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Showbiz Tonight
Showbiz Discusses Super Skinny Celebrities; What were the Biggest Scandal Stories of 2006; Rob Lowe Talks About his New Movie
Aired December 26, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: The SHOWBIZ Weight Watch. American Idol`s Reuben Studdard on his dramatic weight loss. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And female stars who are bringing back curves and proving scary thin isn`t in. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. A special edition of TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: Tonight on this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the SHOWBIZ weight watch, Hollywood`s battle with body image.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that part of being an actress is that your body is a tool.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why thin is so in, it is driving some female stars crazy in the fight against fat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can get kind of insecure if I put on a lot of weight or something.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the pressure the stars are under and the unrealistic pressure they`re putting on us. Getting thin after giving birth. Tonight the secrets of how stars go from large to lean just after their babies are born. But are celebs who lose their baby weight too fast putting their lives in danger, and are they setting a bad example?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks the tough question in this special report on the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch.
ANDERSON: Thanks for spending some time with us tonight and welcome to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch. It`s a whole hour devoted to Hollywood`s obsession with body image. Some of the most famous names in entertainment have been speaking out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the nonstop pressure to stay skinny. And tonight the thin is in craze has gotten so ridiculous, it`s really become one big joke.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, "WHERE MY DOG`S AT?": Hey, Nicole, you look so emaciated.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, "WHERE MY DOG`S AT?": Thanks. Ten more pounds and I`ll be down to my birth weight.
HAMMER (voice over): Nicole Richie is a painfully easy target for MTV2`s new series, "Where My Dog`s At?" -- a laugh-out-loud take on Hollywood`s super-skinny celebs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, "WHERE MY DOG`S AT?": Mischa, let`s see your engagement ring.
HAMMER: Former "OC" star Mischa Barton and "The Simple Life`s" Nicole Richie have become poster children for Hollywood`s weight obsession, which is at a fever pitch. From "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Keira Knightly...
KEIRA KNIGHTLY, ACTRESS: You know what? How does it feel to always be called anorexic? I had no idea that I was.
HAMMER: ... to singer Nelly Furtado...
NELLY FURTADO, SINGER: There`s a lot of pressure to be thin.
HAMMER: ... and even Uma Thurman, who told me...
THURMAN: I can get kind of insecure if I`ve put on a lot of weight.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the pressure to be thin is something the stars can`t stop talking about.
KNIGHTLY, "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2": I`m here to find the man I love.
JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR, "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2": I`m deeply flattered, but my first and only love is the sea.
HAMMER: It`s gotten so bad, Keira Knightly couldn`t even talk about her role in the box office smash "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" without having to publicly deny that she suffers from anorexia.
KNIGHTLY: I don`t have it. I`m very sure I don`t have it.
HAMMER: At a press conference in England to promote "Pirates," Keira insisted she`s not an anorexic, although the disease has touched her personally.
KNIGHTLY: I`ve got a lot of experience with anorexia. It was in my family hugely. My grandmother and my great grandmother suffered from it. And I`ve got a lot of friends at school who suffered from it. So I don`t think it`s anything to be taken lightly.
HAMMER: Just days before Keira Knightly denied she had an eating disorder...
KATHARINE MCPHEE, "AMERICAN IDOL CONTESTANT" (SINGING): Man, I feel like a woman.
HAMMER: ... "American Idol" star Katharine McPhee admitted she did, revealing her longtime battle with bulimia.
Nelly Furtado tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that she sympathizes with McPhee.
NELLY FURTADO, SINGER: There`s a lot of pressure to be thin. There`s a lot of pressure to be stick thin, because to look thin on camera, you have to be like five pounds underweight, under your healthy body weight. So there`s a lot of pressure. So I think it`s easy to develop an eating disorder in this business.
HAMMER: Twenty-something stars aren`t the only ones thinking about the diet dilemma. Even tough girl, but still gorgeous, Uma Thurman tells me that sometimes she doesn`t like what she sees on the scale.
(on camera): You seem so comfortable in your own skin. And I don`t know if it was always that way.
THURMAN: I can get kind of insecure, like, if I put on a lot of weight or something, you know. But I just -- I try to even then not to be too -- too, like, killed over it. You know what I mean? It`s easy to feel embarrassed when you feel like people will comment if you`re fat, or this, or that, or the other, and I think that makes a lot of people in my line of work extremely self conscious. And I certainly know that when I feel insecure about something, you deal feel self-conscious.
HAMMER (voice over): Stars have their own ways of dealing with the weight pressure. Elizabeth Taylor says she ignores it.
In an interview with "Harper`s Bazaar," Liz sounds off on these rail- thin actresses, saying, "I wish I could be that size, but I can`t be. I enjoy food too much. In the end, I`m too hedonistic. I enjoy pleasures."
But, despite having their bodies scrutinized for the whole world to see, some stars are philosophical about the debate over Hollywood`s weight obsession.
KNIGHTLY: I suppose, in a way, it`s good that it`s out there and people are talking about.
THURMAN: Life beats you up enough. I mean, I`ve always been accused of being really hard on myself, and so I guess, you know, you`ve got to take it easy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And, you know, it is not just female stars. Just ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT we`re going to take a look at how Hollywood`s obsession with weight also affects men, men and eating disorders. It`s a story you definitely won`t want to miss, and it`s coming up on this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: These days more stars than ever before are putting their images and their bodies out there, endorsing diets. Three`s Kirstie Allie and Jenny Craig, Sarah Ferguson and Weight Watcher, and Anna Nicole Smith and Trim Spa. But in this battle of body image, do stars who push diets do more harm than good? I asked two experts for some answers, from VH-1 Celebrity Fit Club, Doctor Ian Smith, and Liz Perle from Common Sense Media. It`s a group that keeps an eye on the media for kids and families. Here`s what they told me.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IAN SMITH, "CELEBRITY FIT CLUB": Well, I think celebrities, in general, when they go on these weight loss campaigns can set unrealistic expectations for the average person, because there is a lot of extra assistance that these celebrities get.
But the idea on our show in particular and with my diet, the idea is we try to train them in the proper lifestyle behaviors that are necessary to make these changes to live regular.
Someone like Kirstie Alley, who is doing, obviously, a campaign in which she is being paid to lose weight, the unfortunate part of that is -- I`m happy she has lost the weight, I`m unhappy that we don`t see how she really did it. All we see is every few weeks her showing up saying I lost another 10 pounds, another 15 pounds. Great advertising for the company, but tell us what you did to get there. Did you have --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: All that you did.
SMITH: Right, give us everything. I think that`s unfair.
ANDERSON: Yes, Liz, what do you think? When we see celebrities on "Celebrity Fit Club" -- and it`s not just Kirstie Alley going on "Oprah," but do you think that the outcome is -- that same outcome could be improbable for a lot of us when we don`t have the same resources?
LIZ PERLE, COMMON SENSE MEDIA: Oh, absolutely. And what we try and do is explain to families that what you see on the television set is not necessarily what exists. I mean, I know that if I had her cast of PR people and trainers in my kitchen when I woke up in the morning, I could look like that, too. But most kids who are in the middle of forming expectations look to celebrities to give them a sense of what`s possible and what`s dreamable, and this is not realistic.
ANDERSON: And there are a lot of celebrities endorsing weight loss products. It`s not just Kirstie Alley with Jenny Craig.
PERLE: You bet.
ANDERSON: You`ve got Anna Nicole did Trim Spa. Also Sarah Ferguson with Weight Watchers. And you talked about this a little bit a minute ago, Dr. Ian, they are getting paid to lose weight. The whole world is watching them. They have a lot of pressure on them. The average person doesn`t have that same motivation, to say the least.
SMITH: No, not at all. And not only do the celebrities have the motivation, but the companies have the motivation because they have now invested in a celebrity weight loss in order to reap the benefits.
Listen, I`d like to see celebrities lose weight the right way, the healthy way, to exercise and eating right, and not advertise, and then show up on "Oprah" and say, I lost X number of pounds by doing it in a healthy manner. Why do you have to go the supporting of Trim Spa or Jenny Craig or any program...
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: So full disclosure?
SMITH: Yes, do full disclosure. Let`s do it without the endorsements. Let`s just do it because it is important for your health.
ANDERSON: And you know, it`s not just about the weight loss programs. It`s also about the gastric bypass, the gastric band surgery. I`m talking Sharon Osbourne, Al Roker, Carnie Wilson.
Liz, does that put the notion out there that, hey, it`s a quick and easy fix, but are we forgetting it`s dangerous, too?
PERLE: Well, you know, good on Sharon Osbourne for at least coming clean and saying she was vomiting all the time from it, because she couldn`t keep the diet that was necessary to do it.
I mean, these quick and easy fixes are part of this whole celebrity package that is easily conveyed in a one-minute commercial or a five-second spot, and this is really not realistic. It is a lifestyle change, and it`s about eating healthy for life.
But all through the media you see images of food, fast food, candy, this, that and the other thing, and it really -- we get so many mixed messages from the media about how to eat and how to be beautiful that it`s a wonder that people know what to do at all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Again, our thanks to Dr. Ian Smith, author of "The Fat Smash Diet," and you can also see him as a judge on VH1 Celebrity Fit Club. And thanks also to Liz Perle from Common Sense Media.
HAMMER: Getting thin after giving birth. Tonight, the secrets of how stars go from large to lean just after their babies are born.
ANDERSON: Also, in Hollywood, where thin is in and women are skinnier than ever, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the women who are fighting back and saying no to super skinny and yes to curves. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel that if I can get this off, and that is 60 pounds, that`s a lot, then other people can too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The startling things stars will do to land a role and help their careers, losing a ton of weight, total body makeovers. You`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a revealing look at Hollywood and body image, the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You know, many stars manage to lose weight and unveil a new look just in time to unveil their latest products. You may remember the days when talent actually got you places in Hollywood, but today things are a little bit different, and stars use their newly trained figures to revive their careers, or to get noticed for the very first time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): Kate Bosworth surfed on to the Hollywood scene in "Blue Crush."
BOSWORTH: I did "Blue Crush" when I was 18, and I had to change my body dramatically for that. You know, I think that part of being an actress is that your body is your tool.
HAMMER: From Janet Jackson...
JANET JACKSON, SINGER: I hate working out.
HAMMER: ... to Jessica Simpson...
JESSICA SIMPSON, SINGER: I had to really get into tip-top physical shape.
HAMMER: ... SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that celebs everywhere are lifting weights to help lift their careers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think if you`re talented enough, then your talent should speak for yourself and you shouldn`t have to use your physical attributes to promote yourself.
HAMMER: Case in point, Janet Jackson.
Back in the `90s, everyone was looking at her body with the release of her self-titled album "Janet." The complete body transformation was evident in "Love Will Never Do."
Take two. In 2006, the pop icon came out of hiding with this eye- popping "US Weekly" cover back in May after dropping 60 pounds, and just in time for the publicity rush for her upcoming new album, "20 Years Old."
Jackson tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she hopes to inspire others.
JACKSON: I feel that if I can get this off -- and that was 60 pounds, that`s a lot -- then other people can, too. And to know that there is hope, especially when you feel hopeless.
SIMPSON, "DUKES OF HAZZARD": Are you all ready to order?
HAMMER: Jessica Simpson used her super-sexy, super-toned figure to launch her movie career in the "Dukes of Hazzard" and tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she worked at it.
But here`s what we want to know: Are these built-up bodies trying to hide something?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For some celebrities, you know, like Jessica Simpson, they have to use their bodies, because obviously she has no talent.
HAMMER: But before Jessica there was Demi Moore. Her fabulous physique was the draw for 1996`s "Striptease," followed by "G.I. Jane" a year later. And she still had it six years later in "Charlie`s Angels Full Throttle."
MADONNA, SINGER (SINGING): Like a virgin...
HAMMER: Then there`s Madonna, who started her Reinvention Tour at the ripe age of 47. It used to be her songs, their messages and her outrageous behavior that got our attention. But now it`s Madge and her yoga-inspired figure that steals the show.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Madonna has used, you know, a myriad of talents to come and show you, this is who I am, this is who I am, through reinvention. One of the ways was her body. She didn`t say, "This is my body, therefore I am," like a lot of others which I`d rather not mention, because they know who they are.
HAMMER: So, in the end, it`s not just about talent when you have a bod that everyone wants to gawk at. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you right now...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you`ve got it, you`ve got to flaunt it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Absolutely, and if you`re wondering just how Janet lost the incredible 60 pounds, Miss Jackson tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that she and her trainer are putting out a book and a video on exactly how she dropped the weight.
ANDERSON: You know, skinny isn`t always sexy, especially in Hollywood. In the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT news room, we get just about every celebrity magazine out there, but recently we can`t help but notice how almost every cover has featured a super skinny star, and, quite frankly, we`re getting a little sick of it. So tonight we ask you, what happened to Hollywood`s curvy women?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Kate Bosworth, Nicole Richie, Keira Knightley. Starlets looking thinner than ever.
But here`s what SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wants to ask: is this really how our leading ladies should look? Should they be wasting away right before our eyes?
A generation ago, we were mesmerized by this: a curvaceous and oh- so- sexy Marilyn Monroe.
Now, it`s this. Stick-thin stars like "Superman"`s Kate Bosworth, who some say are quite simply, scary skinny.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Size 2 used to be in, but now it`s size 0. So everybody is just getting thin. It`s Hollywood, baby.
CHILTON: You know, people have become obsessed by this at the moment. People are just fascinated by skinny people.
ANDERSON: But why? Why in the world are we fascinated by stick-thin stars? Most women don`t look like them. In fact, several studies show the average woman in America is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 144 pounds. That`s a size 14.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You wouldn`t know that. You wouldn`t know that look at all these - these covers of the magazines and all these celebrity shows.
CHILTON: Most of the women that we see in magazines and on TV - TV screens and cinema screens are, you know, a size 0 or a size 2. So there is a kind of a fascination from people, I think, especially women, to see these very, very skinny celebrities.
ANDERSON: And there is also pressure on those celebs to keep the weight off. Listen to what Uma Thurman told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
UMA THURMAN, ACTRESS: I - I can get kind of insecure, like, if I put on a lot of weight or something, you know? But I just - I - I try to even then not be too - too, like, killed over, do you know what I mean? Like, you just - it`s - it`s - it`s easy to feel embarrassed when you feel like people will comment if you`re fat or this or that or the other. Or - and I think that makes a lot of people in my line of work extremely self conscious.
ANDERSON: Well, we at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT say don`t worry about it, Uma and everyone else. It`s time to end the addiction to skinny stars.
We want leading ladies with some meat on their bones. We want more women like JLo.
CHILTON: Nicole Kidman, who`s, you know, famously not curvy, actually came out and said that she admires Jennifer Lopez`s curvy body. And she said, I wish I had boobs and a butt like Jennifer Lopez. You know, she said, I think that`s more beautiful on a woman to have curves.
So it`s not just women in the street who want JLo`s body. It`s - you know, it`s $25 million-a-movie Nicole Kidman who wants - who wants JLo`s body.
ANDERSON: Wow. Who knew? But hey, if we`re talking about JLo, we can`t forget about Beyonce.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: She loved her curves so much, she wrote a hit song about them.
(SINGING)
CHILTON: What better tribute to your - to a part of your body can you get than that?
ANDERSON: We think bigger is most definitely better.
Just ask Kate Winslet, who has often talked about her full figure and how she`s just fine with it. Well, so are we.
But are you? We sent SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Kerri Hill (ph) to find out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think Hollywood has gotten too thin?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. I think they celebrate bodies that aren`t normal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some of them, they look good. But some of them, they need to eat a piece of bread.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t be scared of the carbs; eat as much as you can if that`s what makes you happy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I personally think that curvier women are sexier.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: We at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT think a star like Kelly Clarkson puts it all in perspective: beautiful, confident, successful, all in one perfectly curvy package.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Still ahead on this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch, there is a lot less of former "American Idol" champ Reuben Studdard. He lost more than 70 pounds. How did he do it? Find out in the interview you`ll see only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: And the secret how stars go from large to lean just after their babies are born. But could losing baby weight too fast be dangerous? We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are being influenced by the media images, which are portraying very large muscles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It is not just women who are battling the pressure to look a certain way. Coming up, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates men and eating disorders.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch. Tonight Kate Winslet; she is setting the record straight about all the tabloid reports that she has had a weight problem, and she is lashing out against the super skinny stars and the bad message they are sending. Kate tells "In Style Magazine," I was very vocal about it, but the truth is, I never really had a weight problem. I certainly went through a time when I didn`t eat enough and went through another chunk of time when I probably ate too much. It seems to me they are breeding a whole new generation of anorexics. I look at people and want to say, look, it`s really all right, you can eat something.
Kate also says she would never get plastic surgery because, kind of jokingly here, her husband would leave her.
HAMMER: Well SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is happy to applaud stars like Kate Winslet who are setting a positive body image message. In fact, when the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff was debating which Hollywood stars give of the right idea about body image, Kate right there on the list.
So here are our picks, as we said, Kate Winslet, for always speaking out about being healthy, not skinny. She even took "GQ Magazine" to task for doing to much retouching when she was on the cover, saying it didn`t look at all like her. Reese Witherspoon embraces the curves that motherhood has given her, and is comfortable in her own skin. Drew Barrymore has gone through many different looks, and she always seems to take the healthy approach when it comes to her weight.
Sultry Scarlett Johansson is curvy and unapologetic and she exudes plenty of confidence about it. And finally Salma Hayek is high on her sexy curves. She also puts her money where her mouth is, as the executive producer of ABC`s "Ugly Betty," which is all about breaking the Hollywood mold.
ANDERSON: Richard Simmons always has a lot to say about Hollywood`s obsession body image. Why he thinks children could really be at risk, coming up.
HAMMER: Plus "American Idol" heavyweight Reuben Studdard dropping some serious wait. Reuben Studdard is going to share his weight loss secrets. That`s coming up in the interview you will only see on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Katie Holmes went into a little black box, had a little baby, and came out buying couture clothes. This does not happen to your average person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Getting thin after giving birth. Tonight, the secrets of how stars go from large to lean just after their babies are born. You`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Stay with us. It`s the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch.
(NEWS BREAK)
(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 am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Brooke, here we are. It`s the beginning of December - the time of year when we tend to get reflective.
Now 2006 certainly had no shortage of scandals. But what were, in fact, the most shocking scandals of 2006? We`re going to break them down for you, coming up in just a couple of minutes.
ANDERSON: There have been a number of them. Looking forward to that, A.J.
Also, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad is on the loose on yet another big Hollywood question. And it is this: has Lindsay Lohan reached out to former vice president Al Gore to help her clean up her image?
HAMMER: Huh?
ANDERSON: That would be an interesting pair, wouldn`t it? That is just ahead, A.J.
HAMMER: Yes, want to know if Mr. Gore had anything to say about that.
But first, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad is also demanding answers to the question that`s got everybody talking today: Is Rosie O`Donnell already leaving "The View"? Rosie O, who just started in September, apparently made some sort of a comment to the studio audience during a break that she`s been offered a role on the network FX.
Now one report says she`ll be on "Nip/Tuck," one of her favorite shows. Other says that it`s a spin-off of the show. There`s even some talk about fighting among "The View" ladies, that they think Rosie`s taken over the show.
So I want to co-host, Mother Barbara herself - Barbara Walters - so she could set the record straight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": Rosie said today on the program - I`m staying, I`m here. If she does she does do "Nip/Tuck," she can do it on the summer vacation, or perhaps they will do it in New York. It`s - it`s one of her favorite shows. But she said, I`m here. I`m staying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Can`t ask for better than that. Barbara Walters herself giving it to us straight. It`s her show, after all, so we`re happy that she was able to fill us in.
Barbara tells me that how she chose the most fascinating people of 2006 - that`s going to be coming up on Monday.
Now tomorrow`s a big day for Mel Gibson. This is his first movie coming out since his anti-Semitic tirade. It`s called "Apocalypto." It`ll be in theaters finally.
From Mel to Michael Richards, this has certainly been an almost unprecedented year of celebrity scandal. Well tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT deals with the scandals that made our jaws drop.
Celebrity journalist and good friend Pat Lalama joining us tonight from Hollywood.
Hello, Pat.
PAT LALAMA, CELEBRITY JOURNALIST: I love how you call me for the scandal stories.
HAMMER: That`s who you do.
Let`s get rolling with it, with Michael Richards, who kind of hand in hand, one with the other. Of course, the man known as Kramer from "Seinfeld," went on that big racist tirade on stage at L.A. comedy club The Laugh Factory after he was heckled, including repeated use of the "n-word."
The shock value here, Pat, just unbelievable.
LALAMA: It was unbelievable. You know, it`s sort of like the year that celebrities just lost their minds. And - and he can`t even blame alcohol for this one. Claims he`s not a racist. But you know what? Somewhere deep, down inside, I want to check out the childhood to see if that guy used to, like, drown cats. Because there was something really, really horrid and full of rage in what he said.
I hope he gets help. I hope he can recover from this. But I think careerwise it`s going to be a real hard thing to erase, A.J.
HAMMER: Yes, he said anger was at right at the center of it.
LALAMA: Yes.
HAMMER: .and he`s trying to get some help with that.
Let`s move on, then, to someone else who certainly had every fired up. Mel Gibson was arrested for DUI and it made big headlines because it was discovered that Mel went on this big anti-Semitic rant when he was.
LALAMA: Right.
HAMMER: .when he was pulled over.
Which - which do you think, Pat, was more scandalous here, the Mel Gibson or Michael Richards situation?
LALAMA: I - I think it was Michael Richards, and I think because, at least in Mel`s case - and I`m not forgiving him - I`m saying there are these, you know, circumstances that any lawyer might want to throw out there in a court. You know, he was way, way under the influence. He already had a certain controversy attached to him because of, you know, his - his past movie, "The Passions" (sic). And, you know, I think - so people weren`t all that - I mean, they were like, Ah, oh my goodness. But it wasn`t like Michael Richards where it just came out of nowhere.
And, you know, remember: you can`t forget the fact the bottom line speaks volumes. He`s still a moneymaker. You mentioned "Apocalypto." He`s still got cache, and I think there`s a little bit of a forgiveness factor, more so - more so - I mean, I hate to say that money can do this, but it can do - more so than Michael Richards.
HAMMER: Yes, and it`ll be really interesting to see if Hollywood has forgiven already, particularly when Oscar consideration times comes around.
LALAMA: Yes.
HAMMER: Let`s move on now to Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook. They got divorced. We`re talking about a guy who was married to one of the most beautiful women in the world. Then the rumors start floating around that Peter allegedly had an affair with his 19-year-old assistant.
Now couples cheat on each all the time, unfortunately. But why did this one strike such a chord, Pat?
LALAMA: This struck such a chord because he was very involved with her - her children from other relationships. He was a really good dad. He was even shopping for toys for the children when he met this little baby girl. And that`s what I`m going to call her.
You know, I told - I told my guy, If you get around to wanting to do this, just go buy a Porsche and a gold chain, OK? I mean, and let`s call it a day.
This was clearly way beyond the life - mid-life crisis. A.J., he was hiding bundles of money throughout the town, and it was her job to go find the money. I mean, Come on, what an insult to Christie. Who knows what their marriage was like. Who knows what she`s like to live with. I don`t know; there`s always problems. But this was way beyond. I mean, he`s trying to say he`s sorry now, but I could never - I mean, I don`t think Christie can ever look back.
HAMMER: Yes, and it`s certainly taken its toll on the people in their lives.
LALAMA: Absolutely.
HAMMER: But let`s move on to the last scandal we have on our list: Tori Spelling`s rift with her family. This one is just sad to me. This family feud went on for awhile, but it really escalated when Aaron Spelling died in June, and apparently Tori was practically cut of the will. This guy is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
LALAMA: Right.
HAMMER: And word was she was cut out all because of the rift that she has with her mom, Candy. Not really a happy family situation here.
LALAMA: A.J., for all those people out there who wish they could live in the spotlight and all the money in Hollywood, this is a prime example that money doesn`t buy happiness and in this case, class.
I mean, are you telling me that this man, who made millions and millions, who was a legend, who changed the face of television - this is his daughter, his only daughter - she wanted a big wedding; Mama didn`t want to spend all the big money on the wedding. This is going to cause this kind of a problem? These people need serious, serious help. It makes me sick. I mean, go get some help. Oh, she`s only going to get a million dollars. I could live off that.
But that`s not the issue.
HAMMER: No.
LALAMA: The issue is that families shouldn`t come apart like this over such frivolous BS, OK? How about that?
HAMMER: Pat - that sounds like Pat. A lot of scandal in 2006. Of course, 2007 just weeks ahead.
Pat Lalama, thanks as always.
LALAMA: My pleasure.
ANDERSON: Yes, Tori Spelling actually having a yard sale - a garage sale this weekend at her home to sell a lot of her belongings. Make of it what you will.
OK, Eddie Murphy, listen up, because Scary Spice is insisting that the baby she`s carrying is yours. Melanie Brown, who used to be in the Spice Girls, is really upset about Eddie Murphy`s startling allegation that the baby she is going to have is not his. She tells "People" magazine there is absolutely no question that Eddie is the father.
Apparently, Eddie thought his girl was partying all the time, because on a Dutch TV show shockingly said that he didn`t know whose child it is until it has a blood test. Obviously, Eddie and Mel aren`t dating anymore. But pay attention, Anna Nicole Smith, because even though she hasn`t been asked, Mel has said she would agree to a paternity test if Eddie asked for one.
HAMMER: Well, Jim Carrey makes a shocking discovery: he might have stumbled upon his own murder. We`ve got your first look at "The Number 23." That is in tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase." That`s coming up next.
ANDERSON: A.J., here`s a weird one: will former Vice President Al Gore help Lindsay Lohan clean up her party-girl image? The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad hits the streets to figure that one out.
HAMMER: Rob Lowe, one of my favorite actors on TV, a guy who`s been in the business for so long. So what kind of advice does Rob have for today`s young stars on how they can stay grounded? Rob`s coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Camera 3 dissolve. Let`s get A.J. to desk with tracking for the next segment.
Effect black now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And it`s time now for yet another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Eh, you know, you make promises, you make bets over the years. Sometimes you say and do certain things - when pigs fly, right? Well, I - I guess you may have to pay up. Listen to this: a Mississippi man has been fined nearly 300 bucks because he tossed a 60-pound pig over the front desk of a Holiday Inn. Now he pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace, but he didn`t give any reason as to exactly why he tossed the pig.
The pig wasn`t hurt, thank goodness, and get this: the guy`s actually accused of throwing another animal at a Hardees restaurant. But he says he`s innocent of that one.
However we say, pitching a porker? "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: We are unleashing the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad again to solve Hollywood`s biggest mysteries. This time we`re asking: has Lindsay Lohan reached out to former Vice President Al Gore to help her clean up her image?
That`s right; according to "The New York Post"`s Page Six, La Lohan fired off a rambling e-mail to her friends saying that Gore approached her at an event and offered to help her turn her life around.
Well, we called Al Gore`s people, who say, yes, he and Lindsay did meet, and chatted briefly at the GQ Men of the Year Awards, if you`re keeping score. But nothing on what they talked about.
So, yes, whether or not you think Al Gore invented the Internet, you`re going to have to wait and see if he`s going to re-invent Lindsay Lohan.
HAMMER: That`s all very strange to me.
Rob Lowe has certainly had one of the most enduring careers in Hollywood. He made his mark as one of the most Brat Packers in "St. Elmo`s Fire." He was Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated for his great role on "The West Wing" as Sam Seaborn. And now, Rob is starring in a new TNT special just in time in for the holidays, called " A Perfect Day."
Rob joining us in New York.
It`s good to have you here.
ROB LOWE, ACTOR: Good to see you.
HAMMER: Man, anybody who has dreamt of fame and all that it can be should see this movie. I`m telling you, they should tune in for it.
LOWE: It`s a cautionary tale. That`s for sure.
HAMMER: It certainly is.
Your - your character in "A Perfect Day" is sort of down on his luck, lost his job. Writes a No. 1 bestseller, and very, very quickly shoots to fame and fortune. And then all of the trappings that come along with that play into what happens on - in his life. And he learns that there`s a pretty big price to pay for fame.
In - in your life, what - what do you think the biggest lesson you`ve learned about that price is?
LOWE: Well, you know, everybody`s story and everybody`s path is different. But for me, it was just really important that I have a life of - that meant something to me, outside of show business.
And, you know, in my case, it was - I moved out of Los Angeles. I have a great wife; I have great kids. And I have a life that`s completely outside and has nothing to do with show business. And - and I think that makes you well rounded. Again, and it keeps your grounded, like you`re inferring.
HAMMER: That balance is hard to strike though, particularly when everything`s being thrown at you all the time, and - and - and to - to think, Oh, there`s more to life than all of this?
LOWE: Well, listen, Los Angeles is a company town. You can`t get out of politics in D.C.; you can`t get out of show business in L.A.
HAMMER: Yes.
LOWE: So, I mean, the first step is just getting away from - from that - that scene, as much as I do love L.A.
HAMMER: And for this character in a perfect day, fame as I said - it`s - it`s all new to him.
I mean, you`ve had a few years to - to - to deal with it and - and what`s it been like. You know, and now we look at what goes on in Hollywood. And - and there certainly a lot of hard partying getting our attention these days, with the Britneys and the Lindsays all rolling - running around.
LOWE: Right.
HAMMER: You`re working with young stars all the time. I imagine you have some advice from your experience about how not to get caught up in all the wild (INAUDIBLE)
LOWE: Well, first of all, A.J. let me just say.
HAMMER: Yes?
LOWE: .how depressing is it when I`m the emanate (INAUDIBLE) in show business?
HAMMER: Well, you`re an icon now.
LOWE: You`re putting me away - I`m like the - like the old actor (INAUDIBLE)
HAMMER: No. No. It`s - you know, you`ve - you`ve - you`ve had a long and enduring career, as I said. So I don`t - you know, I think it`s - I think it`s a compliment, Rob.
LOWE: No, it is. I`m just giving you grief. It`s - I totally take it as a compliment.
And - listen, you know, I - part of the problem is - I think anybody in their 20s, you know, is - is going through a stage in life where they want to get wild and they want to have a good time. And I think everybody probably does it; it`s just tough when you`re doing it in the public eye, you know? And hopefully, you know, you come out the other end of it.
HAMMER: So the key to staying grounded - because it just seems so tough. I mean, you look at what happened to your guy in - in this movie, all of a sudden everybody is giving him everything he wants and the money`s rolling in, and everything that goes along with.
LOWE: I know. And - and particularly with - with my - my character in this movie, it just - he - he - he has to find a way to get back to the things that he loves. And that`s the emotional part.
You know, my wife is my toughest critic. I mean, there`s no pleasing her most of the time. And she cried the entire second half of this movie. And that`s when I knew, OK, we - we may have something here.
HAMMER: Well, and that touched upon the other - the other big note that this movie strikes, is the delicate balance between work, career.
LOWE: Yes.
HAMMER: .and, you know, everything - and your family.
LOWE: But, you know what? Listen, everybody struggles with - it doesn`t matter.
HAMMER: Oh, sure. It`s not just Hollywood.
LOWE: Yes.
HAMMER: But you - but you yourself have made - what is it? Fifteen years now you`re married?
LOWE: Yes, 16.
HAMMER: Something like that?
LOWE: Yes.
HAMMER: Two - two kids?
LOWE: Two kids.
HAMMER: Two kids. I mean, come on. That`s - that`s virtually unheard of these days.
LOWE: So far, so good, yes.
HAMMER: Yes. Yes.
And this is one of the first movies that was shot in New Orleans after Katrina.
LOWE: Oh, it was.
HAMMER: Give - give me a little sense of the vibe among the crew, and - and the types of things you saw. What - it was a really remarkable thing to be able to do.
LOWE: They were originally going to shoot it in Canada, and there was some talk of New Orleans. And I said, Well, what`s going to be - what - how are we going to decide? Because I`d love it to be New Orleans. And they just said it was a budget issue.
So I was able to give them one price for Canada, and a cut price for New Orleans. And they took me up on the cut price.
HAMMER: Nice.
LOWE: .and we ended up in New Orleans, which was great. And it was one of the first movies shot after the hurricane. In fact, our first day of shooting was one day to the year of Katrina`s landfall. And as we rolled our first shot, the bells across the city were tolling. And it was a beautiful, beautiful experience to - to be there with those people as they`re rebuilding.
HAMMER: You got "A Perfect Day." You`re now on "Brothers and Sisters," which by the way, is one of my favorite shows that has come on television this season.
Are you staying with the show? You have the whole arc built in there? Come on; what`s going to happen?
LOWE: I - you know, I wish I knew. I`m doing six of them right now.
I love the character. They have big plans for it, and everybody`s sort of discussing if it makes sense for all of us to go beyond the six. But as of right now, it`s - it`s six. And it starts in January.
HAMMER: So you got to feel pretty good heading into the holidays (INAUDIBLE)
LOWE: It`s - it`s a great part. It`s really fun.
HAMMER: Excellent.
Rob, I appreciate you dropping by, man.
LOWE: Thanks, man.
HAMMER: Thanks very much.
LOWE: Good to see you.
HAMMER: And make sure you catch Rob in the TNT special "A Perfect Day." It`ll be airing on December 18.
ANDERSON: In tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase," "The Number 23." It`s a psychological thriller starring Jim Carrey, who comes across a book that seems to be based on his life, but ends with a murder that hasn`t happened yet. Virginia Madsen and former "Boston Legal" star Rhona Mitra are also in it.
Here`s your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM CARREY, ACTOR: It`s brutal buying that (INAUDIBLE)
VIRGINIA MADSEN, ACTRESS: Actually, I`ve had a good long time to flip through it. Why don`t you give it a try?
CARREY: "The Number 23: A Heart-Wrenching Odyssey Into Paranoia, the Most Horrifying Metamorphosis Ever Told."
MADSEN: I`m buying this for you.
CARREY: Chapter 1: All I could think about was the number.
I met you when I was.
MADSEN: Twenty-three.
CARREY: And the day we met was?
MADSEN: September 14.
CARREY: 9/14. Fourteen plus nine is?
MADSEN: Twenty-three.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it all just a coincidence?
CARREY: I don`t know.
So what is 23?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are 23 axioms to Euclid`s geometry. The human body consists of 46 chromosomes -- 23 from each parent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two divided by three?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: .66 - the number of the devil.
CARREY: So is 23 a blessing or a curse?
I was born at 11:12 p.m. Eleven plus 12? Twenty-three.
My birthdate: 2/3. Driver`s license, Social Security numbers - they`re all 23. It`s - it`s imitating my life.
MADSEN: You`re concerned yourself with minutia and you`ve drawn wild conclusions from them.
CARREY: Every twenty-third word of every twenty-third (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I warn you: hell is waiting.
CARREY: The number - what does that mean?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
CARREY: Waco, Texas, and the Oklahoma City bombing both on April 19 (INAUDIBLE)
Four plus 19 is 23.
MADSEN: This is now who you are.
CARREY: The Hiroshima bomb was dropped at 8:15. Eight plus 15 is 23.
Thirteen years of lies! No more!
MADSEN: Don`t do this to us!
(SCREAMING)
CARREY: I killed you.
MADSEN: You would never hurt anyone.
CARREY: How do you know?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: "The Number 23" hits theaters February 27, 2007.
Last night, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." It was this - rapper 50 Cent doing the unthinkable: dissing Oprah, saying she`s lost touch with her African-American roots. So, "Oprah Criticized: Has she lost touch with the average person?"
Looks like most of you agree with 50 Cent: 72 percent of you say yes; only 28 percent of you say no.
We got a ton of e-mails on this. Here are a couple of them:
Lauren from California writes, "For years, she has been out of touch with the average person. She flaunts her wealth and her celebrity friends."
But Lea from Tennessee has got Oprah`s back: "It is sad that people choose to attack Oprah. She uses her money to do so much for others."
We do appreciate your e-mails.
Hang tight. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go 3, music under. Stand by, Brooke. Pre-set 7. Open her mike, dissolve. Go.
ANDERSON: Italy taking a huge step towards battling anorexia in the fashion industry. They`re coming up with a set of rules for models ahead of its world-famous Milan runway show.
So we`re asking you: "Super-Skinny Models: Should the government regulate the fashion industry?" Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
And you can also vote on the "The Question of the Day" by sending a text to 45688 - there it is. To vote yes, write "SHOWBIZ Yes." To vote no, write "SHOWBIZ No." Once again, send that text to 45688.
HAMMER: Oh, I`m going to get my cell phone out right now.
But first, I`m going to tell you what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And tomorrow, as we get into the weekend - well, you know what? We`ve just had it with super-skinny models and actors. So tomorrow, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is declaring curvy is the new skinny. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has a special look at the stars who are sending the message loud and clear that thin is out and shapely is super. We couldn`t agree more. It`s the "SHOWBIZ Weight Watch," tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, a woman who knows a thing or two about body image: Janice Dickinson, who claims to have been the world`s very first super model. She`s always outspoken about weight and body image, and wait till you hear how she`s celebrating the holidays. Christmas with Janice Dickinson, tomorrow.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, 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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