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Showbiz Tonight
Hollywood Dems No Longer Silent; Town Campaigns for Fictional Candidate; HDTV Shows Stars in High Relief; Penn and Teller to Host Underwater Special
Aired November 10, 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 VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Hollywood Democrats strike back. Barbra Streisand calls for the impeachment of President Bush. Plus, why Tim Robbins, Jennifer Aniston and Warren Beatty are all up in arms.
TIM ROBBINS, ACTOR: I think this administration, its legacy will be one of infamy.
HAMMER: Tonight, it`s Hollywood versus the White House.
Welcome to "West Wing" city. A California town`s remarkable real-life campaign for a fictional presidential candidate on "the West Wing." Tonight, the city`s mayor joins us live, in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Supermodel, supermom. Heidi Klum goes from the delivery room to the catwalk in just two months.
HEIDI KLUM, SUPERMODEL: I haven`t slept much at all. There`s a lot of diapers and a lot of crying and stuff everywhere, basically.
HAMMER: Only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is backstage with Heidi at the Victoria`s Secret fashion show, with her amazing story of how she trimmed down so fast.
KLUM: Hi, I`m Heidi Klum. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi there, I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Well, tonight the revenge of the Hollywood Democrats. And that sound you hear, some big-name stars sharpening their knives. President Bush once sent them packing with their tails between their legs. But now Hollywood Dems are demanding answers.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been hard at work putting together the pieces of this puzzle. Let`s get right to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas in Hollywood.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What a difference a year makes, guys. Last year liberal activists were stunned silent by President Bush`s reelection. Now they`re silent no more. And Republicans and their chief are facing a renewed assault from the left west-coast left.
(voice-over) A year ago, President Bush and his fellow Republicans could always count on applause when they bashed liberals in Hollywood.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you say the heart and soul of America is found in Hollywood, I`m afraid you are not the candidate of conservative values.
VARGAS: Fast-forward a year later, and Hollywood liberals are bashing right back.
WARREN BEATTY, ACTOR: I think it`s sort of a misuse of the process.
VARGAS: This week actor Warren Beatty won a very public smackdown with Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger over four budget initiatives the governor proposed. California voters rejected all four this week, leaving Beatty to claim victory and a possible run against Schwarzenegger next year.
BEATTY: I believe I`ve made this scam of an extra election, this abuse of the initiative process, backfire on the people who had the power to call it.
VARGAS: And now other star liberals are taking their gloves off, especially when it comes to President Bush. When SHOWBIZ TONIGHT showed up as a United Nations gala event the other night, actor Tim Robbins blasted the administration.
ROBBINS: And I think this administration will -- this legacy will be one of infamy.
VARGAS: He`s not the only one on a warpath. In a recent blog, Rosie O`Donnell referred to President Bush as, quote, "our brainless unelected president."
And on her blog, singer Barbra Streisand goes even farther. She writes, quote, "If there was ever time in history to impeach a president of the United States, it would be now."
One year after being slapped down by Bush`s reelection, why are Hollywood liberals being so slap-happy now? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked CNN political analyst Bill Schneider.
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Bush has had a very bad year. And I think the criticism that he`s receiving from Hollywood, as from a lot of Democrats and liberals, really reflects that.
He`s on the ropes. His approval rating is down in the 30s. And when that happens, that emboldens his critics, and you`re hearing them in Hollywood as you are around the country.
VARGAS: Back when Bush was a popular wartime president, popular entertainers criticized him at their own risk. We all know what happened to the Dixie Chicks, who faced boycotts after criticizing President Bush.
Whoopi Goldberg lost a Slimfast endorsement for off-color comments about the president.
And in a recent CNN interview superstar George Clooney said he endured a back lash from Bush supporters for his liberal views.
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: I`m found myself at times targeted, but not targeted in a way that managed to hurt or change my career, just targeted.
SCHNEIDER: Hollywood liberals are acutely aware of their public image. I mean, that`s their business after all. And they`re aware that if they speak out and become too strident and too critical they`ll become an issue themselves. I think they know that.
VARGAS: But now that Bush is on the ropes, not only are long-time Hollywood liberals stepping up their public shots, so are shots who`ve traditionally stayed out of politician. In a chat with a "Newsweek" reporter, Jennifer Aniston crowed about the indictment of White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby, saying, quote, "How about that indictment? And why did it take so long to respond to the crisis in New Orleans? Everything is imploding. It all seems to lead back to our dear president."
SCHNEIDER: Look, you have to understand political messages have to be attuned to the times. That`s important in politics; that`s important in show business. Right now Bush is down, so the Democratic and liberal message sounds very good. That could all change at a stroke.
VARGAS: As we just mentioned, some in California think Warren Beatty is gearing up to run against Governor Schwarzenegger next year. For his part, Beatty has said he doesn`t want to run, but some analysts, including CNN`s Bill Schneider, are quick to point out that Beatty hasn`t exactly ruled a run, either.
Brooke, back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: We will have to wait and see, Sibila. Thank so much. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas in Hollywood.
Now we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Babs versus Bush: is Streisand`s impeachment call out of line? Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Send us an e-mail at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of your thoughts later on in the show.
HAMMER: While Barbra Streisand takes aim at the real president, tonight one small town in California is stumping for a fake presidential candidate.
Santa Paula, California, has declared itself the official hometown of Republican Senator Arnold Vinick, which is Alan Alda`s character on "The West Wing," you`re seeing here.
The town has launched a "Vinick for President" campaign, and it wants its favorite son to stump at home.
Live tonight in Santa Paula, California, for a "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview, the mayor of Santa Paula, Mary Ann Krause.
Thanks for being with us, Mayor.
MARY ANN KRAUSE, MAYOR, SANTA PAULA: Thank you. It`s my pleasure, A.J.
HAMMER: So Santa Paula has declared Alan Alda`s character as an official resident. You`ve got this campaign headquarters that you`ve unveiled at the train depot. As I can see behind you, you`ve got signs up all over town, people wearing buttons and T-shirts. You do realize this is a TV show, don`t you?
KRAUSE: Well, we do, but you know, we take our television pretty seriously, especially our politics.
HAMMER: Well, this is a fun, fun story. I love this.
When Senator Vinick`s character was first introduced last season on the "West Wing," he simply said he was from a Southern California citrus- growing community. That happens to be what your town is. But "The West Wing" didn`t mention a specific town.
And now if you go to the NBC web site you see his bio, Vinick`s bio actually claims Santa Paula as his home. I believe you had something to do with that, didn`t you?
KRAUSE: Well, yes. When Senator Vinick announced that he was from a small citrus growing region, the city manager and I decided that we needed to lobby NBC and make sure that he declared Santa Paula as his home. Because after all, we are the citrus capital of the world.
HAMMER: And you pulled it off, and last Sunday night, as you well know, NBC aired this live debate between the two "West Wing" presidential hopefuls. You guys had a big party and bake sale during that event. What other kinds of things are going on around town these days?
KRAUSE: Well, back in April, we actually opened this campaign headquarters with a big event and had a lot of fun with that. We had obviously the event last week, which attracted a number of local residents and a lot of attention by the newspapers.
We have some other things planned, as the event -- the campaign goes forward. We`ll probably have another event on the night of the election, which I believe is to be in March toward the end of the "West Wing" season.
HAMMER: And I`m sure you`re hoping Alan Alda`s character will win this race, this fictitious race. Now, aside from reaching out to NBC, you specifically reached out to Alan Alda, I understand?
KRAUSE: Well, we have -- we haven`t heard back from him yet, but we do think that, considering the love that`s shown by this community, that he probably will come for a visit. Our current campaign is to get NBC to mention Santa Paula on the air, and then hopefully to actually come and do some filming here.
HAMMER: Well, we wish you...
KRAUSE: We do often have filming. And we think they`ll do it.
HAMMER: We do wish you the best of luck, and hopefully Alan Alda will show up in your town. And among other things it looks like you`re just having a lot of fun. Mayor Mary Ann Krause, live in Santa Paula.
KRAUSE: We are.
HAMMER: Thanks very much for joining us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
KRAUSE: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Tonight why some of the TV stars are running for cover, the cover of makeup. The reason? High-definition TV, which millions of Americans are now tuning into, watching a picture so sharp you can count the hairs on an anchorman`s nose. Not that you would want to, of course, but you could.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos, for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The latest wrinkle in TV technology can make a mountain out of a mole.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a shaving accident.
MOOS: The slightest nick can look like a laceration.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re delighted to be broadcasting in high-def.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: High-def.
MOOS: Delighted? For some, high-definition equals high anxiety. It`s enough to make a housewife desperate.
PHILLIP SWANN, PRESIDENT, TVPREDICTIONS.COM: She also has these big veins bulging out of her forehead. It kind of looks like a page of an AAA road map.
MOOS: It`s one thing when HDTV lets you eyeball the laces on a football. But it can also make a local sports anchor look like a slob.
SWANN: More than once I have seen him on there with food stains on his lapel.
MOOS: Ready or not, high-def is coming. Prepare the counter attack.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Try it again. That`s good. Relax now.
SWANN: Some local news teams are starting to ask for Botox budgets in anticipation of going high-def.
MOOS (on camera): You`re going to have to use your imagination with this piece, because you probably don`t have HDTV yet. Only six percent of Americans do.
So those of you with regular TV won`t be able to fully appreciate how bad we look in HD.
(voice-over) That`s regular TV on the left, HD on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see his warts. You can see bumps and dirt on his face that are completely gone. You don`t even notice it here.
MOOS: "Good Morning America" recently launched in high-def.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Standard television, HD.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you see the texture in Robin`s jacket?
MOOS: But it`s the texture of the face that has talent on alert.
DIANE SAWYER, CO-HOST, ABC`S "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": You`re even seeing more about what we did last night.
ROBIN ROBERTS, CO-HOST, ABC`S "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": Don`t go there.
That is the Grand Canyon. Have you ever seen it like that on TV?
MOOS (on camera): Yes, but what about wrinkles that look like the Grand Canyon?
(voice-over) Watch out or you`ll end up on the HD Horribles list, along with David Letterman.
SWANN: He`s got more lines on his face than his writers have in their heads.
MOOS: And Clint Eastwood.
SWANN: I love Clint Eastwood, but he`s in his 70s now, and he kind of reminds you of his very first TV show when you see his face.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): "Rawhide."
MOOS: The opposite of skin like rawhide, the HD Honeys. Marcia Cross is the only one over 40 to make the list.
SWANN: She is an HDTV hottie. Her skin is as smooth as Bill Clinton at a cocktail party.
MOOS: Another HD honey was Ashton Kutcher, but wife Demi Moore was named an HD Horrible.
High-def has makeup artists reaching for their latest weapon for makeup artists, the air brush. Take aim at the acne.
(on camera) It`s like laser (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for people.
(voice-over) There`s even a programming card shooters stick in their cameras.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can set this so it will focus a little softer and wrinkles don`t show up.
MOOS: But there`s one star who doesn`t need air brushed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you seen Spongebob in high-def?
MOOS: Spongebob is proud to show off his pores.
TOM KENNY, ACTOR: Yes, wow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Spongebob`s pores have never been so crisp, right? Well, that was CNN`s Jeanne Moos reporting for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
As of right now, the FCC`s deadline for networks to begin broadcasting in an all-digital format is December 31, 2006. But there`s talk that it might be pushed back.
HAMMER: There is startling news tonight about a young TV star`s fight against anorexia and just how desperate the situation was. We`ve got that coming up next.
ANDERSON: Plus, new developments in the car crash involving Paris Hilton and her socialite friends. The police are starting to ask a few questions. That`s also ahead.
HAMMER: And Penn and Teller`s latest magic show, completely underwater. We will talk to them live. And we`re pretty sure only one of them will talk back. That`s coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But first for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What Ivy League universities did the lovers of 1970`s "Love Story" attend? Harvard and Radcliffe, Yale and Princeton, Harvard and Cornell, or Harvard and Yale? We`re coming right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What Ivy League universities did the lovers of 1970`s "Love Story" attend? Harvard and Radcliffe, Yale and Princeton, Harvard and Cornell, or Harvard and Yale? The answer, "A," Harvard and Radcliffe.
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Tonight, startling revelations about a young actress and her battle with anorexia.
Sixteen-year-old Scarlett Pomers is best known for her role on the WB sitcom "Reba." "People" magazine reports that the minute Scarlett arrived on the "Reba" set in August, castmates knew something was wrong. She had dropped from an already-thin 99 pounds to a skeletal 70 -- excuse me, 73 pounds, by barely eating and exercising up to six hours a day.
Today, we learned she checked into a facility for treatment in early September. Her family says she`s now on the mend, and they hope Scarlett`s story will raise awareness of the disease.
For more on Scarlett`s struggle, pick up a copy of "People" magazine. It`s on newsstands tomorrow.
HAMMER: Another star who has been quite vocal about her battle with eating disorders, "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul. Now, she has won an award for helping to raise awareness.
The National Eating Disorders Association has given Abdul its highest honor, the Profiles in Living Award. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was at the event in New York City, where Abdul told producer Carrie Hill that after a long struggle to recover from bulimia, she finally feels that she has come full circle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA ABDUL, JUDGE, "AMERICAN IDOL": I`m not checked out. I`m not worried about what meal I`m going to eat next, what meal I`m not going to eat next, how much I`m going to exercise. I`m actually -- I cannot even believe I achieved the amount of success I achieved being in my disorder, which is like I need to go back and do my career all over again, which is a weird way...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: For more on Paula Abdul and other stars who have struggled with eating disorders, make sure you tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow for our special report on body image in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: Tonight in a "SHOWBIZ Sit-down," have you ever watched a submarine disappear into thin air? Two-time Emmy Award winning magicians Penn and Teller are about to do it on national TV this Sunday. The magical duo -- Penn Gillette and Teller -- has been performing magic tricks for more than 30 years, and this time they`re taking it all underwater.
Joining us live tonight from Las Vegas, Penn and Teller. Welcome, guys. PENN GILLETTE, MAGICIAN: How are you doing?
ANDERSON: Doing great, thank you. Now you two have been together for 30 years, working together.
GILLETTE: Yes.
ANDERSON: What`s the secret to the longevity? And do you ever get sick of one another?
GILLETTE: Well, we don`t get sick of one another, and the secret to longevity is because we`re business partners, and we don`t spend a lot of time socializing. I think the big mistake people make in showbiz is they`re really close friends, and then they do a show together. It`s more like we run a dry-cleaning business. It just happens we vanish 800-ton submarines in our business.
ANDERSON: And Teller, what do you say about that?
GILLETTE: He agrees with me completely.
ANDERSON: That`s right. Teller never speaks. Now, Penn, I know on camera he doesn`t speak, but to you off-camera, we know you guys have to talk.
GILLETTE: Right, he talks...
ANDERSON: Can you do an impersonation of Teller`s talking?
GILLETTE: Um, um, we could, um. That`s it.
ANDERSON: That`s about it. What an -- what an interesting relationship you two have.
Now, for this special this weekend, as we said, it`s all being done underwater. I want to take a look at a clip. This trick, a woman is locked in a cage, no scuba -- no scuba gear, basically holding her breath. Let`s watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GILLETTE: The cloth is being pulled up. Remember, Organa (ph) is underwater with no source of air. Watch the curtain come up. Teller is on top. One, two, and there`s Morgana (ph). And there inside the steel cage, pent up, under water, Teller.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That is pretty amazing. How did you do it?
GILLETTE: They`re both underwater.
ANDERSON: You guys have some lungs, right?
GILLETTE: They`re both underwater. Yes, they`re both underwater, but I`m doing a very difficult voice-over, very difficult.
ANDERSON: That`s the hard job, right? Right, Penn.
GILLETTE: That`s the really hard job, yes.
And now, you are actually two of the very few magicians who reveal the secrets, who tell the audiences how you do it. Why do you choose to do this? Because so many magicians -- magicians just absolutely refuse.
GILLETTE: Well -- well, we don`t do that all the time live, but on TV, if you`re doing magic on TV, you are using camera tricks. Everybody that does magic on TV uses edits and camera tricks. And if you want to do magic in the traditional sense, the only way people are going to believe you is to show you -- show them how you did it, so that you get full credit for all the work you went through.
So we vanished that submarine. It could be done easily with -- with cuts and edits, but we show you how we did it during the credits so that you can see that we -- it kind of keeps us honest.
ANDERSON: So cuts and edits, that`s how you`re going to make this submarine disappear?
GILLETTE: No, no, no, no. We show how it`s done afterwards, because we don`t use cuts and edits.
ANDERSON: I see. I see.
GILLETTE: Yes.
ANDERSON: Well, is there a trick or an illusion that you absolutely refuse to perform or attempt?
GILLETTE: We refused to do the bullet catch, which is the trick that killed 12 magicians, because it was too dangerous. And then we worked on it for two years and started doing that, so I think there`s no line we`ve drawn. I think we`ve gone way off the deep end now.
ANDERSON: All right. Well, you have had a long illustrious career. Penn Gillette, Teller, thanks for both joining us. Great speaking with you both.
GILLETTE: Thanks.
ANDERSON: You can catch Penn and Teller`s two-hour NBC special, "Penn & Teller: Off the Deep End," this Sunday.
HAMMER: Julia Roberts has worked some magic of her own on the red carpet over the years. We`re going to take a look at how her fashion evolution has gone on and on, next in "Thursday InStyle."
ANDERSON: Plus, Heidi Klum`s baby weight disappeared, and ta da! She`s back on the runway in her underwear, just two months after giving birth. She tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT how she did it, coming up.
HAMMER: And, it looks like everybody`s doing magic tonight. Dennis Rodman escapes from a coffin. We`re going to tell you about Rodman`s latest trick, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: It`s time now for "Thursday InStyle."
From "Pretty Woman" to "Erin Brockovich," Julia Roberts has come to be America`s sweetheart. Tonight, we take you on a "Fashion Flashback" with Julia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE ZUCKERMAN, "INSTYLE" MAGAZINE: Well, every month in "Fashion Flashback" we look at a star who not only is a fashion influence but also has had a really stunning evolution, and no one is more highly evolved than Julia Roberts.
Every time you see her at the Oscars, you`ll always see her in something body-skimming, completely flattering, with maybe some flashy cutouts, or this one Ralph Lauren that she wears that was sort of ballerina-esque dress with a criss-cross back.
For the year that she won her Oscar, she wore this amazing 1980`s vintage Valentino gown. And she just was like this statuesque goddess in it.
When he look at the way Julia`s red carpet style has evolved, we see her going from more sort of experimental looks in the early `90s. She`ll go for, say, a very sexy Dolce and Gabana with a corset and bodice and a lot of va-va-va-voom.
One year -- I think it was for the Golden Globes -- she wears what appears to be a sort of deceptively simple dress. It`s just got a scoop neck. It`s like this navy blue or black long-sleeved dress.
Most recently I think at the 2004 Oscars she went old Hollywood in a very sort of Rita Hayworth-esque, Ava Gardner-like champagne satin Armani gown. And so she really can be like sort of New York sophisticate or a glamour goddess, but it`s always within the same parameters. She`s never really going to pull out the stops and do something really surprising, but why would she? She`s found a style that works for her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Indeed she has.
And to read more about Julia Roberts` fashion, pick up a copy of "InStyle" magazine, on newsstands now.
HAMMER: Hey, Brooke Anderson, this is your life! No, we don`t have Brooke`s kindergarten teacher here. But we do have some news about a legendary TV show up next.
ANDERSON: A.J., I`m sure my kindergarten teacher could tell you some funny stories from those days.
Plus, Paris Hilton`s car crash may have landed some police in the hot seat. We`ll tell you why a car full of socialites could spell trouble for the LAPD, coming up.
HAMMER: And what`s a woman that Paris doesn`t speak with anymore saying? Well, she speaks out. We`ll hear from Nicole Richie, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues in one minute. Hi, everyone. I`m Susan Hendricks with your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
U.S. officials say two Americans were among those killed in yesterday`s suicide bombings in Amman, Jordan. Meanwhile, President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush visited the Jordanian embassy in Washington to offer their condolences in the wake of the attacks.
Former FEMA Director Michael Brown is no longer on the payroll. Brown resigned nearly two months ago but was paid through the beginning of this month as a consultant. Meanwhile, more than a dozen Hurricane Katrina victims have filed suit, accusing the federal government of denying them temporary housing assistance.
In New York, it`s a sure sign the holiday season is just around the corner. A 74-foot Norway spruce arrived at Rockefeller Center in New York this morning. The tree is set to be lit on November 30th.
And that is the news for now. I`m Susan Hendricks. Now back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And you are watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
A.J., today we learned the Los Angeles police are investigating that car crash and traffic stop involving Paris Hilton and her pals that occurred early yesterday morning. We gave the first look of the video of those events on last night`s show, courtesy of TMZ.com. And coming up, we`re going to find out what that investigation could mean for Paris and her pals. We`re going to find out, coming up in the "Legal Lowdown."
HAMMER: Pretty incriminating video. It`ll be interesting to see where this story goes.
Also, Brooke, of course, many women after having a baby do return to work after a matter of weeks. It`s not so unusual. But when your job description includes putting on underwear and walking down a runway for millions to see, well, then it`s really probably pretty important that you get your body back into pre-baby shape pretty quickly.
Heidi Klum did it. We hung out with her at the Victoria`s Secret fashion show.
ANDERSON: She did.
HAMMER: We`ll hear what she had to say, coming up in just a few moments.
ANDERSON: That sounds great, A.J.
But first, let`s get tonight`s "Hot Headlines." A loss on "Lost" scores a ratings win. ABC`s drama dominated primetime once again as Daddy`s girl Shannon was shot. Tonight, fans are feverishly debating the episode. Web sites are brimming with theories of who shot Shannon, and even some speculation that she may not be dead at all.
Meanwhile, the show`s executive producer warns she won`t be the last to die.
And rumors once flew that Paul is dead. Well, Paul McCartney is about to be live in space. The former Beatle will beam songs across the universe to the International Space Station from a concert in Anaheim, California.
This Saturday, he`ll wake up astronauts with "Good Day Sunshine" and a new tune, "English Tea." McCartney says he decided to serenade the star- men after learning NASA recently used his music to rouse the Discovery shuttle crew.
Finally, Regis Philbin is returning to ABC`s primetime lineup. Philbin, who hosted the hit, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," will take on "This is Your Life," which is set to debut next year. The show, which is a revival of the 1950s TV series, chronicles guests` lives by bringing on long-lost friends and family.
Philbin will continue to co-host "Live with Regis and Kelly" in the mornings.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
HAMMER: All right, Brooke, well, Dennis Rodman rebounds once again and we`re getting words of wisdom from the worm. The flamboyant former hoops start made a dramatic entrance to a book signing in New York. He warned us he would.
He showed up in a hearse and he emerged from a coffin. The spectacle was all to promote his book, "I Should by Dead by Now." The NBA legend tells of his battles with alcohol, the end of his basketball career, and the loves he`s lost.
Rodman opened up to me here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about his six-month marriage to Carmen Electra.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS RODMAN, FORMER NBA STAR: Carmen is just a beautiful girl. And I love her to death. She`s got a great marriage with Dave Navarro, and things seem to be working out well for her.
But for me, I think it was at the right time at the wrong time, you know? And it`s too bad it didn`t work out, but, like I said, I`m very happy for her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The book is called "Dennis Rodman: I Should be Dead by Now." He told me he really believes that. It is in book stores nationwide.
Tonight, in a "Showbiz In-depth," Hollywood Democrats strike back. As we reported earlier, in California, Warren Beatty spearheaded a campaign against a special election called by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the end, all of the governor`s initiatives on the ballot defeated.
On Barbra Streisand`s blog, the singer says, quote, "If there was ever a time in history to impeach a president of the United States, it would be now." And Rosie O`Donnell is an outspoken critic of the president and his administration, having called Karl Rove a criminal and President Bush brainless.
Joining me live from New York, Martha Zoller, who`s the author of "Indivisible: Uniting Values for a Divided America." She`s also a talk radio show host on WDUN in Georgia. And live in Hollywood, Democratic strategist Morris Reid.
Thank you both for being with us. And, Morris, I want to begin with you. It wasn`t that long ago that people were writing off Hollywood Democrats as these left-win whack jobs, but now it really appears as if people are paying attention to what`s being said by those alleged whack jobs.
Why do you suppose this is?
MORRIS REID, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I think that the American people has buyer`s remorse, particularly out here in California. There`s been so much that the president has done and used, you know, wedge issues to divide the nation.
And enough is enough. And, you know, you have these Hollywood whack jobs have been saying this along. They haven`t changed their message. People are starting to listen, and they have a lot of currency in their celebrity.
HAMMER: They do have a lot of ammunition to work with, as well.
Martha, the president`s approval rating, as we know, at an all-time low. Gas prices extremely high right now. The war in Iraq still with no end in sight. Do you think Hollywood Democrats, Martha, are exploiting these facts or are they simply calling attention to them?
MARTHA ZOLLER, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST, WDUN-GEORGIA: Well, they do repeat things over and over many times that aren`t true. And they blame that of the other side.
But I think that really they need to understand there`s a responsibility. Now, there`s a difference between Warren Beatty, that`s willing to go out there, and put his money where his mouth is, and actually work as an activist, and a Barbra Streisand who just goes on to her blog, and attacks the president, and really isn`t willing to get out there.
I really have more respect for Beatty than I do for Streisand, as far as how they`re doing it.
But, you know, the president and the Republican Party has done this to themselves. They haven`t acted like Republicans. They haven`t acted like conservatives. And they`ve hurt themselves very much.
But I will tell you: We don`t have a system of government that we recall. They do it in California for the governors, but not for the president. And there`s a reason for that, and I talk about it in my book, "Indivisible."
You have to make sure that you have the ability to finish your agenda. We don`t just throw presidents out willy-nilly. And he`ll have an opportunity to finish up his term.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: But people are listening...
REID: But it`s interesting that you talk about the blog, because the blogs, the Internet, are really having an impact on this election. You remember it will have an impact on this election and other elections.
But if you look at what happened with Democrats this past -- just yesterday, in fact, with Virginia and in New Jersey, the Democrats are feeling like they`ve got a reason to celebrate. And celebrities really have a valuable role to play here, particularly when you`re the out party. You have to create some excitement, and celebrities bring that to the table.
HAMMER: Well, Morris...
ZOLLER: But let`s not forget -- it`s just...
HAMMER: Hold on one second, Martha. Hang on second.
Morris, to that end, when you see, you know, Barbra Streisand calling for the impeachment of the president, do you think the general public sees that as grandstanding? Or do you think they`re opening up to hearing somebody like Barbra Streisand put that out there?
REID: No, no. They`re not opening up to it. She`s speaking to a certain bloc within the Democratic Party, just as George Bush, when he says certain things, speaks to certain bloc.
What I really believe these celebrities are doing is giving the Democratic Party a reason to be excited again. You have people that are energetic. You have people that can get on TV, that can draw attention; that`s what`s exciting about the Democratic Party, at least right now.
ZOLLER: But let`s just make the point quickly that, four years ago, they won two governorships that they won from Republicans. This is two governorships that they already held.
I don`t really think that that`s something to be excited about, but I do think they need a message. Democrats have been poor at getting the message out. Republicans had a great message, but they`ve had a tough year getting it through this year.
So, really, if Democrats will get a message, then I think that they have a chance. But clearly, the message can`t be just bash Bush. That didn`t work in 2004.
REID: Well, listen, a win is a win. And, you know, I`ll take these victories...
ZOLLER: But it`s not a pick-up.
REID: ... because they were very important victories, still. They were very important, to retain those two seats, particularly in Virginia, particularly in Virginia.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: And, Morris, hold on a second, because we need to rein this back to Hollywood, which, after all, we`re talking Hollywood and their impact on what`s happening.
And, Morris, you know, Warren Beatty was very vocal, and he did get in there, right in the mix, to try to have an impact on Schwarzenegger. Do you think Beatty really genuinely made an impact on the outcome of the vote yesterday, on Tuesday?
REID: Absolutely. I think he did. And I think that Warren Beatty has a real role to play, not just in California but across the country.
Here`s a guy that`s committed. Just as my colleague said, here`s a guy that has an activism streak in him. What celebrities forget is that what they can do is draw attention to issues that others can`t. So Hollywood needs to pick a few issues and really rally around them. Warren Beatty stayed focus, and that made a difference.
ZOLLER: And there has to be responsibility behind it. When you know your words are going to be heard, you have to make sure that you`ve got something behind it.
And that`s what Beatty did. That`s what Schwarzenegger did in the recall. If people are willing to put their money where their mouth is, so to speak, their reputation where their mouth is, then I have no problem with it.
It`s when people go and say things like "brainless," or "stupid," or call the president...
HAMMER: So use your words responsibly, as the parent tells the child.
ZOLLER: Use them responsibly.
HAMMER: Use your words and responsibly. Martha Zoller, WDUN, Democratic strategist Morris Reid, I want to thank you both...
REID: Thank you.
HAMMER: ... for going in-depth with us tonight.
ZOLLER: Thanks, guys.
HAMMER: Now, this leads us once again to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Babs versus Bush: Is Streisand`s impeachment call out of line?
Let us know what you think by voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight. You can also write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Your e-mails coming up in about 15 minutes.
ANDERSON: Well, we have some star baby news for you. We`ll tell you who`s welcoming home a brand-new baby boy, coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, Heidi Klum just had her second baby two months ago. So what`s she doing at the fashion show so soon? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes backstage to find out. That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: And Paris Hilton`s brush with law may spell trouble for the law. We`ll explain, still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Time to take a look at what`s new at the movies this week. "Derailed," the thriller stars Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen as strangers on a train who take a dangerous detour. Some are calling it a modern-day "Fatal Attraction." It`s out tomorrow.
"Get Rich or Die Tryin`" is in theatres now. 50 Cent makes his acting debut in the rap-to-riches story based on his life.
For the family, there`s "Zathura," from the director of "Elf." The space adventure, a follow-up to "Jumanji," stars Tim Robbins, not to mention some killer robots. And that`s in theaters tomorrow, as well.
In limited release tomorrow, "Pride and Prejudice." Keira Knightley stars in the lush romance based on the Jane Austen classic. And another literary adaptation, "Bee Season," buzzes into theaters. The drama, also in limited release tomorrow, stars Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche.
ANDERSON: Tonight, new details about Paris Hilton`s caught-on-tape car crash. Los Angeles police are now investigating a car accident and traffic stop involving the hotel heiress and some of her friends.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT first showed you this exclusive footage from TMZ.com. Caught on tape, Paris Hilton, her new boyfriend, and two others around 2:30 in the morning in Hollywood. The group had just left a trendy nightclub in Bentley -- you see it -- when they hit a truck, narrowing missed some bystanders, and sped off.
LAPD patrol cars show up but never conducted a sobriety test. Harvey Levin broke this story. He`s the managing editor of the soon-to-be launched TMZ.com and he`s joining us now live from Glendale, California, with the latest.
Harvey, initially it seemed everybody may have been getting off scot- free with this, but today we did learn the LAPD has launched this investigation. What happened to prompt this investigation?
HARVEY LEVIN, MANAGING EDITOR, TMZ.COM: Well, yesterday, at around -- I think around 9:00 in the morning my time, I called the LAPD and I said, "Look, you know, we`ve got this video." And they didn`t know anything about that.
They had gotten a call about this traffic accident, which they did not respond to, but subsequent, when we were at the scene where the cops were there with Paris Hilton and company, they really didn`t know about it.
I told the officer at the time, the watch commander, we had this. And we got a call a short time later saying that they would investigate this. And mid-afternoon, it became an official LAPD investigation.
ANDERSON: So this internal investigation is under way. What exactly does that mean? Could these cops be in trouble here?
LEVIN: Well, I mean, that`s what they`re looking at. I mean, there are questions that the department has to ask.
The buzz I`m hearing is that the officers may be saying that, when they actually encountered the people in the Bentley, that they had gotten out of the car so they weren`t sure who the driver was.
The troublesome thing here is, clearly, that Bentley had been in a car accident. And there`s a law in California where, if there was a car accident, within three hours of the time the cops encounter the people, they could make an arrest, even if they didn`t see the person who was physically driving them.
And if they said to everybody, "Who was driving this car?" And Paris` boyfriend says, "It was me," or everybody else says it was him, and they don`t think he`s stable, and they do a sobriety test, theoretically they could have arrested him for drunk driving. I think those are the questions that the department is going to be asking, whether the officers followed proper procedure.
ANDERSON: Yes, no sobriety test was conducted. Harvey, how much do you think what happened occurred because Paris Hilton is who she is? How did her celebrity, do you think -- what part did it play in the officer`s actions?
LEVIN: Look, Brooke, I don`t know the answer to that. And I think that`s really at the center of this. Did the cops in any way -- were they star struck or were they following proper procedure?
And I think that`s what the LAPD is going to get into. I mean, you have some troubling things here. You`ve got -- you know, it`s 2:30 in the morning. You`ve got a bunch of kids in a car, too many kids to be in that car. And that was clear.
They were driving recklessly. They weren`t -- a lot of people thought they were drinking in the club, so the question is, was it appropriate to take action or did Paris skate because she was Paris?
ANDERSON: Focus on officers, not Paris and the pals, here with this investigation.
OK. Harvey Levin, managing editor of the soon to be launched TMZ.com, thanks for your insight. we appreciate it.
LEVIN: See you, Brooke. Bye.
ANDERSON: Hilton`s TV show, "The Simple Life," is getting pretty complicated amid her ongoing feud with co-star Nicole Richie. The two are planning to re-team for a fourth season of the series, but they don`t have a place to show it yet after it was canceled by FOX.
And on top of that, they aren`t speaking. And while both sides are keeping mum on why they`re squabbling, Richie revealed to Jay Leno how their fight could play into production.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE RICHIE, "THE SIMPLE LIFE": We`re actually not going to shoot together, so it`s great.
(LAUGHTER)
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Now, you`re still friends with Nicky, though?
RICHIE: Yes. Yes, I am.
LENO: OK. Is that awkward at Thanksgiving? You know, when you sit across from her?
(LAUGHTER)
RICHIE: No, not at all.
LENO: It`s not weird?
RICHIE: Not at all. I love that family.
LENO: OK. Do you think you`ll make up?
RICHIE: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, clearly, no. Richie just released her first novel, "The Truth about Diamonds." Some critics note the characters bear a strong resemblance to herself and to Hilton.
HAMMER: Well, Leno`s late-night colleague, Conan O`Brien, had a repeat on last night. And that`s because he and his wife, Liza, welcomed their new son into the world. Beckett is his name. Eight pounds, four ounces is where he came in, their second child. They have a two-year-old daughter. Conan says that he, his wife, and their new son are doing just fine.
Well, imagine having a baby and getting back to work in just a few weeks. I cannot personally relate, but many moms do it. Then again, many moms don`t have to strut their stuff out there on the catwalk like supermodel Heidi Klum.
CNN`s J.J. Ramberg joining us live with that story.
Hi, J.J.
J.J. RAMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, A.J.
Well, you know, not a lot of new moms are going to be able to relate to this story. One of the biggest names in modeling, you said it, Heidi Klum, she had a brand-new baby boy only two months ago. And with barely any time to sleep, let alone exercise, unbelievably she`s already back on the catwalk and strutting her very, very hot stuff.
So how`d she do it? She told it only to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAMBERG (voice-over): She`s a supermodel and a super-mom. Heidi Klum, a proud mother of two, with singer Seal.
HEIDI KLUM, MODEL: One is a year and a half, and one is two months.
RAMBERG: In September, the latest edition to their family, Henry. In this week`s "People" magazine, the world got their first glimpse of the entire happy family.
KLUM: It`s a lot of diapers, and a lot of crying, and a lot of bottles, and lot of pacifiers. Stuff everywhere, basically.
RAMBERG: It`s a busy time for any new mom, but imagine if, only a few weeks after having a baby, you had to do this.
That`s right. Heidi Klum got straight back to work for one of the biggest Victoria`s Secret fashion shows of the year.
KLUM: I was in a bra and underwear mode, you know, basically right after I, you know, had the baby in my head, but my body was just not there yet.
RAMBERG: She had only a few weeks to get ready for her strut down the catwalk.
KLUM: I waited the first five weeks to, you know, take it easy a little bit and take care of myself. And then I started, you know, working out with David.
RAMBERG: David is this guy, David Kirsch, celebrity fitness and wellness coach.
DAVID KIRSCH, CELEBRITY FITNESS AND WELLNESS TRAINER: Sculpting, and toning, and lifting, and reducing. And, yes, it`s definitely a work of art.
RAMBERG: At the end of her pregnancy, Klum told "People" magazine she weighed 167 pounds, pretty normal for an expecting mom.
KIRSCH: I worked on her diet, first and foremost. You know, when you have a baby, you`re going to carry a little more weight. She`s nursing. So we really cleaned up the diet. There was no more corn on the cob. That was a big thing.
RAMBERG: Heidi had a few things to trim from her diet.
KLUM: For me, it is carbs. I`m from Germany, so I eat a lot of potatoes. I had to totally cut that. No bread in the morning and no French fries. So, you know, just eating healthy helps a lot.
KIRSCH: My protein shakes, a lot of egg whites, a lot of eating every few hours, good grains, spinach, broccoli. This was all about giving her a little extra confidence. Physically, she`s beautiful.
RAMBERG: Beautiful inside and out.
KLUM: Well, you know, I feel very good about myself. You know, I`m a mother. I have two children. That for me is the most important thing. And the runway comes second, you know, after everything, you know, that I have in my life right now.
Do I look the same how, you know, some of the 20-year-old girls look today? No, I don`t, but I`m still very happy with myself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RAMBERG: You can see more of Heidi Klum and all the Victoria`s Secret angels strut their stuff on their very own Christmas special, which will air on CBS on December 6th -- A.J.
HAMMER: J.J., thanks very much. CNN`s J.J. Ramberg for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: And there`s still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Babs versus Bush: Is Streisand`s impeachment call out of line?
Vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. Or write us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We will read some of your e-mails live, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: We`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Thank you for doing so.
Babs versus Bush: Is Streisand`s impeachment call out of line? The vote so far: 47 percent of you say yes; 53 percent no. Pretty even split.
Among the e-mails we`ve received, one from Kate in Ohio who writes, "That Streisand is way out of line. President Bush has thrown a lot at him in his presidential terms and has dealt with them to the best of his ability."
And Melvin from Tennessee adds, "I say go Babs and all of Hollywood for being the voice of the rest of us. We the people do not seem to have one anymore," a voice is what he means.
ANDERSON: It`s time now to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. So let`s take a look at the "Showbiz Marquee." It`s all yours, Marquee Guy.
MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, it isn`t spring yet, but we so Robbins, Tim Robbins. He`s starring in a new movie, a new adventure from the world of "Jumanji." Rockin` Robbins, Tim Robbins, where? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. When? Tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, we`ll tell you where to go if you`re going to the movies. Jennifer Aniston`s "Derailed" is coming out, and we`ll get the de- reviews to find out if you should go. We`re going to stay on de-tracks. When? Tomorrow.
This is the Marquee Guy, your conductor on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT party train. So all aboard.
HAMMER: And what a party it is night after night, partially thanks to the Marquee Guy.
ANDERSON: The Marquee Guy, and hopefully that train will stay on the tracks, right, A.J.?
HAMMER: Hopefully. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Brooke. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Please stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
END