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Showbiz Tonight
Dixie Chicks Rise to Top of Charts; Batwoman Coming Back Lesbian; Vince Vaughan`s Strategy for Dealing with Media Attention; Meredith Vieira Going to "Today" Show; Anna Nicole Smith Pregnant; No Photos of Brangelina Baby
Aired June 01, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: A big-time celebrity says she`s pregnant. Now, will there be a court battle over billions for the baby? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
SIBILA VARGAS, CO-HOST: And one-on-one with Vince Vaughn, his new movie with Jennifer Aniston and how he deals with all the media attention, day after day. I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, anything but. The Dixie Chicks back up -- way up. Tonight, the controversial country stars` shocking rise to the top of the charts. How they beat the backlash to their Bush bashing.
NATALIE MAINES, DIXIE CHICKS: It got so twisted and so turned and so used.
HAMMER: A revealing chat with the Dixie Chicks you`ll see only on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."
Also, crunching the marriage crunch. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT revisits pop culture`s stinging stunner that outraged an entire generation. Is it harder for some women to find a husband than to get killed by a terrorist?
SALLY JACKSON, INTERVIEWED BY "NEWSWEEK": People who wish away their live because they`re not married are cheating themselves.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates what`s going on with middle age and marriage.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Hello, I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood.
HAMMER: And I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Sibila, talk about just desserts. America is whistling Dixie tonight -- Dixie Chicks, that is.
VARGAS: That`s right, A.J. Three years ago, they criticized President Bush on Iraq and even got death threats. That was then, this is now. Forget the coast-to-coast radio boycotts, they backfired. The CD smashings? A thing of the past, because tonight, they have the No. 1 album in America.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS (voice-over): Those were fighting words and the Dixie Chicks came out swinging. Round one, a "Time" magazine cover story. Round two, a TV media blitz. Round three, putting out their new CD at a fan-friendly 10 bucks.
And the winner of the public showdown between the Dixie Chicks and the country music community, according to "Billboard" magazine, it`s the Chicks.
MAINES: Everyone called me unpatriotic and said I didn`t support the troops because I didn`t support the war. But to me, I am patriotic because I didn`t want people to die without a reason.
GEOFF MAYFIELD, "BILLBOARD" MAGAZINE: As we expected the Dixie Chicks` album debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and country album chart as well.
VARGAS: That makes the Chicks the first female group in history to notch three No. 1 albums.
It`s a far cry from 2003, since before the U.S. invasion of Iraq when lead singer Natalie Maines told London concertgoers she was, quote, "Embarrassed to be from the same state as George Bush."
EMILY ROBISON, DIXIE CHICKS: Being a musician doesn`t take away your rights a citizen to speak your mind.
VARGAS: But outcry from the conservative country community was loud and clear. There were CD smashings, picketing, even death threats. Many radio stations refused to play their music.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course she was wrong for what she said. I mean.
VARGAS: Now it may seem that radio`s boycott has backfired driving consumers to purchase the music they aren`t hearing on the airwaves.
MAINES: I think a lot of people bought it not hearing our music from the past.
VARGAS: indeed, somebody is buying the record, half a million somebodies.
MAYFIELD: Among the half million plus people who bought this album there very well could be people who bought the very first country album they`ve ever bought if their lives. There are some consumers who aren`t really big country fans and may not know a whole lot about Dixie Chicks, but certainly know about the controversy that they`ve endured, about the backlash that they`ve suffered.
VARGAS: This leads one to ponder with President Bush`s approval rating an all-time low, maybe more folks agree with the Dixie Chicks in 2006 than in 2003.
MAINES: I mean, you can`t call just us Americans like we have one voice and one opinion, and I have no regret.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And no regrets seem to pay off. "Billboard," who knows the stuff like no one else gives us these numbers. In eight years` time the Dixie Chicks have sold more albums that Kenny Chesney and Faith Hill have in a dozen plus year. And more than Brooks and Dunn have in 15 years. Now, don`t go away, because coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, our no holds barred interview with the Chicks. That`s later on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, now we`d like to turn things over to you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Tonight we`re asking, Dixie Chicks No. 1: Does controversy sell albums? Let us know your thoughts by vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or sending us e-mail at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
VARGAS: Paul McCartney has come out swinging tonight against one big British tabloid. Writing on his official website, the former Beatle says he continues to be, quote, "dismayed by inaccuracies in the media." He specifically slams a "Hello" magazine article which talks about custody arrangements involving his estranged wife, Heather, and their daughter, Beatrice. McCartney says no decisions have been made, but they`ll work to put something together in Beatrice`s best interest.
HAMMER: Well, after shedding all the pounds and slimming down, Anna Nicole Smith is gaining the weight back. But this time, she`s got an excuse -- she`s pregnant. And today, the former "Playboy" playmate confirmed it on her website.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Me, Anna Nicole, as you can see. I`ve been hearing a lot of gossip in the papers is Anna pregnant. Is she pregnant? She`s pregnant by some guy. Well, let me stop all of the rumors. Yes, I am pregnant. I`m happy. I`m very, very happy about it. Everything`s going really, really good. And I`ll be checking in and out periodically on the web and I`ll let you see me as I`m growing, so, I hope that it`s a son. Bye.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I`m trying to remain objective and professional, here. I`m having a hard time. So, joining me now from Los Angeles and never afraid to speak her mind, investigative journalist Pat Lalama.
Pat, what do you make of that video?
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Hey, guess what? You can take objectivity right out of this chair and throw it out the window. I`m sick to my stomach. Yet another Hollywood celebrity engaged in reckless -- go ahead, I`m going to say it, you can e-mail me, you can sue me, I don`t care -- reckless behavior. A kid, who knows -- you know, she doesn`t admit who the father is. She doesn`t sound like she`s doing a whole lot better and guess what? In typical Hollywood form that child will, of course, be the next pawn in some sort of legal matter. Hooray for Hollywood, that`s what I say.
HAMMER: Yeah, she`s barely pregnant and there she is flaunting it on the website. And now of course we cannot talk about Anna Nicole Smith without talking about all of the business of Anna Nicole, Pat. You know, many people remember the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that Anna Nicole and go ahead with the lawsuit to get that money from her late husband.
LALAMA: Right.
HAMMER: You know, and potentially walk way with a $1.6 billion estate or at least a piece of it. Could the baby come out of the womb a billionaire?
LALAMA: Well, absolutely. No doubt about it. I mean, you might as well consider that a forgone conclusion. But, will it be sane? Will it be loved? Will it well taken care of? Will it have a good future? That`s another question.
HAMMER: Well, you mention that we don`t actually know, by any confirmation, who the father is yet. However there`s a name floating around. There`s this man named Larry Berkhead. He`s been seen with Anna Nicole, he`s reported to be the father. He`s more or less claiming he is the father. He actually told the website, tmz.com, quote, "I have been told that I am expecting a child. I have seen the ultrasound and I have spoken to doctors. I`m very excited about the possibility of becoming a father," unquote. So, Pat if this guy`s actually the father of this child, and Anna Nicole does get the money, is he entitled to a piece of it?
LALAMA: Well, first I want to give him a lie detector test. I just want to make sure. OK? Because you never know in this country when it comes it a big star with money who`s lying, who`s not. But, let`s just assume, for the sake of argument, he is indeed the father. First of all he will not be automatically entitled to any of the estate. The only thing he has a legal right to is paternity. And all he has to do is show his DNA. And if that`s the case he`ll be entitled to a joint visitation issue, but there`s no guarantee of money.
HAMMER: All right Pat, we`ve got to cut it of there. Regardless of what you say, I`m excited for Anna Nicole.
LALAMA: Oh, good for you.
HAMMER: Pat Lalama, thanks for joining us tonight.
LALAMA: OK.
VARGAS: Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT heads back to Namibia. Have the paparazzi gotten that first photo of the Brangelina baby?
Plus, we`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: People who wish away their lives because they`re not married are cheating themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, is it easier to get killed by a terrorist than for some women to find a husband? Well you may remember that`s what one major magazine said 20 years ago. The question is, is it still true today? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates middle age, and marriage.
VARGAS: Plus, Vince Vaughn. He`s starring in "The Break-Up" with Jennifer Aniston. How does he deal with all the media attention, day after day? We`ll ask him. Vince Vaughn in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Thursday night. We are TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer and it`s time now for a story that made us say, "That`s Raucous." Now, you remember the Magilla Gorilla song, "Gorilla, gorilla for sale?" Feel free to sing along, guys. Or maybe not. Here`s the story of a husband, a husband for sale. A 21-year-old guy in Phoenix, Arizona, I think he`s taking this online dating thing way too far because he`s trying to sell himself on eBay as a trophy husband -- his words, not ours --- for one year. Now, he wants the bidding to start the bidding at $150,000. If you`re willing to go for, I guess, the buy now price of $300,000 that gets you the groom right away. Will anyone buy him, take him home and try him? We don`t know, but what we do know is "That`s Ridiculous!"
VARGAS: Yeah, I thought he`d look like Brad Pitt or something, you know, to be trophy.
Anyway, to say it`s been a media circus in Namibia the past few weeks, definitely an understatement. Seems like the entire paparazzi world has tried to swarm into the African country, trying to get that very first picture of Brad Pitt and Angelina with their new baby, Shiloh. Well, so far, not much luck. But the photos -- well, they aren`t finished yet. Here`s CNN`s Robyn Curnow in Namibia for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, just steps away from where Angie and Brad are playing house.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To get way from all of this, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie came here southwest coast of Africa, but they`re still being watched from afar. Local journalist, Josh Cobbler (ph) has joined the handful of foreign paparazzi who managed to get into Namibia. They`re all hoping to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars to sneak pictures of the celebrities. If only he can get close enough.
JOSH COBBLER (ph), JOURNALIST: And all of that has kind of become off- limits. They`ve (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that thee moment you move around you`re going to have big security guarded right on top of you. What are you doing? What are you doing? What it`s really -- what`s actually.
CURNOW (on camera): So, we`re not going to be invited in for tea?
COBBLER: I don`t think so.
CURNOW (voice-over): Jolie and Pitt`s bodyguards with help from police have played tough with the media say Cobbler (ph), his friend photographer John Lievanberg (ph), has been arrested twice for trespassing while trying to bet a shot. But he`s still after the big get.
JOHN LIEVANBERG (ph), PHOTOGRAPHER: Well, it`s not us that created the careers and their lives and all of the publicity and frenzy around them, it`s them. They`re quite used to this. They should be used to this.
CURNOW: Namibian authorities have a different take on their famous visitors` right to privacy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have requested for privacy. Our constitution guarantees you privacy if you wish it. Now, all of the police were doing they were doing their jobs.
CURNOW: And John wants to do this job.
COBBLER (ph): We`d all like to see what Shiloh`s going to look like. Tufts of hair like her mom, dad`s nose?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve been on many before, this kind of job, and this is the worst. Well, it`s next to worst, but you know, the you know, the almost impossible.
CURNOW: Meet Steve, British paparazzi who won`t give his last name. He`s been trolling the seaside resort for three weeks now. But he`s got nothing to show for it. And neither does the local newspaper. The few journalists here, like John and Steve, are no longer optimist big snapping a shot of the visiting celebrities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ve got to congratulate them in a way, I suppose. You know, you know, if you`ve been -- if you`ve tried your best and you just failed, then you know you just go home with your tail between your legs and say well, maybe next time.
CURNOW: John Cobbler`s not giving up yet. He thinks there`s got to be a way of making some money out of Brad and Angelina`s visit.
COBBLER: Think of any way we`re going to make money here tonight. We out in parking lots here and we charge them, everybody comes and parks and tries to take a pictures we charge a parking fee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Well, good luck, guys. That was CNN`s Robyn Curnow in Namibia for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, incoming "Today" show host Meredith Vieira is going to have some pretty big shoes to fill and that was actually made very clear by the marathon goodbye to former co-anchor Katie Couric. Vieira discussed the tribute with her fellow ladies on "The View." The co-host says she`s actually amazed by the number of people Couric interviewed in her 15 years on the air. But "The View" panel assured Vieira, of course, she would do just as well I got on the job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEREDITH VIEIRA, "THE VIEW": And she`s an amazing woman when you see all of the people that she interviewed over the year and it was very moving. Very, very touching. I thought it was terrific. Also very scary. You know, I`m looking at it going oh I god.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of tears.
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": Think of all of the people you`ve interviewed all these years. We`re going to feel the same way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, Barbara Walters who hosted "Today" show for years herself, told her co-hosts that she didn`t recall quite the same fanfare when she actually left the "Today" show years ago. Joy Behar told Walters that`s the price she pays for being a trailblazer. To which Walter replied, she could live without the compliment.
Well, soon an amazing, but true rags-to-riches story`s going to be hitting the big screen, with Will Smith as the star. Now, Smith was so inspired by a man named Chris Gardner that he actually bought the rights to Gardner`s life -- his life story and turned it into a film. And that`s in the process of happening right now. The book it`s based on, it`s called "The Pursuit of Happiness" and the book details Gardner`s dramatic transformation from homeless, single father to self-made millionaire.
Chris Gardner here in New York. It`s a pleasure to have you.
CHRIS GARDNER, SELF-MADE MILLIONAIRE: Good to be here. Thank you.
HAMMER: It is truly an amazing story. You were a struggling salesman and you were about to pursue a new career path when things kind of fell apart as far as the new job opportunity was concerned. You found yourself homeless with your young son, 2-year-old son, living in a bathroom at one point in a trail train station. Can you paint the picture for us of what kinds of conditions you facing that the point in your life?
GARDNER: Very much like conditions that folks who suffered through Hurricane Katrina are fashion today. You have absolutely everything is gone. Everything as you know it, as your world, is gone. And the Calvary is not coming.
HAMMER: You had to maintain a positive attitude and you had to feed yourself and you had to feed your child.
GARDNER: I had to survive and I had to aspire at the same time, yes.
HAMMER: What were you facing at depths of that homeless, in terms of where you living? I believe in your book you talk about living under a desk at one point? Trying to keep your son quiet.
GARDNER: At one point, at one point in this struggle, my son and I, I was the first one at work and the last one to leave. They nearby figured it out because I was sleeping under my desk.
HAMMER: That is just amazing. What kept you hanging on?
GARDNER: I had a dream. I had a vision. I had a plan. And most importantly, I had an opportunity. All I wanted was the opportunity to work on Wall Street. I had nothing but upside. It couldn`t have gotten any worse.
HAMMER: Well, it`s great to have the plan. But you actually were able to put your plan into action. So tell me about making that turnaround. How do you transition from living under a desk, not actually leaving your office, to where you are now as a millionaire?
GARDNER: I still never leave my office.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: For different reasons of course, because you have a team of people working for you making money for you.
GARDNER: I`ve got to tell you being a millionaire`s a highly overrated experience.
HAMMER: In what way?
GARDNER: Being a millionaire in a billionaire`s game.
HAMMER: OK, so it`s not enough money.
GARDNER: A million dollars ain`t what it used to be, no.
HAMMER: You have not only one place to live now, you have a few, don`t you?
GARDNER: It`s a lot better than the bathroom at the Bard (ph) Station, yes. But my place down the street is kind of nice.
HAMMER: But, what was that crucial moment where you made the transition?
GARDNER: I believe I got an opportunity. Someone saw me and saw something in me that said you need to be with us. That happened for me when a managing general partner for Bear Stearns and Company gave me an opportunity that was it.
HAMMER: And now the movie being made about your life story. Will Smith is playing you. What do you think about Will Smith as the choice?
GARDNER: Hey, Will Smith played Chris Gardner better than Chris Gardner ever did. And I`ve got to tell you, his son is in the film as well.
HAMMER: Playing your son?
GARDNER: Playing my son, little Jan Smith. Special guy. Very special guy.
HAMMER: Chris it is an inspiring story and I guess it goes to show you, you just stay focused keep pushing ahead you can turn things around.
GARDNER: Baby steps count, too.
HAMMER: Chris Gardner, thanks for joining us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
GARDNER: Thank you, A.J. I appreciate it.
HAMMER: Once again the book is called "The Pursuit of Happiness" you`ll find it at bookstores everywhere. And look for the movie starring Will Smith; it`ll be in theaters in December.
VARGAS: Coming up, one of the most popular superheroes of all time is back. But this time, she`s gay. We`ll tell who it is and the controversy surrounding her return.
HAMMER: Also, Vince Vaughn. "Swingers," "Wedding Crashers," you know the films. well now "The Break-Up." He`s co-starring in it with Jennifer Aniston. How does he deal with all the media attention, day after day? Vince Vaughn will tell us in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAINES: I hated that people got to use my words against me when I didn`t support the war, in my mind, because I do support the troops, because I support human life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: The Dixie Chicks. Tonight, the controversial country stars` shocking rise to the top of the charts. How they beat the backlash to their President Bush bashing, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tomorrow, Nick and Jessica, Ritchie and Heather, Charlie and Denise -- their painful and very public real-life break-ups. So, how do you get through a bad split? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks self-proclaimed "Grrl Genius" and break-up expert, Kathryn Michon. The actress-comedian on how to get past the ex and on to the next. That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
VARGAS: What`s the reasons you decide to see a movie? Your favorite actor or actress, mind-blowing special effects, or do you just go crazy for the characters? "Entertainment Weekly" is out with its list of film`s most powerful characters. Here`s a look at the top five. "The Da Vinci Code"`s Indiana Jones of theology, Robert Langdon, played by Tom Hanks. This green guy has pulled in, well, a lot of green. That`s Shrek. And by the way, Justin Timberlake has signed on for "Shrek 3," out in 2007. Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is "EW`s" third most powerful character. Toby Maguire and company are coming back for a third, a year from now. Potter - - Harry Potter -- is second. Not bad for a teenager who has taken out both evil wizards and box office records. You go Harry. "Harry Potter 6: The Order of the Phoenix," is out next summer.
And drum roll, please. "Entertainment Weekly`s" most powerful character, a wolf in wolf`s clothing -- "X-Men`s" Wolverine. We hear Wolverine is going solo, by the way. Hugh Jackman is likely to get a spin-off flick of his very own. Well, you can pick up a copy of this week`s "Entertainment Weekly" on newsstands tomorrow.
HAMMER: Well, coming up, one of the most popular superheroes of all time is back. But this time, she`s gay. We`re going to tell who it is.
VARGAS: Plus, Vince Vaughn. He`s starring in "The Break-Up" with Jennifer Aniston. How does he deal with all the media attention, day after day? Vince Vaughn in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Plus, we`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: People who wish away their lives because they`re not married are cheating themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, here`s a crazy question, tonight, is it easier to get killed by a terrorist than for some women to find a husband? That`s what one major magazine said 20 years ago, but is it still true today? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Thursday, 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: Sibila, have you heard, there`s a new Vince Vaughn movie coming out co-starring Jennifer Aniston, called "The Break-Up" it`s true. You may have heard something about this thing. Now, Vince would be the first to tell you a few years ago maybe he wasn`t a household name. Now you can`t drive by a magazine stand without seeing his picture. What`s it like living under the media glare, that spotlight? We`ll talk to him about that and about "The Break-Up," coming up in just a couple of minutes.
VARGAS: Also coming up, there`s a superhero that`s coming back, but this time she`s coming backs as a gay character and of course, A.J., a lot of people eyebrows are raised.
HAMMER: I can`t imagine.
VARGAS: Causing a little bit of controversy. We`ll tell you all about it and why they decided to do this, that`s coming up. But first, 20 years ago, the outlook was grim if you didn`t have a ring on that finger by a certain age. Well, according to a Harvard-Yale study in "Newsweek" magazine, a single woman at age 30 had a 20 percent chance of getting married, and by 35, only a five percent chance. Well, we caught up with two of the women interviewed for that original article, and it appears they defied those odds. Here`s CNN`s Alina Cho for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Three, two, one.
ALINO CHO, NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Year 1986, "Top Gun" the most popular movie. "Higher Love," record of the year. And this headline captured the attention of women all over the country. College educated women who failed to marry in their 20s had only a slim chance of ever tying the knot. The most infamous line has even appeared in movies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know it`s easier to be killed by a terrorist than to get married over age 40.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s not true. That statistic is not true.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s right, it`s not true. But it feels true.
CHO: Sally Jackson was 39 when "Newsweek" first interviewed her.
JACKSON: Because I was in the story a lot of women came to me and acted as it I were the author of the study and they said, how can this be, how can this be? And I said it probably isn`t accurate.
CHO: Unlike many other women, Jackson wasn`t worried she wasn`t anxious to have kids. She had a successful P.R. business and plenty of friends including Paul Nates (ph), a man she met on a blind date.
PAUL NATES (ph), JACKSON`S HUSBAND: I was taken and she was not.
JACKSON: Not my type.
CHO: The two were married in 1994. She was 47. She`s now 59 and married for 12 years.
JACKSON: It`s great, but it`s great at the right time with the right person. The institution in itself isn`t great, a relationship is great. And I would never compromise on a great relationship.
CHO: The late of the research shows, 90 percent of baby boomers will eventually walk down the aisle. A far cry from the 1986 statistics which stated, a single woman of 35 had just a five percent chance of getting married. But not everyone wants to be a wife. Nancy Rigg is 56 and happily single.
NANCY RIGG, HAPPILY SINGLE: My life has been full pill filled without children. My life has been fulfilled without a husband.
CHO: Rigg was 29 when she lost her fiance in a flash flood. She has dedicated her life to water rescue programs, spends a lot of time with her dog, and rarely thinks about the benefits of marriage except recently when she moved into her new house.
RIGG: It`s times like that, I mean, practical times that you think, my goodness I really could use a couple of strapping young sons to come and help or to, not to mention a husband with a good back.
CHO: Sally Jackson and Paul Nates (ph) say finding love later in life can be a blessing.
JACKSON: People who wish away their lives because they`re not married are cheating themselves.
NATES: Don`t worry about it. It`ll either happen or it won`t and there really isn`t a whole lot you can do about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And that was CNN`s Alina Cho for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: So what if that marriage or relationship doesn`t work out? Is it at all possible to continue to live together? Just one of the topics that is explored in Vince Vaughn`s "The Break-Up." Vince Vaughn joining me here in New York.
It is excellent to see you.
VINCE VAUGHN, ACTOR: Always good to see you. How have you been?
HAMMER: It`s good. In fact, the last time we were hanging out was literally right before the release of "The Wedding Crashers."
VAUGHN: That`s right.
HAMMER: Before you knew it was going to blow up like it did.
VAUGHN: That`s right.
HAMMER: And now people quote the movie on the street, don`t they?
VAUGHN: Yeah, you know, I`ve always had that with movies with "The Swingers" or old School with earmuffs or swingers with your money, baby. I`ve always had quotes that stick from films.
HAMMER: But this, absolutely huge.
VAUGHN: Yeah, you know, I knew we made a really good movie with "Wedding Crashers," I thought it was really funny and it also had a good story there, but you can never really plan for something to catch on to that in that way.
HAMMER: And you transition from a movie where you actually find love, you sort it out in the end and you find love to a movie about "The Break-up."
VAUGHN: Yes.
HAMMER: Of course, you play this guy named Gary, Jennifer Aniston plays Brooke. Things begin to unravel in your relationship. In fact, I want to take a look at this one particular clip where your character, Gary, kind of screws up a shopping list. Let`s take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER ANISTON, "BROOKE": Gary.
VINCE VAUGHN, "GARY": Yeah?
ANISTON: You got three lemons.
VAUGHN: What my baby wants my baby gets, you know that.
ANISTON: Yeah, but I wanted 12. Baby wanted 12.
VAUGHN: Why would you want 12 lemons?
ANISTON: Because I`m making a 12 lemon centerpiece.
VAUGHN: So no one`s even eating them, they`re just -- they`re show lemons?
ANISTON: Yeah. They`re just show lemons. Shown in the center of the table. Glad you find that amusing. But I cannot fill a vase with only three.
VAUGHN: Well, can`t you use like a drinking glass?
ANISTON: I can`t use a drinking.
VAUGHN: We could have a smaller version of a centerpiece.
ANISTON: I`m not going to use a drinking glass for our centerpiece.
VAUGHN: You know what. I`ve got an idea. Why don`t we go ahead and scratch the centerpiece idea altogether because the chicken, that burnt my mouth, could maybe use a little bit of lemon on top of it. Guess what? Now we made a better meal versus something visually nice to look at.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now Vince, I got tell you, I walked out of this movie thinking he`s actually kind of doing a public service for people here, because a lot of buys going to walk out of film thinking, man, I got take a look at some of my stuff and I`m taking her for granted and all that.
VAUGHN: Yeah. You know, for me, I haven`t always gotten scripts for romantic comedies, but they always had really bizarre kind of subplot to them and I always thought what about a movie just called "The Break-Up" where you take a couple and kind of early on in the movie, you know, find them at a place where the relationship is starting to unravel and you know I thought relationships are so strange and funny enough as they are that you don`t need some kind of bizarre subplot form. And there`s a lot of people that are moving in together and some folks that are actually buying together in order to save money and end up splitting up and they`re kind of stuck with, you know, what are we going to do with this place that we bought together?
HAMMER: What do we do?
VAUGHN: Yeah, it`s kind of like an odd couple for relationships.
HAMMER: Yeah, and I think a lot of women should want to be taking their boyfriends or husbands and say hey, pay attention because ultimately what you come to terms with is the fact I really am not looking after this.
VAUGHN: Yeah. You know, its kind of a cautionary tale where you sort of look at the funny side of how people argue, and this case, you know, the argument becomes about he was supposed to bring home 12 lemons, he only brought home three lemons, but really it`s about so many other thing that they`re not talking about. And so, I think the movie really, in a comedic way, looks at, you know. kind of if you`re not good with the relationship, even if you`re in love, things can go bad and then it takes more complicated, serious, unpredictable twists where it looks at a serious side of that.
HAMMER: And ever since you guys started working on this film, you and your co-star, Jennifer Aniston, you may have noticed, there`s been a little bit of media attention.
VAUGHN: I have no idea what you`re talking about.
HAMMER: You just -- yeah, you might have seen something about this, because obviously it has been constant. Has it gotten to the point where you guys can kind of look at it and laugh at it all?
VAUGHN: I mean, I always have. You know, I moved out from Illinois to be an actor and when I moved out thee wasn`t a lot of shows dedicated to the celebrity lifestyle of actors. It was really just kind of previews or talking about the films and most of my friends, who I started with, we all were really trying to be good actors and more importantly, just trying to work, just trying to get a job, and as years have gone on it`s become a much greater fascination with celebrity lifestyle. I`ve never been that interested in it and for me, it was kind of a new thing to kind of be put under the spotlight. But I realize people are just trying to sell magazines.
HAMMER: Sure.
VAUGHN: They`re trying to sell stories. You don`t take it personal. Although a lot of things that they write are not true. You just have to laugh at it because they would write it about anyone in that position.
HAMMER: Right, but there has to come a point where maybe it interferes with your life a bit. We had your buddy Jon Favreau, you did "Swingers" with him, of course, and you`ve known him for how many years, now?
VAUGHN: Oh, I`ve known Fav since "Rudy." So and "Swingers" was 10 years ago, so probably 12 years.
HAMMER: Right, well, when Jon was here, he said -- well, I asked him what`s it like seeing your buddy on all of these magazines and in the center of all of this attention and he said it`s a little bit weird and I feel bad for him because basically he`s a guy who doesn`t like a lot of people around. He doesn`t want to have to have a bodyguard. And he kind of -- he felt a little sorry for your situation. You`ve always been a down to earth person, but what way have you had to change to adjust to it all?
VAUGHN: Well, you really try not tom anyway, I do. I just don`t take it that seriously, that stuff. It is an inconvenience sometimes, if you have people following you and that kind of stuff, but I`m not that interested in it. And I think that, you know, with time all things sort of pass and, you know, my focus has been, like I said, acting and trying make good movies and I`ve never used my personal life, one way or the other, to get out there and try to, you know, be a celebrity. I`ve considered myself more of an actor. So, you know, it`s something that I`m dealing with right now. But like you said, it`s all so sort of ridiculous and none of it is really all that important that you do laugh at it. What really is important to me, of course, is always trying to do a good job and make a great movie.
HAMMER: I got to ask you with less than 30 seconds to go, love lesson number one from Vince Vaughn, the most important thing?
VAUGHN: Love lesson No. 1, well, depends on what you`re after. But, I guess love lesson No. 1 would be just to say "yes" a lot in a relationship even if you don`t mean it.
HAMMER: Get all of the.
VAUGHN: I find that over sincerity goes a long way.
HAMMER: And get all of the items of the shopping list. Vince Vaughn.
VAUGHN: No question about it. Always great to see you. I enjoy the show. Thank you.
HAMMER: Thanks I appreciate it. And of course you can catch "The Break- Up" this weekend, it`s opening up in theaters everywhere, tomorrow.
VARGAS: Vince Vaughn`s quite a smart guy there.
Well, coming up, Batwoman`s coming back, and coming out. The caped crusader is a lesbian. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the comic book controversy.
HAMMER: And "American Idol" fans all had their favorite, of course, but it came to blows for two people who reportedly disagreed on the winner. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the family feud. Plus, the Dixie Chicks come back swinging.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAINES: I hated people got to use my words against me when I didn`t support the war, in my mind, because I do support the troops, because I support human life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: The band`s back with a No. 1 album. How the country stars beat the backlash to their President Bush bashing. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Thursday night, we are TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer. It`s time now for another story that just made us say "That`s Ridiculous!" Check out this guy, he was arrested for assaulting his mother, allegedly over an "American Idol" disagreement. Now, according to tmz.com, the man and his mom were discussing the hit show while they were having a couple of cocktails. His mom thought that the runner-up Katharine McPhee would have a successful career, despite losing to Taylor Hicks. But her son, well, apparently he disagreed and hit his mom with a sharp object hooked to a bicycle chain. Now "That`s Ridiculous!" Even more ridiculous, the police had to press charges, because his mom didn`t want to.
Speaking of ridiculous, riddle me this -- what`s 5`10", has red hair, knee- high boots and is gay? How about Batwoman? I`m no Joker, in this, it`s true. DC Comics is bringing back the comic book superhero, who was killed off in 1979. But get this, this time around, Gotham socialite Kathy Kane, who moonlights as a crime fighter under the guise of Batwoman, is a lesbian. Now, some, of course, are praising DC for the bold move, others say it`s political correctness gone too far.
Joining me here in New York, Dan DiDio, vice president and executive editor at DC Comics. I love this story, Dan. I appreciate you dropping by to talk about.
DAN DIDIO, V.P. DC COMICS: I appreciate your enthusiasm over it.
HAMMER: Now, first of all, some are saying you`re messing with an iconic character, changing a part of who she is. Why does DC Comics want to bring her back as a lesbian?
DIDIO: Well it`s -- we`re in a position right now where we`re really in a position where we`re reinventing the bat group and we`re reinvigorating the line and we`re really looking at all of the characters in the bat family try to find ways to make them unique, have their own personalities and their own point of view. Batwoman`s a character we haven`t seen since 1979. When we wee had the opportunity to bring her back we wanted to give her a point that differs, something that made her feel special and something that brought diversity to the DC universe, but also brought something more in tone with today`s society and our readership.
HAMMER: Now, of course, you had to know there was going to be controversy surrounding this.
DIDIO: Yeah.
HAMMER: And if fact, there are those who would say that`s why you did it.
DIDIO: You know, you could say that. But in reality, it`s actually part of a bigger picture of what we`ve been trying to accomplish for the company. We introduced Batwoman and she`s a lesbian, but we`ve also introduced now gay characters -- I`m sorry, gay characters, African- American, Hispanic, Asian characters and we`re trying to diversify the city and diversify our universe as much as possible.
HAMMER: But is it, as some people will say, it`s not even so much about the diversity, it`s really for the shock value. I mean, is it kind of a political correctness that you`re going for here?
DIDIO: Not really, no, because one of the things, you know, we tell surreal life`s fiction. We`re coming back with stories on a monthly basis, and even a story that we`re inducing Batwoman in, it`s a book called "52," and it`s a weekly comic book. And when you`re telling stories in surreal form you need that depth of character, you need the richness in personality, you need enough places to go were you can mine for additional story material and give some more background for them. We a very sophisticated audience. We have a lot of people read the material, know it so well and the only way we can keep them coming back month after month, if we have some level of depth to those characters that we can explore.
HAMMER: Sure, and of course, when you talk about your audience, a lot of people think comic books they, think kids.
DIDIO: Right.
HAMMER: No surprise, some conservative groups are going ballistic over this story because they`re saying, Batwoman not a good role model. That`s not really the audience, here.
DIDIO: Not really, no. Because we do two things. We have a line called Johnny DC, which is our kids` line, it`s really branded for eight to 11- year-olds and those are built up for the cartoons and younger versions of our characters. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in our minds and what we target is really the 15 to 35 year old crowd, MTV generation, a little bit older, and they are used to more sophisticated storytelling. They are use to more complex characters and they are much more in tune with the contemporary society, what`s go on with the world. And that`s why we have to address and change your comics to match that tonality.
HAMMER: It make sense to me, Dan, and I`m looking forward to the lesbian Batwoman coming soon. Dan DiDio from DC Comic, I appreciate you dropping by....
DIDIO: Thank you.
HAMMER: To explain all this to us. And we`d like to remind our viewers that DC Comics is a division of Time-Warner, which also happens to include "Headline Prime."
VARGAS: The Dixie Chicks were the biggest selling female group in history. But everything came to a screeching halt in 2003, when lead singer Natalie Maines told a London concert crowd that she was ashamed President Bush was from her home state of Texas. Death threats followed, and the Chicks basically went into hiding. Well, things are different now. The Dixie Chicks are addressing the controversy in a new album, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Carrie Hill asked them all about it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAINES: We`ve never written things that are so personal. Once you get into that, then everything else seems trite.
CARRIE HILL, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT PRODUCER: Did you find that you had so much so say it kind of came out of you?
ROBISON: We tried to write "I`m Not Ready to Make Nice" probably about six times before it was "Not Ready to Make Nice." You know, we felt like we had to write that song to kind of recap and get through the emotions of what we went through. We`re trying to find the right sentiment to really represent what we felt and, so, yeah, that took a lot of warm-up to get that song what we felt like was perfect.
HILL: There had to have been a lot of pressure because I think people were waiting to hear what you guys had to say about all of that.
MAINES: A couple of people have asked that question. I hadn`t even thought of it. Because, you get to a point where you feel like you have nothing left to lose.
HILL: Right.
MAINES: Not that it`s not a pity party. But I`m saying as mad as people got, I don`t think we could make people more mad. The ones who got mad are gone and.
ROBISON: We might be wrong.
MAINES: You know we had no gauge at that stage as to who our fan base was, how big our fan base was. So, yeah, you just -- it was sort of freeing to not think about any of that.
HILL: Are you surprised still by the reaction? I mean, this was in 2003, does it still surprise you?
MAINES: Yeah, when people ask us questions and we say things out loud again, it`s still unbelievable and disappointing, and just baffling.
MARTIE MAGUIRE, DIXIE CHICKS: Was disrespectful? I mean, people say things about presidents all the time.
MAINES: It might be disrespectful but does it matter?
MAGUIRE: To me, yeah, does -- yeah. How can people -- if we`ll people were mad in the beginning fine. But three years late for you`re still mad, at that statement, I just think you`ve got a pretty closed mind. That`s my opinion.
HILL: Well, and I think times have changed a bit. In fact, we know they have. The president`s approval rating is a lot different than what it was back then.
MAINES: I think the far right organized groups saw an opportunity when I said what I said because was unexpected. People, like, oh, liberal Hollywood or pot smoking rock stars, you know? We weren`t supposed to think like that, so it came as a shock and they were able to really get people riled up and use us to -- as an example to show others this is what happens to you if you speak out.
ROBISON: If I learned one thing through all of it was not to every let myself feel that way again. People can still make you feel shameful or make you feel like you`ve done something wrong.
MAINES: It was heartbreaking to hear al of this, she doesn`t support the troops, she doesn`t support the troops, doesn`t support the troops, because I -- it was such the opposite. And I hated that people got to use my words against me when I didn`t support the war, in my mind, because I do support the troops, because I support human life and if you`re going to put people at risk of ending their lives, you better be able to hand us proof.
HILL: And, ironically, wasn`t -- didn`t -- weren`t these comments made right after you had dedicated a song to.
MAINES: Our No. 1 single, "Traveling Soldier." We went from the most patriot to Saddam`s angels.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And the new album is called "Taking the Long Way." The short story -- it`s America`s No. 1 on "Billboard`s" country and pop charts and No. 1 on amazon.com.
HAMMER: And all this Dixie Chicks talk brings us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We`re asking Dixie Chicks No. 1: Does controversy sell albums? Keep voting by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say? That`s why we have the e-mail address, showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails tomorrow. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VARGAS: Well, last night, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Katie Couric Leaves: Will you still watch the "Today" show? Seventy percent of you said yes, 30 percent of you said no. Some of the e-mails we received:
Julia from Florida writes, "I have loved following the "Today" show and I look forward to seeing Meredith Vieira."
And Audra from Oklahoma writes, "I will finally start watching the "Today" show and stop watching the `CBS Evening News.`"
HAMMER: Let`s find out what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday. Here`s your "Showbiz Marquee."
She is giving voice to what some call a silent issue -- cutting. Singer, Plumb, and her song about self-mutilation. We`ll tell you how the song, inspired by a fan, is helping those who struggle with cutting. That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also, Nick and Jessica, Ritchie and Heather, Charlie and Denise -- their painful and very public real-life break-ups. So how do you get through a bad split? Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks a self-proclaimed "Grrl Genius" on how to get past the ex and move on to the next. She`ll join us tomorrow as we get into the weekend on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is 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." Good night, everyone. Goodnight A.J.
HAMMER: Good night, Sibila.
VARGAS: Good night
END
