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Showbiz Tonight
Miss USA May Lose Title; Skinny Models Bad Role Models
Aired December 18, 2006 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes one-on- one with Angelina Jolie. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
SIBILA VARGAS, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And the most popular viral video of 2006, starring Britney Spears. I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
ANDERSON: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, is Miss USA tarnishing the tiara? Tonight, dramatic new details about what Miss USA may have been secretly doing that could get her fired by none other than Donald Trump.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT just has to ask, are these beauty pageants outdated anyway? Tis the season to be curvy. Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes a stand and says, once and for all, ridiculous, super skinny stars are out and curvy is in. It`s the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch that will make women everywhere say, right on.
VARGAS: Hi everyone, I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off. Tonight, one of the most beautiful women in America is facing the very ugly truth that she might be fired by Donald Trump. Miss USA, Tara Conner, has a morning meeting with the Donald, who owns the contest, and if what we learned today about the way she was reportedly behaving when the crown was off is really true, Tara Conner has got to be shaking in her boots tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JO PIAZZA, "NY DAILY NEWS": I think it should be a reality show. You know, if Trump knows what`s good for him, then he will pitch it to Fox for next season.
ANDERSON (voice-over): The controversy over Miss USA is certainly playing out like a juicy reality show. Scandalous allegations of wild partying, frequent hookups and drug and alcohol abuse are dogging Miss USA, Tara Conner. It`s creating tons of headlines and one big headache for Donald Trump. And like one particular reality show, the Tara Conner story looks likely to end with trump saying --
DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": You`re fired.
PIAZZA: It looks like Tara Conner, Miss USA, is going to lose her crown.
ANDERSON: Now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you new, up to the minute details of the shocking alleged behavior that seems likely to cost Miss USA her title.
PIAZZA: Tara Conner has kind of taken it to the extreme. She has been drinking really heavily, drinking in public. She was caught smooching Miss Teen USA at a club in New York City. And she apparently failed a drug test for cocaine.
ANDERSON: Jo Piazza, of the "New York Daily News." has been covering the Miss USA controversy. She tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Tara Conner strayed far from her roots in small town Kentucky.
PIAZZA: Some of her friends back home in Kentucky are saying they are really surprised. She was always a good girl, a sweet girl, you know, very well behaved. All of a sudden she was given all access to all the hottest spots in New York, and I think it really just got to her head. Immediately after she was crowned, she really started hitting the night life circuit in New York, and really just flaunting her actions around town.
ANDERSON: To add insult to injury, Conner was under the legal drinking age when all of this wilding out reportedly happened. Harvey Levin of TMZ.com tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the final straw for pageant officials.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: This woman was canceling appearances, we`re told, and that really upset them, because their whole stock in trade is having a Miss USA who is front and center all the time, and that wasn`t happening. She was MIA a lot.
ANDERSON (on camera): Here at Trump Place, on Manhattan`s upper west side, Conner shared an apartment with Miss Universe, Sulaka Rivera (ph), and Miss Teen USA, Katie Blair (ph). And word is that Conner`s wild partying made this place look more like a house on MTV`s the "Real World." Now, with reports that Conner`s already moved out, the question is whether anybody else will be following her out the door.
(voice-over): Conner`s roommate, Miss Teen USA, Katie Blair, is reportedly also under scrutiny.
PIAZZA: Katie has apparently been Tara`s accomplice, going out and partying, drinking. I can`t imagine that Katie is going to get out of this unscathed.
ANDERSON: Now that this scandal appears to have ensnared two beauty queens, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reports the strict rules of conduct these young women live under.
JENNIFER MURPHY, FORMER MISS OREGON: You`re not supposed to be out drinking and partying in public.
ANDERSON: Jennifer Murphy, a former USA contestant, as Miss Oregon, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that for beauty pageant winners, clean living is required for the job.
MURPHY: You`re supposed to be setting a positive role model for young girls. And I think it is more just what they want to you showcase, versus what they don`t want you to do. They are not wanting you to break the law. They are not wanting you to go into bars underage.
ANDERSON: This dusty news reel shows it all, the days when beauty pageant contestants were headline making and clean-living stars. But times have changed. And Piazza, of the "Daily News," tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that in the age of hard partying Lindseys and Britneys and Paris Hiltons, Miss USA might have to change with the times.
PIAZZA: I think that, you know, the pageant organizers are going to have to take a look at what they expect from their girls. Because if you have an 18 and a 20-year-old girl living in New York City, I don`t know how strictly they are going to follow rules like that.
ANDERSON: With this latest scandal, it appears that Miss USA 2006 is now less of a role model and more of a cautionary tale.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: So, can you blame a 20-year-old, Miss USA, for letting loose in the big city? Should the pageant get with the times? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the inside story from two former Miss USA finalists. With us tonight from Hollywood, you saw her in the piece, Miss Oregon 2004, Jennifer Murphy, and from Davey, Florida, Miss Missouri 2001 and Bikini.com supermodel, Larissa Meeks. Welcome to you both.
MURPHY: Thank you for having us.
ANDERSON: Jennifer, I want to start with you. Let`s say Tara Conner did go overboard with the partying. Are we being a little old fashioned here, or is it bottom line that hey, you signed up for this job. If you mess up, that`s it, you`re fired?
MURPHY: Well, I think absolutely not. We`re not being overboard here. She knew what the rules were when she signed up. She is Miss USA. She signed up to be a role model for the nation. We`re rMD+IN_rMDNM_definitely rMDNM_not being too hard on her.
ANDERSON: And there are a lot of requirements when you win this title, I`m told. Larissa, when you were in the Miss USA competition, you had dreams of winning in the back of your head. Did you think, did you know, hey, if I get this, I better be on my best behavior? I better be a good girl for the next twelve months?
LARISSA MEEKS, MISS MISSOURI, 2001: Absolutely, I mean, there are so many girls that would love the opportunity to have -- to be in that position and have all these doors open for them. So I think you have to look at it like a job. It`s like having a job. You have responsibilities. And if you`re out doing things that are going to compromise your obligations, then it`s a problem. So I also think that, looking in that point of view, that she is probably invited to a lot of the parties and put in a lot of situations that might not be the best. And I don`t know, maybe they need to have chaperones, if they`re out, you know, doing these different events, or going to parties.
ANDERSON: Could be an idea. Maybe they do need to look into it, Larissa. Jennifer, there are all these rules of conduct, things you aren`t supposed to do in public. Is there, sort of, a wink wink attitude behind the scenes? As long as you`re not caught, you`re OK, but then she got busted, didn`t she.
MURPHY: Well, I don`t think there is really that wink wink going on behind the scenes. I think, as a pageant girl in the past, I knew I had so many obligations, so many duties. You`re out there promoting charities. There are so many things they are wanting you to be doing, and most of the girls that I met at Miss USA had that same attitude. I mean, you`re always going to have the wild ones in the bunch. And, I mean, I was over 21 when I was competing, and I would drink, but I just knew that at times I had to be really careful, especially if there were a lot of people around. I had to make sure I was setting a good example and was being a good role model. I think usually there is a pretty good attitude among the girls, though.
ANDERSON: Larissa, there are all these reports of Tara not only partying, but not showing up to scheduled events, not showing up to work duties. What if she had shown up for everything, did her work as she was told to do, would it have been as big a, deal if it didn`t interfere with her obligations?
MEEKS: Well, I think there is definitely a difference between socializing and a difference between partying. If feel that, you know, if there aren`t some kind of repercussions, whether or not she was caught, but -- the fact that you`re a role model, and maybe we have become too desensitized about what we view as acceptable behavior. So, you know, I kind of think if the allegations are true, then there needs to be some kind of repercussions, so that it doesn`t enforce that behavior to other young girls that look up to her and say that this is OK.
ANDERSON: You say desensitized to acceptable behavior. Can you elaborate on that?
MEEKS: Well, just looking at things in the media and maybe certain role models that girls look up to, we see certain behaviors happening, and some women have gotten more exposure because of it. I don`t know, as a society, that, you know, society is really changing, and we`re seeing some things being acceptable, when maybe they shouldn`t be.
ANDERSON: Jennifer, all this being said, lots of people say the whole idea of pageants is outdated, and that in fact -- you know, some people say they`re degrading to women, especially some are very critical of the swimsuit portion, saying women parade around like a pieces of meat. What do you think. Do you agree with that? Are they outdated? Do they need to change with the times?
MURPHY: I think the pageant system has changed over the years. They do change with the times. They make updates all the time, if you really look back throughout the years. And I think it is such a wonderful way for women to get out there and to show what they are doing for themselves, to show their independence. Usually women competing are very educated. They`re very driven. They have goals. They`re in their community, involved, and it promotes that. I think it is a wonderful way to get positive role models out in the media and all the more reason to really crack down if someone is going against the rules like this.
ANDERSON: Larissa, very quickly, does Trump -- does he have any other choice but to fire her at this point?
MEEKS: If the allegations are true, I think they are going to definitely have to deal with the situation, and, I mean, whoever, if the girl that goes in as first runner up takes over the responsibilities, it`s kind of a shame, because she won`t get the opportunity for the full reign. So, it just would be nice to see a girl that has great values and is a great role model to every other girl out there that looks up to her.
ANDERSON: Well said. Jennifer Murphy, Larissa Meeks, thank you both so much for your insight. We appreciate it.
Donald Trump, who owns the Miss USA pageant, has scheduled a press conference for tomorrow. I am going to be right there and we will bring you extensive coverage of the Miss USA controversy tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
VARGAS: Well now we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Miss USA controversy, are beauty pageants outdated? Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us e-mail at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com. And remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. Just look into your video camera or web cam and send us a piece of your mind via video e-mail. It`s real easy. Head to our website, CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT, to learn just how to do it, and check out your video e-mails only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is one-on-one with Angelina Jolie, and she says, kids and paparazzi don`t mix. Angelina, Brad Pitt and their kids were absolutely swarmed by photographers when they were in India, where Jolie was filming a movie. When she sat down with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s A.J. Hammer, she said she knows they are public people, but when it comes to the kids, there has to be a line drawn. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: I personally think there should be at least a law about how close somebody should get to a child. You know, there are a lot of long lenses now. There is no reason that somebody has to be this close to a kid`s face, because it scarce kids, and it psychologically affects them. Like, I personally would just -- I would like to be able to take my kids out. I`m not walking them down a red carpet. We`re just going out. So, we`re not asking for press. We`re really trying to just live our life. So for that, for, I think, children, there should be some kind of -- some kind of law to protect them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We have much more to come in our one-on-one with Angelina Jolie, including her take on gay marriage and the controversy after Brad Pitt talked about the issue. That`s coming up at 45 minutes past the hour.
VARGAS: So Brooke, in a year of viral videos, what do you think was the most viral? Coming up, the most searched for video of 2006, starring Britney Spears.
ANDERSON: Britney Spears, of course, Definitely looking forward to seeing that again, I guess. Plus this video may not have made the list, but how can you go wrong with Santas in Speedos? That`s next. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some people are naturally thin. Some people are naturally curvy. And it`s fine that we`re all different.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: That`s right, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is declaring, once and for all, skinny is out and curvy is in. We`re saluting the stars who send a great message by refusing to be rail thin. That`s coming up. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off. Time now for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video of the day. Ladies and gentlemen, Santas in Speedos. It`s an event in Albany, New York where about 60 guys gathered at, where else, a bar and then stripped down and ran to a park. One participant said, nothing says holiday cheer better than an out of shape man in a pair of Speedos. It was for a good cause though. The event raised about 5,000 dollars for a local AIDS charity.
VARGAS: Time now for the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch, where we cover issues of body image in Hollywood like no one else. Tonight, new steps to get anorexic models off the runways. The Italian government and the fashion industry are waging a war against unhealthy thinnest. They have come up with a regulating code that calls for more attention for fuller figures. The code also commits to adding larger sizes to fashion collections. a fashion spokesman says the code is trying to regulate fashion so the industry doesn`t get blamed for sending a message that eating disorders are OK.
ANDERSON: You know, it`s hard not to notice the trend toward thinner models, but it wasn`t that long ago that super models, like Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangalista (ph), Naomi Campbell, literally owned fashion runways. Remember that? So, how did we get from those sexy super models to super skinny ones, who seem to be making headlines just because they are too skinny? Where have all the super models gone? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the fall of the supermodel.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: In the 1990s, there was Cindy, and Kristy, Naomi, and, of course, Linda. They were super models who everyone knew by their first name.
MARY ALICE STEPHENSON, "HARPER`S BAZAAR": It was very exciting to see such personality on the runway during the supermodel era.
ANDERSON: And right before everyone`s eyes they blossomed into sexy women.
STEPHENSON: We grew up with them. They started as young girls, and they developed before our eyes, and became huge personalities -- curvy, glamorous and glorious.
ANDERSON: In fact, so glamorous, even George Michael shot a video using their famous faces for his 1990 song, Freedom.
CATHY GOULD, ELITE MODEL MANAGEMENT: Everyone remembers the George Michael video, which blew everyone away. And those were exciting times.
ANDERSON: Exciting times indeed, but fast forward to 2006 and super models on the runway are a thing of the past.
STEPHENSON: What we`re seeing is, when you show clothes on the runway, it`s not about the personality in them. It`s about the clothes.
ANDERSON: While designers may want their runways to be all about the clothes, but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you it`s not the clothes getting all the attention. It`s the super-skinny models wearing them.
A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: Something truly amazing has happened--
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was on top of this controversy when models who were too skinny were banned from runways in Spain, and we were all over the controversy, once again, when this scary, skinny, anorexic-looking model turned up on a runway at a major fashion show in France. So what gives? What`s happened to the curvy supermodel? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went right to the experts to find out just who replaced all those glamazons of the 1990s. And we found out it`s not the skinny models fault.
GOULD: We`re not looking to who is the next supermodel, because Hollywood is basically, kind of, taken the carpet underneath us from that.
ANDERSON: That`s right, blame it on Hollywood. The paparazzi ladened capital of the world has taken the spotlight off the runway and made celebrities the fashion goddesses of the world.
STEPHENSON: Our Claudia Schiffer, our Cindy Crawford are now Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson. Today it`s about the celebrity.
ANDERSON: Where before the fashion world looked to models on the runway to sell their clothes, now the action is happening off the runway, and the attention is on who`s wearing what on the red carpet. And they come in all shapes and sizes.
STEPHENSON: Whether they are a curvy Jennifer Lopez, whether they are a buxom Queen Lateefa (ph), whether they`re size two to size 14, those clothes are then made for the stars of today, in all shapes and sizes.
ANDERSON: One of the reasons the fashion world may be looking to Hollywood to help bring attention to their clothes is because with the super models leaving the runways, people are not paying the kind of attention to fashion shows that they used to.
GOULD: The shows are becoming boring, and I think designers, if they are smart, would take a chance and go back to the days when these shows were exciting.
STEPHENSON: And, remember, everything that is new was old and vice versa. So bring them back. Bring back the super models.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is happy to report there is at least one designer who is using one of those famous faces. Donatello Versace shot her 2006/2007 Autumn/winter campaigns using the one and only Christy Turlington. Well, we at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT have had enough with crazy skinny. And so we`re declaring skinny is out, curvy is in. And some major stars agree with us. That`s coming up at 31 past the hour. Stay with us for that.
VARGAS: Brooke, in a year of tons of viral videos, we have the most vile. Coming up, the most searched-for video of 2006, starring Miss Britney Spears.
ANDERSON: And check this out Sibila, why would Katie Couric pose for this picture? Yes, that`s her making the loser sign. What were they thinking? Coming up, we`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOLIE: I would like to be able to take my kids out. I`m not walking them down a red carpet. We`re just going out. So, we`re not asking for press.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is one-on-one with Angelina Jolie, a very revealing interview on everything from the paparazzi to gay marriage. That`s all coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Katie Couric is opening up about life behind the anchor desk at CBS. But what really got us talking today was a picture of her. I want you to check this out. There she is, for the January issue of "Esquire Magazine," holding up the loser sign to her forehead. It could be Katie showing off her self-deprecating personality, but we at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT have to say, what were Katie`s people thinking letting her pose like that amid some lukewarm reviews and less than great ratings. In an interview with "Esquire," Katie says the move to the CBS Evening News was a little harder than she thought it would be but, quote, it`s a job, it`s an important job, but it`s a job, and I try to keep it in its proper place. For more with Katie Couric, you can pick up a copy of "Esquire Magazine." It`s on news stands tomorrow.
VARGAS: Brooke, in a year of tons of viral videos, we have the most viral. Coming up, the most searched-for video of 2006, starring Britney Spears. And time travel --
ANDERSON: Oh, boy, can`t wait to check that one out again, Sibila. Also coming up, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is declaring, once and for all, skinny is out, curvy is in. We`re saluting the stars who send a great message by refusing to be rail thin, that rail thin is dangerous. We`re also going to have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOLIE: I would like to be able to take my kids out. I`m not walking them down a red carpet. We`re just going out. So, we`re not asking for press.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT going one-on-one with Angelina Jolie, a very revealing interview on everything from the paparazzi to gay marriage. That`s all coming up.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, everyone. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. A.J. Hammer has the night off. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight, if you ever wondered what it`s like to be Angelina Jolie, you`d better stick around. We`ve got a great interview, a one-on-one interview, where she talks about the paparazzi, she talks about Brad Pitt, and she talks about just about everything, really.
ANDERSON: It`s very revealing. She`s got some strong words for the paparazzi.
Also, Sibila, Britney Spears has no shortage of embarrassing moments. She might not find them embarrassing, but a lot of us do. So coming up, there`s a really strange video of Britney talking time travel, and it`s the most-watched celebrity video on the Internet for 2006. And we`re going to show it to you.
VARGAS: She said (ph) some strange things.
ANDERSON: Absolutely.
VARGAS: Some strange things.
ANDERSON: But first, the "SHOWBIZ Weight Watch" - more of it. It`s Hollywood`s obsession with body image that we cover like nobody else.
And right here, right now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is taking a stand. We are sick and tired of super-skinny models and actors sending a horrible message to their fans, especially kids, who look up to them as role models.
So listen up, Hollywood, because we`re saying, shapely is super.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Listen up, Hollywood: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s here to tell you size really does matter. And we are officially declaring that we have had it with super-skinny stars like Nicole Richie and Kate Bosworth sending a terrible message. It`s time to salute the women who are comfy with their curves - women like Jessica Simpson, Penelope Cruz and Beyonce Knowles, who loves her curves so much she wrote a hit song about them.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s A.J. Hammer sat down with Beyonce, who told him how she handles all the pressure to be thin.
A.J. HAMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You seem to have a real healthy attitude.
BEYONCE KNOWLES, ENTERTAINER: Yes.
HAMMER: .about image.
KNOWLES: You have to love yourself. And, you know, every one has their own personal body weight that - that is their natural weight and that looks good on them. And you have to accept that. Some people are naturally thin; some people are naturally - naturally curvy.
ANDERSON: And you can`t mention curvy without talking about Beyonce`s co-star in "Dreamgirls," Jennifer Hudson.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: Just like Beyonce, the former "American Idol" contestant combines confidence and curves - two things we just can`t get enough of.
JENNIFER HUDSON, SINGER: It`s about feeling good about yourself, not about who - I mean, if - if it feels good to be a size 0, then be that size 0. Whatever you makes you feel good. But don`t do it for somebody else.
I`ve been hearing it all my life, but it`s - it`s nothing wrong. I - I`m - I`m satisfied. I like - I like my thickness. I rather be thick any day.
ANDERSON: The message that "bony is beautiful" seems to be everywhere in Hollywood. Just look at Nicole Richie, who at just over 5 feet tall, admits to weighing an alarming 85 pounds.
Then there`s the incredibly shrinking Kate Bosworth, who has gone from fit and fab in "Blue Crush" to frighteningly thin following her starring role in "Superman Returns."
The message that these women send have a terrible influence on young women everywhere, who go to so-called "thinspiration" Web sites and try to emulate their favorite stick-thin stars. One study reveals 80 percent of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat - 80 percent.
SHERYL CROW, MUSICIAN: I`m - I`m a real advocate of health, and a - health first, obviously. You know, I love being fit. I - I don`t think skinny is beautiful.
ANDERSON: Jennifer Lopez goes down as one of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s all- time favorite curvy celebrities. We`ve always given her credit for flaunting her hourglass figure, and giving women a new reason to love the bodies they`re in.
GWYNETH PALTWO, ACTRESS: You - you want to sort of set a good example for young women who aspire to body shapes that they see.
ANDERSON: That`s why we want to see more women like Mariah Carey and Scarlett Johansson. More women like America Ferrera, the beautiful star of ABC`s hit show "Ugly Betty."
AMERICA FERRERA, ACTRESS: (INAUDIBLE) what I really thought, because the (INAUDIBLE) looked great the way she was.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT just loves the message that America sends to all Americans: that family, hard work and hope make you beautiful, not your weight.
FERRERA: Oh, I think that the important part is to show the differences in life and the differences of - of the different definitions of what beautiful is and what woman is and - you know, and - and I think that for every negative image out there, there`s got to be two positives images to counteract that.
ANDERSON: We couldn`t agree more. That`s why we are asking Hollywood to embrace women with meat on their bones - women like Jennifer, Beyonce and Mariah, who show us how perfect curvy can be.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: So that`s what we would like to see. But is any one in Hollywood listening?
With me tonight from San Francisco, Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, a group that keeps an eye on the media for kids and families.
And here in New York, supermodel and women`s advocate Emme.
Thank you both for being here.
EMME, SUPERMODEL AND WOMEN`S ADVOCATE: Thank you for having us.
JIM STEYER. FOUNDER/CEO, COMMON SENSE MEDIA: Good to be here tonight.
ANDERSON: Now Emme, you`ve - you know, you`ve both been on the show before. You know that we are covering this obsession with body image like no one else. It`s truly dangerous, Emme.
But do you think we`ll ever get to a point where super-skinny is not the trend, and that healthy is?
EMME: Yes, I really do believe that we will get there. We are getting there. We`re making strides. It`s really good to see that people are talking about this, thanks to CNN and a bunch of people that are finally saying, You know what? There is something wrong with young ladies dying.
ANDERSON: Yes.
EMME: .when they walk off the runways. Let`s not have this happen in America. We are - we feel horrible for what`s already happened. Let`s start making strides to tying up what the obsession is all about here.
ANDERSON: And - and you`ve mentioned young ladies dying when they walk off the runway.
EMME: Yes.
ANDERSON: Jim, we know Brazilian Ana Carolina Reston died recently from anorexia. You`ve also got Nicole Richie recently admitting that she only weighs 85 pounds.
What do you think? Is it going to happen - is this going to improve? Or is it going to take someone really super famous - another Karen Carpenter - before people sit up and think, Woah, something has to change?
EMME: Hope not.
STEYER: Well, this is a huge deal. And you`re absolutely right: some thing has to change. And it would be truly tragic if we need another Karen Carpenter-type death to wake up both the fashion industry and the broader entertainment industry about the messages that we`re sending to young people, particularly to young girls in this country.
You know, by the time the average girl is 13 years old today in America, half of them are unhappy with their appearance. And we see, you know, 7 million girls, 1 million young boys affected with eating disorders. This is a really big public health issue.
And.
ANDERSON: It`s absolutely shocking.
STEYER: And we can`t just sit here and say that one death is enough, or this is what triggers it. What we have to do is genuinely educate the fashion industry, as well as I think the broader entertainment industry, about some of these trends.
It be - it`s sad that we have to see Nicole Richie become this type of figure before people pay attention. We really need to educate young people out there about this message, and stop glamorizing thinness. Period.
ANDERSON: Absolutely.
Emme, you know, you`ve got Jennifer Lopez out there. You`ve got Jennifer Hudson out there, Beyonce. And we noted them in the piece. They embrace their curves. People would.
EMME: Sure.
ANDERSON: .love to look like them, a lot of women.
But why are not - why are they not the women that the majority of people are trying to emulate?
EMME: Well, it`s - it`s because of that drive for thinness, and what Jim was discussing, that we need to educate the - the fashion industry and the entertainment industry.
We also have to take a - a piece of the pie from the advertising industry, and say we need to have diversity of beauty, diversity of womanhood, whatever the representation is. We are not singular images of beauty; we are diversified. So we have to bang that home with, every time you see a - a home care product or any kind of image - any kind of product that`s using beauty to sell itself, we need to diversify that, and that`s first and foremost.
Then we have to also educate ourselves at home. How are we talking about ourselves in front of the mirror, and who are we doing it around? Our children? Eighty percent of American women aren`t happy with the way their appearance is.
ANDERSON: Unbelievable.
EMME: So, my goodness, we have a lot of work to do. So it`s step by step and - and educating ourselves.
ANDERSON: You both mention education, which is vital.
EMME: Yes.
ANDERSON: .I think in - in this race to improve what`s going on.
Jim, you know, Italy has just set up guidelines. So we`re hoping to improve the situation there. The Council of Fashion Designers of America is taking a stand as well, and we applaud their efforts.
EMME: Yes.
ANDERSON: But is it enough? Does the government need to get involved?
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: ..need to be governmental regulations?
STEYER: I don`t think you need to see governmental regulation.
EMME: I agree.
STEYER: But I do think you need to see far more leadership.
I mean, Emme is exactly right; we`ve got moms across America and dads across America who need to talk with their kids about some of these messages and images that they`re getting from the fashion industry. And this - just this past week, both Anna Wintour of "Vogue" and Diane von Furstenberg, very famous designer, have come out and said, What are we doing here? What is the message we`re sending about body images to young girls and boys across this country?
So before the government would get involved - and I don`t believe in - in - in that in this instance. I believe in real responsibility from the industry.
EMME: We can do this.
(CROSSTALK)
STEYER: But it`s going to take a long time. It`s not just one message. It`s not just saying, Wow, we`re really sorry about this model who died. Or, boy, this double-zero fashion really shouldn`t be out there. It`s about a sustained effort to change the images.
And to say, as Emme just said earlier - there`s a diversity of beauty here.
EMME: Right.
STEYER: And thinness is not the only form of beauty. In fact, in may ways, it`s a kind of sickness. And it can lead to truly unhealthy behavior on behalf not just of models, but of the girls and daughters that we all love.
EMME: And boys now.
STEYER: So we need to speak up.
ANDERSON: Yes.
STEYER: And boys, Emme. You`re absolutely right. This - you have over a million young men and boys who now have eating disorders. So the message.
EMME: It`s sad.
ANDERSON: Yes.
STEYER: It`s sad, but, you guys, by the way, at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, have done all of us a great service by putting the spotlight on this issue. And I think that`s part of why the fashion industry.
ANDERSON: Thank you, Jim. That`s.
STEYER: .finally has begun to say something about this.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: .final thoughts, Emme?
EMME: The - the polls that you`ve done - if you continue doing the polls, the public is definitely going to react and give you the information - their opinion. Let the - listen to the public.
When you go on to emmestyle.com or the nationaleatingdisorders.org Web site for information to help you understand what the heck is going on here, you can fill yourself with knowledge. But when you do your polls, it`s amazing; immediately you can see.
ANDERSON: Right. Exactly.
EMME: .what people are thinking and feeling.
ANDERSON: People are concerned. And we are going to.
EMME: Oh, yes.
ANDERSON: .continue to spotlight this very serious problem.
Jim Steyer, Emme, thank you.
EMME: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Thank you both for your insight, as always, on this very important, scary issue.
VARGAS: Brooke, you`ve probably heard about athletes getting in trouble for failing drug tests. But how about failing a gender test?
ANDERSON: What? That`s a new one for me, and how - how do you even test for that?
VARGAS: I don`t know, but you have to join me on this: "That`s..
ANDERSON: .Ridiculous."
VARGAS: And that`s next.
ANDERSON: Sibila, jumping off of "That`s Ridiculous!," Britney Spears talking about time travel. A revealing look at the most popular celebrity videos online, next.
We`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: I`d like to be able to take my kids out. I`m not walking them down a red carpet. We`re just going out, so we`re not asking for - for press.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Angelina Jolie there. She`s got some pretty strong words for the paparazzi, and - who just won`t leave her family alone. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s A.J. Hammer goes one-on-one with Jolie about that and Brad Pitt`s controversial comments about gay marriage.
That`s all next.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: .sound for the controversial promo. Roll X (ph), and dissolve sound now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
Time now for another story that made us say..
CROWD: "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: Pretty good, guys.
All right. A gender-bending scandal at the Asian games. An Indian runner who won a silver medal in the 800-meter race has been stripped of her medal. Now listen to this: that`s because she is apparently, a he.
Well, there are no mandatory gender tests for these games, but apparently she, he, whatever, was given one. Don`t ask us what the tests consist of; I`m not sure we want to know, do we?
But we will say that the running woman who turns out to be a man - well, "That`s Ridiculous!"
VARGAS: Now on to our very revealing one-on-one interview with Angelina Jolie. And she`s absolutely fed up with the paparazzi chasing around her family.
Jolie recently spent time in India working on a film with Brad Pitt about Daniel Pearl, the journalist who was kidnapped and murdered by Islamic terrorists. Pitt, Jolie and their children were followed by swarms of photographers while there.
Jolie talked about that frightening experience when she sat down with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s A.J. Hammer for her new movie, "The Good Shepherd." She also opened up about the controversy surrounding Pitt, after he said he and Jolie wouldn`t consider marriage until everyone - gay couples - could legally get married.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: You`re just back from India. Actually, every body knows that you`ve been in India.
And I have to say, I - I watched with a bit of horror what you guys had to endure over there. It was - it was difficult to watch; it was difficult to see the video coming back of the swarms of paparazzi.
You know that paparazzi comes along with the gig. It`s part of the job. But I`m sorry, it - what I was seeing coming out of there is above and beyond.
JOLIE: It was above and beyond. It was so much worse than anything we need. And - and their police didn`t seem to have any control of it.
HAMMER: Is it just completely out of control at this point? And - and obviously, this is an international situation. But generally speaking, do there need to be laws in place?
JOLIE: I personally think there should be at least a law about how close somebody should get to a child. You know, there are a lot of long lenses now. There is no reason that somebody has to be, you know, this - this close to - to a kid`s face. Because it scares kids, and - and psychologically affects them.
Like, I personally would just - I`d like to be able to take my kids. I`m not walking them down a red carpet. We`re just going out. So we`re not asking for - for press. We`re really trying to (INAUDIBLE) - so for that, for - for I think children, there should be some kind of - some kind of law to - to - to protect them.
And - and as I said, you know, we`re not saying you`re not allowed to take pictures of them. We understand. Whatever. You said - they`re - we`re public, they`re public. But - but I think a distance. A distance would be good.
HAMMER: Yes, you certainly know how to take care of yourselves. You`ve been around it long enough. But I - I totally agree. The kids - protect the children.
JOLIE: Yes, it`s just, there`s no need to scare them. You got a long lens.
HAMMER: I think a lot of people were applauding recently - Brad told "Esquire" magazine that you guys won`t consider tying the knot until all people who want to tie the knot can tie the knot.
Do you think that day - and I`m not asking this specially about you - but do you think that day is coming soon, where finally we`ll get some equality with that in this country?
JOLIE: I - I really don`t know. I mean, you know, I - I think certainly we`ve seen a lot of movement, forwards and backwards. But there`s a lot of people talking about it, and I think - you know, I hope so. I think - I think that`s the right thing. If you - if you want that, I - I don`t see why - you know, I - I - of course, every body should have the right to do that. You know, some body loves somebody and they want to - to be able - to be married. It`s, you know - you know, I..
HAMMER: It seems like a no-brainer, doesn`t it?
JOLIE: It - it does. It really does. But - and - and it`s sad how some people are so adamant against it. And I think that`s something that even he`s found from people responding to his comment, and you just - you found that there are certain people that - that have a certain anger and hate that - that you just still, you know, in this day and age, just expect a little more open-minded, you know, response.
But so be it. And - and so I feel for those people that - that (INAUDIBLE).
HAMMER: Your character certainly got to know what being left behind was all about. Margaret Clover is all but abandoned by her husband.
You got me help me out with how you - how you got into the headspace of playing a person like that. Because from what I know about you.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: It stood out. It stood out as - as - as something, I don`t think that`s her. It`s acting; she`s doing her job.
JOLIE: Yes.
But - well, you know, it - it is. But it`s that time in our history. You know, it`s the 40`s and 50`s, and, you know, women weren`t just, I`m divorcing you. That didn`t - wasn`t a common thing. And - and - and she was raised in a certain kind of way, with this elite group of people that had certain (INAUDIBLE) inside the - the same league of - of person and the same breeding, and you do this appropriately, and you - you know, I had etiquette classes from them.
This is who you are, and - and - and then, you know, you`re involved with the CIA. And it`s not like you can just say, you know, I`m leaving, and - and I`m taking my son with me. You know, it wouldn`t have been any possibility.
So I think, as a woman in some way, if I was in that situation, I would have stayed with my son. I would have a lot to drink.
HAMMER: Obviously. I - I meant about staying with the son.
JOLIE: OK. But I would have been.
(CROSSTALK)
JOLIE: .just like her. And I would have been not so dissimilar. I would have disintegrated in that world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And you can catch Angelina Jolie in "The Good Shepherd" when it hits theaters this Friday.
ANDERSON: Well, Britney Spears` recent controversial pantyless partying has put her front and center back into the spotlight. She`s also been passed around the Internet, and has the No. 1 Viral Video of 2006.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITNEY SPEARS, ENTERTAINER: Some people - have you ever seen "Back to the Future"?
KEVIN FEDERLINE, BRITNEY SPEARS` HUSBAND: Mm-hmm.
SPEARS: Is that possible? To time travel - travel space?
FEDERLINE: No.
SPEARS: Yes it is, Kevin.
FEDERLINE: OK, but not that we know of.
SPEARS: Maybe if - I think people can do that. I think some people are ahead of us.
FEDERLINE: Well, maybe. But they would never tell the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Possible to time travel speed (ph)? Yep, this just-plain- weird video of Brit and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Kevin Federline chatting about time travel and burping up a storm has been played 3 million times, according to viralvideochart.com.
Then, K-Fed apparently getting a text message from Brit saying she was divorcing him is the second-most watched Viral Video of the year.
Michael Richards` rant third most popular.
Lindsay Lohan dissing Paris Hilton fourth.
And then Paris crashing her Bentley rounds out the top 5.
So many stars, so much controversy. Get ready, as TV`s most provocative entertainment news show picks this most controversial celebrity of the year. You won`t want to miss this. The finalists tomorrow, then the big winner on Wednesday.
VARGAS: Well, on Friday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Beauty Pageant Winners: Are they good role models?" Only 10 percent of you say yes, they are. That means 9 out of 10 of you say no, they aren`t.
The e-mails:
Jo from Georgia says, "I think beauty-pageant winners are the right ones to look up to. Women that are doing things to make the world a better place should be the role models."
And Heather from Kentucky writes, "Even though it`s the parents` main responsibility to be a child`s role model, pageant winners should set standards, too."
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VARGAS: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Miss USA might have her title stripped because of reports of drug use, sleeping around and binge drinking. So, "Miss USA Controversy: Aren`t beauty pageants outdated?"
Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. And write us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
And remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinions on video. Just look into your video camera or webcam, and send us a piece of your mind via video e-mail.
It`s really easy. Head to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight, to learn just how to do it. Then check out your video e-mails, only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: It`s time to see what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Charles (ph), give us the marquee.
Tomorrow, a very special holiday visit, as WWE superstars visit U.S. troops in Iraq. Plus, a frightening mortar attack just steps away from the wrestlers, all caught on tape. And you`ll see it only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. WWE superstars and Edge and Shelton Benjamin, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
It`s the countdown to the most controversial celebrity of 2006. Tomorrow, you`ve got to tune in, because we`re going to pick the finalists - the stars who have done outrageous things all year long, the ones people just can`t stop talking about. The most controversial celebrity of 2006 finalists. That`s tomorrow.
That is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for hanging out with us tonight. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. Good night, everyone.
"GLENN BECK" is next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
END
