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Showbiz Tonight
Cheney Jokes Pepper the TV; Celebrity Couples Who Beat the Odds; Conan Meets with Finnish President He Helped Win Election; Incredible Hulk Becomes Sheriff`s Deputy
Aired February 14, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And I`m Brooke Anderson. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, it was the shot heard round the world. And now, the joke`s on Dick Cheney.
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, CBS`S "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": Good news, ladies and gentlemen. We have finally located weapons of mass destruction. It`s Dick Cheney.
JON STEWART, HOST, COMEDY CENTRAL`S "THE DAILY SHOW": Don`t let your kids go hunting with the vice-president.
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will have you howling out loud with laughter with the biggest, best and funniest jokes about the hunting accident that Vice President Cheney will never forget.
Plus, pocket pornography. Tonight, how the sex business is getting bigger as technology gets smaller.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s flesh-colored crack. That`s all that really is.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates why so many X-rated movies are ending up in the palm of your hand, and the surprising story of who`s behind the porn.
And, matches made in Hollywood. It`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Valentine`s Day special report as we reveal how these star sweethearts are defying the odds and sticking together. Tonight, the secrets of celebrity couples.
HEIDI KLUM, SUPER MODEL: Hi, I`m Heidi Klum. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, live in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson, live in Hollywood.
And A.J., I do not remember the last time so many have laughed so much about what is really a serious thing: the vice president of the United States accidentally shooting someone in a hunting accident.
HAMMER: No shortage of laughs indeed, Brooke. The jokes on TV just won`t stop. So many in fact, no way you could possibly keep up and see them all. So here`s what we did today. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producers watched TV. They looked at hours and hours of shows to bring you the best of the best. Here`s what we found.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CRAIG FERGUSON, HOST, CBS`S "THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON": It is a great day for America, everybody. It is a great day for America. And if you don`t agree with me, I`ll shoot you in the face.
HAMMER (voice-over): They just can`t help it. The story that`s too good for comedians to pass up on.
STEWART: Thank you, Jesus.
HAMMER: Comedians came out in full force to jest, joke, and mock Dick Cheney`s hunting incident.
FERGUSON: I`m a late night talk show host. By law I have to talk about this.
HAMMER: It all started this weekend when Cheney accidentally shot his 78-year-old lawyer friend, Harry Whittington, in the chest, neck and face at this woman`s ranch in Texas.
KATHARINE ARMSTRONG, RANCH OWNER: The vice-president took aim at the bird and shot and, unfortunately, Mr. Whittington was in the line of fire and got peppered pretty well.
STEWART: Peppered. Yes there you have it. Harry Whittington seasoned to within an inch of his life.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s staff has been monitoring all the laughs around the clock, using our discerning wit to bring you the best Cheney jokes out there. We start with the best one-liners of the night.
LENO: There was snow much -- so much snow in Washington, D.C., Dick Cheney accidentally shot a fat guy, thinking it was a polar bear.
LETTERMAN: We can`t get bin Laden, but we nailed a 78-year-old attorney.
FERGUSON: Cheney has always said he`s a hunter that eats everything he hunts.
HAMMER: Yes, let`s not even think about that one.
Well, the Cheney hunting story begs for a few good lawyer jokes. And of course, the comedians didn`t disappoint.
FERGUSON: Cheney sent the lawyer fellow, you know, get well soon and all en that, but you know, he is a lawyer and got shot in the face. He`s a lawyer. He can use his other face. He`ll be all right.
LENO: Dick Cheney accidentally shot a fellow hunter, a 78-year-old lawyer. When people found out he shot a lawyer, his popularity now, 92 percent.
HAMMER: And the vice-president himself wasn`t exempt from being the butt of a few good jokes.
LENO: I guess the guy`s going to be OK. But when the ambulance got there, out of force of habit they put Cheney on the stretcher. He goes, "No, the other guy."
STEWART: And how did this accident happen?
STEPHEN COLBERT, COMEDIAN: Well, I`m sure a sedentary indoorsman liberal elite Jew bag like yourself wouldn`t understand, but it`s actually a very common mishap. Here`s how it happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you see where I put my -- darn, Dick?
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, ABC`S "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": There`s a news story. Watch very closely where the vice-president was aiming. Watch this.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Vice President Dick Cheney is back in Washington after a weekend hunting accident. Cheney shot and wounded a hunting companion on a ranch in south Texas.
HAMMER: And finally, the joke that just went there. We bring you the "Oh, no he didn`t" jokes of the night. Brought to us by Jay Leno.
LENO: The guy has already hired an attorney, and Cheney met with him today at a Texas -- in front of a Texas courthouse. Did not go well. You see Cheney meeting with the guy? Take a look. Take a look, in front of the courthouse. Yes.
Cheney`s defense is that he was aiming at a quail when he shot the guy, which means Cheney now has the worst aim of anyone in the White House since Bill Clinton.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Feels so wrong to laugh but then again, it feels so right.
Brooke, of course, not just on television where all the laughs were being had at Cheney`s expense. In today`s "New York Post," not the only one to bring Elmer Fudd into the picture. There is Dick Cheney dressed up as Elmer Fudd.
And inside the paper, the "Post" couldn`t help but list the ten people that they would like to see Cheney go hunting with. Celebrities from Michael Jackson to Paris Hilton to Jane Fonda.
ANDERSON: And these jokes will continue for a long time to come, A.J.
HAMMER: Yes. Yes, they will.
ANDERSON: You know, but there is a serious element to all of this, and that is Harry Whittington, the man who was shot. Today, the 78-year- old lawyer suffered a minor heart attack. It was triggered by a piece of birdshot lodged in or near his heart. He is in stable condition in a Corpus Christi hospital.
HAMMER: Well, George Clooney has joked about taking the vice president to the Oscars as his date. Just one of the topics that came up when he sat down with CNN`s Larry King. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your very first look.
King also asked him about his friendship with "Ocean`s 11" and Ocean`s 12" co-star brad Pitt and Pitt`s girlfriend, Angelina Jolie. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Brad Pitt is a very close friend of yours. How are they doing?
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: I don`t know. They`re on the road now. They`re -- they`re traveling around, so I would imagine they`re doing well.
We talk, you know -- when you say very good friend, he`s not my -- I have my friends and then I have sort of my showbiz friends. And showbiz friends are people that you actually care about and spend a little time with. But it`s not like we call each other every day or something like that.
KING: You`re not like friend-friend?
CLOONEY: Yes, we don`t -- you know. It`s not like we go -- I mean, he`s come to my house and stayed and, you know, like that, but it`s not like we, you know, we go backpacking together.
KING: Did you offer him your house for a honeymoon?
CLOONEY: No, but I will now. You know, he can come if he wants.
All the tabloids have that, that he`s coming to my house to get married. I wanted -- I wanted to rent a bunch of tables, you know, and put them outside and then get a bunch of like kids or somebody dressed up in tuxes and watch -- in tuxes and watch all the cameras come by.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: The full hour with Larry and George Clooney airs Thursday on CNN`s "LARRY KING LIVE."
ANDERSON: Tonight, a special report on Hollywood couples. A lot of times they make news for splitting up. So for this Valentine`s Day we decided to celebrate the long-time pairs who have braved the hurdles of Hollywood and are still together. We wanted to know just how do they do it. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has their secrets.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): We swear it`s true. There are a slew of couples in Hollywood that have managed to stay together all these years. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you a special Valentine`s Day delivery, sealed with a kiss. Our favorite celebrity couples list.
We love Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. They got married in 1996. Other `90s marriages worth celebrating, John Travolta and Kelly Preston, who married in 1991. Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy, they tied the knot in 1997.
"People" magazine`s Julie Jordan tells us be impressed. It`s harder to stay together in Hollywood.
JULIE JORDAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: To say there`s a lot of temptation in Hollywood is an understatement. There is around the most beautiful people in the world. You know, they`re doing love scenes with just pretty attractive people so it`s hard, because the schedules keep them apart. If these couples can manage to stay together, then that`s a feat in itself.
ANDERSON: Love, marriage and the baby carriage. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is gaga over Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. They married May 1997 and had sweet baby James in 2002.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith married December 1997. They have two kids.
Courtney Cox Arquette and David Arquette tied the knot in June `99 and had baby Coco in `04. And Annette Bening and Warren Beatty wed in March 1992. They have four kids.
And just yesterday at the Oscar luncheon, nominee Reese Witherspoon was talking about her two kids with hottie hubby, Ryan Philippe.
REESE WITHERSPOON, ACTRESS: Will I win this award? And she said you`ll win it (ph). That`s because you`re the best mom in the world.
ANDERSON: Ah, shucks.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wanted to know how do they do it? And how can you do it? We went to our relationship expert, Dr. Judy Kuriansky.
DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, RELATIONSHIP EXPERT: There are three tips that will make your relationship last as well as those couples in Hollywood who make it last.
One is to make your relationship a priority. That means it comes before everything else, including career.
The second is to keep coming up with new ideas about how to please one another. That means complimenting all the time.
And the third is to keep up your affection. Because there`s a lot of distractions in Hollywood and in everywhere in life. So saying "I love you," and elaborating why that is, will keep your relationship lasting.
ANDERSON: It`s Valentine`s Day, so don`t fault us for a little `80s love music to celebrate these impressive couples who have been together since the `80s.
Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick have been married since 1988. So have Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson and Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan.
Arnold and Maria met in the `70s and married in 1986.
But it didn`t have to be you at the altar. Some of our favorite long- lasting couples aren`t even married. Take Oprah and Stedman Graham, together since 1986. Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins also an `80s item. And who could forget our favorite? Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, a pair since 1983.
But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s No. 1 all-time Hollywood couple, married in 1958, three kids, drum roll, please: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Did we put enough kiss sounds in there for you?
And Dr. Judy told us Hollywood couples that defy the odds do so by acting like normal couples. She said that means doing laundry together and, yes, being nice to your mother-in-law. But that`s not so hard, right?
HAMMER: Not so hard.
ANDERSON: A.J., I`ve got a pretty terrific mother-in-law.
HAMMER: Congratulations. I hope you sent her a dozen roses today.
Now we don`t want to be spoilers here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s not that we`re not romantic, but we want to ask a different kind of question of the day today. Here is our question of the day, asking Valentine`s Day: is it overrated? Let us know what you think at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can e-mail at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of what you have to say about this intriguing topic later in the program.
ANDERSON: OK, the Incredible Hulk goes from being green to getting a shiny gold badge. Tonight, why Lou Ferrigno might need to control his temper. The Hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno, explains, live, next.
HAMMER: Plus, Conan O`Brien travels to Finland to demand being appointed inspector of saunas. Did he get his wish? If you want to know why in the world he made such a request, stick around.
ANDERSON: Also, porn to go. Tonight, these X-rated movies may be tiny, but they`re creating big business. The surprising story of who`s behind this pocket pornography, that`s still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. This is TV`s only live entertainment news program.
Now maybe you heard about this one. Late-night talk show host Conan O`Brien has a twin. The twin is a Finn, someone from Finland. And a woman. So get this, the Finn twin ran for president again and, with a little help from Conan, she won. Conan flew over to meet the reelected Finnish president.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now going halfway around the world to get the latest from CNN`s Paula Newton, who`s in London for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- Paula.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, A.J., it`s incredible just how much news this whole story has generated. And apparently, it was Conan O`Brien himself who first noticed the resemblance between he and the Finnish president, even though she is a woman. And the story just took off from there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON (voice-over): He has come to this. Late-night comedian Conan O`Brien visits Finland.
CONAN O`BRIEN, HOST, NBC`S "LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O`BRIEN": Hello. Nice to see you. Hello.
NEWTON: And it`s news. Even the president of the country can`t believe how far this gag has gone. And if you still don`t know why, look closely. Look very, very closely. See any resemblance? Yes, it`s uncanny. Tarja Halonen, the president of Finland, is a dead ringer for Conan O`Brien. And the rest, as they say, is late-night history.
O`BRIEN: If I had like just a day of hormone therapy...
NEWTON: O`Brien just won`t let this go.
O`BRIEN: Just think, I control the outcome of the Finnish presidential election.
NEWTON: He`s weighed in on the Finnish reelection campaign with his own Halonen for prez ads.
O`BRIEN: (speaking foreign language)
GRAPHIC: And most importantly, she looks just like Conan.
NEWTON: His Finnish isn`t bad and apparently, his political skills as sharp as his jokes. Halonen was re-elected. Pop culture meets politics, and critics charge there really was a Conan effect in her narrow win.
And boy, is he getting comedic mileage out of this. Off to Finland he went. As if blinded by the lights, the president herself seems to be stunned by the resemblance. This is the first time she`s laid eyes on him, and she`s being a good sport about it.
TARJA HALONEN, FINNISH PRESIDENT: We are very popular here.
O`BRIEN: Yes. Well...
NEWTON: Finns are incurable fans of Conan. They can watch him daily on cable, so thousands came out in freezing temperatures to see him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like his humor. It`s so absurd.
NEWTON: Absurd. Now there`s a thought.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s good P.R., as I said, for Finland.
NEWTON: Indeed. After a short meeting, O`Brien didn`t get that cabinet post he wanted, inspector of saunas. That`s saunas in Finnish.
Still, as many Finns will tell you, Tarja is our president, but Conan is our king.
What next? Conan for Finnish veep? He`s promised not to go hunting in Lapland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Well, Conan`s political influence in Finland might be over. The president there has a six-year term and, as far as she knows, she will most likely not be looking for another term. So he`ll have to settle for comedy influence over in Finland.
Back to you, A.J.
HAMMER: All right, Paula. Thanks very much. CNN`s Paula Newton in London for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Well, you know, Conan O`Brien didn`t get the post he wanted, but the Incredible Hulk sure did.
Lou Ferrigno starred as the green monster with a bad temper in the hit 1970s TV show, "The Incredible Hulk." And now he`s transforming from actor to real-life crime fighter.
Ferrigno was just sworn in as a reserve deputy sheriff to the Los Angeles County Sheriff`s Department, and he is joining me now live for a "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview.
Lou, thanks for being here. We appreciate it.
LOU FERRIGNO, RESERVE DEPUTY SHERIFF, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: My pleasure.
ANDERSON: I have to ask you, have you gotten some ribbing today? Are people joking around with you, the Incredible Hulk now a cop?
FERRIGNO: Oh, sure. They say the Hulk saved me. They are all embracing it, because I can`t believe the support. Because it`s not like doing a movie. It`s the real thing, being an officer, and people are very responsive to it.
And I`m very happy because of the fact that I can be a great role model for the kids, for the L.A. Sheriff`s Department and also, the great sheriff we have, Sheriff Baca.
ANDERSON: And he has said -- said some really terrific things about you. And where is this interest coming from -- from you for law enforcement? I know your dad was a police officer with the NYPD, right?
FERRIGNO: Yes, lieutenant. Yes. It was a dream of mine because my family, like my father was an officer, a lieutenant. So it has always been a dream of mine to be involved in law enforcement.
So when I met Sheriff Baca a year ago, he invited me to join the organization. So I went through the rigorous training like the firearms, the driving and the background check, because that is required. Because it`s not like -- you have to know the training, the fundamentals and the whole scope.
So my ambition now is to recruit deputies, work with the department and work with kids, get them off drugs, and also, give back to California and the community.
ANDERSON: Now, are you going to be the "don`t make me angry" type of deputy sheriff? You`re not going to rip off the uniform and...
FERRIGNO: I`m thinking about it, you know. It`s a joke.
Anderson: Now, what are the responsibilities? Are you really going to be running down the road after these criminals? Are you going to be handcuffing people? What will be...
FERRIGNO: Well, eventually. Right now my main concern is to do a lot of corporate speaking and work with the kids and recruit deputies. And also if they need me out there, wearing the uniform, do voluntary work.
But mainly, my ambition is to work with the department. That`s my goal, because California is short of 1,100 deputies. And we need the support, because the Sheriff Baca reaches out to all the ethnic groups and brings them in and their support, because we have different groups and different communities that give back to the department. That`s what`s necessary now, because we`re in desperate need for that support.
ANDERSON: Is this something you want to do full-time in the future?
FERRIGNO: Well, I`m not on a salary, but basically I would give like 20 hours a month.
ANDERSON: OK.
FERRIGNO: It could be anything from there. It could be working with kids. And also, be a deputy sheriff.
ANDERSON: Well, thanks for sharing.
FERRIGNO: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Would-be criminals, watch out. The Incredible Hulk, a deputy reserve sheriff.
FERRIGNO: Well, hopefully, that will be a nice fit.
ANDERSON: A role model.
FERRIGNO: Exactly. Thank you.
ANDERSON: All right, Lou Ferrigno. Thank you so much.
And coming up, just in time for Valentine`s Day, one of the most romantic singers out there teams up with Christina Aguilera and Stevie Wonder. Andrea Bocelli, live in the interview you`re going to see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Plus, we are going to also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Norman even cuddles with his main squeeze.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`ll lay down on the bed, and he`ll kind of spoon her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So maybe dogs don`t send chocolates or flowers, but they really do dig other dogs. Coming up, the remarkable story of puppy love. That`s next.
ANDERSON: And pocket-sized porn is becoming a big business. Tonight, the story of how X-rated videos could be coming to an iPod near you and the surprising people behind it. Still to come. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tonight, "World News Tonight" co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas is speaking out. On "The View" today, Vargas talked about whether it is right for reporters to head into war zones. It was one the many questions that came up after Vargas`s co-anchor, Bob Woodruff, and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were seriously injured in a roadside bomb attack in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH VARGAS, CO-ANCHOR, ABC`S "WORLD NEWS TONIGHT": I`ve been covering the war in Iraq for years. Going there really made a huge difference in my assessment of things. And I think, you know, we have to - - for example, when you talk about the readiness of the Iraqi forces, which is what, you know, once they`re ready, our American forces can come home...
MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": Presumably, right.
VARGAS: It`s the crucial issue.
VIEIRA: Right.
VARGAS: And you`ve got a lot of people saying they`re ready and a lot of people saying they`re not ready. And the only way to really tell is to go there yourself and see.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": Well, how would we know what`s going on if the journalists don`t go?
VARGAS: Exactly.
VIERIA: We`re talking about the anchors, whether it`s relevant for the anchor.
VARGAS: I think it`s even more important for the anchors to get there and see first-hand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Vargas, who recently announced she`s pregnant, added that Woodruff and Vogt are doing better. Woodruff is still sedated at a medical center in Maryland.
A.J., reporters, war correspondents are put in such dangerous situations, it is just a relief to know that they are doing much better.
HAMMER: I spoke with Barbara Walters when I was over at "The View" recently, and she said this is what reporters do. And they will continue to do it, and she said that shouldn`t change as a result of what happened, because Bob Woodruff was doing what he loved to do best. So...
ANDERSON: Bringing the story first-hand to the viewers, that`s right.
HAMMER: Yes. That`s the best way.
Well, coming up tonight, what talk radio listeners from coast to coast are saying about Dick Cheney`s little hunting accident. We`re going to get into that live, coming up next.
Plus, we`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON JEREMY, PORN STAR: This was the view on your little cell phone. Sounds like a marriage made in heaven.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Porn star Ron Jeremy there, and the marriage he`s talking about is the one between sex movies and your cell phone. Tonight, how the tiny flicks are creating a big business. You won`t believe who`s getting involved.
HAMMER: Also, Lhasas in love. Dachshunds devoted to Dalmatians. Tonight, passionate pooches. If dogs could talk they might be saying "I love you." That`s still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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 are watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Brooke, I want to show you a picture.
Danny, can we call up camera four here? That is Seven...
ANDERSON: Ah, Seven is adorable.
HAMMER: One of my valentines today. Yes, Seven is a 90 pounds of love. And I defy anybody who tells me Seven doesn`t have emotions, he can`t express his love. And coming up in just a moment, in celebration of Valentine`s Day, we`re going to show you some doggie love and proof that dogs, in fact, can show how they feel.
ANDERSON: They are man`s best friend. And, A.J., I`m going to try to make this transition as tasteful as possible. We are going from doggie love, your beautiful dog, Seven, to pocket-sized porn.
HAMMER: There`s no way to do that right.
ANDERSON: No, there`s not; you`re right.
It seems the porn industry is getting bigger and bigger with the help of small devices like the cell phone and the iPod. And it`s affecting a whole new group of people. You may be surprised at who that is. And we will tell you, coming up in just a few minutes.
OK. But first...
HAMMER: Good job.
ANDERSON: ... here are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
Conan O`Brien is in Finland where today he met with the president he endorsed for reelection on his late-night talk show. O`Brien ran mock ad campaigns on his show endorsing her for a second term because she looks like him. About 2,000 fans waited for hours at the presidential palace in Helsinki to get a glimpse of O`Brien.
The shirts off of Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger`s backs are being auctioned off for charity. Shirts that the stars wore in "Brokeback Mountain" are on sale on eBay as part of an auction to benefit a children`s charity in California. As of today, the bidding is up to more than $20,000 for the shirts. The auction ends next Monday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.
The death of actor Chris Penn has been ruled an accident. Today the Los Angeles County Coroner`s Office said Penn died because of an enlarged heart and the effects of several prescription medications, including a highly addictive cough syrup. A full coroner`s report is expected in a few weeks.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
HAMMER: Well, when the vice president of the United States shoots a hunting companion, it is the kind of story that won`t go away. And on talk radio all across the land, you can believe that America has had something to say about it.
Joining me live from Hollywood, Leslie Marshall. She hosts a daily talk show on WWKB in Buffalo, New York. And live from Washington, D.C., Ben Ferguson, chief political analyst for Townhall.com. He also has his own nationally syndicated radio talk show on Radio America.
All right, guys, let`s get into it with really what is at the center of the outrage for a lot of people. Of course, this happened on Saturday, late Saturday. Not the White House who ends up releasing the information about what had happened, but actually a ranch owner who tells a Corpus Christi newspaper. And the information doesn`t get to the White House until the next day.
Leslie, let`s start with you. What are your listeners saying about how this was all handled?
LESLIE MARSHALL, TALK RADIO HOST, WWKB-BUFFALO, NEW YORK: Well, I was actually happy -- or I should say my listeners, who I agree with, were actually happy, not only in Buffalo but nationally as well, because this is the first time we actually get the truth out of this White House. And this is actually the first time we don`t have such spin on an issue out of the White House.
So everybody was happy to hear from the ranch, from the ranchers from Texas, going through Washington, as opposed to waiting God knows how long to have Washington spin it and, once again, have a way of not letting the vice president take responsibility for what he actually did, shooting a man rather than a quail.
HAMMER: Well, of course...
(LAUGHTER)
... it`s just -- you know, this story is going to make us laugh for days, and there is a serious side to it, of course.
But, Ben, you know, part of the disgust of a lot of people, and even Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, said himself it`s not the way it necessarily should have been handled. You know, I understand what you`re saying, Leslie, but, Ben, what are your listeners saying about it?
BEN FERGUSON, CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST, TOWNHALL.COM: Well, I mean, some people said they were glad to see that they know this White House can actually keep a secret for 24 hours, so that was a big perk to them. They said, hey, this shows they can actually keep something under wraps and makes them feel better about everything else going on.
But a lot of people said, look, you`ve got a lady that owns this land, and they felt sorry for her, because she`s got to get her background, her team together, because she knew she was going to be bombarded with press that wanted a lot of questions.
And, you know, 18 hours to inform his family, get him to the hospital, make sure everything`s OK, get the information, and let this lady be able to prepare herself for the firestorm she`s been under, I don`t think it`s that bad of a deal.
I mean, it wasn`t an issue of national security, either. This wasn`t like it was a terrorist attack.
And the funny part to me was -- a lot of the people, a lot of the listeners said they love the fact that the Washington press corps was actually for once left out of something that went on with the vice president and president of the United States of America, and that was the best part, to watch the firestorm at the press corps on Monday.
HAMMER: Yes, they weren`t happy about it. I`ll forever picture David Gregory from NBC going after Scott McClellan.
(LAUGHTER)
So, Leslie, are you hearing at all that anybody is actually feeling badly for Dick Cheney and, you know, his part in all of this, and what`s going on?
MARSHALL: Well, you have to remember, I`m one of the, as they call us, progressive talk show hosts, which means liberal, which has become a dirty word in the past six years in this administration.
But, no, actually both Democrats and Republicans are angry about something. And what they`re angry about is that the White House -- you just mentioned Scott McClellan -- and their spin on this.
The spin out of the White House is that they`re blaming the victim. And this is just horrific. I mean, this guy is still in the hospital. He`s having other problems and complications now.
This is just another example how this White House, the president and the vice president, this administration, cannot be real men and accept responsibility when they screw up, even when it`s something personal in hunting over the weekend.
FERGUSON: I don`t think I...
(CROSSTALK)
MARSHALL: I disagree with you. And that`s what my listeners are saying. And you know what, Ben? Your people, your Republicans, are coming to me now because they can`t talk to people like you about bad things, Ben.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Hold on. Hold on, guys. Let me jump in here a second. Ben...
(CROSSTALK)
FERGUSON: ... I`m ready.
HAMMER: Ben, very nice. Ben, you know, this certainly has been an embarrassing time for the administration. They`ve been under the microscope. A lot of people are going at them for very good reasons. So how do you see this incident, you know, figure into this bigger picture?
FERGUSON: Well, I mean, for one thing, I think a lot of people feel sorry for the man in the accident that happened here. A lot of people that have been hunting know that accidents, unfortunately, happen like this. Everybody is glad he`s OK.
A lot of my listeners said, look, he`s OK, we know he`s OK. They had some humor. And I took phone calls who said, "Would you or would you not go hunting with the vice president if you knew you were going to get shot at 30 yards away, if you knew for the rest of your life you were going to be invited to every single activity at the White House?"
And there was quite a few hunters that said, hey, I`ll take my shot at it and go hunt with him, even if we got to wear my orange hat.
HAMMER: All right.
MARSHALL: Oh, no.
HAMMER: Are you going to set that up for us, Ben? We`ll call you`re your program to get on that program. Well, I`m sure you`ll be talking about it with your listeners for days to come.
Ben Ferguson, Leslie Marshall, thanks for joining us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
FERGUSON: Thanks for having us.
MARSHALL: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Well, we`ve all heard of puppy love, but with the Westminster Dog Show finals coming on the same night as Valentine`s Day, romance is definitely on the calendar, if not in the air. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dogs...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on, take it.
MOOS: ... don`t appreciate roses on Valentine`s Day, but when the Westminster Dog Show and Valentine`s Day overlap, we had to ask...
(on-screen): Has Cali ever been in love, do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
MOOS: Has Norman ever been in love?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, as a matter of fact. He`s in love with my daughter`s pointer right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, he`s got a girlfriend who lives right down the street.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His tail goes like this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s a lover to begin with.
MOOS: I can tell. Look at him. He`s coming on already.
(voice-over): Maybe we`ve all seen too many movies, movies where it`s love at first sight or love at first bite, but do dogs really fall for each other?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re my big daddy, aren`t you? Yes!
MOOS: Do they fall for us? The author of "If Only They Could Speak" and "The Dog Who Loved Too Much" says most dog behaviorists are skeptics.
DR. NICHOLAS DODMAN, VETERINARY BEHAVIORIST: ... romantic-hormones- flowing, heart-beating, veins-pulsing-type love, I don`t believe they experience that.
MOOS: But it`s hard to draw the line between puppy love and lust.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m not that kind of spaniel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, baby.
MOOS (on-screen): So he`s a love-them-and-leave-them kind of guy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m pretty sure he is. Hello and goodbye.
MOOS (voice-over): Dog behaviorists do believe dogs form strong bonds. Norman even cuddles with his main squeeze.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`ll lay down on the bed, and he`ll kind of spoon her.
(LAUGHTER)
MOOS: And then there was the Great Dane who took great pains to comfort this woman`s dying dog.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And she would go every night and she would sit with him. She would clean his ears. She would kiss him all through her mouth.
MOOS: As for the bond dogs form with their owners, we found this woman inside her dog`s cage.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s going in the ring so I give him a little massage, and there was no room out there.
MOOS: Dog behaviorists say 15 percent of dogs in America have separation anxiety, whipping themselves into a frenzy when their owner leaves. Isis here is an extreme case.
DODMAN: The neighbors, they heard this crash. And they came around to the house, and they saw all these jagged pieces of glass all covered in blood. And what it was, the dog had gone out the window and cut itself on the glass, but they thought it was a murder, so they called the police.
MOOS: The dog, by the way, survived.
DODMAN: Some kind of love that is.
MOOS: Looks more like the Valentine`s Day massacre.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And, A.J., that`s so sad, a would-be doggie suicide. That`s no good.
HAMMER: No, the dog wasn`t trying to kill itself, Brooke. It was just trying to get out.
ANDERSON: It missed its owners, that`s right.
HAMMER: Exactly. And, you know, the loyalty factor, it`s all true. And Seven, my dog for instance, is a rescue dog. He absolutely knows it. You can tell. You know...
ANDERSON: How did you come up with the name Seven, too?
HAMMER: That is too long a story for the three seconds we have left in our little chitchat segment here.
ANDERSON: OK. We got to wrap it up, OK.
Well, whether it is puppy love or the real thing, it is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Valentine`s Day: Is it overrated? Keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight and write us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Your e-mails are coming up at 55 past the hour.
Well, it is a battle fit for a superhero. Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we will tell you how Batman is taking on Osama bin Laden.
Also coming up...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON JEREMY, PORN STAR: It`s between you and your little cell phone, you know? It`s kind of like a marriage made in heaven.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: We`re going to get into the big business of tiny porn. Tonight, how downloadable porn on cell phones and iPods are changing the entire adult entertainment industry. We`ll get into that, next.
ANDERSON: And he counts popes and presidents among his fans. One of the most powerful voices in entertainment is here, live. Andrea Bocelli, ahead in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s only live entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson.
OK, the days of porn being only about peep shows and plain brown wrappers are over. Today`s technology means porn is everywhere, online, and even on cell phones and iPods. Here`s CNN`s Tom Foreman for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three things Americans generally agree on when it comes to porn: It`s improper, it`s immoral, and it`s impossible for some of us to get enough of it.
And in Miami, at the Mobile Adult Content Congress -- that`s a porn convention -- all the talk was about how this business is getting much bigger because porn is getting smaller, with the help of these, personal video players and mobile phones, iPods and PDAs. Call it pocket porn.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So it`s a huge -- it`s a really huge topic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You talk to people about it, they`re like, "Yes, we want to get access to it."
HARVEY KAPLAN, XOBILE: It`s flesh-colored crack. That`s all that really is.
FOREMAN: Harvey Kaplan, a pocket porn marketer, says for the first time ever consumers aren`t being embarrassed by walking into adult video stores, renting movies in hotels, or even having porn stored on their home computers. This technology puts downloads into the consumer`s pocket fast and anonymously.
KAPLAN: It`s a device where people can download their content, feel safe and secure that no one else is going to gain access to it.
FOREMAN: This is huge. Since the video iPod was unveiled in October, Apple says 12 million regular videos have been downloaded on their Web site. But in the same period, this skin site called "Suicide Girls" says they saw 10 million downloads, about one a second. Some videos are free, some for sale, so it`s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but how `bout them apples?
RON JEREMY, PORN STAR: It`s between you and your little cell phone, you know? It`s kind of like a marriage made in heaven.
FOREMAN: Porn legend Ron Jeremy used to be known only to the late- night adult theater crowd. Not anymore. Pocket porn has him being mobbed.
JEREMY: The market has gotten 10 times bigger. And it`s affecting a much different group. Now we have a lot of college kids and young couples that you would not see going to an adult theater.
FOREMAN (on-screen): Certainly, this is terrible news for those who oppose pornography, who say it degrades people and promotes violence, but this trend is undeniably real, it is unsettlingly rapid, and it may be unstoppable...
(voice-over): ... because some of the biggest communications companies in the world are getting involved.
KAPLAN: This is about hard, cold dollars.
FOREMAN: And they`re expecting profits that are almost obscene.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Tom Foreman for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, tonight in a "Showbiz Sitdown," the legendary Andrea Bocelli. He has sold more than 50 million albums around the world. He has performed for just about everyone, from the late Pope John Paul II to President Bush.
His new album, "Amore" -- perfectly fitting for Valentine`s Day -- just released. It`s got collaborations with Christina Aguilera and Stevie Wonder. And Bocelli is set to sing at the Olympics closing ceremony in Torino, Italy.
Andrea Bocelli, it`s a pleasure to have you here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDREA BOCELLI, MUSICIAN: It`s a pleasure for me. And I am very sorry if my English is not very well, but I will do my best.
HAMMER: Well, we love the accent, and particularly on Valentine`s Day, there`s, you know, something nice.
BOCELLI: Is it very strong, my accent?
HAMMER: Well, I can tell where you`re from. I can tell where you`re from. And how exciting for you, as I mentioned, that you`re going to be performing at the Olympics. You`ll be doing your song "Because We Believe." Are you just over the moon about that?
BOCELLI: Yes. It`s a song that I have written with David Foster because I love very much the sport. I love the athletes, and I love to ski, also.
HAMMER: Ah, are you a snow skier?
BOCELLI: Not very well.
HAMMER: But I ski better -- I can ski better that I can speak English, anyway.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: And when you ski, do you ski with a guide? How does that work?
BOCELLI: No. It depends on the situation. It`s easy, it`s OK. Otherwise, no, it`s not so difficult.
HAMMER: And have you been following the skiing going on in Torino?
BOCELLI: I skied also with Alberto Tomba one time.
HAMMER: Oh, really?
BOCELLI: But he was too much.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: So you won`t be competing in this year`s Olympic Games, but you will be performing...
BOCELLI: No, absolutely not.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: So what does it mean as an Italian -- what does it mean as an Italian to have the Olympics in your home country?
BOCELLI: It`s a very big honor. And Italians love the sport, in general. And I think everyone will be very proud to have the Olympic Games in our nation.
HAMMER: And as I mentioned, this new album, "Amore," featuring Christina Aguilera, young pop princess here in the United States, and Stevie Wonder. And it was very interesting for me to find out that Stevie Wonder actually had an influence on your career? I think that`s great. I think that`s incredible.
BOCELLI: Well, love is the engine of the life, and especially this period I would like that people think to love much more than war and other things.
And, Stevie, yes, he was a hero for me, as well. When I played in the piano bar, I was much younger than now. And very often, almost every day, somebody asked me to sing, "I Just Called to Say I Love You," for example.
HAMMER: Yes.
BOCELLI: And, yes, it`s a hero. And I had an influence by him.
HAMMER: And here we are on Valentine`s Day here in the United States. "Amore" is the name of the album. Are you yourself a romantic, because I`m sure your songs are being played in dimly-lit rooms across America right now.
BOCELLI: Well, it`s difficult to say if I`m romantic or not, but surely I like to sing melodies where I can communicate something with the heart of the people.
HAMMER: Well, Andrea, the album is truly beautiful. And we do appreciate you joining us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
BOCELLI: Thank you very much.
HAMMER: Andrea Bocelli. And the album once again called "Amore." You`ll find it in stores now. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: The caped crusader is taking on Osama bin Laden. In the next Batman comic book called "Holy Terror, Batman," Bruce Wayne fights the terror leader and Al Qaeda after Gotham City is attacked.
Frank Miller, the legendary comic writer and artist, says we will see Batman kick Al Qaeda`s butt in the book. Miller adds that he got his idea from old-school comics. Back during World War II, patriotic comics featured Superman and Captain America punching Hitler and battling Nazis. So, Miller says, why not Osama? "Holy Terror, Batman" is not expected to hit stores before 2007.
A.J., I believe this could be Batman`s biggest battle yet. What do you think?
HAMMER: I think they got to get Dick Cheney in on the action. He hasn`t been able to do it so far. Now that we know what Dick Cheney can do...
ANDERSON: A little bird shot.
HAMMER: ... I think they got to get him in on this.
All right, Brooke, well, throughout the show tonight, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." It`s fascinating to see where this has gone. Valentine`s Day: Is it overrated?
Turns out the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT audience not buying into the hype: 86 percent of you say, yes, it is; 14 percent of you say, no, it`s not.
Got a bunch of e-mails on the topic, too. Naysayers like Jeff write, "If you are truly in love, you should appreciate your loved one everyday, not just when the retailers say so."
We also heard from Christopher in Ontario who writes, "Personally, I`m just looking forward to the discount candy tomorrow."
Well-taken. A lot of sweets in your future.
You can continue to vote by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight.
ANDERSON: OK. It`s time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. The Marquee Guy was out yesterday, as A.J. said, to change a few bulbs, so he`s back as bright as ever.
Marquee Guy, take it away.
MARQUEE GUY: I`m back. And tomorrow, Jackie Collins dishes Hollywood dirt. Her new book is filled with salacious secrets. Are the characters based on your favorite stars? Salacious stories, we`ll get them all from Jackie Collins tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, it`s the burning issue of "Sports Illustrated" that comes just once a year, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is all over it, so to speak. We`ll have one of the beautiful babes from the "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit issue. Where? Here. When? Tomorrow.
This is the Marquee Guy. Got to go. I`ll be posing for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT swimsuit issue.
ANDERSON: That is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
END
