Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Outrage on the Radio; "Godsmack" for the Navy?; Bryan Cranston Fights Online Predators; Hot Moms
Aired May 11, 2006 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Brand new information about death threats against the Dixie Chicks. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CO-ANCHOR: And name your baby Lou Dobbs, win a prize! I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, raunch on the radio. The absolutely unbelievable things one of America`s most-listened-to DJs threatened to do to his rival`s young daughter.
"STAR", DJ: I would like to do an R. Kelly on your seed, on your little baby girl.
HAMMER: Tonight, what happened when the DJ threatened to commit unspeakable sexual acts on the young girl and how he even asked his audience for help. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the startling story that could be downright criminal.
Let the snarking begin. Celebrity gossip sites -- dishing about the stars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re not afraid of something out there that isn`t the fact checked out, you know, that it`s just a rumor.
HAMMER: Tonight we`ve got the scoop on the gossip sites that are giving tabloids a run for their money, and the inside story on where they get their information.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT blows the lid off blogging for stars.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York City.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
A.J., we`ve heard about a lot about a lot of raunchy stuff on the radio, but what we`ve got tonight is so outrageous, it`s hard to believe it`s even true.
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke, trust me. It`s terribly true. One of the most- listened-to DJs on radio went on the air and repeatedly threatened to do such sexually perverse things to a 4-year-old girl, we can hardly repeat them. The girl? Well, she`s the daughter of his on-air rival at another radio station.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, I`ll come for your kids.
HAMMER: An on-air radio battle gets personal and disgusting. This New York DJ, who goes by the name "Star," is out of a job and in hot water after making on-air comments about a rival DJ`s wife and young child, comments that were sick, racist and -- in the words of his rival`s terrified wife -- dangerous.
GIA CASEY, WIFE OF "DJ ENVY": He threatens to molest my little baby girl.
HAMMER: "Star", whose real name is Troi Torain, is a morning radio personality for New York`s "Power 105." A few days ago, he went on the air and insulted a rival, "DJ Envy," who works for a competing station. "Star" then turned his venom on his rival`s 4-year-old daughter, offering listeners money for information about the little girl`s school.
"STAR", DJ: Where does that kid go to school? I got 500 bucks for that information.
HAMMER: It gets worse -- much worse. And most of what "Star" said, we can`t even play for you. He continued to rant about his rival`s young child, or "seed," as he kept referring to the little girl.
"STAR": Yes, I disrespected your seed. If you didn`t hear me, I said I would like to do an R. Kelly on your seed.
HAMMER: That`s a reference to R&B Singer R. Kelly, who`s accused of urinating on an underage girl in a widely-seen sex video. Most shocking of all, "Star" seems to delight in his sick and racist comments about his rival`s young daughter and his wife, who`s part Asian wife.
"STAR": Oh, yes, I`ll come for your kids. I will come for your kids. I finally got information on his slant-eyed, whore wife.
HAMMER: "Star" was suspended Wednesday afternoon. A few hours later, he was fired. Clear Channel, which owns the station "Star" worked for, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT quote, "Power 105 finds recent remarks broadcast by Troi Torain of the "Star & Buc Wild Morning Show" to be wholly unacceptable. We sincerely apologize to those who may have been offended by his remarks."
At a press conference at city hall, the wife of "Star`s" rival Gia Casey couldn`t hide the horror on her face. Watch, as she listened to "Star`s" twisted words about her little daughter.
"STAR": Yes, I disrespected your seed. If you didn`t hear me, I said I would like to do an R. Kelly on your seed, on your little baby girl. I would like to tinkle on her.
CASEY: When a man says that he would like to tinkle in the mouth of your little girl and ejaculate on her face, that will make any mother extremely frightened.
HAMMER: I`m just outside the home of radio station "Power 105," on 6th Avenue in New York City. This is where "Star" used to work. Now, one thing you need to know about radio in this town, is that competition is absolutely fierce, DJ`s taking shots at one another on the air is nothing new. But this time, many are saying, things went way too far.
Star was a true star in the radio world. His show was syndicated to 5 million listeners. And his last contract with Clear Channel was reportedly worth around $20 million.
WENDY WILLIAMS, SYNDICATED RADIO PERSONALITY: This is all very sad to me.
HAMMER: I spoke with Syndicated Radio Personality Wendy Williams, who works for a rival New York City station.
This is something that went entirely too far according to a lot of people, wouldn`t you agree?
WILLIAMS: Yes. I`m for freedom of speech but, you know. I`m a mother of a 5-year-old. If "Star" remained working, there would be mothers and people in general everywhere protesting.
HAMMER: Now, "Star`s` out of a job. And the Manhattan District Attorney`s Office tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they`re deciding whether to take criminal action against him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Troi has clearly gone over the line here. He has violated -- and we`ve talked to the FCC about this already. He has violated FCC regulations.
HAMMER: And hard-to-shock New Yorkers aren`t hiding their disgust at a rivalry that went too far.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s disgusting. I think that`s completely inappropriate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that`s very sick. That`s very sick. How are you going to school and do something that -- do something like that to a kid? That`s -- that`s real sick.
HAMMER: That really is just is simply outrageous.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tried repeatedly to get comments from "Star" and his rival, "DJ Envy." Neither of them commented in time for our show.
We also contacted the Federal Communications commission. They wouldn`t tell us what, if any, action they plan to take against "Star."
Well, here we go again. Another rock group embroiled in controversy over their music and the war in Iraq. But this time, it`s not exactly what you`d expect. The band "Godsmack" is actually catching flak over the use of their music in the U.S. Navy`s recruitment ads.
The group`s songs "Awake" and "Sick of Life" have been running in television commercials for the Navy, which has some critics saying that the band`s young audience will now be influenced to join the military because of the popular tunes.
Joining me from Boston, Sully Erna, who`s the lead singer of "Godsmack." I appreciate you taking some time with us, Sully.
SULLY ERNA, LEAD SINGER, "GODSMACK": Thanks for having me.
HAMMER: You`re welcome.
Well, you and the band are catching this heat, as I said, because your music is being used by the Navy in the recruitment ad, so it`s been suggested by some that the use of that music is going to make young men and women just run off and join the military and go off to war. And it`s been suggested that the band supports the war because you lent your music. And I know you`re here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to set the record straight on this.
ERNA: Well, yes, what I can say is that, you know, by no means has this band ever supported any war for any country or that we support government decisions or why we`re sticking our nose in other people`s business at times. What we support is our troops. And the women and men that go over there -- or anywhere -- to fight for our country and our lives and protect our freedom and I feel that, you know, we should support those causes. Whether it`s them just aiding with food and medical supplies and water for the tsunamis or Katrina or, you know, anything that we do. And I can`t imagine any American citizen that wouldn`t want to support that.
HAMMER: Yes, for a long time people have been confusing the idea that you can support our troops without necessarily supporting the war. I want to take a moment now to play a bit of the ad in question here. Let`s take a look at this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If someone wrote a book about your life, would anyone want to read it? The stories of tomorrow are being written today in the U.S. Navy. If you`re ready. Check out the life accelerator at Navy.com. Navy, accelerate your life. Now, get up to a $20,000 enlistment bonus...
HAMMER: I don`t know, I`ve got to tell you, Sully, I`m hearing that music in the ad. I want to get up out of my chair and join up and join the military.
Seriously, no doubt ads have influence over people, but do you think it`s ridiculous that, you know, people are actually suggesting somebody`s going to go off and join the military because of that music? Not even the vocals. Just the music is in that commercial.
ERNA: Well, I`ll tell you this. For one, I challenge anybody in this country, or any country, to pick up any of our records that we`ve ever recorded and find one political or government lyrical content in anything. I mean, our music has always been written about me and my life situations that I`ve went through, whether it was past relationships or just a boy growing into a man and overcoming life`s obstacles and the emotions that I processed going through that time in my life. So, I challenge anybody to try to find anything that has to do with supporting war or political issues in general. We`re not that kind of band. We`re just a good old rock `n` roll band, I guess. And how insulting is that to the men and women that join the armed forces that they`re that shallow and naive to just join the military because they heard a rock `n` roll song?
I think they should be apologizing to them because that makes them look pretty shallow. I don`t believe that`s the reason why they joined at all.
HAMMER: Well, I would like to get your take on the idea that, you know, you`ve said that you and your band do support our troops. Would you be willing to say whether or not you do support our president with this war in Iraq?
ERNA: I can`t say that I support that because I, personally, am not a big fan about Bush. I`ll tell you that right out in the open. I don`t -- but again, I`m not that educated enough to talk about the politics of the government, and obviously the people who write -- or the person, I should say, that wrote about this specific article, obviously is, well, a lot more educated than we are in government issues or politics or the military, whatever it is. And if he knows something that we don`t know, then maybe you should talk to us about it so we can be a little bit more educated.
HAMMER: Well, thank you for clearing it all up tonight, Sully, and really setting the record straight and making that clear divide between what you guys are standing for and not. And I appreciate you coming on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ERNA: Yes, we`re just musicians.
HAMMER: All right. Sully Erna, the lead singer of "Godsmack." Appreciate you being with us. And you can pick up "Godsmack`s" latest album. It`s called "Four," and it`s in stores now.
ANDERSON: The Dixie Chicks have been no strangers to political controversy either. And tonight, we have new information about how bad it got. A death threat that got the police involved. That`s next.
We`ve also got this...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re not afraid to put something up there that isn`t the fact checked out, you know, that it`s just a rumor.
HAMMER: Celebrity gossip blogs, the Web sites that are giving the tabloids a run for their money. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the inside story on the site and the bloggers behind them, coming up.
ANDERSON: And, what`s in a name? Plenty, if that name is Lou Dobbs. We`re going to tell you why there`s a "name your baby Lou Dobbs" contest going on. That`s still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Time now for a little story that we ran across today that just made us say, "that`s ridiculous!" It`s the story of Australia`s most famous former underworld hit man. His name, Mark "Chopper" Read. Now, this is a guy who spent 23 years in jail for a laundry list of crimes. Well, now I guess he`s out and he has his own board game, of course. The players move bullets along the board. There`s even Russian roulette, which gives electric shocks to the players` fingers. By the way, there`s also Chopper brand beer, Chopper nuts. And you can of course enjoy those while playing the Chopper board game. We`ve got to say, "that`s ridiculous." He is entrepreneurial though, Brooke, isn`t he?
ANDERSON: I guess so. You know, how do you enjoy beer and nuts when you`re getting electric shocks? That`s nonsense.
HAMMER: Oh, oh, let me -- we`ll have to talk about that off the air. You can`t.
ANDERSON: OK. It`s possible. All right, moving now to tonight`s "Showbiz Showcase,` it`s the upcoming movie from Director M. Night Shyamalan. It`s called "Lady in the Water." It stars Paul Giamatti as a building manager who discovers a mysterious young woman, played by Bryce Dallas Howard. Here`s your first look at the trailer.
PAUL GIAMATTI: I`m Cleveland Heep. Welcome to the Cove.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hear splashing some nights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello? Hey! I saw you! I saw you!
Who in the world are you?
BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD: My god, you have an animal`s eyes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know who you are, but you did something to my thoughts.
Where are you from?
HOWARD: The blue world.
ANNOUNCER: When the door to her world is opened...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God.
ANNOUNCER: Others will come through.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think it was, some kind of dog? Are there any wolves in this area? Hyenas?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An animal that size doesn`t just walk around and not be seen.
ANNOUNCER: And the fate of this world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why is she here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s trying to save us.
Does man deserved to be saved?
ANNOUNCER: ...lies in her hands.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you see?
Cleveland, run!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s happening? I thought I was going to be safe.
ANNOUNCER: N. Night Shyamalan`s "Lady in the Water."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many of you are there?
ANDERSON: Looks pretty creepy. OK, an interesting tidbit about the plot of the movie. It`s actually based on a bedtime story, if you can believe it, that M. Night Shyamalan wrote for his kids. "Lady in the Water" is in theaters this summer.
HAMMER: Well, of course, Bryan Cranston as the dad in the hit box comedy "Malcolm in the Middle." But let me tell you something about Bryan that you may not know. He has made it his mission to keep kids safe from child predators.
Bryan Cranston, nice to see you here in New York.
BRYAN CRANSTON, "MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE": Good to see you.
HAMMER: Appreciate you taking out some time with us.
CRANSTON: Pleasure to be here.
HAMMER: This mission that you`re on, very personal for you. You have a daughter.
CRANSTON: Yes. It all started when my daughter was six and I wanted to -- and I needed to talk to her about how to stay safe from abduction and how to avoid sexual predators eventually on line. I got involved with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and they did amazing work and they continue to. I just came back up from Washington where I host their awards ceremony every year. And as a matter of fact, your network, CNN, received a huge award from the national center for being instrumental in handling the Katrina situation where there were literally hundreds and hundreds of children who were missing. And by reporting on it, and working with the national center, all those cases were resolved.
HAMMER: And the national center, John Walsh`s organization.
CRANSTON: Right.
HAMMER: I know you`re friends with John.
CRANSTON: YES.
HAMMER: The numbers really are just staggering. Something like over 700,000 children a year -- do I have that right -- go missing?
CRANSTON: Yes. No, it is true. There are over 2,000 children reported missing every day. It`s a shocking number. It really is. And the thing that really points out to us is that the number -- there was unfortunately a 30 percent rise in abductions from strangers. There are basically three other categories -- the throw away runaway situation where they are kicked out of the house; and then there`s the non-custodial parent or guardian situation, they take them and leave the state or whatever; and then there are the strangers, and that went up 30 percent. And it`s due directly to the dangers of online sexual predators.
HAMMER: I wanted to ask you about that. It would seem there would have to be a correlation because, of course, child predators -- sadly, that`s been around forever, I`m sure, but now with different technologies and sites like MySpace, are we really just heading into such a dangerous, dangerous area with all of this? We`ve seen the results of some of the -- what this has caused.
CRANSTON: Yes, I mean, it`s hard to say that it`s dangerous because it`s a great tool. As a matter of fact, MySpace is owned by News Corp., the company I worked for for so many years. And Rupert Murdoch, himself, went to the national center to find out more information, spent an hour and a half to figure out how he can safeguard MySpace. So everybody is working toward that. There`s a product out that you can -- called night watch -- not that -- Awarenesstech.com has a product out that you can actually put into your child`s computer and you can monitor who`s writing to her, what they are saying, how they are saying it, and if there`s key words, danger words that pop up, so parents really need to be vigilant.
HAMMER: Yes, we say it every time we talk about this. The parents have to get involved. I have a little time left. I want to talk about your other family for the moment. "Malcolm in the Middle" is going off the air. This Sunday, the series finale, after seven years. You must have a lot of things running through your mind?
CRANSTON: Oh my gosh, after seven years and 151 episodes, you know, there`s so many things about it I`ll miss. I think I`ll miss the money the most. I think that`s the thing...
HAMMER: Well, you`ve got to be honest.
CRANSTON: ...that really hits home.
HAMMER: I have to ask you, though, because you`ve been in syndication for a while. They`re cutting better deals even for characters like yours for those types of things, right?
CRANSTON: Well, yes, yes. I mean, there are some advantages of being lucky enough to get on a show for seven years. And this Sunday after the "Simpsons" will be our -- that will be it.
HAMMER: Well, congratulations on that. Brian, thanks for dropping by SHOBIZ TONIGHT, appreciate it.
And as I mentioned, the "Malcolm in the Middle" series finale will be on Sunday on Fox. KidSmartz is this DVD, help you protect your families. It`s in stores now.
ANDERSON: Hot moms in Hollywood and beyond. Coming up, we`re going to meet the woman who wrote the book on how to be a hot mom.
We`re also going to have this...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They make no bones about the fact that they are going to be snarky and they`re going to just reprint things that may have no source.
HAMMER: If you regularly visit Web sites like Defamer and Jossip, you are part of the gossip blog revolution. Coming up, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT looks into how these sites are giving the tabloids a run for their money.
ANDERSON: And, the Dixie Chicks` nightmare. Tonight, new information about a death threat against Singer Natalie Maines, over what she said about President Bush. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Coming up tomorrow, Oprah Winfrey, queen of daytime talk, A- list celebrity, new age spiritual leader? Some think she`s become the moral voice of the new millennium. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates why so many seem to worship Winfrey. That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: OK, it`s an "American Idol" shocker, and one of the most competitive races yet, Rocker Chris Daughtry got booted off the show last night. Take a look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chris, you are going home tonight. The journey ends. America, you have spoken, and Chris is off the show tonight.
ANDERSON: Look at the stunned faces. Many predicted that Daughtry would be the next American Idol.
Now we want to hear from you. What do you think about it? That`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. "Americican Idol" shocker -- should Chris Daughtry have been voted off? Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail at that address, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: I demand a recount.
The Dixie chicks` nightmare. New information about a death threat against Singer Natalie Maines, over what she said about the president. That`s next.
Plus this...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re not afraid to put something up there that isn`t the fact checked out, you know. That it`s just a rumor.
ANDERSON: Celebrity gossip blogs, the Web sites that are giving the tabloids a run for their money. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the inside story on the sites and the bloggers behind them, coming up.
HAMMER: And if you name your baby Lou Dobbs, you could win a prize. We`ve got a very strange story coming up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
SOPHIA CHOI: Hello, I`m Sophia Choi, and here`s your headline prime newsbreak.
Representatives from AT&T, Verizon and Bell South will be called before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about a report that their companies will help the NSA compile a database of American`s telephone calls. President Bush insists the government is not mining the personal lives of innocent Americans.
Well, some of you could be getting a break at the gas pumps. Governors and legislators in at least six states are considering cutting or suspending state gas taxes, at least temporarily.
And a training exercise turned into a real live rescue off the coast of Russia, and it was caught on tape. Look at that. Russian officials say the chopper was taking part in joint emergency response exercises with Japan, when a rotor blade hit the water and the helicopter crashed. The 13 people onboard were rescued -- some by a Japanese vessel taking part in that exercise, but the pilot later died.
That`s a look at the news. I`m Sophia Choi.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Thursday night. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: One more day until Friday. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news hour.
HAMMER: Brooke, even if you didn`t know who the Dixie Chicks were three years ago, you certainly knew the backlash against them after the bad made some - what were considered disparaging remarks about President Bush. They were just speaking their mind. Well, there was an uprising, including some very serious threats. Tonight, we have some new details on just how serious those threats were. It`s fascinating and that`s coming up in just a couple of minutes.
ANDERSON: Could have been a very dangerous situation. Luckily, nothing happening too serious.
Also, A.J., parents have a lot of decisions to make. Among them, namely, if they want to name their baby Lou Dobbs, I guess. There`s a contest out now. That if you name your baby Lou Dobbs, you win a prize. We`re going to have the details on that.
We love him. We do love Lou.
HAMMER: We do love Lou.
ANDERSON: OK. But first, when you want to find out what your favorite celebrity is up to, you might pick up a magazine or, of course, tune into SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. But what`s got a lot of Hollywood publicists shaking in their designer boots is the Web. A whole bunch of celebrity blog sites have been popping up and dishing out gobs of juicy gossip. So where do they dig up all this dirt, and is any of it really true? Here`s CNN`s Kyra Phillips for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Approaching a red light at Olympic. She`s going to make a left onto Olympic but it`s going to take a minute or so. About five cars back in the light.
She ran the light. Oh, God. We`re making the left now.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN HOST (voice-over): It`s 2:30 in the afternoon, and Ben is closing in on Angelina.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s going to do the right on Beverly Glen. It`s going to be on South Beverly Glen.
We always try to follow as discretely as possible, but the dynamic changes a little bit when the subject knows that you`re following. I`d say right now the hot photos is Brad and Angelina. You can`t pick up a magazine. Every cover they are on now.
PHILLIPS: It`s these hot celebrity photos and the world`s obsession with them that sends the paparazzi and the press chasing Angelina. "People" magazine scored a coup when it broke the Brad and Angelina baby news. On the cover, an exclusive photo of a visibly pregnant Jolie.
LARRY HACKETT, MANAGING EDITOR, "PEOPLE MAGAZINE": I think they come to "People Magazine" because we are fair. We are honest, we are straight forward. And let`s not forget we`re the biggest so we form relationships with these people.
PHILLIPS: "People" paid big bucks to one of Angelina`s favorite charities for the exclusive photos but donations or not, "People "usually hands the best access to the stars.
TED CASABLANCA, ENTERTAINMENT GOSSIP COLUMNIST: That`s where the publicists go to break information. They know people will be hands off and really sweet to them once they give them the information.
PHILLIPS: Celebrity magazines depends on publicists for access to movie stars.
PETER CASTRO, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "PEOPLE MAGAZINE": They are the gatekeepers so we have to have a special relationship with them. That relationship has to be one of trust. When a publicist stops trusting you, you can kiss that celebrity goodbye and more important, you can kiss the entire stable of celebrities goodbye. Because if you piss of Ken Sunshine, not only are you going to get Ben Affleck, you`re not going to get Leo DiCaprio, you`re not going to get Justin Timberlake and so on and so on.
CINDI BERGER, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: The thing about publicists is we have a really long memory. If someone has burned us in the past, it`s pretty hard to erase.
PHILLIPS: Gossip blogger Mark Lisanti could care less about burning a publicist.
MARK LISANTI, GOSSIP BLOGGER: I`m sure I have pissed off plenty of publicists in my day.
PHILLIPS: Unlike the glossies, an exclusive with a celebrity is the last thing on his mind.
LISANTI: We`re not dependent on access at all, we are a lot more comfortable taking shots at them because we`re not going to get an interview yanked by a publicist. We`re not worried about Joe Simpson coming in and kicking down the door.
PHILLIPS: From a computer in a small Los Angeles department, 31 year old Kevin Lisanti he heads up defamer.com. It`s one of hundreds of blogs devoted to snarky Hollywood gossip.
LISANTI: It`s a different way of kind of looking at the entire world of Hollywood and celebrities. Not everyone is going to want to read it in this packaged way that`s being presented to them. So we will present it with more of a humorous slant. A satirical look at it. The best known thing that we`ve done on the site was this video montage of Tom Cruise`s now incredibly infamous appearance in Oprah when he jumped on the couch. Tom Cruise shows up to talk about the new love in his life, then immediately starts wrestling with Oprah. I think it was a best two of three falls that day. He won them all.
PHILLIPS: Defamer`s sarcastic and often hilarious approach has made it one of the most successful site on the Web. Bloggers like Lisanti scour daily trades for scoops, gets tips from well placed sources and on occasion grab a power lunch with an industry insider.
Out of the cramped kitchen of his New York City apartment, 22-year-old David Hauslaib runs another popular gossip sight, jossip.com. Breaking news stories like the Nick and Jessica split the day before Thanksgiving gave him a jump on the traditional celebrity media.
DAVID HAUSLAIB, JOSSIP.COM: You had the celebrity weeklies had already gone to press. The teams "Access Hollywood" and "Entertainment Tonight" had to cancel their Thanksgiving plans, go back to the studio and turned their lives into hell. Luckily for people like us, we can blog from anywhere. We can be at home sipping eggnog by the fire and still write stories.
PHILLIPS: But publicists complain gossip bloggers don`t always get their facts straight.
SUNSHINE: Some of the time they go overboard. They make no bones about the fact that they are going to be snarky and reprint things that may have no source.
LISANTI: We`re not afraid to put something out there that isn`t fact- checked out, that`s just a rumor. The trick is not to claim that we think it`s the bible.
PHILLIPS: With rumors fielded by tabloids and blogs, publicists now have less control over access and that means they are in danger of losing power.
LARRY HACKETT, MANAGING EDITOR, "PEOPLE MAGAZINE": There are magazines out there and clearly Web sites out there who will write whatever they like regardless of what a publicist does. There are many people who don`t care if the celebrity is going to be talking. They want to read delicious dish on a Web site about somebody.
CASABLANCA: Only an idiot would ignore the dynamic that blogs are creating. It`s an answer to something that the public`s thirsty for which is that sort of up to the minute last second breathing bit of information that they`ve just got to know.
CASTRO: The blogs are not competition in that they are ever going to get a celebrity or going to break a story we hope to break. That may change down the road. Actually, the writing on some of these blogs is genius. These people should be writing scripts in Hollywood.
PHILLIPS: Lisanti hopes his clever commentary might some day land him a Hollywood deal. But until then, he continues to poke fun at the celebrity world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: If you haven`t heard, blogs are big. There are about 27 million of them out there! That was CNN`s Kyra Phillips for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Be sure to catch more of Kyra`s special CNN PRESENTS: "Chasing Angelina: Paparazzi and Obsession." The paparazzi sets its sights on Angelina Jolie and you`re along for the ride. That`s this Saturday and Sunday night at 8:00 pm Eastern only on CNN.
HAMMER: Well, tonight we have some shocking new information about the threats that the Dixie Chicks faced after the lead singer Natalie Maines made disparaging remarks about President Bush. As it turns out, one of those death threats was so specific and so serious the police actually got involved.
Back in 2003 Maines told a London audience that the band was ashamed that the president was from their home state of Texas. Well, the band got lots of threats after that but in an interview with "60 Minutes," the band says one in particular stood out. Banjo player Emily Robison says, quote, "There was one specific death threat on Natalie, it had a time, had a place, had a weapon. I mean, everything. You will be shot dead at your show in Dallas." Very, very powerful, indeed.
The band says that the FBI and Texas Rangers were brought in. They actually got police escorts to and from the stage. And they said it was very, very surreal but the threat hasn`t made them shy away from controversy at all. In fact, just the other night, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there as the Dixie Chicks played their new song, "Not Ready to Make Nice" live for the very first time. Now this is a song that deals with the band`s state of mind three years ago, or three years, rather, after the controversy and the threats.
Maine`s tells "60 Minutes" they are not going to change their style just to make some country music fans happy because they`re not politicians, they musicians. When I caught up with the band the other night, Emily Robison told me, speaking your mind, all part of being American.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMILY ROBISON, MUSICIAN: I`m just glad it`s changing. I`m glad there`s not this whole state of fear in our country anymore and that people are able to speak out for whatever reason. That there is a dialogue now. We got caught in a very bad time in our country. And I`m just glad it`s changed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You`ll learn more about the Dixie Chicks if you can watch their interview with Steve Kroft. It happens this Sunday on "60 Minutes."
ANDERSON: OK. Something a lot of you hate about going to the movies could be coming to a stage near you. I`m sorry to say, that`s next.
Plus, we`ve also got this .
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe there is an immigrant out there. There are many immigrants out there who will willingly and lovingly name their baby Lou Dobbs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, name your baby after our buddy and CNN anchor Lou Dobbs and win valuable prizes. It`s not a new game show, but it does have to do with the battle over illegal immigrants.
ANDERSON: Plus, Angelina Jolie, Brooke Shields, Reese Witherspoon - all of them are hot moms. Tonight, the secret to how you too can become a sexy parent, with the author of "The Hot Mom`s Handbook." It is the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Time now for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT birthday shout-out, where we give fans a chance to wish their favorite stars a happy birthday. Tonight we`re sending a signed, sealed and delivered one out to Stevie Wonder, celebrating his 56th birthday this week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, my name is Jenny Jidia (ph) from Columbia, South Carolina and I just wanted to wish Stevie Wonder a happy birthday. I love listening to his music and I think he`s wonderful. Happy birthday, Stevie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And stand by for the break, everybody. Roll the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move music. Got Brooke standing by in L.A. Here`s A.J. first. Dissolve, push queue.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It is time now for yet another story today that made us say -- That`s ridiculous! Well, we know a lot of people can`t stand it when you have to sit through the commercials at the movies. It`s really bad. And I have more bad news for you. Ads may actually be coming to a stage near you. That`s right. Actors may soon be acting out live scripted commercials using the sights and sounds of jolly old London right before the start of plays.
Now this is going to start in Dublin, Ireland and the idea could actually come to New York, Germany, even Pittsburgh. Blimey! Why, you ask? Officials apparently want to boost tourism in the U.K. We`ve got to say. Stage ads, that`s bloody ridiculous. Although I probably would be more inclined to watch those than the ones that come on before a movie.
ANDERSON: And these aren`t going to be quite as long as the ones in the movie. About three minutes long as the ones in the movie, compared to what, ten, fifteen, twenty minutes.
HAMMER: And if you boo at these ads, people will actually hear you.
ANDERSON: That`s right, and they can walk offstage. It was only a matter of time, A.J.
HAMMER: It certainly was. Moving onto something you may think about is ridiculous. Naming your baby "Lou Dobbs." Now don`t get us wrong, we love ya, Lou. In fact, he sits right over there, behind that wall with the flashing hallucinogenic lights. Here`s an example tonight where imitation perhaps not exactly the sincerest form of flattery. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Having a baby? Well, if you`re an illegal alien, this may sound alienating to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Name your baby Lou Dobbs challenge.
MOOS: CNN`s very own Lou Dobbs is a lightning rod for immigration controversy.
LOU DOBBS, CNN HOST: Illegal aliens.
MOOS: Sorry, Lou.
And now a Latino radio show in Los Angeles is inviting their illegal immigrants to name their baby after Lou.
LALO ALCARAZ, RADIO SHOW HOST: Five hundred bucks to the first undocumented immigrant that brings us a piping fresh baby right out the oven named Lou Dobbs.
MOOS: Five hundred bucks in baby products. It sounds counter intuitive. An illegal immigrant naming their kid after a guy so against illegal immigration.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is about the American dream. It`s about the aspiration of being Americans.
DOBBS: No. The American dream is being ripped out of the hands of millions of U.S. citizens today.
MOOS: The deejays on the Poncho Hour of Power tend to refer to Lou as.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The puffy pundit.
MOOS: And now they`re trying to take Lou`s name in vain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m sure people have named their children for famous American biggots.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Wayne.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Archie Bunker.
MOOS: We`re sure Lou would have some choice words about being lumped in with bigots but Lou wouldn`t comment on this story.
ESTABAN ZUL, RADIO SHOW HOST: If it`s a girl, can we call her Loupe Dobbs?
MOOS: Now, Lou has plenty of fans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you to Lou Dobbs. We love you, Lou.
MOOS: The other day some gathered in front of Time Warner headquarters.
(on camera): Lou Dobbs, you`re the man.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love Lou Dobbs. He tells it like it is. He tells the truth.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I have a dog, I`ll name him Dobbs. A child maybe Lou, Louis. That`s OK.
MOOS: Just name the dog Lou Dobbs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I have respect for Lou.
MOOS (voice-over): The radio show has already registered Baby Lou Dobbs on the Babies R Us registry where you can choose a bib and burp set or maybe a booster seat for a kid whose name sake occupies an anchor chair and though no one has come forward yet.
ZUL: I believe there is an immigrant out there, there are many immigrants out there who would willingly and lovingly name their baby Lou Dobbs.
MOOS: Why quibble about broken borders when your water is breaking.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We were little unclear about what you would do with the last name. Would it be Lou Dobbs Hammer? Anyone? Nobody seems to know.
We did call the radio station today. As Jeanne mentioned, no takers yet. They told us someone has donated two hours of yard work to sweeten the pot. Insert your joke there.
ANDERSON: We might see some little Louies before we know it.
OK. From baby names to hot baby moms. Every mom out there has gone through it. You give birth, then you gotta take care of the kids. And that doesn`t leave a lot of time to worry about the way you look and feel. Well, "The Hot Mom`s Handbook" wants to help you get that hotness back, like some of the sexiest parents in Hollywood - you know who I am talking about, Angelina, Brooke Shields, Reese Witherspoon.
Jessica Denay is the author. And she joins me now from New York. Jessica, welcome.
JESSICA DENAY, "THE HOT MOM`S HANDBOOK": Hi.
ANDERSON: Hi, there. You`re a mom yourself. Tell me exactly what exactly is a hot mom? What do you mean by that?
DENAY: A hot mom is simply a woman who is confident and empowered. It could be a woman of any age, any shape or size. It`s all about your attitude.
ANDERSON: So it`s not just about physical appearance?
DENAY: Oh. Absolutely not. That`s the biggest misconception about being a hot mom, is that you have to look like a supermodel or be a size two.
ANDERSON: It`s about what`s on the inside that counts. Let`s take a look at Brooke Shields. Jessica, she is on the cover of "People Magazine" this week with her baby. She looks as beautiful as ever. Look at her. A lot of moms are probably looking here and thinking how did she do it so quickly? How do you do it? How do you recapture that magic instantly almost with some of these women?
DENAY: You know, it isn`t easy. As all moms know, up late at night and whatnot, but you can do it if you focus, if you have the right attitude about it. If you put yourself on the to do list. So often as mothers, we are made to feel guilty it we want to do anything for ourselves. When in actuality, to be the best mom, you have to be the best you.
ANDERSON: Put yourself on the to do list. I like that. OK. Angelina Jolie, as beautiful as she is, you say it`s not all about the looks. What`s important is what`s on the inside. Is it the case with Angelina?
DENAY: Well, Angelina Jolie definitely proves that being sexy and being a mother are not mutually exclusive. But the most sexiest thing about Angelina Jolie is her confidence, her devotion to her children and to world issues. And I would say every mom is sexy on the inside. Every mom is a hot mom. I would say throw on a pair of sexy panties to your next PTA meeting so that you can get in touch with the woman inside of you. That you`re still a woman and you`re still feminine and it will make you feel good.
ANDERSON: And nobody would know at that PTA meeting but you.
DENAY: Exactly. Exactly.
ANDERSON: And one of the people, Jessica, you cite in your book is Sarah Jessica Parker, you say she`s basically the poster child for hot moms. Why is that?
DENAY: You know, Sarah Jessica Parker is a hot mom on the inside and out. When she talks about her son, she just sparkles and she glows. And she`s definitely enjoying him. And that`s the biggest thing about being a hot mom is enjoying your children and enjoying the moment. Do a cannonball in the pool this summer, slide down the slide. Just really enjoy them.
ANDERSON: OK. Well, some of these celebrity moms are really lucky in the fact that they get a lot of help, Jessica. What do the moms do who don`t have that kind of help? They are just struggling day by day to get it all done.
DENAY: I agree, absolutely. And I`m a single mom myself. I don`t have a nanny or help so I can definitely relate to what they`re going through. And I struggle like millions of moms out there. I lost myself in mothering and I wore the same outfit three days in a row. I did more errands than laps around a track and it wasn`t until my attitude changed that everything in my life changed as well.
I realized, like I said, you have to make your light bright so you have enough to shine on your children. That means you have to start finding your center, your balance and taking time for you each week, every day, schedule it, make it that important and you can fit it into every schedule.
ANDERSON: All right. Very good tips. Thank you so much for them. I`m going to have to remember them when I have children one day. Jessica Denay, thanks so much.
DENAY: Thank you.
ANDERSON: You can pick up Jessica`s new book "The Hot Mom`s Handbook." It`s in bookstores now.
HAMMER: That`s just what I`m saying. Hot moms. Last night we asked you to vote on line tonight on our showbiz question of the day. It was about the battle going on between former best friends Heather Locklear and Denise Richards because Denise is allegedly dating Heather`s ex, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora. The question, Heather and Denise feud, is it OK date your friend`s ex?
Pretty one-sided in the voting. Seventeen percent of you said yes. Eighty three percent of you said no. Among the e-mails we got, one from Gina from New York who writes "I don`t think it is ever OK. Once that occurs, the best friend relationship is usually over."
We also heard from Laura in Pennsylvania who had something entirely different to say. "You should be able to date whomever you want. If the relationship didn`t work out, move on!"
Thank you very much for your votes. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. And it is this.
"American Idol" shocker! Should Chris Daughtry have been voted off? Keep voting, cnn.com/showbiztonight write at showbiz@cnn.com We appreciate your emails and we`ll read some of them tomorrow.
HAMMER: He was so totally, totally robbed. I thought he was going all the way.
All right. It is time to see what`s coming up tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT as we get set to get into the weekend, here`s your "Showbiz Marquee."
Tomorrow -- Oprah Winfrey, the queen of daytime, a-list celebrity, new age spiritual leader? Yes, some think she`s become the moral voice of the new millennium. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates why so many seem to worship Winfrey.
Also tomorrow -- they are arguably the hottest couple in Hollywood -- Africa too as well. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, of course. They`re also one of the hardest to get a picture of. Come along for a very wild ride as the paparazzi chase Angelina! That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Stay tuned for more from CNN Headline News.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I`m Sophia Choi. Here`s your Headline Prime business update. Stock prices closed sharply lower today driven by a crude oil spike and renewed inflation fears. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 142 points to 11,501. NASDAQ lost 48 points, closing at $2272. The S&P 500 down by 17 points at1306.
President Bush is eager sign a $17 billion tax cut package. The Senate gave final approval today in a 54-44 vote along party lines. The legislation extends tax breaks for investors and saves millions for families with above average income.
And for the first time ever it cost more to make pennies and nickels than their face value. "USA Today" reports skyrocketing metal prices are to blame. The U.S. mint says it costs about one and a quarter cent to manufacture on penny and nearly $0.06 to produce a nickel.
That`s a look at some of the business news. I`m Sophia Choi.
END
