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Showbiz Tonight
Is Hillary Splitting Hollywood; Dara Torres` Surgery; "American Idol`s" Fourth Judge; Politics of Rock
Aired August 27, 2008 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, is Hollywood split over Hillary? Hillary Clinton throws her support behind Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Barack Obama is my candidate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: But will the stars who supported Hillary back Barack? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates and we go one-on-one with big-time Hillary fan, Fran "The Nanny" Drescher.
Plus Oprah, Tyra, Paris - who are Hollywood`s biggest winners and losers in the White House battle?
Tonight, the "American Idol" judge controversy. The judges, Randy, Simon and Paula speak out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the startling addition of a fourth judge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: I think change is good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Will they all get along? Will Paula survive? The "Idol" judges speak on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Plus, exclusive, in the operating room with Olympic hero Dara Torres. Tonight, the exclusive dramatic video and story as the 41-year-old Olympic swimmer has a delicate operation. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi, there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you from Hollywood. And tonight, Hollywood, split over Hillary.
HAMMER: That`s right, Brooke. Tonight, some of Hollywood`s biggest stars who worked so hard to make Hillary Clinton the first woman president of the United States must now decide whether they will support Barack Obama.
One of those stars is Fran Drescher, long-time star of TV`s "The Nanny." She`s at the Democratic National Convention tonight. My no-holds- barred interview with Fran is coming up.
And like everyone else, the stars who have flooded Denver this week were talking today about Hillary`s powerful primetime convention speech. But how split are they over who they support? It`s the big story making news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLINTON: Barack Obama is my candidate, and he must be our president.
HAMMER (voice over): It`s the most talked about TV performance of the week - Hillary Clinton speaking at the Democratic National Convention trying to get her supporters to rally around Barack Obama.
CLINTON: The time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose.
HAMMER: Hillary may be backing Barack Obama, but as TV pundits breathlessly spent the day telling us, that may not be the case with her supporters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some of her die-hard supporters say they`re just not ready to rally behind Barack Obama.
HAMMER: But what about the legions of Hollywood stars who backed Hillary?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CLINTON SUPPORTER: Now, everybody just (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HAMMER: Do they agree with this emotional Clinton supporter who told CNN after Hillary`s speech she can`t yet commit to voting for the man who beat her heroine?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CLINTON SUPPORTER: I was selected to come here as a delegate for Clinton. I will vote for Clinton.
HAMMER: Yes, there are Lauren people and Heidi people, Angelina people and Aniston people, Paris people and Lindsay people. So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking, are Obama people and Clinton people splitting Hollywood? And could that split represent a wider division that could help keep Obama out of the White House?
Barack Obama has a deep bench of Hollywood stars like Susan Sarandon, Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron and many others in his corner. Another one of the supporters, director Spike Lee, is mocking disappointed Clinton supporters are shunning the likely Democratic nominee.
SPIKE LEE, DIRECTOR AND OBAMA SUPPORTER: That reminds me of when we`re going to New York where some might not like what was going on. It would take the football and go home. We couldn`t play anymore.
HAMMER: In fact, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, some of Hillary Clinton`s strongest supporters like Barbra Streisand are falling into the Obama corner. America Ferrara campaigned for Clinton during the primaries. But she recently told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that she, as well as her fellow "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" star Amber Tamblyn, are both Obama fans.
AMBER TAMBLYN, ACTRESS: He`s awesome.
AMERICA FERRERA: Right. And we want to see him in the White House.
AMY HOLMES, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: They may have been in Hillary`s corner to start out this primary, but I think by November that they will be squarely behind Barack Obama.
HAMMER: CNN political analyst Amy Holmes tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT liberal stars will likely end up voting for the Democrat in November no matter who it is.
HOLMES: They`ll be tons of pressure on these Hollywood celebrities to be party-loyalists, to be Democrats first, not Hillary supporters. Hillary pulled out - that and bitterness - I think they will find a lot of pressure to set that aside and get Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, elected.
HAMMER: Holmes points out there are some in Hollywood who support John McCain, just don`t expect them to say so.
HOLMES: Hollywood does have its Republicans. It does have its conservatives. But they know once they start talking about their support for John McCain more openly that they`re the skunk at the dinner party. They`re the person who`s going to be singled out and told that their politics is not welcomed and is not supported by the Hollywood community.
CLINTON: That is our mission, Democrats, let`s elect Barack Obama.
HAMMER: So while Hillary and Obama are trying to keep the Democratic family together, left-leaning celebrities are making the same effort in Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, one of Hollywood`s biggest stars who supported Hillary Clinton is Fran Drescher, who of course, we know and love from the hit TV show, "the nanny." Fran is right there at the Democratic National Convention in Denver where she addressed female delegates earlier this week.
And I spoke with Fran today from Denver and she told me that she`s still a huge fan of Hillary Clinton. But what may be surprising is what Fran did the very moment she found out Barack Obama would be the nominee.
FRAN DRESCHER, ACTRESS: The minute that Hillary stepped down, I called Barack`s office and said that I give my unconditional allegiance to him. And if there`s one thing, A.J., that I`ve learned as a cancer survivor, it`s, life doesn`t always turn out the way you intended it to or you thought that it would because nobody has a crystal ball. Ultimately, you have to play the hand that`s dealt you. And this is the way life unfolded. I don`t know why it happened this way, but it happened.
And I feel I know Barack Obama. We`ve worked together on Capitol Hill. I`ve lobbied for legislation that he co-sponsored, The Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act, the first of its kind in U.S. history that passed by unanimous consent. His mother passed away from ovarian cancer and he knows very well about women`s health issues and the importance of them and the importance of the woman in the family who traditionally is the caregiver to the children, the spouses and the elders in almost every American home.
So I think that he and Hillary are very symbiotic on their issues and their policies and have - ever since Barack Obama has become a U.S. Senator, they`ve voted identically up and down the ladder on almost - you know, on every issue, really.
HAMMER: Well, it sounds like you are truly enthusiastic about the man. And Fran, all of that said, you had publicly said you did wish Barack Obama would pick Hillary as his running mate. So, were you upset at all when you found out he didn`t pick her?
DRESCHER: I was definitely disappointed. He didn`t explain to me why he made the choice that he did. If it was mine to make, I would have chosen Hillary, of course. I think that 18 million votes is nothing to, you know, sneeze at. But, you know, I have to respect the man`s decision. I know Joe Biden and I think that he`s a good senator, and his constituents love him.
HAMMER: Wow, what a speech Hillary Clinton gave to the convention on Tuesday night. And after that speech, Fran, a lot of people were saying how presidential see looked. How did you feel watching her give that speech?
DRESCHER: I really got tears in my eyes. It was just so moving and so passionate. And I love her. I think that she`s absolutely amazing and fantastic. She`s a brilliant woman. And I think that she has a very important place in American politics. I think that the 21st century has to be about the woman and in order to see more female friendly society and I think that she`s going to play a very important role in that. So we were applauding her in Barack Obama`s box and I feel like she did the job that she set out to do. And she, you know, is a great and brilliant woman who is a tremendous leader.
HAMMER: So, Fran, there you are sitting in Barack Obama`s box, a lot of Hollywood stars have come to Denver and just generally come out in support of Barack Obama. But for McCain, in terms of Hollywood stars, not so many. Why do you think that is?
DRESCHER: Well, you know, because his voting record really doesn`t show that he has, you know, a great interest in health care issues or women`s issues or children`s issues or, you know, domestic issues, for that matter. And I think that as Ann Richards once said, you know, vote for that if you`re a woman is like chickens voting for Colonel Sanders.
HAMMER: Well, Fran Drescher, we appreciate you taking the time with us. And really, continued success with your work with Cancer Schmancer, all of your Congress lobbying for better health care for women. You`ve done a tremendous job with that. And I appreciate you speaking with us today.
DRESCHER: Thank you. Thanks for everything.
HAMMER: And we`ve got so much more of our star-studded "Hollywood`s Vote: Showbiz at the Convention" coverage. On Thursday, I`ll be speaking with the lovely actress Rosario Dawson, all about her efforts to get out the Latino vote. Brooke?
ANDERSON: Hey, A.J. The story of Olympic swimmer Dara Torres is incredible. At the age of 41, she was able to win three silver medals in Beijing.
HAMMER: Yes. She`s an inspiration to women and people everywhere.
ANDERSON: She truly is. And coming up next, we`ve got an exclusive look at Dara going under the knife. We are right there in the operating room with Dara. She`s having a delicate operation. We`ve got the dramatic video, next.
ANDERSON: Plus, Oprah, Tyra, Paris - who are Hollywood`s biggest winners and losers in the battle between John McCain and Barack Obama for the White House?
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDY JACKSON, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: Doing this can be good. It`s going to make the whole show a little bit sexier, a little bit more exciting. We`re going to have a great banter going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The "American Idol" judges speak out. Tonight, Randy, Simon and Paula open up to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the controversy over a fourth judge being added to the new season. My question - will they get along? That is coming up. Keep it right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARA TORRES, OLYMPIC SWIMMER: I believe what everyone else thought was, "Forty is still old. You`re middle age. You can`t do this. You definitely can`t compete in the Olympics at 40."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Tonight, exclusive Dara Torres undergoes surgery just a week after competing in Beijing. And CNN`s Dr. Sanjay Gupta was right there in the operating room.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Dara Torres underwent surgery today on her shoulder, fresh off her record- breaking swims at the Olympics.
At 41 years old, Dara became the oldest Olympic swimming medalist when she won three silver medals at the Beijing Games. And listen to this, she was in pain the entire time.
With me tonight from the hospital in Boynton Beach, Florida, CNN chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay, great to see you.
And you know, if Dara Torres couldn`t impress us any more than she already has, now we find out that she competed with a serious shoulder condition. Sanjay, you were right there in the operating room with Dara during the procedure. What exactly did she have done?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It is very impressive, no question, what she was dealing with the entire time. What she had then was an interesting operation. This problem affects a lot of people typically of elderly age.
But in Dara`s case, because she swims and has so much of repetitive moment of her shoulder and she weight-lifts, she had a little problem right here. I can sort of show you a little bit, right where the collarbone sort of comes into the shoulder, that air area sort of becoming a little too tight. You have bone rubbing on bone. The surgeons went in there with a scope and actually just removed part of that collarbone, just to give her a little bit more room and a little bit more movement in that right shoulder. So that`s what she had down, but again, as you point out, remarkable that she was able to swim as well as she was with that problem.
ANDERSON: Yes. It`s astonishing, and hopefully this will give her some relief. And you know, what`s even more amazing than the fact that Dara won three Olympic silver medals at 41 years old is that she was in agony the entire time and you asked her about that pain and how she dealt with it. Here`s what she told you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TORRES: The week I was swimming, it hurt so bad even to put a swimsuit strap on. So they were almost going to numb my shoulder before I swam. But I didn`t want to do that because I had it numbed in 2000 before I swam, and they put too much and I couldn`t move my arm up. So I didn`t want any kind of like strange sensations, so I just swam through it. And the day after I got home, I came to see Dr. Slaw(ph) and got an MRI and it showed the - I guess the AC joint and clavicle hitting each other.
ANDERSON: All right. So she didn`t want it to be numb. Sanjay, does it just amaze you that she was able to swim through that and still bring home three silver medals? In fact, she almost won gold, one one-hundredth away from that.
GUPTA: I know. She is amazing in so many ways. But, yes, you just heard that. This was a significant problem. We`re talking about athletes competing at the very highest level. The doctors offered to give her lots of Novocain in that shoulder, essentially saying, look, maybe making it completely numb, freezing it essentially, would be better than the pain she`s dealing with.
She didn`t end up doing that and she makes no excuses at all for - you know, she says she performed well. She was doing it with pain but she said, "Look, swimmers swim with pain all the time and this was just no different." So she was not making excuses with this problem.
ANDERSON: Yes. And you actually asked her whether it specifically held her back during her races. Let`s listen to what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TORRES: I guess I`m so used to swimming through pain with other shoulder problems I`ve had in the past, that I guess you kind of become immune to and get used to it. But you do wonder but you try not to look back and think about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. She really is remarkable, not just for her age, but because of these injuries. And this was in fact the third surgery she`s had in the past year - no, 10 months, right?
Sanjay, do you think maybe if she had not been contending with all of this that maybe she would have been sitting in front of you with three gold medals?
GUPTA: You know, it`s a great question. It`s so hard to answer as well. I was pretty surprised, Brooke. To be fair, as a doctor that - she had her shoulder operated last November. She had her knee operated in January and needed a shoulder operation as soon as she came back from China.
So this is a woman who is having significant medical issues while all the time competing at this level. It`s surprising to me. Obviously, athletes want to be in tip-top shape. To think that someone was having these sorts of operations in such crucial parts of their body prior to this sort of competition - it is remarkable. And you add to that that she`s 41 years old, which, you know, for me and I think a lot of people around our age, that`s a huge inspiration.
ANDERSON: It certainly is to so many people. And you actually brought Dara a really funny gift, right, some press-on nails. How did she react to that, to get her to that finish line, maybe that touch pad a little bit more quickly next time?
GUPTA: That`s right. She joked a lot about the fact that if she had just not cut her nails prior to that race, she would have won a gold medal. I said to her, "Forget about all the training. I`m just going to buy you some press-on nails and this is going to take care of all your problems." And I didn`t know, Brooke, whether I was going to get slugged or she was going to laugh. She laughed. She`s got a very, very good sense of humor about this.
ANDERSON: She responded well. Very quickly, Sanjay, will she compete again? This should be a relatively quick recovery, right? Will we see her at the 2012 games in London?
GUPTA: I don`t know the answer to that. But what she did tell me that every - you know, this is her fifth Olympics. Every Olympics before, she said, "That`s probably it. I`m not going to do this again." After this one, she didn`t say that. So she`s definitely leaving the door open. As far as recovering from this, she`ll probably be in the pool within seven to 10 days from now.
ANDERSON: Wow.
GUPTA: So she`s anxious to get out of - she swam two miles this morning before her operation. This is a woman who`s very dedicated and committed to this.
ANDERSON: Yes. Talk about determination - mind over matter. She is remarkable. CNN`s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you so much.
GUPTA: Thanks, Brooke.
HAMMER: Wow. Totally amazing.
Moving on now, Brooke, another "American Idol" controversy and, you know, we`re not even close to kicking off the new season.
ANDERSON: Yes, A.J. The show still gets huge ratings but there always seems to be something going on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: Doing this can be good. It`s going to make the whole show a little sexier, a little bit more exciting. We`ll have a great banter going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s Randy Jackson talking about the "Idol" shake-up. Another judge is being added to the show. And tonight, all the judges are speaking out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Will they get along? Will Paula Abdul survive? I`ve got it, coming up.
HAMMER: And will Paula be loser in all this? Well, how about Hollywood`s winners and losers when it comes to the presidential election? Oprah, Tyra, Paris - who should be speaking out? Who should be shutting up? That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: And you won`t believe what Madonna does to get ready for each of her concerts. She`s revealing her tour secrets, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. Here are more stories new right now.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that "One Day at a Time" star McKenzie Phillips has been arrested for alleged drug possession. McKenzie was screened at Los Angeles International Airport when airport security found a small amount of heroin and cocaine on her.
The 48-year-old actress has battled drug addiction which led to her being fired from "One Day at a Time."
And Madonna, who has come under fire for comparing John McCain to Adolf Hitler in one of her concert videos, is revealing secrets about what else she does during her "Sticky and Sweet" tour. Get a load of what Madonna`s rep tells "People" magazine about Madge`s pre-show rituals.
Madonna spends an hour in hair and makeup, followed by vocal exercises, and then some free weights. I see why she looks so incredible at 50.
You know, Brooke, maybe Madonna`s finally going to do "American Idol" this season. Of course, if she does, she`ll be judged by a new judge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: Doing this can be good. It`s going to make the whole show a little sexier, a little bit more exciting. We`re going to have a great banter going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, the "Idol" judges Randy, Simon and Paula speak out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the brand-new controversy surrounding the show, the addition of a fourth judge. Will they all get along? Find out, coming up.
And "Hollywood`s Vote," SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s continuing coverage of the presidential election. Tonight, Oprah, Tyra, Paris - who are Hollywood`s winners and losers in the battle for the White House? Who should be speaking out and who should just shut up? That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: Plus, are rockers taking a big risk. Some of music`s biggest stars are playing at the Democratic National Convention. But could they hurt their careers by getting involved with politics?
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, stars and politics. From Oprah to Tyra Banks to Paris Hilton - who are the celebrity winners and losers this election season? Tonight, a showbiz special report, "Presidential Star Wars."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: Doing this can be good. It`s going to make the whole show a little sexier, a little bit more exciting. We`re going to have a great banter going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A shake-up on "American Idol." There`s a new judge in town. Will there be fireworks on America`s number one show and should Paula Abdul be worried for her job? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went straight to the "Idol" judges for the raw deal. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues right now.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood.
HAMMER: Tonight, presidential star wars. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is revealing Hollywood`s biggest winners and losers in the battle between Barack Obama and John McCain for the White House.
Oprah Winfrey initially took some heat when she began campaigning for Obama, but a study reveals she may have actually brought a million voters to Obama.
Then we have Scarlett Johansson who suggested she and Obama were E- mail buddies and even jokes that they were engaged. But then, Barack Obama burst that bubble.
And who can possibly forget Paris Hilton`s spoof in response to the John McCain ad that compared Obama to Paris? You know, I`m that was possibly the most entertaining thing Paris has ever done in her career.
We`ve got a fired-up panel tonight, right there in the thick of it at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. There he is - "Extra" correspondent Carlos Diaz. Joining us in Hollywood tonight, Howard Bragman, founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations. And in New York tonight, it`s April Woodard who is senior correspondent for "Inside Edition."
Gang, I want to get underway with Paris Hilton. I just thought this was absolutely brilliant. After John McCain, of course, used her image in that ad comparing Obama to Paris and even Britney Spears, Paris and some very funny writers in Hollywood fired back brilliantly. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, ACTRESS: Why don`t we do a hybrid of both candidates` ideas? We can do limited offshore drilling with strict environmental oversight while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars. That way, the offshore drilling carries us until the new technologies kick in, which will then create new jobs and energy independence. Energy crisis solved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Well, despite the wardrobe choice, a rare, articulate moment for Paris Hilton there. Carlos Diaz, out to you at the convention in Denver, what do you think? Paris Hilton usually a loser, this time a winner?
CARLOS DIAZ, "EXTRA" CORRESPONDENT: You`ve got to love those great writers that she had for that. But I definitely think she`s a winner in this situation because there`s no other way to combat this when McCain says that you`re just a vapid celebrity, to come out and actually prove him wrong. I say, way to go, Paris Hilton. I can`t believe I`m saying this - Paris Hilton, two thumbs up, big winner.
HAMMER: Wow, yes. In the same sentence, Paris Hilton and winner. It just baffles the mind, doesn`t it? And Paris even getting kudos from various politicians for that energy plan that, you know, kind of make sense. Howard Bragman, out to you. What do you think? Paris Hilton, winner or loser?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: You know, I`m proud of Paris. What Paris showed was she gets the joke that is Paris Hilton. And that`s really important for a celebrity to be able to laugh at themselves and wake and say, "I`m in on it. I get it."
I agree with Carlos. This is two thumbs up, not just one of the brightest moments of this political season, but one of the best moments of Paris` career exactly when she needed it, A.J.
HAMMER: And this is why you`re a great publicist, Howard Bragman. Great advice for a celebrity. You`ve got to get the joke if you are a joke.
All right. Not a joke - Oprah Winfrey. We saw her stumping there on the campaign trail for Obama. You know, at first, when this was going on, there were a lot of people criticizing her for choosing Obama over Hillary Clinton.
April, out to you on this one, in the end as we all know, Oprah`s guy is the one getting the nod, so Oprah clearly in the winner`s column here, right?
APRIL WOODARD, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": Yes. I think Oprah definitely gets thumbs up, and that`s because, you know, she`s Oprah. So there may be some haters that are like, "Oh, Oprah shouldn`t have done this. Oprah shouldn`t have done that." But in the end, she`s waving her billion and saying, "I`m the Big O." So I think she wins.
HAMMER: She is the Big O who`s going to be there when the other Big O, Obama, accepts the nomination on Thursday night. Carlos, you`re going to be there, too. Any doubt in your mind Oprah falls into the winner category here?
DIAZ: I don`t think she`s going to be too nervous that night. I think she`s been in front of a crowd before. So she`s definitely going to be a winner because she was a winner for Barack beating Hillary and she`s going to be a winner tomorrow night in front of all those people.
And then, of course, we have to figure out whether she`s going to be a winner in November if Barack actually takes the crown.
HAMMER: And, of course, in the long run, will she remain a winner when the up-and-coming Tyra Banks continues to make, you know, her little headway into the talk show game. Let`s talk Tyra for a moment because there are a lot of people who says, well, she took things just a little too far in this photo shoot she did for "Harper`s Bazaar." She`s dressing up like Michelle Obama, even appearing in one photo in the spread in Harvard sweat shirt in bed with a look-alike Barack.
Howard, she got a lot of heat for that, but she also got a lot of publicity for that. What do you think? Tyra Banks, winner or loser?
BRAGMAN: Oh, she`s a big winner. She knows that she did it in the spirit of fun. She has a lot of fun. You know, this is another girl who knows how to make fun of herself, knows how to defend herself. You know, I thought it was a really hot, good-looking photo shoot. And she has a lot of pride in Barack Obama. She`s a big supporter, another two thumbs up. You know, there`s a lot of winners today in this convention.
HAMMER: All right. Back to the originator of the two thumbs up in this particular conversation. Carlos Diaz, I know you`re hearing from a lot of people about the impact of various celebrities in this campaign. What have you been hearing, Tyra Banks, winner or loser, for what she did?
DIAZ: She`s a winner because of the fact that it just goes to show people are comfortable enough with Barack Obama to have fun with him. And in this situation, let`s not forget, Tyra Banks is an incredible talent but she`s a model first and foremost. So what`s she`s going to do is she`s going to model. It`s a great idea in my mind and I thought they were completely tasteful in every sense of the word.
HAMMER: All right. Then let`s move on now to Scarlett Johansson. Now, right at the outset, I`ve got to say I really love Scarlett Johansson. I think she`s wonderfully talented. But she did claim that she regularly exchanged e-mails with Barack Obama. He said, not true, that his assistant actually forwarded an E-mail from Scarlett and he replied basically saying thanks. April, what do you think? Did Scarlett, you know, who did later backtrack, wind up a loser or a winner here?
WOODARD: Oh, gosh. When I heard this, I was like, "OMG, what is going on?" I felt like she didn`t win on this one. I have to unfortunately kind of give her a thumbs-down, because you don`t want to come off as creepy or weird. And, you know, some people looked at this and said, "I don`t understand it. Why is this beautiful woman saying one thing and other people are saying another?" So, I`m sorry.
HAMMER: OK. Hey, no apologies necessary. That`s what this is all about. She did somehow, I believe, redeem herself. Besides that E-mail, Scarlett saying in that Will-I-am video for Obama, the video which featured John Legend, CSI star Hill Harper, reciting and singing along to one of Obama`s speeches.
What do you think, Carlos? Did Scarlett, in some way, redeem herself as a winner by doing this video, or was this just a big disaster for her?
DIAZ: No, I mean, she surrounded herself with a lot of talent. Of course, with all that talent, you can`t help but be a winner. But I think the biggest winner in the entire world in this is Barack Obama. What other man in the world would get an E-mail from Scarlett Johansson and said, "Let somebody else E-mail you back there." No, no, she didn`t E-mail me. Every guy on the planet would be like, "Yes, Scar-Jo, she`s got me, right here. Scar-Jo and me - we`re E-mailing back and forth!"
HAMMER: All right. Very well said there. I have to get to this reality star. Brooke Hogan just stunned her fans when she told her roommate on her show, "Brooke Knows Best" that she`s, quote, "not that much into voting." You`ve got to watch what she said on her show. Chris, roll that, please.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE HOGAN, REALITY SHOW STAR: You know what? I actually am not that into voting. I think that it`s kind of crazy that a woman is running because I think women deal on emotions and menopause and PMS and stuff, like I`m so moody all the time. I know I couldn`t be able to run a country because I`d be crying one day and yelling at people the next day, you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Howard, I`ve got 10 seconds for you. I can`t believe I`m putting my hand on my head - you can`t see me right now. I`ve got the loser sign on my forehead.
BRAGMAN: She is a big loser. And I`m glad she doesn`t think she can run a country. We don`t the think she`s ready to run a country either, A.J. So we agree with her. So at least she knows herself, though.
HAMMER: Brooke Hogan in loser column. April Woodard, Howard Bragman, Carlos Diaz, thank you all.
Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT talking to the biggest stars at the convention. Thursday night, I go one-on-one with the lovely actress Rosario Dawson. She`s campaigning in Denver right now. But why is she planning to go to both conventions? You`ll find out Thursday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Hey, A.J., I was pretty surprised that "American Idol" added a fourth judge to the panel.
HAMMER: Yes, a lot of people were, Brooke. And I`m actually wondering how the move is going to affect the show in the new season.
ANDERSON: Yes, A.J. Only time will tell. But I`ve got to tell you, people are chomping at the bits to find out what Simon, Paula and Randy really think about the decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: Doing this can be good. It`s going to make the whole show a little sexier, a little bit more exciting. We`re going to have a great banter going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Sure, there will be banter. But will there also be fireworks? And should Paula be worried for her job? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went straight to the "Idol" judges for the real deal.
Also this -
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most of the people I`ve met in Hollywood tend to be skewed pretty liberally though a lot of people are probably in the tax bracket of being a Republican.
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HAMMER: From Fallout Boy to Sheryl Crow and John Legend. Some of music`s biggest stars are making their mark on the presidential race. But will playing politics actually put them in danger of fan backlash? Well, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the risky politics of rock.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: Doing this can be good. It`s going to make the whole show a little sexier, a little bit more exciting. We`re going to have a great banter going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s right, doll. That`s "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson talking to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the controversial addition of a fourth judge.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. It`s judgment day for "American Idol." For the very first time, Randy, Simon and Paula are talking about the controversial decision to add that fourth judge, songwriter, Kara DioGuardi. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there as she joined them at "Idol" auditions in New York.
And with me tonight in Hollywood is Laura Saltman, correspondent for "AccessHollywood.com." And in New York, April Woodard, senior correspondent for "Inside Edition."
Laura, April, Kara`s appearance with the other judges in New York City was the first time that they were all seen together since this announcement. The big question is, how will she do? Listen to what "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest told us.
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RYAN SEACREST, HOST, "AMERICAN IDOL": She`ll probably stand up to some of the things that Simon says and I think that she will actually be really, really honest with the contestants which may make it even more uncomfortable at times. But that`s good, you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: But that`s good. Laura, is another strong and honest voice exactly what the show needs?
LAURA SALTMAN, "ACCESSHOLLYWOOD.COM" CORRESPONDENT: It`s interesting over at "American Idol" right now. I feel like they`re going through this thing where it`s like, "Even if it`s not really broke, let`s try to fix it anyway." I was on a call with Simon the other day. And he was telling me that they have big changes ahead, not just another judge, but they want to change the middle part so we may not have a top 24. There may be more people. They want to change the end of the show. So there are a lot of things going on over there that are going to be coming down the pipeline, I think.
ANDERSON: Yes, it sounds like they`re spicing it up not only with this new addition and also with some format changes as well, like you say. And I can tell you that Simon certainly doesn`t seem to be threatened no matter how opinionated Kara is. Take a look at what Simon and Randy had to say about her.
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SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: Kara has a good reputation of, A, having hits, B, having an opinion. It`s a good combination.
JACKSON: I think she`s most like one of us.
COWELL: And she`s cute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Of course Simon had to add in there, and she`s cute. April, is it going to work? Do you see the four of them having great chemistry?
APRIL WOODARD, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": I hope they have chemistry. We won`t know until then. I mean, she`s got this great songwriting background. She`s been nominated for a Grammy and she`s a hot chick. I wonder if she`s going to be dating Ryan Seacrest. You know, I wonder if that chemistry is going to get going. But I think you have to wait until we see the show because she`s got to blend with the old heads or I don`t think it`s not going to work.
ANDERSON: Yes, she does have to blend, but I think it`s genius to add a new voice, a new and different opinion. And you know, as soon as the Kara announcement came down, everybody began speculating that, "That`s it, Paula`s on the way out. But actually, Paula and Kara have been friends since 1999, even co-wrote a song together for Kylie Minogue. Here`s what Paula had to say about how she discovered Kara.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA ABDUL, POP STAR: I was the one that picked her off the street in New York.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did you do?
ABDUL: I knew right away that she was interesting and moved her into my home and made her quit her job.
KARA DIOGUARDI, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: I`ve made myself something.
COWELL: Are you saying that Kara was like a pet?
ABDUL: Yes.
DIOGUARDI: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Simon already trying to stir the pot there between them. Laura, do you think though that Paula may just be playing the good soldier here, or do you think that yes, she may feel a little threatened by the addition of another female judge?
SALTMAN: It`s Paula. In Hollywood, we`re all about frenemies. I think - you know, I love Paula, but I have a feeling she might be a little bit threatened. It`s interesting though because this isn`t the first time they`ve added a female judge to the show for a fourth person.
Back in season two, they added this New York City rapper - her name is Angie Martinez. And she was on the show. You never saw her because she worked for them for five days. She did the auditions and then she quit because she said that she couldn`t handle telling people that they couldn`t have their dream. But I kind of wonder, is that why she really quit, or maybe there was a little tension between her and Paula?
ANDERSON: It was very short-lived. You`re right, that`s why nobody talks about that. But here`s what I`m wondering, guys - what if Kara turns out to be so spectacular that she turns out to be better than any judge? April, do you think Paula`s afraid she`s going to be so good, she could make her look bad. Ten seconds - or maybe make her raise her game? What do you think?
WOODARD: She may raise her game and may raise Randy and Simon`s game. So who knows? She might try to replace them. But I think that, you know, it`s going to make it very interesting television and I`m looking forward to seeing it.
ANDERSON: I am as well. April Woodard, Laura Saltman, thank you so much for your insight.
And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It is this - "`American Idol` Adds Fourth Judge: Should Paula Abdul be worried?" Keep voting CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. E-mail us showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: Tonight, the politics of rock. Musicians like John Legend and Sheryl Crow aren`t shy about singing for their candidates. But you know, some rockers are finding it tricky to play politics because of the potential backlash. Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: John Legend who kicked things off Monday night at the Democratic National Convention has made no bones about who he`s endorsing.
JOHN LEGEND, MUSICIAN: I`m an Obama supporter and I`ve been actively campaigning for him because I think he`s the man for the job.
WYNTER: For others, neutrality is key. Daughtry will perform at both DNC and RNC events.
CHRIS DAUGHTRY, MUSICIAN: As a band, we have different political views, who we`re supporting and things like that. We want it to be fair and do both parties.
WYNTER: The Democratic concert line-up boasts big name acts such as Kanye West, Sheryl Crow and Fallout Boys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most of the people I`ve met in Hollywood tend to be skewed pretty liberally though a lot of people are probably in the tax bracket of being a Republican.
WYNTER: The Republican convention features mostly country stars who play to conservative crowds, like Leann Rimes, John Rich and the Charlie Daniels Band. So when the country duo Sugarland broke wings and played in Denver Sunday night, they didn`t issue a press release.
(on camera): How tricky is it if you`re a country act to show your face at a DNC event?
CHRIS WILLMAN, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": They still have fear. People are still afraid of being Dixie Chicks. (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
WYNTER (voice over): Lots of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) rockers raging in some machine or shaking things up in both Denver and Minneapolis, St. Paul.
(on camera): What do you think their motive is?
WILLMAN: I think they`re basically doing it as a protest. And even with the Democrats, they may be protesting on what they see as positions that are too centrist.
WYNTER (voice over): One artist you won`t see at either convention is Bruce Springsteen who campaigned long and hard for John Kerry in 2004.
His publicist tells CNN, quote, "He will definitely not be there in any way, not performing, not attending, nothing."
WILLMAN: I think rock stars or most celebrities are saying, "Maybe we should back off because we`re just giving the other side many issues."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter.
ANDERSON: And music is such a huge part of the convention.
You`ve heard of "Dancing With The Stars." How about "Dancing With The Analysts?" Even the political commentators just can`t help shaking their groove thing at the DNC. This is hilarious. Straight ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, an unconventional moment that almost made me want to start dancing, too.
HAMMER: Now, make sure you check out the free, ever-changing SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast which you will find at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to take the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The what?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The commemorative, panoramic photo.
MOOS: Apparently, it`s easier to take this commemorative photos than to say it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Jeanne told me that she has been having a great time documenting the unconventional moments of the Democratic National Convention.
ANDERSON: And A.J., there have been quite a few of them. This presidential race is certainly historic. Let`s be honest. The conventions are not entirely serious. I mean, it`s also a serious party. I can tell you CNN`s political pundits are taking time away from the hardcore analysis to just rock out. Once again, here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos with another unconventional moment for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We expect Democratic delegates to dance. But when their pundits let loose -
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh! (Martin sings) Do you remember -
MOOS: It can only mean Earth, Wind and Fire has swept the convention center. CNN`s Roland Martin wasn`t just snapping.
MARTIN (singing): Ah. Ah. Ah. Ah-de-ah.
MOOS: He was doing some fancy clapping. While political analysts Paul Begala and Donna Brazile were supplying their own moves to analyze.
(VIDEO OF BEGALA AND BRAZILE DANCING)
So special that Roland combined finger jabs with Blackberrying, grabbed a passerby -
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Are we getting this on tape?
MOOS: And made a lot of points that weren`t political. With an unconventional moment, I`m Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. A.J., Roland`s got some moves. I want him at my next party.
HAMMER: And for the record, he approved the usage of that footage.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. I had to ask Jeanne if she signed off on that.
ANDERSON: OK. And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Remember, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is next.
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