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Showbiz Tonight
Famous for Nothing; Loving the Hollywood Bad Boy; Jon and Kate Gosselin`s Birthday Truce
Aired October 09, 2009 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Right now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, famous-for-nothing. Tonight, a take-no-prisoners eye-opening SHOWBIZ special report - the brand-new Hollywood stars who are famous for doing absolutely nothing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JO PIAZZA, WRITER, "AOL POPEATER": We have all of these talent-less no names who just go on reality TV and all of a sudden, bam! They are famous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The Kardashians and all those "Hills" people. Why do we care about them? Should Hollywood`s A-listers be scared of these D-listers? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the stars who are famous-for-nothing.
Loving the Hollywood bad boy. David Letterman`s sleeping around. Jon Gosselin`s alleged womanizing. Even Levi Johnston has a career for having a baby with Sarah Palin`s teenage daughter. So tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked, why do women love these bad boys?
And the most outrageous, the most controversial. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most provocative celebrity of the week.
TV`s first most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
And tonight, an explosive SHOWBIZ special report, famous-for-nothing. And no, we are not just talking about the Levi Johnstons and Jon and Kates of the world. In fact, just the other day, the Kardashian sisters - they show up at the opening of a cupcake store in Hollywood.
Look at this. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there as absolute bedlam breaks out. And just this morning, Khloe Kardashian co-hosted "The View." She took her seat right there at the table with the likes of Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg. And she was there with Sherri Shepherd and HLN`s own Emmy-winning Joy Behar. I am telling you, this is absolutely frightening.
And can I tell you the really scary part of this whole thing? The worst may be yet to come as we will now reveal in this startling SHOWBIZ special report, famous-for-nothing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): It used to be you had to know how to act or sing or have some sort of talent to become famous. Now, you have a lot of stars out there who are famous for, well, nothing at all.
PIAZZA: We have all of these talent-less no names who just go on reality TV. And all of a sudden, bam! They are famous.
HAMMER: Jon and Kate Gosselin dominated the news -
JON GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR, "JON & KATE PLUS 8": I can`t sit on someone right now that I despise.
KATE GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR, "JON & KATE PLUS 8": I have a stack of bills in my purse I can`t drop in the mail.
HAMMER: But all they really did to get famous was reproduce - a lot, and then break up.
Likewise the Kardashian sisters are big celebrity newsmakers despite the fact that their reality shows aren`t exactly a Hollywood talent showcase.
PIAZZA: They really do absolutely nothing except for show up for events and fight on television.
HAMMER: The Kardashians tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they make no apologies.
KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN, REALITY TV STAR, "KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS: We are who we are and if people don`t like it, we are still that way.
HAMMER: Sorry Hollywood A-listers, all the attention we used to give you, guys, is now being hogged by a core of reality show stars with no real talent.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let`s try to break into his voicemail.
HAMMER: And no shame.
HEIDI MONTAG, REALITY TV STAR, "THE HILLS": Can you just put your own ego aside for a minute ...
SPENCER PRATT, REALITY TV STAR, "THE HILLS": No.
MONTAG: ... and just be the bigger person.
SPENCER: No, because I`m not the bigger person.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Hollywood is under siege from an invasion of the famous-for-nothing stars. There is little doubt who led the invasion of the famous-for-nothing.
PIAZZA: They all started with Paris Hilton.
HAMMER: Paris Hilton showed the world how someone with no noticeable talent can crash Hollywood celebrity clubs and turn it into a lucrative business.
PRATT: Heidi, will you marry me for real? Your dream wedding -
HAMMER: The stars of MTV`s pseudo-reality show, "The Hills," have taken what Paris Hilton did to another level.
AMY ARGETSINGER, "THE WASHINGTON POST": With "The Hills," there is a kind of madness created because we`re pretending that these are ordinary girls in Los Angeles and yet they are getting paid extraordinary amounts to be on this show.
HAMMER: Nicole LaPorte of "The Daily Beast" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she`s found out how much the talent fee stars of "The Hills" are pulling down for their work on the show. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT must warn you, some viewers may find this next part disturbing.
NICOLE LAPORTE, WEST COAST REPORTER, "THEDAILYBEAST.COM": Lauren Conrad was receiving $125,000 per episode. And then, her three close buddies, Audrina Patridge, Lauren Bosworth and Heidi Montag each receive $100,000 per episode.
Spencer does not fare quite as well. He is a little newer to the show so he is at $65,000 an episode.
HAMMER: Heidi Montag had disputed those numbers, but it`s safe to say that the stars of "The Hills," like Paris Hilton, make tons of money outside of their show.
LAPORTE: Lauren Conrad has her own clothing line. There book deals. Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag have a book coming out. They get paid for showing up places, parties in Vegas where it`s, you know, like $25,000 to mill about for two hours and then go home.
HAMMER: And that`s a pattern the Kardashians have started to follow with their constant and lucrative presence on the Hollywood party circuit and their hit reality shows.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You really think you are responsible enough to have a baby.
HAMMER: The season finale of "Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami" averaged more than 2.6 million viewers. Kim Kardashian tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT what she thinks of haters who say she`s famous-for-nothing.
KIM KARDASHIAN: Hate is the new love, honey. That`s all I can say.
HAMMER: But as stars like Jon and Kate have shown us, those who seek fame for nothing are risking their privacy and even their marriages. Plus, entertainment journalist Jo piazza tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT having fame without the talent to back it up can make your 15 minutes in the spotlight whiz by even faster.
PIAZZA: They are completely replaceable. There are thousands of families that would step in the place of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" if only they could reproduce nearly as much. Or that would step in the place of the Kardashians if only they were willing to make complete jackasses of themselves on television.
HAMMER: But despite the risk and the short shelf life, there is no shortage of stars lining up to join the famous-for-nothing club. So talented Hollywood A-listers, you have been warned. The famous-for- nothings are here to stay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Run for the hills! No, wait. Scratch that. Run away from the hills! The famous-for-nothing stars are destroying Hollywood as we know it. Not with talent, but with - well, no one really knows. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is declaring today that it`s time to stop the insanity.
Joining me tonight in Hollywood, Hyla who is an entertainment journalist for "5DollarPrep.com." In New York, it`s Cooper Lawrence who is a psychologist and author of this fine book, "The Cult of Celebrity."
All right. I have got to start with perhaps the biggest famous-for- nothing stars, the people you can`t seem to get of right now. It is, of course, the Kardashian sisters - Kim, Khloe - you`ve also got Kourtney.
The other day, there was absolute chaos at a cupcake store opening in Hollywood, not because everybody was excited to get a cupcake, but they were there.
Hyla, where did these people come from? Why do we care about them? Please help me.
HYLA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST, "5DOLLARPREP.COM": Everybody`s got to stop hating. These girls are talented, OK? They have a highly-rated reality show. They are willing to put their lives out there.
And most importantly, they are masters of marketing. These girls know how to get press. That is a talent. I don`t understand why people dismiss it. And you know what? For the most part, sex tape aside which took place several years ago, they are really, like, clean, fun family.
They are not boozing it up, getting drunk. You are not seeing any of the sisters rolling out of the club, stumbling, showing off their panties like some other celebrities we know. This is good, clean entertainment.
HAMMER: But Hyla, Hyla. They`re famous, but I don`t get the talent part. If you are just throwing a camera up on somebody as all reality shows do and just filming what goes on in their life, that is not talent-based.
I mean, this is the thing that really blows my mind. Khloe Kardashian apparently has earned enough star power with her so-called talent, as you say, Hyla, to guest host this morning on "The View" which blew me away just seeing her up there. And she talked on "The View" this morning about marrying Lakers basketball champion Lamar Odom after only a month of knowing each other. Let`s take a look at that fine moment, shall we?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KHLOE KARDASHIAN, GUEST CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": My mom and Bruce got married three months after they met each other. They have been married 19 years. They have 10 kids together. I don`t know. I can`t explain it. And that`s why I think my mom was so supportive of it because she has been there.
I mean, I got a month to the day that I met Lamar. So I know it`s crazy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It was crazy. She admits it. Cooper, you wrote what I think is a fantastic bestselling book, "The Cult of Celebrity," so you have to have some real insight here. Why do we care about Khloe Kardashian getting married? And people do. I`m not denying it.
COOPER LAWRENCE, PSYCHOLOGIST AND AUTHOR: It has nothing to do with them. It has everything to do with us. There was a study done in 2006, a huge study where they followed 1.3 million kids for 14 years, culminating this 2006 study. And they found that our levels of narcissism are higher than ever before.
So what does a narcissist love more than to watch somebody just like them who is a huge narcissist? And people who are narcissistic believe they should just be famous. They don`t have to have a talent, "You should just want to watch me."
And these people are doing it. They`re living the lives of these narcissists. So if you`re watching somebody like this, you are taking notes. You`re thinking to yourself, "Well, they don`t have a talent. I don`t have a talent. They`re famous. I should be famous. So let me figure out how to do this. If they can do it, so can I."
HAMMER: My head is going to explode listening to you. You know what that reminds me of when you say, "We`re narcissists watching the narcissists acting like the narcissists that we are?" It makes me feel like standing in a dressing room with mirrors on both sides of you. You know what I`m saying?
LAWRENCE: Right. That`s what it`s like.
HAMMER: Another group in the famous-for-nothing club - the cast of the MTV reality show, "The Hills." Even if you`ve never seen the show, you`ve probably seen them on TV. And let me tell you. These guys make ridiculous amounts of money to live the high life and have it filmed on TV.
Take a look at this. Per episode, Lauren Conrad was getting paid a reported $125,000. Kristin Cavallari, $90,000. Heidi and Spencer, a.k.a. Speidi, a combined total of $165,000.
Hyla, I see those numbers and that is just insane to me. On the one hand, I`m saying, hey, good for them for cashing in. But they are making this kind of money while there are incredibly talented actors who are out of work making nothing. What am I missing here?
HYLA: What you`re missing is that MTV - that`s their highest rated television show in, I think, the network`s history. They are making probably 10 times what their stars are making.
So in my opinion, I think that they should be making more, frankly. Think of how much the network is making.
HAMMER: OK.
HYLA: You don`t agree with me.
HAMMER: No, no. Here`s what I would suggest. Just scratch them a little check and send them off money if you think they should be making more.
HYLA: You know, there is good reality shows and bad reality shows.
HAMMER: Yes.
HYLA: I mean, don`t just dismiss it because it`s reality.
HAMMER: Yes, that`s right.
HYLA: There`s so many people trying to put shows that don`t make it on the air.
HAMMER: Not based on talent, I guess.
HYLA: This is one of the biggest, successful running shows ever.
HAMMER: Hyla, Cooper Lawrence. I thank you both. All right. Among the things I don`t get - this is something. Why do women just love the bad boys? I mean, look at "Mad Men`s" Don Draper, right? The guy drinks. He smokes. He sleeps around. He is married. And he`s the most popular character on the show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Draper is a suave ad man. He cheats on his wife, but supports her financially and who treats most other women like dirt. And women who watch the show love him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Women also love real-life bad boys like even David Letterman, Levi Johnston, Jon Gosselin. What is so appealing about these guys? The great debate over the bad boys. These bad boys are also this week`s nominees for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the week. Yes, Dave, Levi and Jon fighting it out. Find out who we pick.
Also, the brand-new war against models.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Models are freaks of nature. I think that maybe it`s unfortunate because they are called models because it suggests they kind of an aspirational ideal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Did that dude just say models are freaks? Tonight, you`ve got to hear this. It`s the unbelievable new push to get models off the pages of magazines. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Billy Ray Cyrus joins campaign to convince daughter Miley to reopen her Twitter page. Elizabeth Taylor says her heart surgery went "perfectly."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Take a look at this picture - absolutely unbelievable. Look how thin this Ralph Lauren model is. Well, the ad set off a raging war online with bloggers bashing Ralph Lauren for retouching to make the already thin model look even thinner.
Amazing. Well, the company has apologized, admitting that the Photoshopping they did resulted in a very distorted image. But I can tell you that because of freakish pictures like these, there is a big fashion magazine banning models from its covers.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, the raging brand-new controversy. Are models total freaks? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is taking you to Germany where a women`s magazine is actually banning models from its pages. Some are even calling models freaks of nature.
From Berlin, here is CNN`s correspondent Diana Magnay for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So if you find all this a bit much and size zeros many sizes away, then take heart and maybe treat yourself to a pastry. Because Germany`s top fashion magazine, "Brigitte," has decided to ditch models in favor of what it calls "real women." Here`s chief editor Brigitte Huber -
BRIGITTE HUBER, CHIEF EDITOR, "BRIGITTE" MAGAZINE: Fashion has changed. Nearly everybody is a trendsetter today. Michelle Obama, Carla Bruno and all the musicians and girls who live in the big cities. And I think you can see the designers aren`t the only trendsetters.
MAGNAY: So no more models on the magazine`s front covers or anywhere inside, in fact. Come January, it`s real women only says Huber - women with jobs and their own life stories and bodies of all shapes and sizes.
It lends another industry voice to ever-growing chorus that says super-thin models can encourage eating disorders amongst women. Many readers like the idea of a model-free magazine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Just like you and me, right? I think it`s brilliant. It`s better than I thought. I have been waiting for this for a long time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I have a little daughter and if she only sees thin women, she`ll think all the others are fat who aren`t thin like that. It`s a good decision. Thumbs up then for the women on the streets, but a problem perhaps for models both of the front covers, maybe soon off the catwalks. Fashion experts say, not likely.
TIM BLANKS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "STYLE.COM": I`ve always credited people with common sense that when they are looking at a magazine, they don`t think, "I want to look like that," you know.
I mean, models are freaks of nature. I think that maybe it`s unfortunate they are called models because it suggests they are some kind of an aspirational ideal.
MAGNAY: Brigitte is hoping it`s a strategy that will sell with readers, a gamble in an industry where thin is still in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: CNN`s Diana Magnay for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s not just Germany that`s pushing for a healthy image in magazines. In fact, a group of politicians in France wants to create a new law which would actually require all published pictures to say if they have been Photoshopped.
Hey, we never Photoshop our "Showbiz on Call" operators. I think they look absolutely beautiful even though we have been working them so hard all week getting to these calls about Jon and Kate.
We`ve got a call into "Showbiz on Call" from Claudia all the way from Hawaii who says Jon - he is the one who needs to be blamed for this mess.
CLAUDIA, CALLER FROM HAWAII: Jon is the one that created this whole mess. Kate is always there, ready to work on their relationship, working on the house, working on the kids.
Jon is the one that is going through mid-life crisis, wanting to screw around. He`s the one that started all of this, not Kate. So he`s the one to blame. She is still there ready to work things out.
HAMMER: All right. Claudia, thanks for your call. We also heard from Rachelle calling into "Showbiz on Call" from Michigan who says, no, Kate`s more to blame.
RACHELLE, CALLER FROM MICHIGAN: I think Kate is more to blame. What you`re seeing is just reaction to Kate`s action. She is manipulating and he is reacting to it. Maybe not in the right format, but he is reacting to it. And we have all seen how Kate acts and this is just a reaction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Rachelle, thanks for your call. You can call us at "Showbiz on Call" to sound off on this or anything else. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are open all time at 1-888-SBT-BUZZ. That`s 1-888-728- 2899.
All right. You must stick around because, hey, it`s Friday. That means we are naming the most provocative celebrity of the week. Will it be Dave Letterman with his sleeping around, Levi Johnston and his posing nude or Jon Gosselin for being Jon Gosselin?
And brand-new after eight weeks at each other`s throats, have Jon and Kate actually made peace? Seriously, is there a truce, a peace deal? I guess there may be hope for Middle East peace if these two can work things out.
And is Tori Spelling dangerously skinny? Is she not eating because of her ongoing fight with her mom? The SHOWBIZ truth squad is on the case. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Here`s comes the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: NBC cancels "Southland," ABC buys full season of "Modern Family" and "Cougar Town." The Duggars, who have 18 kids of their own, welcome their first grandkid!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: All right. Do you remember this? The couple that danced down the aisle to Chris Brown`s "Forever" at their wedding. Of course, millions watched it online. The entire wedding party ended up on the "Today" show.
And tonight, I can tell you they actually inspired a scene in Jim and Pam`s wedding on "The Office."
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. All right. Did you see this? "The Office" has always been one of my favorite shows on television. And Jim and Pam got married on Thursday night`s episode. I think it was one of the best ever.
"The Office," of course, has a wacky bunch of characters. So when the time came to start the wedding, well, you know, they had to do something pretty outrageous. So Jim and Pam`s officemates borrowed the moves from that YouTube video where a real-life Minnesota couple danced down the aisle to Chris Brown`s "Forever." And watch how it went.
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That`s pretty great. Jim and Pam, of course, knew their wedding would be full of chaos. So they actually ran out and officially got married at Niagara Falls before it all went down. And I`m not ashamed to admit I got a little emotional last night watching the show.
Well, there`s a big old smackdown that`s going on right on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page. Look out if you are logging on. A lot of you are fired up about Levi Johnston, the father of Sarah Palin`s grandson getting set to get naked possibly for "Playgirl" magazine.
Here are some of your posts. These are the ones we can put on TV.
Merrilee P. writing, "I cannot believe we live in a country where you are famous for getting someone pregnant."
Herbert D. says, "Hey, this is America and if he wants to show it off, why not? Go for it, Levi."
I`d love to hear from you on Facebook. You can follow us on Twitter where we get you breaking entertainment news alerts. Sign up for Facebook and our Twitter pages, too, at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Now, the showbiz lineup. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tonight, bad boys and women - they go together like peanut butter and jelly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that women have, throughout the ages, yearned for the bad boy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. And what about the bad boys of today? Why do women like David Letterman, Levi Johnston, Jon Gosselin? And these bad boys are also nominees for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the week. Who will take home the trophy, if we had a trophy?
And Marge Simpson poses for "Playboy?" Homer says woo-hoo! This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Susan Boyle covers the Monkees, Madonna and the Rolling Stones on her new album. "Desperate Housewives" creator developing new series for ABC.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, loving the Hollywood bad boys. Is "Mad Men`s" Don Draper the inspiration for a whole new generation of bad boys?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Draper is a suave ad man who cheats on his wife, but supports her financially and who treats most other women like dirt. And women who watch the show love him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks, why do women love real-life bad boys like David Letterman, Levi Johnston and Jon Gosselin? It`s tonight`s SHOWBIZ special report.
And those bad boys are this week`s nominees for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the week - Dave, Levi, Jon. Will the one that you love to hate come out on top?
And after weeks at each other`s throats, have Jon and Kate made peace? And the question is, will it last?
Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
TV`s first most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
And tonight, loving the bad boys. Jon Gosselin, David Letterman, Levi Johnston - they are all candidates to be named SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the week which we will do very shortly.
There are other bad boys that women love like the cheating, smoking, womanizing Don Draper on "Mad Men." But why? Why do so many women love these bad boys? Well, tonight, it`s the great debate.
And here`s CNN`s Carol Costello for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Don Draper, he`s the charismatic lead character in AMC`s "Mad Men," a TV show that takes place in the `60s when women mostly stayed at home and men brought home the bacon.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: Daddy!
COSTELLO: Draper is a suave ad man who cheats on his wife, but supports her financially.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you doing?
COSTELLO: And who treats most other women like dirt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told you to stop talking.
COSTELLO: And women who watch the show love him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don Draper - he`s just so mysterious.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s a very particular type of magnetism.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s just so confident. And he never doubts himself.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know it`s not good for you, but you still want it so much. Like oh, my God, you know, I have to have it.
COSTELLO: Some female viewers love Don Draper so much they didn`t blink an eye when he went beyond bad boy behavior to sexual assault. Even "Jezebel," a feminist women`s magazine gave him a pass for this because, "Sometimes assertive women get tired of always being so damn assertive. Sometimes they like to be told what to do."
(on camera): Are women secretly yearning for a bad boy?
DR. GAIL SALTZ, PSYCHIATRIST: I think that women have, throughout the ages, yearned for the bad boy.
COSTELLO: Psychiatrist Gail Saltz says women love the idea of Don Draper because today they feel overwhelmed in a down economy with work, the kids and the needy husband.
According to a study by the Wharton School, women`s happiness has fallen both absolutely and relative to men`s. The `60s world of "Mad Men" is what Dr. Saltz calls a fantasy solution.
SALTZ: The idea that sort of the knight would come in and scoop them up and make everything easier is also very appealing. But it`s a fantasy that doesn`t include being suppressed, not having anything of your own. It doesn`t include those things.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: I`m worried it`s a fantasy.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It`s not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: OK. So what`s with the bad boys? Well, I can tell with absolute certainty there is no shortage of them right now.
First up, David Letterman sleeping around and yet women like Barbara Walters and Martha Stewart have no problem supporting him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTHA STEWART, CELEBRITY HOMEMAKER: He`s a very attractive man, very appealing, a great sense of humor.
BARBARA WALTERS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": He`s a very attractive man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Next up, bad boy Jon Gosselin, the alleged womanizer being bombarded by other women asking for his autograph. And if this is not a sign of Armageddon, even the father of Sarah Palin`s grandson, Levi Johnston has a career. He actually has a new ad for nuts and he`s reportedly getting ready to appear in "Playgirl."
Joining me tonight from Boston the patron saint of the bad boys, Steve Santagati of "BadBoyFinishFirst.com." In New York tonight, Cooper Lawrence who is a psychologist and author of "The Cult of Celebrity."
All right, guys. Let`s begin with Dave Letterman. He admits to having sexual affairs with women who work for him. Yet, women still say he handled himself well and they are still watching. Cooper, explain to me, please, why are women loving this bad boy?
LAWRENCE: I love that David Letterman has become a bad boy. That`s my favorite part of all of this. But no, because we like the idea that we could probably tame them, that if they are with me, you know, he wouldn`t be such a bad boy. I would be in control.
And there`s something about women now that feel like they want to have some power. And having a power over a good guy, there is no game to that. Anybody can do that. If you can have power over a bad boy, then you are a woman to the 10th power.
HAMMER: Steve Santagati, as the resident bad boy this evening, does Cooper have it right? Is it about having that power?
STEVE SANTAGATI, "BADBOYSFINISHFIRST.COM": Yes, that`s part of it. And I think, Cooper, you guys - the other part of it is that there is not a lot of real guys around anymore, you know. And even though these guys are kind of doing creepy things, you know, sleeping with girls in the office. Jon splits on his wife with all those kids and what not. They`re still, like - at least, they are confident. At least they`re making a choice and they`re going after it.
And the bottom line is that all men think like this and we wouldn`t do it. And lot more guys would do it if they thought they could get away with it. That`s the confidence kind of thing.
HAMMER: I don`t thing - you know, Steve, all guys don`t think like that. All right. But I hear you.
SANTAGATI: They do.
HAMMER: Maybe you are on to something. Creepy, but confident. I`d like you to watch Martha Stewart and how she described David Letterman in an interview to get a sense of how this bad boy comes across. Watch Martha.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: It`s not at all disturbing to me unless there was force involved which, knowing Dave, not very forceful, by the way. He`s a very attractive man, very appealing, great sense of humor. You know, men are men. I put up with it all. God!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Even Martha admitting she`s put up with the bad boy behavior in the past. So Cooper, why do you think she is not calling out Letterman as a bad boy? Is it that creepy confidence she seems to really be drawn to?
LAWRENCE: Well, Martha is in her 70s; so is Barbara Walters. David Letterman is older. It`s a boy`s club. You don`t have to be a boy to be in a boy`s club. They are old school, those people, and they stick together.
So of course they are going to support him. You know, talk to some of the younger hosts and some of the younger women and they are not going to have the same opinion of him. But they have the small little club with Martha Stewart and Barbara Walters and they have to stand behind each other.
HAMMER: All right. Here`s the guy I really need some help with. It`s our next bad boy, Jon Gosselin. I mean, think about the things that he has done, including on the day of his twins` ninth birthday.
He ducks out of the house so he can say hi to the paparazzi. And while he`s talking to them, while he`s doing that, I want you to see what happens here. Women come up to him to get his autograph.
Steve, please. I`m having a difficult time comprehending what women see in this bad boy. I don`t get it.
SANTAGATI: I think he was with this nagging woman that was wearing the pants in the relationship. She should have never married him. He was stupid for marrying her in the first place. And now, all of a sudden, he`s breaking out.
And people love celebrities. Women look at celebrities like they`re some kind of God that`s got some kind of special power and they don`t. So they don`t care if he`s creepy.
It`s amazing - A.J., I used to tell women how bad I was and they wanted you even more. I don`t understand it. But you know what? People like Jon and me, we just go with it.
HAMMER: Cooper, quickly - as a woman, I mean, is that the reason? I mean, do you want Jon Gosselin yourself? I can`t imagine.
LAWRENCE: I don`t want Jon Gosselin, but I want Steve, so he`s half right.
SANTAGATI: Again.
HAMMER: I`ll get you one of those t-shirts if you`re really nice. All right. So the bad boys are even making bigger headlines. Tonight, when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most provocative celebrity of the week, it`s the bad boy edition. Will it be David Letterman for his sex scandal. Perhaps Levi Johnston for his "Playgirl" pose. Or will it be this guy, Jon Gosselin.
We`re going to make that call in just a moment when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most provocative celebrity of the week. You won`t want to miss it. Steve Santagati, Cooper Lawrence, thanks for being with us, guys. I appreciate it.
So even in if Jon Gosselin isn`t named the most provocative celebrity of the week, well, he can win an even bigger prize - a truce with his wife, Kate. This is remarkable.
After weeks at each other`s throat, is it possible that Jon and Kate have made peace? And if they have, will it last?
We all know President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize today, but this Jon and Kate truce would be a miracle.
Tonight, is Tori Spelling really a scary skinny 98 pounds? And are her friends worrying that maybe she is anorexic, and Tori isn`t eating perhaps because of her ongoing nasty fight with her mom? We seek the SHOWBIZ true squad on that case. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
It is time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: TNT working on "Dallas" remake following the next generation of the Ewing family. "Book `em, Danno!" CBS to air updated version of TV classic "Hawaii Five-O."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, who will SHOWBIZ TONIGHT name as the most provocative celebrity of the week? Will it be David Letterman because of his sex- extortion scandal? Or perhaps Levi Johnston, the father of Sarah Palin`s grandson who will reportedly pose nude for "Playgirl?" Or will it be Jon Gosselin because, well, he is Jon Gosselin?
Pretty tough choice. We`re going to make that call in just a moment when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most provocative celebrity of the week.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
First, let`s get to the big Jon Gosselin news today, his truce with Kate. The warring parents actually put their weapons down in the name of their daughter`s birthday.
And this extraordinary brand-new development made for big news breaking today. The world was really bracing for an all-out smackdown between Jon and Kate after Jon read Kate`s private E-mail on camera to TMZ. So did they duke it out?
Well, no, they didn`t. Jon and Kate actually acted like grownups for one day as they celebrated the ninth birthday of their twin daughters together. Go mommy and daddy! Tonight, we have the inside details on their remarkable newfound maturity.
Joining me tonight in Hollywood is Hyla who is an entertainment journalist for "5DollarPrep.com." In New York tonight, Megan Alexander who is a correspondent for "Inside Edition."
And I must say, I`m shocked. I didn`t think they had it in them, especially after Jon read Kate`s private custody E-mail to TMZ the day before the twins` birthday. Take a look at this.
J. GOSSELIN: I just got an E-mail from Kate saying she doesn`t want to see me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She doesn`t want to see you? Can we see it?
J. GOSSELIN: "I would like to split the evening so they can see us both. I would appreciate if you would pick them up at the bus stop tomorrow at 4:00 and stay until 6:00." That`s ridiculous. I`m going to stay longer than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I think that was pretty low on two levels. One, because Kate wanted to limit Jon`s time with the kids on their birthday to just two hours. And two, because Jon read her private E-mail publicly.
Hyla, I`ve got to tell you. I`m pretty surprised that given all that, they were able to put aside differences for a day. Did you think they had it in them?
HYLA: Isn`t it nice that the "Jon & Kate Plus Hate" show took a day off and allowed us to breathe for a second? Yes, this was kind of surprising. And I tell you. I would like to see this for at least the next couple of days, weeks, maybe even months for the sake of the kids.
I don`t know if that`s going to happen. I think it`s going to come down to whether he`s going to keep his legal team. I think his lawyer is giving him really bad advice. And you know it`s bad when Michael Lohan calls you out for your choices.
Yes, you`ve got real problems. What`s your take, Megan? I mean, considering all of the drama they put us through, are you surprised they were able to patch it up at least for this birthday event?
MEGAN ALEXANDER, CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": I`m with you, guys. I`m pleasantly surprised and I certainly hope that this truce indeed lasts.
What`s interesting, A.J., is today was also move out day for the TLC crews. They got all their film equipment finally out of there. This family has a lot more work to do and it needs to be done when those cameras are off. So perhaps a positive step, but a lot more to go.
HAMMER: Well, I know the two of you and everybody watching right now is wondering, will Jon Gosselin be named SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the week.
Lucas is directing the program tonight. Lucas, I would like you to put the nominees up, please. We have David Letterman, our first nominee as he really wades through just waist-high muck after admitting to sleeping with women who work for him.
Our next nominee, the thorn in Sarah Palin`s side, Levi Johnston. He has decided to take all of his clothes off and possibly pose for "Playgirl."
Then, you have the man child, Jon Gosselin, nominated yet again. So who does SHOWBIZ TONIGHT name as the most provocative celebrity of the week?
It is David Letterman. Hyla, what do you think? Did we get it right?
HYLA: Yes. You guys got it right 100 percent. Sex in the workplace plus celebrity equals provocative, definitely. It`s great that Letterman has made it so that cheating is funny topic now. I love it. It`s great.
HAMMER: Yes. You can`t laugh enough about cheating. Megan, what do you think? Is Letterman all the way this week?
ALEXANDER: I think so. And everyone has been saying, "Oh, he`s a comedian." But you know what? At what extent and at whose expense? There no winners here and especially his wife. Being so public about this, A.J., one has to think, you know, how is his wife doing? How is his family doing? And was it worth it to talk about it so much?
HAMMER: Yes. And even the fact that this extortionist is now sitting out on bail and is facing these charges, the alleged extortionist, obviously, he sort of got what he wanted in that Dave is really suffering.
I have to say that there was a lot of support for Jon Gosselin on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page. We asked you who you thought should be named the most provocative celebrity of the week.
Look at what a few people wrote. Michelle B. writing on our wall today, "Jon Gosselin - he is getting on my nerves with his whiny voice and poor-pity-me attitude."
Karen P. agreeing - she writes on our wall today, "Can`t stand Jon. He`s so immature and transparent it`s hard to believe that he`s the father of eight kids."
Hyla, does any of that change your mind? You know, maybe it should have been Jon Gosselin and not David Letterman. What do you think?
HYLA: No, no, no. I`m sticking with Letterman. Again, sex - that`s a very powerful word, powerful image. I think that`s going to resonate with people a lot more. Jon has plenty of time in the coming weeks to be bestowed this honor. So I don`t feel bad for him. He`ll be OK.
HAMMER: Yes, but I will say this about Jon - I still am having a hard time getting by why he thought it was OK to read Kate`s E-mail on camera for the entire world to see. There`s nothing about that that makes sense except for the fact that, well, maybe he just doesn`t think at all.
Hyla, Megan Alexander, thanks, guys. I appreciate it. Right now, we must move on to the big moon bombing that wasn`t. You know, there was so much huge hype over this big NASA experiment to find out if there was water on the moon.
NASA rocket scientist blasted a rocket the size of a school bus into space and sent it crashing into the side of the moon. Well, it was supposed to hit with such force that it would look like this, a massive explosion kicking up a huge cloud of debris.
Well, not so much. What happened actually looked more like this. At exactly 7:31 this morning, the very big blast was a very big dud. It was just a white flash. But this morning, the "Today" show was able to dig up some top secret intel about the blast. And co-host Al Roker explains what really went down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL ROKER, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: The moon bombing thing. But good news - we just got it, new video from the outside - mission to side-bomb the moon. Apparently, a little more spectacular than we first thought. Take a look.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Getting there. Wow!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Calling Bugs Bunny. Calling Bugs Bunny. Are you there? Come in. Have you prepared a statement for the press?
BUGS BUNNY, CARTOON CHARACTER: Well, yes. I have prepared a statement. Get me out of here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. So there you go. That`s what happened. As we move on tonight, bad boy Levi Johnston plans to possibly take it all off for "Playgirl."
Well, tonight, one of TV`s hottest mommas is stripping for "Playboy" magazine - Marge Simpson, wearing nothing but a smile and her mile-high blue hair. It`s the super-sexy cover shot that`s got everyone saying, "Ay, caramba!" You`ve got to hear why Marge did it.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Mattel out with a new line of black Barbie dolls that feature a range of skin tones. Lifetime`s "Project Runway to become a videogame for Nintendo Wii.
HAMMER: And now, "Making It Work." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals the secrets to how stars make their relationships work.
Tonight Susie Essman. I love Susie - probably best known for her role Susie Greene, the verbally abusive wife of Larry David`s manager on the hit HBO show, "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
Well, in real life, Susie is a newlywed, marrying her longtime boyfriend just last year. Susie and her husband had a long distance relationship before they tied the knot. And even though they now share a home, Susie says time apart is still a key to making her marriage work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSIE ESSMAN, ACTRESS: I think that`s separation is really healthy and good for a marriage. I think it helps our marriage that we`re not together all the time. I really do. We miss each other. It keeps it exciting. It keeps it interesting. You know, even though I hate it when I miss him, I love him when I miss him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I get that. Susie also has a big new role. She`s a mom. She`s step mom to her husband`s four children. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Did you see this? Marge Simpson on the cover of "Playboy" magazine. Who knew Marge was so hot? Marge is not just on the cover. She`s got a three-page pictorial inside with a story called, "The Devil in Marge Simpson".
The "Playboy" cover celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Simpsons, long time, one of my favorite shows. The November issue hits newsstands on October 16th. And by the way, Homer, you are one lucky dude.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, is Tori Spelling really a frail, 98-pound? We`re firing up the SHOWBIZ truth squad for some answers.
Now, some magazines report that Tori is so stressed out about her ongoing feud with her mother that she is not eating and she`s exercising like a demon every day.
Now, "Star" also reports Tori collapsed after an angry showdown with her husband, Dean McDermott, over his ex-wife`s tell-all book.
Well, the SHOWBIZ truth squad gets some answers straight from the source, Tori slamming "Star" magazine on her Twitter page and even reveals her real weight writing this - or tweeting, I should say, "`Star` mag lies! Literally, not one factual thing in entire article. And come to my house and weigh me, "Star!" I`m 107 pounds, if you care about facts."
Right now, DJ AM`s life lesson. Six weeks after the celebrity DJ a.k.a. Adam Goldstein died from a prescription overdose of drugs, MTV is airing the documentary, showing DJ AM helping young addicts get clean.
Tonight, a haunting look at DJ AM before his death and the raw honesty that he shared with eight people trying to kick drugs. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADAM GOLDSTEIN, CELEBRITY DJ: Can I see your arms?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were all given the chance of a lifetime from the man who knew the overwhelming power of addiction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is time for an intervention. I want my little sister back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are worth so much more than a bag of dope and a dirty syringe.
GOLDSTEIN: You get treatment or you get out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, the seven-episode run of "Gone Too Far" is going to start this Monday on MTV.
So on Thursday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Just moments ago, we got the final results - "Jon and Kate`s Messy Divorce: Is Jon more to blame for their drama?" Fifty-nine percent said yes; 41 percent said no.
Here are some E-mails. Josie from Louisiana. Jon and Kate share custody of their children and they share equal blame for all the drama."
Hossa from Maryland writing, "I feel the two are to blame for this mess. She runs to the media as fast as he does whenever there is a problem. I can`t feed my kids, wah! Give me a break."
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. That`s here on HLN.
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