Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Co-Hosts of `The View` Attack Reverend Al Sharpton as Inconsistent
Aired July 17, 2007 - 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: Winona Rider finally reveals just what made her go on that shocking shop lifting spree. And the worldwide outrage over a 200 foot naked Homer Simpson. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, another shocking View feud. Tonight, the explosive war of words between Elizabeth Hasselbeck --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, "THE VIEW": It just seems as though he is very selectively advocating him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And Reverend Al Sharpton. Why a nasty battle erupted over Beyonce. Tonight, Al Sharpton comes out swinging in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Good lessons for Hollywood`s bad girls. Tonight, what the Parises, the Britneys, the Lindsays can learn from other young stars who haven`t gone to jail or been in rehab. The stunning secrets to staying out of trouble revealed. It`s a SHOWBIZ special report, lessons for Hollywood`s bad girls from the good ones.
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And if you think you have heard it all about why Winona Ryder shop lifted a couple of years back, well, you haven`t. Coming up, she comes clean on what made her do it, and you`re not going to believe it.
But, first, another thing you won`t believe. There is yet another feud on "The View." Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Barbara Walters are now going toe to toe with one of the most controversial figures in America, the reverend Al Sharpton. In just a couple of minutes I`ll be speaking exclusively with the Reverend Al himself, but first the firestorm.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): We all remember Rosie versus Trump. And Barbara Walters versus Star Jones. And we`re still reeling from Rosie versus Elizabeth.
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": Do you believe that, yes or no?
HASSELBECK: Excuse me. Let me speak.
HAMMER: Now we`re seeing the unlikeliest View feud of them all. "The View" versus Al Sharpton.
MARY MURPHY, TV GUIDE: You can`t wait to turn on "The View" to see who are they going to be fighting with today.
HAMMER: Here we go again. The show is looking less like "The View" and more like the feud. TV Guide`s Mary Murphy tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the spat between the civil rights activist and the morning chat show may not have been an epic battle like Rosie versus Hasselbeck --
HASSELBECK: Let me speak.
HAMMER: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you this tussle between a controversial show and an even more controversial man made for a juicy story. It all starts with chapter one, the prologue. This is the picture that launched 1,000 words. The website TMZ.com labelled this outfit, worn by the pop singer Beyonce, as, quote, robo-ho. It almost sounds like the fembots from the Austin Powers movies.
But Al Sharpton didn`t find it funny. He publicly blasted TMZ`s crack as, quote, demeaning and abusive, setting the stage for chapter two, the smack down. It came on "The View."
HASSELBECK: Al Sharpton, how he went after TMZ.
HAMMER: Co-hosts Barbara Walters and Elizabeth Hasselbeck called Sharpton out for going after TMZ. They claimed he fails to go after black hip-hop artist when they also use racially offensive language.
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": Al Sharpton does not get angry when black rappers, like Pharell Williams (ph) use the N-word.
HASSELBECK: Here is a man who is consistently inconsistent. It just seems as though he is very selectively advocating here.
HAMMER: Ouch. Now it`s on. And in the next chapter of this mini- feud, the reverend strikes back. Sharpton immediately fired off a letter to the producers of "The View," which was obtained by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It read, quote, "I challenge Barbara Walters, and you, the producers of `the View,` as well as Elizabeth Hasselbeck, to explain your blatant distortion of the facts that National Action Network and I have been inconsistent in attacking people on the N word, the B word, and the H word.
He says, I can only assume that you did not bother to research your statement or are intentionally trying to miscast our work. He concludes, to distort the fact that we don`t go after blacks is something to be corrected, and you should be more responsible.
MURPHY: Al Sharpton was tough. He laid out his response, and he was absolutely right.
HAMMER: In the letter, Sharpton also listed the various occasions in which he has publicly gone after those black or white who use the N word. He failed to mention the time he did it right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: We also got to look at those of us even in the African-American community that has given license to the use of the N word that we really got to say, wait a minute.
HAMMER: And that set the stage for chapter four, the final word.
WALTERS: We made Al Sharpton angry.
HAMMER: The following day on "The View" Barbara Walters acknowledged Sharpton`s letter and said, in effect, oops.
WALTERS: He gave us a response curtailing how much he has done, and indeed, he has done a very great deal. So we are happy to hear it. We are happy to hear from Reverend Sharpton.
HAMMER: Then as Hasselbeck sat silently by, Barbara slammed the door shut on further discussion.
WALTERS: OK, on we go.
MURPHY: It was clear that Barbara Walters wanted to make her apology, set it right with Reverend Al Sharpton and move on. Barbara Walters wanted to end the subject. It`s over.
HAMMER: The dust is starting to clear from the latest View dust up. No one ended up in tears this time, and no one has left the show. Perhaps a rare public discussion on the subject that continues to inspire debate. Still, we can`t help but dream about our dream matches.
MURPHY: Rosie versus Al Sharpton.
HAMMER: Now, that would have been a feud.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Still, the war of words is far from over. In a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive, joining me tonight from Hollywood, the Reverend Al Sharpton. Thank you for being here, reverend.
SHARPTON: Thank you, A.J.
HAMMER: As we said in our story that we just heard, this whole controversy started with TMZ`s article on the BET awards. TMZ describing Beyonce`s outfit as robo-ho. You complained, saying that calling a woman a ho is demeaning and abusive. Reverend, obviously there are so many cases in which offensive language gets hurled about. Why did you zero in on this specific case?
SHARPTON: You know, we have formed the National Action Network, a decency initiative, that any time we hear the word -- the N word, the H word, or the B word, we write letters and -- or do whatever is appropriate to call it out. This is one among many.
In fact, on August 7th there`s going to be in 20 cities vigils led by Tamika Mawi (ph) and the decency initiative in front of places that broadcast this and commercialize it. People have the right to say what they want, but we have the right to say that we are offended by it, and it`s wrong.
And I think that whether they`re blacks doing it, whites doing it, whoever is doing it, there has to be a movement to stop it. The NAACP just had the N word burial. You just showed that. National Action Network, we had marches on it. We intend to continue to say that you have the right to say it, but you will not silence us from saying it`s inappropriate, it is wrong. We don`t want to be depicted in that manner.
HAMMER: That`s exactly the discussion you and I were having with the whole Imus controversy that happened. Of course, TMZ wasn`t happy with the fact that you targeted them. They snapped back with this statement, quote, please note that we called Beyonce`s performance outfit a robo-ho, not Ms. Knowles herself. There is a difference. As to accusations that our comments were racially motivated, TMZ has humorously called into question many celebs for wearing racy outfits regardless of their race.
TMZ did go on to give examples where they called a Lindsay Lohan outfit a whore-ror, even Kid Rock got the ho reference launched at him. Al, I`m not interested in getting into a debate over the finer points of the use of the word ho here, but where do we make the distinction?
SHARPTON: I think the term in and of itself, which is the position the decency initiative has taken, is a mesagonist term. I think that, you know, when -- again, when we went after Imus, we went after him because he was a repeat offender. We sent a letter to TMZ. They wanted a big fight. They`re not Imus. We don`t want to distract ourselves from the people that have main streamed this.
To call an outfit or to call a woman, either way, the term is something that is offensive to a lot of women. And we called it out on that, which is why we`re doing what we`re doing. And I think that, you know, if it was superwoman and they called it a ho outfit, I would say the term is wrong. Just like if you refer to homosexuals with the F-word or to Latinos with the S-word. The term itself is offensive, and you can`t sanitize that with semantics.
HAMMER: As we saw, "The View" co host Elizabeth Hasselbeck questioned your motives in all of this. Let`s listen to that once again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSELBECK: Here`s a man who is consistently inconsistent. He goes against -- he goes and attacks TMZ. But then he doesn`t care when TMZ happens to call Paris Hilton a, whatever, ho or goes after Posh Spice, calling her posh-stitute. It just seems to me he is very selectively advocating here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, reverend. Even though your record clearly shows you do go after all kinds of people, I got to ask the question -- and I only have about 30 seconds, but are you more likely to target offensive language when it is targeted at minorities, which is exactly what Elizabeth Hasselbeck was saying, and, quite frankly, a lot of people do say that about you.
SHARPTON: Well, the record is clear. That`s why we sent the record there. I give Barbara Walters credit for dealing with it today. And I think maybe the good news is that a lot of people that have had that distortion now have to say, you know what, they can answer that. And they can go to NationalActionNetwork.net to find out what we`re doing. I don`t care who is the culprit and who is the victim. We`re about having the same standards for everybody.
HAMMER: Reverend Al Sharpton, I do appreciate you joining us tonight.
SHARPTON: Thank you, A.J.
HAMMER: Well, I think need to listen up, Britney, Paris, Lindsay, because we have got some really good lessons for you Hollywood bad girls. That`s right, there are plenty of young ladies who actually haven`t gone to jail, haven`t been through rehab, and we have their stunning secrets for staying out of trouble revealed. It`s a SHOWBIZ special report, lessons for the bad girls from Hollywood`s good girls. That`s coming up at 30 minutes past the hour.
Also, I`ve got an amazing confession tonight from a former Hollywood bad girl, Winona Ryder. Still remembered for her shop lifting bust a couple of years back. Well, tonight she is finally explaining why she did it. It is absolutely stunning. That`s on the way. I`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISAIAH WASHINGTON, ACTOR: I did not call T.R. a faggot. Never happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Isaiah Washington, Alec Baldwin, Paris Hilton, all in shocking scandals, now getting a second chance. Do they really deserve it? I have their controversial second chance stories coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WASHINGTON: I`ve apologized to every one. What more could I possibly do? How bad am I supposed to feel? Am I supposed to lay down and die? That`s just not who I am.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That was from my revealing interview with "Gray`s Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington. He, of course, was fired from the show for using an anti-gay slur. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Well, NBC says Isaiah deserves a second chance.
The network has hired him for a five visit episode stint on their upcoming fall series NBC`s "Bionic Woman." If that goes well, he has a shot at developing and starring in a drama series of his own for the network. Isaiah isn`t the only star out there making a comeback from controversy.
Paris Hilton says that she is a changed woman. Now she wants to do good, but since finishing her stint in jail, all we know is that she`s reportedly working on a new album. Lindsay Lohan is working on her sobriety now that she`s out of rehab, but will her movie career ever rebound, especially now that she`s apparently back on the club scene.
And then there`s Alec Baldwin, the horrible voice mail message that left for his young daughter went public, and he didn`t lose his job. He will be back on TV this fall on NBC`s "30 Rock." So what does it take for a star to make a second chance successful?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Isaiah Washington`s publicist, our friend Howard Bragman from 15 Minutes Public Relations. And in New York Jane Velez-Mitchell, author of this book, "Secrets Can Be Murder." Howard, Jane, it`s nice to see you both. And Howard, I want to start with you because, obviously, you know Isaiah well, working as his publicist.
Even the NBC executives said he came this close to having his career destroyed. He did upset a lot of people, as you know all too well. Why did Isaiah Washington get a second chance?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, 15 MINUTES PR: Because he is an incredibly talented actor, and that`s the ultimate -- that`s the ultimate point of this whole exercise. When you watch him on TV, you can`t take your eyes off. He is compelling. He is talented. NBC is the number four network. They took a guy from the number one scripted show on TV. They`re trying to be the number one network, and they think this is the road to get there.
HAMMER: And it also seems he took the right path in terms of contrition, I`m sure guided largely by you, in terms of doing, well, just our show. And he also spoke with Larry King, and then he called it quits on that. He also seemed to have a terrific attitude.
When I sat down with Isaiah, he told me that he never gave up hope that he would get past the whole mess. Let`s watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WASHINGTON: I would like to think that over time there is still forgiveness in this country. And I have said it before, you know, I just had an experience in 22 days to shoot a major motion picture, and a lot of people, all walks of life, all races and genders, and sexual orientation came up to me with hugs and kisses. And I have gotten more gifts on that show than I have gotten anywhere, on any production.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Isaiah made a lot of people angry when the whole thing blew up, but now he is starting to see forgiveness coming from people. Jane, is it as simple sometimes as someone baring their soul in the public for the public to actually grant forgiveness?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Yes, I think it actually is. They say there`s no mess you can`t clean up, and I think that absolutely applies to Isaiah Washington. He made some key errors at the beginning. He was angry. He was defiant. He was offensive. He repeated the offensive word a second time at the Golden Globes.
But since then he started to do the right thing, and he has apologized. And now he is appearing at charity events. Now he`s getting new acting gigs. This too shall pass. I think he can take it one step further and perhaps go out and do some charity work for the gay and lesbian community. And that would really, I think, give him closure and help him move on.
HAMMER: Speaking of charity work, maybe not speaking of talent, let`s move on to Paris Hilton. Now that she`s out of jail, she says she wants to use her powers to do some good. There`s been so much talk about charity work in the interview she did with Larry King, of course, and other place, but we haven`t heard about any do gooding so far, Howard. We do know that she`s going to clubs and clam bakes and working on a new album. That won`t buy her a second chance, will it?
BRAGMAN: She me the compassion, Paris. We want to see something. Give me a donation, walk down a red carpet at a charity event, announce you`re going to do an event in six years. I don`t care. I want to hear something, anything. That was what the whole Larry King interview was about, the new Paris. I haven`t seen it, and I want to see it. And I think a lot of people do.
HAMMER: Jane, I have a feeling you`re on that train.
MITCHELL: I totally agree with Howard. There`s words and there`s spin, and then there`s action. When those two never meet, eventually the star has a credibility problem, and it doesn`t matter what they say, we don`t believe them. She`s approaching that because while she`s talking about all these things, the paparazzi is reporting she`s going out clubbing and coming home late at night or early in the morning. If that continues much longer and she doesn`t do any charity work -- because you can`t really do both, let`s face it -- she`s going to lose credibility.
HAMMER: Here`s one I don`t completely understand. That`s why I`m turning to you guys. Alec Baldwin; he left that awful message for his young daughter. The whole world got to hear it. He called her a rude, thoughtless little pig. He said he personally felt awful about it, but, Howard, there wasn`t any professional fallout from it. He is back on NBC. They never even talked about booting him off the show. He talked about possibly leaving. Why did he get a second chance?
BRAGMAN: That wasn`t a professional issue. It was a personal issue. This tape was so humiliating and so personal, I felt a little uncomfortable listening to it. It wasn`t something that should have been out in the public purview. Kids should never be brought into it. Whoever leaked that is really a piece of dirt, and deserves bad things to happen to them.
And I think a lot of people felt bad that their personal life was put out in the public like that. It had nothing to do with work.
HAMMER: All that said, Jane, what do you think, one more bad piece of press, could that really hurt him and damage any chances of continuing on the way he has been continuing?
MITCHELL: It might, but I agree again with Howard. He handled it well. Within 24 hours of that tape being leaked, he had a statement in which he apologized. Then he been on "The View," very proactive, and started talking about a cause, an issue parental alienation. So he really wasn`t ego-based. He talking about his child, how much he loves his child, apologizing, but also talking about the stress that he was under.
HAMMER: Hopefully there are other stars out there who are paying attention to how these stars handle their situations, and we`re able to get that big second chance that doesn`t always seem to come too easily. Jane Velez Mitchell, Howard Bragman, thank you both for joining us tonight.
Now we would like to hear form you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, Isaiah Washington, back on TV, will you watch. Let us know at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Or email us if you have more to say at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
You can always stay on top of the latest and most provocative entertainment news stories simply by signing up for our fantastic SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Go to CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Click on the newsletter button, and we will email that sucker to you every single day.
Do you remember when Winona Ryder shop lifted a few years back? It was such a stunning story. Well, tonight Winona is finally speaking out. Everybody has been wondering why in the world would such a big star do such a stupid thing? You`re not going to believe what made her do it. That`s next. I`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We take things really seriously. We work hard, and we get a lot in return.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Calling all Hollywood bad girls, I want you to listen up because I think you can definitely learn a thing or two from the good girls. You know, I`m talking about the ones that have actually stayed out of jail, stayed out of rehab. So pay attention, Lindsay, Paris, Britney. It`s a SHOWBIZ special report, and it`s coming up.
All right, I am a major fan of the Simpsons. But I got to tell you, when I heard about a shocking movie stunt gone wrong, all I can say was-- doh!
Yes, that was me. Tonight, the worldwide outrage over a 200 foot naked Homer Simpson. Our SHOWBIZ video of the day is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: All right, so you remember that absolutely bizarre Winona Ryder scandal when she was caught shop lifting? Well, tonight Winona has a shocking confession. She says drugs made her do it. Nearly six years ago the actress was caught on tape stuffing all sorts of things into her bag at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Now she`s blaming her whacky behavior on pain killers. She tells "Vogue Magazine" that she was taking Oxycodone because her arm was broken, and that got her all messed up.
Here`s what she told the magazine, quote, "it all happened in the December after the September 11th terrorist attacks. I couldn`t believe so much attention was being paid to me when terrorists had just attacked us, and there was actually all this really important news going on. It was really embarrassing. I didn`t have this tremendous sense of guilt because I hadn`t hurt anyone. Had I physically harmed someone or caused harm to a human being, I think it would have been an entirely different experience."
Winona also says that she is terrified of growing old alone. You know, she`s dated Johnny Depp and Matt Damon in the past, but she does worry that the love of her life may have already passed her by. You can read a whole lot more with Winona in the August issue of "Vogue Magazine" on newsstands Wednesday.
Well, Winona certainly got her act together, as we now know, but the question is there any hope for Lindsay, Britney or Paris? We`ve got some great lessons from Hollywood`s good girls, the ones that haven`t been in jail or in rehab. They could save the bad ones. That`s next.
Older women with younger men, much younger men. Or the other way around. Can it work? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is taking a stand when it comes to love in Hollywood. Age doesn`t matter. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Talk about a political hot potato. There`s a new presidential video battle that is causing all kinds of controversy. Get ready for some serious mud slinging or maybe we should be calling it mud wrestling. I don`t know. That`s coming up when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT returns in just a moment.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY DUFF, ACTRESS: We take things really seriously and we work really hard and we get a lot in return.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Listen up, Hollywood bad girls, we`re going to teach you a thing or two. All you have to do is look around, and there are plenty of young talented, rich, successful stars who never set foot in jail or in rehab. Tonight a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Lessons for Paris, Lindsay, and Brittney from Hollywood`s Good Girls".
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
We`re going to take the bad girls of Hollywood to charm school in just a minute, but, first, let`s get you up-to-date on exactly what they`ve been up to lately. Paris Hilton may have told Larry King that jail taught her there`s more to life than the party scene, but she has been back on the scene in full force. Paris also says she`s going to be focusing on making another album.
Lindsay Lohan, in the meantime, just got out of rehab and went right to a nightclub in Vegas, although people say she wasn`t drinking, and she was wearing an alcohol monitoring device around her ankle.
And then, there`s Britney Spears. She can now add the Humane Society to the list of people who are over her, after she quickly bought a $3,000 puppy at a pet store without first checking if that store gets their dogs from puppy mills. And, oh, yeah, whatever happened to her musical comeback?
I have to say it doesn`t seem like Hollywood`s bad girls have made all that much progress when it comes to cleaning up their acts. In fact, kind of looks like they may be teetering on the edge of potential disaster. If you think all hope is lost, never fear, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right here to tell you there are actually good girls in Hollywood, and they can definitely teach the bad girls a thing or two.
Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson with a SHOWBIZ special report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (SINGING): Miss Independent, Miss Self- Sufficient, Miss Keep-Your-Distance
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN HOLLYWOOD CORRESPONDENT (voice over): If the good girls of Hollywood were looking for a theme song, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT could tell you it could well be Kelly Clarkson`s "Miss Independent", because for good girls like Kelly, it`s not just a song. It`s how she lives her life.
JESSICA WEINER, AUTHOR, SELF-ESTEEM EXPERT: Kelly Clarkson has proven to be a strong and independent good girl for women to look up to in this industry. I think she was the first big winner of "American Idol", and she could have gone in a lot of different directions, but she`s really stayed true to herself, and you can see it.
ANDERSON: Unlike Kelly, so many young stars turn into the bad girls of Hollywood -- Paris, Lindsay, Brittany. So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to reveal what they need to do to get on the good girl path. And the number one thing good girls do right, they get serious about the work.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: They work really hard, is the first thing. They take their craft seriously.
HILARY DUFF, ACTRESS: I`m really not good in front of crowds. I won`t even let my mom hear me sing in the shower.
ANDERSON: Take Hillary Duff, for example, TV`s Lizzie McGuire grew up on television making kids laugh. The one-time child star, along with her older sister Haley, both know that being serious about their work and not the trappings of fame is the ultimate reward.
DUFF: You know what I think is we take things really seriously, you know, and we work hard, and we get a lot in return.
ANDERSON: And working hard doesn`t only mean learning lines for a movie role. You hear that, Lindsay? Or showing up on every red carpet you can get to. Hear that, Paris? A career means making good moves.
BRAGMAN: It means making good decisions. It means your private life is conducted behind curtains, and not out at bars, and you`re not trying to get the reputation of Miss Party Thing 2007.
ANDERSON: Yes, Miss Party Thing 2007. If there were ever an award for this dubious distinction, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT bets there would be a three- way tie between Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan. Brittany, in and out of rehab; same with Lindsay, and then there`s Paris.
(On camera): I have to tell you, this day has been surreal. Just one day after Paris Hilton was released from jail, that`s just three days into her sentence, she was dragged back into court nearly kicking and screaming.
(Voice over): The spectacle of Paris Hilton came after she made a career out of being famous for virtually nothing. Amazingly, a rather successful career that she may have never thought would be endangered by doing something stupid.
BRAGMAN: A lot of people take this for granted that they think they`re so talented it`s just going to happen. I know a lot of talented people who have really miserable careers. You have to be grateful. You have to work on your career. You have to keep your eye on the prize.
ANDERSON: And keeping both eyes on the prize is just what Hollywood good girl Jennifer Love Hewitt has been doing for years.
BRAGMAN: I have known Jennifer almost two decades, and she is one of the hardest working young actors I have ever met. She`s got a great TV show. She has got commercial endorsements. She goes out with nice people. She`s got a family who loves her. I mean, these are the rewards you get for playing it right.
HAYDEN PANETIERRE, ACTRESS: I have busted like every bone in my body, stabbed myself in the chest. I stuck a two foot steel rod in my neck. And I don`t have a scratch on me!
ANDERSON: The young star of TV`s "Heroes", Hayden Panetierre, is also a Hollywood good girl who knows that a big part of who you are is ultimately who you surround yourself with.
PANETIERRE: People you are around, they impact who you are, and when there are people that you`re around who are on the same track and keep you on that track, then you`re good to go.
ANDERSON: And when you stray from that track, as Paris, Brittney, and Lindsay have done too many times, you set yourself up for a crash. So, ladies, take a good look at the Hollywood good girls. You might learn a thing or two.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I hope they were paying attention. That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson with our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day asking what you think about Hollywood`s bad girls. Yesterday, here`s what we wanted to know. Lindsay Lohan is out clubbing after rehab. Will she change her ways?
Look at this. Apparently you don`t think so. It`s 6 percent of you sawing yes. And 94 percent of you saying no.
Among the emails we got, we heard from Joyce from Florida. Joyce writes, "If she doesn`t change her ways, it will get worse, never better.
We also heard from Theresa in Kentucky who writes, "Change doesn`t happen overnight, but she shouldn`t be setting herself up for failure."
There is a firestorm raging online over Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani, but it has very little to do with politics, and a lot more to do with women in tight shorts. It`s Obama Girl versus Giuliani Girl. And if you ever had any doubts that the Internet has definitely changed the landscape for a presidential campaign, well, this ought to seal it for you. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The first one sure clicked with the public.
AMBER LEE ETTINGER, SINGER, MUSIC VIDEO PERFORMER: I got a crush on Obama.
MOOS: So now Obama booty shorts buttheads with Rudy`s booty in a sequel.
CHORUS: You`re from the GOP --
CHORUS: Obama --
CHORUS: Take it to the streets.
CHORUS: Obama.
CHORUS: Shake it to the street.
MOOS: Hey, if there been a Spider Man 3, why not an Obama Girl 2?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (SINGING): Everybody get up on the floor, if it`s Giuliani you adore, I`m gonna be wife number four. He warms my globe just like Al Gore --
MOOS: Cute but still cheesy wrote one critiquer.
BEN RELLES, MUSIC VIDEO CREATOR: Yeah, I think we`re going for cute and cheesy, yeah.
ETTINGER: Yeah, cute and cheesy, that`s the look.
RELLES: Sounds about right.
MOOS: Ben Relles helped create both videos and Amber Lee Ettinger co-stars in them.
(on camera): You didn`t bring your booty shorts, but the next best thing.
ETTINGER: Yes, next best thing, my business suit.
MOOS: Business was so great on their website, Barelypolitical.com, that it temporarily crashed just after the new video debuted.
SINGER: Obama can`t rep the American flag --
SINGER: Nothing is worse than Giuliani in drag.
MOOS: The Giuliani Girl is played by a model they found on a website for models.
SINGERS: Giuliani --
SINGERS: Obama --
SINGERS: Giuliani --
SINGERS: Obama, oooh! --
MOOS: Eventually Obama Girl and Giuliani Girl end up in a pillow fight.
ETTINGER: Actually, the Giuliani girl was like, Amber, stop it, you`re hitting me too hard.
MOOS: The Giuliani campaign had no comment on the new video. Just as the Obama campaign had no comment on the original video. Just as the Hillary Clinton campaign wouldn`t comment on "Hot for Hill", a girl-likes- girl video unrelated to the other team.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hillary, I think I want you --
MOOS: The creators of the Obama versus Giuliani Girl video say they were aiming for balance. Sure seems like Obama Girl gets off most of the zingers.
SINGER: Giuliani is like a Ronald Reagan.
SINGER: I knew Reagan, and you`re no Reagan.
SINGER: Obama should be out like Tony Blair
SINGER: Rudy has less a chance than hair.
MOOS: Some who take their politics seriously were unamused, calling the video shallow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t think so. I don`t think it trivializes it any more than "The Daily Show" or "Saturday Night Live".
SINGER: Giuliani Girl just stop your fussin`, at least Obama didn`t marry his cousin.
MOOS: Actually it was his second cousin, once removed, who is counting cousins amid the battle of the booties. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: This is going to be one of the bootie-liscious presidential race. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, when it comes to love in Hollywood, I want to know does age really matter? What about the younger man, older woman combination?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CONSUELOS, HOST, "AGE OF LOVE": Probably guys in their 20s or 30s haven`t been open to, you know, experimenting or experiencing someone who is older, much older than them, and if they do, they would be surprised.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well said, Mark Consuelos. I happen to think age is only a number. There are some Hollywood love matches that are proving that point to be true. Coming up, we`ve got a look at the couples show age does not matter.
Plus, a star-studded night for the New York premier of "Hairspray" with some surprise A-listers showing up, right there on the red carpet. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there. We`ll tell you who was there coming up.
And, finally, two of my favorite things together at last, Homer Simpson and a pagan fertility symbol from the 17th century. Wait until you see this. I`m going to tell you why some people are simply not amused by a giant piece of marketing for the new "Simpsons" movie. I`m amused, but that`s me. That`s next in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video of the day.
First, we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Isaiah Washington back on TV, will you watch? Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiz tonight. Got more to say? The email address is Showbiz tonight@cnn.com.
You can stay on top of the latest and most provocative entertainment news stories just by signing up for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. You can go to cnn.com/showbiz tonight, and you can click on the newsletter button on the left side of the page. We`ll email it to you every day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
It is time now for your SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video of the day. I`ve been looking forward to this. You kind of have to hand it to the people who are promoting the upcoming "Simpsons" movie in the United Kingdom. They`re getting very creative with the way they`re getting the message out. Take a look at this. What the heck is going on there? I don`t know. Maybe they`ve gone a little too far.
They`ve put Homer right next to a well-known British landmark. Homer on the left, of course, and on the right it`s a pagan fertility symbol dating back to at least the 17th century.
Now, there are people who are complaining about the 180 foot Homer honing in on this historical site. The pagan group says not only is it an eyesore, but it`s really disrespectful. No word on whether or not anybody has tried to eat the giant doughnut.
The good news for them is that Homer, unlike the fertility symbol, is made of biodegradable paint. It will eventually wash away.
Please, don`t eat the donut.
I was thinking about this in advance of doing this segment tonight. Homer and Marge Simpson, they`re roughly the same age, right? They got together in high school. They have managed to make their marriage work. These days it seems that the Hollywood age gap is widening. Now, I can hardly keep track of what`s going on here with the Cougars and Kittens, and the men whose wives are young enough to be their daughters.
So, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT really wants to know, when you are talking about the rich and famous, does age really even matter? Joining me tonight from Hollywood, the lovely Daphne Brogdon, host of TV Guide`s "Fashion Team".
Hello, Daphne.
DAPHNE BROGDON, TV GUIDE, "FASHION TEAM": Thank you. I think I`m a few years away from being a Cougar.
HAMMER: Well, all right, it depends on who you`re going after, I suppose.
Speaking of which, boom, nice segue right into the first couple we`ve got to talk about. You can`t deal with the Hollywood age gap without dropping the names Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. She`s 44, he`s 29. We`re talking about a 16-year age difference there.
Daphne, I have always wondered about these guys who really do seem to make it work. Other than the biz, what could they possibly have in common?
BROGDON: Let`s see, they`re both beautiful. I mean, you know, she is basically the bionic woman. I mean, who could forget when she emerged out of the water in that "Charlie`s Angels" movie. Most regular 44-year-old ladies, doing their whatever working class job, they done look like her, so somebody that`s as young and as cute as Ashton is probably not going to go them.
So, there`s a major chemistry, sexual attraction going on there. And also to his credit, you know, he is probably mature enough he can handle it.
HAMMER: I think that probably has a lot to go with it. And I guess that is a big component for a lot of those Cougar couples, the Cougars being the older women, with their younger men.
I happen to speak with the Mark Consuelos recently, he`s hosting the new NBC show, "Age of Love", which deals with this very subject. I asked if age matters in love, and this is what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CONSUELOS, HOST, "AGE OF LOVE": I think it`s about chemistry, and I think that probably guys in their 20s or 30s haven`t been open to you know experimenting or experiencing someone who is older, or much older than them. And if I think if they did, they probably would be really surprised.
Now, like I said, it comes back on the chemistry. If that`s not your thing, then it`s not your thing. You still see the 40-year-old guy, or the 50-year-old guy with the 20-year-old girl. We feel like that`s OK. Why isn`t OK with the reverse?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yeah, there has been kind of this double standard going on. So I guess that makes a lot of sense. And if you look at Eva Longoria and Tony Parker, these guys just got married in France. Eva is 32, which is eight years the senior of her new husband, Tony Parker. He is 24. Kind of what you said about Ashton Kutcher. Part of what must happen to them is Eva is a very young 32 and perhaps Tony is a very mature 24.
BROGDON: He seems like his bearing seems much older. My god, my stepson is only a few years younger than him, and it`s like -- he seems like his age. Tony Parker seems older. Maybe that`s because he is in nice suits. That could help. But definitely, and you know what -- they look like each other. I think the thing is their ages look the same. You know, I know a lot of girls that are self-conscious about dating younger guys because I don`t want to look like I`m dating my son. But they don`t look like that. I mean, if you hadn`t told me that, I would have thought they were the exact same age.
HAMMER: Yes, that`s the truth. If you look at the two of them together -- as we were just watching them -- it doesn`t look like there is this big age difference, that there is.
However, you might notice a little bit of an age difference if you look at Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. After all, he`s 62 years old. That`s 25 years older than Catherine. She`s 37. Certainly Michael has taken a lot of heat for the age difference here. Now, I want to read to you something Michael said recently.
He said, quote, "The nice thing about being older is you don`t take anything for granted."
They are definitely proof that even a huge age difference doesn`t matter. What do you think, Daphne, should people just cut them a break?
BROGDON: You know what, I don`t even think people need to because those two look like they are having so much fun. You know, they are like kind of counting their money and counting their good time. I`ll tell you one thing that really works for them, besides the fact that she loves getting that AARP discount --
(LAUGHTER)
BROGDON: I`ll be here all week, people. Tip your waitresses.
HAMMER: You said it, not me.
BROGDON: Yeah, right.
No, is that I read recently, she said when they go on vacation, they bring two nannies. Hello? No conflict. I mean, that`s so great. If you have that much help with your kids and everything, she has time to look all sassy and beautiful, for him to be like look at my hot trophy wife. And she`s like look at my cool guy, who has it all made, and he can pay all the bills, even though I am a movie star.
HAMMER: Yeah.
BROGDON: Power and money, that`s also -- that`s a real sexual attraction there.
HAMMER: Good point. Twenty seconds to talk about another couple who may not look leak there is an age difference, but there is. I was actually surprised see this myself. Jay Zee is 37. You know, Beyonce is only 25. You don`t really think about that. A lot of people think they`re around the same age. Both of them are huge in the music business. Is that a big reason they can make it work?
BROGDON: Absolutely. Because she`s not a typical 25-year-old. She`s been performing since she was a little kid. She probably wouldn`t know what to do with a 25-year-old boy. He`s like, ah, maybe I`ll got to grad school. She needs somebody more established who can keep up (ph) with her.
HAMMER: They are a perfect match.
Daphne Brogdon, thanks a lot for joining us tonight.
BROGDON: You`re welcome.
HAMMER: Well, there was a hair-raising surprise at the "Hairspray" premier in New York on Monday night. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there, as Tom Cruise`s younger wife walked the red carpet. She wasn`t expected to show up. Now Katie is known as one of Hollywood`s good girls and another Amanda Bynes, who also stars in the field film, revealed to CNN "American Morning" Entertainment Correspondent Lola Ogunnaike, how she keeps herself out of trouble.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA BYNES, ACTRESS: I feel like everybody is doing the best they can, and I feel like I`m very lucky to have a good family and good people around me. Other than that, I`m doing the best I can. But I definitely make mistakes. Yes.
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: You don`t make major mistakes, at all. You are always so together.
BYNES: Thank you. Well, I try to keep my private life private, and try not to, you know -- when I`m promoting a movie that`s great, but other than that, I like to have my own private life. I don`t need to go to every party or anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Sounds like she`s got a good head on her shoulders. The movie is getting really good reviews so far. "Hairspray" also stars John Travolta, Michelle Pfeifer Christopher Walken, Britney Snow. A lot of fun, but it does touch upon serious issues like weight and racial discrimination. It is in theaters everywhere coming up this Friday.
Matt Damon is back as Jason Bourne in what is sure to be a big summer blockbuster. We`ve got your sneak peak at the brand new trailer for "Bourne Ultimatum" coming up in your SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "First Look", next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Tonight, in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "First Look" Matt Damon back on the big screen this summer as trained assassin Jason Bourne in the "Bourne Ultimatum". And he is once again on a globe-spanning quest for the truth about his past. Here`s your "First Look" at the brand new scenes from "Bourne Ultimatum".
(BEGIN MOVIE TRAILER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who was I?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They gave you so many identities, Cheaver, Lee, Kane, Bourne. You were one of the first ones in the program.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a situation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bourne showed up on our surveillance in southern Maryland (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Corrin (ph), Italy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: London.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tangiers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s he after?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s retracing his steps, looking for something. We need to know what it is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone made me what I am. And I`m going to find him.
Who`s Voseff (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He trained you. He was with you from the beginning. He knows who you are.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They`re not going to let you go. They need to bring you home in a body bag.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They can`t stop me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hanna Landy (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hear you`re still looking for me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Coming online.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trace is confirming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen, Bourne is within 1,000 yards of this place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is communicating.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe we should communicate back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m going out there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get the vehicles. We`re going mobile. Follow Landy (ph), she leads us to Jason Bourne.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to find him and we need to take him out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alpha-Bravo.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s look sharp.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where is he, people?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Milo Voseff (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Jason Bourne.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was wondering when you were going make this call. Perhaps we can arrange a meet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are you now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m sitting in my office.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I doubt that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why would you do that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you were in your office right now, we would be having this conversation face-to-face.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Code 10 abort, code 10 abort. Everyone back to the building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t tell me he is gone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has our entire playbook. Names, dates, ghost sites. Every dirty little secret we have.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen very carefully to what I`m going to have to tell you. I remember. I remember everything.
(END MOVIE TRAILER)
HAMMER: The blockbuster franchise returns when "Bourne Ultimatum" hits theaters on August 3rd.
That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
This guy -- coming up next, right after the latest from CNN "Headline News".
END
