see it or should we "Stay" away?
ROZEN: "Stay" is -- well, it`s sort of a specialized film. You know what? It`s kind of like an art-house movie that they`ve made as a big Hollywood film, with Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts. Psychological thriller, at the very end, it all makes sense, but you have to get there. And a lot of people aren`t going to think the trip is worth the final twist at the end.
HAMMER: So it`s a lot of work, payoff not as big.
ROZEN: Not for most people.
HAMMER: OK. Leah Rozen, always great to get your insight on the new flicks. Have a night weekend.
ROZEN: Thank you.
HAMMER: And, of course, for more "Picks and Pans," just grab your copy of "People" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.
ANDERSON: Country music superstar Martina McBride, live next.
HAMMER: Also, cage fighting, dangerous and bloody, and coming to you. That`s on the way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hello, everybody. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will continue in just a minute. I`m Catherine Callaway with your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
Hurricane Wilma is pounding the Yucatan Peninsula. The storm has officially made landfall, squarely hitting the island of Cozumel and bringing with it 20-foot waves. Wilma is expected to pummel the region for two days before it heads on to Florida.
And a few tense moments around Capitol Hill today after two men told police there was an explosive in their parked car. Police blew up the package, and they`re still trying to determine what was in it. The car`s driver remains in custody, although the passenger has been released.
And no one was hurt at Boston`s Fenway Park today when temporary scaffolding collapsed. It was set up behind home plate for the renovation of an in-stadium club. The cause of the accident still unknown.
And that is the news for now. I`m Catherine Callaway. Back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And you`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Oh, I will lead off here with what we`re doing, because you know why? You know what, Brooke? My guest is already seated here in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT studio, Martina McBride, country music superstar.
Welcome to the program. Good to have you here on a Friday night.
MARTINA MCBRIDE, COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTAR: Thank you.
HAMMER: I`m just checking to see if you`re nervous, if you have any look of nerves, not from being on our program, but I know you`re doing something big this weekend that we`re going to talk about.
MCBRIDE: Right.
HAMMER: I`m going to see if this is something, you know, that maybe is making you a little shaky. Don`t go anywhere.
That`s on the way in just a moment -- Brooke?
ANDERSON: Oh, she`s got some pipes. I`m looking forward to hearing from her.
And also, A.J., imagine two men in a cage beating each other bloody, sometimes to a pulp. It sounds pretty frightening, right?
HAMMER: Yes.
ANDERSON: To you and me, it might be, but to some folks out there, it`s fun, it`s entertaining, they pay to watch. It`s called cage fighting. Fans say it`s a sport. Opponents say it`s sending out the wrong message. They want it banned.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes inside the cage, coming up.
HAMMER: Being beaten to a pulp, never a good time, as far as I`m concerned.
All right. That`s on the way.
But first, let`s get to tonight`s "Hot Headlines." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, live in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom -- David?
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN HEADLINE NEWS CORRESPONDENT: A.J., tonight, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial is a million dollars richer, all thanks to director George Lucas. Lucas has donated a million dollars to the project, which will build a memorial to the civil rights leader on the National Hall in Washington, D.C.
Today, Lucas said Dr. King`s principles are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago.
Tonight, we have an update on singer Kylie Minogue, who is being treated for breast cancer. In a statement today, her record label said, "She`s in good spirits and is as healthy as can be expected." The statement also refuted British tabloid reports that she has suffered dramatic weight loss and is on a desperate search for alternative therapy.
And the report is out tonight on an accident on the set of the new "King Kong" movie. The report said two workers were hurt because of poor safety conditions on the set in New Zealand. One worker got a concussion and a broken shoulder blade when scaffolding fell on him. "King Kong," starring Naomi Watts, is expected to be released in December.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines" -- A.J.?
HAMMER: All right, David. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, thank you very much.
Well, as we reported earlier, talk radio host Ed Schultz says his radio show was pulled from Armed Forces Radio because it is critical of President Bush. That`s the basis of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Armed Forces Radio: Should the military control what the troops hear?
Please continue to vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight, or write us with more of what you have to say at Showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of your e-mails at 55 past the hour.
ANDERSON: Basketball superstar Michael Jordan says the new generation of young basketball players are getting too spoiled. Jordan says the young kids are being given things they haven`t earned and it`s cheating the game.
Jordan is also speaking out on being dumped by the Washington Wizards, which he says he didn`t see coming. In an interview with "60 Minutes" correspondent Ed Bradley, Jordan says he felt used by the team.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED BRADLEY, CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Did you see getting fired coming?
MICHAEL JORDAN, BASKETBALL LEGEND: No. If that was the case, then obviously I wouldn`t have gone back to play, because I felt like I played injured. You know, I went through, you know, surgery. And I didn`t have to do it.
You know, but I did it with the benefit of trying to help an organization get back on its feet. And the gratitude that I was being given was, "Your service is no longer wanted or needed," so I felt like I was used.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: In the interview, Jordan also addressed reports of a gambling problem. He said, in the past, his gambling was, quote, "stupid," but that he was never compulsive about it. You can see the full interview with Michael Jordan Sunday night on "60 Minutes."
HAMMER: It is time now for a "Showbiz Sitdown" with Martina McBride.
She is a multi-platinum, multi-Grammy-winning country singer who has released over 20 singles that have consistently landed in the top ten. It has been two years since her last album, but she is back with a new CD of classic country standards, the album appropriately called "Timeless," Martina McBroid -- did I say McBroid? I`m just making up new names for you.
Martina McBride, thank you for joining us here in New York City. It`s so nice to see you. Not only did you just put out this new album, just four months ago -- almost to the day, right -- Ava Rose, your daughter, was born.
MCBRIDE: That`s right. She`s four months old now.
HAMMER: So many people liken the release of a new album to having a baby. And so many people say -- well, the guys even say, and I don`t know if they can judge which is tougher -- which is tougher?
MCBRIDE: Oh, having a baby, definitely.
HAMMER: OK.
(LAUGHTER)
MCBRIDE: Yes, it is like -- you know, I was very pregnant with her when I was making this album. So she heard this music the whole time I was recording it. And then, after she was born, I went back in and finished it. And I think sometimes she must think, is there any other music in this world besides this album? That`s all she`s heard.
HAMMER: And you were able to both have her and put out the album simultaneously. Somehow, magically, it worked.
MCBRIDE: It`s great.
HAMMER: Well, the album is called "Timeless," as I mention. It`s country standards. Are these songs that you grew up on?
MCBRIDE: They are, the songs I grew up singing, actually, and grew up -- my dad had a band when I was growing up. And I grew up hearing him sing these songs.
HAMMER: Dwight Yoakam and Dolly Parton among those who appear on the album. Dolly was on this program earlier this week, and she just released an album also of classic songs.
One of the things she told me that I thought was interesting, as a songwriter for her, it`s great to be singing other peoples` songs for a chance, because now she can add those to her repertoire and perform them in concert. Are you looking forward to the same?
MCBRIDE: Absolutely. I`m just -- you know, usually, when you do an album, in concert, you get to do maybe one or two new songs until they become singles and people become familiar with them. But with this album, since the songs are classics and people are familiar, I can do a whole bunch of new music.
HAMMER: And everybody will be singing along. It`s just built in.
MCBRIDE: It`s exciting.
HAMMER: I mentioned a little earlier you have a big weekend ahead. You`re going to be doing the Grand Ole Opry. They`re handing it over to you. Now, as far as I know, this is unprecedented. They`ve never handed the whole hour over to one performer.
MCBRIDE: That`s right. The Opry is 80 years old this year. We`re celebrating the 80th year of the Grand Ole Opry. And the first time in 80 years, they`ve given a whole hour to one artist. And it`s lucky me. I can`t believe it.
HAMMER: And this is no small moment, though, the fact that they`re doing this. For people who are not familiar with the Grand Ole Opry and how it works, the fact that -- you know, it`s kind of like the Holy Grail for country music, isn`t it?
MCBRIDE: Absolutely.
HAMMER: So are you nervous at all?
MCBRIDE: A little bit. Yes, because usually you come out on the Opry, you do one or two songs, and that`s it. But to have a whole hour, it`s a little bit -- I`ve got some butterflies, but we`ve put together -- it`s just going to be a really fun show, with a lot of clips of original artists and a couple of special guests.
HAMMER: And inevitably you`ll be able to do some stuff on your current, brand-new release.
MCBRIDE: That`s right.
HAMMER: All right. Well, part of your legend, as your fans know, but for those unfamiliar with you, they may not realize that you were out on the road at a point, before you were performing, selling t-shirts, selling concessions, essentially, merchandise for Garth Brooks.
MCBRIDE: That`s right.
HAMMER: And then you wound up opening up for him. Now, as somebody who went through that, are you keeping your eye on your t-shirt sellers to see if you have any aspiring artists out there?
MCBRIDE: Could be the next big thing right there, yes. That`s funny. It was such a great experience, you know, out there selling t-shirts. I got to see Garth perform every night, learned a lot about relating to an audience and putting on a show. And it was a lot of fun.
HAMMER: Anybody selling Martina McBride hats at your shows, though, handing you tapes, saying, "Please, would you listen to my music?"
MCBRIDE: No, no, not yet.
HAMMER: Well, congratulations on your child and the release of your new album. We really appreciate you joining us. And hood luck this weekend.
MCBRIDE: Thank you. Thanks for having me.
HAMMER: You`re welcome.
And Martina will be taking the stage at the Grand Ole Opry this weekend. It`s Saturday night on the Great American Country Channel. You can grab her new CD, "Timeless." It`s in stores now.
ANDERSON: She doesn`t need any luck, A.J.
All right, it`s kind of like "Fight Club," only it`s real. And it`s getting more and more popular. The first rule of "Fight Club," of course, is, "Don`t talk about Fight Club." But we`re going to break that rule, next.
HAMMER: Plus, how do you go from aerospace engineer to actor? We`re going to find out when "Grey`s Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington joins us live, in the interview you`ll see only here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tonight, controversy over a fight where almost anything goes. Two men in a cage battle to a bloody finish, and people are filling the stands. Fans say the fights should be considered a sport, but critics say they`re just organized street fights and should be banned.
Here`s CNN`s Sean Callebs for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The punches are real. The violence is raw. Fans are rowdy. This is the world of cage fighting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just, you know, kept going, kept going. I was tired as hell. My arm hurts.
CALLEBS: And that comes from the winner. Three rounds, two men, few rules.
LEE LOHFF, CAGE FIGHTER: Let`s face it. In these type of events, you`re going to get people that just come here because they have a blood lust and they don`t know a thing about it. They`re the type of people who scream, "Kill him" on the side of the cage, like I`m going to kill somebody.
CALLEBS: Here in South Dakota, the home of the cage, Lee Lohff is a big fish in a small pond. Chris Christianson owns and operates the Cage Incorporated and he says Lohff is the deadliest fighter around.
CHRIS CHRISTIANSON, CAGE FIGHTER: He`s a good athlete. And he`s all about, you know, the showmanship of it. And some people detest that he is as cocky as he is, but he can back that up.
CALLEBS: Lohff, an Army veteran, served two tours in Afghanistan. He began studying martial arts in the service. And he`s racked up a record of 19-0, making him the local star. But he`s also known as the cocky guy, the person a lot of fans want to see thrashed. And that`s what gets Lee Lohff motivated.
LOHFF: More than anything, right now I`m just looking to get the crap kicked out of me so I`m ready to go on Saturday. But the more I sweat now, the less I`ll bleed come Saturday.
CALLEBS: Almost anything goes in the cage. There are exceptions. No biting, no intentional spinal injuries, no head butts or twisting fingers. But choke holds, kicks, and near bare-knuckle punches are not only legal, but the way to win.
VERNON BROWN, SIOUX FALLS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER: A street fight, an organized street fight, that`s what I would call it.
CALLEBS: Vernon Brown is a Sioux Falls City councilmember, and he`s doing everything he can to get it banned here.
BROWN: When those cage fighters get in the ring, they`re connected to people that are in the crowd, their friends, their family are there. That`s just a bad mix with alcohol.
CALLEBS: City leaders worry that violence could spread to the stands.
(on-screen): Hundreds of people will come here tonight to watch 15 different fights. But in many ways, this, the cage, is the star attraction, 19 1/2 feet across, 7 feet high. It pens the fighters in, creating an almost gladiator-like atmosphere.
(voice-over): Cage fighting is still legal in Sioux Falls, but the promoter admits bad press is hurting attendance. While some professional fighters duking it out on TV in a cage-like setting could make hundreds of thousands in prize money, the winners here might get $100, but hope for something better.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve heard it before, you know, why do you get in there and beat each other up? But once you educate the people, and they understand that this will be looked at a lot more as a sport than just getting in there and fighting.
CALLEBS: Many, like Zack Schroeder (ph), are experienced wrestlers. Others study martial arts. Fighters proudly boast this is a blue-collar sport and say they thrive on the adrenaline of a one-on-one match.
But critics, like Vernon Brown, won`t even concede this is even a sport.
BROWN: There`s no group governing -- this is not a sanctioned event.
CALLEBS: It sometimes comes pretty close. At the end of a beer- soaked night -- and, by the way, the promoters don`t get a cut of alcohol sales -- it`s time for the marquee event, featuring Lee Lohff, for the clash of titans tonight.
LOHFF: I had a setback. The guy I was supposed to fight apparently sprained his ankle in training.
CALLEBS: So John Wesley is rounded up as a last-minute replacement. It isn`t pretty. Wesley has never trained, never fought, and really has no chance.
JOHN WESLEY, CAGE FIGHTER: Never been in the ring, not even until tonight.
CALLEBS: And how much do you get?
WESLEY: Nothing. Couple lumps on the head.
CALLEBS: Wesley is so battered and dazed, he has to lean against the wall to speak to us, but he wants to do this again. Lohff is all smiles.
LOHFF: I want to give them their money`s worth. So I`m glad it went well.
CALLEBS: Lee Lohff gets less than $100 for the win. The sponsor is a little ticked that he gave Wesley such a beating. It might mean more bad publicity. But, at the same time, it gave the fans what they came for, the kind of entertainment that keeps cage rage going.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I am glad Sean got out of that cage. That was CNN`s Sean Callebs reporting for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, one of TV`s hottest new shows, "Grey`s Anatomy," only getting hotter. Isaiah Washington plays Doctor Preston Burke. He`s a skilled but arrogant cardiologist dealing with the complexities of romance with one of his interns.
Isaiah Washington joining us now live here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Nice to see you.
ISAIAH WASHINGTON, ACTOR: I kind of like cardiothoracic surgeon. I can`t let the surgeons out there...
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Cardiothoracic surgeon. Hold on, get my notes correct.
WASHINGTON: John Robinson, James McPherson, those guys would never let me get away with that one.
HAMMER: All right. Don`t let me get you in trouble here. That`s not what we do at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Congratulations, first of all, on all the success of "Grey`s Anatomy." You guys certainly have an enviable time slot, coming on after "Desperate Housewives," which may have initially helped give you or helped you build an audience, but now you`re a bona fide hit in your own right. And that`s something you knew was going to happen from the very start, as you mentioned.
WASHINGTON: I did. When I took the first meeting, when I read the pilot, which was initially called "The Surgeons," I just wanted to play the dirt on the floor. I just wanted to get in the room.
I never heard of Shonda Rhimes, didn`t know who she was, but I just wanted to get in that meeting and prove myself as an actor to portray any role, except for the women, of course.
HAMMER: You never know.
WASHINGTON: But just being in this project. And I`ve always felt that way. And luckily, it`s come to pass.
HAMMER: Yes, truly, you know. And "Desperate Housewives" the ratings, you know, have actually sort of plateaued while yours continue to rise, so clearly you`re doing it on your own.
WASHINGTON: Yes, we are doing it on our own.
HAMMER: Yes, the team.
WASHINGTON: We are doing it...
(CROSSTALK)
WASHINGTON: Shonda Rhimes is the captain of the ship. And she`s orchestrating every single bit of our success with an extraordinary production crew, an extraordinary cast, that -- even guest stars, Linda Lowe (ph) is doing a magnificent job casting this thing. And we`re having a ball, man. We`re having a ball.
HAMMER: And, Isaiah, you have such a cool story. I love this. You were, what, 23 years old. You were an aerospace engineer...
WASHINGTON: Yes, I was...
HAMMER: ... and decided, "Eh, I`m going to give this up and go see if I can be a big-time Hollywood star. I`ll give myself, you know, 10 years, see if I can work that out," and it happened. But when you made that decision to leave aerospace engineering behind and pursue acting, your family wasn`t crazy about the idea, were they?
WASHINGTON: No, everyone thought I definitely had a serious lapse and thought I really lost my mind. I considered it actually a mid-life crisis at 23. Everything just changed.
And I realized that I don`t want to do what I`m doing, and I have no idea where I`m going. But I probably was depressed and didn`t know it. And a friend of mine took me -- I was in Washington, D.C. -- took me to see a film called "She`s Got To Have It."
And by the time I got out of that film, A.J., I had this eureka kind of sensation. I said, "That`s what I want to do."
HAMMER: So it wasn`t something from when you were a kid, and you knew from the time when you were five years old, "I have to be an actor."
WASHINGTON: No, I performed and acted silly, you know, with my family, of course. I was always the little guy doing the James Brown impressions and what have you. But I never took it seriously. I always thought I was going to play football, you know, be the next Jack Tatum or Deion Sanders or something, running backwards for my career or something like that...
HAMMER: But you decided to follow your bliss and it paid off.
WASHINGTON: It picked me. It picked me. And I was brave enough to just go with it. For the first time in my life, not being told what to do by a football coach, or the military, or the government, or my parents. Just say, "You know what? I`m going to go with this instinct, go with this feeling, and give myself 10 years, and see what happens."
HAMMER: And initially, you faced a lot of roles where you were perhaps playing the bad guy, a thug, or a bad cop, or something like that. And there were some type-casting, really, involved, but you overcame that clearly with a role like this.
WASHINGTON: Well, I called myself Isaiah the tight-buster guy. Isaiah "Tight-buster" Washington. I knew that this was one-dimension that wasn`t supposed to shine, was always supposed to be a second banana.
But I really wanted to become a professional scene-stealer. And, you know, I learned from the best, the Don Cheadles, the Sam Jacksons, you know, Giancarlo Espositos, the Joe Morgans of the world. And, you know, I just stayed the course, man, stayed the course.
HAMMER: And you`re an enormous success right now. Congratulations.
WASHINGTON: Thanks very much.
HAMMER: And "Grey`s Anatomy" -- thanks for stopping by. We appreciate it.
WASHINGTON: Thank you very much.
HAMMER: Isaiah Washington joining us. And "Grey`s Anatomy" will air on Sunday nights, and it does air every Sunday night on ABC.
ANDERSON: There`s still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Armed Forces Radio: Should the military control what the troops hear?
Vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. Write us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of your e-mails, coming up after the break.
HAMMER: But first, time for the "Entertainment Weekly" must-list. Here are five things "EW" says you have to check out in the coming week.
First, go see the new movie, "The Squid and the Whale." "EW" says it will break your heart and heal it again. That`s nice.
Next, "EW" says check out Alan Alda in "The West Wing," which is now on Sunday nights.
Then, pick up a copy of the book, "Where the Truth Lies," by Rupert Holmes, a sparkling mystery about a washed-up comedy duo.
"EW" also says to check out the first season of "Veronica Mars." It`s out on DVD.
And finally, pick up a copy of Rhino`s new four-disc CD, "One Kiss Can Lead to Another." It`s a compilation of girl group with sounds that have been lost and found, or something like that.
For more on the must-list, grab your copy of "EW." It is on newsstands now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Armed Forces Radio: Should the military control what the troops hear?
Here`s what the vote`s been saying so far: 17 percent of you say, yes, the military should control what the troops hear; 83 percent of you sound off saying it should not.
Here are some of the e-mails we`ve received. One from Ronnie in Texas who writes, "We all should be able to hear everything and anything and then form our own opinions."
We also heard from Dave in Florida who writes, "The military must have some control. However, it can`t be at the expense of the troops."
You can continue to vote by logging onto CNN.com/showbiztonight.
ANDERSON: All right. It`s time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT next week. Let`s take a look at the "Showbiz Marquee."
Marquee Guy, you know what to do.
MARQUEE GUY: And I have two words for you: Coochie coochie! That can mean only one thing, of course. It`s Charro on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Fasten your seatbelts, kiddies. Charro here live, Monday.
Also Monday, it was the surprise hit that marched all the way to the top of the box office. Who knew penguins could be movie stars? Who knew? The director of "March of the Penguins," with breaking penguin news, live Monday, for the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s right, breaking penguin news.
This is the marquee guy, as always marching to the beat of my own drum.
HAMMER: And don`t we know it.
All right. Let`s see, we have breaking penguin news and coochie coochie from the Marquee Guy tonight. I think that means it`s time to wrap it up and start the weekend.
ANDERSON: Very exciting Friday night we`ve had, A.J. Have a great weekend.
HAMMER: You, too. 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
