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Showbiz Tonight
First Look at Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` Baby; Remembering Steve Irwin
Aired September 06, 2006 - ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: She walks, she talks, and she could be taking over your job. Meet the woman robot. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And a desperate housewife is about to become a desperate mommy. Which one of the stars is pregnant? I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now!
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, sweet Suri surfaces. But mommy`s mad! Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your first look at Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` little baby girl Suri. So why in the world is Katie so heated up and even heartbroken? And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s just got to ask -- why are we so darned obsessed with celebrity babies?
Also, the croc hunter remembered. Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the extraordinary, emotional outpouring of support for Steve Irwin. And for the first time, Irwin`s dad speaks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ll remember Steve as my best mate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, this painful, but important question -- will his tragic death change the face of TV forever?
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Tonight at long last, we can finally show you the pictures of the most elusive, mysterious baby on the planet -- Suri Cruise.
HAMMER: Finally, Brooke. Yes, nearly five months after she was born, the daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes is all over the new issue of "Vanity Fair" magazine. And besides the very first pictures, we`re also getting our very first peek into Tom and Katie`s secret private life.
(BEGIN VIDEOATAPE)
A.J. HAMMER (voice-over): We`ve wondered about her -- desperately seeking Suri.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why haven`t we seen Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` baby Suri?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where in the world is Suri?
HAMMER: And now, after five months of postnatal seclusion, we`re finally getting our first look at Suri Cruise, the daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.
Little Suri, along with her famous parents, graces 22 pages of "Vanity Fair" magazine in her very first public appearance. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to admit - she`s quite a cutie.
JANE SARKIN, VANITY FAIR FEATURES EDITOR: I think the baby is a real combination of both of them. Tom`s hair, Katie`s eyes. The baby has a lot of hair. Really beautiful.
HAMMER: Now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has for you the inside scoop of Suri`s debut. Why Cruise and Katie waited so long to show us her pictures. And what they think about all the media speculation about their family.
SARKIN: I think they really were hurt by the rumors.
HAMMER: Snagging the first photos of a joyous Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes with their new baby was a coup for "Vanity Fair."
SARKIN: It was an amazing experience because they gave us such unprecedented access to their household.
HAMMER: Editor Jane Sarkin tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that she and celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz were invited to picturesque Telluride, Colorado back in late July/early August to shoot the Cruise and Holmes clans at Cruise`s 400-acre retreat.
SARKIN: We were there at 5:30 in the morning some mornings in the kitchen, having coffee. And all of a sudden, Tom would come down in his pajamas, hair all messed up, you know, getting the bottle. Katie would come down in her pajamas, you know, with the baby, all cuddled up. And it was a - just very, very open look at this very famous family`s life. It all seemed so normal and great and warm and friendly.
HAMMER: Well now, Suri Cruise`s face is front and center at newsstands, magazine racks, and maybe even a checkout counter or two all over the country.
(on camera): But as we`re finally getting our look at who was the world`s most famous unseen baby, we`re also something we haven`t seen before. Katie Holmes reaction to all the Suri scrutiny. And let me summarize it for you -- Katie is not happy!
(voice-over): Cruise and Holmes tell "Vanity Fair" they`d intended to release photos of Suri before now. But Holmes tells the magazine, "then all the craziness began. This, Where is Suri controversy. Tom and I looked at each other and said, what`s going on? We weren`t trying to hide anything."
SARKIN: When all this happened, they just pulled back, went to Telluride, and decided they didn`t want to release anything at the time until the controversy, you know, settled down a little bit.
HAMMER: But it didn`t settle down, as the media dissected everything from Tom Cruise`s now questionable box office clout to little Suri`s birth certificate. Katie Holmes tells "Vanity Fair" that she saw it all and didn`t like it one bit.
She says, "I do know what is being said in the press. This is my future. This is my family. And I care so much about them. The stories are not OK. It eats away at me because it`s just not OK."
She goes on to say, "to see how someone is caring and good as Tom is, to see how things can just get so twisted and turned around. I mean, where does it come from? It`s been heartbreaking to see that."
SARKIN: I think they really were hurt by the rumors. They were hurt by the escalating talk about what was going on. It was nonstop. Every day, there was another story in the press. And I think, yes, they were very hurt and upset by it.
HAMMER: But as we can see in the photos, Tom and Katie don`t look too upset. And they may have another big event in the future.
SARKIN: They`re planning their wedding. Katie`s very excited about that. They didn`t give me a date, but I know that it`s in the works.
HAMMER: And they have their adorable baby girl, whom we finally get the chance to admire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Just feels good, doesn`t it? The hype, the secrecy, the whirlwind around the first Suri pictures has certainly been so intense that we just got to ask -- why the Cruise craziness?
Well, who better to ask than this man, Harvey Levin, managing editor of the entertainment news site tmz.com. Harvey joining us from Glendale, California tonight.
With me in New York, Monty Sarhan, the editor in chief of "Cracked" magazine, with just a lot of celeb satire and certainly just a little bit at Tom Cruise`s expense or with the front of him in mind. Thank you for joining us both.
MONTY SARHAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, CRACKED MAGAZINE: Thanks for having me.
HAMMER: Appreciate you being with us. So Harvey, let me start off with you, because here we are nearly five months after this baby Suri was born. We`re just getting to go see her for the very first time. The secrecy had even you and I joking and people doubting whether Suri actually existed. The question for you is why "Vanity Fair"? And why now?
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: Well, I got a lot of whys, A.J. I mean, I just watched your interview. I said the editor is saying that Katie said, well, gee, there was a controversy about whether Suri exists, so our reaction is not to release the baby pictures. And I`m thinking, well, gee, that might have stopped the controversy. So did they really want the controversy to stop?
I mean, I`m trying to connect the dots here. And, you know, they`re talking about this normal couple that goes to Telluride when there are problems. And I`m just not getting it. I`m not getting whether it`s really true that they wanted this controversy to go away because they could have stopped it with a photograph.
HAMMER: Yes.
LEVIN: And they didn`t.
HAMMER: Yes, Monty and I were just talking right before we hit air about the fact that Katie Holmes words in this particular article seem to be very well chosen.
But Monty, parents love showing off their baby pictures. You got men and women walking around with the wallets and the fold-out pictures and digital cameras showing them off. Why didn`t they want to do it? Isn`t it a little odd?
SARHAN: That`s exactly the point, A.J. That`s why this story is so remarkable. I mean, Katie Holmes talks to "Vanity Fair," sounds like she`s a victim, and how heartbreaking all the rumors are. They brought this upon themselves. They built up this hype, this frenzy, about, you know, where`s the baby?
Anybody who`s normal, if you have - if you`ve got kids, your neighbor has kids, if you don`t see the kid for five months, you`re worried.
HAMMER: Yes.
SARHAN: I mean, you`d be calling the police. Where is the baby?
HAMMER: Strikes me as a little strange.
SARHAN: Of course.
HAMMER: OK, I want to go back to what we were just talking about, because as I said in that piece, Katie told "Vanity Fair," that once those where in the world is Suri stories started appearing, she and Tom said, what`s going on here, not trying to hide anything, which just seems like a naive thing to say. I mean, they kept their baby a secret to the whole world, the baby everybody wants to see, for nearly five months. It really just feeds into itself.
LEVIN: Well, I`m more cynical than you, A.J. You`re calling it naive. I`m just not picking up what she`s putting down. I mean, I don`t believe it was naive.
I mean, I think they made a conscious decision to fuel this by laying low and not letting this baby -- the photographs of the baby, come out.
And I - I mean, honestly, and I know this sounds terrible and cynical, but I don`t believe that it has nothing to do with the fact that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were able to get four million bucks for Shiloh`s picture and then give it to charity. And I don`t think Tom Cruise could have gotten that much money. And I think it probably ate at him that he couldn`t.
So what better way to up the ante and make people even more interested than to create this kind of fantom baby.
HAMMER: Yes.
LEVIN: And I think that`s what happened here.
HAMMER: And is that basically why you think there was no money changing hands here? Because I thought that was a little strange. They certainly could have taken a couple of million bucks, given it to charity . Or maybe they thought, and this is me being na
SARHAN: I think the whole thing is exploitative. I don`t think that`s the way they think. I -- they used this for a PR event to the maximum efficiency.
I think the reason they didn`t sell them is because they couldn`t sell them, as Harvey noted. I don`t think they could have gotten as much as Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie.
HAMMER: Harvey, we`re.
LEVIN: I`m sorry, but they went in a different direction. And frankly, I`m giving them credit here. They couldn`t get the money, I agree with that. So what they did was they got the cache instead of the cash by being in "Vanity Fair" and having the pictures taken by world- famous photographer.
HAMMER: Yes, Annie Leibovitz.
LEVIN: Yes.
HAMMER: All right, Harvey. I appreciate you guys chiming in. Harvey Levin, Monty Sarhan, thanks for being with us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
SARHAN: Thanks.
LEVIN: Bye, A.J.
HAMMER: So what about all this non stop coverage of Tom and Katie that we`re seeing as a result of this "Vanity Fair" cover? Well, it`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, have the media treated them fairly? Get on line to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: And tonight, there`s news yet that another baby will make Hollywood home. "Desperate Housewives" star Marsha Cross is expecting her first child with husband Tom Mahoney. She tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the baby is due in April. Cross and her husband got married this past June. Congratulations to them.
But what is it with the celebrity babies? Why are we so darn obsessed with them in the first place? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT answers this puzzling question for you.
Plus, we`ve got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were good mates. I`ll remember Steve as my best mate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: For the first time since his shocking death, Steve Irwin`s father speaks out. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT right there for the emotional tribute to his son, the crocodile hunter.
ANDERSON: And she walks, she talks, and she looks pretty good in a dress, too. Coming up, the woman robot who could take your job. That`s ridiculous -- and that`s still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: And welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Time now for a story that made us say, "that`s ridiculous!" This must have happened to you. When you call someone, the first thing they say is, oh, I was just thinking about you. And you`re like, yes, whatever, sure you were.
Well, there`s actually a researcher in England that claims he has proof of what he calls telephone telepathy. He actually conducted experiments when people were actually able to guess who was calling them more than four out of ten times. Pretty decent odds. So he says it`s more than just chance. He claims it works, too. I`ve had that happen, Brooke, where I`ve said that and meant it.
ANDERSON: And well, you know, usually the same people call me over and over, at least on my personal cell phone. But you know, they`re going to extend this experiment to include text messages. And A.J., sometimes even after I get those messages, I don`t know who they are from. Weird number, no one leaves their names. So I would be impressed.
HAMMER: Good to hear the important research continues. We`re hanging up the telephone on this telepathy stuff. That`s ridiculous."
Well, tonight, Steve Irwin`s dad is speaking out for the first time since the shocking death of his son, Steve, the guy people knew as the crocodile hunter and the star of wildlife TV shows. Irwin, of course, died Monday after being stung by a stingray while filming a special off the coast of Australia.
Here`s Robert Obedia for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT OBEDIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Australia zoo, a sea of flowers and tributes and emotion, much of it on the faces of blokes in bush hats and khaki shorts. Blokes like Steve Irwin`s father, Bob.
BOB IRWIN, STEVE IRWIN`S FATHER: Steve and I have had a lot of adventures together. And there`s been many occasions when anything could have gone wrong. And Steve knew the risks involved with the type of work he was doing. And he wouldn`t have wanted it any other way.
OBEDIA: It was tough. And just as tough for his daughter-in-law.
IRWIN: Terri`s holding up very well, considering. She is extremely concerned for her children, Bindi and Robert obviously.
OBEDIA: Steve, he said, died doing work he loved.
IRWIN: And that`s a lot better than getting hit by a bus.
OBEDIA: Bob Irwin has lost a son and a friend.
IRWIN: Steve and I weren`t like father and son. We never were. We were good mates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How would you like for him to be remembered?
IRWIN: I`ll remember Steve as my best mate.
OBEDIA: And to know they don`t want a fancy state funeral for Steve. Why?
IRWIN: Because he`s an ordinary guy.
OBEDIA: Steve Irwin`s body came home from Cairns last night, a six hour flight. His friend and manager, John Stainton, riding alongside the coffin.
JOHN STAINTON, IRWIN`S MANAGER: Yes, let me tell you, just listening to his voice was -- it`s hard.
LARRY KING: Yes.
STAINTON: It`s very hard. You know it`s hard.
KING: How do you explain him?
STAINTON: A phenomenon. He was -- I loved him dearly. And we had a partnership that was made in heaven.
OBEDIA: A funeral date hasn`t been fixed. It`s likely to be private. One of the last pictures of Irwin and daughter Bindi is in the current issue of "Marie Claire", celebrating Father`s Day. He`s funny, he`s entertaining, and he`s always there," Bindi said. "I`m proud to have a dad like that."
JESSICA PARRY, MARIE CLAIRE REPORTER: Just that beautiful bond that they had. And I knew that that little girl would be so devastated.
OBEDIA (on camera): In November, Steve Irwin was to be named Australia`s tourism ambassador. Ironically, worldwide interest in his death could create a surge of visitors here. And judging by tourists we spoke with today at Low Isles, that`s even likely.
(voice-over): Low Isles is 14 kilometers off Port Douglas. It s where Irwin`s body was taken before being air lifted to Cairnes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a great place for anyone to grow up. and you can only think that`s what Steve would have really wanted.
OBEDIA: It remains to be seen whether visitors are frightened off. And Irwin`s fans heave been warned about scam artists trying to collect donations in his name. Irwin`s family says the only legitimate site is wildlifewarriors.org.au.
IRWIN: Steve would want his work carried on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was Robert Obedia for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Meanwhile, Steve`s colleagues tell CNN`s Larry King they want that video footage of him pulling the stingray barb from his chest just before he died to never air. And they actually want it destroyed.
ANDERSON: From Australia to America and around the world, Steve`s legacy is being felt tonight. With me now from Rochester, New York, zoologist Jarod Miller. And from St. Louis, Missouri, Julie Scardina, who is an animal ambassador for Seaworld Busch Gardens.
Jarod, Julie, thanks so much for you both - for being here.
JAROD MILLER, ZOOLOGICAL WILDLIFE EXPERT: Good evening, Brooke.
JULIE SCARDINA, SEAWORLD BUSCH GARDENS: Good evening.
ANDERSON: Now, Julie, there has been such an outpouring of emotion worldwide for Steve Irwin. What was it about this guy that really drew people to him?
SCARDINA: Well, you know, Brooke, I actually have to believe it was his passion and his excitement for what he did and how he did it. We all so much enjoyed watching him, not only interacting with the animals, but wondering what was going to happen next. And I really think that it was that element of his style that brought us all to wanting to find out and wanting to watch him and enjoying it.
ANDERSON: Yes, he had such a magnetic personality. And Jarod, this is about more than just Irwin and his television show, isn`t it? He will have a lasting impact. What do you think his legacy will be?
MILLER: Absolutely. I mean, from experience, too, I mean, when it comes to legacy, he`s touched so many millions of people. And you think about all the little children, too, that have been growing up to idolize him.
I remember being a seven-year old kid. And my hero was Marlin Perkins. And I still remember the day that he died. So I`m sure for generations to come, his message will continue strongly.
ANDERSON: Julie, a lot of critics have said that Irwin toyed with death way too often by putting himself in situations simply for the pleasure of the audience, simply for a quest for ratings. Do you think his death will impact how wildlife shows are done in the future?
SCARDINA: I don`t think that will necessarily be the case. I think we all have our own style. You know, Steve certainly was to get right in there and get the job done. And like I said, we all enjoyed that aspect of it.
My style, Jack Hanna`s style, everybody is out there, really has a very different style of how they`re going to do it. And that`s what, I think, the passion comes from is we`re doing something that we love. We can`t necessarily change how we do it. We want to get the messages across. That`s really why we`re doing it.
ANDERSON: Jarod, what do you think? Do you think some people will change the risks that they take in these wildlife shows?
MILLER: Well, you know, I`m going to agree with Julie. I mean, definitely the enthusiasm that Steve brought to it. I think he had his own style. And I agree with her where, you know, Jack has his own style. Julie, of course, has her own style with it.
It was something that was different and special that he brought . And that`s what made him so electrifying. I really certainly hope that it doesn`t change the way wildlife footage is done.
Because if you think of it this way, I mean, Steve`s death really, in a lot of ways, is that of scientific exploration and educational exploration. He brought the living world and these amazing -- these amazing sites of wildlife and his encounters with him right into people`s living rooms. And that`s really the importance of what he did.
ANDERSON: And Julie, you say you won`t change your approach going forward, but will it make you more hesitant at all, more careful ever in certain situations?
SCARDINA: Well, you know, and that`s when we go back to style. I grew up at the Seaworld and Busch Gardens parks. And part of what we`re all about is kind of doing it from the standpoint of the animals emotions and really making sure that they are comfortable and handling each situation so that we`re not putting the animal or ourselves at risk.
And that particular way of doing things, I`m going to certainly stick with. You know, I have been interacting with many different species of animals. And certainly, what I do is a big part of that is dependent on how safe it is and what that risk is to both the animal and myself.
ANDERSON: Well, Julie Scardina, Jarod Miller, we appreciate you both for being here tonight. And always take care of yourselves, OK?
SCARDINA: Thank you.
ANDERSON: All right. Now, yo, adrian! Rocky wins a big fight. Coming up, how the famous boxer is standing tall once again literally.
Plus, we`ve also got this.
HAMMER: Her name, Miss Wrong Sheng. She is designed to look like an authentic human being. She walks, she talks, and she looks pretty good in a dress. Coming up, the woman robot. That`s ridiculous and that`s still to come.
ANDERSON: And Suri, Shiloh, and Baby Sean Preston. Why are we so darned obsessed with celebrity babies? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Rocky is heading home. OK, here`s what we`re talking about. Remember the Rocky movies starring Sylvester Stallone? That scene where he runs up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum? Well, the Philadelphia Arts Mission just voted to do put this statue of Rocky, donated by Stallone himself, back by those steps. Stallone first donated it in 1982. Some thought it was ugly, so it was put away. But now it is coming back.
HAMMER: A brand new TV season about to start up. Coming up, a sitcom that could help save your marriage or spice it up a bit.
ANDERSON: And Tom and Katie`s Suri, Brad and Angelina`s Shiloh, Britney and Kevin`s Sean Preston. Why are we so darned obsessed with celebrity babies? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
HAMMER: She walks, she talks, and looks pretty good in a dress! Coming up, the woman robot who could actually take your job. That`s ridiculous and that`s still to come when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Wednesday night returns in a moment.
ROCHELLE CAREY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I`m Rochelle Carey. Here`s your Headline Prime Newsbreak.
Five-time Olympic champion sprinter Marion Jones has been cleared of doping allegations. The Associated Press reports her backup tests came back negative for performance enhancing drugs. Jones says she`s ecstatic and maintains she has never used any banned substances.
And Republicans and (INAUDIBLE) Democrats are pushing for a vote calling for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to be fired. GOP leaders allow debate on the floor, but did not allow the vote, calling that a "publicity stunt."
Former Illinois Governor George Ryan says he -- the people of the state expected better and he let them down. Ryan`s been sentenced to six and a half years in prison for taking payoffs from political insiders. That was in exchange for state business.
Spatial astronauts are getting a lesson in patience. The launch of the Atlantis is getting pushed back again. So instead of Thursday, NASA says it won`t be before Friday. That`s because of a problem with the shuttle`s power system.
That`s the news for now. Keep it here. I`m Rochelle Carey.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Brooke, imagine if you will for a moment, being married to Britney Spears. Well, maybe don`t worry about that, because that job is taken, as we all know, by Kevin Federline.
But what`s it like? Is it very difficult because she`s a huge superstar. If he wants to be a star, is there competition in that marriage? Think about it. We`ll hear from Kevin in his own words, coming up in just a few moments.
ANDERSON: And speaking of marriages, A.J., can a sitcom save a problem - a problematic marriage - a - marriage that is troubled. Well coming up, we`re going to talk to the producers of Brad Garrett`s new show. It`s called "Til Death," about the ups, and of course the downs, of marriage.
But first, the first picture of Baby Suri, and they`re the talk of the town. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got the first reaction from the big stars about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` baby photos, and the frenzy surrounding them.
Today I talked to Scarlet Johansson and her boyfriend, Josh Harnett, and got their thoughts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCARLETT JOHANSSON, ACTRESS: You know, when you turn on the news and you expect to get real news about what`s going on, and the news is these pictures of - you know, I mean, yes, this kid`s cute. But whatever. It`s not - there`s - there`s - there`s, like, real problems happening.
JOSH HARTNETT, ACTOR: It`s just kind of a - it`s - it`s an odd phenomenon. But I think that people have always just kind of had a fascination with other people`s lives, really. And celebrities that they can really get a good glimpse into.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Johansson and Hartnett are co-starring in "The Black Dahlia," which is in theaters September 15.
HAMMER: So why are we so obsessed with celebrity babies?
Well, joining us tonight from Hollywood, "People" magazine`s Julie Jordan. Remember, "People" got those exclusive first pictures of Brad Pitt and Angelina`s baby.
Here in New York with me, psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz.
A pleasure to see you both. Thanks for joining us.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: All right, Julie. The demand for star-baby shots is huge, as we know, as you know, working for "People" magazine.
Is it really just coming down to the fact that when two beautiful people have a baby, the world just really has to see how beautiful their offspring will be?
JULIE JORDAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Well, and you got to also remember, of course, we`re fascinating with their personal lives. And we`re following them every step of the pregnancy, too. So it`s like anyone. You know, when the baby`s finally born, we`re just excited to meet it as the expectant parents.
And yes, you want to see what, you know, two beautiful people will create together. Is that true perfection? That`s what we`re looking for.
HAMMER: And in the case of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, there was certainly a bit of a buildup there.
Gail, I have to believe there`s something scientific going on with this phenomena. Is there some kind of a social reason why we as Americans in particular are so obsessed with the celebrity babies?
DR. GAIL SALTZ, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: Well, there`s a psychological reason, and that is that human beings are by nature voyeuristic. They like to look at things; they have great curiosity.
And if you think about it, for a baby, they - they - they like to look at everything about the celebrity. They like to look at their faces, their bodies. And this baby is almost an extension of them, right? Because it`s so young. But also, in order to have a baby, you got to have sex. And people are intensely curious about everybody`s sexual life, but of course, especially that of celebrities.
So I think that the reason this all really surrounds the baby has to do with the combination of that: of - of the - the wish to look - voyeurism, which is really normal human phenomenon.
HAMMER: Right.
SALTZ: It`s much more built up in the celebrity. This is an extension of the celebrity. It`s like - it`s even better; it`s a mixture of two.
HAMMER: I - I`m curious: in your practice, do any of your clients ever come to you and say, I got this problem, I can`t stop looking at celebrity babies.
SALTZ: Well, not celebrity babies. But there are people who actually become quite obsessed with celebrities, yes, and everything about their lives. And it can become a problem, almost an addiction of sorts, which has been spoken about.
But they have trouble living in their own world, so they want to be very identified with this celebrity, and they become quite obsessed about it. And.
HAMMER: We have - we have seen that; we`ve talked about that as well.
And Julie, as - as I mentioned a moment ago, "People" magazine scored those first pictures of Brad Pitt and Angelina`s baby. I mean, you guys also had Britney Spears - the first pictures of Sean Preston.
Is it that there are some celebrities that are really a bigger draw, that there`s more of a fuss over their kids? Because it seems - some celebrities, the pictures are nice, but not so much, you know, anticipation.
JORDAN: Well, I - just like A-listers, of course, they`re A- list babies. So, yes, the competition is fierce. And, you know, our readers, for one, are expecting to see picture of, you know, Shiloh and - and what Brad and - and Angelina create together.
But again, you know, you`re just so fascinated with these celebrities as people, and because you, you know, learn about them through the pages of our magazine and other outlets out there, you want to see what this little child looks like. And you want to see just how beautiful - what traits it has. You know, there`s a fascination there that`s pretty much endless.
SALTZ: I think people also are particularly interested in this story, because there`s a lot of mystery around it: Scientology - the whole birthing process, a lot of mystery was created around; they`re not married, so it`s not the typical, you know, middle-of-the-road way to go. And so I think that there was a lot of mystery surrounding this particular story that have made people particularly curious about this baby.
HAMMER: And people have been talking a lot about Britney Spears as a mom and - and we`re seeing what has happened with Sean Preston. Everybody`s very interested in the fact that she`s pregnant now.
SALTZ: Yes.
HAMMER: Her next birth is going to be all over the media.
SALTZ: Right.
HAMMER: Is there a bit of narcissism going on there though? I mean, is it as much the celebrities love putting this out there, as we love looking at it?
SALTZ: Well, I think absolutely so. In fact, there was a study that came out yesterday that basically said, probably narcissistic people are actually attracted to a field that would make them a celebrity. So in fact - and a - and a baby is a narcissistic extension of yourself. So they want to be admired; they want to be loved. And they want you to love and admire their baby as a part of them. It`s very natural.
HAMMER: We were talking about that here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and it seems pretty natural to me.
Well, I want to thank you both, Gail Saltz and Julie Jordan, thanks for being with us for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
JORDAN: It`s fascinating.
ANDERSON: The numbers are in for Katie Couric`s big debut as anchor of "The CBS Evening News." Early figures show that her preliminary ratings were 86 percent higher than what CBS averaged on the same day last year. The show was the top-rating newscast for the night, and the head researcher at CBS says Couric`s ratings did much better than they expected.
Well, Barbara Walters knows a thing or two about paving the way for women in news. And this morning on "The View," she gave her thoughts on Couric`s debut and some of the criticism about what Couric wore.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": Well, what do they pick on? They only thing could pick on about Katie - because everything else was just fine - that she wore white.
(CROSSTALK)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": Solidarity today?
(LAUGHTER)
WALTER: But, you know, Katie did a - did an interview on the program; it was very interesting.
When I went on the air as - for those of you who are young, the whole audience - I was the first female co-host of a network newscast.
O`DONNELL: With Harry Reasoner.
(CROSSTALK)
O`DONNELL: He was very mean to Barbara.
(CROSSTALK)
WALTERS: And I was vilified. And one of - and I did an interview with Anwar Sadat the first night, and Golda Meir. I thought these were home runs. They killed me! How could you do an interview on a news program?
Last night, interviews. So, you know, whatever it is, I felt so proud of her. I thought, We have come full circle, and, you know, hooray for her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: The ladies went on to point out that nobody ever talks about what male news anchors wear. Good point.
HAMMER: Double standard going on there.
So how does Kevin Federline really feel about Britney Spears` success? Well, Kevin opens up about being married to a superstar, and that is coming up.
ANDERSON: Plus, can a sitcom save your marriage? We`ll talk to the producers of Brad Garrett`s new show. It`s about the ups and downs of marriage. That`s coming up.
We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Her name? Ms. Rong Cheng (ph). She`s designed to look like an authentic human being.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thank you, Mr. Announcer.
Have you ever seen a robot who likes to wear fancy dresses and jewelry? Find out why scientists created this life-like robot. That`s next.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s get A.J. to desk with tracking (ph) for the F-Wad (ph). Master, roll your break. And effect black.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fade up, music under. Stand by, A.J. Pre- set Camera 1. Open his mike, dissolve, go.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
It`s time now for yet another story that just made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
It`s the story of robot who will bat her eyelashes at you. Here`s CNN`s Tony Harris for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): Big or small, you have to admit, robots just simply fascinate us. After all, California` governor used to be a robot.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, ACTOR: I`ll be back.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTRESS: Up and at em, Mr. J.
HARRIS: And remember the lovable robotic cartoon Rosie from "The Jetsons"?
Chinese scientists though have delivered the real deal; they`ve created one intriguing metal creature. Her name? Ms. Rong Cheng (ph). She`s designed to look like an authentic human being, a Chinese woman who likes to wear fancy red dresses and be adorned in fine, robotic jewelry.
Most impressive though? Ms. Cheng can talk.
MECHANIZED VOICE: (SPEAKING IN CHINESE)
HARRIS: Responding to as many as 1,000 commands in Mandarin, according to her designer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The voice-recognition function can make the communication between humans and robots more natural and personal.
HARRIS: After taking scientists a year to create her, Miss Cheng already has a job lined up. Scientists built her piece by piece to act as a receptionist and tour guide at a Chinese science museum. The price tag for this robotic beauty isn`t cheap: $37,500 U.S.
But you never know: a drop in the price could mean the age of "The Jetsons" may not be so far off after all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Tony Harris for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And Brooke, I don`t think you need to worry about your job right at this time.
ANDERSON: Well, let`s - let`s hope not.
You know, I always liked "The Jetsons." But nearly $40,000? Let`s hope these things don`t start taking over jobs.
HAMMER: And that is why we have to say: a robot wearing fancy dresses? "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: "That`s Ridiculous!"
All right. The big buzz today is about the first photos of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` baby Suri, and the obsession with celebrity babies. And there`s another one on the horizon: Britney Spears and Kevin Federline are expecting their second child, so the star-baby frenzy is sure to pick up steam again soon.
Today on "Ellen" - that`s Ellen DeGeneres, Federline opened up about his relationship with Britney. Ellen asked him if he felt any pressure being married to a superstar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN FEDERLINE, ENTERTAINER: I`d be lying if I didn`t say it was tough. But I don`t think - I think the expectation is - is real high for me, you know? It`s like, you see my wife here and she`s this huge superstar; everybody loves her. You know, all of her music is just hits, hits, hits after hits. And it`s hard to compete.
But, I mean, I don`t see it as a competition. You know, maybe other people are putting it in that perspective. But it`s - to me, it`s not a competition.
ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: So you don`t look at it and feel like, I`m supposed to compete with that.
FEDERLINE: No way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Kevin also talk about Britney`s pregnancy, and said she doesn`t have any strange food cravings. But she`s eating a lot of ice chips.
HAMMER: Well Britney`s just one of the celebrities who gets skewered on stage to big laughs in what has become a real big hit on Broadway. It is such a funny show; one of the best I`ve seen in years: comedian Martin Short`s one-man musical called "Fame Becomes Me." It`s a satire all about the road to fame.
Now here`s a guy who has really worked very hard in the business for decades now. And these days, he has to compete with people who are famous for being famous.
I had the chance to talk with Martin all about why we`re fascinated with fame, and even funnier, infamy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Your show, "Fame Becomes Me," a raucous good time.
MARTIN SHORT, ACTOR: Hey, can we use your quote?
HAMMER: Please do.
SHORT: Thank you.
HAMMER: And - and one - one of the things I love is, You`re not laughing with the celebrities, you`re laughing at the celebrities and making up bones (ph) about them. And it really just points out, Being a celebrity ain`t what it used to be, is it?
SHORT: Well, I think that the - you know, the concept of the show really is that, to entertain is not enough anymore. You have to kind of expose your angst and your pain and - and if you don`t have that angst and pain -- because of reality television, there`s so much need for knowing the angst and pain of celebrities - then I just make it up. I pretend I`ve been in rehab, that I`ve hit rock bottom. That I, you know, self destructed at the Golden Globes. None of it happened.
HAMMER: But being out there, truly, as a celebrity, it`s different. I mean, you have - first of all, you have a lot more competition than you ever had to be a celebrity. And then you have somebody - arguably, one of the biggest stars in the world, Tom Cruise, you know, getting axed by a studio with one fell swoop of the - the CEO`s hand.
SHORT: Yes, but isn`t that story really about a guy whose deal is so rich that it`s - I think that Tom Cruise`s deal is probably the richest deal - it`s not, like, just, you know, someone getting bounced from "Guiding Light" or something.
HAMMER: So - so you think it - you think it was actually down to the money?
(CROSSTALK)
SHORT: I just have this instinct that Tom`s going to be OK.
HAMMER: You think so?
SHORT: That he`s going to make it.
HAMMER: All right.
And then of course, you know, speaking of angst, we - we see what our friend Mel Gibson recently had to go through. And.
SHORT: Well that was enough. That`s - that`s the nightmare of life. That - that`s the nightmare of life. That`s when you wake up, like at 3 in the morning - ah! Ah, I had this dream. I had this dream that I got drunk and I was arrested and spewed anti-Semitic statements to police. (INAUDIBLE).
And then you look in the newspaper, and there it is.
HAMMER: And now he`s trying to make amends, Marty. He - he apparently is one by one calling the leaders of the Jewish community to apologize.
Is this the way to go for - for Mr. Gibson?
SHORT: Sure, why not? I`d do it. I`d go to - door to door. Hi, I`m Mel Gibson. I`d love you to rethink what I said.
HAMMER: So many people in America want to be famous. Why is that?
SHORT: I think it looks like it`s fun. I mean, it always looked like it was fun. But now, it really looks like it`s fun and - and glamorous. And I think that there is - maybe because of reality television, it seems like it`s easier, you know?
I mean, there`s a Paris Hilton album. So I think that it seems like it`s just - You too can be in show business. And so it seems more like a lotto than actual training for anything.
HAMMER: The Paris Hilton album, not on your iPod?
SHORT: Uh, yes. If it made her cry, it will make me cry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: If you have the opportunity, I urge you to catch Martin Short`s "Fame Becomes Me." So much fun, and it`s on Broadway now.
ANDERSON: Martin Short has been happily married for 25 years. But when you need marriage advice, why go to a marriage counselor? Just click on the TV and check out what the creators of Fox`s newest sitcom, "Til Death" has done. Drawing upon the reality of their own lives and that of their friends and family, they found out they had a show about the ups and downs of marriage.
Joining me here in Hollywood, Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, the creators and executive producers of "Til Death."
Josh, Cathy, thanks for you - to you both for being here. We appreciate it.
JOSH: Thanks for having us.
ANDERSON: Good to see you. And this an exciting time for you.
I know you`ve produced movies - "What Women Want," the TV show "King of Queens" - now you`ve got "Til Death," starring Brad Garrett.
Kathy, let`s get straight to it: what`s wrong with marriage today? Why do so many marriages just fail?
CATHY YUSPA, CREATOR/EXEC. PRODUCER, "TIL DEATH": Well - well, I could tell you the genesis of the show, and we - it came from actually my parents, who have been happily married for 40 years. They - my mom came home from a business trip, and said to my dad, I missed you. And he said, That`s ridiculous.
And so that was sort of the genesis of the show. And I - I - I guess - I guess marriages fail because - maybe because people don`t overlook these sort of.
ANDERSON: Make - make a joke out of it. Make light of it.
YUSPA: Exactly. Exactly.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: .in certain situations.
And in the show, you have a couple like your parents, who have been married for a really long time. And then you have this newlywed couple. And here`s where the laughs really come in, because the newlywed couple so excited about marriage, and then the couple - the other couple, jaded, a little bitter at times.
So is that what we all have to look forward down the road - a little bit of that bitterness creeping in?
YUSPA: I hope not.
GOLDSMITH: You know, we have an actress on our show who is not married, and said, having seen the show, she - she somehow thinks that relationship is incredibly hopeful, even in its dark, dark - you know, in its darkest days, the fact that they`re still slugging it out makes her feel good inside.
So, you know, I think that we`re trying to create a show that is realistically without being - without being too dark.
ANDERSON: Speaking of realistic, a lot of couple have arguments. You know, we fight, and then later we laugh about it.
Do you guys, when you argue - if you argue, but when you do - do you argue for 22 minutes or less, so that you have a good, solid episode storyline on your hands?
GOLDSMITH: In fact, sometimes about 12 minutes into a good fight, we`re ready to make up. But.
YUSPA: We can`t.
GOLDSMITH: We can`t, because we need - you know, we need the second-half of the episode. So we`ll - we`ll.
(CROSSTALK)
YUSPA: The really (INAUDIBLE) comments come out (INAUDIBLE)
GOLDSMITH: Yes. That`s - that`s where we really dig in and - yes.
ANDERSON: You`ll keep on going. A lot of times I don`t even remember what I was fighting about in the first place.
So do you, when you have an idea - you immediately write it down? How does it work?
YUSPA: We do. We have - we have a little - I have a little notepad with me and, you know, we - there`s also sort of a.
GOLDSMITH: We`ll attempt to dissipate the tension of a marital fight when you realize it could all be a write off.
YUSPA: Right.
GOLDSMITH: You know? It`s all - it`s all a business expense now. So let`s just get it down.
YUSPA: Right.
GOLDSMITH: .and go to work. And - and.
YUSPA: Tell everyone we work with what we fought about the night before and then.
GOLDSMITH: Yes. It`s.
ANDERSON: And have fun with it in the show.
Well I got to tell you, this summer has been really - the high- profile-separation summer of couples, it seems. You had Christie Brinkley and her husband; you had Dave Navarro, Carmen Electra. You also had Hilary Swank, Chad Lowe.
You guys are in the business, in the industry, successfully married, second child on the way - congratulations.
YUSPA: Thank you.
ANDERSON: But what`s your secret? How do you make it work?
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: I stumped you on.
(CROSSTALK)
YUSPA: We`re only four years in, so.
(CROSSTALK)
GOLDSMITH: Yes. So gives us - yes, give us - give us a couple years. I mean, you know?
ANDERSON: So still newlyweds.
GOLDSMITH: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
GOLDSMITH: It`s hard in Hollywood to stay together, you know, because there`s just so many damn good-looking people, you know, on both - both sexes. So - yes, we`re doing our best.
YUSPA: Yes.
ANDERSON: And don`t be tempted by.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: All right. Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa, thank you both so much for being here. Congratulations on the new show.
And you can catch it, "Til Death," tomorrow night on Fox.
HAMMER: A reminder that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now be seen seven nights a week. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show is on your weekends, as well as Monday through Friday. So join us, won`t you? For SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Saturday and Sunday, and of course each and every night at 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific.
ANDERSON: Last night, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "`Croc Hunter` Killed: Have wildlife shows become too dangerous?" Forty-one percent of you say "yes"; 59 percent of you say "no."
Here`s some of the e-mails we received.
Darlene from Michigan writes, "Steve Irwin`s death was a freak accident. It has nothing to do with whether or not wildlife programs are too dangerous."
Sara from Oregon says, "Wildlife shows have gotten really dangerous, and thousands of people may die."
Stay with us; SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Music under. Master, stand by to your break. You can roll your break and effect black.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fade up, Go 3. Music under. And stand by, Brooke. Pre-set 7. Open her mike, dissolve LA, go.
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Wednesday night. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood, and you are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news program.
OK, we have been asking you to vote on tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: Have the media treated them fairly?" Keep voting: cnn.com/showbiztonight. E-mail us - there`s the address: showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
HAMMER: And if you didn`t think people cared, that "Vanity Fair" issue of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` baby sold out everywhere in my neighborhood.
Time now to find out what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Here is your "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
Tomorrow, how do stars like Angelina Jolie lose weight after they have a baby, and then get back to red-carpet (INAUDIBLE) so fast? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the stars` secrets tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, a very candid interview with Kim Basinger. She opens up about her painful and public divorce battle with Alec Baldwin. Kim Basinger joins us tomorrow in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Thanks for watching, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Glenn Beck is coming up next. That`s right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Keep it right here.
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