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Showbiz Tonight
Showbiz Tonight for August 1, 2005, CNNHN
Aired August 01, 2005 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: I`m Karyn Bryant. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT...
KATIE COURIC, CO-HOST, NBC`S "THE TODAY SHOW": I`m Katie Couric.
BRYANT: A Katie cast off? Tonight, Katie Couric`s stunning announcement. Could "The Today Show" co-host be leaving? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT knows where she might be going and what it means for the No. 1 morning show on TV.
HAMMER (voice-over): Also, smoke on the screen. Tonight, marijuana use on TV. We`re seeing the "crop" crop up more than ever, and it`s got some really fired up. Is Hollywood pressing its pot luck? A "SHOWBIZ Showdown."
BRYANT: And, "Reality Check." Tonight, how the networks are getting down and dirty and cleaning up to keep you in front of the TV. It`s our special series on the most buzzed-about reality shows of the summer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi. We`re INXS.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And if it happened today...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant.
Two big bombshells to report tonight.
HAMMER: The first bombshell has to do with the boys of summer. A scandal as baseball`s highest profile slugger Rafael Palmiero is suspended for steroid use. Even President Bush got involved. And we`re going to have more on that later in the show.
BRYANT: But first, we begin with another bombshell, this one rocking the television world and ruffling some feathers at NBC. Katie Couric admits CBS is eyeing her to defect.
CNN`s Deborah Feyerick joins us live with more -- Deborah.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Karyn and A.J., Katie Couric`s contract expires next May, and "The Today Show" co-host is starting to speak out about her plans.
She recently told "The New Yorker" magazine that she may be ready to give up her morning gig at "The Today Show," something NBC execs may not be too happy about.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COURIC: Welcome back to "Today" on this Monday morning, everyone. I`m Katie Couric.
FEYERICK (voice-over): She`s been America`s morning show sweetheart for the last 14 years, getting the country up and running.
COURIC: Thanks for clarifying that. Also coming up in this hour...
FEYERICK: But Katie Couric`s run as co-host of NBC`s "Today Show" may be coming to an end.
The 48-year-old mother of two opened up about her future. She tells "New Yorker" magazine that she`ll decide this fall whether to continue her partnership with Matt Lauer when her contract expires next May.
BRIAN STELTER, TVNEWSER.COM: This all comes under what Katie wants. If she wants to stay on "Today" and keep waking up at 4 a.m., then you know, she can name a price. But if she wants to become the next Oprah or become the next Tom Brokaw or Brian Williams, then she has a whole other route to take.
FEYERICK: Couric tells the magazine she may move over to CBS, where Dan Rather`s anchor chair remains open. She may also set her sights on a syndicated talk show.
STELTER: She is constantly bringing in viewers and thus advertiser dollars. And she makes "Today" a very, very valuable profit center for NBC. Katie Couric is a cash cow of the network.
FEYERICK: Couric became co-anchor of "The Today Show" back in 1991 and since then has been the top of the morning show race. But Diane Sawyer`s "Good Morning America" is not far behind. The ratings are the closest they have been in years, something the NBC executives are aware of.
PHIL GRIFFIN, SVP, NBC NEWS: This is as competitive now as it`s ever been. Seven a.m. has become appointment television to find out what`s going on. It sets the agenda for the day.
And that`s where "The Today Show" succeeds. That it`s ahead of the newspapers. It`s ahead of other news programs. It tells you in the morning what`s going on.
FEYERICK: "The New Yorker" quotes industry sources as saying that Couric now makes about $13 million a year, $1 million more than her competitor Diane Sawyer.
"Today" is the most profitable program on any network. It brings in big bucks, really big bucks. Some say as much as $500 million a year. The big question: can NBC hang onto those dollars without its biggest star?
STELTER: There is no one really waiting in the wings that is obviously the next Katie Couric. NBC is trying to develop some people who hopefully one day can fill those shoes. But there`s no one there of that stature yet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Now, "The New Yorker" said Couric met not once but twice with CBS.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went to both NBC and CBS for comment, and they said not once, but twice they`re not commenting. NBC president Jeff Zucker did, however, tell reporters last month that he hopes Katie will be with the network for several years to come -- Karyn.
BRYANT: Thanks very much, Deborah.
Tonight a medical scare for another daytime fixture, Joy Behar. "The View" co-host is usually the first one to crack a joke on the daytime talker. But today, we found out why she wasn`t on the show last week, and this was no laughing matter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I gave my ovaries away last week. That`s why I was off. They took my ovaries, because I had a cyst on one of my ovaries. It looked suspicious, and they took it out. And that`s why I haven`t been here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Behar says she`s going to be fine. The doctors think the cyst is benign.
HAMMER: Tonight TV has a chronic case of reefer madness. In many of your favorite TV shows, characters are lighting up like never before, and we`re not talking about tobacco here.
For more, let`s go to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas, joining us live from Hollywood -- Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, A.J.
On several TV shows on the air, characters smoke marijuana about as casually as some people drink a beer. Now, there hasn`t been much of an outcry, but where there`s pot smoke, there could be a fiery backlash around the corner.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I got high, because I got high, because I got high.
VARGAS (voice-over): A hot young Hollywood actor and his boy smoke a lot of pot on the HBO comedy, "Entourage."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can go for a smoke, though.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a pound of the bubble kush stashed in the wheel well of my Deville.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cool. Roll one up.
VARGAS: A young private called Smoke lives up to his name on the FX Iraqi war drama "Over There."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You stay away from my customer base. You don`t deal with the kids.
VARGAS: And on the upcoming Showtime series "Weeds," a suburban mom played by Mary Louise Parker sells pot to make ends meet.
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, "NEW YORK TIMES": I think television producers and writers want to depict reality. And the truth is that a number of shows are depicting what`s going on in a number of people`s homes.
VARGAS: Marijuana use is growing like weeds all over TV. Today`s issue of "USA Today" examined the phenomenon. It`s not just limited to cable. Characters on the long running FOX sitcom "That `70s Show" spending a lot of time joking about toking.
KURTWOOD SMITH, ACTOR: I can`t believe that is what you idiots have been doing that in my basement all these years.
OGUNNAIKE: Historically, it was just sort of a taboo thing. When someone did light a cigarette, you`d have the big public service announcement portion of the show that would come out and say, "Ooh, that`s bad. You shouldn`t smoke weed."
But now people are sort of like, "Yes, there`s a bong. There`s a beer. There`s some girls. It`s a party. No big deal."
VARGAS: The depiction of casual marijuana use on TV has anti-drug groups smoking mad.
OGUNNAIKE: There might be some people that put their -- wave their hands in the air and say, "Look, this is not cool. I don`t like the fact that my kid is just watching a half an hour sitcom and all of a sudden the guy pulls out a bong."
VARGAS: But the outcry may be muted. Pot is the most popular illegal drug in the country. Just under a third of the U.S. population age 12 and over has used it. That`s 65 million Americans. And many of them may not mind seeing pot on TV.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And marijuana use on TV has drawn Washington`s attention. In "USA Today" the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy calls the drug trend, quote, "irresponsible." We`ll have to see if they take action.
A.J., back to you.
HAMMER: We certainly will. Thanks very much, Sibila Vargas, live in Hollywood.
And that brings us to tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showdown": is television glamorizing pot use?
Joining us live from New York to talk about, Rick Cusick. He`s the editor of "High Times." It`s a magazine devoted entirely to marijuana, its use, and the cause to legalize it.
And live from Washington, D.C., Melissa Caldwell. She`s the director of research and publications for the Parents Television Council. Two distinct agendas indeed.
Melissa, I want to start with you. Is the media, in fact, glamorizing the use of pot, or is this just a realistic portrayal that we`re seeing?
MELISSA CALDWELL, PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL: I don`t think it`s necessarily a realistic portrayal. And even if it were, it`s still problematic, because TV has a way of normalizing certain kinds of behaviors, making it seem acceptable or more mainstream than it may in reality be. And thereby making it seem OK for teenagers to experiment with pot or marijuana or other substances, cigarettes, alcohol, what have you, who otherwise might not.
HAMMER: Rick, do you think that`s the message that`s out there? Do you think the media is saying, "It`s OK. If we`re showing this on TV, it`s OK for you to do"?
RICK CUSICK, EDITOR, "HIGH TIMES": Well, you know, the thing is I believe that -- I came here as the "High Times" editor, but it seems to me I`m more appropriate as a parent. I have a 7-year-old daughter, and I don`t want other people telling me how to parent. My value system is my value system.
When you say that these TV shows might be making young people smoke marijuana, most of the TV shows you brought out are on cable. Most of them are for adults, and marijuana is probably the least adult theme in the entire show of "Weeds." I just saw it. There was lesbianism and there was constipation, for that matter.
HAMMER: All right. Well, Melissa, on that, you know, let`s talk about the fact that "Entourage," one of the shows that is bringing up this bit of controversy, it`s on HBO. You`ve got to pay to get it. What about that?
CALDWELL: Well, we are less concerned, I think, about programs that are on pay cable channels, because it`s less likely that children are going to have access to those programs than a show like "That 70s Show," which airs on the broadcast networks, you know, and is beamed into virtually every American household.
So parents have -- you know, although they have ultimate control over what their child sees, it`s a little bit harder to exert that kind of control when it`s sort of part of your basic television program package.
CUSICK: It`s hard to exert that kind of control over any time. I don`t want my child to see things about violence that are on TV. I don`t want her to see things having to do with sex and war. But it`s not the broadcaster`s job to suppress themselves and censor themselves. It`s my job to parent.
And I think that, when we talk about taking suppression into the broadcast medium, what we`re really talking about is making parents less responsible for what their children are going to see.
CALDWELL: Yes. Well, let`s consider the fact, though, that you will not see characters on television smoking cigarettes. And why is that? It`s because it`s widely acknowledged and recognized that there`s a public health risk associated with smoking cigarettes.
HEMMER: Well, that`s right. That`s right. In fact...
CALDWELL: But it`s OK to smoke marijuana on TV. I think there`s a real double standard there.
HAMMER: What about that double standard, Rick? Because that has been alleged by a lot of people who are at the heart of this controversy.
CUSICK: Well, liquor and cigarettes are something that is regulated and has a legal value within our system, and marijuana doesn`t have that. Marijuana is an illicit drug. So therefore, you don`t regulate it.
People, parents groups have gone there and gotten your cigarettes off the air and gotten liquor off the air in the past. If you want to do something about it, what you should do is make marijuana a legitimate drug that we can get for adults, that we can have for nothing wrong smoking in the privacy of their own home.
And it`s not for children.
HAMMER: That`s where we`re going to have to wrap it up. Thank you very much for joining us and chiming in. Two certainly very opposing views. Rick Cusick and Melissa Caldwell, we appreciate you joining us on the "SHOWBIZ Showdown."
Now we`d like to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Marijuana: do TV and films glamorize its use? Want to chime in on this? You can by voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. If you`ve got more to say, that`s why we`ve got the e-mail address: ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`re going to run down some of your thoughts a bit later in the program.
BRYANT: Coming up, one screen star lets another screen star have it. What Lauren Bacall has to say about Tom Cruise.
HAMMER: And the duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard." Meet a guy who gets paid to watch "The Dukes of Hazzard." It`s a job that will make you say, "Yee-haw," coming up next.
BRYANT: You love saying that.
HAMMER: Do I do that?
BRYANT: And "Reality Check," our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special series. It`s not just a summer full of repeats. Fresh new reality shows that the networks hope you stay inside for. We`ll show you what`s new.
Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What classic pop tune was not written by famous singer-songwriter Carole King? Is it "What`s Going On?", "It`s My Party", "The Loco-Motion" or "One Fine Day"? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What classic pop tune was not written by famous singer- songwriter Carole King? Is it "What`s Going On?", "It`s My Party", "The Loco-Motion" or "One Fine Day"? Well, Leslie Gore took it to No. 1 in 1963. The answer is B, "It`s My Party."
HAMMER: Welcome back to our party, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Tonight Lauren Bacall is taking on Tom Cruise. In this week`s "TIME" magazine, the veteran screen star, who played opposite husband Humphrey Bogart in some of the biggest movies of the 1940s. She was one half of Bogie and Bacall.
She says, "His whole behavior is so shocking. It`s inappropriate and vulgar and absolutely unacceptable to use your private life to sell anything commercially, but I think it`s a kind of sickness."
Bacall also took a shot at Cruise`s craft, saying, quote, "When you talk about a great actor, you`re not talking about Tom Cruise."
Cruise has been very public, of course, with his affection for fiancee Katie Holmes and has lashed out at Brooke Shields for using anti- depressants to treat post-partum depression.
BRYANT: This Friday, "The Dukes of Hazzard" movie comes out, which has people buzzing again about the original television series, which ran from 1979 to 1985. So for $100,000, would you sit around and watch the reruns? Well, believe it, somebody does, and it`s his job. And it`s a job for the Country Music Television Channel.
Joining me live in New York, Chris Nelson. He is the vice president of the CMT "Dukes of Hazzard" Institute.
Chris, you`re paid to do what exactly?
CHRIS NELSON, VP, "DUKES OF HAZZARD" INSTITUTE: I`m paid to watch the "Dukes of Hazzard" on CMT weeknights at, I guess, well, Eastern Time, 7 and 11. So Dukes two times a day on the couch and get paid to do it.
BRYANT: And is this Dukes Institute for real, and why aren`t you the president?
NELSON: Well, the Dukes Institute is for real. Fact and fiction kind of overlap at the Dukes Institute, but I can tell you, when you walk the halls, you`re going to see -- you`re going to see "Dukes of Hazzard Scholars" that have come as far as Chicago.
BRYANT: All wearing orange blazers?
NELSON: Well, the lab coats are orange.
BRYANT: OK.
NELSON: And the Pyrex beakers. And yes, so the Dukes is there. Institute is out there to spread the word of the Dukes.
BRYANT: OK. Well, Cooter was here, of course, from the original, Ben Jones, and he`s actually not that thrilled about the remake, the film, because he`s saying it`s a little bit too sexually charged. They`ve gone over the top. What`s your reply to that?
NELSON: Well, you know, it`s...
BRYANT: Because the original show was very sexual still?
NELSON: It was. It was. I mean, did you see the Daisy Dukes?
BRYANT: Yes.
NELSON: And you know, it`s -- the movie is going to be different from the TV show. There`s only one TV show. But I say let`s give her a chance. Let`s give the movie a chance.
And you know, it`s been difficult to be in the "Dukes of Hazzard" Institute taking these positions. But all I have to say to you and America is Jessica and I are just friends.
BRYANT: OK, right. Well, I`ll tell you what, Chris, we`re going to get a little quiz here, because we know that you probably know everything there is about the Dukes. What does the "P" in Roscoe P. Coltrane stand for?
NELSON: That stands for Purvis.
BRYANT: That is correct. How many General Lees were used in the original series?
NELSON: Exactly, I don`t know, 200.
BRYANT: Well, not so close. It`s actually 300. Do you know how many are left today?
NELSON: I don`t.
BRYANT: Twenty.
NELSON: Twenty, OK.
BRYANT: Institute. OK, here we go. One last one. Where, in fact, is Hazzard County?
NELSON: Hazzard County is in Georgia.
BRYANT: That is correct. Two out of 3. Well, that`s pretty good, not too bad.
NELSON: That`s not too bad. I`m bad with numbers.
BRYANT: OK.
NELSON: I`m more, you know, with -- more about talking and speaking.
BRYANT: OK. Well, I`m happy you joined us here. Good luck to you as vice president. Perhaps one day there will be an assassination and you can take over as president.
NELSON: I`d like to.
BRYANT: You can watch the original "Dukes of Hazzard" every night on CMT, and of course, "Dukes of Hazzard," the movie, opens this Friday.
HAMMER: I`ve got dibs on that blazer.
Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn crashed Johnny Depp`s party at the box office this past weekend. In final figures out just this afternoon, after two weeks in the No. 2 slot, Vaughn and Wilson`s "Wedding Crashers" knocked Depp`s "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" out of first place. "Crashers" pulled in $20 million to "Charlie`s" $16 million.
"Sky High," some family fun with Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston, premiered in third place, with more than $14.5 million. "Stealth" had a quiet debut, in fourth place; $13 million there. And "Must Love Dogs," starring John Cusack and Diane Lane, opened in fifth, at just under $13 million.
BRYANT: Steroids, baseball and the White House. Find out what President Bush has to say about the latest steroid scandal.
HAMMER: Also, supermodel Giselle Bundchen, how she deals with the paparazzi chasing her and beau, Leonardo DiCaprio, around. She`s going to tell us in a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," coming up.
BRYANT: And, the guy who gave us "Diana," "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" and "Puppy Love" sings Nirvana, Van Halen, and Bon Jovi? Yes, Paul Anka`s new CD and more in the "SHOWBIZ Guide" to new music, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Destiny`s Child is focusing on children`s destinies. Yesterday, the group took time out from their tour to make crafts with kids at a Ronald McDonald house in Washington. For each concert ticket they sell, Destiny`s Child is donating 25 cents to kids` charity. And Beyonce says it`s money, and time, well spent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEYONCE KNOWLES, SINGER: It means so much to us to be able to do something positive with our time and to see these children that are so inspiring to us because, you know, we have nothing to complain about. And they`re so positive, and they`re such bright lights. And, you know, this beats going to any mall or any restaurant or anything that we could do anywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Destiny`s Child is calling it quits as a group after their current tour, which ends in September.
HAMMER: It`s time now for the "SHOWBIZ Guide," where throughout the week, we help you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, music, DVDs and more. Tonight, it`s "People`s Picks and Pans," new music. And joining us live, "People" magazine senior editor, Julie Dam.
We got three CDs to talk about tonight. Jason Mraz has released his sophomore effort, "Mr. A to Z." Kind of a play. He`s such a word smith. It`s a play on his name, "Mr. A to Z," M-R-A-Z. We get it. He had that big hit, "Remedy," a couple years ago.
JULIE DAM, SENIOR EDITOR, "PEOPLE": Right. I think one of the songs is called "Word Play." He actually does have a very clever turn of phrase.
And it`s all about the revenge of the nerd. One of the songs on the album is called "The Geek in Pink." And you know, he`s a kid that went to cheerleading camp and did musical theater in high school. So obviously, he was the subject of much teasing. And he totally plays that up on this album that, you know, it`s the revenge of the nerd. And the nerd cool thing kind of works for him.
HAMMER: He says this album reflects his true vision versus -- versus the lack of experience that he had on his first album. Would you agree with that?
DAM: He really worked hard on this one. And -- and he puts a lot of effort into the phrasing. And I saw him live a couple of times, and he`s really a good performer, as well.
HAMMER: All right. Well, let`s move on to a guy who`s written some of the best known songs of all time. Paul Anka, who was here talking about his "Rock Swings" CD a couple of weeks ago. Does it, in fact, swing?
DAM: He`s 64 years old. He`s a former teen idol, and he`s still kind of got it. I mean, he has a good sense of humor about it. He does songs like Bon Jovi`s "It`s My Life," which he says is sort of comparable to "My Way" in a way. And he does "Smells Like Teen Spirit." He does "Eye of the Tiger." It`s -- you know, a lot of hipsters are really into this album.
HAMMER: Fun album, worth a listen.
DAM: Yes, totally.
HAMMER: All right. Well, let`s talk about the album that was your critic choice this week, Leila James (ph), "Change is Going to Come," in stores now.
DAM: Right. She`s sort of an old school R&B singer. This is her debut. But on the one hand, she`s covering Sam Cooke. On the other, she`s covering No Doubt`s "Don`t Speak."
HAMMER: Right.
DAM: So -- and she brings this sort of gospel edge to it. She kind of is a throwback to Tina Turner, early Tina Turner, Mavis Staples. So it`s a really solid first effort.
HAMMER: And she gets some help from big timers on this, including Wyclef Jean.
DAM: Yes, exactly.
HAMMER: All right. Julie Dam from "People" magazine, we appreciate you dropping by to fill us in on these.
And for more "Picks and Pans," you can grab your copy of "People" magazine, which is on newsstands now.
BRYANT: They`ve been talking all day, and we`ve been listening. Now, as we do every night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the best from today`s talk shows.
The "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" guys stopped by "Live with Regis and Kelly." It seems as though honesty may not be the best policy for Carson Kressley, at least on morning television.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REGIS PHILBIN, CO-HOST, ABC`S "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": You guys got everything under control. Are there gay guys that don`t have it...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
PHILBIN: Doesn`t come to them that easy?
CARSON KRESSLEY, CO-HOST, "QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY": Bad taste that does not discriminate. It really afflicts everyone.
PHILBIN: Do you take offense to that when you meet a gay guy that doesn`t have it?
KRESSLEY: No. I like to take them home like a little broken bird and be like, I can help you. Let`s get you out of that underwear right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my word.
PHILBIN: We`ll take a break right now. We`ll be back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Tomorrow on "Live," Ben McKenzie from "The O.C." and The Wiggles.
HAMMER: Well, we are in the thick of summertime right now, and you know, the networks don`t want you to play outside. They want you to stay home nice and comfortable on the couch so you can watch their new reality shows. We`ve got them for you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special series, "Reality Check." That`s coming up next.
BRYANT: And come on, admit it. You have Googled someone or even yourself. So how do all sorts of information get out on the Internet? We`re going to play digital detective coming up.
HAMMER: Plus tonight, some big news. Baseball taking a hit again. But it`s got a big-time supporter, President Bush. You`re going to find out what he has to say, still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues in just a minute. I`m Sophia Choi with your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
Well, just about 30 minutes ago, NASA decided to make an unscheduled space walk to repair two worrisome pieces dangling from Discovery`s belly. The space walk will happen on Wednesday. The unprecedented in-flight repair is fueled by concern the parts could affect the shuttle`s aerodynamics during reentry.
Well, there`s a new face representing the United States to the rest of the world. President Bush today side-stepped the Senate, installing John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The recess appointment gives Bolton the post through the end of 2006. Lawmakers, including some Republicans, were blocking Bolton`s nomination over concerns about his record, credibility, and temper.
Well, Baltimore Orioles star Rafael Palmeiro has been suspended 10 days for violating baseball`s steroid policy. In March, Palmeiro told a congressional committee he never used steroids and insists he never knowingly used the drug.
That`s the news for now. I`m Sophia Choi.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, another steroid shocker in Major League Baseball. Another player is suspended. Tonight, his side of it and the very powerful person who has rushed to his defense.
BRYANT: It`s "Punk`d" for parents. Kids, do you know where your mom and dad are? Tonight, our series, "Summer Reality Check" begins. The host of "Hi-Jinks" joins us, live.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNNY KNOXVILLE, ACTOR: Hello, I`m Johnny Knoxville. And if it happened today, it`s probably on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s only live entertainment news show. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. Here are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
BRYANT: Katie Couric`s "Todays" may be numbered. In an interview with "The New Yorker," Couric says she`s keeping her options open when her contract expires next May. She says she`s considering a syndicated talk show or a possible move to CBS.
HAMMER: Bo Bice is plain hurt. The "American Idol" runner-up broke his foot after he twisted his ankle onstage last night in New Hampshire, but he does say he will be ready to perform for tomorrow night`s show in Cleveland.
BRYANT: Sean Connery says he`s finished with Hollywood. The "James Bond" star tells a New Zealand newspaper that he`s fed up with the gap between people who know how to make movies and the people who green-light them. Connery`s people tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "He has no plans to do films at this time. However, he did make a film called `Never say Never Again.`"
HAMMER: Well, as we reported earlier, the anti-drug groups are concerned about the depiction of casual marijuana use on television and in the movies, which leads us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Marijuana: Do TV and films glamorize its use?
You can continue to vote by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight. You can also still send us your e-mail at showbiztonight@CNN.com. And we`ll read some of those e-mails at 54 past the hour.
BRYANT: Tonight, it is the highest-profile suspension yet in the Major League Baseball steroid scandal. Baltimore Orioles player Rafael Palmeiro proclaimed his innocence today after he was suspended for 10 days for steroid use.
Now, Palmeiro, who just two weeks ago celebrated his 3,000th hit, said that he, quote, "never intentionally used steroids, never, ever, period."
President Bush owned the Texas Rangers while Palmeiro played for the team. And today, the president said he believes Palmeiro. So what happens next?
Joining us live in North Carolina is Tripp Wheeler, vice president of sports marketing for Radiate Sports Group. Thanks for joining us, Tripp.
TRIPP WHEELER, RADIATE GROUP: Thanks for having me.
BRYANT: Here`s the thing. If President Bush is your character witness here, saying that he believes that he never took steroids intentionally, if President Bush believes him, should America?
WHEELER: Absolutely. I think that he`s had an incredibly good career, you know, 3,000 hits. He`s a fantastic baseball player. He`s done a good amount of community service.
And the last I checked, in the United States, you are innocent until you`re proven guilty. So I think every American watching this program would want the same liberties.
BRYANT: But would you recommend -- were he your client, would you recommend that he fight this or just go along with the suspension and play cool?
WHEELER: I think that he needs to be an open book. I think that, right now, the American public is looking for him to probably not even cooperate with Major League Baseball, but probably lead the investigation into finding an explanation on how these drugs got in his body without his knowledge.
BRYANT: Because what some people are seeing as the great irony here. In March, he testified, you know, in court saying, "absolutely, fundamentally never did it, won`t do it." He`s on one of the boards in Major League Baseball.
WHEELER: Right.
BRYANT: Really against steroid use. So how can he overcome this? Because I don`t want to see it in there that, next to Willie Mays` name, you see Rafael Palmeiro, with the 3,000 hits, the 500, you know, home runs, and an asterisk. How can you fix this?
WHEELER: If I was representing him, and I was on the phone with him right now, I would tell him that, "You think you`re innocent. Let`s partner with the Major League Baseball. Let`s get tested every day, if it takes it. Let`s post it on the Internet so it`s completely transparent."
BRYANT: And will that help save his image?
WHEELER: Well, I think if he does that, and then he plays the best baseball of his career, perception is he looks pretty good. If he`s clean and his performance drops off, not so good.
BRYANT: All right. Well, we`ll have to see what happens. Tripp Wheeler joining us live from Charlotte. Thanks very much.
WHEELER: Thanks for having me.
HAMMER: It`s time now for our "Summer Reality Check." All this week, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is turning the spotlight on the most-buzzed about reality shows of the summer. Showbiz tonight`s Sibila Vargas joins us live in Hollywood.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That`s right, A.J. The sitcoms may be on summer vacation, but reality is going strong. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT sorts out the genre`s latest offerings from "Playboy" playmates to pranks to parents.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: If you think you can dance and want to plead a case for more reality, summer is still smoldering. There`s a sister act of Venus and Serena Williams on ABC Family. But when sisters go bad, there`s "Brat Camp" on ABC.
Tommy Lee goes to college, yes, college, in his new NBC show.
TOMMY LEE, SINGER: Go Big Red.
VARGAS: TLC asks, "Are you the girl?" And "The Girl Next Door" is anything but. We`re talking about Hef`s ladies here.
HUGH HEFNER, "PLAYBOY" FOUNDER: See you later.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: See you later, love bug.
VARGAS: Situation comedy follows Sean Hayes. He`ll give SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the inside scoop tomorrow as he looks for the next great sitcom. When NBC`s "Meet Mr. Mom" premieres tomorrow, viewers will see dads running the house while their wives are on holiday.
Also this week, "Hi-Jinks," where parents prank their kids, comes to Nick at Nite. For some filthy fun, there`s Discovery`s "Dirty Job," profiling careers in less-than-savory professions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I see how it works.
VARGAS: And you know the genre has made it when there`s reality shows about, what else, reality shows. "Battle of the Network Reality Stars" starts on Bravo on August 17th. Finally, for a lightweight summer fling, MTV brought back "Laguna Beach" last week.
And if that`s not enough, just wait for fall when a whole new crop of reality shows will debut on a TV screen near you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Still want more? Then you might want to check out FOX`s recently launched reality channel. It offers, naturally, all reality, all the time. That`s if you can take it, A.J.
HAMMER: I can take it, Sibila. Thanks very much. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas, live in Hollywood.
Well, Nick at Nite`s "Hi-Jinks," which Sibila was just talking about, hits the airwaves tomorrow. This borrows from a tried-and-true premise, the hidden camera show. "Hi-Jinks" is the newest weapon in the arsenal for parents who have been the subject of their own children`s pranks and they want to give a little back to them.
Well, joining us live, Leila Sbitani, who`s the host of Nick at Nite`s "Hi-Jinks."
This show is a lot of fun. I had such a good time sitting down and watching it. Kind of like "Punk`d" meets "Candid Camera."
LEILA SBITANI, HOST, "HI-JINKS": It is. I mean, Nick at Nite`s programming is inspired by classic television, like "Candid Camera." Except we have a new twist, because it`s the celebrities pranking these kids and, plus, parents get to play pranks on kids.
You know, normally, you hear about kids playing the practical jokes on their parents. It`s like of like payback time now, you know?
HAMMER: And when you have the hidden camera focused on kids, you know, hilarity is sure to ensue. And it does.
SBITANI: Oh, the reactions are just brilliant. I mean, kids just have the best reactions, their facial expressions. I mean, it`s so even better than the prank sometimes, when you just see the way they react to it. It`s just awesome.
HAMMER: Talk to me about one of the more memorable celebrity-driven pranks that you were able to pull off.
SBITANI: All of them were memorable, definitely. But I have to say, I think the most surprising and the most fun was Chris Webber, because he`s a professional athlete. No one expected him to be such a fantastic actor.
HAMMER: Chris from the 76ers. And we`re looking at him right now.
SBITANI: Yes, he was hysterical. That`s me playing his assistant in the prank. And the funny thing is, is he just started improving. And he fired me at one point and kicked me out of the room. He was crying.
I told him afterwards, I said, "Chris, Emmy nomination. I`m telling you, you`re a fantastic actor." He was so good. He just blew us all out of the water. He was just so good.
HAMMER: Did any of the kids just break down into tears, though? It seemed like they might have, and you would have had to let them off the hook pretty quickly.
SBITANI: Well, they`re in a very safe environment. It unfolds very quickly. And kids get emotional anyway. And they were just emotional to meet Chris Webber, because every kid that was there was there thinking they had won a VIP autograph-signing session with Chris.
And so they were huge fans. So that`s emotional in itself.
HAMMER: And I don`t think we`re giving too much away if we say that the idea here, among other ideas, was that the kids got to hold his trophy, and it broke. And he started crying. It is really...
SBITANI: His Rookie of the Year trophy, which obviously, if anyone`s ever seen one, it`s not. I mean, this trophy why was really funny-looking, and it was rigged, too. When they went to go pick it up, it just shattered into a million pieces.
HAMMER: Why do you think celebs want to get involved with this show?
SBITANI: Well, everybody loves a good practical joke, you know? And everyone who got involved with the show loves kids, was great with kids. A lot of them have their own children.
And really, it`s just -- with the technology now, we`ve come so far since the days of "Candid Camera," you can do so much with these practical jokes. I mean, cameras are so small now.
HAMMER: You can hide them anywhere.
SBITANI: Anywhere.
HAMMER: And as I said, it`s a lot of fun. Leila Sbitani, thank you very much for dropping by and telling us about it.
SBITANI: Thank you.
HAMMER: And "Hi-Jinks" will be debuting tomorrow night on Nick-at- Nite. And remember, all this week, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s going to be spotlighting the new shows in our special series "Summer Reality Check."
Tomorrow, we`re going to take a look at "Meet Mr. Mom." Plus "Will and Grace" star Sean Hayes will join us live to talk about his new reality show, "Situation: Comedy." Wednesday, we go searching with the original playboy himself, Hugh Hefner, for the "Girl Next Door." On Thursday, time to get our hands dirty, with reality TV`s "Dirty Jobs." And on Friday, we`re going to finish up our special reality TV series with what we can expect for the fall.
BRYANT: People of America, you may be getting Googled as we speak. How the Internet is turning everyone into a digital detective. We`ve got that story when we come back.
HAMMER: Plus, Giselle`s underwear goes high tech. I`m not kidding. We`re going to fill you down when we have our special sit-down with supermodel Giselle Bundchen. It`s rated G, and it`s on the way.
BRYANT: And, it`s a "Laughter Dark" riddle. If Jessica Simpson`s boots were made for walking, what is her makeup made for? The answer is just minutes away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN AUSTIN GREEN, ACTOR: I`m Brian Austin Green, and I`m watching the Discovery Channel "Shark Week," because I`m scared to death of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant.
So it`s Monday morning, and perhaps you scored some names and numbers at the bar over the weekend. What`s the first thing you do? Well, plug their names into Google, perhaps?
It seems as though more and more people are playing digital detective and turning to Internet search sites to draw from the massive amounts of personal information floating in cyberspace. Well, joining me live from Hollywood to discuss this new wave of digital detecting is tech culture journalist and co-editor of Boingboing.net, Xeni Jardin.
So, good to see you. And I`ve got to ask, why are people so Google- happy?
XENI JARDIN, BOINGBOING.NET EDITOR: Well, you know, I don`t think the curiosity is anything new. I think people have been curious about each other for a long time. But the difference is that now, you know, there`s a lot of high-tech tools for finding out about the guy or girl that you met last weekend.
One of them is definitely Google. People like to pop in the name of someone that they`ve just met in that search engine, or others like Yahoo`s or AOL`s. And it`s amazing what you can find there.
Let`s say that person has a blog, as lots of people do, or maybe there`s been news articles about them, or even high school or college publications. It`s kind of amazing and scary what you can find, because the thing about searching, it`s like nuclear weapons. Everybody wants to have power, but we don`t want other, I don`t know, rogue states to have that ability.
BRYANT: Right, exactly. And some of the sites, I know, ask you to pay. So it`s a little bit prohibitive.
But what about the information that`s out there? How does all of that get there? Like you said, blogging is certainly part of it. But I`m sure that some information we don`t want people to have is also there.
JARDIN: Definitely. It can get scary. There`s sites like zabasearch.com, sites where you can type in a name and find out everything from home addresses to home phone numbers and birth dates about people. That site offers a lot of information for free. There`s also paid searches.
And the thing about those services, I know the founders of Zaba! Search say that they get that from public information databases. There`s a whole industry of what they call data brokers that buy and sell personal information from people.
That information can get out there, like when you`re filling out a credit application for, say, leasing a car, or buying a house, or any number of things. Oftentimes there`s a box to check off to say, "I don`t want you to share my personal information."
BRYANT: Right. Now, is that -- quickly, is that the only way we can keep some of that information from getting out, to check those things off? Or how can -- can we pull back information?
JARDIN: It`s hard to pull it back once it`s out there. There`s some tips that you can do. One of them is, again, checking off that box. Another is to use P.O. boxes when you`re buying goods online. But some of it, you know, it`s just a hazard of living in the digital age.
BRYANT: All right. Well, just find that one special person and stop dating, I guess, is also part of it. Xeni Jardin of Boingboing.net, thank you very much for joining us.
JARDIN: Thank you.
HAMMER: She is one of the most sought after supermodels in the business, a super-sexy supermodel and a Victoria`s Secret angel. In fact, she`s launching a new line today. Gisele Bundchen joins us from Hollywood for a "Showbiz Sit-down".
Welcome to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Gisele. Nice to see you.
GISELE BUNDCHEN, SUPERMODEL: Hi, everyone.
HAMMER: I was curious, actually, because I know you probably have a lot of work going on right now. But on an ordinary weekend, you know, people imagine the life of a supermodel. You`re constantly going to this party, and that party, and this kind of event. Give us a little insight into what your normal weekends are like.
BUNDCHEN: I am a Cancer, so I`m a very homebody. And I really like being home with, like, cozy and safe. I feel like, you know -- so parties is not really my thing.
I like sports, though. When I don`t work on the weekends, like, I surf, if I`m in California, or I play volleyball in New York. I ride my bike on the Hudson River.
You know, I have two horses. I do jumping. And, you know, I just -- trapeze -- I just like sports. So I like to be active and do fun things. Those are the things that make me happy.
HAMMER: You are certainly financially secure. You have traveled the world. You`re 25 years old. So is it kind of difficult figuring out what you`re going to do with your life? Because you`re really just getting going.
BUNDCHEN: Well, I feel like, you know, this is why life is so interesting, I feel, because, you know, you can -- you never really know what`s going to happen. Life can change in a split of second. You can walk out of a place and everything can be different after that.
You know, like something can happen to someone in your life or, you know, someone related to you that it can change your life or yourself. So I just believe in living by the moment. And, of course, I have plans for the future.
But, you know, I`m 25, and I feel very fortunate. I have a wonderful family, wonderful friends, a great job. And I just feel, you know, I`m healthy. And I live every day like it`s my last day. So I`m very happy to just be alive.
HAMMER: One thing that certainly is a part of your daily life -- and it just comes with the business -- you are one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. You are dating one of the most recognizable faces on the planet, in Leonardo DiCaprio.
You are photographed all the time. How do you deal? I`m sure you have come up with a formula to how you deal with the ever-present paparazzi every single day.
BUNDCHEN: Well, I think I`m a pretty -- you know, I`m a very private person. So I don`t really talk about -- you know, I don`t really talk about my private life. And then I really don`t respect people that invade people`s privacy, like paparazzi.
So, for me, you know, I`m going to live my life the way I`m going to live it. And I`m not going to put it in people`s face. You know, I don`t need to prove to anybody anything, you know, unless to myself and to my family.
So, for me, to be honest with you, it`s just like I try to hide the most I can. And I think I`m pretty good at it. Sometimes they catch me, though, but rarely.
HAMMER: But one thing I`m going to tell you, because I`m wondering if anybody else has called you out on this. You know, there are always these pictures of you on your bicycle, and you`re not wearing a bicycle helmet, Gisele. Do any of your managers or your family ever call you and say, "What are you doing riding around without a" -- I`m not trying to, you know, be your father here.
BUNDCHEN: I like living dangerously.
HAMMER: Let`s talk about the new line that you`re working with Victoria`s Secret today. I understand it`s a very high-tech bra line.
BUNDCHEN: They have been working on this bra at Victoria`s Secret for 10 years. So they`re trying to develop a bra that was comfortable as a sports bra, but it looked better than a sports bra. Because as we know, sports bra look kind of ugly.
I think this bra is very convenient. And I have one here. This is the new one. And you see, this strap is very thin, and then you see no stitching on the bra.
HAMMER: Yes. Makes perfect sense to me.
BUNDCHEN: But it doesn`t look like a sports bra. You see?
HAMMER: And if you held it up a little more, like, if the darkness bothers you, yes, you see, if the light bothers you in the morning, you can just strap -- I don`t know why I`m talking about.
BUNDCHEN: You can go like this.
HAMMER: Gisele, thank you so much for joining us.
BUNDCHEN: Bye, guys. Have a good time in New York. Go bike for me.
HAMMER: And the new line of IPEX bras will hit Victoria`s Secret stores tomorrow.
BRYANT: Ah, A.J., nicely done.
Well, it is time to get your laugh on in "Laughter Dark." As we do every night, we bring you the late-night laughs you may have missed. Jessica Simpson not only stars in "The Dukes of Hazzard" and the steamy video for "These Boots were Made for Walking," she also has a flavored cosmetics line, which she sampled with Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Is this the stuff they put in jelly doughnuts?
JESSICA SIMPSON, ACTRESS AND SINGER: Yes, absolutely, without the calories.
LENO: It`s not bad actually.
SIMPSON: This one`s really good.
LENO: Now, tell me about -- now this one is -- what is it?
SIMPSON: That`s creamy. That`s your body shake.
LENO: "Delicious, kissable body shake." And what does this do? That`s just like a lotion? You put that on?
SIMPSON: Yes, it`s another lotion. It`s yummy. See how pretty? Mmm. But I wouldn`t advise you to down the bottle.
LENO: No, you don`t want to do it. But for a single, lonely guy, you put this on a cracker, you watch the video, hey, you know what I`m saying?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: Tonight, Jay welcomes Al Gore and music from Incubus.
HAMMER: Still some time for you to sound off on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day," which is, marijuana: Do TV and films glamorize its use? You can vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight, or write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of your e-mails live, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, throughout the show, we have been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Marijuana: Do TV and films glamorize its use?
Here`s how the vote`s been going so far tonight. Pretty even split, 54 percent of you say yes, TV and movies do glamorize marijuana use; 46 percent say no, they do not.
Did I get that right? No. It`s 46 yes, 54 no. I`m sorry. My statistics a little off.
Heard from Dorian in Michigan who writes, "Films and TV make it seem like marijuana isn`t even a drug and is something to be played with."
And Zachary from Canada writes, "Pot is one of the most frequently used drugs. It is realistic to have characters do it." I think that`s what he said. You can keep voting by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight.
BRYANT: Well, OK. Well, it is time to see what is on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
HAMMER: The Marquee Guy burned himself with a hot butter machine, so here we go doing it ourselves tonight.
Well, we`ve had Bentleys here before, but they`ve usually been parked outside. So tomorrow...
BRYANT: Tomorrow!
HAMMER: ... Dierks Bentley, who`s one of the hottest names in country music, going to join us live. He`s about to become the youngest member of a very elite music club. He`ll fill us in, tomorrow!
BRYANT: Tomorrow!
And "Mr. Mom." You have seen the movie, now here comes the reality show. It is the ultimate family challenge. While mom`s away, can dad hold down the fort? I doubt it.
Our series, "Summer Reality Check, " continues tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi there. I`m Sophia Choi. Let`s get to your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
Well, British investigators say two more men are now in custody in connection with the failed London bombings. The arrests were made after raids in south London. The bombing attempts targeted three subways and a bus. Authorities say all four main suspects in the failed attacks are in custody.
A bomb shell for baseball. One of the game`s biggest stars, Rafael Palmeiro, has tested positive for steroids. The Baltimore Orioles` slugger has been suspended for ten days as part of baseball`s new steroid policy. Palmeiro says he accepts his punishment, but never intentionally used steroids.
President Bush says the position was too important to leave vacant any longer. So today, he side-stepped Congress, making a recess appointment of John Bolton as the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. It ends a nearly five month impasse, with lawmakers who staunchly opposed the nomination.
That`s the news for now. I`m Sophia Choi.
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