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Showbiz Tonight
Are Stars Getting Special Treatment From the Law?; Katie Couric`s Last Day at the `Today` Show
Aired May 31, 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, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: An outrageous story. Are stars getting special treatment from the law? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: And Katie Couric`s last day at the "Today" show and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is there. I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a real shocker you have to read to believe. A new magazine that`s not for the faint of heart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We find images that most magazines shy away from.
HAMMER: Tonight, the startling new read that is part celebrity tabloid, part gory movie. And why there is already outrage even before it hits news stands.
Tonight, how to rent a star. Bon Jovi at your birthday party, 50 Cent at your bar mitzvah. We`ve got the guy who can make it happen. He reveals his secrets and how much it will cost you, tonight in the revealing view you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. And A.J., got to ask you a question. If you were Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie right now, what kind of sign would you post on your door?
HAMMER: Well, that would be easy, it`d be that little sign that says "Privacy, please." Yes, privacy is in fact the buzzword in Namibia tonight as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie dodge the press and just about anyone else trying to get a glimpse of their baby girl, little Shiloh, born just last Saturday. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is in Namibia with CNN correspondent, Robyn Curnow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Robyn, this hasn`t exactly been the smoothest of relationships between Brad and Angelina`s camp and the media, has it?
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: No, it hasn`t at all A.J., in fact, I`d probably say there hasn`t been any relationship between Brad and Angelina and the media. Now, it depends when you talk about the media, whether you mean the paparazzi, the foreign photographers, or whether you`re looking at some local journalists trying to get an interview or a little picture of that famous visitors on their doorstep. Either way, there really hasn`t been interaction between the Pitt-Jolie family and the media here.
They have very, very successfully managed to quadrant (ph) themselves off, to isolate themselves here on this west coast of Africa. And there really is absolutely no interaction whatsoever. The media themselves have tried, absolutely, to try and sneak a few photos. They haven`t been successful. They say they`re definitely losing out to the Brad Pitt- Angelina Jolie camp in that sense. But, on the other hand, they say it would have been great if Brad and Angelina had come out maybe once or twice, given a few photo opportunities, said hello, maybe given a quick little interview to the local newspaper. That would have smoothed over all sorts of things. So, at the moment, the relationship is very much nonexistent.
HAMMER: And in addition to getting that photo op or perhaps just getting a picture, I understand that you and your CNN crew have been working at getting an interview with Angelina and Brad. They`re not even speaking with CNN. Basically, they are not talking to anybody.
CURNOW: Yeah, I mean, that is basically it. We handed over a letter to one of their keepers, because there is a large quadrant of people and bodyguards and just people who are protecting them. And we said, you know, we`re here, we`ve come all the way to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Namibia. We`re - - very lovely to come in and have a cup of tea. I somehow doubt that we`ll be invited in.
HAMMER: And what I`m trying to under, maybe you can help me out here, I have no idea what they`re so upset about or why they are making it so difficult. You mentioned to us last night on the show that it`s not exactly swarming with paparazzi. There are reporters everywhere trying to get a hold of them. So why don`t they want to do this? Why don`t they want to come out and participate with the media at all? I mean, what do you think is going on? It seems like a perfect opportunity with things really under relative control.
CURNOW: Absolutely. I think that is the key point, here. The control is firmly in the Jolie-Pitt camp. I mean, they are setting the agenda, here. Every time they go out there`s a thousand meter quadrant around, say, a restaurant or a beach where they`re at. That`s according to one of the photographers we spoke to today. So, you know, that is the big question. Why haven`t they just, you know, maybe been a little bit flexible, been maybe a little bit kinder or generous to the local press in particular. I don`t know. That`s a good question. And people are asking that. We have only had one official statement from them, I think it was released to a magazine in the U.S. saying that the baby has been born and it was, you know, x-weight and it was born by cesarean section, but other than that, there has been absolutely no media whatsoever. There`s been a lot of speculation, a lot of rumor, a lot of misinformation and so that also creates this whole quite bad and negative atmosphere, where people feel like they are being exclude, in a way, which I suppose, is not the way, you know, people hoped that this experience would go at least for the people here in Namibia who are quite proud that these famous people have landed up on their doorstep.
HAMMER: Certainly. And certainly it is the right of Brad and Angelina to do as they please, but it seems to fly in the face of logic that they wouldn`t be a little more welcoming and a little more participatory with the press and the media. Robyn Curnow, thank you so much for joining us once again from Namibia, tonight.
All right. I love this story. You may not believe it. Check this out. Actress Michelle Rodriguez after violating probation, was sentenced to 60 days in jail, but she was released after serving only four hours of her sentence, 60-hour (ph) sentence, four hours is what she served. Well, wear wondering, is this a case of star preferential treatment? Here to give us his take on things, Harvey Levin, the managing editor of the entertainment website, tmz.com.
Harvey, I got to ask you. What`s going on here? I mean, it would seem to me, maybe it`s not the case, but it sure looks like, if you`re sentence to all these hours and serve only a few of them, that you`re getting some kind of a preferential treatment, is that the reality of what happened here with Michelle Rodriguez.
HARVEY LEVIN, MANAGING EDITOR, TMZ.COM: Well, I can hear you thinking that if it were you, you`d probably get lethal injection. So, you know, the reality here is, it`s not what it seems. That it does seem like it`s real celebrity justice, if you will. But, in fact, the jails in L.A. County are horribly, horribly overcrowded and routinely they will let people out who commit crimes, who get convicted of crimes, just because, on the totem pole, what they committed, was a lot less violent, less severe than a lot of other people in jail. I did some checking yesterday, and the fact is, I couldn`t find another case where somebody in a similar situation got nailed more than Michelle Rodriguez did.
HAMMER: It still seems to me, Harvey, you know, she was sentenced to 60 days and somebody`s P.R. barometer over there at the L.A. County Sheriff`s Office might be a little bit out of whack because, they had to know, that if they released this celebrity -- and we`re talking about DUI charges and probation stemming from DUI charges here -- that it certainly would create this appearance.
LEVIN: Well, clearly. And I have to tell you something, A.J. remember, this is not just a DUI case. This is a case where she was convicted in L.A. County, and given probation, and then in Hawaii, she got another DUI and what happened eventually was, they said to her, look, you violated your probation, this isn`t just the first time you did it. We gave you a break and here you screwed up again. And they still let her out after four hours. So, clearly, this does seem like a case where, you know, why is this star skating? I`m just telling you that the reality of this is that the jails here are really screwed up.
HAMMER: OK.
LEVIN: And there are a lot of people who just get out because there`s no room for them.
HAMMER: OK. Accepting that, then, and people skating out because tf that reason, the over crowding. I have to ask you and I have less than 30 seconds -- stars do occasionally get preferential treatment, don`t they? I mean, what`s our reality check on that.
LEVIN: Absolutely. I mean, there are stars, just minor things with traffic infractions, where they let them skate and they will even ask for their autograph. On the other hand, there are people like Winona Rider, remember, who shoplifted and she had four felony charges filed against and nobody has that. So, you know, in that case, I think she got unfairly nailed.
HAMMER: And thank you for reminding me of that story. Just put a little smile on my face. I haven`t talked about that in a while. Harvey Levin, managing editor of the entertainment website tmz.com we appreciate your being with us tonight.
VARGAS: Elizabeth Taylor says reports about her health have been greatly exaggerated. The 74-year-old actress appeared on CNN`s "Larry King Live" last night to set the records straight after recent tabloid reports said her health was failing and her mind was going.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, "LARRY KING LIVE" HOST: "Liz death watch." What do you make of all this? The "National Enquirer" says you`re being treated for early Alzheimer`s. What`s the story?
ELIZABETH TAYLOR, ACTRESS: Oh, come on. Does it look like I`m dying?
KING: No.
TAYLOR: Do I look like or sound like I have Alzheimer`s?
KING: No. So why do you prompt all this do you think?
TAYLOR: Why do I prompt it?
KING: Why you?
TAYLOR: Because they have nothing else dirty to write about anybody else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Taylor says she does use a wheelchair because of chronic back pain. Now, one other interesting thing that came out of the interview, Taylor said the child molestation case against her long-time friend, Michael Jackson, made her angrier than she has ever been in her life. She said she`s been in his house with his nephews, all of them on the same bed together, watching television, and that there was nothing abnormal about it.
HAMMER: Well, it has been a big day for Katie Couric. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there. She said goodbye after 15 years on the "Today" show. The memorable moments coming up next. We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know if the world needs more, like, gory violence. I feel like already people are desensitized.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: The startling new magazine that`s part celebrity tabloid, part gory movie. We`ll introduce you to "Shock" magazine, coming up.
HAMMER: And how`d you like to hear 50 Cent do a rousing rendition of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) at your bar mitzvah? Well, we actually know a guy who could probably set that up, for the right price, of course. We will find out how to rent a star, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It`s time now for a story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous." And for it we`re off to California, where an alien ghost head has been found inside a duck. Take a look at this. An animal rescue group, taking care of a duck with a broken wing, gave the duck an x-ray and, what appears to be an alien face appeared. Judge for yourself there. Now, the group is selling the x-ray on eBay to help pay for the care of other birds. I`m happy the money is going to a good place, but we still have to say, "That`s Ridiculous."
Well, today has turned into yesterday for Katie Couric, after 15 years on the "Today" show, she has fine worked her very last morning shift. I`m sure she is happy about not having to get up that early ever again. I was right there in the heart of Rockefeller Center this morning, where the NBC studios are located, to catch some of the craziness as the country said goodbye to Katie.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT LAUER, "TODAY" SHOW CO-HOST: Those aren`t for you, those are for me.
HAMMER (voice-over): Matt Lauer, getting out the tissues and getting ready to say goodbye to Katie Couric before she makes history as the first- ever female evening news anchor.
LAUER: How are you feeling?
KATIE COURIC, "TODAY" SHOW CO-HOST: Oh gosh, I`m feeling happy and sad and completely out of control and you know how much I like that.
LAUER: Yeah, exactly.
HAMMER: Katie, getting in a couple of laughs before taking a trip down memory lane and looking back on her 15 years on the "Today" show.
BRYANT GUMBEL, FMR "TODAY" SHOW CO-HOST: Katherine Couric. Thank you so much.
COURIC: There you go.
HAMMER: From her first day with then co-host Bryant Gumbel, all the way until now.
(on camera): Katie Couric just behind the crowd, toasting her very last day on the "Today" show here at Studio 1A at Rockefeller Center. All the fans love Katie. They`ve all come out to support her today. And when you talk to the fans, it`s easy to find out exactly why they love Katie Couric.
(UNINTELLIGIBLE) why does America love Katie Couric so much?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because she just appeals to the people. Everyone loves her. She`s beautiful, she`s funny, she`s just what America is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Katie Couric, the woman.
HAMMER (voice-over): The 3-hour long "Today" show was filled with 15 years of memorable Katie moments. From the fun-loving...
COURIC: You have not leveled about your knowledge of the wrong...
HAMMER: To the serious. From 9/11, to Columbine, to Katrina.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
HAMMER: Katie has been a comfort to many Americans in some of our most trying times.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I thought Katie Couric, genuinely was in the moment with us and cared. I could feel her genuineness.
HAMMER: In 15 years we`ve seen her touch people`s lives and tell their stories. Here she is with Mitchell, a brain cancer patient.
COURIC: Does he get a little sick from flying or just the medicine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, the medicine, yes.
HAMMER: Touching and emotional stories, memories, all these years later, that still get Katie choked up.
(on camera): Well, as Katie Couric wraps up her fine day on the "Today" show, folks at NBC are getting set to close up shop at Studio 1A at Rockefeller Center, giving it a bit of a summer makeover preparing for Meredith Viera`s arrival this coming fall. And for the summer, they`re going to be set up right across the street at this temporary studio.
(voice-over): After all those years of early wake up calls, Katie will finally get the chance to sleep in a bit. She is taking the next month off, then starts work at CBS, where she will anchor the CBS Evening News starting September 5, and contribute to "60 Minutes." But this last show was all about remembering those she has worked with for so long.
COURIC: I`ll never have a partner like you again because -- I`ll never be working with a partner again.
(LAUGHTER)
LAUER: People talk about chemistry with us. I never have been able to define it, but, on your last day, I just want you to know that, from my end, it comes from great love and respect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will miss that smile and I will miss the face.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am a different person because I know you, because you`ve made me better.
HAMMER: In 15 years, Katie`s done more than 15,000 interviews. But still she says she is most proud of the work she has done for colon cancer prevention.
COURIC: Many of you know that I lost my husband, Jay Monahan, my loving and beloved husband, last month after a courageous battle with colon cancer.
HAMMER: After losing her husband, Katie publicly took on cancer prevention and inspired many Americans after undergoing a colonoscopy on camera in front of millions.
COURIC: That wasn`t bad at all.
HAMMER: And in the end, on "Today," it was time for Katie to send her love and move on.
COURIC: Everyone in TV land, thanks so much.
LAUER: Cheers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Katie`s tearful goodbye is just a start of major network shuffle. And joining me here tonight, in New York, Ali Gazan of "TV Guide" and Boston, Susanne Ryan of the "Boston Globe."
Ladies, I appreciate you taking some time out with us this evening. Wow, what a show this morning. The tears are still flowing. But, let`s talk about this seriously for a moment. Katie has been on a No. 1 show for a long time now. She is going to a No. 3 show. I`m all for change, I`m all for trying something knew. But is she in for a real reality check here?
ALI GAZAN, "TV GUIDE": Oh, I think she`s in for a reality check, I think she`s up for a new challenge, 15 years doing the same thing over and over again, can grow a little tiresome and here she is, kind of historic move, to be the first woman solo anchor on a nightly news program. How could you not take it?
HAMMER: Yeah, I agree with that, but Suzanne, what do you think? I mean, she`s coming from a brand that`s been built going into a situation where she basically needs to rebuild the brand.
SUSANNE RYAN, "BOSTON GLOBE": Exactly. I mean, I think that there is going to be initial tune-in as everyone` very curious to see how she does. But after that, we`re going to see, you know, if she can pull it off. A lot of people have been really skeptical about her seriousness, whether she`s serious enough and granted, she has the background, but, you know, she`s known more for being a perky person than she is for being a hardcore journalist.
HAMMER: That`s true. I haven`t heard a lot of people really skeptical about Meredith Viera who, of course, will be taking over in Katie`s spot on the "Today" show in the fall. Now, we just saw in our piece Katie has a tremendous time in 15 years, talked to thousands of people and really some of the most important people in the world. Do you think Meredith Viera, at this point perhaps after watch this morning is saying, gee, what have I gotten myself into here?
GAZAN: No, I think she is really excited because she is going to assume that same sort of role. I think her and Matt also have great chemistry that Katie had with Matt, and so, I think it`s the same sort of idea, like here she`s has powwowing for these women for years and here`s a great opportunity to move into the No. 1 morning news show.
HAMMER: Yeah, I`ve all along said she`s very much up for the challenge. Susanne, are you on board with that?
RYAN: Yeah, I know, I think she`s terrific. I was watching her today on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," and I think she has, you know, a different temperament from Katie, but that`s OK, it`s just going to be an adjustment, but I definitely think she`s up for it.
HAMMER: Yeah, I think the temperament is different, but it`s not so much that she is replacing Katie -- she`s taking over the job as the co- host on the "Today" show.
RYAN: Exactly.
HAMMER: All right, we can`t really have a discussion about all this and the major shuffle going on without talking about Diane Sawyer here, who`s sort of the missing piece of the puzzle. Now, she got her butt kicked more or less in the mornings by Katie Couric. She never had that opportunity to take over No. 1, but they got really, really close with "Good Morning America." She didn`t get the evening news job, so she doesn`t get to go head to head with Katie in sort of that Charlie Gibson (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and now we`re hearing some buzz that she might be looking elsewhere, unconfirmed, of course. What do you think about all of it?
GAZAN: I think that she might look to really -- for herself in the morning, that`s what were I sort of think she`ll continue do exactly what she is doing for the past couple of years and really assert herself as the woman to turn to for morning television.
HAMMER: I would say that`s true. And Susanne, would you agree that, you know, basically, Diane may now be looking at this as an opportunity to say, I maybe can close that gap and maybe pull ahead of the "Today" show, this is my chance to strike?
RYAN: Exactly. I think that, you know, she really wanted to be in the history book as the first woman female solo anchor for the evening and that didn`t happen. So now`s her chance to at least beat "Today." So, hopefully she will be able to do that for her own sake.
HAMMER: Susanne, let me stay with you, let`s get in some predictions really quick. In the evening news race, Katie, Brian, Charlie, who`s going to take it after that initial curiosity?
RYAN: You know, I really think Charlie has a good shot at it. I mean, I think he has that father image which was really working for Bob Schieffer at CBS, which is kind of ironic now that he`s leaving. And I really think that`s what folks are used to, and they like it. On the other hand, though, I mean, I think that Katie could potentially change kind of reinvent evening news if she comes up with a different format or perhaps she is a little less formal, and that could be -- you know, I think that`s why CBS hired her to begin with, to try something different.
HAMMER: We`ll have to leave it there. I thank you both for your insight tonight. Suzanne Ryan in Boston and "TV Guide`s" Ali Gazan, Thank you very much for being with us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
VARGAS: Now we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Katie Couric Leaves: Will you still watch the "Today" show? Go to cnn.com/showbiztonight and send us an e-mail at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: WEll, a TV star is fighting back against tabloid reports that she has a cocaine problem. We`re going to tell you who we`re talking about and who`s headed to court coming up. We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We find images that most magazines shy away from.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: The startling new magazine that`s part celebrity tabloid, part gory movie. We`ll introduce you to "Shock" magazine and the interviews that are already starting a fire storm of controversy. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, look up in the sky, it`s a bird, it`s a plane. Your first look at the trailer for the new "Superman" movie coming up in the "Showbiz Showcase."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tomorrow, Vince Vaughn stops by. I`ll talk about his new movie "The Break-Up" and his costar Jennifer Aniston. Vince Vaughn in the reveling interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, tomorrow.
VARGAS: The Dixie Chicks may not be ready to make nice, but their fans have been more than ready to buy their new album. Dixie Chick`s new album "Taking the Long Way" debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album includes the single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," which deals with the controversy over singer Natalie Maines` comments about President Bush. "Taking the Long Way" sold 526,000 copies in its first week. And at No. 2 the soundtrack for Disney`s "High School Musical," followed by "American Idol, Season 5" encores tracks from each of the 12 finalists. Angels & Airwaves debuts at No. 4 with "We Don`t Need to Whisper," and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Stadium Arcadium" is No. 5.
HAMMER: A TV star and A model tie the knot. We`re going to reveal the identity of Hollywood`s newest newlyweds coming up next.
VARGAS: Plus, do you want Bon Jovi at your birthday party? Well we know someone who might be able to make that happen. It`s true. We`ll talk to the guy who rents out the stars. That`s coming up. We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know if the world needs more, like, gory violence. I feel like already people are desensitized.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is wild. The startling new magazine that`s part celebrity tabloid, part gory movie. We`re going to introduce you to "Shock" magazine. That is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Wednesday night. We`ll be right back.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: So, Sibila, a couple of years ago my neighbor was having a party, all of a sudden I hear Chaka Kahn music coming from his back yard. I paid closer attention to realize it wasn`t a D.J. spinning a Chaka tune, it was Chaka Kahn singing a song. This guy actually had hired her to perform at his party. It`s possible. You can rent a star. But how can you do it? How much does it cost? The guy who can tell us is here in just a few moments.
VARGAS: I`ve got a list over here, but I think it might be too expensive to get these people, like Prince, Oprah, and Bono. I don`t know. You find out for me, OK, A.J.?
HAMMER: I will.
VARGAS: All right. Also we got your first look at "Superman Returns," the new trailer, that`s in our "Showbiz Showcase. Let me tell you, it is super-duper, and it`s big, and it`s huge, you`re not going to want to miss that. But that`s coming up in our "Showbiz Showcase."
HAMMER: It is going to be the movie of the summer. But, first, tonight, every now and then we tell you about a shocking story, but this time we really mean it. Well, we always mean it, but we really mean it. There is a brand new pop culture magazine that just might jolt you out of your living room. Here`s CNN Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with this campaign of shock and awe. And by the way, the bosses upstairs that told us that I have to tell you what you`re about to see may contain graphic images that you may find disturbing. Roll it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Looking to be shocked? Not that shocked. Try this.
(on camera): It doesn`t live up to its title I guess.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it is shocking. I want a free copy of it.
MOOS (voice-over): Take the "National Enquirer," add a little "Star," and get in touch with website like rotten.com. OK? That`s the recipe for "Shock."
MIKE HAMMER, "SHOCK" MAGAZINE: We find images that most magazines shy away from.
MOOS: Like showing the caption "blood bath" showing the slaughter of dolphins in Japan or the Chinese man shot dead while holding a child hostage with a meat cleaver or the woman who set herself on fire to protest alleged racism.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know if the world needs more, like, gory violence. I feel like already people are desensitized.
MOOS: But one person`s gory violence is another`s...
HAMMER: Dazzling visual imagery.
MOOS: Visual imagery like this.
HAMMER: A dead man rotting. Do, it`s not Paris Hilton.
MOOS: Actually, it`s about the work of forensic scientists.
HAMMER: It`s a real dead man.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "CIS," huh?
MOOS (on camera): That`s exactly what it is.
(LAUGHTER)
MOOS (voice-over): "shock" also mocks. Mocks those celebrity magazines with quizzes like match celebrity butts to the actual celebrity.
HAMMER: And then there are the "Animals, They`re just Like Us."
MOOS: That`s a take off on "Us Weekly`s" feature, "Stars, They`re just Like Us." Only animals just like us features a hippo, they taking birth control and a duck leading her babies across a grate into which they apparently fell. The website gawker, called the new magazine...
(on camera): a thing of low-brow beauty.
HAMMER: Yeah, yeah well, I thought I was a thing of low-brow beauty.
MOOS (voice-over): "Shock" is put out by a major publisher with titles ranging from "Car and Driver," to "Woman`s Day" to "EL Decor." As for the cover photo, an American soldier carrying a bloody Iraqi child, it`s already causing problems. The magazine says it bought the right from a photo agency. The photographer says the photo is sacred the agency didn`t have the rights. "Shock" is aimed at 18 to 34 year olds brought up on computer games and internet photos.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good. I think Americans need a little shock reality once in a while.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.
MOOS (on camera): You`re shocked?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s called "Shock," man.
MOOS: Would you buy this magazine?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wouldn`t want it.
MOOS (voice-over): At the website, Shocku, they invite readers to send in their own shocking photos. We showed the dead man rotting photo spread to two guys who had just finished chowing down on pizza.
(on camera): Pizza sure looks better than that guy`s face, he said.
(voice-over): Low-brow that raises eyebrow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s electrifying Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
So, have you ever wished that perhaps you could have Bon Jovi play at your birthday party, maybe you thought 50 Cent at your daughter`s bat mitzvah might be a great arrangement? Maybe James Brown in private concert. Well, you know, what? The idea is not too farfetched. You can actually rent your favorite performer and they`ll actually come to your house and play. The guy to get the stars to your doorstep is the president and founder of the entertainmentbooking.com company, and he joins me here in New York.
Steve, it`s a pleasure to have you here. I just rattled off some pretty impressive names, Bon Jovi, 50 Cent, James Brown, stars with sill huge careers. I know it`s a big payday when they come out, but why in the world would they want to play a private birthday party or a bat mitzvah?
STEVE EINZIG, BOOKINGENTERTAINMENT.COM: Once again, it`s the money. They want to come down -- it`s usually, the people pay a premium for the show. So the artists -- it`s kind of like make them an offer they can`t refuse.
HAMMER: So, really, it`s about the money. And now I want to get into exactly what people would be paying. This is something that it`s gotten a little more exposure over the past couple of years. But I know has long been sort of considered the music industry`s dirty little secret. All these artists don`t necessarily really want you to know that they`re out there playing.
EINZIG: Sure. I think recently these artists are out to play these gigs because they like to get out. They do pay a premium price and they tend to be easy because they don`t have to rely on ticket sales and they don`t have to draw the people in. The people are already there. They tend to be a little intoxicated usually by the time the artist sings and it is kind of a laid back event.
HAMMER: And, you know, lot of corporations I know do this as well. They have the really big bucks to throw around and they want to impress their clients or throw a big celebration for their employees.
EINZIG: Sure.
HAMMER: It`s a lot easier to rents out the Intrepid and have the "B- 52s" come play, I guess.
EINZIG: Absolutely. And we make it easy for people to do that. They come to our website, bookingentertainment.com, they fill out a form, and we`re happy to take care of everything for them from there, from the artist`s flights, to the hotels, to the ground transportation. We basically give them a turnkey package that allows them to have the ease of use, if you will, for the show itself.
HAMMER: OK, so let`s get into it. I want to book Bon Jovi to come play at my birthday party. I go to your website. I send you an inquiry. I want to play Bon Jovi. You send me back, I guess, an estimate for how much that`s going to cost me. Realistically, for an artist like Bon Jovi, what am I looking at?
EINZIG: For a lot of the bigger artists, a lot of times they`ll throw out that million dollars number. It really depends on a lot of things. If an artist is on tour and they are going to be playing New York, let`s say, that evening or the evening before and they can do your show around that show, it`s easy for them, they`re already there, they don`t have to fly in. You can kind of get a slightly favorable price.
HAMMER: Yeah, maybe they`ll cut me a little discount and a couple of autographs. And will they be willing to meet all of my friend and sign autographs or is that going to cost me a little extra?
EINZIG: It doesn`t cost you more -- basically, when the people make the offer, they include in there, that`s called the meet and greet. The artists can do it before the show, after the show. It`s real easy as long as you put it in the offer. The artists like to do that. They sign autographs, they take pictures, they tend to go out of their way at these things because they feel almost gracious that the people are paying premium price to have them come down and perform.
HAMMER: So they`re happy to be there. Now more realistically, and it`s not unheard of to spend, you know, 25 grand on entertainment at a wedding or bar mitzvah. Who am I going to get in the 25 to 30 grand range?
EINZIG: We like to sell disco acts for that. The bands tend to play that music, and those bands tend to play -- or those groups tend to perform to track, which means there`s no band which lowers your production costs.
HAMMER: Give me a name.
EINZIG: Gloria Gaynor.
HAMMER: She`ll come and sing "I will Survive?" Is she only going do, you know, well she has the one big hit, but will she do basically a short set for that amount of money?
EINZIG: She has a couple other songs she does. She`ll do a medley of other disco hits, but they perform what`s called, to track, usually, which means the music is prerecorded. So, they come out, they`ll do a 45 minute, maybe even a 60 minute set depending on the artist.
HAMMER: So it`s all possible, it is all doable. And I appreciate you giving us some insight into how I may get, you know, Gloria Gaynor to sing, "I Will Survive" for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT crew this summer. Thanks very much, Steve.
EINZIG: Very good.
HAMMER: Steve Einzig joining us, tonight.
VARGAS: Well, time now for tonight`s "Hot Headlines." Well, she may have been "Saved by the Bell," but she got slammed by a supermarket tabloid and now she wants them to pay. According to entertainment website, tmz.com, Lark Voorhies who played Lisa Turtle on the NBC teen sitcom has sued the "National Enquirer." Thirty-two-year-old actress claims a 2005 article that said she had a cocaine problem is not true and has hurt her career. The "Enquirer" told us it stands by its story.
Well, here`s the story of a lovely lady who married Peter Brady. OK, that wasn`t so good, but Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry have tied the knot. The couple got married in Curry`s hometown of Joliet, Illinois. Curry was the first winner of "America`s Top Model." Then she met Knight of "The Surreal Live" and now they have their own series, "My Fair Brady." Now try following that.
And, finally, here`s to you, Mrs. Robins Robinson. Again, the author of "The Graduate" had signed a deal to write the sequel. It should be out in England in a year or so and maybe in the U.S. after that. Of course the famous film stars, Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, who can forget, as the seductive older woman. And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
Soldiers are on the front lines in Iraq, armed not only with weapons but with video cameras. Tonight, their amazing combat stories caught on tape, that`s coming up next. Plus, we`ve got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re back and everyone seems to be pretty happy about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Superman is back. Tonight we have your very first look at the brand new trailer for the first Superman movie in nearly 20 years. That`s in the "Showbiz Showcase."
HAMMER: And why is the Statue of Liberty in a thong? Find out one guy has Lady Liberty bearing all, and why we think "That`s Ridiculous." That`s next.
VARGAS: That is ridiculous. But, first tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly`s Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which actor played Gordie`s older brother, Denny, in "Stand by Me?" A. Andrew McCarthy, B. John Cusack, C. Brendan Fraser, or D. Ralph Machio? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VARGAS: So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly`s Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which actor played Gordie`s older brother, Denny, in "Stand by Me?" A. Andrew McCarthy, B. John Cusack, C. Brendan Fraser, or D. Ralph Machio?
It was John Cusack who played the older brother to Will Wheaton`s character, Gordie, so the answer "B."
HAMMER: And welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Wednesday night. We are TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Time now for another little story that made us say "That`s Ridiculous."
You remember the famous poem on the statute of liberty, it says, "Give me your tired, your poor huddled masses." Well, there is this guy named Art, he lives in Toledo, Ohio and he might have confused masses with another word that rhymes with it, because he`s got the Statue of Liberty, as you can see, wearing a thong bikini and a sign that says, quote, "Kiss my American ass" and it`s on his front lawn. Art`s apparently mad about immigration. He thinks the U.S. government is kissing the rear ends of illegal immigrants. Art says the whole thing, best (ph) himself, I believe, -- he says, "It`s ridiculous." But, come on, Art, a butt-baring Lady Liberty? "That`s Ridiculous."
VARGAS: I got to say, aye-aye. Well look up in the sky, it`s a bird, it`s a plane, oh it`s tonight`s "Showbiz Showcase." Superman is back, it`s been nearly 20 years since the last film. Now the masked hero returns to earth only to find out that his girl, Lois Lane, has moved on. How could she? Brandon Routh plays Superman, but we got to send a shout out to the late Christopher Reeves who, of course, all of us loved in the film. Here`s a look at the brand new trailer.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some people ask me a lot of questions now that I`m back. I think it`s only fair that I answer those people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, you`re back. And everyone seems to be pretty happy about it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not everyone?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lex Luther.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Imagine, cities, entire continents, all grown, to think that one could create a new world with such a simple little (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow. That`s really something, Lex.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait for it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lex, you`re not a god.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gods are selfish beings who fly around in little red capes and don`t share their power with mankind.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See anything familiar?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See an old man, sick joke.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Radioactive pieces of his home world, deadly to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re not seeing the big picture here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now fly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re my son, remember that you have great power.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Wow, looks like this is going to be a big one. And it better be because reports say it cost close to $200 million to make. "Superman Returns" hits theaters June 28th.
HAMMER: Well, there is a new documentary coming out al about U.S. soldiers fighting the war in Iraq that cannot be compared to anything else anyone has ever seen. And you can take my word for it, I watched the entire film, which was shot entirely by those very soldiers fighting the war. Take a look at this amazing footage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are we on fire?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is stuff we just haven`t seen before. Two of the soldiers, Sergeant Zach Bazzi and Sergeant Steve Pink who actually shot the documentary, called "The War Tapes" join me here in New York.
Gentlemen it`s an honor to have you guys here. This is some mind blowing stuff in this particular film. But you have to explain to me, and I`ll start with you Zach. You were given this opportunity to shoot the footage for this film. You were handed cameras by the director. She had been offered the opportunity to imbed with the troops, but instead wanted to get the soldier`s perspective. You have a lot more things to think about when you`re heading over to one of the most dangerous parts of the world, than shooting a film. So, why in the world with would you want to do this? It`s just incredible to me.
SERGEANT ZACH BAZZI, U.S. ARMY: That`s a good question, actually the whole thing started when Debra Scranton popped in our barracks about a week before we left to deploy and she gave us her -- articulated here vision about wanting to do this documentary. And she wanted basically for us to have the cameras and we would take them with us and we would film while we were there. At first I was a little hesitant, but I`m a fairly energetic person and I thought, you know, it would be something interesting to be involved in. And once we got there, we figured out ways where we would hook up the equipment, where it became kind of a passive part of that battle environment in the background. It was just a matter of turning it on. So, putting it on the mount and turning it on prior to our departure from the base. And from there we just went about our business, focusing on doing our combat duties. It was always missions first and filming was optional and secondary.
HAMMER: But it comes clear that we`re seeing a perspective that we have not seen before. And we`re also seeing conversations and some real emotion that we have not seen before. And Steve, one of the things that I thought was very striking was you reading from your journal. And I actually want to take a look at a clip of you doing that right here. Let`s see that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERGEANT STEVE PINK, U.S. ARMY: Every once in a while as we`re driving down the road, creeping along the patrol, I have a recurring epiphany. This is happening and it will have a lasting impact on me for the rest of my life. The debate we had earlier in the day over the consistency and texture of a severed limb was not some far off, grotesque assumption. It was genuine argument between the guy who swears it resembles hamburger ground up but uncooked and the guy who believed it looks more like a raw pot roast. There is no argument, however, that human intestines are pink, pork sausage links, if of course you imagine a butcher`s block as the background, instead of the screaming, then soon quietly moaning casualty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Such powerful imagery through your words. I know you read that after you returned from Iraq. What was going through your mind as you were reading that again?
PINK: Yeah, that was the first time I had opened my journal and read anything out of it since I returned from Iraq. And for reading it that first time, it just kind of reiterated that was an actual conversation that we had and those were things that happened. As long as you`ve been home, you`re still going to remember some of those things for the rest of your life. They stay with you.
HAMMER: It took you right back there.
PINK: Sure.
HAMMER: Among the discussions that I thought were fascinating in the film, there are a few soldiers discussing the fact that they are hearing reports that the U.S. government is saying, things are getting better in Iraq. You guys are there living it day to day and somebody said, this isn`t getting better. When you hear reports like that, and when you`re actually over there in the thick of it, Zach, how do you reconcile those two opposing points of what`s actually happening?
BAZZI: Well, it`s obviously going to be tough to capture the truth as it is on the ground for the media. That being said, I can say this with a fair amount of certainty that, most of the time, most soldiers do their job professionally and they focus on the day to day activities inherent to the mission. Our morale is not contingent upon, you know, political news back home or how the media covers Iraq. Me personally, I woke up in the morning and the first thing I thought the of, I got a mission to do today, whether it was escorting a convoy or a patrol of the main supply route and so on, and when we`re out there on the road my main job is to lead my soldiers and accomplish my mission to the highest professional standards that the U.S. military expects of me as a sergeant. So, that being said, obviously the media, you know, it`s pretty difficult, and it`s a difficult job for you guys. I just read in the news a couple of days ago two died and a correspondent is in critical condition, so it`s a difficult environment for everyone. Not just us.
HAMMER: Well, gentlemen, I salute you for your service. And I think this is an important film for everybody to see because again, it gives us a perspective we have not seen before. So, thank you for serving our country and also for bringing this film back for us all to see.
PINK: Thank you.
HAMMER: I really appreciate it. Zach Bazzi and Steve Pink.
BAZZI: Thank you.
And once again, the film is called "The War Tapes." It opens up this Friday in New York, It`ll be opening nationwide in weeks ahead.
VARGAS: Well, last night we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Angelina Jolie: Is she the mother of the year? Well, here`s how you voted: 63 percent of you said, yes, she is the mother of the year; 37 percent of you said, no, she isn`t. Here are some of the e-mails we got.
Maggie from Georgia saying, "How can anyone even begin to think Angelina Jolie is the mother of the year when she is a home wrecker, with a baby born out of wedlock?"
Ouch, tough words. But Hope also out of Georgia disagrees, "I think Angie is a wonderful mother who opened her heart and home to her children. I admire her humanitarian effort, here drive and her flaws."
Well, stick around. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
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VARGAS: Well, we`ve been asking you to vote on tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Question of the Day." Today was Katie Couric`s last morning hosting the "Today" show, so we want to know, Katie Couric Leaves: Will you still watch the "Today" show? Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight and write us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
HAMMER: Is tomorrow Thursday already, guys? Is that right? Such a quick week with that Memorial Day holiday back on Monday. Well, it`s time to find out what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Thursday. Here`s your "Showbiz Marquee."
And tomorrow our old friend Vince Vaughn returns to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT set. I have a lot to talk with this guy about. We got to talk about his new movie opening this weekend "The Break-Up." His unofficial girlfriend, Jennifer Aniston, is his co-star in that movie, by the way. Vince Vaughn, a revealing interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also tomorrow, the Dixie Chicks, they are at the top of the charts with the No. 1 album in the country and they got there with plenty of controversy, including their comments about President Bush. The Dixie Chicks, why they are still not ready to make nice, tomorrow.
That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN "Headline News." Goodnight, everyone. Goodnight A.J.
HAMMER: Good night, Sibila.
END
