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American Morning

Play That Funky Music

Aired August 30, 2002 - 10:24   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And also we got to get a sneak peek of Michael Jackson. He wasn't performing, but he was honored on stage. It sounded almost like he was getting an award. Some say it was a birthday gift.
So CNN's Kendis Gibson was there, and maybe can you help to straighten all this confusion out for us there, Kendis. Was it an award, was it a birthday, or was it just celebrating his appearance?

KENDIS GIBSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Have you to understand Michael Jackson who is...

WHITFIELD: That's not east to do.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Wait, does anyone understand Michael Jackson?

GIBSON: He is the greatest singer on the planet, just ask him, he will tell you. So that's why, he got the impression that he was getting the Artist of the Millennium Award. What happen was Britney Spears said in the into that he is by far the artist of the millennium. She didn't say anything about award. In Michael's mind, in his strange universe, that meant he was getting an award and walked out there and gave an acceptance speech and all of that, and...

WHITFIELD: That's so unfair. I'm sure they would have straightened all that out when they gave the invitation to come. Wouldn't you have felt they would have given him a sense as to what it would all be about. I kind of feel sorry for him.

HARRIS: You feel sorry for him?

WHITFIELD: Well, yes, to be embarrassed like that.

GIBSON: You know what I think it was, I kind of liken this experience to that whole Elizabeth Taylor experience at the Golden Globe a few years ago, when she walked out there all confused. They are good friends. Maybe Liz is rubbing off, I don't know.

HARRIS: Let's talk about Eminem, he was the man of the hour last night for a number of reasons. He was up and down quite a bit, because he was getting awards and some of the things he was doing and saying.

Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHRISTIAN AGUILERA, SINGER: Interesting. Eminem.

EMINEM: Yes, I brought me a list, I wasn't finished writing it. That little Moby girl threw me out of my zone for a minute. My manager, Paul, all my attorneys, my production staff. Steve Louie (ph) -- keep booing. Keep booing, little girl. I will hit a man with glasses.

My family, Haley, everybody, Nate, my brother -- the big one. You all got to excuse me. I've been going through some anger management classes.

WHITFIELD: What?

HARRIS: Need to get some crowd management classes in this there as well. What was up with that? And what were they thinking in having Christina Aguilera give him the award, knowing that he was been ripping her in quite a few of his songs.

GIBSON: Absolutely. That was the thing, MTV was just kind of asking for some sort of controversy.

Like just before that video started, in fact, they had one that comic dog, trying to antagonize Eminem about his attacks he has made on Moby in the past. So that kind of brought the whole thing up, and that kind of got Moby all riled up and the audience, and they started booing him in the audience.

In the past, in Eminem's defense, I know he has many lawyers who defend him. But in his defense this morning, Moby has criticized his lyrics quite a few times before, and criticized his lyrics as homophobic and mysogonistic. So this was him sort of paying back Moby on national TV.

WHITFIELD: OK, let's depart from the controversy, and talk about one of the other highlight performances, P. Diddy. Or is it controversial? He spent an awful lot of money getting this act together. Why did it cost half a million dollars?

GIBSON: You know it is a different year when P. Diddy is no longer controversial, but he had one of the most elaborate shows last night, performances. It lasted about six minutes and paid a half million dollars on the effects, on getting the different pyrotechnics that he had going on, and all of the dancers and accompaniments that he had all there. But so all of this promotes his new album that's been out for a couple of months now.

HARRIS: I have to ask you about another moment that was perhaps the most emotional one that I've heard about. I didn't stay up that late, I must admit, in the interest of full disclosure. But the moment with TLC on stage, what was that like?

GIBSON: Really, there were a few dry eyes inside of Radio City Music Hall where that took place. T-Boz and Chili, who are the remaining survivor members of the group, came on stage. MTV announced a scholarship in Lisa Lopes honor and in her name. And the girls, they really barely got through their speeches during it, because they said even though it's been, let's say, about four months since Lisa Lopes' death in a car crash in Honduras, they are still hurting from all of it.

WHITFIELD: It really is the first time we have seen them together publicly, and even talking about what happened to Left Eye.

HARRIS: Speaking of firsts, I got to ask you on the way out, one thing that did come up as well last night is Justin Timberlake, first time up by himself, and not with the group. What was that like?

GIBSON: He did his best Michael Jackson impersonation last night. Take a look at that. Even with the gloves, the hat, the only thing was he wasn't confused that he was -- he did pretty well, now there was a lot...

HARRIS: He didn't look like Liz Taylor either.

GIBSON: There was talk that Britney would join him on stage. Apparently, not even MTV could bring the two of them together. They are, as Kurt Loder, told me yesterday, were sitting at completely opposite ends of the arena last night. They really aren't talking, we're told.

WHITFIELD: Is that really a little marketing stunt, or are they really having a hard time seeing the sight of one another now?

GIBSON: Well, you know what, you saw Britney's "Crossroads," right? She is not a good actress. But she is doing...

WHITFIELD: I saw the trailers.

GIBSON: If it is a marketing stunt, then she is doing a pretty good job of acting right now, which would be contrary to what we saw on "Crossroads."

WHITFIELD: All right. Kendis's zinging on that one.

HARRIS: Kendis is pitching a shot at the judge on "American Idol" now. Nice review, buddy.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kendis, good to see you.

HARRIS: Have a good one, see you later on.

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