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Showbiz Tonight
Comedians Work to Stop Use of `N` Word; Britney Spears Endangers Career by Hanging With Paris; Is Nudity a Career Helper
Aired November 28, 2006 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: A dramatic demand that stars stop using the N word. But will Hollywood listen? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And a huge star arrested for driving drunk, again. I`m Brooke Anderson In Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, girl gone wild. Tonight Britney Spears out on the town again, partying with her new bosom buddy, Paris Hilton. Oh Brit, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got to ask you, what are you doing?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: I think she felt kind of penalty up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And will this shocking behavior destroy your career comeback and cost you custody of your kids?
Stars who strip. Tonight the biggest celebrities on screen butt naked and taking it all off. Is showing the goods a good career move?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve been far more naked in other films than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A revealing SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, the naked truth about stars who shed it all for the camera.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Don`t go away, America is buzzing about Britney Spears partying until all hours of the night, again, last night with Paris Hilton. But what about her kid? Is she self instructing her own career comeback? But first tonight, it`s one of the most destructive words in the English language, and abolishing that word is causing a ruckus over race.
HAMMER: Brooke, that`s the fallout from Seinfeld star Michael Richards` racist comedy club tirade when he repeatedly spat out the N word while shouting at some club patrons in Los Angeles. Now here`s the thing, rappers say it in hip-hop songs. People laugh at it in comedy shows. It`s definitely gone mainstream, but after the Richards` tirade, some are saying it is high time that everyone, no matter the race, stop using the N word. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking, are they right.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Michael Richards infamously used it five times in a comedy club and got national condemnation. Kanye West used it six times in his song, Gold Digger, and got a number one song and a Grammy Award. Michael Richards racist tirade has put the N word front and center in a national debate on race, a debate Richards acknowledges starting in this exclusive interview with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson.
ANDERSON: Do you see yourself a symbol of this bigger issue now?
MICHAEL RICHARDS, ACTOR: Perhaps the voice that got it in motion.
HAMMER: And in light of the Richards controversy, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that it`s time for the N word to go.
REV. JESSE JACKSON, ACTIVIST: One thing that comes out of this is challenging all artists and media to stop broadcasting the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED) because it is hate language and it is divisive and painful to people.
HAMMER: Jackson is not alone, as civil rights leader condemn Richards hateful use of the word, they are going a step further, calling on everyone, black and white, rappers and comedians, to drop the N word.
REP. MAXINE WATERS (D), CALIFORNIA: We will kick off a national campaign to stop the use of the N word period in our society.
REV. AL SHARPTON, ACTIVIST: The real story is we`re to loose with our language and it`s poisonous.
HAMMER: And the Laugh Factory, the comedy club where the Richards incident happened, is taking steps to make sure that Richards will be the last one to utter the word on stage.
JAMIE MASADA, OWNER, LAUGH FACTORY: The Laugh Factory, from now on, will be banned from comedians to use the N word on the stage from now on.
HAMMER: But in an era where rappers and comedians throw it around with impunity, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking, is it really the end for the N word?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To the N word we say, just say no. Just say no.
HAMMER: Even though it`s discreetly bleeped out when hip hop videos like these make it to MTV, the N word makes frequent appearances in hip-hop and in routines by comedians such as Chris Rock. Jay-Z uses it frequently in his music and even his girlfriend, R&B sweet heart Beyonce, lets one fly in the uncensored version of her new song, Irreplaceable.
The mainstreaming of the N word posed a sensitive quandary for Zach Braff`s (ph) on the comedy series Scrubs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here`s the thing 2Pac, DMX, Dr Dre, in most of their songs these artists use an extremely volatile racial slurs, the N word. My question is this -- if we`re both singing along and knowing that otherwise I would never use the word, am I allowed to say --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See, that`s good for me to know. I didn`t know that.
HAMMER: Comedian Godfrey tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it is simply different when black artists use the N word.
GODFREY, COMEDIAN: When black artists use the N word, it is sort of like a descriptive type of thing. It`s sort of like street talk. It`s sort of like a language. It is sort of a term of endearment. We use it for a different reason, not from a hateful standpoint at all. Michael Richards did it from a hateful standpoint.
HAMMER: But radio talk show host Roland Martin tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that if people are going to get upset at Richards using the word, we should stop making such distinctions about who should use it.
ROLAND MARTIN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: They should stop justifying and explaining it away, and saying, well, it`s OK among one another, but when you say it, it`s not. No, when you put it in music, in television and on film, then you are opening it up to a variety of people, and then all of a sudden, you`re saying, well, it`s OK for me, but not for you.
HAMMER: So the ironic thing may be that Richards` hurtful words appear to have started a healthy debate on race and language.
GODFREY: I hope that it is going to be a serious dialogue and we`re not going to be tap dancing around, because Michael didn`t tap dance. Now, when it`s all in the open, it will be a bunch of garbage and then we can get on with living like human beings again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, on thing that is clear here is this is not going away any time soon. Jesse Jackson and other civil rights leaders say they plan to meet with TV networks, film companies and musicians to discuss the use of the N word.
ANDERSON: Tonight a famous comedian who agrees the N word is, quote, too powerful and hateful, so much so that he will no longer use it in his act. Paul Mooney wrote a lot of Richard Pryor stuff, worked on the hit shows Good Times and Sanford and Sons. And he joins me now in Hollywood. Paul, good to see you again.
MOONEY: Well, it`s good to see you again also. What a pleasure.
ANDERSON: All right now, you`ve called for a ban of this word. But let`s face it, you and Richard Pryor were two of the first comedians to use it in your act, and you have said, to empower the black community. Now you say you will never use it again.
MOONEY: No.
ANDERSON: I have to ask you, do you think that you and other comedians in the entertainment industry, I`m talking hip hop artists, I`m talking the film industry, who has ever used that word, bears some responsibility for it being tolerated in a sense today?
MOONEY: Oh, definitely, saying it in earnest and loving and caring -- we have to change it because the word also came from white people, so, to hurt, and we had to embrace it to try to control it, so we wouldn`t be controlled by it. And Richard and I were doing it for the humor part of it and we were doing it very well. Taking the sting out of it. And we were doing it very well. Actually Dick Gregory was the first person to really deal with it, and he wrote a book about it also, as a stand up comedian. I have to give him his credit.
ANDERSON: You were part of the documentary, The N Word, back in 2004.
MOONEY: All of it. But Richard was the first person to step away from it, Pryor was. He went to Africa and he came back and he came and told me -- he was my very good friend, Richard Pryor, who has passed and who was brilliant -- Richard said he wouldn`t say it anymore because he went to African and he didn`t see any N`s in Africa and so he wasn`t going to use it anymore. When he said that, I was embracing the word, I was romancing the word, I was married to the word. It had nothing to do with me. I`m my own person. I said that`s your choice. I`m not going to do it. I kept doing it.
ANDERSON: But now you`ve changed your tune. And I want to ask you, do you think there will be some backlash from the entertainment industry, from comedians who might say is this the PC police?
MOONEY: It has nothing to do with freedom of speech. This is a word -- see for me -- I had never been an out of body experience. I had never been outside of myself. I saw myself differently. I was inside. And Michael, what he did, and I heard about it, it wasn`t a stand up. It was a complete nervous breakdown. We went through that. Now is the time for healing. He is trying to heal himself because now he knows that was in him. It even surprised him what came out of him. And so when I saw it and heard it, it was such a weapon, because he was reaching for something really powerful to hurt the people that were hurting him on stage.
ANDERSON: It was horrific.
MOONEY: It was. So when I saw how powerful it was, I don`t want to give anybody, black, white, Latino, Asian, they all use it, that kind of power. I don`t want to make it an equal opportunity word for everyone to use. So I just decided I`m not saying that anymore, that`s my choice.
ANDERSON: What about other African American comedians who don`t use it in a hateful sense?
MOONEY: But that`s not the point. The point is we`ve got to bury that word. We have got to lock that word up. We cannot let that word out again. I`m not saying it anymore. And I`m not saying the B word. This is my decision. This is what I decided to do. Michael, he was my Dr. Phil. He cured me. I`m a recovering N word alcoholic. Been there, done that.
ANDERSON: Yes, the Laugh Factory says it is banning all hateful words, including the N word.
MOONEY: They`re doing also the B word and the N word. You`re going to get fined if you say it.
ANDERSON: Well let me ask you this, you were part of the press conference that called on Michael Richards to make a amends.
MOONEY: Yes.
ANDERSON: We have seen him publicly apologize more than once now. The Laugh Factory has recommended he donate money to charities and people in need for doing this.
MOONEY: Yes.
ANDERSON: Do you think there will come a point where everybody just has to say, hey, let him work on his issues, let them work this out?
MOONEY: Yes, well, they were saying it, and I just said, he should give a liver up. He should give a liver up. I`m still a comedian. But anyway, look, everybody is a human being. Everyone has a lot of problems. You have to be somebody`s friend when they are to the curb and when they`re down and out, not when everything is going well.
ANDERSON: Right, the good and the bad.
MOONEY: And he realizes what he did, and he is trying to pay penance. It won`t be easy. It will take time.
ANDERSON: It is going to take time. You talked to Whoopi Goldberg about this.
MOONEY: Yes, Whoopi Goldberg, I talked to her today, and I told her - - she knew all of it. And it was very funny. She made me laugh because she said, I have to give her a pass, she said, until Friday, New York time at 12:00, and then she won`t say it anymore. She said she has some business to take care of, she has got to put some people in their place and she needs to use that word. She said, but after that she will never say it again.
ANDERSON: She`s going to ban it as well.
MOONEY: She did. She told me that today. And I thought it was very funny when she said, so I have to give her a pass, an N word pass.
ANDERSON: Very quickly, we only have a seconds left, but when I spoke to Michael Richards, he said he hope this starts change, that this is that catalyst for change, his situation, his incident. Do you think it truly will make a difference.
MOONEY: It is going to make a difference. And I think Mel Gibson -- these outburst from people, from Americans, it is time for Americans to get together and to get this situation so it won`t be in house. We don`t want America to be destroyed because of the situation of what`s going on between its people. You know, we worry about an outside force. And that`s what happened to Russia. So what I`m saying to everybody, every human being, all over the world --
ANDERSON: it is about acceptance, tolerance --
MOONEY: Yes, and we have to stop that word. We have to stop it. It`s not cute. It`s not funny. Say no to the N word. That`s me, yes.
ANDERSON: Paul Mooney, great to talk to you again. Thanks so much for your insight and for being with us tonight. We appreciate it.
HAMMER: So now we want to hear from you all about this. For our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, here`s what we`re asking today, the N word, should entertainers stop using it? Let us know what you think at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Our e-mail address is SHOWBIZTONIGHT@cnn.com. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the only entertainment news show letting you express your opinion on video. Get your video camera, your web cam, give us a piece of your mind through video e-mail. It`s simple to do, just go to the website, CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. That`s where we teach you how to do it. Watch for your video e-mails only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: You won`t believe what someone spent to park a car in Boston. That`s ridiculous and that`s next.
HAMMER: Work on that accent a little, Brooke. Girl gone wild, Britney Spears out on the town again, partying with here new bosom buddy Paris Hilton. Will this shocking behavior destroy her career comeback and cost her custody of her kids? We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I`ve been naked in other films. In fact, I`ve been far more naked in other films than that , so I wasn`t worried, no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Stars who strip, tonight the biggest celebrities on screen butt naked and taking it all off. Is showing the goods a good career move, a revealing SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It`s time now for a story that made us say, that`s ridiculous! And you`re not going to believe what one Bostonian paid to park his car. An anonymous buyer shelled out, ready for this, $250,000 for a parking space in Bean town`s fancy schmancy Back Bay area. Well, the scary thing is, that`s not uncommon. You always pay through the nose for parking in Boston. The average price, in fact, for an outdoor space, 92,000 dollars. I`m thinking, for those prices, might as well pitch a tent and live there. Getting Red Sox for a quarter million bucks for a parking space, now that`s ridiculous!
ANDERSON: Your Boston accent is much better than mine, A.J. Well Britney Spears is looking for a space of her own as she filed for a divorce from Kevin Federline. Now Brit has gone wild with her new BFF, best friend forever, Paris Hilton, partying to all hours of the night, wearing skimpy little outfits. Brit, we here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT are a little bit worried about you, girlfriend, especially with your two small kids at home.
Joining us from Brentwood, California is celebrity journalist Sam Rubin of TVLA`s KTLA Channel five. Hi, Sam.
SAM RUBIN, KTLA CHANNEL FIVE: Hey Brooke, how are you?
ANDERSON: Doing well, thank you. Now last night Britney and Paris out again at L.A. hot spot Hide. We`ve got some video that TMZ caught of the two, who are now being called the destructive duo. Sam, they have been spotted everywhere, from Vegas to Hollywood, in the past few weeks and we`ve got to ask, what is she doing?
RUBIN: Well, what she is doing, according to Paris Hilton`s own spokesperson, Eliot Mintz (ph), is that she has formed a, quote, alliance, Paris and Britney have, and that Britney is sort of studying at the Temple of Paris Hilton, which seems to be a weird place to get an education, if you ask me. But I think Britney is trying to have a good time and who know more about having a good time than Paris Hilton.
ANDERSON: Studying at the temple of Paris Hilton. Something about that just sounds really wrong. There have been no lack of photo ops, obviously. We have also got pictures of the two of them with, what do you know, Lindsay Lohan. Britney, Sam, has two very young children at home, a one year old and a two month old, as we know. Who is watching the kids? I mean, if I were Kevin Federline`s attorney, I would think this might be great ammunition to show her as an unfit mother. Because just so many people to me -- it looks irresponsible.
RUBIN: Well, I tell you what, I think that is a very valid point, Brooke. Somebody like Kevin Federline, who has never qualified for father of the year, I doubt is at home with those very young children. Certainly Britney`s mother has very much been involved in their care and there is a platoon of nannies involved. I imagine that somebody, you would think, is whispering in Britney`s ear, hey, this doesn`t look that good, particularly night after night after night. Maybe she thinks of it as a vacation, or frankly a bit of a bender. We`ll see.
ANDERSON: Yes, night after night, doesn`t she get tired? How can you manage that and the kids? And, you know, cheers were heard around the world when Britney dropped Kevin Federline. People celebrated. Rosie O`Donnell even had a mini party on the View to welcome her back, to offer her encouragement. People are now saying, wait a minute, what is she doing? Do you think Britney could derail her so-called comeback, Sam, by acting this way?
RUBIN: Well, I think that is a very legitimate question, Brooke, and a very legitimate concern. I think she had all this good will, you know, finally, you`ve put this bad influence out of your life in terms of K-Fed, and then, my gosh, bad influences, Paris Hilton is probably second or third on the list. And now spending so much time with her. Yes, I think it is a real problem, because I think Britney had an opportunity to sort of turn a corner here, kind of get her life back together. This doesn`t necessarily look how many would think a young, you know, mom should get her life back together. At the same time Britney has always very much been her own boss, for better and for worse, and I think she is like, you know, this is what I`m doing.
ANDERSON: Where are her people, Sam, telling her to stop doing this? I mean does she have anybody giving her guidance right now, trying to get her back on track? Because you know that celebrities pay big bucks to help them behave.
RUBIN: Well, you know what? She has fired some of her people. Her publicist she let go in just the last couple of days. And in terms of finding new management, Britney has sort of flirted with a variety of managers, but reportedly she wants to pay them a smaller commission. So even though Britney Spears would seem to be a big client, none of the big managers have signed on yet. At the moment I think she is getting the majority of her advice from, gasp, Paris Hilton.
ANDERSON: Wow, getting paid a smaller commission to have a much bigger job, it seems right now. KTLA entertainment reporter Sam Rubin thanks for your insight. We appreciate it.
RUBIN: You bet.
ANDERSON: Sam`s reports can also be seen on the Reels Channel.
HAMMER: Well just in case you were dying to know what Brit`s soon to be ex-husband, Kevin Federline, is up to, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the answer for you. K-Fed, who is desperately trying to promote his flop of a rap album, will be appearing on the NBC gameshow, One Versus 100. It`s hosted by Full House dad Bob Saget. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN FEDERLINE, RAPPER: My home away from home.
BOB SAGET, ACTOR: You`re here.
FEDERLINE: I am here.
SAGET: Thank you for being here, man.
FEDERLINE: Thank you for having me.
SAGET: So are you excited.
FEDERLINE: Very much so.
SAGET: And you love Vegas, right?
FEDERLINE: I love Vegas. Actually, I`m going in a few days. So, I`ll be out there this weekend.
SAGET: Awesome. Well, it`s great to have you here. Thank you for being here tonight. And I`ll see you in seconds. Kevin Federline, he`s in the building.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now that was your first look. And by the way, if the contestant outsmarts K-Fed and other celebs, he could win $3 million. I`m just going to leave that one alone and let you tune in Friday night to NBC to see what happens.
ANDERSON: Which huge star gets arrested for drunk driving again? And did Jennifer Aniston really invite Brad Pitt`s parents over for Thanksgiving? The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT truth squad is on the case. That`s next.
HAMMER: And is Borat to blame for Kid Rock and Pam Anderson splitting up after just four months of marriage? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the not so nice shocking story. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She bared her breast for extra money. I mean that was basically the deal. Pay me extra and the top will come off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Stars who strip. Tonight, the biggest celebrities on screen butt naked and taking it all off. Is showing the goods a good career move? A revealing SHOWBIZ TONIGHT SPECIAL REPORT is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: It`s time now for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad, where our crack team of celebrity investigators solve Hollywood`s biggest mysteries. Tonight, did Jennifer Aniston really spend Thanksgiving with Brad Pitt`s parents, and has Tracy Morgan been busted for drunk driving? Well, the New York City police department tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that the former Saturday Night Live star, you can now see on NBC`s 30 Rock, was arrested for DWI early this morning in Manhattan. The NYPD says Morgan was driving his 2002 Cadillac erratically and blew just over the legal limit on the brethalizer (ph). Morgan was placed on three years probation earlier this year on another drunk driving charge in Hollywood.
All right, so there were a bunch of reports floating around that Jennifer Aniston was inviting her ex`s parents -- ex as in ex-husband Brad Pitt -- to her brand new Beverly Hills bachelorette pad for Thanksgiving dinner. And when Brad`s current squeeze, Angelina Jolie, heard about it, she flipped. Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT called Aniston`s publicist, who completely shot it down, saying, quote, that story is a complete fabrication. I guess that story is one big turkey.
But we`re not done yet. All kinds of talk that Nicole Kidman is pregnant. The Truth Squad gets into it at 46 past the hour.
ANDERSON: Is Borat to blame for Kid Rock and Pam Anderson splitting up after just four months of marriage? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the not so nice shocking story.
HAMMER: Also, they dissed Daniel Craig, but now this brand new Bond is pulling down serious bucks at the box office. Coming up, a very humble 007, I`m sorry. We`ve also go this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve been naked in other films. In fact, I`ve been far more naked in other films than that, so I wasn`t worried, no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Stars who strip. Tonight, the biggest celebrities on screen, butt naked and taking it all off. Is showing the goods a good career move? A revealing SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWS BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
A.J., another high-profile Hollywood couple has called it quits, and there`s word that the film "Borat" could be to blame. Hmm. We`re going to have the details, and it`s a "not so nice" story.
HAMMER: You just love saying that, don`t you?
ANDERSON: I do. I said it - what? - 10 times already?
HAMMER: Also coming up, the great Danny DeVito. What a nice guy; what a great actor, a funny actor. He has got a new movie that had a big opening at the box office over the weekend called "Deck the Halls." A lot of decorations involved in this flick. We`ll get Danny`s take on holiday decorations that can be at times over the tops.
And as a studio executive in his own right, what does he think about Michael Richards and his chances of making a comeback, and has this whole thing just been blown out of proportion? That`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: But first, stars who go nude. Tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we have a revealing look at stars who bare it all on the big screen.
The new Bond, Daniel Craig, takes it all off in "Casino Royale." And it got the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff thinking: how does baring the body affect a big star`s career? Is showing the goods a good career move?
Here`s your SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Special Report."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): For Hollywood A-listers, showing some skin on the big screen is big buzz. Just ask the new bare Bond, Daniel Craig.
DANIEL CRAIG, ACTOR: And what about a drink at my place?
ANDERSON: Craig bares his new James Bond body in "Casino Royale," in a scene that will stir and shake some of you. But he told me he`s not worried about baring it all, and we mean all.
CRAIG: I`ve been far more naked in other films than that. So - so I wasn`t worried, no.
ANDERSON: And former Bond girl Halle Berry has nothing to worry about now that she her Oscar and those nude scenes behind her. Berry`s first foray into showing some skin, in the movie "Swordfish" generated heat on and off the screen.
LEAH ROZEN, MOVIE CRITIC, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: She bared her breasts for extra money. I mean, that was basically the deal. Pay me extra, and the top will come off. And I`m guessing it probably wasn`t one of her proudest moments. I mean, it wasn`t when they - it was before she was Halle Berry, Oscar winner.
ANDERSON: Yes, let`s not forget that Halle Berry took home on Oscar for her heat-wrenching role in "Monster`s Ball."
ROZEN: Yes, there was nudity in the scene in "Monster`s Ball," but that was one of the saddest, most heartbreaking sort of angry, despairing sex scenes. I mean, there was nothing all that erotic about it.
ANDERSON: So what`s in a nude scene anyway? And does baring the body hurt or help a career?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT talked to some experts, and it turns out that it`s the type of role that matters most.
ROZEN: If you are simply doing a dumb comedy, where you are taking off your top to the leering pleasure of college-aged male viewers, you`re not going to win an Oscar.
MICHELLE KUNG, CORRESPONDENT, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": In terms of wanting attention, I think that it certainly does that goal. If you look at early movies, like, you know, "American Pie," or any sort of, like, you know, sex, gross-out comedy, then all those actresses like Shannon Elizabeth, who, you know, take off their tops, and they become kind of famous. But the - but then it`s up to them to be able to get a better role prove that this is not all that they are.
ANDERSON: And even if everyone knows who you are, landing plum roles in Hollywood is still hard, whether or not you`ve taken your top off. Just ask actress Diane Lane.
Lane had been toiling in Hollywood for years before getting the reviews of her career for her turn in "Unfaithful."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
DIANE LANE, ACTRESS: Of course.
ANDERSON: For Lane, some nudity proved to be good for her career.
KUNG: In "Unfaithful," Diane Lane had talked about why she wanted to do a nude scene, because she felt as if it was very partial to the character, because she was this mother who was staying home, and she just needed to suddenly come out and express herself in this affair.
And so she felt as if the nudity was necessary in that movie.
ANDERSON: And shooting the right kind of nude scenes hasn`t hurt Oscar-nominated actress Julianne Moore, either.
ROZEN: In "Short Cuts," the famous scene where she`s ironing wearing a top but no pants, because she`s ironing them - you know, she certainly has had a very serious career, has gone on to be nominated for Oscars. But in that case, it was a serious film.
It`s the context within which you`re doing the scene on which I think you`re judged.
ANDERSON: And by judging the career choices of two Oscar-wining actresses, Kathy Bates and Diane Keaton, doing the nude scene later on in life and for the right reasons can be a win-win situation.
Diane Keaton stripped down for Jack Nicholson in "Something`s Got to Give," and Kathy Bates joined Jack Nicholson in a hot tub for the movie "About Schmidt."
ROZEN: In each case, it was actually done for humorous rather than dramatic purposes. And in each case, it was one of the biggest laughs in the movie.
ANDERSON: Laughter aside, there are some Hollywood A-listers who make sure they have a "no nudity" clause written into their contracts. And yes, there are even some who have done the nude scenes and don`t plan on doing anymore.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have reportedly decided nude scenes are no longer necessary. And for both, it`s parenthood that made them change their ways.
KUNG: In Angelina Jolie`s case, she`s talked about how now that she`s a mother - and so therefore she doesn`t actually want to do these scenes anymore, because she doesn`t want her children to be watching them.
Brad Pitt has definitely talked about that as well. In fact, he`s kind of trying to reshape his entire image so that he appears to more of a like a family man who is interested in doing serious movies, as opposed to his earlier image of, like - it`s more a partygoing twentysomething.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Brad Pitt`s latest film, "Babel," has received rave reviews. But those of you hoping to see a shirtless Brad may be disappointed. There is nudity in the film, but Pitt`s amazing performance doesn`t include taking his clothes off.
HAMMER: Well, as we said, stripping down certainly hasn`t hurt the new James Bond. Daniel Craig`s rendition of 007 in "Casino Royale" is close to breaking box office records for the franchise.
Still, many people doubted the blond Bond would actually be able to pull off the legendary character. Well now those doubters are literally eating their words.
Here comes CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We just wanted to say, sorry, James. Sorry for all those.
(SHOTS FIRING)
MOOS: .cheap shots. For making you seem like a wimp when they first introduced you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: James Bond, wearing a life jacket? Give me a break!
MOOS: We tittered when your tooth got knocked out doing a stunt. We compared Sean Connery`s manly furry chest to yours.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We also are hearing that he has shaved his chest.
MOOS: Well, puff up that hairless chest, Daniel Craig. Here`s what they are saying now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has a great body. I love it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His whole persona was just wonderful.
MOOS: Naysayers, repent. "Casino Royale" is the No. 1 movie in the world. The critics are raving, and so are moviegoers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve seen every single one; this is the best Bond ever.
MOOS: Even hard-bitten reporters seem smitten by the new Bond.
ANDERSON: You weren`t anxious about having to achieve a certain chiseled perfection -- which you do, by the way.
CRAIG: Oh, well, thank you.
MOOS: The scene featuring 007 frolicking in his blue swim suit has been compared to Ursula Andress coming ashore in her bikini. That was "Dr. No," but even men are saying "yes" to the new Bond.
A male critic for a British paper described the swimsuit scene as "so scorchingly hot I feel embarrassed watching it, even when alone."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This guy is more grittier. He`s darker. He`s more realistic.
MOOS: Sure, Sean Connery could drive a stick shift and still manage to eject a bad guy. And we must confess to making fun of Daniel Craig when we heard he didn`t know how to handle the stick in his Aston Martin.
But now that the movie`s out...
(on camera): Did he seem to know how to drive a stick shift?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, he did fine.
MOOS (voice-over): And that Web site called CraigNotBond, the one that morphed Daniel Craig`s face into one of the Three Stooges? It`s gone.
And so, in this age of apology for weightier transgressions...
MICHAEL RICHARDS, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: I`m sorry. I`m very, very sorry.
MOOS: ... we, too, need a license to grovel.
(on camera): We`re sorry, Daniel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, Daniel. I`m very sorry that I doubted you. You are terrific.
MOOS: And hot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very hot.
MOOS (voice-over): He`s gone from being called a girly boy with a girly gun to could-be-the-best-007-yet.
(on camera): It`s enough to make a guilt-ridden reporter eat her words. Or at least those rave reviews.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And for the record, Jeanne, I never doubted Daniel Craig. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: It`s hunting season, and that could only mean one thing: deer everywhere are running for cover. We`re going to show you the surprising place one scared buck ended up. That`s SHOWBIZ - that`s next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Also, you`ve seen the headlines - is she or isn`t she? We want to know: is actress Nicole Kidman pregnant? The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad on the case. The answer coming up.
ANDERSON: Plus, Pam Anderson and Kid Rock are calling it quits. But what`s really behind their sudden split? Could the film "Borat" actually have something to do with it? The surprising answer still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand by to your break. Roll your break, and effect black.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
It`s time now for a story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
You`ve heard the expression "like a deer in headlights"? How about a deer shutting off the lights? Hunters scared a deer into an electric company warehouse in Pennsylvania. This warehouse; the buck stopped here. The buck practically smashed everything in its path. The workers wound up shutting off the lights, and the buck eventually made its way back to the woods.
Unfortunately, this poor guy`s trouble may not be over just yet, because hunting season has just started.
Still, a deer running for cover in a warehouse: now "That`s Ridiculous!"
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Looks like Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock will be hunting for love again soon. Sorry about that. The two filed for divorce after just about two - 13, 14 weeks of marriage, actually.
And you`re not going to believe what some say led to the breakup.
With us tonight from Glendale is Harvey Levin, managing editor for the entertainment Web site TMZ.com.
Hey, Harvey.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: Hey, Brooke.
ANDERSON: OK, is this true? I mean, could Pam`s role in the movie "Borat" - that`s what we`re hearing - could it have caused this breakup? Because that sounds outrageous.
What`s the deal, Harvey?
LEVIN: It does kind of sound outrageous.
I mean, the buzz is - and "Page Six" is reporting that - that Kid Rock became enraged when he watched the movie, and started calling her all sorts of names. You know, in the movie, she is the object of Borat`s obsessions. And then just calling - started calling her these heinous names.
I don`t know; I mean, it`s not like it would have been a shock to him, because everybody knew about her role in the movie, and him especially. So it just seems very improbable to me that that`s what caused the breakup.
I mean, I think something happened in the last couple of weeks that got both of them really, really angry at each other.
ANDERSON: Well, yes, I think something must have happened, too, because they filed divorce details - what? - within about 53 minutes of each other. Pam said they separated November 21; Kid Rock said the date was November 26. So you`ve got two different dates, two very different sides to this story.
Do you think something happened here, that they did take action at this same time? I mean, it sounds like some sort of reality show: who can get to the court first?
LEVIN: Well, I think that`s true.
And I`ll - I`ll tell you what I think is going on here, and I`ve got some information from, you know, people connected with all of this. They clearly were in a race to be the first to file, each of them. Kid Rock`s process server was at that courthouse before the doors opened, and bolted inside, filed his papers five minutes after the courthouse doors opened. She followed 53 minutes with her process server.
They each wanted to say to the other, basically, I dumped you. No, I dumped you. And that`s really what was going on here. And that has more to do with image than the nitty gritty of the divorce.
They`re not going to be fighting over kids; they`re not going to fighting over money. They didn`t have a prenup, but they didn`t have they didn`t have that much at stake because they were married for so short a time. This is about ego and image, and that`s why each wanted to be the one who could say, "I`m the one who filed." And that`s why you had this race.
ANDERSON: Speaking of image, Harvey, we all know they had a roller coaster of a relationship. They were engaged in 2002, broke it off. Got back together - back and forth, back and forth.
When they announced they were getting married recently, A lot of people thought, Oh my goodness, this is just a bad hookup that never ends.
But Harvey, they had four wedding ceremonies for - to prove that they were in for the long haul. They were in it for love.
Was that PR, or was it passion?
LEVIN: Oh, no, no. Listen, celebrities live their lives on the edges.
You know, there`s a great Eagles song "Desperado," where there`s a - there`s a - a-there`s - there`s a little part of the song that goes, "You`re losing all your highs and lows."
Well, that`s where celebrities - a lot of celebrities live. They live in the highs and the lows; they don`t live in the middle. So you can have passion on the highs, but the lows get really low. And that`s what happens with a lot of them.
I mean, this was - you know, they got a - they had a marriage ceremony for every day they were married, it seems. And that`s just the way they live their life.
ANDERSON: And with this on-off - on-again, off-again relationship, who knows? They could get back together again. We will keep following it.
Harvey Levin, managing editor for TMZ.com, thanks, as always.
LEVIN: Bye, Brooke.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: OK, time now to call in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad. This is where our crack team of celebrity investigators sets the record straight on Hollywood`s biggest mysteries.
Tonight: Nicole Kidman. You`ve probably seen the headlines and the not-so-subtle arrows pointing to Kidman`s stomach, declaring her pregnant. Kidman and country star Keith Urban just got married a few months ago. Since then, Urban went into rehab for addiction to alcohol, and Kidman`s been shooting films in between visits to his treatment center.
But what about these pregnancy rumors? Well SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went right to Kidman`s representatives to put an end to the speculation. Her publicist tells us the pregnancy reports are false; Nicole Kidman is not pregnant.
There you have it; the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad closes the case on this Hollywood rumor.
HAMMER: Danny DeVito`s movies have pulled in more than $3 billion at the box office. His latest, a holiday flick, is sure to add on to that. It`ll make you laugh; it`ll make you cry. I even got a little weepy.
DeVito stars alongside Matthew Broderick and Kristin Davies in "Deck the Halls." It opened in the Top 5 over the weekend.
Danny DeVito joining me in New York.
A pleasure to welcome you. Happy holidays.
DANY DEVITO, ACTOR: Thank you. Thank you. It`s very nice to be here.
HAMMER: Your character in the film - I like him because he`s got focus, he`s got a plan.
DEVITO: He really knows what he wants to do.
HAMMER: Buddy Hall wants everybody to see his - be able to see his house from outer space because of the Christmas lights.
DEVITO: Yes.
HAMMER: I`m thinking - knowing that you grew up around the Jersey Shore.
DEVITO: Right. Down in Asbury Park.
HAMMER: People down there - growing up as a New Yorker, I know - they take their holiday decorations very seriously.
DEVITO: Oh, yes. We did. We did. We - just like in "Deck the Halls" - I mean, there were people in my neighborhood who constantly added every year. They`d add something new to their house until it got to be, you know, the house that everybody went to see, all the kids. It`s time to go down to see that Christmas house.
And that`s exactly what Buddy Hall`s doing that in "Deck the Halls."
HAMMER: But do the neighbors get along a little better.
(CROSSTALK)
DEVITO: If we didn`t have Matthew Broderick, who is, like, this very - you know, Currier & Ives, very - you know, the lights here, a couple in the window, and then a tasteful tree.
HAMMER: Nothing like that.
DEVITO: Nothing like that.
I`ve got, you know, the Nativity scene. I got lights; I got music; I got.
HAMMER: You got camels!
DEVITO: Camels. I got everything going.
HAMMER: If people need an inspiration for what to do with their holiday decorations, they should - they should see this film.
I mentioned you`re going to be spending the holidays with your lovely wife.
DEVITO: That`s right, with Rhea.
HAMMER: Rhea Perlman, who I adore. I`ve been a huge fan of Rhea`s for years.
DEVITO: (INAUDIBLE)
HAMMER: You guys - and you know this, people probably bring this up to you all the time - really buck the trend in Hollywood. I mean, you`re coming up on your 25th wedding anniversary, if I have the math right.
DEVITO: That`s right.
HAMMER: We`re used to hearing about breakups every single week coming out of Hollywood.
DEVITO: Yes.
HAMMER: Do you think part of this secret for you guys is the fact that you basically got together before you were both really famous?
DEVITO: Well, we got together - actually, this is staggering - 11 years before we got married we were living together. So we planned - kind of planned it out in a - kind of a way that was - you know, not planned, but planned.
And then we - we had the kids. And once you have the kids, it`s like, you know, you`re totally focused. I guess by then we had already out of-work actors, making it good, going on television, having big shows. We partied our heads off.
HAMMER: Have that behind you.
DEVITO: We did all that kind of stuff. And now, you know, we focus on the - you know, what`s.
HAMMER: Important stuff.
DEVITO: And work. We do a lot of work and we - and we - and we make sure the kids know that they`re most important things in our lives.
HAMMER: In addition to making the marriage work for so long, you`ve had just a tremendously wonderful to career to watch.
DEVITO: Thank you.
HAMMER: .in Hollywood.
And I`m sure you`ve seen a lot of weird stuff from different Hollywood actors over the time you`ve been involved. Fortunately, we haven`t had to read a lot of weird stuff, if any, that I think of about you or about your wife.
DEVITO: Got a good publicist.
HAMMER: I`m curious to get your - well, that is always a - a big part of the equation.
I`m curious to get your perspective on the Michael Richards thing. Because as a studio executive, as somebody who produces movies.
DEVITO: Yes.
HAMMER: .as - as somebody who works as an executive producer as well as an actor, can somebody bounce back from something like that?
DEVITO: Oh, yes. Oh, yes.
I think that people fly off the handle. People do things. You`re in the middle of a show. You don`t know how difficult it is for people to be up there.
I don`t think it`s - it was the right thing to do. He didn`t have to go where he went. But he did, and it`s over with, and it`s water under the bridge. And I feel like we should, you know, just turn the other cheek. Let`s take a look at the guy`s work.
HAMMER: Move on.
DEVITO: Try to move on, yes.
HAMMER: Yes.
DEVITO: Everybody makes mistakes, you know? And so we have to be, you know, big enough to say, OK, made a mistake, he`s repenting. He really did feel bad about it, I think, I believe, from his apology. And, you know, we have to move on.
HAMMER: Time for forgiveness and moving on.
DEVITO: Yes.
HAMMER: I appreciate your perspective on that, Danny.
DEVITO: Yes. Thank you.
HAMMER: Have a happy holiday.
DEVITO: Happy holiday to you.
HAMMER: Thanks for being here.
Danny DeVito can now be seen in "Deck the Halls." And that is now in theaters.
Last night, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." It was this: "Britney Parties With Paris Hilton: Is the hotel heiress a bad influence?
Eight-four percent of you say yes; 16 percent of you say no.
Here`s some of the e-mails we received:
Michelle from New York writes, "Has Britney lost her mind? The last thing she needs is to be seen with Paris. She`s a step down from K-Fed."
Oh! Harsh.
Jason from West Virginia says, "Britney and Paris teaming up makes for a powerful duo, and I for one am very excited. I hope this leads to a duet on a new song."
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: .under, stand by, Brooke. Pre-set 7. Open her mike, dissolve L.A. Go.
ANDERSON: Thank you, Charles (ph).
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, everyone. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
OK, we have been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "The N-Word: Should entertainers stop using it?"
Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. And write to us. Here`s the address: showbiztonight@cnn.com. We will read some of your thoughts tomorrow, so stay tuned for that.
And don`t forget, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets your express your opinion on video. So just take a look into your video camera or your webcam and send us a piece of your mind via video e-mail. And you see A.J. in the corner playing around right there.
Super easy - head to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight, and you can learn how to do it. Remember to keep them short and sweet; 30 seconds or less. And then you can watch for your video e-mails right here, only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: I have to behave myself here.
All right. This is the portion of the program where we tell you what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with this fancy graphic.
And tomorrow, kids growing up in the shadow of their star parents. Their lives have been watched practically from the moment they`re conceived. From Tom and Katie to Britney and Angie and Brad, is there a secret to raising kids while in the spotlight? Well tomorrow, it`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Special Report, Can Star Kids Be Normal?
Also tomorrow, Kate Winslet takes a holiday with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We sit down with the star to talk about her latest film and how she keeps a healthy body image in Hollywood. It is the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, everybody. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Glenn Beck is coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Don`t go anywhere.
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