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Piers Morgan Live
Teenager Suspended for Hugging Teacher; Interview with Tim Conway, Carol Burnett; 'Duck Dynasty' Star Suspended From Show
Aired December 18, 2013 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PIERS MORGAN, CNN HOST: This is PIERS MORGAN LIVE. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. Tonight, in this season of good will, nothing says festive like a big hug. So why was this teenager suspended for hugging his teacher? Was there more to this than meets the eye? You'll be the judge. He tells his story for the first time in an exclusive interview. Plus, a glamorous international star's impassioned battle for women's rights has gone viral. Also, family feud, Casey Kasem, the voice of America's top 40 for generations. Why his kids are fighting his step -- their stepmother to see him. And the comedy duo so funny they could barely keep straight face around each other. That was of course Tim Conway and Carol Burnett from her classic TV show. Tonight they're reuniting live on my show, and I'm a bit nervous about what might happen to be perfectly honest, but we'll get to that later.
We'll begin now with breaking news. The star (inaudible) "Duck Dynasty" in hot water tonight. Phil Robertson has been suspended form the show in the wake of uproar over an interview in "GQ" Magazine in which he compared same-sex relationships to bestiality and said some pretty disturbing things about the civil rights movement, too.
Well joining me now is GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz, and CNN's Don Lemon, host of "the 11th Hour." Welcome to both of you. Let me start with you if I may, Wilson Cruz, what do you make of what has happened here? I mean if you read the interview, it is like one long homophobic rant.
WILSON CRUZ, GLAAD: Yes what is upsetting really is that he would go on to try to represent the views of all Christian people, when in fact we know for a fact that more and more Christians support their LGBT family members, and he does not reflect the true Christians out there. No one would go about who calls themselves a Christian and compare LGBT people to slanderers (ph) or homosexuality to bestiality. That's just not who we are as Americans anymore, and he doesn't get a lot --
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Don Lemon let me just recap. OK, Don let me just read some of the more disturbing comment. "It seems to me a vagina," he says, "as a man would be more desirable than a man's anus. Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men, it is just not right," and on and on he goes. And later talking about Civil Rights Movement saying I never heard one of them, one black person say, I tell you what, those doggone white people, not a word. Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare you say where they happy, they were godly, they were happy, no one was singing the blues." I mean, pretty outrageous on any level. You as a high profile gay black man, I mean what is your reaction to this?
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Well we, Piers as you know, we just covered this last night, what exactly is free speech to me really have free speech in this country. He has the right Phil Robertson to say exactly what he wants to say this is America this is what happens when you have true freedom of speech you can say this things and then you have to suffer the consequences. Look what happen to all the human she make comments, when she was accused of using the N word and admitted to it.
It's offensive to me. I do believe in the right to free speech but I think the marketplace should decide what should happen to this franchise and it is been put on hold now. It's deeply offensive to many people and it shows that a lack of awareness on the part of certain individuals in this country when it comes to how other people live and the rights of other people should have. And I think here's what's important when we talked a lot about this and I know people are going to be -- there's going to be some uproar if I say this when people talk about, you know, the country that we used to have and taking our country back and all of those sort of things.
He believes that the popularity of the show and he said as such and I'm paraphrasing from the GQ article that it was recompense for the things that many people have lost in this country especially Christians by taking the 10 Commandment -- 10 Commandments away from buildings and by removing religious emblems or symbols from buildings. So I think it's a lack of awareness and I -- that the way other people live and yes it is deeply offensive to many people in this country.
MORGAN: I mean, what's extraordinary I mean, only last night I have to (inaudible) he does a ten most interesting people list tonight in fact on ABC and she has included Duck Dynasty listen to what she said about them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I thought that there were people who were a -- if not the President a little more interesting. What is this remind of quack, you know, the Duck Dynasty (inaudible).
MORGAN: That's the Duck tail Dynasty you're all right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, he may not be the President of the United States but, you know, the head of the Duck Dynasty Uncle Say (ph). They are very original and they are fascinating and they are one of the top reality shows on the air. So, we end up the President of United States quack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: I mean, that shows you Don just how far Duck Dynasty have entered public consciousness it is 14 million viewers a week, a huge audience, a $400 million merchandise empire of which about half is a Walmart alone and final questions to you Don should he be allowed back, should he just be fired from the show for show for this and what is the corporate responsible reaction from Walmart who sell so much of Duck Dynasty products.
LEMON: I listen I always hear on the side of free speech and just because I'm offended, you know, as I've said people can say whatever they want to say, I don't think people should be fired. I think the marketplace should decided if people don't like Duck Dynasty they shouldn't watch Duck Dynasty, but listen I know this is a breaking news now but as someone who comes from Louisiana I grew up there, I was born there in the place where they actually shoot the story. And listen I'm not saying this anything, you know, that's people don't know about Louisiana about the South and about America.
It is place where many people still feel and think the way he thinks. So I personally if you're asking me my personal opinion I don't think he should be fired. I think people should be allowed to say what they want and if they hang themselves they hang themselves.
MORGAN: You know, well I want to call this kind o view. I think he should be fired. I think his absolutely repulsive. Let see what A&E network statements says, "We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson's comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series Duck Dynasty. His personal views in no way reflect those A&E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely and quite rightly". He should be (inaudible)
LEMON: There is your answer right there, Piers.
MORGAN: Thank you both very indeed for joining me. Now I want to turn to our biggest story. Hard-core harassment 17-year-old Sam McNair has been suspended from school for a year for a hugging a teacher. He says it was illusive the teachers says Sam went too far. Sam and his mother April McNair join me now on their first television interview. Welcome to both of you watching this hug.
Now, of course you've heard all of these questions, Sam. You're 17-years-old, you're a good-looking guy, you're a big sports star at the school and so on. Why did you hug your teacher?
SAM MCNAIR: I hug all my teachers just to show appreciation on what they do from me. And that's my sense of realization.
MORGAN: So you walked in there, I think it's the store inside the school.
SAM MCNAIR: Right.
MORGAN: And have you hugged this teacher before?
SAM MCNAIR: Yes plenty of time 4 to 5 times.
MORGAN: Four to 5 times and other teachers?
SAM MCNAIR: Well, just a few (ph) even if they haven't teach and taught me.
MORGAN: This particular teacher apparently says that she warned you not to hug her is that true?
SAM MCNAIR: Yes, sir.
MORGAN: Do you never had any kick back at all to any of these hugs.
SAM MCNAIR: No sir.
MORGAN: Did other students hug the teachers?
SAM MCNAIR: Yeah, other students hug teachers -- other teachers.
MORGAN: Right, but that's different.
SAM MCNAIR: Yeah. Around students hug teachers as well.
MORGAN: You don't think there's anything inappropriate about what you did?
SAM MCNAIR: No, sir.
MORGAN: OK, I watched the video and you've been banned for a year, right.
SAM MCNAIR: Right, right.
MORGAN: Suspended from the school where obviously it's an extraordinary punishment. My view is what you did, it comes a bit inappropriate, I'm honest. I've got three sons around your age and one of them did that to teachers, I would be, as a parent a bit concern of that well hang on you can't do that to teacher, but I certainly wouldn't expect you to be suspended for a year. Now, let me turn to your Mom here, I mean, April what do you think, did you think it's right that Sam should be so tactile with teachers just to start with.
APRIL MCNAIR: I mean, Sam is a lovable kid and, you know, from the time he's been in Duluth middle school, high school, you know, he hugs all his teachers they, greet him with a hug, you know, even the teen Moms on the football field that how he is with all of the individuals in the school. You know, but my thing was, is she had an issue with him prior I should have been notified or someone in the school should have been notified because this his senior year. You stripped that off him so there's no opportunity for him to even finish up his senior year.
MORGAN: Let's just read a statement from Duluth High School it said Hearing Officers considered witness testimony, a review of the known facts, and a student's past disciplinary record including long- term suspensions that results in alternative school placement when determining consequences if a parent has concerns about the outcome of the panel, he or she is entitled to appeal the decision and you have been a bit of a naughty boy haven't you, Sam. I mean, you had a some suspensions before, you were moved to other school. Tell me what you did.
SAM MCNAIR: OK, the first suspension was because of a BB gun a student place the BB gun on my bag and during classroom setting I took my books out and it fell off and of course it raised an attention towards me in the classroom and I was basically suspended for a year out of this in the 7th grade. And then the next situation was 9th grade I had an injury from football and (inaudible) gave me some medicine and had a battery action to it so because of that reaction the EMS have to come and it caused a big school disruption which is also part of the handbook and I was placed out of school for a year with that too.
MORGAN: Are you generally troublesome are you.
SAM MCNAIR: No sir.
MORGAN: Are you mischievous how do you describe yourself?
SAM MCNAIR: I mean, I describe my self as a well-mannered man and I'm basically about to be 18 so I'm well on my way. I treat myself with a lot of care and, you know, I make sure I promote myself as a gentleman.
MORGAN: See, when she pushes you away or sort of pushes you away can you remember what she said to you.
SAM MCNAIR: I don't recall her saying anything until after I have spoke -- speaking to the student which you see at the end of video and she did tell me to get out and as soon as she told me to get out, I left and went to my coach master. I'll just see what's going on with her because she seemed disrupted.
MORGAN: She apparently said in the discipline report that your lips touched the back of her neck and chick did they?
SAM MCNAIR: No sir.
MORGAN: It doesn't -- I mean, you can't really tell from that video and it's all pretty quick. And it does look to me like a fairly innocent embrace if that is what you've been doing repeatedly with that teacher and other teachers and what other students do.
SAM MCNAIR: I mean, well, in that situation her -- like she wasn't ahead at me. Her shoulder is in my chest so I see where the inclination would come from but I definitely do not touch her with my lips.
MORGAN: Wouldn't you -- We're told you're going to be suspended for a year. I mean what was your reaction?
SAM MCNAIR: I was just thinking about senior year and what am I going to do for my education, like my heart dropped like I didn't know what to do.
MORGAN: Has it stopped you hugging people?
SAM MCNAIR: In a sense, I feel more cautious and what -- how I go about greeting people and if they -- if I do go at least hesitate for -- just like oh, wait no.
MORGAN: And (inaudible) is there any leave of appeal here, do you got any last recourse to try and get this changed?
APRIL MCNAIR: Well the appeal has been sent in today, so we have to wait for the board to make a decision on are they going to reinstate him along back in school.
MORGAN: Well, I would personally rain back the hugs of it Sam, because clearly not everyone shares your delight with the hugging. But it does seem a bit of over reaction to me. I hope the school see sense because your pretty good sportsman, right?
SAM MCNAIR: Yes sir
MORGAN: So they think you're back in the team?
SAM MCNAIR: Definitely.
MORGAN: I hope that happens. Good to see you both.
SAM MCNAIR: Thank you.
MORGAN: When we come back, the civil Indian diplomat who was arrested and stripped search in New York is sparking international outrage. And the Bollywood superstar who's impassioned plea for women's rights has taken the Internet world by storm.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORGAN: I want to turn now to the story of the female Indian diplomat who is arrested and stripped searched in New York held the charges that these are fraud. The international uproars stretches from New Deli to the White House, Devyani Khobragade is India's Deputy Council General for legal economic commercial on women's affairs, possibly discharged, he's stated on a housekeepers visa application that she would pay her at least $9.75 cents an hour, they say he actually paid the housekeeper about a third of that. Well joining me now is Devyani Khobragade's attorney Daniel Arshack.
Welcome to you Mr. Arshack. What is the knob of this complaint. It seems on the face of it your client may have committed an offense in terms of underpaying her housekeeper but the way she has been treated herself has also caused you defense and her perhaps quite rightly.
DANIEL ARSHACK, ATTORNEY: Well the knob of this case is that allegations were made against her that were wrong. They're unsubstantiated when the facts are looked at, it's perfectly clear that Dr. Khobragade did nothing wrong. She paid her worker exactly what she was supposed to pay her and the government has simply made a whole series spectacular blunders which has and roiled them into a quite a remarkable diplomatic Chris Buffle (ph).
MORGAN: OK. But just to clarify are you saying that your client did pay this housekeeper the minimum wage or above?
ARSHACK: She paid this housekeeper exactly what she promised to pay her well above the minimum wage. She was obligated under the contract to pay her $9.75 cents an hour and that's what she did.
Before the housekeeper came with her to the United States, the housekeeper asked her to promise to pay a portion of her income to her family in India. And so every month a wire was sent to the housekeeper's husband in India. The documents support that. The balance of her pay was paid to her in the United States, all of it.
There is no issue about the amount that was paid, the issue here is -- go ahead.
MORGAN: OK. Let's move on. I mean, I think that that is obviously an arguable legal point that will be determined by what happens. I have to say when I heard that she'd been arrested and handcuffed outside one of her daughter's schools in the middle of New York City. It did seem absolutely crazy, is that true, did that happen?
ARSHACK: Well, that's exactly what happened. You know, what's crazy, Piers, what's crazy is that there wasn't a phone call to Dr. Khobragade first from the government, saying you know, we have these concerns why don't you come talk to us and if you owe her some money maybe you should pay her and if you don't this will go away.
But instead they showed up and an officer showed up at her daughter's school arrested her at her daughter school after she had dropped of her daughter, brought her to the United States Marshall service at the southern district New York court house where she was handcuffed, she was stripped searched, she was put in the cell with other people and treated like an ordinary U.S. citizen charged with a crime.
The fact is she isn't an ordinary U.S. citizen, she's a diplomat with immunity. And she should have never been treated this way.
MORGAN: OK. Well, the Justice Department is raining back on some of this, the disputing the fact that she was handcuffed outside the school and other parts of this. I mean, have you talked to your client directly about that particular part of it?
ARSHACK: I've spent an enormous amount of time with my client and just to set the record straight. The State Department and the United States Attorney's Office is not disputing that she was arrested outside her daughter, there has been some misreporting that she was handcuffed in front of her daughter. She wasn't. She was handcuffed when she was delivered into the custody of the United States Marshall Service. She was stripped searched there and she was kept in a cell until she was produced in front of a United States magistrate who released her without the posting of any money.
MORGAN: OK. Daniel Arshack, thank you very much indeed. There's another story out of India is going viral tonight. When you're one of the biggest star in the nation of over a billion people, well others tend to listen when you speak.
Bollywood star actress, Mallika Sherawat is speaking out for women's rights in her native India and taking on a heat for it. Mallika joins me now, somebody knows I'm meeting you Mallika because I watched this video. I want to play a clip of this video because you went for it with this journalist at this press comes, wow. Let's see this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MALLIKA SHERAWAT, BOLLYWOOD ACTRESS: I think need to your homework well because I said Indian society is regressive for women. With female feticide, infanticide happening on all most a daily basis with gang rapes making the head lines of every newspaper with honor killings, 40 percent of Indian women, 40 percent are married below the age of 18.
I think it's a very, very regressive state for women. And I stand by it. Do you homework.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Most people in this country believe that you said that.
SHERAWAT: I don't care. I don't care what people believe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Like I said, wow, well I did my homework today Mallika to make sure you weren't going to snap on my heels, but what was it that really rattled your cage? What was it the journalist asked you?
SHERAWAT: Because the journalist was asking me to keep quiet about something that I've been so passionate about and the problem in India of this gang rape. And they think that when I'm vocal about it, I'm giving India a bad name on an international platform.
Now, I think that not doing anything about it, not taking a stand on it is as much a problem. We have to take a stand on it. I love my country. I feel very passionate about it.
And, Piers right now this minute we talk if we do not take a stand on it, there is a woman suffering in India. According to UNSP 47 percent of Indian women are married off under the legal age of 18.
MORGAN: Well, there's some amazing statistics. I mean ...
SHEREWAT: 39,000 child brides in India on an average everyday. And these women they do not have the luxury of waiting for an eventual change.
MORGAN: And then, some of us these are incredible, 99 percent of women in America are literate, in India just 65 percent, 2.1 percent of girls and 15 to 17 are married in America, 47 percent of Indian girls are married by 18 and 18 percent by the age 15.
I mean, in politics 18 to 20 percent of Senate Congress are female America just 10 to 11 percent in India even though you've had obviously female prime ministers and the president. This discusses the wide regime. You've come to America and you obviously -- you're working Bollywood films, other films and you've been a big success here.
I think giving you a different lends on your own country, do you think, has it -- you seem the way that are women treated in somewhere like America. Has it reinforce your view that things must change in India?
SHEREWAT: Absolutely. Things have to change. Because I think, Piers India is on the brink of a rise. And I want everyone to rise together and India cannot realize its full potential 'till its women are safe, 'till its women get equal opportunity as men.
MORGAN: Your father, I mean almost disowned you.
SHEREWAT: Not almost. He has disowned me. He hasn't talk to me for over a decade.
MORGAN: So, going to Mumbai to seek your fortune as an actress to chase your dream and your passion.
SHEREWAT: Yes.
MORGAN: So, many Indian women would have been cowed by their father, their siblings, the male pressure, if you like, in the family not to do what you did. Where did you get the courage to do that? How do you feel about the fact that you have no relationship with your father?
SHEREWAT: I think father's blessings are very important. His support is very important. And I miss him a lot. But having said that I grew up in a very futile male patriarchal system, where whatever the father said was the law. And I had dreams and I saw a lot of my cousins, sister, my family members just give in. They didn't have a chance at life. And I didn't want that to happen with me and I decided I am not.
I'll do something with my life, make a different. I mean, my cause is noble.
MORGAN: Have you heard from him at all since you had such success with films?
SHEREWAT: Really, of course were social with each other, like on occasions, like Christmas and family weddings we meet each other. We were very cordial with each other, but there is no relationship otherwise.
MORGAN: Sad isn't it? SHEREWAT: Very sad, yes. And I hope, Piers that I get so much fan mail from India, from young girls saying that, you know, you did it, show us the way. We want to follow ...
MORGAN: Your comments have been very contentious. I mean, a lots of people attacking you but also you've had millions of people (inaudible) swarming the Internet Twitter, Facebook and so on, raising to say thank God somebody Mallika is now standing up for the young women of India. You must be proud of that.
SHEREWAT: Yes, I do feel, I do feel proud. But then I've always done things the opposite way. I was one of the first actresses at least to my knowledge to kiss on screen, the first one.
MORGAN: Very naughty of you Mallika.
SHEREWAT: Very naughty, yeah. Very naughty and to wear a bikini and to push the boundary but then that gave me a platform. That gave me a platform to talk about this cause and of course I paid a heavy price for it. There was an assassination attempt on me in 2005, just when I began my career. But that's not going to deter me from championing this cause of women.
MORGAN: I mean, is it dangerous position you take. It's controversial and it gives you a lot of people that want to stop you in silence. Do you worry about that?
SHEREWAT: Not anymore. I don't worry about it at all, because someone has to do it. This has to be done.
MORGAN: What is the issue with young men in India wanting to take part of these gang rapes, they're so horrific, awful stories and hear about them time and again what is it about the fabric of society to make up of the young male mind that is making them do this.
SHEREWAT: I think it's very, very -- some -- deep social changes are required.
MORGAN: Does it all come down to just a lack of basic respect for women.
SHEREWAT: The lack of basic respect, lack of education and also how the atmosphere is at home? How mothers bring up their children? That's also very, very important I think.
Men have to, in India stop looking at women as just sex objects.
MORGAN: Mallika it's been a real pressure to meet you. I watched the video, I wanted to get you on. There's no word to say. I think you are a bit of heroine actually.
SHEREWAT: Oh, thank you.
MORGAN: And I want you to carry on day by day. I know you're taking a pretty big personal risk to do this. And I admire it hugely and you're doing a very important job. So, nice to meet you. SHEREWAT: Thank you.
MORGAN: When we come back the man with the golden voice Casey Kasem, the beloved voice of America's Top 40 why his own children carry a mic fighting to see their father.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CASEY KASEM, RADIO PERSONALITY AND VOICE ACTOR: Thank you and hello again everybody. Welcome to America's Top 10. Let's turn on the billboard Top Singles Chart. Now, last week the number one song in the USA was Jump by Van Halen. Is it number one this week? Let's find out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: That was a voice the millions of Americans grew up with Casey Kasem of American Top 40, today the pioneering radio personality is suffering from Parkinson disease and his children are battling to see him.
Well joining me now exclusively daughter Kerri and son Mike Kasem. This is an awful story. You know, I've got four kids and I'm one of four kids. My mom is one of four kids. We are big family. The idea that somehow I wouldn't be able to see my father if he was as ill as your father is would be heartbreaking and yet that is the position you find yourselves in.
Kerri what is going on here? Why does your stepmother Jean (ph) have such a resistance to seeing your father?
KERRI KASEM, DAUGHTER OF CASEY KASEM: You know, there's been a resistance for so long, ever since my father married her. So, it's been a very long time. We saw this coming. This is that we weren't blind sided by this.
This is a man we saw, you know, every single week. Talk to him every single day on the phone until he lost his voice. We are extremely close in our family, extremely, and his family means more to him than anything so why she is blocking us it's the only ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's dumfounding really.
MORGAN: Well, it seems to me utterly cruel when your father who is suffering from Parkinson's is that right? And he's been deteriorating and he's been, you know, having treatments and so on. You were allowed to see him briefly last week. Your stepmother Jean (ph) arranged for a location, we're not allowed to say where it was.
KERRI KASEM: No.
MORGAN: A part of it is sort of absurd legal barriers we face here but how was your father when you saw him?
KERRI KASEM: We're not allowed to say that either else visitations can get pulled.
MORGAN: You can't even say how he is. You're his children.
MIKE KASEM, SON OF CASEY KASEM: It's amazing but, you know, it is so important for us to see him and specially, you know, I just came in from Singapore where I work and so I didn't know if I was ever going to be able to see him again and so I was so happy to just even get that 20 minutes I got and so to see him was just the most special thing to me because I was able to quickly -- actually I only got five minutes at that point and I was able to tell him all the things that I needed to say just in case that was the last time I'd ever see him so that was very special and but just to only get that much time is just (inaudible).
MORGAN: It's horrendous. Now, Keri, in terms of the law, am I right of thinking that the law protects your stepmother in her home which is where your father predominantly spends his time therefore you can't actually go inside her house without her permission. Is that right?
KERRI KASEM: That's right. We'll be arrested. And we did try -- we tried everything to get her to let us see him when she stopped bringing him over the house. She had an assistant bring him over to the house and we get to see him every weekend. She stopped. My sister went there, knocked on the door and she was escorted off the property. And ...
MORGAN: And you have grandchildren as well, any children between you?
KERRI KASEM: Yeah.
MIKE KASEM: Our sister has children.
MORGAN: And they can't see their grandfather.
KERRI KASEM: No.
MIKE KASEM: They will probably never see their grandfather.
MORGAN: I mean, if she's watching tonight she probably is, right? Your stepmother Jean (ph), talk to her and you tell her, what would you say to her?
KERRI KASEM: Wow, I mean ...
MIKE KASEM: You know, it's so tough because, you know, when you know somebody or you've met somebody before and you know them just a little but you know how to approach them and with Jean ...
KERRI KASEM: We don't know her.
MIKE KASEM: I don't think she knows us ...
MORGAN: But given nothing has worked so far, now is your chance. You're live on CNN. MIKE KASEM: Yeah.
MORGAN: What do you want to say to this person to try and make her see and let, two obviously loving children see their father?
KERRI KASEM: Piers, we said everything we needed to say to her whether it's in to a camera, whether it's to you, whether it's to a judge or to our lawyers.
MIKE KASEM: I mean, but what it's -- what it's about more than us is our dad and, you know, him having just some stimulation and love and care around him provided by, you know, by everybody including us his children.
KERRI KASEM: You know, it's not just us though. We need to say this. I mean, we say this loud and clear it's not just the kids. It's his brother. It's his cousins. It's his best friends. Everybody has been blocked from seeing my father.
MIKE KASEM: And we're talking people he's known since the 40's and also ...
MORGAN: Is she the -- let's try and play devil's advocate is part of the reason she's doing this that she doesn't want people to see your father in the condition that he's in?
KERRI KASEM: My father's biggest joy in life was his family and his friends. He always love to have gatherings, have -- we'd have our, you know, our Lebanese food. We play our cards and we have family time. That was so important to him. Now, when we did see him, we had so very little time with him. It's like take the person that you love most on earth. Know that they're sick. Know they want to see you, you get 20 minutes with them before being ripped away by an armed guard and at -- and having them say please stay and you can't.
MORGAN: Well, you might be restrictive from what you can say, I'm not. I think it's utterly inhuman and completely despicable and if you're watching Jean (ph), the stepmother who wants to ban all these kids from seeing their father then just wake up and let them see their father. We got a statement from Mrs. Kasem. She says she's no comment to make at this time but would like to appear on a later show to address any inaccurate statements made viral on the show. OK. Well, you got an open invitation Mrs. Kasem unless before it's too late before these children are not able to see their father ever again because of what it seems to me an utterly selfish and ridiculous ban that you have imposed upon them. I want to play a little clip. This is from your father in his hey day how many Americans remembered doing the Top 40. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CASEY KASEM: This is Kasem. Well, now we're up to the number one song in the land and I look back at four amazing decades counting them down. I am Casey Kasem. Now, one more time the worst I've ended my show is 1970. Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: I mean, I didn't hear him do that because I was in Britain but I do remember he was the voice of Shaggy in Scooby-Doo.
KERRI KASEM: Yes.
MIKE CASEM: Right.
MORGAN: One of my favorite shows. The guy is an absolute institution. A big part of his show was his dedications. You know if you could choose any song of all the songs to dedicate to your father right now, which one would you go for?
KERRI KASEM: Did you ever know that you're my hero. You're everything I would like to be, Wind Beneath My Wings because I am who I am today because of my father. My integrity, my moral -- my morals and my work ethic. Everything I am and who I am is because of my father and of course my mother. I mean both of those people are why we are and who we are and we love them so very much.
MIKE KASEM: And Casey was a man -- my dad was a man who just cared so much about just humans in general, just people, you know, I wound see him go up to homeless people and give, you know, $5, $10, you know, and all the humanitarian issues that he supported and he just brought that home too and he brought us up to care for people and respect people. And we can't thank him enough for that.
KERRI KASEM: And that's also too why we named it the Kasem Cares Foundation. My dad cared so much about people. So much and I just wanted to ask people that are watching right now that if they to give to the Kasem Cares Foundation which we are supporting a legislation, a bill that allows children, adult children with an ailing parent visitation rights and not every kid. We're not assuming every kid is a great kid but kids that are good. Kids that have had a strong relationship ...
MORGAN: I think that's a very laudable ending too, but I have to say my priority right now is getting you to see your dad and we're going to keep at this and I repeat Mrs. Kasem if you are watching come on this show and explain yourself and maybe you have an entirely different set of circumstances we're not aware of. I find it hard to believe. Thank you.
KERRI KASEM: Thank you so much.
MORGAN: I'm just so sorry that you're going through this. It must be utterly heartbreaking for you.
MIKE KASEM: Thank you.
KERRI KASEM: Thank you.
MORGAN: Coming up, a change of mood, the six-time Emmy Award winning comedy icon can make anybody laugh Tim Conway and we have a special other guest who will be joining him. You probably guess who that might be.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL BURNETT: What was it you wanted to tell me, darling?
TIM CONWAY: How would she have said that too and this isn't going to be easy to me.
BURNETT: I actually -- I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.
CONWAY: Well, I married Melody this afternoon.
BURNETT: I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. How could you do that to me? How could you?
CONWAY: Well, it wasn't ...
BURNETT: Well, get out. I don't want to see you again. Get out of my sight, forever.
CONWAY: Boy, for a minute there, I thought you're going to be mad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Legendary funny man, Tim Conway, the great and Carol Burnett. Slow down
CONWAY: Yes.
MORGAN: Tim Conway, the great Carol Burnett sketch in the classic Carol Burnett Show. Tim is now telling a story in the new book, "What's So Funny?: My Hilarious Life. And Tim Conway joins me In the Chair tonight. How do you feel about being in the show? You'll be making my entire crew roar with laughter in that commercial break.
CONWAY: Oh, really? Well, there's only two guys here so -- funny, I was, yeah.
MORGAN: How are you Tim, I mean you, when you finish this book what did you conclude about your extraordinary life?
CONWAY: Well it -- I haven't read the book, but I understand that it's very good. I never really wanted to be. I was starting out to be a jockey but falling off as much as I did from horses and weighing 190 pounds, even the horse is asking. Get off, you know, so I gave up that career and showbizness was the next best thing.
MORGAN: I'm glad you did make and create a lot of impressions, we got a little clip here. So it's you as a bumbling naval of Mr. Ensign Parker, McHale's Navy, I wonder if this brings back some memories, listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You? Haven't you already done enough you filthy blighter?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Filthy blighter, I don't understand it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Silence, you blithering poppinjay. Now where is this despicable bigot that you have the (inaudible)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Absolutely ridiculous. Actually the viewers quoting there (ph).
CONWAY: Isn't it though? Yes. Well, you have one two. It's -- All right, so
MORGAN: Obviously everyone associates you with Carol Burnett. What was it like when you first began to work they realized you have this extraordinary chemistry?
CONWAY: It was marvelous. I had admired her from afar, from the other side of television set that for a long time and when I finally got to meet her and to work with her was absolutely the end of my career as I thought because that's as much as she can do.
MORGAN: What made Carol so special?
CONWAY: Well she's very giving and very -- she's just wonderful, you know, its -- you can not anger her by any means. Oh, you can but that's another whole other story.
MORGAN: When you made people nod, do they expect you to be uproariously funny? Are you naturally like that or is it always quite hard work for you to perform?
CONWAY: Well I have a natural humor about me and when I talk to people that comes out, you know.
MORGAN: You have one of those faces. Yes, I tell this with Bob Newheart, Don Rickles, those -- is a face that you just cut out and love that. I mean, the nicest possible way.
CONWAY: Oh, thank you so much, yes. Well, Bob and I are good friends and ...
MORGAN: Well, Bob paid you a great tribute at you at the back of the book so I couldn't put the book down, it's very clever of him to put glue on each page.
CONWAY: Oh that silly guy.
MORGAN: Let's take a quick break. And I'm going to bring out Carol Burnett. We're going to reunite you.
CONWAY: Oh my God.
MORGAN: Live on CNN.
CONWAY: Wow, who would have thought?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CONWAY: Is it Rudolph (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm not Welker (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes Mister Valentino (ph) is here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not ...
CONWAY: Bruno (ph) at last you come to beg my forgiveness. Well it's too late for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Carol Burnett playing one of the most famous characters Nora Desmond and part of the reason of course of the success of the Carol Burnett Show was the amazing chemistry between Carol and Tim Conway and I'm reuniting them. This is so exiting.
BURNETT: Isn't it.
MORGAN: I've never seen my crew so excited.
BURNETT: Really?
MORGAN: They've been bouncing of walls about this. To bring together these two great comedic legend. Carol welcome back to the show.
BURNETT: Thank you, Piers.
MORGAN: First of all you said about Tim that his improve was pure gold and wildly inventive was that ...
BURNETT: Yes.
MORGAN: ... was that part of the magic for the -- the way ...
BURNETT: Totally ...
MORGAN: ...it was ...
BURNETT: ... totally. It's what we would do when we -- on Friday's we would take two shows, the one at 5:00 and we tape it, then with an audience and then we would have our notes and, you know, make some changes as (inaudible) then another audience would come in and we would do the second show. Well Tim, I'm going to -- no, he -- I'm going to talk ...
CONWAY: That would be me. BURNETT: ... as if he's not here. He would do, the first show as we have rehearsed him to the ink, you know, and then he would go to our director and say, did you get all the shots Dave (ph)? And Dave (ph) just -- sort of a -- and, OK for example he would say, all right in the hotel's sketch when we do this again on the second show. Instead of being on away shot of me, be on a head to toe. That's how he's tell him. And the crew didn't know. And so that it was like he was going to wing it and he'd thought up something to do with that window or whatever -- the door...
MORGAN: And even you wouldn't know what was going?
BURNETT: No.
MORGAN: So what -- so is that why kept cracking up so much is that you just couldn't -- you didn't know what's happening next?
BURNETT: We never cracked up on purpose ever, ever, ever.
MORGAN: He's waiting about you to go with it. He studied your background, is there any....
CONWAY: Well, let me tell you something weird about you too.
MORGAN: There're lots of weird things about me.
CONWAY: Yes.
MORGAN: But your background is hardly the template for great American committee. You grew up in Ohio during the Depression. You're the ...
CONWAY: Well, that alone is ...
MORGAN: ... only child, Irish father was often rebellious but your mother spoke Romanian. You were partly dyslexic. None of this is ticking a box that says to me that I will be one of the funniest guys in America. How did you get to be funny?
CONWAY: Well, there's -- that's just -- dyslexia helped me out a lot because I would get up to read in class and I couldn't. I don't know what -- well, perhaps my mother in that picture, my mother and father were very funny. My dad was trading race horses and so he would let me gallop in the morning.
MORGAN: And he was Irish. I mean I'm -- I'm an Irish.
CONWAY: Yes.
MORGAN: We naturally are...
CONWAY: I never understood him...
MORGAN: Of course. Whatever they've done to each other...
CONWAY: ... or my mother. BURNETT: Did you tell Piers about the doorbell?
CONWAY: Yes. He hooked a doorbell up in our house one time backwards so that it rang all the time except when you press the doorbell. And I said, "You know, Dad that's an -- you must have crossed the wires leave it alone." And so, we'd sit there listening to this all night and then when it would stop, he'd say, "I'll get it."
BURNETT: So that's funny.
MORGAN: Yeah. So tell me just both of you, I mean the style of comedy has changed so dramatically ...
CONWAY: Yes.
MORGAN: ... these days when you're -- such a hit show together. Do you find it offensive the modern kind of way of telling pretty crude jokes?
BURNETT: Yes.
MORGAN: Do you dislike it?
BURNETT: I do. And I'm not a prude. I just think it's an easy laugh. It's an easy laugh to get that, you know, that's kind of logic logical, all of that stuff, you know to be -- sometimes I think when I watch some of these shows that they've been written by teenage voice in a locker room. You know, that just -- they're not clever. When I think back of with "Mary Tyler Moore Show", "Bob Newhart Show", with "All in the Family", that was clever.
MORGAN: And there was a form to it (inaudible)
BURNETT: Beautiful writing but it wasn't worth, you know, but not trickily, you know. It wasn't really want to go ...
MORGAN: Yes.
BURNETT: ... "It's too sweet", but just ...
MORGAN: You never had to curse to get a laugh.
BURNETT: No.
CONWAY: And you never had to worry about the kids watching it either, you know.
BURNETT: Yes.
CONWAY: I mean, you could communicate with the whole family.
MORGAN: What is the joke, Tim? If you -- If I say it right, you've got five minutes to live, you can tell one joke again before you peg it, what would it be? CONWAY: I would go holdup a bank. I always wanted to do that and take as much cash I could and run out. And once my five minutes is up, "Bang." The cops killed me.
MORGAN: Do you still do stand up on the occasion?
CONWAY: I do a sit down now. Yes. I don't do too much of it but I do ...
MORGAN: Would you ever bank your joke a little err, if it's not going great?
CONWAY: Yes.
MORGAN: If you got one you pull out the ether?
BURNETT: You don't tell jokes. I don't tell jokes.
CONWAY: No. No.
MORGAN: A conventional joke isn't really the way you do it.
CONWAY: No.
BURNETT: I couldn't ...
CONWAY: We tell stories. Yes.
BURNETT: Yes. We tell stories, things that -- like about the doorbell.
MORGAN: Do you find everything pretty funny?
CONWAY: Yes. I do.
MORGAN: Is that the treat of being an observationally brilliant comedian is that you basically find humor in everything.
BURNETT: Well, you can try, you know.
CONWAY: Yes. I do. I did in the school too. I was always laughing at somebody who is reading or somebody who is writing and ...
MORGAN: Who is the funniest -- present company exempted -- who's the funniest person you have ever seen ...
CONWAY: Well, I think...
MORGAN: ... who's a professional comedian?
CONWAY: Newhart is pretty funny. So Bob and I are very close friends because I take a lot of his material and do it in a club. And Rickles was -- and, you know, I mean he was the best and ...
MORGAN: Carol, what would you say?
BURNETT: Well ...
MORGAN: You could pay to see one comedian on stage again, who would you choose?
BURNETT: Well, I like -- they're apples and oranges. I love Billy Crystal. I saw his show on Broadway twice -- just fantastic. Steve Martin I think, you know, and ...
MORGAN: Yes. Steve Martin leaving only...
BURNETT: ... and the usual ladies I love, you know, Tina and Amy.
MORGAN: Tina Fey? Yes. They're -- I feel what they continue the kind of humor.
BURNETT: Well, they do sketch work. They're not stand up comics and neither are we.
MORGAN: Well, I would love to talk to you all night even if you would sit down comics, I would talk to you all night. It's been such a delight to bring you both together...
BURNETT: Thank you.
MORGAN: ... on the 75 years of (inaudible)
CONWAY: Well, I'm not doing anything so I can stay here. Yes.
MORGAN: I can tell Anderson Cooper. We're just going to rip through his hour if you like.
BURNETT: I like that.
MORGAN: So, well of you, let's get stuck into this two after the break although they're against we would like it. Carol and Tim, thank you both very much indeed.
BURNETT: Thank you, Piers.
CONWAY: Thank you.
MORGAN: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORGAN: I heard that -- tomorrow we're going to name our Piers Morgan Live top 10 Moments of 2013. We need your help. Vote for your favorite at PiersMorganLive.com. There's some funny ones and some pretty ridiculous ones too.
Also tomorrow, Star Jones wants to break down the year's highlights. And tonight, on 11th Hour, more on the outrage over the star of Duck Dynasty and his comments comparing same sex relationships to bestiality. Nice.
That's it for us tonight. AC 360 starts right now.
