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American Morning
Interview With E. Jean Carroll
Aired January 01, 2004 - 09:50 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: There are, no doubt, a lot of Americans who have no idea whatsoever this morning what they did last night. About a million revelers welcomed the new year in New York's Times Square. There were plenty of other big public celebrations from coast to coast, as well.
So, if you are one of those folks who's thinking maybe it's time to make good on all the bad things you did last night, here's some advice from "Elle" magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll.
I sat down with her and asked her what are some of the worst mistakes that people make on New Year's Eve.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
E. JEAN CARROLL, AUTHOR, "MR. RIGHT, RIGHT NOW," "ELLE" MAGAZINE: The most depressing thing you do on New Year's Eve is you stay home.
O'BRIEN: I do that.
CARROLL: You sit there. You don't make plans. You're like a dumb dodo. You're watching the thing come and you just...
O'BRIEN: Watch it, sister, you just described my new year's.
CARROLL: Oh, I'm sorry.
O'BRIEN: But, that is, no, and what is the second worst thing?
CARROLL: It's regrettable because this is the one time of the year when you can let loose and you can put the free back in freedom and what are you doing? You're sitting at home.
O'BRIEN: You've got to have a number of people who wrote in and said I let loose, E. Jean, and, oops, I want to take that -- put that genie back in the bottle.
CARROLL: You know what? I never get one of those letters.
O'BRIEN: Really?
CARROLL: Because they know better than that because you know my entire philosophy of life is this one day, honey, just let it go. Let it go. Go do things, sin. Do things that you would never do any other time.
O'BRIEN: How about people who felt like they've made some of their worst mistakes that night and so they want to figure out how to make it better in '04.
CARROLL: Soledad, like what kind of mistakes?
O'BRIEN: I don't know, they spent the night dancing naked on a table with streamers.
CARROLL: Fantastic. Fantastic.
O'BRIEN: You and I have so -- I want to go out with you.
CARROLL: That is fantastic. The worst thing you can do is drink and drive. That is like...
O'BRIEN: Well, obviously. And illegal and immoral, but...
CARROLL: And, you know, and having intercourse with your boss is also not a good idea. But otherwise, just being completely free is such a wonderful tradition. It's such a wonderful...
O'BRIEN: OK, so let's say somebody wakes up and it's Thursday morning. You're saying embrace the new, forget about New Year's Eve, if you can't remember what you did don't worry about it, just move on to the new year?
CARROLL: Exactly. And have some orange juice. You know, you need those photochemicals in the morning to help you get your brain on. And have a little protein. Have a little egg. Have some milk. You'll feel better.
O'BRIEN: Nothing to work on for next year?
Do you make resolutions every year?
CARROLL: No, I have a backlog. I have...
O'BRIEN: We're going to listen to 1965, please.
CARROLL: Wait a minute. What is your new year's resolution?
O'BRIEN: I have so many. I make 40 every year.
CARROLL: Forty?
O'BRIEN: Yes, 40 at least.
CARROLL: What's your top one?
O'BRIEN: Seriously. My top one this year is just say no.
CARROLL: Really?
O'BRIEN: When people say Soledad, I need you to do...
CARROLL: Yes?
O'BRIEN: Just say no. No, I'm sorry, I can't help you, because I want to spend more time with my children.
CARROLL: OK, let's test it. Let's see. OK, we're going to test it?
O'BRIEN: Sure.
CARROLL: Soledad?
O'BRIEN: Yes, E. Jean?
CARROLL: I have a charity and these kids are starving. I need you to come on Thursday...
O'BRIEN: I am so sympathetic and I would be happy to write you a check, but no, I cannot make it personally.
CARROLL: You are fantastic! See, OK, good.
O'BRIEN: I'm just practicing. I'm just practicing.
CARROLL: All right, that's good.
O'BRIEN: Do you think people should make -- you know, Hemmer was telling me he doesn't make new year's resolutions at all.
CARROLL: Well, and doesn't it show?
O'BRIEN: Oh, he's perfect.
CARROLL: He's perfect in every way. He doesn't need resolutions. I think that's a good...
O'BRIEN: Are you saying I need resolutions? You are sort of walking yourself into a trap here.
CARROLL: I think resolutions are wonderful.
O'BRIEN: Really?
CARROLL: I really...
O'BRIEN: What's your top resolution?
CARROLL: To read proofs this year.
O'BRIEN: Really? OK. That's one of those that you put on every year. I'm going to be fluent in Spanish by the end of the year.
CARROLL: Oh, really?
O'BRIEN: It's my perennial...
CARROLL: Did you start it?
O'BRIEN: Yes. I'm kind of close. But every year I try to...
CARROLL: Last year...
O'BRIEN: So what's your real -- do you have like a working on you resolution?
CARROLL: No, I don't want -- I'm tired of working on myself. I'm sick of myself, you know? I want to work on other people. I want every woman in America to go get a man in six weeks, that's what I want to do.
O'BRIEN: Isn't that interesting that that segues nicely into the title of your book.
CARROLL: Oh!
O'BRIEN: "Mr. Right Right Now --"
CARROLL: I wonder where that came from?
O'BRIEN: "-- How To Get A Man In Six Weeks."
CARROLL: I don't know how that happened.
O'BRIEN: E. Jean Carroll, I wish you the very best in '04. I hope you have a healthy and a happy one. And clearly you're going to have a fun one because I know you, I know the kind of person you are.
CARROLL: Break loose.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
Have a great time.
CARROLL: And you are just going to say no.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Yes, I am.
E. Jean Carroll is the author, as we said, of the book, "Mr. Right Right Now" and her advice column has run in "Elle" magazine for more than 10 years. She is an out and out crack up.
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 1, 2004 - 09:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: There are, no doubt, a lot of Americans who have no idea whatsoever this morning what they did last night. About a million revelers welcomed the new year in New York's Times Square. There were plenty of other big public celebrations from coast to coast, as well.
So, if you are one of those folks who's thinking maybe it's time to make good on all the bad things you did last night, here's some advice from "Elle" magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll.
I sat down with her and asked her what are some of the worst mistakes that people make on New Year's Eve.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
E. JEAN CARROLL, AUTHOR, "MR. RIGHT, RIGHT NOW," "ELLE" MAGAZINE: The most depressing thing you do on New Year's Eve is you stay home.
O'BRIEN: I do that.
CARROLL: You sit there. You don't make plans. You're like a dumb dodo. You're watching the thing come and you just...
O'BRIEN: Watch it, sister, you just described my new year's.
CARROLL: Oh, I'm sorry.
O'BRIEN: But, that is, no, and what is the second worst thing?
CARROLL: It's regrettable because this is the one time of the year when you can let loose and you can put the free back in freedom and what are you doing? You're sitting at home.
O'BRIEN: You've got to have a number of people who wrote in and said I let loose, E. Jean, and, oops, I want to take that -- put that genie back in the bottle.
CARROLL: You know what? I never get one of those letters.
O'BRIEN: Really?
CARROLL: Because they know better than that because you know my entire philosophy of life is this one day, honey, just let it go. Let it go. Go do things, sin. Do things that you would never do any other time.
O'BRIEN: How about people who felt like they've made some of their worst mistakes that night and so they want to figure out how to make it better in '04.
CARROLL: Soledad, like what kind of mistakes?
O'BRIEN: I don't know, they spent the night dancing naked on a table with streamers.
CARROLL: Fantastic. Fantastic.
O'BRIEN: You and I have so -- I want to go out with you.
CARROLL: That is fantastic. The worst thing you can do is drink and drive. That is like...
O'BRIEN: Well, obviously. And illegal and immoral, but...
CARROLL: And, you know, and having intercourse with your boss is also not a good idea. But otherwise, just being completely free is such a wonderful tradition. It's such a wonderful...
O'BRIEN: OK, so let's say somebody wakes up and it's Thursday morning. You're saying embrace the new, forget about New Year's Eve, if you can't remember what you did don't worry about it, just move on to the new year?
CARROLL: Exactly. And have some orange juice. You know, you need those photochemicals in the morning to help you get your brain on. And have a little protein. Have a little egg. Have some milk. You'll feel better.
O'BRIEN: Nothing to work on for next year?
Do you make resolutions every year?
CARROLL: No, I have a backlog. I have...
O'BRIEN: We're going to listen to 1965, please.
CARROLL: Wait a minute. What is your new year's resolution?
O'BRIEN: I have so many. I make 40 every year.
CARROLL: Forty?
O'BRIEN: Yes, 40 at least.
CARROLL: What's your top one?
O'BRIEN: Seriously. My top one this year is just say no.
CARROLL: Really?
O'BRIEN: When people say Soledad, I need you to do...
CARROLL: Yes?
O'BRIEN: Just say no. No, I'm sorry, I can't help you, because I want to spend more time with my children.
CARROLL: OK, let's test it. Let's see. OK, we're going to test it?
O'BRIEN: Sure.
CARROLL: Soledad?
O'BRIEN: Yes, E. Jean?
CARROLL: I have a charity and these kids are starving. I need you to come on Thursday...
O'BRIEN: I am so sympathetic and I would be happy to write you a check, but no, I cannot make it personally.
CARROLL: You are fantastic! See, OK, good.
O'BRIEN: I'm just practicing. I'm just practicing.
CARROLL: All right, that's good.
O'BRIEN: Do you think people should make -- you know, Hemmer was telling me he doesn't make new year's resolutions at all.
CARROLL: Well, and doesn't it show?
O'BRIEN: Oh, he's perfect.
CARROLL: He's perfect in every way. He doesn't need resolutions. I think that's a good...
O'BRIEN: Are you saying I need resolutions? You are sort of walking yourself into a trap here.
CARROLL: I think resolutions are wonderful.
O'BRIEN: Really?
CARROLL: I really...
O'BRIEN: What's your top resolution?
CARROLL: To read proofs this year.
O'BRIEN: Really? OK. That's one of those that you put on every year. I'm going to be fluent in Spanish by the end of the year.
CARROLL: Oh, really?
O'BRIEN: It's my perennial...
CARROLL: Did you start it?
O'BRIEN: Yes. I'm kind of close. But every year I try to...
CARROLL: Last year...
O'BRIEN: So what's your real -- do you have like a working on you resolution?
CARROLL: No, I don't want -- I'm tired of working on myself. I'm sick of myself, you know? I want to work on other people. I want every woman in America to go get a man in six weeks, that's what I want to do.
O'BRIEN: Isn't that interesting that that segues nicely into the title of your book.
CARROLL: Oh!
O'BRIEN: "Mr. Right Right Now --"
CARROLL: I wonder where that came from?
O'BRIEN: "-- How To Get A Man In Six Weeks."
CARROLL: I don't know how that happened.
O'BRIEN: E. Jean Carroll, I wish you the very best in '04. I hope you have a healthy and a happy one. And clearly you're going to have a fun one because I know you, I know the kind of person you are.
CARROLL: Break loose.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
Have a great time.
CARROLL: And you are just going to say no.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Yes, I am.
E. Jean Carroll is the author, as we said, of the book, "Mr. Right Right Now" and her advice column has run in "Elle" magazine for more than 10 years. She is an out and out crack up.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
