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Showbiz Tonight
Celebs Speak Out About Violence Against Women; Rolling Stones to Perform in China for First Time; What`s Behind Jesus Trend in Media?
Aired April 07, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Why the Rolling Stones may be stopped from singing some of their biggest songs.
And a big decision about the "Da Vinci Code." Plus, a look at how Jesus is sweeping the entertainment industry.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York City. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, stars and sexual abuse. Tonight, celebrities speaking out about their terrifying stories of rape and sexual assault.
GABRIELLE UNION, ACTRESS: He pulls me out of the bathroom and begins to rape me.
TERI HATCHER, ACTRESS: It`s the first time I`ve kind of gone to this personal place.
HAMMER: The extraordinary steps they`re taking that are inspiring women everywhere. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the painful stories and the positive messages.
Also, real life "Will & Grace." Straight women, gay men. Why do they get along so well on TV?
SEAN HAYES, ACTOR: I love him!
HAMMER: And in real life? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT sets the record, er, straight on the special bond between gay men and their female friends.
ERIC MCCORMACK, ACTOR: I`m Eric McCormack.
DEBRA MESSING, ACTRESS: And I`m Debra Messing.
MCCORMACK: If it happened today...
MESSING: It`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer live in New York City.
Tonight, stars and sexual abuse. The stories are simply terrifying, the pain is unimaginable. It`s every woman`s nightmare. And it`s a living nightmare experienced by "Desperate Housewives" star Teri Hatcher and film actress Gabrielle Union. Now, they`re both sharing their personal horror with us. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that they`re doing it for a very good reason, and that is to bring hope to women everywhere.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HATCHER: Recently, I had the honor, really, of being able to come forward and help -- raise awareness of some violence against women.
HAMMER (voice-over): An emotional Teri Hatcher speaking publicly about the years of sexual abuse at the hands of her own uncle when she was just 5 years old. The "Desperate Housewives" star teared up while at a news conference to announce the 2006 Women`s World Awards, an event which recognizes women and their achievements.
HATCHER: But you`ll excuse me, this is the first time I`ve kind of gone to this personal place for myself.
HAMMER: Hatcher never spoke publicly about the molestation until recently when she revealed all to "Vanity Fair" magazine, hoping to help others. Hatcher says her uncle raped her for several years. When she found out he had also raped a 14-year-old girl who ended up committing suicide, she had had enough, went to the cops and helped put her uncle in jail. Now, the actress is urging other women to come forward about abuse and not blame themselves.
HATCHER: These experiences that we have in our lives, both personally and professionally, leave us with a choice, a choice to use our experiences to enlighten and empower and change people`s lives and that is a choice that I am getting behind.
UNION: I was beaten beyond recognition.
HAMMER: Gabrielle Union is also speaking out. The star of the movie "Bring it On" is now sharing the brutal and horrific tales of her sexual abuse as a young woman.
UNION: He pulls me out of the bathroom and begins to rape me.
HAMMER: An unimaginable experience, a terrifying rape by a man robbing the shoe store where she worked when he was 19.
UNION: I just remember sort of hovering over myself like, I can`t believe this is happening.
HAMMER: Union told her story on Capitol Hill, hoping to convince Congress to put more funding toward rape crisis centers. Union says it was her rape counselor that helped her get through the experience. But it was Oprah Winfrey who helped save her life that terrifying night.
UNION: Immediately, I went on autopilot and I just heard Oprah speaking.
HAMMER: Union says she used survival techniques that she saw on an "Oprah" episode about what to do if you`re the victim of a violent crime.
UNION: I just sort of froze, but Oprah kicked in and the one thing she kept saying is, don`t let him take you to a second location.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Gabriel Union says Oprah`s advice helped her stay calm and it ultimately saved her life. Her rapist is up for parole this year. And she says she will be testifying to make sure that he stays in prison.
Gabrielle went to Washington to be part of the seventh annual "Stop Violence Against Women" week. Mary Beth Carter is the president of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, which helped sponsor the event doing such good work. Mary Beth joins me from San Francisco. We appreciate you being with us tonight.
MARY BETH CARTER, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ALLIANCE TO END SEXUAL VIOLENCE: It`s great to be here with you, A.J.
HAMMER: So I`m curious because I`m sure it`s a great thing when you have celebrities helping your cause and when people like Teri Hatcher and Gabrielle Union speak out and share their very personal stories, what actually happens? Do your phones just light up?
CARTER: The phones light up and the media comes forward, because these two wonderful women who we see through their movies and in our homes every week on TV are able to reach more people through these 30-minute testimonies before Congress or through a magazine article than the sexual assault advocates are able to do through our regular community efforts.
HAMMER: And there`s a lot of good work going on in Congress right now. Your organization helped pass five pieces of legislation to help stop violence against women. And Gabrielle, as we mentioned, was testifying about one of those pieces of legislation. Can you tell us about that?
CARTER: Right. The piece of legislation Gabrielle spoke to is the new sexual assault services program, which is a brand-new piece of legislation within the victim`s violent -- the Victims of Violence Against Women Act of 2005. This is a brand-new piece of legislation to have funding to help rape crisis programs throughout the country.
HAMMER: I`m curious. Gabrielle and Teri have both said how important it is to come forward when you`re the victim of sexual abuse. Nothing is more important than that. If there is somebody at home who happens to be watching this segment right now who has been raped, obviously, a very, very scary thing to have to deal with. What do you suggest that they do?
CARTER: Well, A.J., there`s two things I really would like to urge victim survivors to do. The first is, victim survivors can take action. They can help us get Congress and other institutions to get more services and more support. They can go to our web site at www.naesv.org, and they can help find action steps they can take to create change so that we can end sexual violence.
And also, they can reach out and get support. There`s a national sexual assault hotline they can call which is 1-800-656-HOPE. That`s 1- 800-656-HOPE. It`s important to reach out and not be alone. I think both Teri and Gabrielle talked about how they reached out and used rape crisis counselors and other support people to help them get through these crises.
HAMMER: So good to see them helping your cause. And thank you for all the work you do, Mary Beth Carter, president of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence. We appreciate your being with us tonight.
Paula Abdul is claiming that she, too, was a victim of violence. The "American Idol" judge says she was roughed up at a recent party in California. Now in a report filed with the Los Angeles Police Department, Abdul says she was arguing with a guy, and then he grabbed her arm and threw her against a wall.
On today`s "Live with Regis and Kelly," her "Idol" co-judge, Randy Jackson, was filling in for Regis, and he said she`s going to be just fine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDY JACKSON, JUDGE, "AMERICAN IDOL": I think she`s definitely fine. I mean, I don`t know the full detail of what happened, but I`m sure she`s going to be OK.
KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST, ABC`S "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": I was reading about in the newspaper that she had, like, an altercation, somebody pushed her.
JACKSON: Yes. In a club in L.A., yes.
RIPS: Yes. I don`t have all the details.
JACKSON: Very strange, very strange, but I`m sure she`s going to be cool. Paula, good looking out, good looking out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Abdul claimed she suffered a concussion and some spinal injuries. The police are actually investigating the incident right now, and Abdul gave them the name of the person. No file -- charges have yet been filed.
Well, tonight, rock `n` roll history is about to be made. The Rolling Stones are gearing up for their first ever concert in China. But there is a catch or two, courtesy of the Chinese government.
Here`s CNN`s international correspondent, Richard Quest, for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, from Shanghai.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There were no giant crowds and no screaming fans when the group arrived in Shanghai. Just the press to record the fact that, after years of trying, the Rolling Stones have finally got permission to play in mainland China.
MICK JAGGER, MUSICIAN: I want to say on behalf of the Rolling Stones that it`s very exciting for us to be here in Shanghai, on our first trip to this town, our first trip to China to play as a band. And this was always a great challenge to go to a new place, and it`s -- we`re very excited to be here.
QUEST: For the four members of the group, this was a unique occasion, even though they`ll just be 8,500 concertgoers at the event, almost intimate by the standards of a Rolling Stones gig.
There was a price to pay for this permission. The band agreed not to perform risque songs, like "Beast of Burden" and "Brown Sugar", not so much censorship, more rock `n` roll diplomacy.
KEITH RICHARDS, MUSICIAN: We looked at each other, well, we hate to be told what to do and I mean, obviously, it`s going to be a bit antsy. But let`s just go there and put our foot in the water. At least we can get in. I mean, if it means you can`t play two or three songs or whatever it is, it`s no skin off the nose.
QUEST: Few people here know about the Rolling Stones, even though the concert will be shown on Chinese television. Oh, that`s another first, for a western group.
(on camera) Politics and rock `n` roll will come together at Saturday`s concert. The Chinese government will claim that it proves the country is opening up to new ways. The Rolling Stones claim it proves the band is still rock `n` roll`s pioneers. In some ways, both are right.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Some wouldn`t expect the Rolling Stones to give into demands from the Chinese government, but nice to see they are playing along so they can perform in China. That was CNN international correspondent Richard Quest for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Some of the other songs that Mick Jagger said the Stones were asked to leave off their set list, "Honky Tonk Woman" and "Let`s Spend the Night Together".
Well, coming up, a big decision involving the "Da Vinci Code".
Plus tonight, why Jesus is hotter than ever. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has a revealing look at why religious-themed movies and TV shows are so popular.
We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There isn`t any Question of sexual tension of any kind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A real-life "Will & Grace." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the unique bond that gay men have with straight women. You`ll meet a couple who will explain their unique relationship live.
Also tonight, why did Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie rent out an entire African beach? We`ve got the latest details, still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Music under. It`s Friday night. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT still has your weekend movie picks ready. Stand A.J. by. Dissolve, go.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and thank you, Charles. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. This is TV`s only live entertainment news show.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can reveal why Jesus sells. From "The Da Vinci Code" to "The Chronicles of Narnia" to a major TV special that`s airing this weekend, the subject -- subject of Jesus is really becoming the king of all media. And today, a major league decision that paves the way for that to continue to happen.
CNN`s Mary Snow joining me live here in New York with the details on this fascinating story.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is fascinating, A.J., and it`s becoming more popular.
Today in England, Dan Brown, the author of "The Da Vinci Code" book, won a big copyright infringement lawsuit. That sets the stage for the release of next month`s Hollywood movie version, starring Tom Hanks. He`s the man caught up in a plot to cover the relationship -- uncover the relationship, that is, between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
But between that and all the hype this week over National Geographic`s special called "The Gospel of Judas", it`s clear that Jesus-related stories are in the news and completely in vogue.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW (voice-over): With millions at stake, at the heart of the lawsuit, a fight over the rights to a theory that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had children. The fiction book has sold more than 40 million copies. Authors of the 1982 "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" lost their copyright infringement claim, but saw sales of their book increase during the trial. And that`s just the warm-up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Witness the biggest cover-up in human history.
SNOW: Next month in theaters worldwide, "The Da Vinci Code" movie.
MARVIN MEYER, CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY: I would have to say it is an incredible time. Who could have imagined that Jesus would be as hot as Jesus is?
SNOW: Religion professor Marvin Meyer just helped unearth ancient documents being called "The Gospel of Judas." The National Geographic Society is publishing them, and they reexamine the relationship between Jesus and the disciple Judas.
However popular these Jesus-themed projects may be, they don`t come without controversy. Critics saw "The Passion of the Christ" having anti- Semitic themes. Many Catholic Church leaders are not happy about "The Da Vinci Code" and some frown on what`s being touted as secret writings about Christ, nudge like the gospel of Judas. But some see a collective soul searching at the root of the appeal.
MEYER: People are trying to find something there, to find some kind of guidance, some kind of leadership, I believe.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: And the mass entertainment value of Jesus isn`t just limited to "The Passion" or "The Da Vinci Code." You remember "The Chronicles of Narnia." That movie made more than $225 million at the box office largely on the strength of its religious themes -- A.J.
HAMMER: And now that it`s out on DVD, it is a best seller already. Thanks very much for that report, Mary.
SNOW: Sure.
HAMMER: CNN`s Mary Snow for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Now let`s talk some more about the popularity of Jesus-related entertainment. Joining me live from Washington, D.C., James Barrat. He`s the director and the producer of the program we mentioned, "The Gospel of Judas". It`s a special which is airing this weekend on the National Geographic Channel. And live in Pittsburgh, Bob Hoover of the "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette", who has written about this.
So Bob, let me start with you. Does all of this hype stem from the fact there`s a renewed interest in Jesus, or do you think all of these authors, movie producers and TV producers are just trying to ride a popularity wave that`s going on right now with "The Da Vinci Code" and all of its hype?
BOB HOOVER, "PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE": I think it`s -- I think it`s the latter. I mean, really, when you see all of the imitators of "The Da Vinci Code" coming out right now. There are at least five novels that have been released this month or next month that are straight rip-offs of Dan Brown`s story.
And even though he might have ripped off his story from those British authors, you know, there`s just something about the mystery and the romance of ancient Christianity that has caught the public`s imagination.
HAMMER: And, James, your show, of course, something completely different. It`s a special that`s based on the findings that we`ve been seeing basically in the news all week long, a lot of coverage for your program. These are findings that actually suggest that Judas may not have betrayed Jesus after all.
Taking nothing away from how interesting your production may be and the subject matter you`re dealing with, do you think it would have gotten this level of attention if it weren`t for all this hype that is swirling around "The Da Vinci Code" these days?
JAMES BARRAT, DIRECTOR, "THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS": Well, I`d like to draw a big line between "The Gospel of Judas", which airs on Sunday night, and "The Da Vinci Code". "The Da Vinci Code" is fiction. It`s hyperbole, and it`s speculation. And there`s been another industry that`s grown up of scholars who have debunked "The Da Vinci Code."
Our documentary is truthful, and the gospel of Judas is an authentic ancient document.
HAMMER: But to that end, we`re dealing with religious themes in entertainment, which I think is something that "The Da Vinci Code" has helped bring to the forefront. So what do you think? Again, back to my Question, is there more interest, do you think, in a show with religious themes like yours just because "The Da Vinci Code" is this monster of a machine?
BARRAT: I -- absolutely, I think so. It is serendipitous that "The Gospel of Judas", the film and "The Da Vinci Code" are being released at about the same time. But I think it`s -- as Marvin Meyers said a moment ago, there`s a giant hunger for information about the characters in the New Testament.
There are 1.6 billion Christians in the world. Those Christians are having children. And I think a lot of Christians are learning about the gospels and the New Testament in nontraditional ways.
HAMMER: Sure.
BARRAT: They`re not going to church; they`re going to the movies.
HAMMER: And movies like "The Chronicles of Narnia", movies like "The Da Vinci Code" when it comes out.
And Bob, let me you this. You know, between those two movies, of course, this National Geographic special that`s airing this weekend, likely to bring in lots and lots of viewers, do you think that the popularity is based on, you know, a religious connection, per se, or is it just good entertainment? Or is a little bit of both?
HOOVER: I think it really has to be good entertainment. I mean, if you`ve read "The Da Vinci Code," I hope, can you see that it is very cleverly packaged to be great entertainment. And "Chronicles of Narnia", it was a terrific film, great special effects. So I that`s what people are really coming to see, I think.
HAMMER: OK. Well, I appreciate both of your insight on this interesting subject. A lot of religion in entertainment these days. James Barrat and Bob Hoover, thanks for being with us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
BARRAT: Thanks, A.J.
HOOVER: Thank you.
HAMMER: And now we would like to hear from you on a very hot topic. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. And we`re asking, "The Da Vinci Code", is it blasphemy? You can chime in by going to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. And e-mail us: ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`ll get into some of your e-mails a little later in the show.
Well, coming up, reviews of films starring Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas and Jennifer Aniston. That`s in the "SHOWBIZ Guide to New Movies", which is next. Also tonight, how "Brokeback Mountain" got a chilly reception from a tropical island. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT picks this week`s big winners and big losers in the world of entertainment. That`s coming up.
And from a movie about gay cowboys to the special bond between straight women and gay men. Tonight, we`re getting into the unique relationship of real-life "Will & Grace" couples. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dissolve. We`re coming RIGHT back with a look -- with which movies to see this weekend and which ones you can skip. Master roll it, effect black.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, once we get through the weekend, coming up Monday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a new reality show showing parents what their kids are going to look like when they`re older, if they don`t start breaking some unhealthy habits right now. It`s called "Honey, We`re Killing the Kids". We`re going to hear all about it Monday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tonight in the "SHOWBIZ Guide," which movies should you be going out and seeing this weekend? Well, we`ve got your answer. "People`s Picks and Pans: New Movies." Taking about Antonio Banderas in "Take the Lead", Morgan Freeman and Bruce Willis in "Lucky Number Slevin" and a new Jennifer Aniston film called "Friends with Money." They`re all in theaters.
And joining us here in New York, Leah Rozen, film critic for "People" magazine.
Sometimes it feels like the weekend takes forever to get here.
LEAH ROZEN, FILM CRITIC, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: But it is Friday.
HAMMER: And you`re here. So let`s get into it right now with a movie with a terrific cast, Antonio Banderas and Alfre Woodard among it, in "Take the Lead." What about it?
ROZEN: Well, this is sort of you`ve seen this movie before, in that it is guy goes into a high school, teacher -- inspiring teacher in a high school taming, you know, unruly kids with his unorthodox teaching methods. In this case, the twist is that he`s teaching them ballroom dancing.
So, the film is familiar, but it mostly works. Sometimes you wish the pacing was a little more salsa than waltz. I mean, I found the first hour fairly charming, and then it kind of just kept going on.
HAMMER: I did see it, and I loved Alfre Woodard, I have to point out.
ROZEN: She`s very funny as the doubting principal. If I were -- may I say, though, if I were 15, I`d have loved the whole thing.
HAMMER: All right. Well, then let`s move on to "Friends with Money". Jennifer Aniston sorely needs a hit. Is it with this movie?
ROZEN: This is going to be an art house success but not a huge hit. This is definitely an art house film. It`s directed and written by Nicole Holofcener, who did the wonderful "Lovely & Amazing" and "Walking and Talking".
This is a film about four friends: Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand, who is hilarious, and Joan Cusack. It`s just sort of -- in the end you come out going, yes, but, what story was it about? It`s funny, nice characters, but in the end, it doesn`t add up to much.
I should say, though, Jennifer Aniston holds her own in what is rather august comic company.
HAMMER: OK. Well, good for her, because as I said, she really could use a big hit right about now. And "Lucky Number Slevin", another great cast in this film. What about it?
ROZEN: "Lucky Number Slevin" I think is derivative. You know, "Pulp Fiction" and "Usual Suspects" have a lot to answer for. And this film feels like sort of a mix of the two, but it`s kind of this shiny, sharkskin empty suit of a movie.
I mean, I think it`s the kind of thing young men will find complicated and fascinating, but everyone else will go, you know, these aren`t real characters. It`s just trying to be clever. Been there, done that.
HAMMER: OK. So definitely not a movie for everyone at the same time.
ROZEN: Exactly.
Hammer: All right, Leah Rozen, as always, thank you very much.
And as always, for more "Picks and Pans", you can get your copy of "People" magazine, which you`ll find out on newsstands now.
ROZEN: So a question that`s floating around for a lot of people this weekend, is a beach baby in the cards for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie? Find out in tonight`s "Hot Headlines." That`s coming up next.
Plus, we`ve got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, COMEDIAN: You have to allow people to be who they are and stop trying to fit them into this little mold because it`s not big enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Whoopi Goldberg speaks out about body image in Hollywood and why she`s heading up a girls soccer team. Whoopi Goldberg joins me in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in just a bit.
And a real-life "Will & Grace". SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the unique bond that gay men have with straight women. You`re going to meet a couple who explains their unique relationship. That will be live, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming straight back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Friday night. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m AJ Hammer in New York City. We`re getting into the weekend. And still to come, I go one on one with the always entertaining Whoopi Goldberg. She has a lot to say about body image in Hollywood and in general and the challenges that are faced by young women. This is the subject of a show that she`s going to tackle head on. It`s a showbiz debuting this coming weekend. We`ll get into that and a lot more. And in a week that saw some major announcements you may have heard, involving three major TV networks, who are the big winners this week? Who are the big losers? We`re going to get into that coming up as well.
But first tonight, if you happened to watch "Will & Grace" last night, you saw how Will has been helping Grace through her unplanned pregnancy and how Karen came to Jack`s aid when he went out for an audition. Now it all played out for comedic effect of course, but as the show winds down, it made us wonder whether these relationships, women with their gay best friends, really exists. Turns out, perhaps more so than you think.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): They can finish each other`s sentences. They can be closer than even some family members. And best of all, when it comes to shopping, he takes the cake.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s fine. Mrs. Fleischman if you`re going to continue that affair with the superintendent of the school district.
HAMMER: Even though "Will & Grace" is just a TV show, this unique friendship between gay men and their straight girlfriends is not only alive and well, it`s thriving. We sent SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Jenny D`Attoma onto the pavement to find out does art imitate life?
JENNY D`ATTOMA: How is he different than any of your other friends?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, for one thing, he helps me when I shop.
HAMMER: All right, a good shopping friend. Not a bad thing to have. But we pressed on.
D`ATTOMA: Why is that so different from any other relationship?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, he`s a man and he`s - there isn`t any question of sexual tension of any kind. But he`s a wonderful man and he`s helpful to know about how men think about things.
HAMMER: She`s got a point. And author and sex therapist Ian Kerner agrees.
IAN KERNER, AUTHOR AND SEX THERAPIST: It`s a great way to check guys out, compare notes, commiserate without that sense of competition that you would get from another straight woman or from another gay man.
D`ATTOMA: Do you have a best friend who happens to be a gay male?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
HAMMER: I`m sorry. Do you happen to have a friend who is a male, a guy, who is gay?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
HAMMER: So, should all women have that special someone? Someone they can`t marry?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely. Definitely.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: We need some more perspective on this. So let`s get into it. Joining me live from San Francisco, Robert Ordonia and Elsa Dickson, two friends who can give us some real insight into the topic. Robert, Elsa, thank you very much for being with us.
ROBERT ORDONIA: Thank you for having, us AJ.
HAMMER: All right. So, we just heard Elsa, that a big reason for the success of these types of relationships is that for women at least, it`s just great to have a male friend where you know there`s never going to be any kind of pressure for anything other than a platonic friendship. Was that the case basically for you guys?
ELSA DICKSON: I just love Robert for who he is and that was never an element about it. I just feel very blessed to have him in my life and he`s a wonderful friend and a gift.
HAMMER: And Robert, let`s flip the coin on that. What kind of perspective does Elsa really bring to you as a friend that`s a whole lot different from what you get from your guy friends?
ORDONIA: It must be like the easiest relationship I`ve ever had. I mean we`re very close. We have such a bond and, yet, you know, there`s nothing threatening or typical about this. It`s just very easy.
HAMMER: So it is easier than perhaps trying to just be friends with a guy from your perspective?
ORDONIA: In some ways, maybe competition comes in there, maybe, you know, sexual tension comes in there. But in a relationship like this, that just doesn`t happen.
HAMMER: Now, Elsa, you`re married, correct?
DICKSON: I am married.
HAMMER: Because I`m watching you next to him and his arm`s around you and I understand that you knew Robert before you met your husband. But if your husband is watching this on TV right now and no doubt you guys spend an awful lot of time and are close in different way than you are with your other friends and that you are with him, how does he feel about Robert being such a major male presence in your life and sort of the level of affection that I`m sure you guys show for one another?
DICKSON: Well, I cannot speak to what my husband feels because I feel that`s his private matter. I do say that nothing inappropriate has ever gone between me and Robert and Robert is a dear, lovely, greatly loved friend of mine. I know it would be less complicated if he were a woman, a girl, but he`s not, but that`s not -- it`s not a threat I feel to my marriage.
HAMMER: It`s not a sticking point, though, for your husband at all? You don`t want to comment on what he necessarily feels, but do you ever get the sense that, you know, there are times when you should be spending more time with him than with Robert or not so much the case?
DICKSON: It`s a case where I try to deal with it as sensitively as possible. I love my husband. I love Robert very dearly. I do with it the best that I can. I -- Robert has provided me with wonderful loyalty and loyalty and friendship that I value so greatly and I wouldn`t give that up for anything.
HAMMER: So, Robert, we were just watching the "Will & Grace" episode, seeing how they finished each other`s sentences and how close they are. Obviously, that`s a sitcom, but did they do a pretty good job, do you feel? I assume you watch the show. Presumptuous of me, perhaps, but first of all, do you watch "Will & Grace"?
ORDONIA: I have watched "Will & Grace." I didn`t see that episode.
HAMMER: OK, what you`ve seen of the show, did they nail it down pretty well in terms of what the relationship --
ORDONIA: It`s a sitcom.
HAMMER: Of course, being a sitcom.
ORDONIA: It`s over the top. It`s television, but like you I think Elsa and I interrupt each other more than we finish each other`s sentences.
HAMMER: Right.
ORDONIA: And, yeah, this is such a, you know, this relationship, this kind of relationship has been going on in gay cultures since there was gay culture. And even for a very young age, gay boys have bonded to straight girls. And it`s something that kind of I`m exploring in, you know, in a future for planet out, state of gay unions where we want to explore this gay man/straight woman relationship and it`s really important. It`s so much a part of the gay culture.
HAMMER: I appreciate you guys sharing a personal part of your lives with us tonight. Robert Ordonia and Elsa Dickson. We appreciate you being on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ORDONIA: Thank you so much.
DICKSON: Thank you so much.
HAMMER: All right, right now we`re going to get into tonight`s hot headlines. Former teen idol Leif Garrett is in jail tonight. Garrett was sent to jail in California for 45 days after he failed several drug tests and rehab. He agreed to enter rehab after violating probation in a cocaine case back in 2004. He also faces felony heroin possession charges from an incident you may remember back in January.
The second divorce of Eminem and Kim Mathers is already getting ugly. Kim called a Detroit radio station and implied that Eminem is having problems with pill addiction again after getting out of rehab last summer. Eminem released a statement saying that just isn`t true. This is the second time Eminem and Kim have been married and divorced.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have rented out an entire beach resort in Africa. They haven`t said when their baby is due, but people are wondering if Jolie is planning to give birth at the resort in Namibia. They rented out all 13 rooms and all the suites in the hotel, all the private security guards and local police have been surrounding the area. And those are tonight`s hot headlines.
Dan Brown`s novel "The Da Vinci Code" has sold more than half a million copies in its very first week in paperback release and with the moving opening next month, the controversy is definitely being stirred up once again around "The Da Vinci Code" which leads us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. What do you think, "The Da Vinci Code," is it blasphemy? A lot people contend that it is. What do you think at cnn.com/showbiztonight. That`s where you go to vote? Write to us at showbiztonight@cnn.com, your e-mails coming up in just a bit.
Well, Katie Couric has a message for her replacement on the "Today" show. We`re going to tell you what she said about Meredith Vieira, coming up next.
Also we are running down the list of this week`s winners and losers. We`re going to tell you where "Brokeback Mountain" fits into the equation, that`s coming up. Also ahead --
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WHOOPI GOLDBERG: You have to allow people to be who they are and stop trying to fit them into this little mold because it`s not big enough.
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HAMMER: Whoopi Goldberg sounds off on body image in Hollywood, and that pink song "Stupid Girls." That`s just ahead in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back with tonight`s installment of the Katie Couric saga (INAUDIBLE)
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoopi Goldberg really speaks her mind on Hollywood and body image in four minutes. But first, to AJ, dissolve four, go.
HAMMER: All right, Charles, thanks very much. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We are TV`s only live entertainment news show. I`m AJ Hammer. Katie Couric had some rather kind words for her replacement this morning. Now yesterday, Meredith Vieira announced that she will be taking over as co-host of "The Today Show" when Katie moves to the CBS evening news in the fall. At a press conference, Matt Lauer said how happy he was that Meredith would be his co-host and this morning on "The Today Show," Matt had a little confession for Katie.
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MATT LAUER: I feel like I`m cheating on you.
KATIE COURIC: That`s OK. It`s amicable divorce. Don`t you worry.
LAUER: I feel so weird about it.
COURIC: Don`t worry. By the way, I`m very thrilled for Meredith. We had a nice talk on the phone yesterday and she`s really excited and I told her I`d warn her about you guys when we had a few more minutes, but I think you guys will have a great time together and I wish Meredith and you all the best. See you.
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HAMMER: Nice to see everybody so happy and chummy. Well Vieira is going to take over as co-host of "The Today Show" in September. You can definitely say that both Katie and Meredith turn out to be the big winners this week. But you can`t exactly say the same thing for Sharon Stone, can you? Let`s talk about this week`s big winners and losers tonight with Andy Cohen who writes the popular "Andy`s Blog at bravotv.com and he`s also a Bravo programming executive. Joining me live from Hollywood, Andy, nice to see you.
ANDY COHEN, BRAVO PROGRAMMING EXECUTIVE: How you doing?
HAMMER: Good. Let`s get into it with the two biggest winners of the week. We definitely cannot disagree here, Katie Couric gets the CBS news anchor job, Meredith Vieira replaces Katie on "The Today Show."
COHEN: What`s amazing to me about this whole thing is how smoothly the transition went down. You know, everybody wanted Meredith Vieira over the last few years. She was really highly sought after by "The Early Show" and "Good Morning America" and the fact that "The Today Show" lost their big star on Tuesday morning and were able to lock up and announce Meredith Vieira as the new host of the show 24 hours later is pretty monumental. It`s incredible. There was no time for the media to speculate over who was going to take over the show or what was going to happen with the future of the show, so the real loser winds up being "The View." Meredith Vieira is the glue that holds that show together and "The New York Post" reported today that Patricia Heaton from "Everybody Loves Raymond" is in discussions with "The View" to take over Meredith`s spot. I`m worried that if they don`t find the right replacement, Joy Behar is going to go after Star Jones implants in no time and we don`t want to see that.
HAMMER: We need that buffer zone on our program. Let`s move on to your next big winner this week, Julia Roberts, the Broadway play she`s in sells out in previews, makes nearly a million bucks, a rare thing on Broadway its very first week out. Can Julia simply do no wrong, Andy?
COHEN: She can do no wrong. The amazing thing is, people are paying to stand in the back of the theater. That`s how hot a ticket this show is. You can`t get a ticket. It`s a bullet-proof performance. It doesn`t matter what the critics say a week from Thursday, although from what I hear, they will be very kind to her because she`s great, because every ticket is sold. So she`s a big winner. The director of the show is Joe Mantello (ph) who is also directing "The Odd Couple," which is the other big hit Broadway play right now. And he told me today that lines are around the corner outside the stage door for people to see Julia after the show, so people are really psyched that she`s on Broadway.
HAMMER: And you can still get tickets for big bucks but you have to go to eBay. Let`s move on your losers of the week. You`re saying that Sharon Stone is at the top of that list as her high-priced, highly hyped "Basic Instinct 2" as we all know bombed big time, making a measly $3 million, that`s it in its first weekend at the box office after all of that press.
COHEN: It`s true. I mean look, it tied with "Larry the Cable Guy" which AJ, I don`t have to tell you is not great. And she was on every show looking beautiful. She changed clothes. She gave great quotes. And now people are going and throwing toast at the movie screen. Now that I know how bad the movie is, I`m dying to see it, actually.
HAMMER: It will have sort of that reverse effect and maybe she`ll be listed as one of your winners either in the coming weeks or when it comes out on DVD. We have a little more time for your next loser of the week. And this is such an interesting story. I can`t believe this still goes on, the Bahamas, which banned "Brokeback Mountain" in movie theaters because of the gay cowboy theme. How ridiculous is all that?
COHEN: Can you believe it? Where do people see movies in the Bahamas? That`s what I don`t understand. Have you ever seen a movie theater in the Bahamas? I was fishing around and I found out that the Bahamas also stripped Miss Teen Bahamas of her title last year when they found out that she was a lesbian, so if you`ve been wondering what happened to Miss teen Bahamas, that`s what happened. You know, I`m sure you can see "Larry the Cable Guy" and "Basic Instinct 2" in the Bahamas.
HAMMER: Yeah, probably. Well, shame on whoever was behind that decision. Andy Cohen, we appreciate your being with us tonight.
COHEN: Thanks.
HAMMER: And as a reminder, you can catch Andy`s blog at bravotv.com.
Let`s move onto Whoopi Goldberg now. She is one woman who certainly has never been shy about speaking her mind. She`s just created a new TV series just called "Just for Kicks." Now I sat down with her recently for a terrific time and she says that she created the show because simply put, girls were afraid of taking part in sports, afraid of their bodies and afraid of being called tomboys.
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GOLDBERG: When I was a kid, if you did things, if you were sporty at all, you were called a tomboy. You know. That`s a terrible thing to say to somebody because you suddenly think, oh, why am I -- why am I like a boy? Because I like to do this? And it raises issues that we have not gotten away from yet and we see it in how people deal with women`s basketball or anything that isn`t, you know, one of the girls` sports. So I sort of hoped that we would be able to find a way to say to girls, listen, nothing changes because you`re playing sports. You still have the same issues. You don`t stop being a girl.
HAMMER: Social issues and body image issues, of course, in fact, in the show you have one particularly tall girl.
GOLDBERG: Yeah, yeah.
HAMMER: Was that something that you dealt with growing up, the body image issues, because,
GOLDBERG: You mean when I grew up, hello, every day! I look in the mirror and I go, it`s not good enough. It could be better. If it was perfect, it would be like this and then this would happen and this would happen. And I always have to remind myself that to be a carbon copy of someone else is to only be an imitation. What I truly am is an original.
HAMMER: And you always have been.
GOLDBERG: And I always have been and so, you know, it`s hard to not buy into wanting to look like, you know -- I don`t know, look like Halle Berry or look like Kate Moss, I`m never going to look like either of those ladies. One is white and one is black, but they are very specific women. And I`m a specific woman. But I`m - I`m seeing more now than ever before. You`re seeing different styles of bodies on television. But it`s -- you fight it in our industry, you want to be as desirable. You want somebody to say, it`s like, pick me. That`s what it is. If someone has an issue with their body, they will come to the point where they`ll take care of it or they won`t, but it is a struggle that they have to go through. Now you can help but you can`t dictate. You cannot dictate. So if someone is zaftig, they`re zaftig. Now, used to be being zaftig was the way to be. You look at some of those old dames in the movies, their thighs are this big. That`s the size of my thighs now.
HAMMER: Zaftig is such a good word. You don`t use it often enough.
GOLDBERG: I love that word, zaftig because it`s sexy. I`ve been watching this great video done by this young lady Pink that I think is extraordinary. Because it`s finally someone of a younger age saying, you know, we don`t have to buy into this. We actually can have our own look and our beings and our old souls, you know. And I think that the fact that it`s time to waft out that we don`t all have to look like that, whether we`re 50 or 15. We can actually still be us and so, I`m really pleased with the way that the show`s come out and what these girls want to do is, you know, they want to see where their lives are taking them and they`re all so individual and they`re all so fun that you know, you kind of have to sit back and go, you know, that was all right. Nickelodeon, God bless them, because --
HAMMER: .putting a good message out.
GOLDBERG: Well, yeah, putting a good message out there and going against the tide which is people saying, no one wants to see girls in sports. If it`s not gymnastics or it`s not cheerleading, we don`t necessarily want to see it. And Nickelodeon is taking the position that that`s not true.
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HAMMER: Smart, smart woman. Whoopi`s new show is called "Just for Kicks" and makes its premiere on Sunday on Nickelodeon.
Well, tonight we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, asking "The Da Vinci Code," is it blasphemy? Here`s the vote so far, only 20 percent of you say yes, it is, 80 percent of you say, no, it`s not. Among the e-mails we`ve received we heard from Sarah. She says "The Da Vinci Code" is just another book that is looking to spark any controversy against Christian beliefs.
On the other side of that, TJ from Mississippi writes, this book is a conspiracy theory, great entertainment and nothing more. It is a work of fiction, not fact.
You can keep voting by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s coming right back for a Friday night.
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HAMMER: It is time now for the "Entertainment Weekly" must list. These are five things "EW" says you have to check out. First see the movie "Slither." A small town is taken over by aliens turning residents into zombies. Sounds like New York City. Next, "EW" says to check out the soulful grooves in Ghostface Killah`s new album, "Fishscale." Then, pick up a copy of the book, "The Tenth Circle,` about a family dealing with a teen girl`s rape.
"EW" also says you got to check out Liza Minnelli`s 1972 concert, "Liza with a Z. It`s now out on DVD. And finally on the list, you got to check out "Idol" inventor, Simon Cowell`s new reality series called "American Inventor." It`s on ABC and it`s a must see. For more on the must list, grab your copy of "Entertainment Weekly"`s special pop culture quiz edition on newsstands now.
It`s not time to find out what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Monday. Here comes your SHOWBIZ marquee.
On Monday, a new reality show showing parents what their kids will look like when they`re older if they don`t start breaking some unhealthy habits now. It`s called, "Honey, We`re Killing the Kids." We`ll hear all about it Monday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."
Also Monday, Rebecca Romijn is going to join us live. She`s about to hit the big screen as Mystique in `X Men 3`. And she`s got her own TV show called, "Pepper Dennis." Rebecca Romijn, Monday in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBOZ TONIGHT.
Have an excellent weekend That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m AJ Hammer in New York. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN headline news.
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