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Showbiz Tonight
When She Rules; Box Office Shocker; Interview With Actress Geena Davis
Aired July 24, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, HOST: The new Miss Universe collapses after the pageant. And Janet Jackson`s shocking response as to whether there are kids in her future.
I`m Brooke Anderson, in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Hollywood heartbreak. Some of the most beautiful women in the world seemingly unlucky in love. But what`s behind it? Are men threatened when the women in their lives are richer, more powerful, more famous?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
Sex spy, private eye. Meet a woman who is hired to catch cheating husbands and boyfriends.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s very hard to cheat. That`s why they get sloppy and that`s why they get caught.
ANDERSON: Tonight, the decoy armed with disguises and gadgets, and how she always gets her man.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York City. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
Tonight, Hollywood heartbreak. We`ve seen it played out everywhere from the Christie Brinkley marriage, to any given episode of "Sex and the City," high achieving women whose success appears to doom their relationships. These are sad cases where jealousy and ego can combine and lead to heartbreak.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, "COMMANDER IN CHIEF": I think staying here, like a traditional first lady, is a splendid idea.
ANDERSON (voice over): The husband of Geena Davis` president character on the now canceled show "Commander In Chief" had to deal with the unique challenges of being the nation`s first first gentleman. But there are real-life challenges faced by couples where the woman is the more powerful bread winner, especially when that woman also happens to be a star.
GALINA ESPINOZA, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: One friend told us that Peter was getting tired of being known as "Mr. Brinkley." A lot of people saw him just as Christie`s husband. And after a while, it took a toll on his ego.
ANDERSON: We might be seeing that scenario play out in supermodel Christie Brinkley`s 10-year-old marriage to Peter Cook, which is falling apart on reports that he cheated on Brinkley with a 19-year-old woman. Even though Peter Cook is a successful architect, some speculate that he just couldn`t handle being married to a world-famous model.
HILARY BLACK, "TANGO" MAGAZINE": When they`re constantly living with somebody who everybody is more interested in, then they feel either the need to act out sexually or they -- their resentment becomes so much that it breaks up the marriage.
ANDERSON (on camera): Christie Brinkley`s troubled marriage is still getting lots of attention. And people are speculating that it highlights the problems that can arise in the celebrity world when a woman is richer, more successful, or just plain more famous than the man she is with.
(voice over): Jennifer Garner, who`s now married to movie star Ben Affleck, blamed her divorce from actor Scott Foley, in part, on the pressures of Hollywood.
Actors Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe found themselves in a similar position, with Hilary Swank`s career taking off, while Lowe`s stayed in neutral. They announced their split in January.
BLACK: The whole male ego is no myth. I think that it`s really something that exists and is alive and well, which is also how it plays out in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: Hilary Black, editor in chief of the relationship-themed magazine "Tango," says men sometimes have trouble when their wives are more famous.
Take Britney Spears and Kevin Federline.
BLACK: It`s awful, I think, when you have people who are kind of pounding your wife, and you feel like, you know, a Mr. Britney Spears. And then you have someone like Kevin Federline, who is branching out in almost embarrassing ways to try to assert himself professionally, but it`s so clear what the psychology is.
ANDERSON: But not every Hollywood relationship with a more famous woman is doomed to failure. Film superstar Julia Roberts and her cinematographer husband Daniel Moder have been married four years now. Music superstar Madonna and cult film director Guy Ritchie are going strong after five years. Former "Friend" Courteney Cox and movie star David Arquette have made it work for seven years.
WHITNEY HOUSTON, SINGER: I really love you.
BOBBY BROWN, SINGER: I love you, too.
ANDERSON: And clap if you want to, but singing legend Whitney Houston and slightly less successful singer Bobby Brown have been married for 14 years now.
How do they make it work?
BLACK: They are either so committed to the relationship that they make it work at all costs, or, the man is able to subsume his ego and allow himself to take a secondary role.
I think an interesting example is Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe. Both of them started off in "Cruel Intentions" as relative equals and then her career skyrocketed. They always are seen in public to be very, very close. I think there can be exceptions to the rule. And I think that really depends on how committed each is to the relationship.
ANDERSON: And even though money can`t buy a good marriage, it can provide one heck of a bright side.
BLACK: It`s not exactly a hardship to be involved with a woman who earns a ton of money.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: So, is it ego? Is it jealousy?
Here to sort this thing out for us, Cooper Lawrence, developmental psychologist and the author of "been there, done that, kept the jewelry."
Cooper, good to see you again.
COOPER LAWRENCE, DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Thank very much.
ANDERSON: I want to start with Peter Cook, Christie Brinkley. We`ve all read the stories, the headlines, and it`s been reported that Peter Cook didn`t want to be Mr. Christie Brinkley anymore. But, let`s face it, in this type of situation, that label is unavoidable, isn`t it?
LAWRENCE: It`s definitely unavoidable, but, you know, it doesn`t make it any less emasculating.
ANDERSON: Right.
LAWRENCE: And then you have to ask, well, why is it emasculating? It`s because a lot of men have these theories about themselves that -- and it undermines their accomplishments. They feel a certain way about themselves, they have worked real hard, and then it is very demeaning to be -- you know, it`s just I`m Mr. Brinkley? It`s like, what did I work all these years for, then?
ANDERSON: What would you say about, say, Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson? Here`s a couple where he was the more famous person in the beginning of their relationship, and now her celebrity eclipsed his.
LAWRENCE: Well, there are several things going on there. One of them is, you have to look at the personality of the individuals. You`re talking about a personality of somebody, and I think, to me, Peter Cook, I don`t know him, and I haven`t been with him or tested him.
ANDERSON: Right.
LAWRENCE: But it seems to me, there are certain people that have a personality where they just require a certain amount of attention. And they get involved with these women who, after a period of time, can no longer give it to them because their own careers take over. So it doesn`t matter who it is, it`s the idea they require a certain amount of attention and no one is going to be able to fulfill that.
ANDERSON: And maybe one to be the top priority in a woman`s life.
LAWRENCE: Right.
ANDERSON: How do women prioritize their lives these days?
LAWRENCE: Well, a lot of them, because they are still in the role of mother, you know, what`s the priority? It has to be the children. They`ve got to take care of the children because the children can`t take care of themselves, whereas the husband can.
And the career can`t take care of itself, especially for women. Even though we have entered the work force in droves, there are still glass ceilings, there are still areas where women are really not going to succeed. It has taken a long time for women, especially in entertainment, to maintain the sort of careers that men have.
ANDERSON: So you`re saying the husband is behind the kids and the career in many cases?
LAWRENCE: Unfortunately, it has to be. And maybe not unemotionally, but it has to be, because the children needs you, your career is something that needs to be nurtured because only you are going to take care of that. And then the husband sort of ends up having to fend for himself in a lot of relationships.
ANDERSON: Maybe you can have equal priorities.
Honey, that`s what I have. Promise.
But let`s take Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. This is one where the woman is clearly more famous than the man. What advice do you give them going forward to keep their relationship strong? There have been a lot of rumors about these two, and if their relationship is going to last.
LAWRENCE: Right. Well, you know, for him, I think the more he makes a fool of himself, the more he does things that make people feel like he`s undermining his own personality, I think the more that`s going to wear on him. And then becoming Mr. Britney Spears will be inevitable.
I think the idea is he`s got to maintain some dignity and maintain the fact that they are in love, the relationship is there, and the priority is the two of them and their child, and not his crazy career. And I think the more they focus on their relationship and the more they focus on their child, the better off they are going to be.
ANDERSON: There is some parity. Take Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe. He has said it is all about communication.
LAWRENCE: Right. And, you know, the research shows, when we look at couple that have been together 40, 50, 60 years, and we see the same things over and over. Why do these couples last so long? What -- what makes a good marriage?
It`s commitment to the marriage and communication, over and over. That comes out number one.
So, communication is being able to say, I`m feeling inferior today. I`m felling crummy. You know, this is not making me feel good. And being vulnerable and not feeling judged by the other person, just being able to talk about everything.
ANDERSON: Being able to speak freely and very openly.
LAWRENCE: At all times.
ANDERSON: That is great information.
Cooper Lawrence, thanks so much for being here, as always. We appreciate it.
LAWRENCE: Oh, thanks for having me.
ANDERSON: Of course.
And now we want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day."
Hollywood marriages, are men threatened by powerful women? Go to cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
The new Miss Universe has been crowned, but her reign is already off to a bumy start. Eighteen-year-old Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza from Puerto Rico fainted at the post-pageant news conference last night. She passed out while posing for pictures and taking questions. Someone caught her as she fell, fortunately.
Pageant officials say the new Miss Universe was given liquids and is doing just fine now. I think it was that heavy beading.
Did you see that beautiful dress?
All right. It`s the story that everybody is talking about. Just a startling weekend at the box office. Disney`s "Pirates of the Caribbean II" number one for the third straight week.
And come again? M. Night Shyamalan`s "Lady in the Water" dead in the water? "Lady" has the lowest opening of the director`s career.
Joining us here in New York to make sense of it all, Box Office Guru`s Gitesh Pandya.
Welcome, Gitesh. Good to see you.
GITESH PANDYA, BOXOFFICEGURU.COM: Good to see you, Brooke. Yes.
ANDERSON: All right. Let`s talk "Pirates of the Caribbean." It`s in its third straight week at number one. It`s been five years since a movie has done this. Now, this is a film that no one would have predicted has such staying power. I mean, it was panned by a lot of the critics.
It`s a shocker, don`t you think?
PANDYA: Yes. his is not a film for the critics. It`s for the fans. And the fans love it. They cannot get enough of Johnny Depp.
So this movie is number one three weeks in a row. It crossed the $300 million mark in record time. That`s only 16 days. And it looks like its on its way to about $400 million.
And it`s breaking box office records everywhere. This is the first film since the last "Lord of the Rings" film to hit $300 million while still at number one. The only movies that have done that were, of course, the last "Lord of the Rings," "ET," and "Titanic".
ANDERSON: Wow. Pretty darned impressive.
Well, one of the bigger shockers, M. Night Shyamalan`s "Lady in the Water." Now, this is a guy who is known for big successes, "Signs," "The Sixth Sense," you name it. But this one did not do as well as many had hoped, had anticipated.
PANDYA: That`s right. This is the lowest opening for Shyamalan since he became a big star -- director many years ago. It was less than half as much as the opening of his last movie, "The Village" -- that was $50 million -- and less than a third of what "Signs" made, the previous film before that.
So, with an $18 million opening, a lot of the fans out there just did not show up. I think...
ANDERSON: What do you think happened?
PANDYA: Well, I think it`s two things. First of all, the critics slammed this movie. They hated it. Secondly, you have people having left a bad taste in their mouths after "The Village" and decide to do skip this one.
ANDERSON: You know, Gitesh, I love to watch movies, and I have to see a lot of movies for work. But lately, you know, I`ll say, you know, for fun, I just want to go to the theater and see ae film, and I`ll look at what`s playing and I`ll say, "You know what? Forget it, let`s do something else."
What about the quality of movies this summer? Do you think there aren`t as many out there that are as high quality as people want?
PANDYA: Yes, I agree with you. I think that I`ve hardly seen any films this summer that have really jumped out at me to make me say, "Wow, what a great film, I want to see that one again." And also disturbing is that these movies are getting longer and longer. "Superman Returns" was two hours and forty minute long. It`s like a Bollywood movie, and I couldn`t believe that.
ANDERSON: Your rear end is a little bit sore after some of these films. Well, "Superman Returns," I did really enjoy that one.
And Gitesh, I enjoyed this conversation tonight. Thanks so much for being here from BoxOfficeGuru.com.
PANDYA: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Janet Jackson`s stunning revelation about whether she wants children. Does Ms. Jackson want to be a mommy? We`re going to have that coming up.
Plus, Emmy nominee Geena Davis` sweet revenge. What was it? Geena Davis next in the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
We`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s very hard to cheat. That`s why they get sloppy and that`s why they get caught.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You`ll make the woman who uses high-tech gadgets and disguises to catch cheaters. The sex spy private eye who always gets her man, that`s coming up.
But first, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" Great American Pop Culture Quiz.
Who scored the first unsubpoenaed interview with Monica Lewinsky which aired on March 3, 1999?
Has it been that long? Wow.
Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, Connie Chung? Think about it.
We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" Great American Pop Culture Quiz.
Who scored the first unsubpoenaed interview with Monica Lewinsky which aired on March 3, 1999? If you said C, Barbara Walters, you`re correct.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
It`s time now for a story that made us say, "That`s ridiculous!"
OK. It`s a story of feline felon in New York State. Here it is.
A wily little cat named Willie, he`s turned to a life of petty theft. Willie has stolen no fewer than 23 gardening gloves from the neighborhood. That`s nine pairs and five singles.
Willie`s owner has strung up all the gloves on a clothesline with a sign that says, "Our cat is a glove snatcher. Please take these, if yours."
Now, the owner says in the winter, when gardening season is over, Willie switches to his off-season prey: dirty socks. There you see the clothesline.
A kleptomaniac cat? Now "That`s ridiculous!"
And it`s also ridiculous that they were trying to interview Willie.
OK, talk about sweet revenge, Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis might not be returning as TV`s canceled "Commander In Chief," but Davis may very well collect an Emmy for her starring role. Geena Davis stopped by the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT studios today, and we talked about the cancellation of "Commander in Chief," juggling her career and motherhood, the secret to her successful marriage, and if she has ever felt the pressure to stay skinny in Hollywood.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Congratulations. Emmy nomination for "Commander In Chief." Now, you`ve got a Golden Globe under your belt, an Oscar. And do all the awards -- just, do they start to run together, or is each recognition just as special as the next one?
GEENA DAVIS, ACTRESS: Yes, they`re all very special. And the Emmys, you know, are really it for television. And it`s the first time I`ve been nominated for an Emmy, so I`m very excited about it.
ANDERSON: For the show that was canceled after its first season, which surprised a lot of us.
DAVIS: I know. I didn`t -- you know, I didn`t know you could be the number one new show and get canceled in the same year.
ANDERSON: How did that happen?
DAVIS: I sort of didn`t want to know that. In fact, there may be a little glimmer of hope, because there was a huge e-mail campaign after the show was canceled of fans writing in, and it looks like we`re going to do a two-hour made-for-TV movie of "Commander In Chief"...
ANDERSON: That`s great.
DAVIS: ... that would shoot sometime later this year, with the original creator, Rod Lurie. And I`m hoping that will lead to some more episodes.
ANDERSON: Maybe another -- another season of the show?
DAVIS: Another season.
ANDERSON: Well, we were talking earlier, and you are a mother. How do you balance everything? How many kids do you have?
DAVIS: I have two-year-old twin boys and a 4-year-old girl. So three kids, yes.
ANDERSON: Oh, so they keep you busy, I`m sure.
DAVIS: They do, yes. It wasn`t enough that I had three kids, I had to become the president.
ANDERSON: That`s right. That`s right.
How do you keep it all in order?
DAVIS: It`s -- you know, it`s impossible. And it`s completely unfair, if anyone were to want to use me as an example, because, you know, we`re all ridiculously overpaid anyway in this business, so I can afford plenty of child care.
And actors are just indulged. I mean, my kids came every day to the set and destroyed the Oval. And what are they going to say? It`s Geena kids.
ANDERSON: Sometimes it`s difficult for a couple when one is in the limelight and the other one isn`t. And in your situation, your husband is a doctor, and you are a famous actress. For example, when you guys go out to dinner, does someone stop you and ask for your autograph or your picture? Are there times when -- when it`s tough?
DAVIS: Well, certainly people recognize me here and there. And it took Reza actually a while to get used to the fact that everybody was staring at me. But it works out great for us.
You know, he -- he really felt like, you`re already established and successful, how can I possibly -- why would I ever want to compete with that? So there is, like, no competition or jealousy in our relationship. He`s really great.
ANDERSON: He sounds very supportive.
DAVIS: He`s wonderful, yes.
ANDERSON: What advice would you give to newly married couples who are in the same situation and it may not be as easy for them?
DAVIS: I don`t know. You know, I just -- I really think that competitiveness is a killer. I don`t think it matters if one person is not in the business or you`re both in the same business and at different levels. It is really the people involved, whether there is going to be a feeling of competitiveness and jealousy. But it`s a killer, it really is the worst for a relationship.
ANDERSON: So stay away from being competitive with one another.
DAVIS: Yes. Probably just find somebody who is not competitive in the first place.
ANDERSON: Well, you mentioned that you`re interested in women`s image in the media. Today we see more and more images of celebrities, celebrity women, mostly, who are getting skinnier and skinnier and skinnier. As an actress, what kind of pressure is there, body image pressure, to look a certain way or to be a certain thing?
DAVIS: I`ve never felt pressure to be thinner, but it`s clear that that`s a big part of Hollywood these days, for the young actresses especially. And it`s really troubling. You know, it`s a completely unnatural version of the female body that`s utterly unattainable for 99 percent of us. But that`s -- but it`s been that way, you know, with modeling, with images in magazines and advertising for a long time. So, we just have to -- as a culture, we have to decide that we like how women look when they have some muscle and meat on their bones.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well said.
All right. Will Geena Davis take home the Emmy? We will find out on Sunday, August 27th. That`s when the 58th annual primetime Emmy Awards take place.
A friendly reminder now. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is on seven nights a week. We are bringing TV`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekends. Be sure to check us out, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Saturday and Sunday. That`s at 1100 p.m. Eastern, 8:00 Pacific.
We hope to see you on the weekends.
OK. In his new TV show, Dr. Drew is tackling all the tough issues from eating disorders to addiction. Coming up, we`re going to get his thoughts on the manorexia trend and much more.
We`re also going to have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many times have you found there was no cheating going on?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never. And it`s only because the people who come to me already have suspicions, already have signs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Sex spy private eye. Meet the woman who catches cheating husbands and boyfriends. Hear how she does it and why she does it. That`s coming up.
Plus, Diahann Carroll is coming back to TV. The legendary actress and star of "Dynasty" is about to show up on one of the hottest shows on TV right now. She tells us about it coming up in the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tomorrow, "World Trade Center," the movie. Nicolas Cage and controversial director Oliver Stone join us. Are we ready for this very real account of September 11th?
It`s the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. You don`t want to miss it.
All right. It is the end of an era on "Saturday Night Live." Tina Fey is leaving the show after nine years to focus on her new sitcom for NBC`s "30 Rock." Fey joined "SNL" in 1997 and has been the head writer and "Weekend Update" co-anchor since 2000.
Fey will be executive producing and starring in "30 Rock." It`s a comedy satirizing what happens behind the scenes of the late night comedy show.
Rachel Dratch is also leaving "SNL" to work on the new show.
They will be missed, I`m sure, from "SNL."
Dr. Drew tackles tough issues from addiction to eating disorders in his new TV show. Dr. Drew is here, coming up in the interview you`re going to see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Plus, does Janet Jackson want to be a mom? The superstar singer opens up about whether there are children in her future. Coming up.
We`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s very hard to cheat. That`s why they get sloppy and that`s why they get caught.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Meet the woman who uses high-tech gadgets and disguises to catch cheaters. The sex spy private eye who always gets her man, that`s coming up.
Hang out with us. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
And a different set, by the way. I`m feeling (ph) very cozy and comfortable just getting used to it. The one you`re used to seeing every night is getting a bit of a makeover.
ANDERSON: That`s right. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood, here in a familiar territory. No set makeover for me just yet. And you`re watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: So Brooke, there`s been a lot of speculation about a major star of young Hollywood - somebody who is wildly popular - and showing up on the red carpet an awful lot lately pretty thin. A lot of people speculating about whether or not this individual has an eating disorder. Well, this individual has set the record straight. We`ll tell you who they are and what they said coming up.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J.
Also, a homeless man in Vermont has his own television show, A.J. And it is infuriating some locals who say this guy is racist and that he encourages violence. I - it`s a free-speech debate that we`re going to investigate coming up in just a few minutes.
But first - so as it turns out, Star Jones Reynolds may have been sending subtle signals all along that she was fired or about to be fired from "The View" on "The View." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been doing some digging and we`ve uncovered some pretty fascinating stuff. We`ve watched repeats of shows that have been airing over the past few days, and what we`ve found will probably surprise you.
Lloyd Grove of "The New York Daily News" joins me now tonight from New York.
Lode - Lloyd, good to see you.
LLOYD GROVE, "THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": Nice to see you, Brooke.
ANDERSON: All right.
So as Barbara said in her on-air statement, Star would not be seen on "The View" except in pre-recorded programs.
Lloyd, on Tuesday, just one week after Star makes this announcement that she`s been leaving the show, shocking everybody with this, a pre- recorded show airs. And the hot topic is having a woman as a boss.
You got to take a listen to what Star had to say regarding Barbara. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": It`s not just being fired. What about looking for them?
STAR JONES REYNOLDS, "THE VIEW": Women can be sneaky. And I think men are much more straightforward. Women bosses can sometimes be sneaky.
(CROSSTALK)
REYNOLDS.meaning - you can - you know, you get lulled into a sense, and then the men bosses I think are just straightforward.
JOY BEHAR, "THE VIEW": Well, one of the sneakiest people who ever fired me was a man. And he was - he wanted someone else to have my job, and so I didn`t even know until the day they just, like, Pack it up; you`re out. So that was pretty sneaky.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Oh, Lloyd, you got to love that.
Now do you think it was a coincidence, or was Star sending some sort of secret signal here?
GROVE: Star wars, the prequel.
I don`t think she was sending a signal necessarily. I think she found herself in the position of taping this show, and she was mad. She knew what was going to come down, and she was I think at that point planning her surprise attack on the show. But I think she`s just having a human reaction, and I think she`s being a little shall we say beyotchi (ph) about all this.
ANDERSON: Well, was she directly calling Barbara sneaky?
GROVE: Well, she was indirectly calling Barbara sneaky, I think. She didn`t actually face her frontally say that. But in the light of what`s happened, clearly she`s making that insinuation.
ANDERSON: Seemed like it to me.
OK, Lloyd, also in this same show, they talk about - Barbara talks about having experience herself as being a female boss. And it seems like Star kind of takes a shot at her.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Well, you`re not really a hands-on boss, because you`re also one of us. So you wear two hats.
(CROSSTALK)
REYNOLDS: No, she`s the boss. Be clear; she`s the boss now.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
WALTERS: And not as an (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Star (ph) visibly upset her, Lloyd. You can almost sense how bitter she is, and she`s letting it show.
GROVE: Hands-on boss, hands on her throat.
Yes, of course Star is upset. She was just fired from her nine-year gig, and now she`s looking for a job.
ANDERSON: Well - well last week, Lloyd, some PR control was happening. Star Jones Reynolds was everywhere. We saw her on "LARRY KING LIVE"; we also saw her on the "Today" show. She was on radio shows.
Who do you think won the PR war here? Barbara or Star?
GROVE: Well, Barbara has so much capital from a long and distinguished career that if she lost a bit of capital, and I think she did because she had to admit that she`d been lying to the viewers all this time about Star`s future, she has plenty to spare.
Star on the other hand doesn`t have a lot of capital. And she`s pretty depleted her bank account. So she better find something to do to put a deposit in rather quickly, or she`s in deep trouble.
ANDERSON: Well, we know that she`s got a new gig on the HGTV network called "House Hunters."
But Lloyd, do you think she needs a makeover? Does she need to reinvent herself to - to get that job that - that she`s been wanting next?
GROVE: Well, it seems that she needs perhaps - and I maybe am not being entirely serious - maybe put on a few pounds. That might help her.
It seems all the troubles started when she started losing all this weight. But I think that she definitely needs to sort of stick to a message. She`s been talking a lot of different sides of her mouth over - over this period, saying different things to different audiences. And I think she just needs to calm down and stop attacking Barbara. That`s a non- win situation in this business.
And.
ANDERSON: You have said, not nice to mess with Mama Barbara.
GROVE: Exactly. And to just get herself a project and - and - and focus on that. And rather quickly.
ANDERSON: All right. We do wish them all the best out of all this.
GROVE: Always we wish them the best.
ANDERSON: OK. Lloyd Grove - that`s right - of "The New York Daily News," thanks so much. We appreciate it.
GROVE: Sure.
ANDERSON: And on that topic, we want you to vote on tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Star Jones Reynolds: Did she end looking like a victim?" Keep voting: cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us - there`s the address - showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your e- mails tomorrow.
HAMMER: Well, Keira Knightley insists she is not anorexic. The Oscar- nominated actress has revealed a history of eating disorders in her family - her great-grandmother and her grandmother had anorexia. But Keira says, Not me.
Now people have wondering after she`s been looking thin on red carpets lately, including this premiere of "The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man`s Chest." Keira says, "I had a lot of friends at school who suffered from it. I know it`s not something to be taken lightly, and I don`t. I`m not saying there aren`t people in the film industry that suffer from it, because I`m that there are. But I am quite sure I don`t have it."
Keira also added that it`s good that people are discussing eating disorders.
ANDERSON: Well, Keira Knightley joins Johnny Depp back on the big screen in the sequel to "Pirates of the Caribbean" that opens this week. But there`s already major buzz about Part 3 and who`s going to do a cameo. There`s been talk of Keith Richards showing up in Part 3. But tonight we can tell you producer Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed that will happen.
Johnny Depp says he`s excited to work with Richards. Depp actually patterned some of his character, Captain Jack Sparrow, after the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: Keith was kind of a - yes, he was an inspiration, you know? He was sort of one of the ingredients that - that I thought would be nice for the - for the character. And it worked out all right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you looking forward to working with him?
DEPP: Oh, very much. I`m really excited. Of course, you know - Keith Richards is one of my all-time heroes, you know?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you met him before?
DEPP: Yes, I`ve - I`ve had the pleasure of spending some time with Keith over the years. And he`s always a real gentleman, you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So it looks like we`ll have to wait for the third installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise to see Keith Richards` cameo. But you can see Johnny Depp in Part 2, "Dead Man`s Chest," which is in theaters this Friday.
HAMMER: Now remember, we are here each and every day, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Seven nights a week you can find SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We are bringing TV`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekends now. So make sure you tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Saturday and Sunday as well as every other night, 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific.
ANDERSON: Coming up, Lil` Kim gets a big homecoming celebration, but not everybody is happy about it. Why even her fans may not want to cheer her. That`s next.
Plus, we`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN LONG, COMMUNITY ACCESS TV PRODUCER: I`m out to challenge them. And the way you challenge them is to be aggressive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A homeless guy gets his own TV show. And if you think that sounds strange, well wait til you hear what he`s been saying about gays and women.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
ANDERSON: And Kylie Minogue speaks out on TV for the very first time since her recovery from breast cancer. We`ll tell you about her emotional interview. That`s next.
But first, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz": In what movie did Meryl Streep make her first appearance on the big screen? "Manhattan," "Holocaust," "Ironweed," or "Julia"? Think about that one. We`ll be right back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Camera 3, go. Master, stand by to break. And roll your break, effect black.
Very good.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And fade up. Go, Camera 3. Stand by, Brooke. Open 7, dissolve L.A., go.
ANDERSON: Thank you, Charles (ph).
So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." In what movie did Meryl Streep make her first appearance on the big screen? "Manhattan," "Holocaust," "Ironweed," or "Julia"? The answer is D, "Julia."
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
If something looks a little bit different, well, you are right if that`s what you`re thinking, because our set`s getting a bit of a makeover. So we`re hanging out here for a little while. It`s a very comfy and cozy place to be.
And it`s time now for another story that just made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
There are actually two birthdays on July 4 yesterday worth celebrating: America`s 230th, and one guy`s 80,000th. What`s going on with these pictures? Well, five years ago, a Colorado man by the name of Richard Carroll dropped a hot dog off his barbecue grill. Now a pal of his was going to dust the dog off and eat it, but instead - as you`re seeing - he put the hot dog on the antenna of Richard`s car. Lo and behold, neither wind nor rain nor snow ditched the dog. It`s still after 80,000 miles.
We certainly can`t say we relish this story, Brooke, but it does bring new meaning to the dog days of summer, doesn`t it?
ANDERSON: Oh, yes it does. What an eyesore. That`s just disgusting, A.J.
And get this: the guy is going to switch his antenna to a new a truck he`s getting to keep this tough dog, this bizarre traveling companion with him until forever. Who knows?
HAMMER: See, this guy can`t get the satellite radio because that has just little teeny tiny antennas. No place to put the hot dog.
ANDERSON: The hot dog`ll do it. But we say, Take it down! A hot dog on an antenna? "That`s Ridiculous!"
OK, it seems almost anyone can get a TV show nowadays. Even homeless people. Yes, a guy up in Vermont who doesn`t have a place to hang his hat has his own program. It`s a show that`s got many outraged and wondering, Has this free-speech thing gone too far?
Here`s CNN`s Keith Oppenheim for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Burlington, Vermont, long after the sun goes down, a show begins on cable TV with something offensive for just about everyone.
LONG (singing): When the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) does that, you know she should be dead.
OPPENHEIM: The host of the show spews violence against women. He once showed a video of a pig`s head being cut off as he attacked what he called "femi-Nazi" pigs.
LONG: I`m out to challenge them. And the way you challenge them is to be aggressive.
OPPENHEIM: His name is John Long, viewed by many as a racist, someone who encourages violence against gays.
LONG: My goal is to be the most hated person in Burlington.
OPPENHEIM: On TV, he goes by the name "Mr. Happy." In real life, he doesn`t have a paying job or roof over his head. John long is 44 and homeless.
(on camera): How long have you been homeless?
LONG: About -- on and off for about, like, 25 years.
OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Back in 1995, when O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murder, Long says he was outraged, and wanted to broadcast his opinions. He went to Vermont Community Access Media.
ROB CHAPMAN, VERMONT COMMUNITY ACCESS CABLE: Which sees the benefit of allowing people to express themselves, no matter how reprehensible their content would be.
OPPENHEIM: And he took advantage of his surroundings, Burlington, a liberal community he loved to attack.
LONG: I want to challenge the liberal, you know, elite here.
OPPENHEIM: Kara Deleonardis woman works for an advocacy group that monitors hate crimes in Burlington.
KARA DELEONARDIS, SAFESPACE: My fear is that his show can incite someone to actually carry out something that he suggests.
OPPENHEIM: But so far, no one`s been able to show Long has incited anyone to do anything. And state officials say Long`s speeches are constitutionally protected, as long as he doesn`t target an individual or clearly identified group.
SANDI EVERITT, VERMONT`S AG`S OFFICE: If you start curtailing Mr. Long from speaking, then the next person curtailed may be you or I.
LONG: Cable access gives me the power to reach people that I normally wouldn`t even come close to reaching.
OPPENHEIM: And that, in the end, is the irony of John Long.
LONG (singing): Your leftist friends are all wrong...
OPPENHEIM: A homeless person who`s found a home in antagonizing a community that has the tolerance to give him a stage.
LONG (singing): Hasta la vista, baby.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Keith Oppenheim for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, rapper Lil` Kim is out of prison. She`s celebrating her own Independence Day. Fans lined up to cheer her for being sprung for good behavior after 10 months in the federal slammer.
Still, not everybody is applauding this move. Lil` Kim, whose real name is Kimberly Jones, was convicted of lying to a grand jury about a shooting just outside a New York City radio station. Very serious, serious stuff.
Check her out: she is getting out; she is waving to fans. Even radio DJs were congratulating her on their shows. And it is this heroic homecoming that is fueling outrage.
Joining me from Jacksonville, Florida, "New York Daily News" columnist Errol Louis.
Thanks for being with me, Errol.
ERROL LOUIS, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": Sure. Good to be here, A.J.
HAMMER: So you had written a column that basically was really knocking people for painting Lil` Kim as a hero. She has been in the slammer. She was sprung for good behavior. Some would say, why not cheer for her?
LOUIS: Well, I wouldn`t cheer for her because, as a - she`s a - it would be interesting to - to superimpose or to show side by side with her leaving prison and taking all of that applause the footage of her bodyguard firing 20 shots into a crowd of people on a New York City show. You know, I`d like to hear the name Alfredo Cazio (ph) mentioned. He`s the guy who took a bullet in the back and ended up in the hospital because of this.
Or - or - or, you know, Sweet Gutter Jackson (ph), the guy who did the shooting, who is still in prison. He`s serving a 12-year sentence. I mean, this is a - this is a tragedy. This is criminality.
HAMMER: And it`s about a bigger picture that really sets you off in your column. You talk about this code of silence, and I want to take a look at a little bit of what you said in your column. You wrote, "Ghettoes across America follow a version of the Mafia code of omerta that drives cops and law-abiding citizens crazy. The general idea is that racism drives people to crime, making dope dealers, burglars and other street thugs flawed but tragic desperadoes engaged in an unavoidable clash with a hostile society."
Now if I think I understand you correctly and what you`re talking about, I - I`m totally on board with you. Are you basically saying people are making heroes out of criminals here, and this is a bad thing?
LOUIS: Oh absolutely.
I mean, listen, she - she has gone on the record saying that, you know, her trial was a case of the government coming after hip - involved in a witch hunt I think she was the phrase she used - against hip hop. And, you know, the reality is - is - almost the opposite. You know, the - the - the government would be remiss if they didn`t try and restore some kind of order to the streets.
Now when people romanticize is this - is this kind of Robin Hood attitude. It doesn`t just stop with a celebrity like Little Kim. It extends to the local drug dealer, the local burglar, all kinds of different things that go on in the community. And law enforcement has gone on record. They say it in jurisdiction after jurisdiction all across the nation. They can`t solve these crimes; they can`t clear these crimes because people will not come forward.
HAMMER: What - what do you say though? Because it is - you`re right. It is - it is part of what happens on the street. It is basically honoring your friends or - or not being a - it basically comes down to not being a snitch, which seems like the honorable thing to do.
You know, obviously you don`t agree and - and - and it is - it is causing problems much bigger than this situation.
LOUIS: Well, sure.
I mean, look, I would - I would just refer to people, I would just say, Look, the stop-snitching movement, if you want to call it that, or tendency or cowardice - if you`re genuinely intimidated by some criminal, that`s one thing. You go to the police on the side, maybe take care of that. But the general idea that you just never cooperate with the police - we have in New York City a 16-year-old honor student named Chanel Petro Nixon (ph) who vanished on Father`s Day, just a couple of weeks ago. Her body was found several days later dumped in front of an abandoned building. The police have put out a gigantic reward. Our newspaper has added to it. We`ve put up hundreds of posters; we`re trying to find out what has happened. And people aren`t coming forward.
This is - this is an everyday reality. And I think people should think about the - the consequences and the real meaning of saying, We won`t help the police.
HAMMER: And Errol, I only have about 30 seconds here. But you know, it`s funny to me that people look at her now possibly as having more street credibility. She went through a tough ordeal and she lost a lot of money. This is not a good thing for Lil` Kim.
LOUIS: Oh no, absolutely. In fact, I think it`s - it`s funny, because in the scene, they - they talk about her pulling off in a Rolls Royce, and they`ve got champagne. On the terms of her confinement, she can`t drink champagne in that house for 30 days.
You know, being a convicted felon is - is no party, as I think she`s going to find out.
HAMMER: And it shouldn`t be celebrated.
Errol Louis, columnist for "The New York Daily News," thanks for being with us.
LOUIS: Thank you.
ANDERSON: It`s time now for tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
Kylie Minogue - quote - "fell to pieces" when she was diagnosed with cancer. In her first TV interview since recovering from breast cancer, the 38-year-old Australian pop star was overcome with emotion. Kylie says her mom and dad were with her when she heard the news and wanted to continue her tour. But her family said, No way. She`s now going to head back on the road, and Kylie says she`s also working on a new album.
Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan is on a hunger strike, and she`s got some big stars helping her out. Sheehan, who protested the Iraq war outside President Bush`s Crawford, Texas, ranch says she will protest the war now by only drinking water and juice throughout the summer. Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Willie Nelson and Danny Glover will take turns fasting as well.
And a Viagra victory for Rush Limbaugh. Palm Beach, Florida, prosecutors say they won`t press charges against the talk-show host for the bottle of Viagra found in his luggage that was in his doctor`s name. He was held at the airport on June 26 after he returned from a vacation in the Dominican Republic.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
HAMMER: Well, last night we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." And we got a huge response to it, asking, "Body Image: Is Hollywood obsessed with being too thin?" We actually asked "Superman Returns" star Kate Bosworth about the pressure that she feels being in the business.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE BOSWORTH, "SUPERMAN RETURNS": You know, I think that part of being an actress, that your body`s your tool, you know? And that`s - that`s what I - I really enjoy about - about this job in terms of - you know, I did "Blue Crush" when I was 18, and I - I had to change my body dramatically for that. And it was great because it made me feel completely different in my skin, and - and was a real character. And then, you know, for every role, it`s been a bit different. And - and - and so it - it is part of - of the character. And it`s exciting to be able to use your body that way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Here`s what you have to say: an overwhelming 96 percent of you say, Yes, Hollywood is just too obsessed with being thin. Only 4 percent of you saying, No, it isn`t.
Among the e-mails we received, one from Alicia. She`s a teenage from New York and says, "It`s hard to see all of these gorgeous thin celebrities. I don`t think they understand just how much it can hurt."
We also heard from Maria (sic) in California. Maria thinks, "America in general, not just Hollywood, is too obsessed with being thin. America is so na
ANDERSON: All right. Remember, we are here each and every day. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week. We`re bringing TV`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekends. Be sure to tune in. That`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Saturday and Sunday. It`s at 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific.
Stay with us. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Wednesday night. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
Time now to check out what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. For that, we go to the "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
Tomorrow, and the nominees are. The primetime Emmy noms are out tomorrow. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, of course, all over them. Your favorite shows: Will "Lost" be found? Will "Earl" earn one or two? You`ll find out tomorrow, right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also, one of our own, CNN reporter Nic Robertson`s stunning personal journal from the Sudan. Stories that absolutely need to be told. We`re going to take you inside his heartfelt stories from the devastated Darfur region of Africa. It`s all part of CNN`s new podcast designed to keep you informed on the go. Tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Thanks for watching everybody. Have a great night and stay tuned for more from CNN Headline News.
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