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Joy Behar Page
Weekly Roundup; Double Standard in Hollywood?; Interview with Jerry Springer
Aired October 29, 2010 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOY BEHAR, HLN HOST: With the spookiest day of the year right around the corner we thought we`d have a little fun and give America a really good scare. Happy Halloween.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW Charlie Sheen is in trouble again. But that won`t stop the huge success of his CBS show. So when it happens to Sheen he`s just a bad boy, but when it`s Lindsay Lohan she`s called a train wreck. Is there a double standard in Hollywood?
And as Randy Quaid seeks asylum, Mel Gibson seeks redemption. Joy has all the pop culture dish.
Plus Jerry Springer is here to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his show.
That and more starting right now.
BEHAR: Charlie Sheen made headlines this week when he was rushed to the hospital reportedly intoxicated, in a wild rage and foaming at the mouth or as Mel Gibson calls it, Monday. Here to talk about this and other stories from the week are E! Network correspondent Ben Lyons; comedian Cathy Ladman; and writer Paul Rudnick.
Ben first of all, what do you know about this mystery woman Capri Anderson?
BEN LYONS, CORRESPONDENT, E! NETWORK: Oh, you know I`m a film critic over at the E! Channel, so I`m familiar with all of her work. She`s not a hooker apparently, she`s a porn actress. They met in the lobby at the hotel, because hookers never hang out in hotel lobbies.
And then she went to dinner with Charlie and then they -- you know, the night went down the rabbit hole after that. She is being very clear saying that she`s not part of the world`s oldest profession. In fact, she`s an actress.
BEHAR: Ok. Paul, you`re an established screenwriter. Are you familiar with Capri Anderson`s body of work? Let me name you a few titles: "Big Bust Cougars", "Lesbian Tendencies", "Damn She`s a Lesbian" and my favorite, "Barely 18 Part 41".
I prefer her theater work myself. What do you think?
(CROSSTALK)
PAUL RUDNICK, WRITER: She`s gone by several names. See if you can see which one doesn`t quite belong: Capri Anderson, Alexis Capri, and Capri Nubile and Stella Castanza. And I thought, it`s like calling an escort service and asking for one of the "Real Housewives of New Jersey". I call it range.
BEHAR: We`re showing some of the footage that TMZ obtained of her. As we`re speaking, there she is in case you want to see her. She`s cute. Very cute.
CATHY LADMAN, COMEDIAN: Yes.
BEHAR: She`s upset over the reports that she`s a hooker, a prostitute. She insists, you know -- but I mean, what`s the difference exactly in your mind?
LYONS: What`s the difference?
BEHAR: Between a porn star and prostitute?
LYONS: Oh, I think there`s a huge difference. The moral issue at hand, of course.
BEHAR: One is an artist.
LYONS: One, you know provides a service that is legal in this country and one provides a service that is not legal. Fundamental difference, right?
BEHAR: Yes. I guess. That`s right. What do you think, Cathy?
LADMAN: First of all I think they`re going to change the name of the show to "Two and a Half Men and One Porn Star".
BEHAR: That would be a good title.
LADMAN: Yes. I think that -- what`s the difference? Well, porn stars get paid a salary. Hookers get paid a fee. I believe that`s --
RUDNICK: Hookers are freelance and --
BEHAR: Yes. I think one`s $10.99 and one`s --
RUDNICK: I read that Capri was upset because she was going to get paid for that one night with Charlie Sheen $12,000. You think, what recession?
BEHAR: I know. He`s the star of "Two and a Half Men".
RUDNICK: I know. But I would -- if I had a child I would say, you`re going to become a prostitute with Charlie Sheen.
BEHAR: It`s not good to just be any old prostitute. You have to be with a rich guy.
LYONS: No legal charges will be pressed against him, I guess.
BEHAR: No, no, no. But whatever. Charlie`s fans have no problem with this, by the way.
LADMAN: Of course not.
BEHAR: All over the Facebook they`re saying, "You go, Charlie." There`s nothing -- they`re not mad.
LYONS: But Joy, we talk about this on the show all the time. There`s a double standard in Hollywood for actors and actresses. Lindsay Lohan gets caught doing something she`s a party girl; when she`s in trouble, a brat. For guys it kind of becomes part of their charm in a way.
BEHAR: Why is that?
LYONS: A little endearing I guess.
BEHAR: Don`t you think it`s partly because Charlie has a gig and makes a lot of money for the network and Lindsay is just potential moneymaker at this point?
LADMAN: Sure. If she had a steady gig I think that the publicity department would be out there.
BEHAR: They`d protect her.
(CROSSTALK)
LYONS: But still you have guys like Christian Bale and Johnny Depp and Charlie Sheen it becomes part of his bad boy image of why audiences like them. Some would say.
BEHAR: Yes. But what does he have to do to get in trouble, the guy, kill somebody.
LADMAN: I don`t know. That`s not really -- that`s not heavy enough, I don`t think.
BEHAR: We`re going to move on to somebody else.
RUDNICK: But just remember that earlier that weekend Charlie had taken Denise Richards and the children to see "Mary Poppins". I want to know if Capri went along or if when the children opened the closet and found the naked hooker, did he say, "That`s Nanny McFee"? It`s a family weekend.
LADMAN: I think Capri was doing a show called "Mary Pumpings" I believe.
BEHAR: How about Fanny McFee? That would be good.
Changing directions sort of. The director of "The Hangover 2" Todd Phillips now says that Mel Gibson wasn`t fired from the film after all. Now you spoke to Todd this week, the director.
LYONS: Yes, I interviewed Todd this week. He`s got a new movie coming out called "Due Date". And he said that they made an offer to Mel, they wanted him to be part of this. And he says, you know, it`s a two- minute scene in a movie and now it`s come -- everybody talking about "The Hangover" sequel.
And it`s just a two-minute scene in the movie. And he said Mel is an actor first and foremost and he was the best person for the job and he said that audiences don`t really have a lot of empathy for people.
Maybe, you look at somebody like Mike Tyson who`s in the first "Hangover" movie --
BEHAR: He`s not defending him if but he feels sorry for him.
LYONS: But there was some time -- there was some time in between Tyson`s incident and the law and when he appeared on screen in "The Hangover". So the audiences could kind of use that time to grow some empathy if you will.
BEHAR: Mike Tyson is saying -- Mike Tyson has done a major mea culpa. He`s sorry. He was really very contrite.
LYONS: Yes. We haven`t seen, you know --
BEHAR: Mel -- I have seen nothing. Is a cameo in this movie his idea of a mea culpa?
LYONS: I don`t think so. No. I don`t think so.
LADMAN: Mel Gibson should do a documentary called "The Hangover".
BEHAR: Called "Mea Culpa".
RUDNICK: And once you start using Mike Tyson as your moral barometer --
BEHAR: Yes. That`s a rough one.
RUDNICK: I thought well, you have to put out a call to O.J. now?
LADMAN: I know.
BEHAR: No better advocate.
Are you surprised there was such a backlash at the -- the cast and crew really didn`t want him in the movie?
LYONS: I`m surprised the studio and casting crew, their voice was heard I guess. That an actor like Galifianakis or some of the people on the crew could speak their mind. Like you said on this show a couple weeks ago how much Hollywood has changed.
And that Zack Galifianakis is now black-balling Mel Gibson for a movie.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: -- what`s his name? Zack could get rid of this guy who`s a big, big moneymaker. It`s fascinating.
RUDNICK: You think if Mel really wanted to rehab his career, he would make "Passion of the Christ 2" with Jackie Mason. He would do something to really make an effort.
BEHAR: That would help I think.
But what about the film, you know, Jodie Foster also said that Mel Gibson was the most loved man in Hollywood because she has, in the can -- pardon the expression -- she has the movie "The Beaver" and they`re having trouble releasing it.
LYONS: Was that a quote from Jodie Foster from 1992?
BEHAR: No. Recently. She said he`s the most loved man in Hollywood.
LADMAN: I never -- you know I actually heard some things from the "Year of Living Dangerously" that Linda Hunt had said something about Mel Gibson being awful back then.
BEHAR: Oh, really?
LADMAN: Somebody has to confirm this for me.
BEHAR: All right. Let`s move on. Let`s move on.
After spending a few days in a Canadian jail cell, actor turned fugitive Randy Quaid and his wife Evi, are free at last and now say they may actually settle down in Canada. Now if only Canada would take in Mel Gibson and Charlie Sheen.
LYONS: There`s a movie there, Joy, the three of them. That`s what I`d like to see. I`d like to see Quaid, Sheen and Gibson do something.
BEHAR: How did they end up in Canada in the first place?
LYONS: His crazy wife, her father`s Canadian and a new immigration law I think in 2009 or something. If you can seek asylum in Canada or become a citizen --
BEHAR: Asylum from what?
LYONS: Because he -- well, he faces charges in Santa Barbara for living in somebody`s house illegally and damaging the home.
BEHAR: But asylum is when you`re trying to get out of Iran. I mean, what is -- who goes to Canada for asylum? I don`t get that.
LADMAN: Well, aren`t they being charged for burglary?
LYONS: Yes.
BEHAR: Oh, asylum -- in other words, you`re fugitives from the law?
LADMAN: Yes.
BEHAR: They`re like Bonnie and Clyde.
LYONS: She can be a Canadian citizen because her father was born in Canada. That`s the new law since 2009. So that`s what they`re trying to - - I like how their dog was detained and now the dog was arrested and now the dog has been released.
BEHAR: What is the dog? The dog was --
LYONS: The dog was there.
BEHAR: The getaway car I guess.
LYONS: This story gets crazier and crazier to more you read about it.
BEHAR: Who are these Hollywood star whackers that they claim are after them? Who are they referring to? Do you know Paul?
LADMAN: They`re paranoid.
RUDNICK: They claim that there was some sort of conspiracy that killed David Carradine, Heath Ledger and is now after the Quaids.
BEHAR: Yes. The star whackers. Do you know any star whackers?
RUDNICK: Not personally. But -- I`m friends of friends who know star whackers.
RUDNICK: Isn`t Capri Anderson a star whacker? No? Sorry.
LADMAN: Hello.
BEHAR: Who, the porn star?
LYONS: The porn star.
LADMAN: Right?
BEHAR: You think that Randy and Evi are under some kind of spell? Maybe Christine O`Donnell put them under a spell and that`s really what`s going on with them?
RUDNICK: They`re kind of the at least attractive Bonnie & Clyde imaginable. They look like they king of --
(CROSSTALK)
LADMAN: Which one is Bonnie and which one is Clyde?
RUDNICK: They look like they just kind of crawled out of a sweat lodge and are about to found the Mormon Church.
BEHAR: Ok. I have to go. Thank you guys very much. "Cathy Ladman Live", is available now at Cathyladman.com. We`ll be back in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: The Tea Party is not the only political action group making headlines. Fight Back New York is working to unseat state senators who voted against equality for gay and lesbian New Yorkers.
And here to talk about the campaign is the lovely and talented Cynthia Nixon. Actress and activist, I might add.
CYNTHIA NIXON, ACTRESS/ACTIVIST: Thank you.
BEHAR: Not too many actresses are activists, too. So that is quite a nice thing that you are. Now, you had two kids with someone that you didn`t want to marry apparently.
NIXON: That`s right.
BEHAR: And now you`re with a woman that you want to marry.
NIXON: Yes. Yes.
BEHAR: But they say you can`t.
NIXON: Well, they say I can`t in New York State.
BEHAR: In New York, yes.
NIXON: And that`s really where I`d like to do it.
BEHAR: Right.
NIXON: But you know, we`re not going to wait forever, but there are - - luckily there are other states, some quite nearby where we can go, but we really want to get married in New York --
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Of course, where you were.
NIXON: -- because it`s our -- it`s our home town.
So we`re working with Fight Back and we`re doing everything to see -- to see that the next time same-sex marriage comes up for a vote in the New York state Senate that it passes. So --
BEHAR: Well, what do you say to your kids when you try to explain to them, I live with this woman, we love each other, but we can`t get married? How do you explain that to them?
NIXON: I -- you know, they understand the -- of course this is our other mom and of course our moms would want to get married and have all the full financial and legal benefits. They just -- they can`t understand why it could possibly be illegal or what the thinking would be.
BEHAR: They don`t get it.
NIXON: No, they don`t get it.
BEHAR: Of course not.
NIXON: No they don`t get it.
BEHAR: Because it`s illogical and stupid.
NIXON: I think it is. I think it is.
BEHAR: Now, you could do civil unions in New York, right, or not?
NIXON: No --
BEHAR: You can`t do that either.
NIXON: No.
BEHAR: I didn`t know that.
NIXON: No. And you know, civil unions are --
BEHAR: It`s not good enough?
NIXON: -- I think have been pretty much debunked. I mean, frankly even once we get married, there are 1,100 federal benefits that we will not be receiving because of the Defense of Marriage Act. Like for example, if I should die before my girlfriend, she can`t inherit my social security. I`ve been working since I was 12 --
BEHAR: That`s not fair.
NIXON: I`ve been paying money -- that`s totally not fair.
BEHAR: So who would get it, nobody?
NIXON: No. You know, I mean, there are -- there are a lot of things. If we were a man and a woman and we`re married --
BEHAR: Yes.
NIXON: -- our -- our income would be -- our -- our savings would be viewed as totally joint. And she would not have to pay any taxes. Right now if I would die and she would have a need to take care of our kids, she would -- half of that money would disappear whereas if she was a man and we were married that would not be the case.
BEHAR: I see. In your case it`s -- it`s much more important for people who are workers making a regular salary. I mean, you`re a spokesperson, but you`re in rarefied air in a way. We`re talking mostly about people who need that social security very badly.
NIXON: Right. Although you know, I mean, I think I have a lot in common with people across the country whereas, you know, my soon-to-be wife, she is the stay-at-home mom with our kids.
BEHAR: That`s true.
NIXON: And I want to do everything I can to legally and financially protect her. And at the moment --
BEHAR: What does she do when you -- when the kids are out of the house?
NIXON: Oh she`ll go back -- she`ll go back -- she`ll go back to work.
BEHAR: She`s a lawyer. Isn`t she?
NIXON: No, she`s an organizer. She`s a community organizer.
BEHAR: Organizer, oh, like Obama.
NIXON: Yes.
BEHAR: A-ha. But you know, so the difference between civil unions and marriage is basically a financial thing. It`s not really a religious thing.
NIXON: It is everything, I mean, you know, civil unions, I mean, part of the problem with civil unions is --
BEHAR: Yes.
NIXON: Well, first of all, separate but equal. We understand that that doesn`t work. Also, you say I`m -- I`m married to that person. People know what that means. I`m civilly unioned to that person, what is that?
BEHAR: That`s true.
NIXON: And we have -- we have cases of people who have not been allowed in the death beds of their -- of their significant other, have not been able to make medical decisions, and not just -- it`s not just a financial thing by any stretch of the imagination. It`s when you`re married, people understand what that is.
I mean, we could -- we could reinvent the wheel and say, Christine is the woman with whom I live and I share child-rearing responsibilities and with whom I intend to live out my days and with whom I may get -- or I could just say she`s my wife.
BEHAR: She is your wife, yes.
NIXON: And then people understand what that is.
BEHAR: Right. Well, even I as a heterosexual couple, I don`t even know what to call him.
NIXON: Right.
BEHAR: Because I`m not married to the guy.
NIXON: Right.
BEHAR: So I call him my spousal equivalent.
NIXON: Right. You call her your partner and people say, oh, I didn`t know you were in business together.
BEHAR: Yes exactly.
NIXON: It`s like, no. Yes.
BEHAR: It`s hard to do.
NIXON: No.
BEHAR: My lover is a little too intimate.
NIXON: It`s a little explicit.
BEHAR: A little too explicit, none of your business if he`s my lover or not.
NIXON: Yes.
BEHAR: Yes.
Ok, you know the other thing about it is that, you know, the right wing people who are against gay marriage --
NIXON: Yes.
BEHAR: -- they are always talking about oh, the kids, the kids, the kids. What about the kids who are in these situations? What about those kids whose parents are gay?
NIXON: Right. I mean --
BEHAR: They don`t seem to care about them.
NIXON: Right, and I mean, I -- I -- I have to say that -- you know, they`ve -- they`ve done a lot of studies and they`ve shown that definitely the children of same-sex couples are very harmed by the fact that their -- their parents can`t marry or their parents are not viewed as a legitimate couple. And there`s absolutely been no evidence to show that somehow the children of straight couples are somehow harmed by the same-sex marriages of couples that they might never meet. How could they possibly be harmed by that?
But the other thing that I -- I want to say when people raise that is you know, maybe there are people who object to gayness and object to gay families, but it`s not like they`re going to be able to wave a wand and like we`re all going to disappear. Like --
BEHAR: Or turn straight.
NIXON: Or turn straight or like we have families and we have children and by your blocking our path to equality, it just means my -- my -- my spouse and my children are vulnerable. It doesn`t mean that we`re going to go away or we`re going to turn straight or something. It just means that my family is vulnerable.
And I have a hard time believing that if people really thought that through that they would want my -- my kids or -- or my wonderful girlfriend to be in a legally and financially vulnerable situation.
BEHAR: You think they haven`t thought it through or they don`t care?
NIXON: I think they have a -- I think they have a --
BEHAR: They`d like you to disappear, I think.
NIXON: I think they`d like me to disappear.
BEHAR: Yes.
NIXON: But we`re not going to disappear. We`re here and, you know, you can think whatever you want to think about us, but you can`t get in between us and -- and federal benefits and us being treated equally.
BEHAR: Right.
NIXON: It`s unconstitutional.
BEHAR: And the Fight Back New York is working on this?
NIXON: Fight Back New York, yes, we -- we -- we came into existence after -- after we lost the vote for same-sex marriage last year in Albany. And we have been very effective so far. We`ve -- we`ve taken out two no votes already. We`ve got a third -- we`re focusing very heavily on Frank Patavan in Queens who`s been in the state senate for 37 years.
BEHAR: What about Andrew Cuomo, he`s pro-gay marriage?
NIXON: Andrew Cuomo is terrific. Paladino --
BEHAR: Paladino, what a jerk.
NIXON: Not so much. Not so much.
But I -- but I feel like it`s really important like for years -- for years -- gay people have supported candidates that they knew would fight for them --
BEHAR: Right.
NIXON: -- but now we`re taking a different --
BEHAR: Good.
NIXON: We tried the carrot, now we`re trying the stick. Now we`re saying, you voted against us, we`re voting against you.
BEHAR: Ok. When we come back, I want to show a PSA that you did with Alec Baldwin.
NIXON: Yes.
BEHAR: We`ll be right back with more from Cynthia Nixon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: I`m back with one of the stars of "Sex and the City". She`s also a passionate gay rights activist. Cynthia Nixon. You know, you use humor a lot in this PSA. Let`s look at the one you did with Alec Baldwin.
NIXON: OK.
BEHAR: Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR: As a result of this video, a vast and malicious whisper campaign has emerged alleging that I can`t marry Jesse because I`m not gay. I hear people saying this behind my back on a daily basis. Oh, Alec Baldwin, he`s straight. He`s a heterosexual. He likes women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alec, you are straight.
BALDWIN: That`s not the point. There`s one reason and one reason only why I can`t marry Jesse in New York next year -- the New York state senate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: You know, it`s great to have a so-called straight guy -- who knows for sure.
NIXON: Oh, come on.
BEHAR: I`m teasing you, Alec. No, I`m kidding. But to do it like that is terrific.
NIXON: And Whoopi did one for us that we`re airing -- you know, because it does affect straight people, too.
BEHAR: Yes. Of course.
NIXON: You know, straight or gay, we all know gay people and love them and we want to support them.
BEHAR: And you need straight people to speak out against the bigotry. Otherwise it`s just preaching to the choir all the time. It`s like Gentiles need to speak out against anti-Semitism and racism et cetera.
NIXON: Absolutely.
BEHAR: Now Carl Paladino, he made some very vile anti-gay statements. "I just think my children" -- this is his quote -- "and your children would be better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family."
Hello, that`s what you want to do. "I don`t want them brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option. It isn`t."
Do you think that that kind of rhetoric causes or is there a cause and effect between this type of rhetoric and gay bashing that`s going on lately?
NIXON: Absolutely.
BEHAR: You do?
NIXON: Absolutely. I feel that people like Carl Paladino and I feel like all of the ads that have been launched to fight against legalizing same-sex marriage in different -- you know, people hear that. When you send a message that there are two different categories of people and one is fully vested and had fully legal rights and the other is not quite human, it sets those people up as a target.
That`s why we see the bullying. It is one thing for me to be called a name but for a 13-year-old gay kid who is confused about their sexuality to be targeted? We`ve seen this rash of suicides.
NIXON: Why should you be called a name also?
NIXON: I don`t want to be called a name. I want everybody to think I`m terrific. But I think -- you know and I can wait and I can go and get married in Connecticut. And people say it`s generational and in 10 years, 20 years, it won`t even be an issue.
Ok for me, but what about the 13-year-old kid who feels that being gay -- he hears over and over again being gay is so terrible and like Paladino says, dysfunctional. He doesn`t think he`s worthy to live and he goes and he kills himself. He goes and jumps off the bridge.
BEHAR: That happens more than people even want to admit.
NIXON: Absolutely.
BEHAR: You know. This self-hatred that kicks in because of these outside forces.
NIXON: Right. The number of gay kids, it`s like four to one or something versus straight kids that kill themselves.
BEHAR: The religious institutions don`t help it either.
NIXON: No. Well, some do, some do. And I think they`re coming along. But I feel like this is why things like repealing "don`t ask, don`t tell" is so important and passing same-sex marriage -- whether you want to get married or not, as a gay person, whether you want to enter the military as a gay person, the more we get equal rights and the more we`re seeing this fully human, the more this stuff will go away. This bullying.
BEHAR: Absolutely true. Well, you`re the perfect spokesperson for this Cynthia. Thanks for doing this.
NIXON: Thank you.
BEHAR: Ok, we`ll be back in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: There are very few things that last for 20 years these days, maybe a good marriage, a great bottle of wine, and of course, "The Jerry Springer Show." Joining me as he celebrates two decades on the air is the master of mayhem, himself, Jerry Springer, the master of mayhem.
JERRY SPRINGER, HOST, ""THE JERRY SPRINGER SHOW": Please don`t get up.
BEHAR: I won`t get up. Don`t get up, unless, you`re planning to hit somebody. Now, last night, I want to show you something. A woman`s head was stomped by a Rand Paul supporter. Watch this tape. Before the Kentucky Senate debate. Is it just me, I mean, this is a woman from moveon.org who went to the debate, and apparently, she was trying to pull something off.
I don`t know exactly what she was there for. And the guy just stomped on her head, one of Rand Paul`s supporters. What is this? I mean, politics is starting to look like your show.
SPRINGER: Yes. Yes. It is. And obviously, people are (ph) not. I mean, you know, the show is obviously silly entertainment, but this politics, this is real life. And it is most inexcusable thing.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: I can`t imagine what the defense is. People are allowed to show up and give their point of view. But you know, and -- I just -- I don`t get it. But here`s what`s happening. I think the environment, which is spurred on by a media, a political media that is 24/7 politics.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: That feeds all this anger and hatred. Now, you know, 99 percent of people act appropriately and don`t go too far with it. But there are going to be some weirdoes that have been go too far and stomp on this young lady`s head.
BEHAR: Yes. It`s going too far. Now, you`ve said that there`s no real difference between politicians and your show`s guests. Explain yourself.
SPRINGER: Well, because of the dysfunction. The worst part about politics, though, and the people on my show --
BEHAR: The politics --
SPRINGER: Screw each other. The politicians screw the country.
BEHAR: Right.
SPRINGER: Which is the larger, you know --
BEHAR: And the politicians have better dental care.
SPRINGER: Yes. Yes. They do.
BEHAR: That could be -- lose their teeth a lot.
SPRINGER: You can count a politician by how many teeth he has. Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
SPRINGER: And if you`re below three, you`re on my show.
BEHAR: But you`re a political guy. I mean --
SPRINGER: Yes, but I have a lot of teeth.
BEHAR: You were the mayor of Cincinnati in the 1970s. You were tempted to run for governor --
SPRINGER: I did run for governor in 1982 and lost.
BEHAR: Now, do you think that you`re more qualified than Sarah Palin to run for office?
SPRINGER: Well, that`s going to be a headline if I say that, so I won`t.
BEHAR: Say it. Say it, Jerry. Are you or not?
SPRINGER: I`ve been in politics longer.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: I probably have -- yes. I think I --
BEHAR: She`s prettier.
SPRINGER: I have nothing bad to say about her. I don`t want her to be president, and we don`t agree on very much, I`m sure.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: But she`s not a bad person. And I think that`s -- in fact, if you want to go on the other side and say, sometimes, the problem with the liberals, those of us who are liberal, is we start demonizing the Sarah Palins of the world. Rather than simply saying, I don`t think she should be president. I disagreed with her on this, that and the other.
BEHAR: Well, we say that, too.
SPRINGER: Yes.
BEHAR: We say that, too.
SPRINGER: There`s a lot of making -- the most powerful force in politics is resentment. Because that -- you vote your resentments.
BEHAR: Aha.
SPRINGER: Because there are people that will vote for someone they know is not qualified, but they`re just so angry at the establishment or whatever that they`re sticking it to them by voting for that person.
BEHAR: I know, but that`s not the most powerful force. I mean, Obama was not voted because of people resenting him. They voted for him because they were hoping he would change the George Bush administration and make the country better.
SPRINGER: Well, I think there was a lot of resentment about the Bush administration. I don`t know in a different environment if it hadn`t been all the anti-Bush feeling of the last eight years and the feeling against the war. I do not believe necessarily that Barack Obama would have been the candidate. No, he stood up early on --
BEHAR: Well, to have an African-American become president was a big deal.
SPRINGER: That shows you how big the war was on people`s mind. The last eight years, the scars were so deep that the good side is we were ready to push aside the prejudices and say, you know what, there`s a bigger issue than the prejudice. Let`s vote for the better man. And I think we voted for the better man.
BEHAR: When he came in, I mean, with the worst agenda. These people before him, they almost really destroyed this country, in my opinion.
SPRINGER: Yes.
BEHAR: And one of the better headlines of the "Time" was "Black Man Gets Worst Job in America."
SPRINGER: Yes.
BEHAR: Because they really stuck it to Obama.
SPRINGER: Yes.
BEHAR: And now, they criticize the guy all over the place because he`s not doing it exactly as fast as they want him to do it.
SPRINGER: If he was on the ballot, I`m telling you, if he was on the ballot, he wins again.
BEHAR: Right now?
SPRINGER: Yes.
BEHAR: He`s still popular.
SPRINGER: Of course. He would win again. He would win again. And believe me, if the Republicans gain control of the Congress, which they very well might, for Obama`s sake, not necessarily the country`s sake, but for Obama`s sake it`s the best thing.
His chances of being re-elected are increased many fold by the fact of the matter that there would be a Republican Congress, because then, you can`t blame the Democrats for everything. He`s got an opponent.
BEHAR: What about Bill Clinton? He`s out on the trail. Now, see, Clinton had so much charisma, I think.
SPRINGER: Yes. Yes.
BEHAR: He was really very good for the country.
SPRINGER: Oh, I love him.
BEHAR: And still they tried to get him with that impeachment thing on the sex scandal.
SPRINGER: Sure, sure.
BEHAR: And now, he`s like a great ex-president, isn`t he?
SPRINGER: Oh, sure. And truth is if he ran again, he`d win again.
BEHAR: He`d win again, too.
SPRINGER: I think he would have won in 2000 if he was allowed to run again. He`s incredibly popular, and he`s also very, very bright. Close to brilliant, but very, very bright.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: And these people are qualified. You can`t have a serious argument and say that Barack Obama is not highly qualified, very bright, et cetera.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: You know, there can be a debate about the policies.
BEHAR: Right.
SPRINGER: I don`t think he went far enough on some things, but you know, to suggest that he`s not qualified to be president or not a great --
BEHAR: Do you think there`ll be a turnout from people on the left of this midterm?
SPRINGER: Not as much as there should be.
BEHAR: How do we get them out there? I mean, I`m begging people to vote.
SPRINGER: I am, too. But oftentimes, in the district which they live, there are candidates that don`t turn them on. So, you could have an intellectual --
BEHAR: So, they don`t understand the larger issue?
SPRINGER: It`s just not getting to them. You know, when you advertise -- when you advertise for a product, it`s not time related. So, for example, I could go say, please buy Campbell`s Soup, and it doesn`t mean that tomorrow you have to go out and get it. It`s the next time you`re in the grocery store when you see Campbell`s Soup, you buy it because it`s in your mind.
BEHAR: Right.
SPRINGER: But politics, you`ve got to get people off the couch for that one 12-hour period that the polls are open.
BEHAR: Why don`t they change that system then? Just vote on the internet?
SPRINGER: Because it has to be changed by the people that are in power.
BEHAR: And they don`t want to change it.
SPRINGER: No, because they`re in power.
BEHAR: This is just the same argument as campaign finance reform.
SPRINGER: Yes.
BEHAR: They`ll never fix it, because they want the money. And that`s why the Democracy is going to hell in a hand basket because of all the corporate donations, anonymous. It`s outrageous. OK. I have a lot more to talk about. We`re going to do some trash talk, too. So, don`t go away. It`s not all politics stuff (ph) on this show.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: OK. That was one of the many fights that have made "The Jerry Springer Show" a cultural phenomenon. The feisty talk show is now celebrating its 20th anniversary. Do you tell those people, Jerry, to yell Jerry, Jerry? Or do they do that as a spontaneous --
SPRINGER: I walk down in an airport and people, you know, it`s become just part of the show now.
BEHAR: Yes, yes.
SPRINGER: So, you know when it`s time to cheer that`s what they --
BEHAR: Do you enjoy hearing that at the airport?
SPRINGER: I have it attached to my alarm clock. So, when I wake up in the morning, I wake up to --
BEHAR: Jerry, Jerry.
SPRINGER: It`s great for self-esteem.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: I want to ask you. You know, you have a lot of baby daddies on your show. Have you ever had Carl Paladino on?
SPRINGER: No.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: That would be a good booking.
SPRINGER: Yes, it would be, but we don`t do anyone who`s known. If you`re known, you can`t be on the show.
BEHAR: OK. So, you would never have like, say, Mel Gibson on?
SPRINGER: No, no. And that`s serious. We don`t put anyone who`s known on. It`s a show about people -- in fact, they don`t even use their real names in most cases.
BEHAR: Yes. Are you aware of pop culture, though, Jerry? Like, do you know who Snooki is? Do you know that Brett Favre is allegedly sent a picture of his winky to a girl?
SPRINGER: I know some things about pop culture.
BEHAR: You know about that.
SPRINGER: Yes.
BEHAR: Would you ever do that?
SPRINGER: I would text a picture of my wallet.
BEHAR: That would be smart.
SPRINGER: That`s the biggest thing I got.
BEHAR: That`s what really turns women on.
SPRINGER: That`s it. I just have my -- they say, whoa, that`s Jerry`s.
BEHAR: You have made a lot of money over the years.
SPRINGER: Oh, not as much as -- no. I mean, I guess, I`ve done well.
BEHAR: You`ve done very well. Come on. Twenty years of that show?
SPRINGER: You need a loan, Joy?
BEHAR: I don`t know what to say.
SPRINGER: Look at this studio. You are rolling in the money.
BEHAR: This is all put together with spit.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: And what about Charlie Sheen? Do you see the story with Charlie Sheen today? That was rough.
SPRINGER: Yes. Obviously, he needs help. I`ve never met him. But if he has a drug or drinking problem, these people need help. What happens with all of these cases where there`s drinking or drugs involved is the rest of us sit around then and wonder how could he do that?
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: Well, because we`re having a rational discussion. When someone is an alcoholic or when someone is --
BEHAR: Drug addict.
SPRINGER: A drug addict.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: They`re not thinking rationally. So, this discussion about how could he do something like that is an absurd question. It`s because --
BEHAR: They`re addicted. I understand that, but what about this addiction to hookers that people seem to have. And then they go into sex rehab for that. I don`t get that part either. Why would you go into rehab for that?
SPRINGER: You mean why do -- sounds like a good thing. Why do you want it fixed?
BEHAR: No. I`m just saying, they call it an addiction. I don`t know --
SPRINGER: Well, I think that`s -- you know, it could be political correctness to be honest. You know, your publicist comes to you and says, you got to do something to say you`re sorry.
BEHAR: Right.
SPRINGER: So, you`re going --
BEHAR: I mean, Joe the plumber, not the original Joe the famous one, but any guy as a broke guy --
SPRINGER: Call him Bob the plumber.
BEHAR: Bob the plumber. If he goes to hookers, no one is saying to him you have to go into rehab. Only rich people go to sex rehab.
SPRINGER: Yes.
BEHAR: It`s a joke.
SPRINGER: Yes.
BEHAR: OK. What is the secret of your success, do you think, on your show?
SPRINGER: Pure luck.
BEHAR: Pure luck.
SPRINGER: We found a niche and it`s luck. I mean, it`s pure luck. I don`t mean like mostly luck. And I`m not trying to be silly humble here. I`m just telling you the truth.
BEHAR: That does not play with you. So don`t be humble, please.
SPRINGER: Everybody could do what I do.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: Everybody. You don`t even have to be sober to do what I do.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: In fact, it helps if you`re not.
SPRINGER: I am, because honestly, I don`t drink. What do I do? I say, you did what? Come on out, we`ll be right back.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: If you do that, you can host the show.
BEHAR: I know. I notice you`re always really out of the violence.
SPRINGER: I don`t want to be up there.
BEHAR: You don`t want to get hit.
SPRINGER: I could get hurt. Look at these suits. I should get --
BEHAR: A nice Jewish boy like you getting involved in this show --
SPRINGER: It`s a shunda.
BEHAR: It`s a shunda is what it is.
SPRINGER: It`s a shunda.
BEHAR: It is. It`s a shunda. Tell the gentiles out there what a shunda is.
SPRINGER: It`s a shame.
BEHAR: It`s a shame.
SPRINGER: Yes. It`s a shame on your family.
BEHAR: Exactly.
SPRINGER: Have I told you this? If my parents, if my mother was still alive, I never would do the show. That is true.
BEHAR: Really? What would your mother have said?
SPRINGER: I wouldn`t have. I would have been embarrassed. You would -- I never would have -- I know myself, and that is the truth. I know, you know, my mom would be 104 today, so obviously, she`s not alive.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: But if she had been alive at the time the show went in that direction, I`m sure I wouldn`t have done it. I just -- I just know my relationship with my parents. That would have just been --
BEHAR: She would have been embarrassed by it also.
SPRINGER: Oh, of course, she would have. My dad would have been out in the back room going --
BEHAR: It would have been Jerry, Jerry.
SPRINGER: It was always Jack. You know why they named me Gerald?
BEHAR: What?
SPRINGER: Not to bring you down.
BEHAR: OK.
SPRINGER: You know, I lost my family in the holocaust.
BEHAR: Mother and father both?
SPRINGER: No.
BEHAR: Extended?
SPRINGER: All my grandparents, uncles, and cousins --
BEHAR: Everybody?
SPRINGER: We lost 27. Lots of them. (INAUDIBLE) they all died.
BEHAR: Oh, my God.
SPRINGER: But anyway, mom and dad survived. Got to England where my sister and I were born. And they named me Gerald. When we came to America, when I was 5, we grew up in New York, everyone who knows me as a kid growing up I`m Gerald because they never would have named me Gerald if they knew that the nickname for Gerald was Jerry because the German Nazi bombers were called Jerrys.
BEHAR: That`s right.
SPRINGER: So, my sister, everyone, I am Gerald to my family.
BEHAR: I see. And I don`t blame them for that.
SPRINGER: Yes.
BEHAR: Yes. Now, --
SPRINGER: Of course, you couldn`t have a show going Jaro, Jaro.
BEHAR: No, that wouldn`t have. No. Well, Jaime (ph), Jaime (ph). Yuncle, yuncle, they don`t work either.
SPRINGER: No?
BEHAR: OK. Now, you`re hosting the anniversary show from Times Square. Now, how do you plan to celebrate that?
SPRINGER: Well, I`ll tell you the truth.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: We already did.
BEHAR: You did? So, it`s in the can?
SPRINGER: It`s in the can. It airs tomorrow.
BEHAR: Oh, what time?
SPRINGER: Well --
BEHAR: Various. So, you`re syndicated.
SPRINGER: We`re syndicated.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: So, it`s tomorrow, the 20th anniversary show, and it`s on Times Square. In fact, you`re in it.
BEHAR: I know. We did a little bit of a celebratory event, and my crew was in it.
SPRINGER: It was great, come to Times Square, thousands of people are out. I mean, it really was a lot of fun. And it was kind of like coming back to America. I mean, I got a little nostalgic at the moment because the idea of coming to America in my family was really significant.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: And I remember when I was a kid, my parents would take me down to Times Square.
BEHAR: Oh, yes.
SPRINGER: You know, and take you to all the Statue of Liberty and all that and Times Square. And now, all of a sudden, to be on Times Square celebrating albeit a ridiculous television show, it was just so cool.
BEHAR: You know, the thing about the business, I come from humble background also. I mean, tomorrow we`re having Jimmy Carter, President Jimmy Carter on. And we`ve some had very, very important people on the show, on my show here and the "View." And it`s a thrill, you know. It`s like, wow, you know, to come from --
SPRINGER: With all the joking around. Exactly.
BEHAR: Yes. It`s a thrill to meet these people. It`s a thrill for Jimmy to meet me, too. That`s what I`m saying.
SPRINGER: He is beside himself.
BEHAR: I mean, right? Come on.
SPRINGER: Yes. Honestly, he`s so nervous he lost his accent. He`s going to have a New York accent when he comes back.
BEHAR: Let`s talk about your show some more. I mean, in the 20 years that it`s been on, how has the show evolved or devolved as the case may be? How has it evolved? Is it exactly the way it was when you started?
SPRINGER: No, I was drinking.
BEHAR: Heavily. I mean, in the beginning were people throwing stuff?
SPRINGER: No. There`s a very simple answer. It`s unintended consequences.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: It started off -- I was -- it was the same company. Phil Donahue, he was getting close to retirement. So, the CEO of the company came to me and said, we`re starting a new talk show and you`re going to host it. I was anchoring the news at that time for the NBC affiliate in Cincinnati. So, they thought it was going to be a serious show.
And they knew Phil (ph) that time. We were dominant in the ratings. They said, you`re going to host so as the sign. I didn`t try out. I didn`t audition. I had no interest in it.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: And so, we started the show. I still did the news during the -- but I did the show during the day. And about three years -- in the beginning we had, like, Oliver North on, Jesse Jackson.
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: It was a serious show.
BEHAR: Right.
SPRINGER: Three years in, all the shows at the time were trying to be like Oprah Winfrey. Go after -- at that time, it was called the middle- aged housewives was the demographic. It`s not politically correct now, but that`s what it was called. And so, 20 shows, breaking up this pie for the same audience. Along comes Rickie Lake. She was the first talk show to go after the kids. And by that I mean high school and college.
BEHAR: The demographics changed.
SPRINGER: Right. So, I just said, why are we trying to be 1 out of 20 splitting the pie? Let`s go after Ricki`s audience with the pie two ways, and we`ll have a huge audience, which is what we did. We went young which meant young people in the audience, young people on the stage, young subject matter. Well, young people are much more open about their lives, much wilder, much crazier.
BEHAR: True.
SPRINGER: So then, the show started to become a little bit crazy. Not every day crazy, but once in a while.
BEHAR: Right.
SPRINGER: Universal bought us and then said, from now on, you`re only allowed to do crazy. So, the truth is, and I tell this all the time, we are not allowed to do a straight show. For example, if you would call us with a warm uplifting story, we have to send you to another show. They`re not allowed to run it. They won`t run it. So, it has to be crazy, otherwise, it`s not --
BEHAR: That`s interesting. You said Phil Donahue retired. I think it was shows like yours that hurt Phil Donahue because this show was really smart.
SPRINGER: Yes, but he recommended me.
BEHAR: He recommended you. I`m not saying he didn`t do that, but I`m just saying I used to -- you know, tape Phil Donahue all the time. It was a very bright show.
SPRINGER: That was the best ever.
BEHAR: And I think he should be back on TV.
SPRINGER: He and Oprah were the best.
BEHAR: We have to take a break. We`ll have more with Jerry Springer after a very short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: I`m back with Jerry Springer. Jerry, I have some Twitter questions for you. Our viewers like to ask questions that I --
SPRINGER: Yes.
BEHAR: OK. Number one, if you left the show, who would you want to replace you?
SPRINGER: Who would I want to replace me?
BEHAR: Yes.
SPRINGER: Oh, Barack Obama.
BEHAR: OK. Good. That`ll happen. Okay. That`s good. Right off the top of your head. I like that. Do you still sing?
SPRINGER: Poorly.
BEHAR: OK. But you did release an album in 1995 called "Dr. Talk." Look at you.
SPRINGER: Yes. I thought --
BEHAR: You were hot, Jerry. Look how hot you look.
SPRINGER: Yes, thanks for the was.
BEHAR: In that picture.
SPRINGER: Yes. In that picture. Oh, it was so hot.
BEHAR: You`re still hot as far as I`m concerned. You know I love a Jewish guy.
SPRINGER: Yes. Well, I`m warm now. I`m warm and wrinkled.
BEHAR: Do guests really get free dental care?
SPRINGER: No, but sometimes, they do get implants -- not implants but --
BEHAR: Because people knock their teeth out?
SPRINGER: No, just because they feel embarrassed. They want to be on the show with a full set of teeth.
BEHAR: Oh, so, you take care of them before they come on.
SPRINGER: Sometimes.
BEHAR: That`s interesting. What`s the one thing you wish more people knew about you?
SPRINGER: The number of my bank account, so they could make deposits. No, nothing. I don`t want to be public. I mean, I love my job.
BEHAR: Do you have a girlfriend?
SPRINGER: I have a wife of 37 years.
BEHAR: Oh, a wife. Oh, I`m sorry.
SPRINGER: Good Lord.
BEHAR: I didn`t read that part of the research. You have a wife of 37 years?
SPRINGER: Yes. She`s not 37. I`ve been married 37.
BEHAR: Good for you.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: You would like it if she was 37.
SPRINGER: No. She`s gorgeous.
BEHAR: You`re happily married for 37 years.
SPRINGER: Absolutely.
BEHAR: Good for you. And you have children?
SPRINGER: Yes.
BEHAR: How many kids do you have?
SPRINGER: We have a daughter. That`s when I went on "Dancing with the Stars "--
BEHAR: Oh, that`s right.
SPRINGER: Yes. So, Katie is --
BEHAR: And grandchildren?
SPRINGER: Yes. I have a -- I shouldn`t show the picture. But, yes, he`s 2 years old. Little Richard, and he still doesn`t have a job.
BEHAR: Little Richard. Does he sing? Does he play the piano and jump around?
SPRINGER: Yes. He`s unbelievable. No, so yes, we have a daughter that`s happily married.
BEHAR: Does he sing good golly miss molly. That was where I was going.
SPRINGER: I know, but you were striving so hard to get there. And I wasn`t going to help you.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: I saw that. You wouldn`t lift a finger for me. I said the 37-year-old thing. OK. Do you see yourself retiring ever? When, if you will?
SPRINGER: No. I mean, as long as I`m healthy, you know, I see myself -- I enjoy it. I enjoy what I do.
BEHAR: You should.
SPRINGER: You know, what am I going to do if I retire?
BEHAR: I don`t know, but do you have any final thoughts before we go out? We have a few --
SPRINGER: May you never be on my show. Take care of yourself and each other.
BEHAR: You know, the serious and the beauty of the way you do those final things after people have knocked each other`s teeth out is just -- it`s heartwarming. I don`t know what to even say about it. I`m so --
SPRINGER: Yes. Do you well up when you watch it?
BEHAR: I well up. I well up.
SPRINGER: Yes. Well, you see, that`s my only chance of getting into heaven is the final thought. I want to be able to say, you know, at the pearly gates or whatever, to say, yes, but remember the final fought.
BEHAR: OK. I think that was wonderful to see you, Jerry. It`s always a pleasure to see you and to talk to you. Good night, everybody.
END
