Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Why the Rash of Reality Star Wannabes?

Aired July 16, 2002 - 07:49   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.
ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN ANCHOR: Whoever said, "Truth is stranger than fiction," could have been talking about celebrities looking to cash in on reality TV. It's a craze that's happening. Anna Nicole Smith is set to debut next month in her own primetime reality show on E!, and she is not the only one trying to follow in the footsteps of the Osbournes.

So why the rash of reality star wannabes? Joining us with his take, Toure -- Toure, I will say it again, a contributing editor of "Rolling Stone" magazine, and author of the book, "The Portable Promised Land" -- congratulations on that one.

TOURE, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE: Thank you, thank you.

NEVILLE: And welcome.

TOURE: Thank you, welcome, thank you.

NEVILLE: OK, let's keep this real right now, OK?

TOURE: Yes, yes, yes, yes.

NEVILLE: How much real, though, will be in these reality TV shows?

TOURE: Well, there is not going to be any. I mean, you know, if you don't have to worry about money, there is no possibility for reality.

NEVILLE: I mean, come on, and it was P. Diddy, will this work?

TOURE: I think you are going to see a lot of big cars, big meetings, right, big parties...

NEVILLE: A lot of bling-bling.

TOURE: A lot of bling-bling. No introspection, no spark, none of what we watch the shows for, all of that petty bickering between kids or between survivors who are hungry. That's what we watch for, that's what we like.

NEVILLE: So it's not going to happen...

TOURE: Well, it will happen.

NEVILLE: ... to P. Diddy?

TOURE: But it's not going to be as exciting as some of the shows that could happen.

NEVILLE: Well, come on, P. Diddy's real life is exciting, I mean...

TOURE: You want to see a good show. Imagine if you had Madonna and her kids, and she's nagging them to eat, and she's trying to get them dressed.

NEVILLE: All right.

TOURE: Like then you'd have exciting TV, and you can relate to it. Imagine if you had like Pam and Kidd Rock...

NEVILLE: OK.

TOURE: ... and she's in the kitchen trying to make breakfast for them. He is trying to grope her.

NEVILLE: She's not in the...

TOURE: ... and all of this.

NEVILLE: Well, OK, that part -- that's true.

TOURE: I mean, there you go.

NEVILLE: OK, but that's not going to happen with Liza Minnelli and her husband. In fact, if it does, I don't want to see that.

TOURE: Right.

NEVILLE: I'm sorry. I mean, I like Liza and all, but come on.

TOURE: I mean, the celebrities who need reality shows, who deserve them, already have them. Think about Julia, J.Lo, Brad and Jennifer, Alan Iverson, Eminem, the whole world is already watching them.

NEVILLE: Watching. Speaking of Alan Iverson, love the house party, just you, all right. Now, back to Anna Nicole Smith...

TOURE: Yes.

NEVILLE: ... OK, so now, I read that E! has already orchestrated some real news...

TOURE: Yes.

NEVILLE: ... into her life, like for instance,

TOURE: Whatever. NEVILLE: ... she has a nutritionist now.

TOURE: Yes.

NEVILLE: And she is going to the gym.

TOURE: Sure.

NEVILLE: And she is drinking a lot of Red Bull, I hear, to keep her energy up. I mean, what's up with that?

TOURE: This is the era of the celebrity infomercial. OK, you can have a relationship to move your career forward, you can have a trial, you can have a sex tape. Now, we have the infomercial, just take over the whole half hour.

NEVILLE: I've got to tell you something. I mean, E! I like; Anna Nicole Smith, I don't think I want to watch that. I'm sorry.

TOURE: For what? To watch her spend the guy's millions? I mean, you know, what does the show do?

NEVILLE: I don't see that it's going to be interesting. Now, the whole -- the Osbournes, they rock.

TOURE: Yes, yes.

NEVILLE: OK, they rock, because they are real.

TOURE: Yes, exactly, exactly.

NEVILLE: You can't fake that.

TOURE: Exactly. You have this great, old, wild guy who is in this domestic box. You have these two wonderful kids who bicker and they are brilliant and they are beautiful. It's that family thing...

NEVILLE: It's the hair and stuff, I love it.

TOURE: It's the family that we relate to, not the celebrities, not just put a camera in front of a celebrity, but give us a family or a community who is together, falling apart, coming back together. That's what we like to watch.

NEVILLE: OK. So is the novelty going to wear off, though? I mean...

TOURE: Well, here is the...

NEVILLE: ... the whole copycat thing, it's just not going to happen.

TOURE: Here is what's starting...

NEVILLE: I'm sorry, it's not going to work.

TOURE: ... this fall that you might actually get into.

NEVILLE: Uh-oh, what?

TOURE: MTV has a show called "Crashing With," in which the celebrities spend time with real people. In the first episode, Master P and his son spend time with a Louisiana family named Crackenbush (ph).

NEVILLE: Bought it, bought it. All right. I mean, come on. You know what? That could work. That could work.

TOURE: That could work.

NEVILLE: Master P and a real family...

TOURE: Yes, and Lil' Romeo.

NEVILLE: ... in Louisiana.

TOURE: Yes.

NEVILLE: That's right.

TOURE: Yes, yes, I'll be watching.

NEVILLE: And the Louisiana family, is that -- you know, we are crazy. I'm from Louisiana, I am can say that. All right? All right, Toure, come back again and talk about your book, will you?

TOURE: I will, I will.

NEVILLE: All right, nice to see you.

TOURE: Nice to see you.

NEVILLE: All right.

TOURE: Thank you.

ZAHN: Hey, Arthel, do you mind if I make a notorious comment about the Osbourne's beautiful children? Beautiful children?

TOURE: Well, beautify in the sense of they make beautiful TV and they are brilliant...

NEVILLE: Exactly.

TOURE: ... and you love to watch them.

ZAHN: Oh, I thought the next line would be, "in need of super counseling." That, too, right?

NEVILLE: Paula, do you like the Osbournes? Have you watched it?

(CROSSTALK) ZAHN: I have seen a couple of episodes. I have to admit, I made it to the end of the show.

NEVILLE: All right, good for you.

ZAHN: But it's on way past my bedtime...

(CROSSTALK)

NEVILLE: I understand.

ZAHN: That's my out. Good to see you again, Toure. Thanks, Arthel.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.