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Showbiz Tonight
Sarah Palin, The Biggest TV Star?; Elisabeth Leaving "The View"?; Helio Castronevez Arrested for Tax Evasion; The Biggest Reality Show Scandals Ever
Aired October 03, 2008 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, is Sarah Palin now the biggest TV star in the world? Move over "Grey`s Anatomy." So long, "Gossip Girl." It`s Sarah time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": It was the equivalent of the Super Bowl of politics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, the blockbuster debate, the huge ratings for her interviews. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, is Sarah Palin the biggest TV star on the planet?
Is Elisabeth Hasselbeck about to be fired from "The View?" Her tense moments with Barbara Walters. Her heated fights on "The View" over Sarah Palin. Tonight, for the very first time, Elisabeth addresses all of the wild rumors and sets the record straight.
Plus, "Dancing With The Stars" camp Helio Castronevez charged with hiding millions of dollars to avoid paying taxes. Tonight, the brand-new Helio shocker, as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals, the biggest reality show scandals ever. TV`s most provocative TV show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you from Hollywood where there are plenty of TV stars, but tonight the biggest TV star of them all just may be Sarah Palin.
HAMMER: That`s right, Brooke. Tonight, the remarkable fascination with watching Sarah Palin on TV. Tens of millions of people from coast to coast dropped everything they were doing on Thursday night, not so much to watch a vice presidential debate, but to watch Sarah Palin in a debate. Which, of course, came after Sarah Palin`s day-after-day, headline-making interview with Katie Couric. Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now reveal that Palin on TV is turning into ratings gold, and it`s making news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): It`s arguably the TV event of the year. Millions of Americans gathered to watch Republican vice presidential nominee and hockey mom, Sarah Palin -
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R-AK), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Here`s a shout-out to all those third graders at Gladys Wood Elementary School.
HAMMER: Square off against Democratic vice presidential nominee and Washington veteran, Joe Biden.
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D-DE), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My record for 25 years -
PIAZZA: It was the equivalent of the Super Bowl of politics. People were gathering in bars. They`re having parties. They were coming up with drinking games. I`ve never seen people come out like this in droves before candidates` debate.
HAMMER: But for all of the crowds who gathered to watch the debate, it was clear who the number-one draw was. Sarah Palin.
PIAZZA: People who love her are tuning in to watch her, because they really do love her, and they agree with everything she says. I have seen hockey moms go crazy and cheer at the screen at things that she says. And people that hate her want to watch her because they`re convinced something is going to come out of her mouth that will make some want to scream in the other way. They`re going to want to scream negatively.
PALIN: Hockey moms across the nation, I think we need to band together -
HAMMER: Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, the debate is over. Sarah Palin is the biggest star on TV.
PIAZZA: She`s absolutely a political celebrity.
HAMMER: Now, she has the ratings to prove it.
PALIN: Darn right -
HAMMER: An estimated audience of 70 million people watched the vice presidential debate. That is nothing to wink at.
HAMMER: That`s twice the number of people who watch the season finale of "American idol" and it`s more than 20 million viewers than the first presidential debate, featuring those two lesser-known senators.
PIAZZA: The presidential candidates, Barack and McCain, aren`t getting nearly as much press as Sarah Palin. She is just the biggest draw out there.
PALIN: It was the lamest set of jokes -
HAMMER: Speaking of jokes, Palin might find this funny. Her national debate debut was watched by 10 times as many people as Palin imitator Tina Fey gets for the average episode of "30 Rock." Well, Tina Fey has the Emmys.
And when you consider the tens of millions of viewers Palin drew to her convention speech, it`s clear that no one but no one puts eyes in front of TV screens like the Alaska governor.
PIAZZA: People are just drawn to her, because she is not just a politician, she is actually a character. It seems like she is playing a politician in, like, a lifetime movie.
HAMMER: And as some politicians would say, Palin`s stardom is trickling down. Katie Couric, who suffered from low ratings since she became the anchor of the "CBS Evening News" is getting more attention than ever for her can`t-look-away series of interviews with the Alaska governor.
PALIN: Helping the - It`s got to be all about job creation, too.
FEY: Um - it`s got to be all about job creation, too.
HAMMER: And ratings for "Saturday Night Live" are up about 50 percent, thanks in large part to Tina Fey`s attention-grabbing imitation of Palin.
PIAZZA: Sarah is really just good for everyone. Good for America, I don`t know. Good for celebrities, yes. .
HAMMER: Of course, with no more debates or convention speeches, there may not be many more chances for a big TV audience to watch the Sarah Palin show. That is, unless the McCain-Palin ticket wins the November elections. Then we`ll see how popular the Vice President Sarah Palin show will be.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Well, given how high the ratings are for all things Palin, it`s almost hard to believe that most of the nation never even heard of her a month ago.
With us tonight in New York, Ashleigh Banfield, anchor of "Banfield and Ford: In Session." Also in New York, Nancy Giles, who`s a commentator and contributor on "CBS Sunday Morning."
All right, ladies. As we heard, those early estimates unbelievable, indicating more than 70 million people watched this debate. That`s wild to me. It`s more than twice the number of people who usually watch the season finale of "American idol."
Ashleigh, any question about it? Sarah Palin the biggest star on TV right now?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, ANCHOR, "BANFIELD AND FORD": Yes, but stars can fade and we`ve seen a lot of that happen. I think the reason everybody was tuning in was there was such an incredible ramp-up from what Katie Couric was able to expose. And I think a lot of people sort of figured out it wasn`t going to be as great as I thought it was. I don`t know that she could bring in those kinds of numbers again.
HAMMER: But the expectations, as we all know, were not all that high for her. A lot of people, as I said, tuning in to see how she is going to do. And she did do much better than I think a lot of people expected.
What do you think, Nancy Giles, moving forward, do you think that her debate performance is going to make people even more interested in seeing her when she appears on TV, or have people really seen what they needed to see now and it will calm down?
NANCY GILES, COMMENTATOR, "CBS SUNDAY MORNING": Oh, I think they`ve seen what they needed to see. And actually, I take a little issue in all of the sort of polls that I`ve been seeing, including one on the "Today" show this morning. Most people that watched it, most women, were kind of appalled as I was. It was like I got the feeling that people watched with the same fascination they would like watch a train wreck.
And it`s one of those things where you can`t take your eyes off of what you`ve seen and you can`t quite believe the carnage. I think people have really gotten a chance to see she can read. She`s got very good reading skills, and she can certainly repeat information. But in terms of someone that could be running the country -
HAMMER: Yes.
GILES: Chilling.
HAMMER: All right. Palin`s debating performance not that high a rating from Nancy Giles.
GILES: All right.
HAMMER: But more on that later in the program. No doubt that Tina Fey`s Palin parody on "Saturday Night Live" only fueled the fascination with seeing Palin on TV. And it`s all because of moments like the one I`m about to show you. Fey as Palin, of course. Amy Poehler as Katie Couric. Charles, roll it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMY POEHLER, ACTRESS: What lessons have you learned from Iraq, and how specifically would you spread democracy abroad?
FEY: Specifically, we would make every effort possible to spread democracy abroad to those who love it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I think a lot of people were watching last night because they saw that. What do you think, Ashleigh Banfield? Now that we`re past the debates and "SNL" has had so much fun with her, is it time for the real Sarah Palin to go on "Saturday Night Live?" I mean, if you`re like me, you`re thinking the ratings would be absolutely through the roof.
BANFIELD: Yes, they would. But not every rating is the kind of rating that you want. I think Sarah Palin`s issue was she need to fix the credibility problem. She has got no problem with pop culture. She is everywhere. She doesn`t need to go on "SNL" and boost her pop culture ratings. She needs to boost her credibility ratings and "SNL" will not give her the platform for that.
HAMMER: So you think we`ve seen enough of her so-called human side and maybe she needs to focus on the real stuff.
BANFIELD: Yes.
HAMMER: Well, Nancy, what do you think? A bad idea as Ashleigh is saying for Palin to go on "SNL?" Maybe to show, you know, she has a sense of humor more than just the wink and the nod? I have to think that could add to her TV appeal, no?
GILES: Well, I`ve got to say, I totally agree with Ashleigh. And the wink and the nod - I was beginning to wonder if she perhaps had some sort of a tick. No, I`ve got to say, I would love for "Saturday Night Live," either for Sarah Palin or someone else, to take that moment where she mild at the camera with that sort of cheesecake pageant smile. And I have to say, I think pageant smile - I don`t want to put down other smart pageant winners, because there are women who do those pageants and use the scholarship money and get really good education. I don`t think she is one of them.
But I would love to take the moment where she said, "I`m not going to answer any of the questions the way you guys might want." I would love to see Gwen Ifill stand up and say, "Say what?" You know, I was so appalled by that way that she was smiling and just violating the rules. And also I`ve got to say on a serious note, kind of chilling to have her sort of smile, wink and blink and say yes, "I would like to expand the vice presidential powers." The next thing you know she`d be going, "Yes, martial law. I think that`s good. Yes, forced marriages. Yes."
HAMMER: I may have yelled at the TV at that time, at home alone in my living room.
GILES: Oh, come on.
HAMMER: One quick question for you, Ashleigh, and this is forward-thinking here. If McCain and Palin lose in November, do you think the fascination with Palin on TV would just, you know, evaporate overnight? Or does she have the potential to ditch Alaska, and hit Hollywood and have a hugely successful TV show?
BANFIELD: Quick answer is no, I don`t think she has the potential to be big in Hollywood. But I think she has the potential to be huge in the Republican Party, especially in four or eight years from now. And I think you`d better put her on your calendar, too. She is not going away.
GILES: Oh, gosh.
HAMMER: On my calendar, just wrote it down. OK. Ashleigh Banfield, Nancy Giles, I thank you both.
And now, over to you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here`s what we`re asking tonight - "Sarah Palin: Is she the biggest star on TV in America?" What do you think? Let us know at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Our E-mail address, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: A.J., I just have to say after that I think both Joe Biden and Sarah Palin were effective in what they set out to accomplish. And that said, Sarah Palin and really the political race in general have certainly given the ladies of "The View" a whole lot to talk about.
HAMMER: Yes, and it hasn`t always been very comfortable to watch, Brooke. Elisabeth Hasselbeck really had some very tense moments with Barbara Walters. But is she really about to get kicked off "The View?" Well, for the first time, Elisabeth is setting the record straight. You don`t want to miss that, coming up.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEX SCHWARTZ, COMEDIENNE: I think every reality scandal so much we feel like we really know these people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We know them and we can`t stop watching them. Coming up, we`ve got the biggest reality show scandals ever. And a brand-new one to add to the bunch, Helio from "Dancing With The Stars," charged with tax evasion.
HAMMER: And are Sarah Palin`s TV appearances helping or hurting her image? Plus, after Palin`s performance at the debate, are comedians going to have a harder time making fun of her? That is still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WALTERS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Tell us now why you think that Sarah Palin would make a very good president.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Well, since I`ve been studying for this pop quiz forever -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Are Elisabeth Hasselbeck`s days on "The View" numbered? Tonight, for the very first time, Hasselbeck is speaking out about all of the rumors that she may be leaving "The View."
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Elisabeth Hasselbeck is the lone conservative on "The View" constantly butting heads with her liberal co-hosts from Whoopi Goldberg to Barbara Walters.
New right now, are the wild rumors that Hasselbeck is leaving "The View" for another network true?
Joining me, tonight in New York, Dawn Yanek who is the editor-at-large for "Life and Style" magazine. And tonight in Hollywood, Laura Saltman who is a correspondent for "AccessHollywood.com." Dawn and Laura, there have been all of these reports, of course, that Hasselbeck was heading over to Fox News. But Hasselbeck has now spoken out for the first time about the speculation and is saying, "No, not true."
But Dawn, when you think about it, Hasselbeck going over to Fox News, it`s not too far-fetched, is it?
DAWN YANEK, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "LIFE AND STYLE" MAGAZINE: No, not at all. As her rep said today, she has a great relationship with Fox News. And of course, as we all can see, her conservative and Republican values seem very much in line with Fox News.
But that said, if she were to leave "The View" for Fox, I think it would be doing herself a huge disservice. Because her views might get lost over there. They might just blend in with all the others. But when she is on "The View," her point of view comes across loud and clear, whether or not anybody else wants to hear it.
ANDERSON: Yes, and if she leaves, "The View" will lose a valuable host. I mean, that show thrives on debate. It wouldn`t be the same if everybody had the exact same opinion. Laura, Hasselbeck has actually appeared on Fox occasionally. And given that and her conservative views, do you think that it may happen, that she does leave "The View" in the future for that?
LAURA SALTMAN, CORRESPONDENT, "ACCESSHOLLYWOOD.COM": Well, I think it`s interesting that Elisabeth Hasselbeck was the very first guest on Mike Huckabee`s new show on Fox News. Of all the guests he could have had, he picked her to be on the show. And the first thing he said to her when she came on was, "I wanted to give you a friendlier atmosphere here than you`re used to over at `The View.`" That really said something to me.
I do want to mention that Elisabeth one thing, though, and that is that Elisabeth is denying that she might be leaving "The View." But so did Star Jones. They denied that as well. So - and she`s gone as we know.
ANDERSON: And speaking of that denial, Hasselbeck`s agent did put out a statement telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "While Elisabeth has a great relationship with Fox News, there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that she is leaving `The View.` Elisabeth is passionate in her beliefs and enjoys being part of this dynamic group of women."
All right. A spokesperson for "The View" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie, executive producers of `The View,` consider Elisabeth to be vital to the program."
Dawn, do you agree that she is vital to the program?
YANEK: Oh, Absolutely. As you said before, it`s much more interesting to watch when there is a debate, when things get really fiery. It makes it interesting. It makes for very, very good TV. And, of course, a lot of press for the show.
And that said, it`s about "The View." It`s about different people`s point of view, not just one point of view. And if Elisabeth left, they would be left in the dark. They would have to find somebody else who believes some of the things she believes just to have a more well-rounded discussion every day.
ANDERSON: Well, I would just like to say that Elisabeth certainly does hold her own. She is definitely outnumbered and is a pretty tough cookie. You`ve got to hand it to her. But the rumors were further-fueled this past week when Hasselbeck got into explosive political debates with her co-hosts and those debates were especially particularly over Sarah Palin. I want you to take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": She is a heartbeat away from being the president of the United States, and that`s why people are asking -
HASSELBECK: What`s wrong with that?
GOLDBERG: Because she doesn`t know anything about it. Come on!
WALTERS: Tell us now why you think that Sarah Palin would make a very good president.
HASSELBECK: Well, since I`ve been studying for this pop quiz forever -
WALTERS: OK.
HASSELBECK: I - tell me why Barack Obama is qualified?
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: Kind of reminds you of what happened with Rosie O`Donnell. And we know that she left the show last year after her blow-up with Hasselbeck. Laura, can you see the same thing happening here?
SALTMAN: I actually can. I mean, I know that she is saying that it`s not going to happen. But, look, people now hear that this whole thing that maybe she is going to leave "The View," and I think that puts light bulbs in people`s head that think, "Oh, you know, Elisabeth Hasselbeck - she`s very popular." She is the one person they`re talking about now on that show. With Rosie gone, they don`t like talk about Whoopi as much, they talk about Elisabeth Hasselbeck. So I think it`s prime time.
And if you notice that with Barbara, she was acting kind of child-like when she answered her. So I feel like her and Barbara are not getting along.
ANDERSON: Well, a lot of people have explosive opinions about this political election, that is for sure. We`ll leave it there for now. Dawn Yanek, Laura Saltman, thank you both.
HAMMER: Well, now to the drama surrounding Heather Locklear`s arrest on suspicion of DUI. There are disturbing new details about the person who made the call to 911 the day Locklear was busted. It turns out she runs a paparazzi agency and she sold the picture she took of the arrest.
I`ve got to tell you, the "Showbiz On Call" phone lines have been ringing nonstop with calls from viewers who feel sorry for Heather, including this call from Joanne in New York.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JOANNE, CALLER FROM NEW YORK: The poor girl has been through hell. People should just leave her alone and let her continue on her life so she can become the celebrity she always has been, a great one.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: We also heard from Teresa in Arizona. She also says, "Leave Heather alone."
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
TERESA, CALLER FROM ARIZONA: Why don`t the paparazzi just leave that poor lady alone? The paparazzi just takes too much advantage of the celebrity status. I mean, they just pound them. It`s not fair. That really upsets me.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, me too. You can call us at "Showbiz On Call" and let us know what you think about this or anything else that may be on your mind. Our "Showbiz On Call" phone lines are always open. Here`s the number - 1-888- SBT-BUZZ. Numerically, that`s 1-888-728-2899. Just leave us a voicemail so we can play your call here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
So Brooke, we`re also getting a lot of calls obviously about Sarah Palin.
ANDERSON: Yes, we are. We asked, if her TV appearances were helping her image, and our "Showbiz On Call" phone line flooded with your responses.
Plus, I want to know, after Palin`s solid debate performance, will comedians have a tougher time making fun of her? That`s coming up.
And also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHWARTZ: I feel like the Corey Clark-Paula Abdul scandal undermined my faith in "American Idol." It was like, what?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Remember that Paula Abdul accused of sleeping with one of the "American Idol" contestants? That is just one of the biggest reality scandals ever. Also, brand-new information - Helio from "Dancing With The Stars" hauled off to jail in shackles on tax evasion charges. That is coming up.
ANDERSON: And have you heard that bizarre story about Sharon Stone wanting her 8-year-old son to get Botox for her son for smelly feet? Sharon is speaking out, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson with more stories that are making news right now.
Sharon Stone says she never recommended that her 8-year-old son get Botox for smelly feet. That was the bizarre claim in some court papers as part of Stone`s custody battle with her ex-husband. The judge cited that allegation as an example of how Stone overreacted to her son`s medical issues.
But Stone`s lawyer says she never did that, and the Botox story is completely made up. Stone lost her attempt to move her son from her ex`s home in San Francisco to her home in Los Angeles, but she has visitation rights.
HAMMER: All right. You`ve got to hear this. Eva Mendez is now speaking out about her banned commercial. Eva`s ad for Calvin Klein`s "Secret Obsession" perfume was banned in the United States because - well, people thought she showed too much skin - her breasts, to be specific.
In the Spanish edition of "Vogue," Eva says it`s no big deal. She says, quote, "I love my country, but I believe that we are too quick to censor nudity. We seem OK with violence, but nudity we race to criticize and censor. I am not at all ashamed or frightened about showing my body."
All right, Brooke, moving on, we are getting so many messages on "Showbiz On Call" about Sarah Palin.
ANDERSON: That`s right. We asked you, the viewers, our friends at home, if her TV appearances were helping her image. And our "Showbiz On Call" phone lines exploded with your responses. The calls are next.
And after Palin`s debate performance which has been widely praised, will comedians have a tougher time making fun of her?
HAMMER: Also, Helio, the champion of "Dancing With The Stars" may have to do some tap-dancing with the IRS. He has been arrested and charged with tax evasion. But could there be another side to the story? That`s coming up.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHWARTZ: I think we love reality show scandals so much. We feel like we really know these people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We know them and we can`t stop watching them. We are counting down the biggest reality show scandals ever, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Are you one of the cool people? Are you a subscriber to the daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter? That`s how you stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news. You want this thing? Well, just head on over to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight and click on the "sign up for newsletter link" at the bottom of the page so you, too, can be one of the cool people. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Sarah Palin`s TV superstar. The VP debate, her controversial interviews. Tonight, "Showbiz On Call," your fired-up calls reveal whether all this TV time is helping or hurting Palin`s image.
Plus, with Palin`s debate performance, will "SNL," the late-night comedians, now have a hard time making fun of her?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHWARTZ: I feel like the Corey Clark-Paula Abdul scandal undermined my faith in "American idol." It was like, what?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oh, yes. That one rocked everybody. What would reality shows be without scandals? Steamy sex stunners, bizarre breakups, fierce fights. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals, the most shocking reality show scandals ever.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight, and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood.
HAMMER: Tonight, TV`s Sarah obsession. Sarah Palin`s debate with Joe Biden just about wrapped up a week of high-profile TV appearances, including, of course, her head line-making interview with Katie Couric. But is all this Sarah TV helping or hurting?
Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT viewers have been voting on that question and burning up our "Showbiz On Call" phone lines. Tonight, you`re going to see and hear what everybody is saying about this.
Also tonight, the Palin joke factor. After her performance at the debate, are comedians who have been poking fun at Palin going to have a harder time making her the butt of their jokes?
We`ve got a fired-up coast to coast panel tonight. Joining me in New York, Nancy Giles who is a "CBS Sunday Morning" commentator; Ashleigh Banfield who is the anchor of "Banfield and Ford in Session;" and Howard Bragman, who`s the founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations.
OK. So it seems that over the past week, you know, you couldn`t turn on the TV at all at any time without seeing Sarah Palin. I was half expecting when I put on the weather channel, there was going to be Sarah, you know, pointing at the map there.
I want you to take a look at this SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, people voting both before and after the debate. And we asked this - "Sarah Palin`s TV Appearances: Have they helped her image?" An overwhelming 82 percent said no. Only 18 percent of those who voted said yes. Howard Bragman, what do you make of that?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: A.J., it`s like you go on a first date with somebody, and when you go, they`re sort of fun and perky and I can`t get to get to know him more. And you go on the second date and they`re fun and perky, but you realize, you knew everything you wanted to know about that person on the first date.
And now we`re on the fifth or sixth date with Sarah Palin, and we`re like, "Stop texting me. Stop E-mailing me. Leave me alone. OK?" That`s what`s going on, A.J.
HAMMER: Ashleigh Banfield, are you with Howard Bragman there?
BANFIELD: I`ve gotten those texts.
(LAUGHTER)
No, I think he is absolutely on the money. There is a fascination factor, you know, the whole train wreck factor, too. Everybody was waiting to see what they didn`t get to see. I don`t know that that kind of thing will hold going forward. But I do think that she was able to meet the bare minimum of what she needed to do last night, and that was, not create another "SNL" skit.
HAMMER: Talking about Sarah`s TV appearances and the debate on Thursday night, listen to what Linda from Ohio had to say about it.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
LINDA, CALLER FROM OHIO: Sarah Palin came across to me like she was answering questions at a beauty pageant or at a pep rally. She doesn`t seem serious enough, and it was like sending a shout-out to third graders. She is doing too much winking and blinking for me.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Too much of the winking and blinking for that caller. Nancy Giles, too much winking and blinking, or do you think that`s maybe exactly what she was going for?
GILES: Winking and blinking and nodding, all bad. Sorry. And, again, it`s like, as Howard so brilliantly outlined, it was like the law of diminishing returns.
Plus, there is no substance there. The whole point, I thought, of her doing this debate - well, I`m crazy, or debating this, because it wasn`t really a debate, was to maybe get her to answer some questions, maybe find out a little bit about her. And instead you heard these repetitive things like, "I know about people who did drinking games," to how many times she used the word "maverick." Maverick.
There might be a lot of drunk people today, because that was one of things that was just a repetitive thing that she just sort of said because it was part of the script. So I totally agree. And, again, not to put down pageant winners, because there have been some very smart pageant entrants, OK?
HAMMER: All right. Well, make sure we`re clear on that.
GILES: Please.
HAMMER: Now, Nancy, I should point out, there are a lot of people - you`ve been watching TV all day, just like I have. You`ve looked at the newspapers. There are a lot of people who do things she did quite well.
Howard, I`m going to go to you, and tell me what you saw through a publicist`s eyes. The winking and blinking, for instance, was that too much or was that the right image to go for?
BRAGMAN: I`m sure the people who trained her said, "Be authentic and you should just be yourself, Gov. Palin." But it just didn`t work. What`s going on here, A.J., is the reason that there is a fascination with her is we live in the reality show culture. And that means an average person can become a celebrity really, really quickly.
But guess what? This is not "Survivor." We`re not trying to stay in the island for one more week.
GILES: Yes.
BRAGMAN: We`re talking about the second-most powerful job in the free world. And I think we should have a higher standard than that.
GILES: Thank you.
BRAGMAN: And I think we should have a higher standard than that.
HAMMER: Do you think the people prepping her for the debate trained her to say "nucular?" No, don`t answer that. Let me move on.
(CROSS TALK)
Kristen in California called into "Showbiz On Call." She had a very different take on Palin`s debate appearance Thursday night. Listen to what she had to say.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
KRISTEN, CALLER FROM CALIFORNIA: I thought Gov. Sarah Palin did an excellent job. She held her ground, and I think she could relate more to the Middle America than the other side, personally. So I think she did fantastic and she swung my vote. And I`m a McCain-Palin ticket.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: A swung vote right there. This is kind of like "American Idol." One person gets up and performs, you`re all for them and somebody else gets up and performs, you change your mind.
Ashleigh, do you think that caller, Kristen has plenty of company based on how Palin carried herself for really more than 90 minutes on television there?
BANFIELD: I do. I believe that the general electorate doesn`t necessarily listen deeply into the arcane aspects of policy. They just want to like the person. And oftentimes, it all comes down to that. Likability and credibility. She sounded very credible. She had a good set of lines that were drilled into her during debate camp, and that`s how she came off.
The policy wonks among us wanted more substance, but generally speaking, I think the electorate is going to like that.
HAMMER: All right. I want to move on to something that I think, Howard Bragman, you`ve either been watching "The View" a lot or you`ve been on the phone with Whoopi Goldberg and having chats with her. The women of "The View" obviously have been talking on stuff about Sarah Palin`s TV appearances and her speeches nonstop. And Whoopi Goldberg made what I thought was a very solid point. I think Howard did, too, about all of the attention. Watch Whoopi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLDBERG: One of the reasons Sarah Palin is getting the attention that she`s getting is because people met her a month ago. It`s like going on a date with somebody, "Yes, you look like you`re nice. Yes, I`ll go out with you again. I want to spend some time with you. I want to get to know you. So I`ve got to ask you some questions that maybe you might not want to answer. Or you`re not sure you should answer. But they need to be asked."
HAMMER: Nancy Giles, I didn`t have a chance for you to sound off on this earlier. Whoopi really does make a lot of sense there.
GILES: She does. She does. It`s totally right. I mean, there was I think a dating guidebook that had a bunch of questions that you were suggested to ask somebody you might want to go on a second date with or maybe spend a life with. And it`s true, we`re hungry for information. We`re interested in what she reads.
What a frightening moment that was. I mean, just - if you don`t read, just think, you know, "I don`t want to read." It would have been sort of sad and shocking, but just say that, instead of, "Oh, whatever. Oh, whatever is put down in front of me."
And I have to just go back and address something that Ashleigh was saying about the middle class. I take exception to that. I think it`s an insult to say that Middle America would really be swayed by that Joe or Josephine six-pack reference. I think that Americans are smarter than that. They want people that are in positions of power to be smarter than they are, to sort of know things.
BANFIELD: I know, but fewer than half of them go to the polls.
GILES: Ashleigh, I still believe that people are smarter than that. I think that they want a little bit more than somebody to sit down and have a beer with. We went through that for eight years. It was a disaster.
HAMMER: I want to jump in here, because there`s one point - I definitely want your take on this, Ashleigh. You know, with all of the comic fodder that we`ve seen over Sarah Palin. And now, her performance at the debate which some say was quite solid, do you think comedians are going to have a harder time making fun of her or do you think it`s just going to be business as usual?
BANFIELD: I think it`s business as usual. We had a jam-packed week of good Sarah Palin material, the Supreme Court question that she couldn`t answer? What do you read? I could just see Tina Fey saying "Cathy" and "Garfield?" I think there`s lots still to come.
HAMMER: Howard Bragman, what do you think?
BRAGMAN: A.J., she a comedic dream, this lady. I mean, you`ve got Sen. Biden talking about how he brokered peace in Bosnia. And then, you`ve got her giving a shout-out to the elementary school? Nobody could write this, OK? This is classic and if the comedians don`t have a good time with this, something is wrong. And look at the ratings for "Saturday Night Live" and "Jon Stewart" - amazing. She just helped them very much.
GILES: I do have to say, though, that I don`t think anyone can touch what Tina Fey has created. And the brilliance of what she has done which is, in many cases, she`s taking Sarah Palin`s exact lines. I mean, there is no tweaking.
HAMMER: No tweaking at all.
GILES: None.
HAMMER: I`ve got to jump in and end it there. Nancy Giles, I thank you, along with Ashleigh Banfield and Howard Bragman.
GILES: Thank you.
BANFIELD: Thank you.
BRAGMAN: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, Moving on to something really shocking, "Dancing With The Stars" winner and Indy race car champ, Helio Castronevez, handcuffed, shackled and dragged into court in tears. Wow.
Helio has been indicted for federal income tax evasion. But will he wind up in jail? We have the late-breaking details, next.
And I have to ask, why is it that so many reality stars get caught up in scandals?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHWARTZ: I really love reality shows scandals so much. You feel like you really know these people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You`ve got the fights, the breakups, the sex. Tonight, my showbiz special report. We`re revealing the most outrageous reality show scandals ever.
And Jessica Alba has really been shaking up this election with her controversial ad. Now, she`s recruiting "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere for a really provocative video. And let me tell you, Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter would love this. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, another reality star caught up in a shocking scandal. "Dancing With The Stars" winner Helio Castronevez pleaded not guilty to tax evasion in Miami. U.S. government says Helio hid more than $5 million in income. Tonight, Helio is free on $10 million bail after being handcuffed, shackled and dragged into court, crying. Helio`s attorney says his client has done nothing wrong, and blames the people that did his taxes for this big mess.
So why do so many reality stars get caught up in scandals? Sex shockers, ferocious feuds. Tonight, my SHOWBIZ special report, the most shocking reality scandals ever.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): The shocking.
RYAN SEACREST, HOST, "AMERICAN IDOL": We`re going to say good bye to Michael Johns.
ANDERSON: The dramatic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
ANDERSON: The absolutely ludicrous.
PAULA ABDUL, REALITY TV PARTICIPANT: I`m trying to tell a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) story!
ANDERSON: What would our favorite reality shows be without the scandals?
FORMER BOYFRIEND OF LAUREN CLERI: If I wanted to get back together with you, would you leave your husband?
ANDERSON: It seems like the bigger the scandal, the higher the ratings. So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask, why do Americans love reality TV with a side of scandal?
BEX SCHWARTZ, COMEDIAN: I think we love reality shows scandals so much. We feel like we really know these people.
WILL KECK, USA TODAY CELEBRITY REPORTER: Let`s face it. Reality shows wouldn`t be reality shows without the scandals.
ANDERSON: From the squeaky clean to the downright dirty, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is counting down the top five most shocking reality scandals ever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: What is up with you and Nicole?
PARIS HILTON, REALITY SHOW PARTICIPANT, "SIMPLE LIFE": You know, I don`t really want to talk about it. I just hope that she`s happy and healthy.
ANDERSON: At number five, it`s the reality rumble that nearly killed Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie`s only known careers. In 2005, the best friends became enemies - frenemies.
SCHWARTZ: Without Paris and Nicole being super best friends, there really could be no "Simple Life".
KECK: The rumors that were out there were - one of them was that Nicole had screened Paris` sex video for her friends. Other rumors were that Paris was jealous that Nicole had become even more famous than her. But we`ll never know until one of them tells.
ANDERSON: Oh the drama. But rumors don`t even compare to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S fourth most shocking reality scandal.
ANNOUNCER: Sara Evans and her partner, Tony Dovolani.
ANDERSON: It was the unbelievable bombshell that shook the squeaky clean dance floor of "Dancing With The Stars." Country singer Sara Evans` nasty divorce involving an alleged sex scandal right in the middle of the show`s third season.
SARA EVANS, COUNTRY SINGER: My husband - I`m worried about his family.
SCHWARTZ: She could have quietly gotten divorced and been all upset at her husband and not quit "Dancing With The Stars." But no, she not only had to quit, but she had to make a huge stink about it.
EVANS: I just needed to, you know, take care of my children.
SCHWARTZ: Sara Evans claimed that her husband looked at porn on their home computer and their television and that he had naked photos of himself in various states of arousal.
ANDERSON: Even though her ex-husband denied all of that, Sara Evans moved on surviving the scandal and even getting remarried. But reality scandals don`t always make nice. Just look at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S reality scandal number three.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE HOST OF "SURVIVOR": The winner of the first "Survivor" competition is Rich.
ANDERSON: Richard Hatch is perhaps the most famously sinister contestant "Survivor" has ever had. He won $1 million on "Survivor Borneo," but couldn`t survive "Survivor IRS."
KECK: We watched Richard Hatch have these brilliant, scheming tactics to win the million dollars. And the fact that he didn`t declare that, that he tried to cover those earnings was just the saddest joke of all. And 51 months in prison I think he got - not a survivor.
RICHARD HATCH, WINNER, "SURVIVOR BORNEO": Hey, I just won, awesome.
SCHWARTZ: I fell like "Survivor of the Prison Edition" is a lot scarier than "Survivor" in Micronesia or somewhere. But if you`re playing it, I bet you`ll win it.
ANDERSON: Now, if you thought that was a rude awakening, take a look at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S second most shocking reality scandal -
MARK WALBERG, HOST, "MOMENT OF TRUTH": Since you`ve been married, have you ever had sexual relations with someone other than your husband?
LAUREN CLERI, CONTESTANT, "MOMENT OF TRUTH": I`m going to have to say yes.
ANDERSON: It was the stunning "Moment of Truth" that made headlines across the country. Lauren Cleri wanted $200,000 so badly, she put her marriage on the line. Now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, she and her husband are split.
FORMER BOYFRIEND OF LAUREN CLERI: Do you believe I`m the man you should be married to?
CLERI: I`m going to be honest and say yes.
KECK: This woman systematically went through these answers that were more and more damaging to her marriage and the husband keeps on sitting there and saying, "Come on, give to it me." And we were watching this woman sell her marriage for money.
SCHWARTZ: The best part about it is that she went down when they asked her if she thought she was a good person and she said yes, but she was lying to herself.
VOICE OVER: That answer is false.
ANDERSON: Oh, if only the lie detector could tell us the truth about SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S number one most shocking reality scandal ever - it`s the alleged affair between Paula Abdul and Corey Clark.
COREY CLARK, FORMER CONTESTANT, "AMERICAN IDOL": She`s saying I`m a liar, I`m an opportunist and I engage in illegal activities. She just had sex with somebody.
SCHWARTZ: I feel like the Corey Clark-Paula Abdul scandal undermined my faith in "American Idol." It was like, "What?"
KECK: All of a sudden, America`s little princess Paula Abdul was being portrayed as a potential female Svengali. And it threatened to bring down the show for a little while.
ANDERSON: But Paula denies everything.
ABDUL: Corey, that was beautiful.
SCHWARTZ: Like, have you seen this guy? Corey Clark is like the human personification of MC Skat Kat. And that is the only reason I can think of him possibly having an affair.
ANDERSON: So it goes to show the more unreal the story, the more we love reality scandals.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And for all his trouble, "Survivor" star Richard Hatch is still suffering for his scandal. He is expected to stay in jail until 2010. But now, he has appealed his conviction to the Supreme Court.
HAMMER: It is time now, as you see, for making it work. This is where we go searching for the secrets to making star relationships work in Hollywood and beyond, which as we know, it isn`t easy.
Well, tonight, it`s Annette Benning. Annette`s been married to Warren Beatty for nearly 17 years. That might as well be 100 in Hollywood years. When we caught up with Annette at the American Film Institute`s "Night at the Movies" in Hollywood, she revealed one of her secrets to making her marriage work - her kids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNETTE BENNING, ACTRESS: We`ve got four children and that is, you know - that`s a lot. And they`re wonderful kids. And we`re very, very proud of them and we`re really pretty much just focusing on them right now. And so coming out, getting all dressed up is kind of a nice change of pace. No, you know, we`re just like everybody. We just stick with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Annette also says that her parents are celebrating their 58th wedding anniversary so she and Warren obviously have something to aspire to there.
ANDERSON: Yes, they do. And A.J., I tell you, Jessica Alba and Hayden Panettiere are making it work in a totally bizarre way. You know, Jessica has really been shaking this presidential election up with controversial ads.
Well, tonight, she has recruited "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere to help her out. And let me tell you, this video would get two thumbs up from Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Actress Jessica Alba has been really pushing to get out the vote in this presidential election. She has already done a controversial ad for this "Declare Yourself" voter campaign. And she`s been taped up, bondage style.
Now she`s recruited "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere to pitch a product that would make Hannibal Lecter proud - the muzzler.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We now return to "Snatch It Up With Jessica."
JESSICA ALBA, ACTRESS: Our final item up for grabs today is the Muzzler 2008. If you have no plans to vote in the November presidential election, then this is the product for you. This handmade mask has a craftsman`s touch that will leave you literally speechless.
Now if silence is your thing, shop no further. Call 323-472-GO-08 for your very own Muzzler now. Having a hard time imagining what this mask will look like on you? Well, imagine no further. We have here today to show it off. And here`s the kicker. Hayden likes hers so much she actually had it customized and surgically implanted. Hi, Hayden. How are you today?
HAYDEN PANETTIERE, ACTRESS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
ALBA: Is the mask not the best thing that`s ever happened to you?
PANETTIERE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
ALBA: Amazing. And if you look at Hayden before the Muzzler you can see how far she`s really come. Just check out how beautiful this is, the way it fits the contours of her face. Thanks, Hayden. Thanks, Hayden. Thanks, Hayden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. Kind of strange. "90210" star Tristan Wilds is also in the ad. And if you want more information, check out "TheMuzzler.com."
HAMMER: All right. Brooke, you ready to play along here?
ANDERSON: Yes.
HAMMER: Answer. Anderson Cooper, Campbell Brown and Wolf Blitz were among the CNN anchors who just appeared on this popular TV game show.
ANDERSON: What is the answer in the form of a question, what is Jeopardy?
HAMMER: Don`t get to say sorry. You got it, Brooke. I want you to check this out. This is very cool. The best political team on television, CNN`s biggest names. We`re talking Cooper, Crowley, Schneider, Brown and Blitzer. They were just all on jeopardy presenting answers from the category "CNN on Politics." Now, the contestants did a pretty good job but did get stumped on this one from Wolf "Mr. Situation Room" Blitzer himself.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "SITUATION ROOM": I`m Wolf Blitzer. Federal election commission rules for 2007-2008 put a limit of this much for an individual gift per candidate per election. Eric?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE "JEOPARDY" CONTESTANT: What is $2,000?
BLITZER: No. Your answer, Jenny?
BLITZER: Eric, you were so close. The correct response is $2,300 not $2,000.
HAMMER: That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is next.
END
