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Showbiz Tonight
Anderson Cooper`s interview with Angelina Jolie; Britney Spears to be Invited to Namibia to have Baby; Screech Selling Shirts to Save house; Superman is Jewish; "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby"; Apple want to make Videos for your iPod
Aired June 19, 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: Wedding bells are ringing down under for Nichole Kidman and Keith Urban. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Or is that, A.J., just more celebrity gossip? America`s obsession with the stars. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Angelina Jolie opens up in her first TV interview since giving birth. The terror in the delivery room.
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: At the last minute I became the mother that was sure everything was going to go on.
HAMMER: Jolie`s startling comments to Anderson Cooper about making her family with Brad Pitt even bigger. Plus, Anderson Cooper right here, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on Angelina`s global mission.
Plus, the religion of Superman.
SUPERMAN: It`s not easy for me to live my life being who I am, keeping secrets.
HAMMER: Tonight, meet the rabbi who says Superman is Jewish. And the rabbi will be right here to prove his point. Tonight, the rabbi believes the man of steel flies on both a wing and a prayer.
SUPERMAN: You wanted to see me?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there, I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Angelina Jolie, silent no more.
HAMMER: That`s right. It`s the interview everyone was trying to get. Angelina Jolie`s very first interview since giving birth to hers and Brad Pitt`s baby. And only one man got the interview, CNN`s Anderson Cooper. I`ll be speaking Anderson in just a moment about the scoop heard around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOLIE: I was sure everything would go right. At the last minute I became the mother that was sure everything was going to go wrong.
HAMMER (voice-over): Angelina Jolie as a nervous mother? Well, that`s one of the surprising things Jolie reveals in her exclusive interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN, her first since having her new baby with Brad Pitt. And only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT gives you this early look at what Angelina told Anderson about giving birth to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt.
ANDERSON COOPER, "AC-360": What was it like actually giving birth? I man, you had two children through adoption. What was it like?
JOLIE: Because you`re there for the birth, which I wasn`t for my first two kids, you`re just suddenly terrified that they are not going to take a first breath, that was my whole focus, I just wanted to hear her cry. And she`s healthy and it`s amazing.
HAMMER: But now, Jolie has more than motherhood on her mind. The interview airs in conjunction with World Refugee Day, a cause near and dear to Angelina`s heart. Jolie tells Anderson that she donates a third of her movie star income to charitable causes. And she has visited more than 20 countries in her role as good will ambassador with the United Nation`s high commissioner for refugees. Angelina tells Anderson Cooper about her heartbreaking first visit to a refugee camp back in 2002.
COOPER: Had you seen anything like that before?
JOLIE: I hadn`t seen anything like that and I don`t think -- I mean it was the most -- it was one of those things where you -- in so many ways it was -- I was so grateful to having had that experience, and I knew I was changing as a person -- I was worrying so much about life, and I was -- so in some ways it was the best moment of my life because it changed me for the better, and I was never going to be -- never going to want for more in my life.
COOPER: How did it change you?
JOLIE: Well, I was young and I grew up in Los Angeles -- and I`m an actor, so everything was very focused on certain things in life, and then suddenly you see these people who are really fighting something, who are really surviving who have so much pain and loss and things that you have no idea.
HAMMER: Jolie tells Cooper about one memory she wouldn`t soon forget, going to the Golden Globes soon after that first look at the horror and desperation at refugee camps.
JOLIE: I actually thought -- I thought I was going to be really bitter. I thought I was going to come at it with, god, I`ve seen something that nobody here understands and there`s all this money and there`s -- and instead I think something change in me as a human being and instead I thought, god, these people have their kids at home and nervous that they`re going -- god, these people are so worried about how good they look tonight, god these people -- and it became this -- it became more -- I just saw everybody as human -- and wished for them that they had the experience that I had, because for those people who were so nervous about how their film did on the weekend. And I`ve been there and I -- you know, just know that`s so not important.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And joining me right now, the man who got that interview, CNN`s Anderson Cooper from "Anderson Cooper 360."
It`s a pleasure to welcome you to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Anderson.
COOPER: Good to be here.
HAMMER: So, you got the big scoop, man. This was a pretty big deal. The woman most sought after by just about everyone, certainly in the entertainment industry. And I want to you take me back and sort of set the scene when you walked in for the interview. Was there an on entourage there? Was Brad Pitt hanging out in the corner watching thing happen?
COOPER: No. I mean, what`s so cool about her, Angelina Jolie, is that despite that sort of, I guess, cult of celebrity in the celebrity bubble that she`s in, I mean, she really is very down to earth and very normal and self-deprecating, funny and smart, and you know, she walked into the hotel room by herself and just sat down and there, you know, we began. It was very -- I mean, there was a lot of, you know, obviously wherever she goes there`s a lot of concern about her security and her people following her and stuff like that, but you know, once she came in the room, it was just a normal interview and she was great. I mean, she`s so -- I mean, a lot of celebrities have causes and stuff, but she really knows what she`s talking about. And she has dedicated a tremendous amount of her life and a lot of her energy and attention and certainly, the money that she makes to these causes.
HAMMER: And you certainly had some big news coming out of this, of course. She just had a baby, she has two adopted kids. And she and Brad Pitt already talking about adopting another child? What`d she tell you about that.
COOPER: Yeah, she did talk about her plans to adopt another child and they`re trying to figure out where the child should be from and, you know, take into consideration the kids she already has. And I didn`t -- not being an entertainment show, I actually didn`t focus on too much on, you know, the sort of the family aspects. I mean, she would sort of bring it up and talk about it a lot, but for us the focus was on refugees and that`s what`s going to be the focus tomorrow night on our show.
HAMMER: But part of it was sort, how do you not ask.
COOPER: Right, yeah, of course, sure.
HAMMER: Because there you are sitting with her after the big news...
COOPER: Right. It was just four days after she had gotten back from Namibia, so...
HAMMER: And you had no restrictions, correct? You basically were entitled to ask whatever is you wanted to ask. Was there anything that she said in light of that that really surprised you?
COOPER: I guess what really I came away with is just how, A. I was incredibly impressed by her, I mean just how much she knows, and is so passionate about this, but how sort of her passion about the plight of refugees around the world, and it`s really reflected in her family and here family -- I mean, She would keep bringing up her family, her kids, when talking about, you know, when talking about AIDS in Africa, she would bring up her daughter "Z" -- she calls her "Z" -- or talking about child trafficking, she would talk about Maddox and Cambodian -- problems in Cambodia. And so, I got the sense really she has created this sort of global family, and it is in direct relation to her passion and her interests around the world.
HAMMER: And you mentioned how much she knows about it and that is clear every time I`ve heard her speak about it. And of course, tomorrow when the interview runs on "Anderson Cooper 360," it`s part of CNN`s day- long coverage of World Refugee Day. But she really can rattle off statistics. And you say she takes this in a very personal way.
COOPER: Yeah. I mean, she, I mean she, talks in the interview about being fundamentally changed, the first camp she went to. She went to a camp in Sierra Leone and saw you know, young people, kids, who had their hands cut off, and you know, terrible things happening in Sierra Leone, body -- people had their lips cut off, and their ears and their hands and, you know, she said after seeing that, she fundamentally changed. I mean, she became a different person. And I think that has only seemed to have increased with each trip she takes. She`s been to, I think, more than 20 countries now. And, you know, she goes -- she really -- you know, she doesn`t just talk the talk, she really, she walks the walk and really looks deeply into these things and looks for ways that she can make a difference. Look, I mean, she decided, you know, she knew this -- clearly, they must have known in this interview would get a lot of attention because it was the first one, and she chose, you know, to come to us because she knew of my interest in Africa and refugees, and, you know, she knew that we would be focusing on refugees. But she wanted to sort of parlay, I`m guessing, the focus that would be on her and her baby and stuff like that, at least try to get people to also pay attention to what`s going on with refugees.
HAMMER: Smart, smart woman.
COOPER: Yeah.
HAMMER: She knows exactly what she`s doing. And it`s interesting, because we certainly see, coming through our doors, in and out, a lot of celebrities who get involved with these projects, these charity projects, or more global projects, but really more as a vanity issue to attach their name to and clearly not something...
COOPER: Yeah. I mean, she`s -- you don`t go to the Congo, you don`t go to Darfur and spend a lot of time there and, you know, put yourself in harm`s way just to -- you know, I don`t think she has any problem getting on camera. I don`t think she`s interested in getting more camera time. She jokes in the interviews about she and Brad Pitt joke about, well, maybe they should just like runaway to Congo and that way force photographers to follow them to Congo and then they`d actually, you know, cover some of the stuff that`s going over there.
HAMMER: It would finally get some airtime. And you gave her a book, I understand? You gave her a Dr. Seuss book?
COOPER: Yeah, I gave her some presents for her kids.
HAMMER: What was the Dr. Seuss book?
COOPER: I`m not going -- I`m want to talk about what I gave here.
HAMMER: Can see that tomorrow night?
COOPER: No, it`s not part of the special.
HAMMER: OK, thanks for sharing.
COOPER: All right.
HAMMER: Your insight, really a great story. And we`re looking forward to it tomorrow night, Anderson. Appreciate it.
And once again, you can catch Anderson Cooper`s full interview with Angelina on the special edition of "Anderson Cooper 360," that airs tomorrow night 10:00 Eastern, and of course CNN will be bring you extensive coverage of World Refugee Day all day tomorrow. Be sure to watch.
ANDERSON: Reps for Britney Spears squashed all rumors of the pop star following in Angelina`s footsteps and giving birth in Africa. As it turns out the whole thing may have been a hoax. A Namibia government official now admits he may have been duped by a phony caller who said Spears was interested in traveling to the African nation. The official was told he`s receive a call in the next two weeks. He says it`s possible the whole thing was a hoax, but he`s not giving up on Britney. He says he`s going to call Spears and invite her to Namibia himself.
HAMMER: That`s all very strange.
Well, a TV star is hanging on by a thread and he`s selling autographed t-shirts to save his own house. We`re going to tell you who it is coming up. Plus celebrity gossip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s something to laugh at or bring me up or bring me down or just something to entertain me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: America`s guilty pleasure, celebrity gossip. Britney, Brangelina, Vaughniston. They`re tabloid fodder and water cooler favorites. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT finds out why we love the nitty-gritty details of the star`s lives.
HAMMER: I can`t believe you said "Vaughniston." Plus, tonight`s breaking news, Superman may be Jewish. That`s right. And you get to meet the rabbi who says he can prove the man of steel is keeping it kosher. Truth, justice, and maza ball soup, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: But first, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." In "Terms of Endearment" which famous artist has a prominent spot in Aurora Greenway`s bedroom? Picasso, Renoir, Monet, or Van Gogh? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Thanks Charlie. So, again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." In "Terms of Endearment" which famous artist has a prominent spot in Aurora Greenway`s bedroom? Picasso, Renoir, Monet, or Van Gogh? The answer is B. Renoir
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night, we are 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." Selling shirts to save your house, that`s right, after Dustin Diamond better known to the world as "Screech Powers," on "Saved by the Bell," is actually selling t-shirts to raise $250,000, because that`s how much he needs to raise to avoid foreclosure of his two story gray, Wisconsin home. Now, Diamond`s shirts read, "Save my House Home" on the front complete with his picture and a website link. Now the back says, "I paid $15 to save Screeech`s House." Notice there are 3 "E`s" in Screech as opposed to two so Diamond could avoid a copyright snag. You know, he`s a hardworking guy, as a comic, from what I understand. But he just hasn`t been making enough money, Brooke.
ANDERSON: And maybe this is idea of a joke. What happened to all that money he made from "Saved by the Bell?"
HAMMER: My guess is it was not a huge moneymaker in the long run. And we say, selling shirts to savior house, Screech, now "That`s Ridiculous."
Well, something that maybe a few people might suggest would be ridiculous. He`s not a bird, he`s not a plane. Actually, he may be Jewish. That`s right, Superman Jewish. And that`s what one rabbi is claiming in this book called "Up, Up, and Oy Vey! How Jewish, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Era."
Joining me in New York, Rabbi Simcha Weinstein.
If nothing else, Rabbi, it`s a great title for a book. But I have to tell you, you know, this is the most highly anticipated movie of the summer, perhaps the year, coming out next week, "Superman Returns." I saw it this afternoon. I went to a preview. I did not walk away saying, oh, yeah, Superman`s Jewish. Now, when did you have this revelation?
RABBI SIMCHA WEINSTEIN, AUTHOR "UP, UP, AND OY VEY!": It`s important to note firstly off the bat, Jews are not superheroes, superheroes are not Jews. However, the creators of Superman were both Jewish and I think they created their character, Superman, with a particularly Jewish world view.
HAMMER: And there are certainly some specifics you identify in your book as to why you think that perhaps he is Jewish. And we can go right to some of the names used in the Superman character, Kal-El, that is his name. What`s the Jewish connection there?
WEINSTEIN: So, Kal-El is actually a Hebrew word, it means the voice of God or vessel of God. Perhaps consciously, subconsciously these creators may not have been sure this was a Jewish word, but they grew up in a Jewish environment that was rich in store telling.
HAMMER: And the same thing for Superman`s birth father, Jor-El also a Jewis connection, there?
WEINSTEIN: Jor-El, also. And you can also draw a very clear parallel with the story of Moses. If you think about it, Moses is sent away in reed basket, he becomes the people`s savior he`s raised in a foreign culture, a foreign land. So too, Superman has the same experience, he`s sent away in a rocket ship. He`s lives in a foreign country, a foreign land and he becomes the people`s savior.
HAMMER: And recognizing all along, Rabbi, superman not real, right? We know this. OK, I just want to make sure that`s clear. And you also make an obvious parallel, I think. Superman as the outsider, the Jewish people have long been known as outsiders, correct?
WEINSTEIN: Yes, the Jewish people where known in America as aliens, which, coincidentally Superman himself is an alien and the environment in which Superman was created was that in the `30s and `40s it was difficult for Jews to get jobs, they levitated toward the comic book industry which was not seen as highbrow. It actively encouraged Jews to take part as being comic book creators. And if you think about it, the characters themselves, the have double identities, so too, the creators of superheroes also have double identities, many of them change their names.
HAMMER: Well, what about Lois Lane? Now, this is -- this is a woman that Superman, obviously, as affections to and you say that she symbolizes the non-Jewish woman fantasy that a lot of Jewish men have. Is that true?
WEINSTEIN: In fact Jerry Siegel and Joseph Shuster, the creators of Superman, they themselves said that Lois Lane represented the girl they couldn`t get in high school. They themselves joined a gym, they tried to build their bodies, build their physiques to become like Superman.
HAMMER: All right. Well, people, I guess, will believe what they will believe. But you`re pointing it all out. And again, thank you for naming your book title. It is so much fun. Rabbi Simcha Weinstein I appreciate you joining us tonight.
WEINSTEIN: My pleasure.
HAMMER: The book, as you see, is "Up, up and Oy Vey" and it`s available on-line starting next week. "Superman Returns," by the way will be in theaters next week as well and you can judge for yourself.
ANDERSON: Oy vey! OK, in tonight`s "Showbiz Showcase," "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." The title alone just makes me laugh. The comedy stars Will Farrell and John C. Riley I as a rebellious NASCAR duo. When the two racecar heroes are challenged by a French Formula One driver, Ferrell`s character, Ricky Bobby, must fight to prove himself as NASCAR`s ultimate champion driver. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your first look at the trailer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guess how fast we`re going now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t care, I`m having a baby!
You just passed the hospital!
ANNOUNCER: Ricky Bobby was born to become the fastest man alive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s my boy, Ricky! Woo!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dear Lord, baby Jesus. I want to thank you for my family. My two beautiful sons, Walker and Texas Ranger and, of course, my red hot smoking wife, Carline.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Woo!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, it might be cool sometime if you could set me up for a win.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can`t have two No. 1s.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, you can`t. That makes 11.
ANNOUNCER: But no man stays on top...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely ma`am, I`d love to sign your baby. You`re not going to want to wash that forehead.
ANNOUNCER: ...forever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the big news is that NASCAR has gone French.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am coming for you little Bobby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s in the wall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh-oh. Yep, I`m flying through the air, this is not good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m on fire! I`m on fire!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re not on fire, Ricky Bobby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Help me Jesus! Help me Jewish God! Help me Tom Cruise! Tom Cruise use your witchcraft to get us (INAUDIBLE)
ANNOUNCER: From the guys who brought you "Anchorman" and "The 40- Year-Old Virgin"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The doctor told us you can walk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s al in your head.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am so paralyzed. You to see what my life is?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t you stick that knife in your leg.
ANNOUNCER: Will Farrell...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ricky Bobby is not a thinker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me a fastball with a twist of lime.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What the hell`s a fastball?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me another.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ricky Bobbie is their driver.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, it`s the real deal down there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ricky Bobby wins it in reverse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What does that do? Does that blow your mind?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That just happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don`t drive with your eyes, you got to feel the road.
ANNOUNCER: The story of a man who could only count to No. 1.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m embarrassed; I really thought I could feel it.
ANNOUNCER: "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to learn to drive with the fear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my god!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There ain`t nothing more frightening than driving with a live cougar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ricky, control your heart rate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can`t control my heart rate. I got a cougar on me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And Ferrell co-wrote the film along with director Adam McKay. McKay brought us "Anchorman" in 2004.
HAMMER: Well, the king of pop flu the coop at Neverland, so whatever became of Michael Jackson`s menagerie? Find out which famous actress has adopted Jackson`s tigers.
ANDERSON: Plus, most stars run from the flash bulbs on their big day. But Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have come right out and announced their impending marriage. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on why now is the couple`s time to shine.
Plus this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know it`s just more like eating candy, you know, as much as you don`t want to do it, sometimes you have that draw and it`s fun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You need it, you want it, you`ve got to have it. Why America is addicted to celebrity gossip -- stars getting just as much buzz off screen as they do on screen. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, with the celebrity gossip machine, that`s coming up.
And that brings us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Tonight we`re asking Celebrity Gossip: Would you want to be in the spotlight? Go on-line to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or send us an e- mail at showbiztonigh@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tomorrow Al Roeker is here. We`re going to get his forecast on the new changes over at the "Today" show. Plus the project that puts Al behind the scenes at the miss USA pageant. All the glitz, the glamour and the drama queens. We`re going to see what else is going on in Al`s neck of the woods, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: OK, the big screen may be soon coming to your very, very small screen. Apple is reportedly planting the seed to make movies available as down loads on iTunes. According to "Variety" magazine, CEO Steve Jobs is personally involved in the talks. Apple wants to sell the movie downloads for $9.99 a piece. The studios are reportedly pushing for tiered price depending on how old the flick is. Movies could make their way to your video iPod by next year.
HAMMER: Well, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban head down under to tie the knot. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the couple`s wedding announcement. We`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s something to laugh at or bring me up or bring me down or just something to entertain me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: America`s guilty pleasure: Celebrity gossip. Britney, Brangelina, I`m going to say it again, Vaughniston. They`re tabloid fodder and water cooler favorites. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT finds out why we love the nitty-gritty details of the stars` lives.
HAMMER: And it`s the sound of silence or a phone call. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a kid`s only ring tone that has tech savvy youngsters pulling a fast one on parents.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: We hope you had a great weekend. I am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Now Brooke, have you heard? Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban getting married? Actually.
ANDERSON: I have heard.
HAMMER: You probably have known for quite some time now. One of the worst-kept secrets in show business. But they finally have officially announced it with a press release. A little unusual. We`re going to talk about their big wedding plans, and about just how unusual it is that these two are tying the knot and announcing it with a press release, coming up in just a few minutes.
ANDERSON: That`s right. Nonetheless, we wish them a long and happy life together.
HAMMER: You`re so diplomatic.
ANDERSON: That`s right.
Also, A.J., it was only a matter of time, with all the new technology, before kids found a new way to fool their parents and their teachers. No more spitballs, no more paper airplanes. We`re talking ringtones that only kids can hear. Teachers can`t hear them, parents can`t hear them. We`re going to have that story coming up.
HAMMER: All right.
ANDERSON: But first, if you asked anyone on the street what Brangelina means, chances are you would get the correct answer. That`s because celebrities like Brad and Angelina make just as much news off the screen as they do onscreen. And celebrity magazines around the world stay on top of their news 24/7.
But why are people so obsessed with all those juicy little tidbits of celebrity lives? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Brangelina, Vaughniston. Headlines screaming about Britney`s public blunders.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the pulse about what people are talking about. Those celebrity magazines that week after week splash hundreds of pictures of Hollywood`s A-listers from cover to cover.
But why are people so obsessed about Britney`s baby woes and Brad`s new baby details? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Jenny Detoma (ph) pounded the pavement to find answers to this burning question.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love them. There`s always those good, like.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It makes us feel better about ourselves.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When we read Britney`s dropping her kid and having a drink in her hand and flipping all over the place. She`s just like a normal person.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like everyday people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you ever feel guilty about reading something and sort of - you know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sometimes I feel bad. But then again, they`re in the spotlight, so they`re kind of asking for it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Entertainment. It`s something to laugh at or bring me up or bring me down or just something - it`s entertainment.
ANDERSON: And we had a sneaking suspicion that these men savored celeb magazines as much as women do. So we asked them, too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you read them?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On occasion. I don`t want to admit it, but every now and then I`ll pick one up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, you just did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did. I`m embarrassed. Can we delete that please? Can we pick that up? Cool. Off camera.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you get out of it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know. I mean, if somebody around me is reading one, I`ll pick one up and - I don`t know. It`s just more like eating candy. You know, as much as you don`t want to do it, sometimes you have that draw and it`s - it`s fun.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s mindless.
ANDERSON: Mindless? Anything but for this woman, who will read anything and everything on her man, Brad Pitt.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s all this stuff about, like, Brad Pitt. I`m always really curious about what he`s doing and stuff, so.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where he is?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What country these days?
ANDERSON: And because of recent headlines, this woman couldn`t contain her temper when it came to one certain celebrity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Britney Spears in general. She makes me really angry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I - I can`t stand her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you could give her a piece of advice, what would you give her?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop dressing like white trash. And, like, acting like trash. Like, get some sense in your head. You have a kid.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Oh, that was harsh. OK. Well, there you have it.
And now Britney is expecting her second child, there`s no doubt that once that baby is born, there will indeed be a bidding war for that first picture.
HAMMER: Why is there such an obsession for that first baby photo, that first interview?
Well, joining me now, someone who knows an awful lot about it: Bonnie Fuller. She`s the editorial director for American Media, and she oversees "Star" magazine.
Bonnie, welcome back to the program.
BONNIE FULLER, OVERSEES CELEBRITY WEEKLY "STAR" MAGAZINE: Oh, thank you, A.J.
HAMMER: So you feed this frenzy. It is part of what you do for a living, so I consider you highly qualified to tell everybody why this obsession exists.
FULLER: How can we not be obsessed with these celebrities? I mean, they keep doing the most unsurprising things: jumping on couches, taking over countries to have babies. I mean, Britney having the second baby - like to say - you know, getting pregnant a couple months after the first baby.
HAMMER: But what`s at the root of it?
FULLER: Well, you know, we`ve always been obsessed with celebrities. Since the dawn of time we`ve been obsessed with them. It`s just, everyone used to be talking about the pharaoh and the pharaoh`s wife. It`s normal to be obsessed with those who are more glamorous, more wealthy, and mating and dating and splitting from other of the most glamorous, gorgeous people.
HAMMER: Now part of what comes with the territory of being a celebrity is the fact that people do want to know, and they are obsessed with you. And then you have magazines like yours, which do their job and cover these celebrities and occasionally get accused of crossing the line, because there`s always that question, when do celebrities have a right to privacy? Or do they have a right to privacy?
What do you think? Do they have a right? Or if you`re out there, you`re out there.
FULLER: I think that there`s certain lines that - that shouldn`t be crossed. Of course they have a right to - to privacy. But on the other hand, we`ve got to look at - at celebrities, how they`re inviting us into their - their lives these days. I mean, if you put on a show about your romance and sex life like Britney did with Chaotic (ph), or you sell your baby pictures for $4 million like Brad and Angelina - I mean, I think - oh, Nick and Jessica, a whole TV show based on their love life and marriage - you are inviting the public into your lives. It`s very hard to set that line.
HAMMER: And you think it`s hypocritical of celebrities and stars to say, at one moment, Yes, throw all your attention at me, and then - then at the next say, You know what? Leave me alone. It`s been too much.
FULLER: That`s right. I - I do think that they have to think seriously about whether they want privacy or whether they want publicity. I mean, look at Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. On one hand, they`re saying, Oh, we don`t want to talk about our relationship - wink, wink - but on the other having a relationship. And look what it did for their - their movie, "The Break-Up." They got a $38 million opening.
HAMMER: Now you mentioned that we`ve had a lot of celebrities lately doing quote - unquote - nutty things and - and - and just strange things. And do you think part of why we enjoy watching them so much is - is something that people tell me a lot, We want to see people in these positions of power fail, or do badly, or see that they`re human beings, just like us.
Is that - is that a big part of the obsession, do you think?
FULLER: I don`t think that they want celebrities to fail or do badly. I - I - I think they love celebrities. However they do like to see that celebrities are normal, and that - and that`s why they enjoy seeing celebrity photos where they`re watching down the street, getting a coffee, getting a parking ticket..
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: So there`s a cheap thrill to seeing that human side, really?
FULLER: That`s right, and that they don`t roll out of bed just looking fabulous.
HAMMER: All right.
FULLER: That they look like normal people.
HAMMER: That makes sense.
So you want to sell your magazines. You know obviously what the hottest of the hot topics are.
Run them down for you. What - what`s the number one thing you put into your magazine, people are going to buy it?
FULLER: Well, right now we all know that Nicole Kidman is getting married next weekend.
HAMMER: So celebrity weddings?
FULLER: That`s right. Celebrity weddings, celebrity babies, celebrity new romances, celebrity splits. I mean, the big markers in celebrity lives. And also, then, there`s always the catfights - somebody running off with somebody else`s best friend. Hey, Denise and Heather.
HAMMER: You sell the most magazines when what`s on the front cover? What type of a story?
FULLER: You know, that`s hard - that`s hard to say. It has to be a big story, big names: Brad, Angelina, Jen Aniston, doing something big.
HAMMER: All right, Bonnie. Well I appreciate you shedding a little light. It still confuses me, but never mind. That`s why you`re the expert in the subject.
Bonnie Fuller, editorial director for American Media, I appreciate you being here.
FULLER: Thank you very much.
ANDERSON: It is time now for tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
Angelina Jolie`s family is about to get even bigger. Jolie says she and Brad Pitt are planning to adopt another child. In an exclusive interview, Jolie tells CNN`s Anderson Cooper that they`re already looking at different countries for their next adoption. Pitt and Jolie already have two adopted children and, of course, a newborn baby girl.
Well, ever wonder what happened to all of Michael Jackson`s pets at Neverland now that he has moved to Bahrain? I know you`ve been thinking about this. Well, at least two of them have a new home. Tipi Hedren of "The Birds" fame has reportedly adopted two of Jackson`s Bengal tigers. Hedren is an animal activist and runs a feline sanctuary in California.
The Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is going to be fined for not wearing a helmet after last week`s crash. Pennsylvania requires motorcyclists to wear helmets if they have less than two years of riding experience. Plus Roethlisberger was driving without a license. So he could be fined up to $563. Roethlisberger says after a concussion and a broken jaw and nose, he`s lucky to be alive.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
HAMMER: So the Jenny Craig people are about to get a new boss. I`m going to bet you dollars to doughnuts you`d never guess who`s going to be in charge at the weight-loss company. I`ll tell you next, (INAUDIBLE) "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: Plus, listen closely: can you hear the wedding bells all the way from Down Under? Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban go to Australia for the big day. Those details are coming up.
We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought I`d use this ringtone. When the text message came, I could hear it, but the teacher couldn`t.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The days of passing notes are so pass'. Now, it`s all about the text message. And there could be a teacher-proof ringtone out there to keep kids from getting caught. We`ll explain, coming up.
ANDERSON: But first, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Birthday Shout Out." Now this is where we give fans a chance to wish their favorite stars a happy birthday.
Tonight we`re going to send one out to American Abdul`s - "American Idol"`s Paula Abdul, rather, who`s celebrating her 44th birthday today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, I`m Cynthia (ph). And I`m from New York City. And I am a big fan of "American Idol," huge. I just love Paula Abdul. She is hot stuff. Paula, happy birthday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night. We are TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
It`s time now for another story that just made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
It`s kind of a turn of events that actually might make Alanis Morissette rewrite her song "Isn`t it Ironic? (sic). Jenny Craig - you know, the weight-loss company that has Kirstie Alley as its spokesperson - is being bought out by that company, Nestle. That`s right, the same Nestle that makes the chocolate. This kind of gave us a little chuckle today. But after doing a little digging, we found it is not unprecedented. Listen to this: it turns out Nestle also owns the Lean Cuisine line, and believe it or not, the same company that owns Ben & Jerry`s also owns Slim Fast.
Now, to be sure, Brooke, I enjoy a little fat-free Nestle`s chocolate syrup on my fat-free ice cream, so, you know, it`s not all fattening foods.
ANDERSON: No, it`s not. But these companies know what they`re doing, A.J. People eat the chocolate, people eat the ice cream. They gain weight, then they want the weight-loss products. So it`s kind of a - a vicious cycle.
By the way, Nestle paid $600 million for Jenny Craig.
HAMMER: Wow.
ANDERSON: There you go.
HAMMER: It`s all about the dollars.
ANDERSON: But what do we say, Nestle buying Jenny Craig?
HAMMER: "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: Now "That`s Ridiculous!"
And how`s this one for ridiculous: teacher-proof ringtones. Now it used to be that spitballs were the worst disruptions that happened in the classrooms. But with the advent of cell phones, times have certainly changed, we know. And now there are ringtones that only kids can hear. This is really a crazy story.
Here`s CNN`s Daniel Sieberg for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ringtones can give your cell phone a unique sound. But they can quickly turn into a symphony of noise. So what if your ringtone sounded like this:
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can`t hear - no, not at all.
SIEBERG: Here`s the catch: there`s a good chance that kids can hear the ringtone known as the mosquito, but adults can`t.
(on camera): What about now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I hear that.
(CROSSTALK)
SIEBERG: What do you hear? What do you hear?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A high-pitched.
(CROSSTALK)
SIEBERG (voice-over): Presbycusis is the natural hearing loss from aging, the damage or loss of some of the thousands of hair cells in the inner ear. And the first to go as we age are the ones that hear high- frequency sounds.
These tech-savvy teenagers are designing 3-D characters and creating video games at the ID Tech camp in Atlanta. The idea of a kids-only ringtone got them thinking about the possibilities.
MICHAEL EVERTS, ID TECH CAMPER: If I was in a class or something and I was text messaging, sometimes when they`re vibrating you can hear it through your pocket. I can still (INAUDIBLE) desk or something. But this - now if I use this ringtone and the text message came, I could hear it, but the teacher couldn`t.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But if people actually want to not get caught, they just need to talk, like, text message their friends or anything, this would be a really good ring - this would be a good ringtone in school.
SIEBERG: Ironically, the sound was originally used by store owners to deter kids from loitering outside. But now the idea has been turned on its ear.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Daniel Sieberg for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
A.J., I hate to admit it; I couldn`t hear it. Maybe too many concerts, listening to my music too loud. I could not hear it.
HAMMER: Yes, I stopped being able to hear well when I was about 13. So - and it was all about the music. And now it would be interesting, because everybody`s wearing the iPods, we`re hearing the warnings of the dangers of - of the iPods, that maybe they`re going to have to come up with something entirely different.
ANDERSON: Maybe so. You`ve been a lost cause for a long time.
HAMMER: Thanks, Brooke.
Moving right along then, they come from the land Down Under. And that`s where Nicole Kidman and country music star Keith Urban are going to be married. The woman once married to Tom Cruise has decided to settle down in Nashville. Of course, a life far from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Now the two released a joint statement today saying they have gone home to Australia to celebrate their wedding with family and friends.
Joining me here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Nicki Gostin from "Newsweek" magazine; Jo Piazza, the entertainment writer for "The New York Daily News."
Ladies, a pleasure to welcome you both back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Kind of unusual, Nicki. You know, we`ve - we`ve known for awhile that these two were getting hitched.
NICKI GOSTIN, "NEWSWEEK": Right.
HAMMER: But they send out a press release to make it official.
That`s even a little unusual, isn`t it?
GOSTIN: Yes, it is a little unusual. But you`ve got to understand that in Australia, it`s like the king and queen are getting married. She is - they just love her there. So it`s a huge deal, and I guess they`re trying to sort of control the paparazzi and the press down there by issuing this press statement.
HAMMER: I mean, do you think that it`s, Jo? Do you think that`ll really help sort of put a clamp on the paparazzi, which is probably going to make a pretty huge deal over it Down Under?
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": Well, in a lot of ways I think it`s just driving them madder by telling them they`re going to get married this week. And I think it might be interesting if this could all be a decoy. That they`re telling the paparazzi they`re getting married in Australia, and then they`re going to jet off to Sydney - they`re off to Nashville and have their nuptials.
HAMMER: Kind of like pulling the old - the old switcheroo.
PIAZZA: Exactly.
HAMMER: Do you think - what do you think, Nicki? Do you think there`s any truth to that, or is that a little.
GOSTIN: I think it would be fun if they did that. But it`s pretty hard to sort of sneak away from Australia when the press is camped outside your house. So - it would be cool if they did that. But I don`t think so.
HAMMER: All right. Well, let`s look at the guy that Nicole Kidman is about to get married to: Keith Urban, a star in his own right certainly. But compared to Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman`s previous husband, he`s a pretty low-key guy.
PIAZZA: Right.
HAMMER: He maintains a pretty low profile. Really couldn`t be any more opposite, could he?
PIAZZA: Well, I don`t know. It seems like both (INAUDIBLE) and Nicole and Keith have this Australian upbringing, and she`s ready to get back to her Australian roots after spending 15 years under this Hollywood spotlight. She wants to move to Nashville, lead a quiet life.
HAMMER: At first glance though, don`t they seem like kind of an odd couple? A few people when they first heard the news officially announced today, said to me, You know, it never really occurred to me, but it`s not exactly what I would expect from Nicole Kidman.
GOSTIN: Well, but I think - like Jo said, I think that she is attracted to the fact that he comes from the same culture as she does, and clearly enjoys this low-key lifestyle. There`s photos of her in Nashville, going to yoga, going to Starbucks together. Very, very low-key. I mean, very different from the life that she led under the spotlight with Tom Cruise.
HAMMER: Well, it`s funny. You say very, very low key, but there`s still paparazzi following them around and taking these pictures.
GOSTIN: Right, but it`s not nearly - when you see the paparazzi that follow Tom Cruise when he goes to soccer games with his daughter or his son, it`s just insane. It`s like tons of paparazzi.
So it`s not the same number.
HAMMER: Not the same kind of chaos.
All right. Well, let`s talk about the big family that is now sort of evolving out of all this. Because if you think about it, Keith Urban will now be the stepdad to the kids that Nicole Kidman had with Tom Cruise. And then Katie Holmes I suppose will be the stepmom to the kids that Nicole Kidman had with Tom Cruise.
Do you think they`re going to be one big happy family? Is there any chance that they`re all going to get together and having a barbecue on the weekends?
PIAZZA: I mean, it`s like a celebrity royal family with all the extended cousins and everyone.
A barbecue, probably not. But I think though that Tom and Nicole have a pretty amicable relationship, and that they`re still going to split time with the kids. And they`ll all see each other once in awhile. I just don`t think they`re going to be gathering around for Thanksgiving dinner.
HAMMER: What do you make of it? Are they going to be doing, you know, Christmas gatherings in Nashville one year and in Hollywood another? Probably not.
GOSTIN: I don`t think so. But, you know, I`m sure that graduation days and - and big family events, they`re going to have to be together.
HAMMER: So this is, then, kind of an interesting thing to watch, the diametric opposition of - of the public-image campaigns, if you`ll came them that, between Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise.
Is Nicole kind of the winner here? Because I mean, look at the - the - the circus that surrounded Tom Cruise and his getting together with Katie Holmes. It was a photo-op, one after the next. And now you have a press release of the wedding announcement for Nicole Kidman.
Does she come out on top in - in the - in the public-image arena?
PIAZZA: To me, Nicole absolutely comes out on top. You know, she kept her mouth shut. She was quiet. She had this relationship, kind of in secret in a lot of ways. And she didn`t even up making a fool out of herself the way that Tom Cruise did.
HAMMER: Do you believe that?
GOSTIN: Right. Oh, totally. She only appeared with him in public once. It was really a serious relationship. For that she didn`t walk the red carpet with him at all. So, yes, she totally comes across as more the adult and not the escapee from the mental hospital.
HAMMER: Yes. She - she does seem like a real class act.
Well, Nicki Gostin, Jo Piazza, I appreciate you joining us, as always, here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
GOSTIN: Thank you.
PIAZZA: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, we`ve been asking you online on tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Talking about celebrity gossip: "Would you want to be in the spotlight?" Let us know by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. If you have more to say, please send us an e-mail at showbiztonight@cnn.com. And we`ll read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
ANDERSON: A look at the weekend box office now. "Cars" remains in its pole position. The Disney Pixar animated flick revved up more than $31 million in its second weekend. That was enough to leave Jack Black`s "Nacho Libre" in the dust. The comedy opened in the number two spot. In at number three, "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift." The Keanu Reeves-Sandra Bullock reunion "The Lake House" opened in fourth. And Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston cling to fifth place with "The Break-Up."
Hang tight. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: On Friday, we told you about Britney Spears` "Dateline" interview with Matt Lauer. In it, she broke down and cried about not having any privacy and about the tabloids questioning her mothering skills. And then we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." It was this: "Britney Spears: Do you feel sorry for her?" Thirty-one percent of you said yes; 69 percent of you said no.
And here are some of the e-mails we got.
Melissa from Virginia writes: "I was amazed with the outfit she chose, the gum she chewed and the excuses she made."
Rhonda from California says: "Britney Spears deserves to raise her child in peace. Show me a mother or father who has never made a parenting error."
HAMMER: It is that part of the program where we look into the future of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We want to find out what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. For that, we roll out our "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
And coming up tomorrow, our favorite weatherman Al Roker is going to be here. We are going to get Al`s take on the big changes in store for the "Today" show. Plus, we`ll be talking about the new project that has Al focusing on what goes on backstage at the Miss USA pageant. We`ll see what else is going in Al`s neck of the woods tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also tomorrow, it`s one part media, one part cold-case files. We are talking to two paranormal investigators who actually are a part of a new TV show where they use their psychic skills to help police with cases that have gone cold. That`s coming up tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, everybody. I am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. We want you to stay tuned for more from CNN Headline News.
END
