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Oscarmania; 'New Your Revolution'; 'Crunch Heard Round the World'
Aired January 25, 2005 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Stories now in the news. New figures from the Congressional Budget Office project the federal deficit will be the third largest in history. That's $368 billion. Now that number does not include the cost of the Iraq war and Afghanistan war as well. The White House is expected to ask another $80 billion for the war budget.
Thousands of New Yorkers are struggling with an underground transportation nightmare. Two of the city's most important subway lines have been knocked out by a trash fire that authorities say may have been set by a homeless person trying to stay warm. The C line is shut down, possibly for several years.
And the A line is severely limited. The trash fire did several million dollars of damage to switching and signal equipment.
Players and fans involved in the big basketbrawl may be reunited this hour in a Michigan courtroom. The judge has called a pre-trial conference to set a timetable and discuss evidence. The November brawl led to charges against five Indiana Pacers and five fans.
And they're off. Hollywood's highest stakes horse race is officially under way with this morning's announcement of the Oscar nominations.
CNN's Brooke Anderson joins us now to recap and maybe handicap some of the contenders.
Hi there, Brook.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Betty.
I can handicap. I can fill you guys in on who the frontrunners are, and you could you call it a race between the usual suspects. Yes, the Oscar nominations are out. There are a few surprises, not too many though.
Let's start with the best actor category, Don Cheadle, "Hotel Rwanda," Johnny Depp, "Finding Neverland," Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Aviator," Clint Eastwood, "Million Dollar Baby," and Jamie Foxx for "Ray." Could be a battle between DiCaprio and Foxx in this category.
Moving now to the ladies, best actress nominees are Annette Bening for "Being Julia," Catalina Sandino Moreno for "Maria Full of Grace," Imelda Staunton for "Vera Drake," Hilary Swank for "Million Dollar Baby," and Kate Winslet for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Swank considered the frontrunner here.
Moving to the top prize of best picture, the contenders are "The Aviator," "Finding Neverland," "Ray" and "Sideways," could be a knockout punch between "Million Dollar Baby" and "The Aviator." That's what I'm hearing here.
Now some films that got multiple nominations. "The Aviator" received a leading 11 nominations. "Million Dollar Baby" and "Finding Neverland" received seven nominations each. And "Ray" received six nominations, not too bad.
Some very good news for director Martin Scorsese. The 63-year- old veteran has never won an Oscar for best director, but he's been nominated four times previously in that category. He's nominated for best director this year for "The Aviator." He's trying to knock out "Million Dollar Baby" director Clint Eastwood. Eastwood actually picked up the Golden Globe a few week ago for that category.
Let's talk about diversity. Hollywood is honoring diversity like it never has before. Four black actors are up for Academy Awards. Actor Jamie Foxx was nominated twice, one for best actor for his portrayal of Ray Charles in "Ray," and the other for best supporting actor for his performance in "Collateral." Don Cheadle picked up a best actor nomination for "Hotel Rwanda," while Morgan Freeman got a best supporting actor nomination for "Million Dollar Baby." Freeman has been nominated for Oscars several times in the past. He has never won.
British actress Sophie Okonedo got a best supporting actress nomination for her work in "Hotel Rwanda."
And one other note I want to make, Actor Paul Giamatti pretty much basically got snubbed basically. Many people thought he would get a best actor nomination for his work in "Sideways," but it did not happen. And, Betty, last year he was passed over as well for his work in "American Splendor," but I have to tell you, everyone here in Hollywood still respects him, and know that he is quite a talented actor.
NGUYEN: Hey, speaking of being snubbed, I think a lot of people were surprised that "The Passion of the Christ" didn't get a best picture nomination.
ANDERSON: You're right. It did not get a best picture nomination. You know, that movie made more than $370 million at box office last year domestically. So, you know, it's really popular vote versus the Academy vote. Popular vote meaning the moviegoers, the people that go see this movie. The Academy vote, these are industry professionals. It's two totally different groups of people. So you're going to have different results. Also, Mel Gibson did not campaign for "The Passion of the Christ" to receive the best picture Oscar. He wanted it to be honored on, you know, artistic merit alone. It did receive three nominations, although not main categories, Betty -- makeup, cinematography an original score.
NGUYEN: A few nominations. But something that didn't get any nominations, "Fahrenheit 9/11." A lot of people expected that to at least get a few, and maybe even one for best picture as well.
ANDERSON: Another top grosser last year, $119 million domestically, and that is huge for a documentary. But you're right, totally shut out, and I think here is the reason. Michael Moore campaigned really hard, but he campaigned for best picture. He submitted it in the best picture category instead of best documentary. Many insiders, many people here in Hollywood believe he would have had a great shot at it, had he submitted it in the best picture category -- best documentary category, rather, excuse me, but he wanted that top prize.
NGUYEN: Yes, he wanted best picture. All right, Brooke Anderson, thank you so much for that -- Miles.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: So obviously this is going to stir up a little bit of discussion. How do you think about this? What do you think about it? "The Passion of the Christ," should it have gotten a best picture Oscar nomination? we have invited you to e-mail your thoughts to us, livefrom@CNN.com.
We've already got a few that have come in. Let's take a look at them. The first one comes from Jim in Greenwood, Indiana, "I think the executives in Hollywood and the AMPAS voters are a bunch of snobs. They didn't back 'Passion,' so come hell or high water, they're not going to honor it as a film. If it had high acclaim, it had attendance, a lot revenue, it should have been nominated."
Next one comes from Zennie (ph) in Oakland, California, "'The Passion of the Christ' should have received best picture nomination. But considering the Academy seems to punish movies with an over- political or religious message, the snub does not surprise me, and that fits in with the 'Fahrenheit 9/11' message here."
Randy in Chicago says, "Although I found the movie quite moving, I don't feel that it was in the same league as the Oscar contenders. Perhaps if they had a best religious movie category," from Randy in Chicago, tongue in cheek, we presume.
Erica has this, "I truly believe it should have gotten some nomination. It was an amazing film, and it just goes to show how much morals the Hollywood elite have." Of course it did get a few nominations, makeup and so forth.
Finally, Tim in Seattle has this, "Go watch 'The Passion of the Christ' and 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' then go watch the best picture nominees. There is no comparison. The Academy is a joke."
We invite your e-mails. Keep sending them. We'll share some more with you a little later in the program. E-mail at livefrom@CNN.com.
NGUYEN: A lot of passion for "The Passion of the Christ," being nominated in that category where it didn't get one. But it got three nominations.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. Exactly. So it didn't get shut out like "Fahrenheit 9/11," so maybe there's something to be said about that, too.
NGUYEN: We'll see. All right, well, she once put all her chips on the table on "The Tonight Show." Now Myrtle, the beloved potato chip lady remembers her most frightening moment with the king of late night talk.
And later, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has weekly check-in with some of his new year, "New You" gang. Find out how they're doing when LIVE FROM returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Some pop culture news across America right now. "Rolling Stone" takes a belated cue from the Doobie Brothers, decides it will accept paid ads for a new translation of the Bible. I know you're scratching your head a little bit. Doobie Brothers, "Jesus is Just All Right." Like that one? The magazine's rejection of the ad a couple of weeks ago sparked a spirited debate to say the least. A spokeswoman now says "Rolling Stone" has addressed the internal miscommunications that led to the previous misstatement of company policy. In short, WWJD, I guess.
Anyway, some new contestants already announced for the season of "American Idol" -- this season. As if the competition wasn't stiff enough to begin with, these three are really stiff. They are really plastic. And that's what's to be expected when you're dealing with Barbie and her ilk. "American Idol" Barbie, Simone and Tory debut next month. Later this year, look out for rockin' recording studio with a karaoke machine Barbie. Of course, we must point out that at 45 years old, Barbie couldn't officially compete. She looks good, though.
NGUYEN: You sound a little too excited about that Barbie story there, Miles.
All right. Five people, five sets of bad health habits. But we're helping them stage a "New You Revolution" for the new year. How are they doing as we hit week two? Well, a check-up now with CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The first week of the "New You Revolution" was a busy one for all of our participants. A cooking class and a morning at gym were designed to get everyone off to a good start. Especially the Reverend Leigh Ann Raynor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And inhale. And she goes down!
LEIGH ANN RAYNOR, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: I did that well, don't you think?
GUPTA (voice over): She's the reverend. She's almost 50, and she's ready to make a "New You Revolution."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lift the hips up.
RAYNOR: That's as far as my hip goes, sweety. I'm finding muscles I had forgotten I had.
GUPTA: No surprise to her that she isn't as limber as she used to be.
RAYNOR: It's difficult because I'm one of the most competitive people I know.
GUPTA: But she does have a key ingredient: determination.
(on camera): So, how are you feeling?
RAYNOR: I feel great.
GUPTA: Yes? No problems at all? Not overdoing it?
RAYNOR: No.
GUPTA (voice over): It's important, because six months ago she had successful heart surgery. Now she watches closely for warning signs.
RAYNOR: Chest pains, dizziness, shortness of breath, because other than that, your only warning sign is sudden cardiac death.
GUPTA: So we're going slow. No more than three miles an hour for now and some mild resistance training. Of course, hand in hand with the exercise comes diet. So we took Leigh Ann and the others to cooking school.
(on camera): Where do you hope to be eight weeks from now?
RAYNOR: Eight weeks from now, I hope to have learned some cooking techniques.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you cook your own food, it's always going to taste better and going to be -- it is!
GUPTA: Have you tasted her cooking?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you?
GUPTA: No.
(voice over): But Leigh Ann surprised even herself by cooking her first meal ever for someone else. She made chicken, and along with some healthy mac and cheese and a salad, this meal is filling, and just 500 calories.
With exercise, diet and good old-fashioned willpower, the reverend is well on her way.
RAYNOR: Wish me luck. I'm going to work at it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: Our other participants had some ups and downs as well in the first week. Here is their weekly check-up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (voice over): For Thekla, the "New You Revolution" is about learning.
THEKLA FISCHER, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: It's teaching me where I've got work to do.
GUPTA: From which areas to strengthen to which foods are best.
Dr. Lisa Missoulu (ph), author of "Before Your Pregnancy," arrived with some useful lessons.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women under 35 and particularly between 30 and 35, have about an 85 percent chance of getting pregnant if they try for 12 cycles or one year.
GUPTA: And to dispel some myths.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whether you've never been on the pill, on it for 2 years or 10 years, you'll actually get the same ability to be pregnant after that's done.
GUPTA: One week into his "New You Revolution" and already a minor hitch for Jonathan. The doctor's prescription for ending his nail-biting habit: self-monitoring. And the best way?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because you need to save the nails.
JONATHAN KARP, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: If anybody found out, I'd be a certified wack job. It's a good idea, but I wouldn't do it.
GUPTA: Jonathan did agree to the backup plan: Keep a log of how much he bites every day and to reduce stress which may be fueling his habit. He'll try relaxation techniques to keep the biting at bay.
SANDRA GARTH, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: I'm ready. I've committed to do it, and I'm going to do it.
GUPTA: She sure is. Sandra's first week of the "New You Revolution" included some tips from the experts at a cooking school. Out? French toast dripping in syrup. In? Healthy French toast covered in yogurt and fruit.
Even after she went home and the cameras went away, Sandra has been sticking to her plan. Resistance training with her exercise bands and walking and walking. Using her step meter, she's been going about the 10,000 steps recommended by her trainer.
And she's cut back on her food intake. But her nutritionist is telling her to eat more, 1,600 calories a day.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, for the "New You Revolution."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And next week Dr. Gupta will bring us up-to-date on Harold Fricker, who admits he's addicted to running and he's doing a lot of it, but he is also addicted to food. So is he starting to break his bad habits? Find out next Tuesday on LIVE FROM.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. The next time you find yourself arguing with your friends about what your favorite TV characters were wearing the other night, or exactly what they said, no problem! Just Google it. I'll tell you about the search engine's latest offerings coming up on LIVE FROM. Si stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: All right. Kids out there -- actually, if there are kids out there, you really should be in school. Get back to school, will you? Well, you might be home sick. All right, well, kids, way back in the days before plasma screen TVs, long before there was a grilled cheese sandwich that showed up on eBay and sold for what, $20,000, $18, 000?
NGUYEN: Yes, thousands.
O'BRIEN: In fact, there wasn't even an eBay then, kids, no Internet. There was a woman then whose passion for weird food items earned her a place in television history.
NGUYEN: Oh Yes, it did. It was 1987 on Johnny Carson's couch where Merle Young -- Myrtle Young, that is, staked her claim to fame. Reporter Susan Pavli from our affiliate WANE in Fort Wayne, Indiana with more on the crunch heard round the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MYRTLE YOUNG, FMR. "TONIGHT SHOW" GUEST: Sometimes you can't even hardly believe it happened, you know, being on his show and the life, the Cinderella story that I had lived since then.
SUSAN PAVLI, WANE REPORTER (voice-over): 80-year-old Myrtle Young says after her 1987 appearance on "The Tonight Show," her life was never the same. The phone rang off the hook with shows in London, Japan, just about everywhere, calling to book Myrtle and her potato chip collection.
YOUNG: This is an elephant and a couple bears.
Being in London and traveling all around the world, I never would have been able to do that had it not been for Johnny Carson.
PAVLI: Myrtle's appearance on "The Tonight Show" was priceless when Carson pulled one of his stunts. It's a joke that has been seen around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
(JOHNNY CARSON EATS POTATO CHIP)
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNNY CARSON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": No, I didn't.
YOUNG: Oh, my!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: When I heard that crunch, oh, my goodness! And I looked and Carson is eating chips. And I thought he was eating my collection, the only collection in the world!
PAVLI: Myrtle says she never set out to be a chip collector. But as an inspector at the Seifert's plant...
YOUNG: Because the chips came -- the potatoes came in on this end and went through...
PAVLI: Myrtle would come across odd-looking chips, save them for her granddaughter. And before she knew it, she had 400 such gems.
YOUNG: They go in plastic carrying cases so they don't get smashed.
PAVLI: Myrtle got used to traveling with her chips. After all, this is just a partial list of the places she's gone. But tops in her mind is the hour she spent with Johnny Carson.
YOUNG: His whole show was funny like that. Oh, the audience was just hilarious. They just went -- oh, he just had them laughing all the time with this chip collection.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: All right. That...
NGUYEN: Did you see her face?
O'BRIEN: She looks great. That was from Susan Pavli of our affiliate WANE in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
NGUYEN: When he ate that chip, you thought she was going to have a heart attack. She turned around and that look.
O'BRIEN: It's a good thing she didn't keel over right there. And anyway, she's doing great, and I guess you could say that was kind of a blue chip story. Anyway.
NGUYEN: Oh, Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. (STOCK MARKET REPORT)
NGUYEN: Coming up in our second hour of LIVE FROM...
O'BRIEN: Secretary-General Kofi Annan questioned in that Oil- for-Food scandal. We're live at the U.N. We'll have details for you on that.
That's just part of LIVE FROM's "hour of power" which begins after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 25, 2005 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Stories now in the news. New figures from the Congressional Budget Office project the federal deficit will be the third largest in history. That's $368 billion. Now that number does not include the cost of the Iraq war and Afghanistan war as well. The White House is expected to ask another $80 billion for the war budget.
Thousands of New Yorkers are struggling with an underground transportation nightmare. Two of the city's most important subway lines have been knocked out by a trash fire that authorities say may have been set by a homeless person trying to stay warm. The C line is shut down, possibly for several years.
And the A line is severely limited. The trash fire did several million dollars of damage to switching and signal equipment.
Players and fans involved in the big basketbrawl may be reunited this hour in a Michigan courtroom. The judge has called a pre-trial conference to set a timetable and discuss evidence. The November brawl led to charges against five Indiana Pacers and five fans.
And they're off. Hollywood's highest stakes horse race is officially under way with this morning's announcement of the Oscar nominations.
CNN's Brooke Anderson joins us now to recap and maybe handicap some of the contenders.
Hi there, Brook.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Betty.
I can handicap. I can fill you guys in on who the frontrunners are, and you could you call it a race between the usual suspects. Yes, the Oscar nominations are out. There are a few surprises, not too many though.
Let's start with the best actor category, Don Cheadle, "Hotel Rwanda," Johnny Depp, "Finding Neverland," Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Aviator," Clint Eastwood, "Million Dollar Baby," and Jamie Foxx for "Ray." Could be a battle between DiCaprio and Foxx in this category.
Moving now to the ladies, best actress nominees are Annette Bening for "Being Julia," Catalina Sandino Moreno for "Maria Full of Grace," Imelda Staunton for "Vera Drake," Hilary Swank for "Million Dollar Baby," and Kate Winslet for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Swank considered the frontrunner here.
Moving to the top prize of best picture, the contenders are "The Aviator," "Finding Neverland," "Ray" and "Sideways," could be a knockout punch between "Million Dollar Baby" and "The Aviator." That's what I'm hearing here.
Now some films that got multiple nominations. "The Aviator" received a leading 11 nominations. "Million Dollar Baby" and "Finding Neverland" received seven nominations each. And "Ray" received six nominations, not too bad.
Some very good news for director Martin Scorsese. The 63-year- old veteran has never won an Oscar for best director, but he's been nominated four times previously in that category. He's nominated for best director this year for "The Aviator." He's trying to knock out "Million Dollar Baby" director Clint Eastwood. Eastwood actually picked up the Golden Globe a few week ago for that category.
Let's talk about diversity. Hollywood is honoring diversity like it never has before. Four black actors are up for Academy Awards. Actor Jamie Foxx was nominated twice, one for best actor for his portrayal of Ray Charles in "Ray," and the other for best supporting actor for his performance in "Collateral." Don Cheadle picked up a best actor nomination for "Hotel Rwanda," while Morgan Freeman got a best supporting actor nomination for "Million Dollar Baby." Freeman has been nominated for Oscars several times in the past. He has never won.
British actress Sophie Okonedo got a best supporting actress nomination for her work in "Hotel Rwanda."
And one other note I want to make, Actor Paul Giamatti pretty much basically got snubbed basically. Many people thought he would get a best actor nomination for his work in "Sideways," but it did not happen. And, Betty, last year he was passed over as well for his work in "American Splendor," but I have to tell you, everyone here in Hollywood still respects him, and know that he is quite a talented actor.
NGUYEN: Hey, speaking of being snubbed, I think a lot of people were surprised that "The Passion of the Christ" didn't get a best picture nomination.
ANDERSON: You're right. It did not get a best picture nomination. You know, that movie made more than $370 million at box office last year domestically. So, you know, it's really popular vote versus the Academy vote. Popular vote meaning the moviegoers, the people that go see this movie. The Academy vote, these are industry professionals. It's two totally different groups of people. So you're going to have different results. Also, Mel Gibson did not campaign for "The Passion of the Christ" to receive the best picture Oscar. He wanted it to be honored on, you know, artistic merit alone. It did receive three nominations, although not main categories, Betty -- makeup, cinematography an original score.
NGUYEN: A few nominations. But something that didn't get any nominations, "Fahrenheit 9/11." A lot of people expected that to at least get a few, and maybe even one for best picture as well.
ANDERSON: Another top grosser last year, $119 million domestically, and that is huge for a documentary. But you're right, totally shut out, and I think here is the reason. Michael Moore campaigned really hard, but he campaigned for best picture. He submitted it in the best picture category instead of best documentary. Many insiders, many people here in Hollywood believe he would have had a great shot at it, had he submitted it in the best picture category -- best documentary category, rather, excuse me, but he wanted that top prize.
NGUYEN: Yes, he wanted best picture. All right, Brooke Anderson, thank you so much for that -- Miles.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: So obviously this is going to stir up a little bit of discussion. How do you think about this? What do you think about it? "The Passion of the Christ," should it have gotten a best picture Oscar nomination? we have invited you to e-mail your thoughts to us, livefrom@CNN.com.
We've already got a few that have come in. Let's take a look at them. The first one comes from Jim in Greenwood, Indiana, "I think the executives in Hollywood and the AMPAS voters are a bunch of snobs. They didn't back 'Passion,' so come hell or high water, they're not going to honor it as a film. If it had high acclaim, it had attendance, a lot revenue, it should have been nominated."
Next one comes from Zennie (ph) in Oakland, California, "'The Passion of the Christ' should have received best picture nomination. But considering the Academy seems to punish movies with an over- political or religious message, the snub does not surprise me, and that fits in with the 'Fahrenheit 9/11' message here."
Randy in Chicago says, "Although I found the movie quite moving, I don't feel that it was in the same league as the Oscar contenders. Perhaps if they had a best religious movie category," from Randy in Chicago, tongue in cheek, we presume.
Erica has this, "I truly believe it should have gotten some nomination. It was an amazing film, and it just goes to show how much morals the Hollywood elite have." Of course it did get a few nominations, makeup and so forth.
Finally, Tim in Seattle has this, "Go watch 'The Passion of the Christ' and 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' then go watch the best picture nominees. There is no comparison. The Academy is a joke."
We invite your e-mails. Keep sending them. We'll share some more with you a little later in the program. E-mail at livefrom@CNN.com.
NGUYEN: A lot of passion for "The Passion of the Christ," being nominated in that category where it didn't get one. But it got three nominations.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. Exactly. So it didn't get shut out like "Fahrenheit 9/11," so maybe there's something to be said about that, too.
NGUYEN: We'll see. All right, well, she once put all her chips on the table on "The Tonight Show." Now Myrtle, the beloved potato chip lady remembers her most frightening moment with the king of late night talk.
And later, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has weekly check-in with some of his new year, "New You" gang. Find out how they're doing when LIVE FROM returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Some pop culture news across America right now. "Rolling Stone" takes a belated cue from the Doobie Brothers, decides it will accept paid ads for a new translation of the Bible. I know you're scratching your head a little bit. Doobie Brothers, "Jesus is Just All Right." Like that one? The magazine's rejection of the ad a couple of weeks ago sparked a spirited debate to say the least. A spokeswoman now says "Rolling Stone" has addressed the internal miscommunications that led to the previous misstatement of company policy. In short, WWJD, I guess.
Anyway, some new contestants already announced for the season of "American Idol" -- this season. As if the competition wasn't stiff enough to begin with, these three are really stiff. They are really plastic. And that's what's to be expected when you're dealing with Barbie and her ilk. "American Idol" Barbie, Simone and Tory debut next month. Later this year, look out for rockin' recording studio with a karaoke machine Barbie. Of course, we must point out that at 45 years old, Barbie couldn't officially compete. She looks good, though.
NGUYEN: You sound a little too excited about that Barbie story there, Miles.
All right. Five people, five sets of bad health habits. But we're helping them stage a "New You Revolution" for the new year. How are they doing as we hit week two? Well, a check-up now with CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The first week of the "New You Revolution" was a busy one for all of our participants. A cooking class and a morning at gym were designed to get everyone off to a good start. Especially the Reverend Leigh Ann Raynor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And inhale. And she goes down!
LEIGH ANN RAYNOR, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: I did that well, don't you think?
GUPTA (voice over): She's the reverend. She's almost 50, and she's ready to make a "New You Revolution."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lift the hips up.
RAYNOR: That's as far as my hip goes, sweety. I'm finding muscles I had forgotten I had.
GUPTA: No surprise to her that she isn't as limber as she used to be.
RAYNOR: It's difficult because I'm one of the most competitive people I know.
GUPTA: But she does have a key ingredient: determination.
(on camera): So, how are you feeling?
RAYNOR: I feel great.
GUPTA: Yes? No problems at all? Not overdoing it?
RAYNOR: No.
GUPTA (voice over): It's important, because six months ago she had successful heart surgery. Now she watches closely for warning signs.
RAYNOR: Chest pains, dizziness, shortness of breath, because other than that, your only warning sign is sudden cardiac death.
GUPTA: So we're going slow. No more than three miles an hour for now and some mild resistance training. Of course, hand in hand with the exercise comes diet. So we took Leigh Ann and the others to cooking school.
(on camera): Where do you hope to be eight weeks from now?
RAYNOR: Eight weeks from now, I hope to have learned some cooking techniques.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you cook your own food, it's always going to taste better and going to be -- it is!
GUPTA: Have you tasted her cooking?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you?
GUPTA: No.
(voice over): But Leigh Ann surprised even herself by cooking her first meal ever for someone else. She made chicken, and along with some healthy mac and cheese and a salad, this meal is filling, and just 500 calories.
With exercise, diet and good old-fashioned willpower, the reverend is well on her way.
RAYNOR: Wish me luck. I'm going to work at it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: Our other participants had some ups and downs as well in the first week. Here is their weekly check-up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (voice over): For Thekla, the "New You Revolution" is about learning.
THEKLA FISCHER, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: It's teaching me where I've got work to do.
GUPTA: From which areas to strengthen to which foods are best.
Dr. Lisa Missoulu (ph), author of "Before Your Pregnancy," arrived with some useful lessons.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women under 35 and particularly between 30 and 35, have about an 85 percent chance of getting pregnant if they try for 12 cycles or one year.
GUPTA: And to dispel some myths.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whether you've never been on the pill, on it for 2 years or 10 years, you'll actually get the same ability to be pregnant after that's done.
GUPTA: One week into his "New You Revolution" and already a minor hitch for Jonathan. The doctor's prescription for ending his nail-biting habit: self-monitoring. And the best way?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because you need to save the nails.
JONATHAN KARP, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: If anybody found out, I'd be a certified wack job. It's a good idea, but I wouldn't do it.
GUPTA: Jonathan did agree to the backup plan: Keep a log of how much he bites every day and to reduce stress which may be fueling his habit. He'll try relaxation techniques to keep the biting at bay.
SANDRA GARTH, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: I'm ready. I've committed to do it, and I'm going to do it.
GUPTA: She sure is. Sandra's first week of the "New You Revolution" included some tips from the experts at a cooking school. Out? French toast dripping in syrup. In? Healthy French toast covered in yogurt and fruit.
Even after she went home and the cameras went away, Sandra has been sticking to her plan. Resistance training with her exercise bands and walking and walking. Using her step meter, she's been going about the 10,000 steps recommended by her trainer.
And she's cut back on her food intake. But her nutritionist is telling her to eat more, 1,600 calories a day.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, for the "New You Revolution."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And next week Dr. Gupta will bring us up-to-date on Harold Fricker, who admits he's addicted to running and he's doing a lot of it, but he is also addicted to food. So is he starting to break his bad habits? Find out next Tuesday on LIVE FROM.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. The next time you find yourself arguing with your friends about what your favorite TV characters were wearing the other night, or exactly what they said, no problem! Just Google it. I'll tell you about the search engine's latest offerings coming up on LIVE FROM. Si stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: All right. Kids out there -- actually, if there are kids out there, you really should be in school. Get back to school, will you? Well, you might be home sick. All right, well, kids, way back in the days before plasma screen TVs, long before there was a grilled cheese sandwich that showed up on eBay and sold for what, $20,000, $18, 000?
NGUYEN: Yes, thousands.
O'BRIEN: In fact, there wasn't even an eBay then, kids, no Internet. There was a woman then whose passion for weird food items earned her a place in television history.
NGUYEN: Oh Yes, it did. It was 1987 on Johnny Carson's couch where Merle Young -- Myrtle Young, that is, staked her claim to fame. Reporter Susan Pavli from our affiliate WANE in Fort Wayne, Indiana with more on the crunch heard round the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MYRTLE YOUNG, FMR. "TONIGHT SHOW" GUEST: Sometimes you can't even hardly believe it happened, you know, being on his show and the life, the Cinderella story that I had lived since then.
SUSAN PAVLI, WANE REPORTER (voice-over): 80-year-old Myrtle Young says after her 1987 appearance on "The Tonight Show," her life was never the same. The phone rang off the hook with shows in London, Japan, just about everywhere, calling to book Myrtle and her potato chip collection.
YOUNG: This is an elephant and a couple bears.
Being in London and traveling all around the world, I never would have been able to do that had it not been for Johnny Carson.
PAVLI: Myrtle's appearance on "The Tonight Show" was priceless when Carson pulled one of his stunts. It's a joke that has been seen around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
(JOHNNY CARSON EATS POTATO CHIP)
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNNY CARSON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": No, I didn't.
YOUNG: Oh, my!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: When I heard that crunch, oh, my goodness! And I looked and Carson is eating chips. And I thought he was eating my collection, the only collection in the world!
PAVLI: Myrtle says she never set out to be a chip collector. But as an inspector at the Seifert's plant...
YOUNG: Because the chips came -- the potatoes came in on this end and went through...
PAVLI: Myrtle would come across odd-looking chips, save them for her granddaughter. And before she knew it, she had 400 such gems.
YOUNG: They go in plastic carrying cases so they don't get smashed.
PAVLI: Myrtle got used to traveling with her chips. After all, this is just a partial list of the places she's gone. But tops in her mind is the hour she spent with Johnny Carson.
YOUNG: His whole show was funny like that. Oh, the audience was just hilarious. They just went -- oh, he just had them laughing all the time with this chip collection.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: All right. That...
NGUYEN: Did you see her face?
O'BRIEN: She looks great. That was from Susan Pavli of our affiliate WANE in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
NGUYEN: When he ate that chip, you thought she was going to have a heart attack. She turned around and that look.
O'BRIEN: It's a good thing she didn't keel over right there. And anyway, she's doing great, and I guess you could say that was kind of a blue chip story. Anyway.
NGUYEN: Oh, Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. (STOCK MARKET REPORT)
NGUYEN: Coming up in our second hour of LIVE FROM...
O'BRIEN: Secretary-General Kofi Annan questioned in that Oil- for-Food scandal. We're live at the U.N. We'll have details for you on that.
That's just part of LIVE FROM's "hour of power" which begins after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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