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Showbiz Tonight
Sarah Palin`s $150,000 Clothing Bill; Ugly Battle Behind the Scenes of "Ugly Betty"; "Star Trek" Showdown; The Nastiest Fight on "The View"; Sarah Palin`s Style
Aired October 23, 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, wardrobe wars. Tonight, the explosive battle over Sarah Palin`s style and her $150,000 clothing bill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM SERAFIN, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": There`s definitely scrutiny on women so much more than there is on men.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The great debate over Sarah`s style. And is her look still as big a hit with women as when she first started campaigning? SHOWBIZ investigates.
Tonight, the brand-new coast-to-coast celebrity feud. An "Ugly Betty" ugly battle between Lindsay Lohan and America Ferrera.
A "Star Trek" showdown as William Shatner goes off on George Takei and his coming out as gay.
The ladies of "The View" in their nastiest fight yet over the presidential election.
Plus, breaking news. "The View`s" Elisabeth Hasselbeck reveals she`s hitting the campaign trail with Sarah Palin. Is Sarah now going to do "The View?"
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
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 you have got to see this - Opie and Andy are for Obama.
Andy Griffith and Ron Howard traveled back in time to Mayberry to make a drop-dead funny "Funny or Die" video in support of Barack Obama as if they were really Andy and Opie on the Andy Griffith show. Hey, where`s Aunt Bee? You`ve got to see this straight ahead.
HAMMER: But first, Sarah Palin`s style war. Tonight, Sarah Palin getting slammed for the clothes she`s been wearing. Not because of the way they look. As a matter of fact, a lot of people think they look great on her. The problem is how much they cost - a lot. A clothing bill that comes to around $150,000. And it`s making big news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): It`s Sarah Palin`s $150,000 headache.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An eyebrow-raising report says the Republican National Committee has spent $150,000 on clothes and accessories for the Palin family.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": She seems to be enjoying the role because she was - usually she shoots her clothing. Now, she`s actually buying it.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": $150,000 is a lot of red pantsuit.
HAMMER: Forget one-time terrorist William Ayers and Joe the Plumber. The new campaign controversies are named Neiman Marcus and Saks, the stores where some of Palin`s pricey duds come from. The RNC says the clothes will go to charity. But the clothing controversy just won`t die.
SERAFIN: It just doesn`t bode well, especially when you`re putting on an image of being Joe Six Pack, a hockey mom.
HAMMER: We saw on "Saturday Night Live" that even Palin`s harshest critics acknowledged she looks good.
ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR: Forgive me, but I feel I must say this. You are way hotter in person.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: But now, Palin is getting slammed for her high-priced look. Jo Piazza of the "New York Daily News" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she`s willing to cut Palin a break.
PIAZZA: Sarah has to be on television every single day. So of course she needs to spend money on clothes that are going to make her look good on TV.
HAMMER: And Kim Serafin of "In Touch Weekly" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Palin had better look good on TV because she`s going to be judged more harshly.
SERAFIN: You can imagine the kind of skits that Tina Fey would have done on "Saturday Night Live" if she didn`t look as polished and as good as she looks now. They would have had Tina Fey walking out there with, you know, bearskin rugs thrown over her shoulders. They do need to make her look good especially because as a woman, she`s going to be under much more scrutiny than any man will ever be.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking, with Washington being as image- obsessed as Hollywood, is it wrong to bash a politician for looking good? After all, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, campaign 2008 can almost be mistaken for an expensive fashion show.
Senator Barack Obama may be talking change, but he`s doing it with a sharp change of clothes. He Barack suits by Hart Shafner and Marx that retail for $1,500 a pop.
As for John McCain, he`s proving if you`re running for the highest office in the land, it`s best to run in great-looking shoes. Namely his stylish Ferragamo loafers. They retail for about $520 bucks a pop. If every voter is crazy about a sharp-dressed man, both parties have that covered.
But we haven`t heard much chatter about McCain or Obama`s high-priced duds. Is there something sexist at work with all the hubbub over Sarah Palin`s pricey clothes?
PIAZZA: I think that this would be getting just as much controversy if this were a man. I mean, John Edwards got a ton of flak when he was getting those $400 haircuts.
HAMMER: But Sarah Palin is no John Edwards. With all the heat she`s now getting, it looks like her wardrobe may have a higher price than just $150,000.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So is the outrage really about clothes, the money, or is it just plain sexist?
Well, joining me tonight in Denver is Mary Smith who is a Republican consultant, and in New York is Julie Menin, who is a Democratic political pundit.
All right. So $150,000 - no matter what you think about this on Sarah Palin`s clothes, that`s just a big number. Wow. As we just heard, there are those who say, you know what? She`s on TV. She`s in the public eye, going to events every day. Got to look good.
Julie, over to you first. Was there anything wrong with that?
JULIE MENIN, DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL PUNDIT: Well, I think A.J. it`s absolutely wrong. I mean, is this John McCain`s idea of an economic stimulus package? It`s just crazy. People are losing their jobs all across the country. They`re losing their homes. They can`t afford health care.
And she`s spending $2,500 a day on clothing, and yet, at the same time trying to talk about Joe the Plumber. I mean, Joe the Plumber`s wife is not spending $2,500 a day at Neiman Marcus. So I think it`s very hypocritical. And that`s really what the outrage is all about.
And it`s also about the fact that On the issues of - really the issues about healthcare, about the economy, she doesn`t really have the substance. So they to focus more on the style and that`s very problematic.
HAMMER: What do you think? Is a case of style over substance, Mary?
MARY SMITH, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: I think that`s preposterous. Listen, let`s make this clear. She came from Alaska. She`s not exactly equipped with a lot of clothing that`s appropriate for late summer in Florida and other places.
And honestly, it`s not like she went to Neiman Marcus. This is probably some staffers that went to get options, that went before she did her marvelous speech. And I`ll tell you, any of your guests will say that the spark and sparkle that she brought to this ticket and the wonderful speech she gave at the Republican national convention had nothing to do with the outfit she had on.
MENIN: But Mary -
SMITH: It had to do with the substance of what she had. Honestly, you know, she gave a beautiful speech ...
MENIN: But what does this say -
SMITH: ... in an OK suit in Canton, Ohio and people were mesmerized by what she had to say and what she was bringing to the ticket.
HAMMER: Julie, go ahead.
(CROSS TALK)
MENIN: But Mary, this is not about someone who is going to be a fashion stylist or an actress. We`re talking about vice president of the United States.
SMITH: It`s not about fashion stylist -
MENIN: It doesn`t matter.
SMITH: that`s exactly right.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: All right. Hold on one second. The one thing that I know -
SMITH: She`s not spending $2,500 a day -
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: Hold on a second. Hold on - A.J. Is talking. Hello. One thing that you mention, Mary, is that she was not the one going to Neiman Marcus. But obviously, whoever did has to have known this information was going to get out and maybe they should have, you know, taken that into consideration.
(CROSS TALK)
I want to take a look at the numbers right now, the financial disclosure forms. This is where the Republican National Committee has to show where they spent the money on Palin`s wardrobe. $75,000 in Minneapolis at Neiman Marcus, $49000 in New York including Saks Fifth Avenue for that Valentino jacket. The lipstick and all her makeup and hair for the hockey mom, $4,700. The total is at $150,000.
A lot of people argue it does take more money to dress a woman than a man. So Julie, let me ask you this. Why then didn`t we hear more about Hillary Clinton`s wardrobe?
MENIN: Well, for two reasons. First of all, because Hillary Clinton had the substance. She had the gravitas. It wasn`t about what she was wearing.
SMITH: She had about 15 of the same suits handmade in a rainbow of colors. What hypocrisy.
MENIN: Mary, the DNC was not paying for that. And secondly, these were pantsuits that she would wear time and time again. I don`t think that we`re seeing Sarah Palin wear the red leather jacket 15 times.
SMITH: Time and time again? How many times did we see the peach one?
MENIN: We saw the suits again and again.
SMITH: I think we`ll see it plenty and I hope we see more and more of it.
HAMMER: OK. Hang on a second, because we`ve been getting a lot of calls from our viewers. The "Showbiz On Call" phone lines literally blowing up about Sarah`s style.
One call I want to play for you, guys - it`s Amy from Kansas, and this is something we touched on. Listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
AMY, CALLER FROM KANSAS: I was just wondering why so much money was spent on Sarah Palin`s wardrobe when Joe the Plumber`s wife probably would went to Target or J.C. Penney`s to buy hers?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. So Mary, would it have sent perhaps a better message to, you know, Joe the Plumber who they are trying to appeal to or people like that if the money maybe had not been spent at such high-end stores? What would you have thought of that?
SMITH: I`ll tell you what, there are a lot of things that send a better message. And what this is about is taking the message away from the fact that Barack Obama wants to spend your money and share the wealth, and they`re putting this on this nonsense.
This is not about what Sarah Palin is saying. It`s about what she is wearing. And I think we ought to pay attention to the fact that Barack wants to spend your money. He thinks he can do it better than you can. I don`t agree with that. I can`t imagine anybody does.
MENIN: Mary, that`s not what this is about at all. You`re talking about John McCain.
SMITH: Of course, it`s what`s about.
MENIN: Mary, let me finish. You`re talking about John McCain. He focused on earmarks and polar bears and all this profligate spending. And his own candidate is spending $150,000 on clothes. And the charge I found most outrageous is $196 for the baby.
SMITH: Big party -
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: Guys, you know what? I`ve got to wrap it up. This is a subject that will be discussed apparently even when we`re done with the segment. Mary Smith, Julie Menin, I do appreciate you being here. Thanks so much, guys.
ANDERSON: Well, A.J., you know how Elisabeth Hasselbeck has been standing up for Sarah Palin on "The View."
HAMMER: Yes, and things have been really heated, Brooke. She`s pretty much the only conservative on that panel.
ANDERSON: That`s right. And tonight, I can tell you that the ladies of "The View" are at war like never before. It`s gotten totally out of control.
And a shocking announcement from Hasselbeck. She`s hitting the campaign trail with Palin. Will she be able to get her on the show? That is straight ahead.
And more outrageous new celebrity feuds. An "Ugly Betty" ugly battle between Lindsay Lohan and America Ferrara. A "Star Trek" showdown as William Shatner goes off on George Takei and his coming out as gay. A fired-up debate over fired-up celebrity feuds, next.
HAMMER: And get this, Oprah Winfrey is being sued for $180 million. Wow. That`s coming up.
Now, keep in mind you can always watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video anytime. We`re always posting new stuff for you to check out right there on our Web site CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Among the videos now playing, "Madonna`s Divorce Drama," the latest developments in Madonna`s divorce from Guy Ritchie. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM SHATNER, ACTOR: Poor man. There`s such a sickness there. It`s so painfully obvious there`s a psychosis there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Wow. William Shatner on an absolute rant against his former "Star Trek" co-star George Takei because Shatner claimed he was never invited to Takei`s wedding.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, Captain Kirk versus Mr. Sulu, just one of two huge celebrity feuds making news right now.
It is an all-out war in space. Cyberspace. Why is Shatner attacking Takei so viciously, even taking aim at his homosexuality? Wait until you see his video rant.
Another feud new right now, Lindsay Lohan versus America Ferrera? Was her guest starring role on "Ugly Betty" cut down because of a feud with America?
Joining me now in Hollywood tonight, Kristin Dos Santos, she`s the "E! Online" columnist for "Watch with Kristin." And in New York, Dawn Yanek, who is the "Life & Style Weekly" editor-at-large.
All right. Kristin, Dawn, I want to begin with William Shatner versus George Takei. George got married to his long-time same-sex partner back in September and invited all of his "Star Trek" co-stars. But Shatner says he never got an invite. Take a look at the video Shatner posted on his Web site.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHATNER: He`s obviously hiding his homosexuality, talk about festering and not living the truth of your life and feeling badly about yourself and being fearful that somebody will find out this terrible, terrible secret, so he thought. Finally at the age of, I think, 70, he decides to come out of the closet and say, "I`m gay." Like, who cares?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. Kristin, was that a cheap shot basically taking aim at the fact that the 71-year-old Takei didn`t come out until a few years ago?
KRISTIN DOS SANTOS, COLUMNIST, "WATCH WITH KRISTIN": Oh, definitely. I actually think that it`s quite comical that the only reason that Shatner could possibly come up with that he wouldn`t be invited to Takei`s wedding is because he suffers from psychosis.
To me, that`s the most egomaniacal statement you could possibly make. And I have to say if I was Takei, I wouldn`t be inviting him either, because clearly there`s bad blood there. You don`t want that on your wedding day.
ANDERSON: Well - and speaking of Takei, after Shatner posted this video, he posted a statement on his Web site, George Takei saying, quote, "It is unfortunate that Bill was unable to join us for our wedding as he indeed was invited to attend. It is our hope that at this point he joins us in voting "no" on Proposition 8 which seeks to eliminate the fundamental right for same-sex couples to marry in California."
Dawn, we do know, as we mentioned, that there has been bad blood between Shatner and Takei for years. Takei, though, insists he invited Shatner. So is anybody as confused as I am about why there`s a feud here? Was this all a big misunderstanding, Dawn, or is there somebody to blame?
DAWN YANEK, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "LIFE & STYLE WEEKLY": Well, I think what is to blame is massive celebrity egos and celebrities` warped ways of communicating with each other. We`ve seen these odd public feuds before with people like Angelina Jolie and her father Jon Voight or the Lohan family.
You know, in this particular case and in all of those cases, it would have all been solved if one of the parties had just picked up the phone and said, "What`s going on?" either you`re invited or you`re not invited.
But what I love about this particular situation is that George Takei turned all of this weird publicity around and brought attention to a cause that`s important to him ...
ANDERSON: Proposition 8.
YANEK: ... which we know as Prop 8.
ANDERSON: Yes. I agree with you. These two need to pick up the phone and just communicate for crying out loud.
OK. Let`s move on to another reported celebrity feud new right now, Lindsay Lohan versus America Ferrera. Lindsay was all set to appear in the first six episodes of this season of "Ugly Betty." That was cut down to four reportedly because Lindsay had attitude on the set.
Well, America`s representatives tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "America is grateful to have had her on the show and thinks everyone should tune in to see how great the episodes are."
Class act there. America saying she was glad to have Lindsay on the show. Kristin, you`ve been speaking with people close to the show. What do they tell you about this?
DOS SANTOS: Well, we`re hearing two different stories here. What ABC is saying is that Lindsay`s arc is simply over, but they weren`t planning on doing more episodes with her. But what I have heard from various sources on the show is that they had actually written her into at least one more episode and they decided to scrap that, rewrite the episode and take her out.
And what I`ve heard is that - yes, there was some potential behavioral problems going on. However, the biggest issue was that they just felt like she wasn`t gelling creatively. She showed up and she was basically playing herself and it`s such a heightened reality show. They wanted a bigger- than-life character, and she was kind of just there just being herself. She wasn`t making an impact, and it fell flat.
ANDERSON: Well, it`s too bad they couldn`t make it work. We`ll leave it for there now. Kristin Dos Santos, Dawn Yanek, good to see you. Thanks.
HAMMER: Well, we would like to remind you that you can call us at "Showbiz On Call" so you can let us know what you think about, whether it`s these celebrity feuds or anything else that is on your mind.
And now, the lovely Brooke Anderson has the number for you to call.
ANDERSON: I do, indeed, A.J. The "Showbiz On Call" phone lines are always open. Call us at 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899. Leave a voicemail and we will play some of your calls right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And your calls to "Showbiz On Call" are also now online on our homepage, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Check it out.
HAMMER: Brooke, I was thinking that there must be something in the water, because tonight there are so many brand-new celebrity feuds going on.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J. And I know the ladies of "The View" go at all it a lot. But, wow, I think that they may have had one of the nastiest battles ever.
HAMMER: Yes. I`m hearing that things got really heated behind the scenes. We`ll be investigating that. Plus, Elisabeth Hasselbeck hitting the campaign trail with Sarah Palin?
ANDERSON: Also the feud over Palin`s style. Sarah goes on a controversial $150,000 shopping spree. But is her look still as big a hit with women as when she first started campaigning? That is coming up.
HAMMER: And breaking news, Angelina Jolie hinting that she and Brad Pitt are getting married. Wow. Plus, is Angelina quitting movies for good? We`ve got that on the way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson with some more stories making news right now.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you - oh, good news. Charlie Sheen and his wife are expecting twin boys. Sheen and his wife, Brooke Mueller, announced back in August that they were expecting. And at that time, they thought it was going to be a boy. Well, they were right, times two. "People" magazine reporting that the twins are due in April.
ANDERSON: Great news. Congrats to them.
And hey, if you run into Beyonce, don`t call her Beyonce. For her new double album, she wants to be known as a new double name, Sasha Fierce. That`s right. Beyonce has got this alter-ego thing going on. She says that when she`s on stage, this Sasha Fierce personality takes over, and that Sasha is, quote, "fun, more sensual, more aggressive and more outspoken." "I am Sasha Fierce" hits stores next month.
HAMMER: And "Dancing With The Stars" dancer Julianne Huff is now OK after being hospitalized with stomach pains. Huff rushed to an L.A. hospital right after the live results show on Tuesday. She hadn`t been feeling well all day and actually was curled up in a ball backstage.
Fortunately, it turned out to just be a bad stomachache. Huff said it was the first ever trip to the emergency room and of course we hope she never has to go back, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Hey, A.J., they may want to call in a doctor to "The View."
HAMMER: That might be a good idea. It was a total code red over at "The View." Tonight, another brand-new, out-of-control "View" feud. Things reportedly blew up backstage, too.
Plus, breaking news, Elisabeth Hasselbeck is hitting the campaign trail with Sarah Palin.
ANDERSON: And the shocking new fired-up debate over Sarah Palin`s style - her controversial $150,000 shopping spree. Is her look still as big a hit with women as when she first started campaigning?
HAMMER: Oh, I love this. Wait until you see it. Ron Howard and Andy Griffith together again as Opie and Andy from the "Andy Griffith Show." But I`ve just got to find out why they`re doing this while I whistle that very familiar theme song. That`s all coming up.
But first, you need to know that you can stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news by checking out the daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. You`ll find it at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. That`s where you can click on the "sign up for newsletter" link at the bottom of the page so we`ll know where to send it every day. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a major feud on "The View." The gloves come off and the fireworks fly. It could be "The View`s" most explosive feud yet. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the inside story of "The View`s" major feud.
Sarah Palin`s style. We`re judging Palin`s style and asking do women still want to copy her look, and if not, why not? Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the Sarah Palin style factor.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show 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 from Hollywood.
HAMMER: Tonight, feuding on "The View," reports of shouting matches. The ladies of "The View" at war over this presidential election. Was it the smackdown of the century?
Well, on Wednesday, the gloves really came off between Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar on "The View." Today, the ladies set the record straight about what really went on behind the scenes.
Also new right now, Elisabeth Hasselbeck`s startling announcement today on "The View" that she`s joining Sarah Palin on the campaign trail. And should Sarah Palin go on "The View?" SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been asking that question. We`ve got your fired-up phone calls to the "Showbiz On Call" phone lines coming up.
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Kristin Dos Santos who`s an "E! Online" columnist for "Watch With Kristin." In New York, it`s Dawn Yanek, who is an editor-at-large for "Life & Style Weekly." And in Hollywood, Russell Wetanson from "PopSquire.com."
All right, gang. I don`t know if you were watching when it happened. I know you`ve seen it. It was crazy. Elisabeth and Joy really got into a heated conversation about the election on Wednesday. And when Elisabeth Hasselbeck said that there was a chance that Obama could have had her vote, that`s when I got to tell you things got really nasty. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Barack Obama actually potentially could have had my vote after his speech at the DNC.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Oh, come on.
HASSELBECK: You don`t believe me?
BEHAR: No, I don`t.
HASSELBECK: Call me a liar then, Joy.
BEHAR: I don`t think you`re lying. I think you`re being delusional.
(CROSS TALK)
HASSELBECK: I was not delusional.
BEHAR: I just don`t believe that.
(CROSS TALK)
BEHAR: You want some more Barack Obama Kool-Aid, or what would you like?
(CROSS TALK)
All right. I could have voted for George Bush.
BEHAR: Guys, that was love.
BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "THE VIEW": Yes, you see -
(CROSS TALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Funny way of showing their love, indeed. Joy basically accused Elisabeth of being delusional there. Kristin, this got so heated. When I was watching it live on TV, I`m thinking, "Do they remember that they`re on a live show here?" They`re just having it out.
DOS SANTOS: Well, we have heard reports that things were even worse backstage, so apparently this was their best behavior. But I have to say, you know, when Joy says something, you can hear the laugh coming from the audience. When Elisabeth says what she said, there was sort of a cringe and a gasp and a boo.
So I think that Joy gets away with a little bit more because she is a comedian and Elisabeth`s comments I think rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.
HAMMER: And you mentioned what was possibly going on backstage. There were just reports, there were rumors - they`re flying all over the Internet in today`s newspapers. So what happened today on "The View" is that they felt the need to address the situation. Were Elisabeth and Joy really having it out backstage? Watch how they addressed this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSELBECK: We are passionate about the issues right now. But I think the fact that those articles can carry such life just based on lies, it`s awful.
BEHAR: Yes, they make up quotes. I`m fascinated by how they blindly make up things that we allegedly say off camera.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. And we`ve seen this before on "The View." You know, they`re having these passionate fights that really seem to get very personal and nasty. And then it`s all nice and kissy kissy the next day.
Russell, over to you, what do you think? Are the ladies just reflecting what`s really going on everywhere at bars and dinner tables across the country? People having at it and making good?
RUSSELL WETANSON, POP CULTURE EXPERT, "POPSQUIRE.COM": Absolutely. That`s what`s so great about "The View." A.J., I`ve developed what I call the split-screen test for "The View." Until there`s actually a split screen like we saw in the Rosie O`Donnell versus Elisabeth Hasselbeck days, then no one has really crossed the line and no one has really gotten out of control. And we didn`t see that yesterday. We did see some heated conversations, and that`s Elisabeth`s role on that show. Let`s remember, without her, the show might just be called "The Agreement."
HAMMER: Yes. That`s a good point. I think that`s also a good barometer, the split screen-Russell Wetanson barometer.
What do you think, Dawn? I mean, this is really what`s going on everywhere. Every water cooler in every office is seeing the same kinds of arguments from people who really are making nice afterwards.
YANEK: Oh, absolutely. This is a microcosm of what`s going on across the nation and at the water coolers like you said. And but I have to say what`s really interesting about this is it`s getting so incredibly heated, and that`s exactly what we`re seeing here. Really, on both sides of the party lines, people are getting very, very upset and it`s getting very, very personal and nasty.
HAMMER: What we know on "The View" though is what the reward has been, record ratings and I think there`s encouragement. You know what? If you feel it, say it. Elisabeth, of course, making no secret of her support for the McCain-Palin ticket.
And today, I found this fascinating, she revealed on the show that she`s been invited to join Sarah Palin on the campaign trail. That`s going to happen this weekend in Florida.
What do you think, Kristin? Should Sarah Palin naturally return the favor and come on "The View?" I mean, would it do her a world of good?
DOS SANTOS: I think that if there`s a place to go to get more of the women`s vote, that is obviously going to be "The View." I mean, they have been trying all along to pick up some of those former Hillary Clinton supporters, which they really haven`t been able to do as much as they`d like. So she should definitely go on.
Of course, now, she`s going to have to very much prepare precisely what she`s going to say, because we`ve seen how heated things can become on that show.
HAMMER: We wanted to know what our viewers thought about this. That`s why we`ve been asking online and on the air for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, this question - "Sarah Palin`s Media Tour: Should she go on `The View?`" Look at how this split - right down the middle. We`re going to call that a tie.
Dawn, now that Elisabeth has been asked to attend this rally, what do you think? Should Sarah Palin naturally do "The View" or are you thinking what I thought maybe - you know, Cindy McCain got on the phone and said, "Sarah, you know, they picked our bones clean when we did that show. Stay away."
YANEK: You know what? I think from a purely objective standpoint she should go on "The View." Like Kristin said, it just exposes her to a different audience and more women voters. And that said, she does have a friend on the show. Let`s not forget Elisabeth is there.
And she`s not going to get attacked by the women. They may criticize her afterwards or ask her follow-up questions. But that said, if she presents herself in a good, candid way, it can really do wonders for her. And let me tell you, voters, viewers have really come to expect candidates to appear these daytime talk shows, on the late night talk shows because we get to see a different side of them. Can we relate to them? Do we like them? And do we like their views? It just gives you a different view of them altogether.
HAMMER: Yes. But not everybody is thinking it`s such a great idea for Sarah Palin to show up on this particular chat fest. In fact, our "Showbiz On Call" phone lines have been ringing nonstop about Sarah Palin and the possibility of her appearing on "The View." You`ve got to listen to what Mary-Kate from Ohio had to say about this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MARY-KATE, CALLER FROM OHIO: I definitely believe Sarah Palin should go on "The View." That way we can find out how much more she doesn`t know.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Russell, I`m going to hit you with his one. Is that really fair? Do you think that Sarah Palin could hold her own with the ladies of "The View"?
WETANSON: Well, I guess it depend if you`re asking Joy or Elisabeth. I think what I`m looking forward to most - I think she should do the show because if she`s supposed to be in this campaign to help with women voters, then how could she not go on a show hosted by four women? And let`s not forget it would be great to see the two pit bulls in lipstick on the show. Remember, Elisabeth is proud of the original pit-bull-in-lipstick.
HAMMER: I want to read you a quick E-mail I got to before we wrap this up. Michelle from Tennessee writing, "I do not think Sarah Palin should go on `The View.` They are all negative and overbearing women with the exception of Elisabeth. Sarah Palin is too classy to waste her time with those women."
Kristin, you think it could be a good thing for Sarah Palin. But to our writer Michelle from Tennessee`s point, you know - are the women perhaps a little too overbearing?
DOS SANTOS: Oh, absolutely. I think she definitely needs to be able to stand her own. And Elisabeth - God bless her - I mean, she will be an ally. But that`s only one of these very strong female cast.
HAMMER: Yes.
DOS SANTOS: So like I said, she has to absolutely prepare more than she`s probably prepared for anything if she`s going on "The View."
HAMMER: Oddly enough, yes, it`s going to be interesting to see if it does happen particularly on the heels of Elisabeth Hasselbeck go on the campaign trail. Kristin Dos Santos, Dawn Yanek and Russell Wetanson, I thank you all.
Now, as you heard, we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of day. Sound off on it if you haven`t - "Sarah Palin`s Media Tour: Should she go on `The View.`" CNN.com/ShowbizTonight is where you vote. Our E-mail, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: We also want you to call us at "Showbiz On Call" and let us know what you think about this or anything else that`s on your mind.
HAMMER: And for that reason the "Showbiz On Call" phone lines are always open. 1-888-SBT-BUZZ is the number; 1-888-728-2899. That`s where you leave us a voicemail so we can play your calls here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And your calls to "Showbiz On Call" now online right there on our homepage, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
All right. So Brooke, when Sarah Palin first burst onto the scene, everybody just went nuts over her look.
ANDERSON: Yes. It`s true, A.J. The hairstyle, the glasses, the clothes. But we want to know, has changed at all in the last few weeks? Are women still obsessed with looking like Sarah Palin? We`re looking into Palin`s style impact, straight ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Also it`s Opie and Andy. Yes, that`s really Ron Howard and that`s really Andy Griffith reprising their roles as Opie and Andy. So what in the world got Ron Howard to do this? You won`t want to miss it. We`re going to show it to you, coming up.
ANDERSON: Also, Oprah Winfrey sued. We`ll tell you why a man is suing Oprah for $180 million. That`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: You`re looking at Harrison Ford in the 1997 "Air Force One." That`s where he played a U.S. president fighting the hijackers. Tonight, he has been voted the movie president that people would most like to lead our country.
Now, this was a poll done on "MoviePhone.com." Ford got 24 percent of the votes. Morgan Freeman in "Deep Impact" was second. Michael Douglas in "The American President" was third, followed by Bill Pullman in "Independence Day" and Kevin Kline in "Dave."
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, Sarah`s style. When Sarah Palin first joined the McCain campaign, women were clamoring to get her look. Now, after a controversial $150,000 wardrobe upgrade, we know to know, is the expensive makeover working? And is Sarah Palin`s style still as influential as when she first joined the campaign?
We called in the expert. Joining me tonight in New York - there she is - Katrina Szish, who is a national correspondent for "In Style" magazine. Welcome, Katrina. Good to see you.
KATRINA SZISH, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, "IN STYLE" MAGAZINE: You, too.
ANDERSON: First up on this Sarah Palin style watch, let`s check out her wardrobe. Take a look at Sarah at the Republican national convention before the $150,000 upgrade. And now, take a look at her two months later all decked out with the boots even. Katrina, is this working for her better now for her campaign?
SZISH: Sarah Palin now looks like a woman who is poised to have a very big position of power. She`s dressed appropriately for someone who is in the public eye, and she looks fantastic. What I appreciate is the fact that she hasn`t completely changed her style. It`s not like she looks like a different person.
But instead of wearing those boxy jackets like we can see right here in this image, she`s really wearing things that are more tailored, that are more fitted to her body. And she`s proving that she`s not a woman who is afraid to be a woman. And I think that`s a very important part - important thing for her to recognize for this campaign.
ANDERSON: And you make a good point. She has been consistent in her style. She`s got a classic look.
I want to move now to the Sarah Palin style watch with her hair. Who can forget all the attention on her up-do? And you know, she hasn`t changed her hair that much, although she`s wearing it down a little bit more.
Katrina, do you think she needs a new do or is there no need to update the up-do?
SZISH: Well, I`d rather see an update than another up-do, but I have enjoyed seeing her wear her hair down. I think she could use a few inches cut off the end. I think it could be perhaps a little less voluminous, a little bit less teasing, just to make it a little more modern, a little sleeker. But yes, I think she could use a little sprucing up of the do.
ANDERSON: The campaign should hire you as a stylist.
Next, we`ve got to talk about the glasses. When the world first saw Sarah Palin in these Japanese designer glasses, women just had to have them. Sales skyrocketed and couldn`t really keep up with the demand. Katrina, here we are, months later. Are people still saying, "These are the glasses I must have?"
SZISH: They absolutely are. Now that Tina Fey has them, the demand is twofold. But really, this has been such an amazing boon to the optical industry. Retailers everywhere are selling out. They continue to sell out. The demand is so high. And besides these particular glasses, just the concept of wearing glasses as a style statement instead of, say, contacts is something that has really kind of brought glasses back en vogue, and that`s all because of Sarah Palin.
ANDERSON: Interesting. You know, obviously, it would not be fair, Katrina, to be talking about this if we didn`t also talk about the men of the campaign.
SZISH: OK.
ANDERSON: Barack Obama, John McCain - these guys wear expensive designer duds. What kind of influence have they been having on fashion or have they?
SZISH: Both of these men have very impressive wardrobes. That`s been well-documented and they both wear their clothes very well. They`re crisp. They`re refined. They`re elegant.
But it`s a little bit hard for them to influence anyone else`s style when really all eyes are on the women. Plus, they`re not out there trying to make a style statement. They`re trying to be a little bit more reserved. I don`t think they want to wear anything that would make someone say, "Why did he wear that tie?"
ANDERSON: Right. They`re attire certainly doesn`t draw as much attention as women because they`re men. They wear dark suits. It`s pretty standard. In the end, what do you think? Is Sarah Palin`s style still as influential now as it was when she first joined the McCain campaign?
SZISH: When we first met Sarah Palin, nobody knew who she was. We didn`t have any idea what her style actually was. All we saw were the trademark glasses and the up-do. But now that we`ve gotten to know her, we`ve seen her. We`ve learned about her. We`ve actually learned what her style is. It started off being influential simply because of the glasses.
Now that we`ve really gotten to know her personality, it`s become much more influential, and I think we can see a lot more Sarah Palin influence coming up soon.
ANDERSON: Well, I can`t imagine the scrutiny they`re all under.
SZISH: Yes.
ANDERSON: Not just their politics but the style as well. All right. They`re always stylish and fashionable. Katrina Szish, thank you so much.
SZISH: Thank you, Brooke.
ANDERSON: And don`t forget, check out this month`s "In Style" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.
HAMMER: All right. Brooke, this presidential campaign has had such a Hollywood component. The stars are really out there speaking out for their candidates.
ANDERSON: It`s true, A.J. And now, acclaimed director Ron Howard turning back the clock to show his support for Barack Obama.
HAMMER: Yes, did you see this? In a "Funny or Die" video, Howard is remembering his roots as Opie from the "Andy Griffith Show." Here`s what they look like back in the day, and now take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON HOWARD, DIRECTOR: Have you ever done this before? I hope to never do it again. But I guess you could say I`m feeling pretty desperate these days. So as a demonstration of my sincerity, this is for you, America.
HOWARD: Hey, pa.
ANDY GRIFFITH, ACTOR: Hey, O. You look like you have something on your mind, son.
HOWARD: Pa, why are people so set on staying on the same road that`s been messing us up for so long?
GRIFFITH: Well, people are funny. Sometimes change scares them, and they`d rather keep doing the same old thing that has been messing them up when change is the thing that can help him.
HOWARD: Like the time I wanted to fish for lake trout using peanut butter and jelly as bait?
GRIFFITH: That`s right, O. You got stubborn and wouldn`t switch no matter what I said.
HOWARD: When I`m a grown up, I sure would like to vote for somebody as good as Mr. Obama.
GRIFFITH: If you stay healthy and strong, avoid any felonies, stay away from the butterfly, I`ll bet you`ll get a chance.
HOWARD: OK. I just acted like an eight-year-old kid from a 40-year-old television show. Please don`t let this be in vain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: A.J., that is one of my favorite celebrity political endorsements. Not necessarily because of their political statements but they were being creative and they were being fun. And their tone wasn`t demanding and wasn`t self-righteous.
HAMMER: Yes, obviously, also for Ron Howard, this is a cause very important to him. Because, as he said, he didn`t think he`d ever get into that role again.
ANDERSON: Yes. He feels strongly about it. And you know what? It wasn`t just Opie that put Howard on the map. If you remember, there was another a little show "Happy Days" where he played Richie Cunningham, and then there`s the Fonz, of course, Henry Winkler. Take a look at this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY WINKLER, ACTOR: Hey, Cunningham. Finish your homework?
HOWARD: Sure, Fonz. Hey, how did your date go with the Rodriguez twins?
WINKLER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) It`s awesome.
HOWARD: Oh gee, Fonz, I sure hope our country gets itself back on track.
WINKLER: Well, you know, I`ll tell you something. Eight years ago, I thought to myself, "OK. We got this president of the United States - Cheney, Bush. We should give them a shot." Was I - I was so -
HOWARD: You were wrong, Fonz?
WINKLER: OK, that`s the word. But see, now, we can make it right, right? And after we vote, you want to double date? My friend, Janet Petowski(ph) - she`s got this girl friend from Alaska.
HOWARD: You mean, the girl who shoots moose?
WINKLER: Wait a minute. Shoots moose? I thought she said she said she was loose? Eh.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Come on, that`s fantastic. You know, that`s why I wore my black leather today. But you`ve got to give them a lot of credit for all that was done with the hair on both of them. I`m just saying.
ANDERSON: I love the hair and the makeup is magic. And Fonz would like your leather jacket.
HAMMER: All right. Brooke, you know, Angelina Jolie - as we move on - says she may stop making movies. You see, Angelina is speaking out about what could get her to quit the business. Plus, she says she and Brad Pitt may have to get married because of pressure from a certain group of people. That is next.
Also Oprah Winfrey sued. We`re going to tell you why a man is suing Oprah for $180 million. Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with some more stories that are new right now.
Oprah Winfrey is being sued. A man in Louisiana has filed a $180 million lawsuit against Oprah. He says that she and her attorney made false statements that led to him being arrested for trying to extort money from Oprah. The man was arrested by the FBI after he allegedly recorded phone conversations with one of Oprah`s employees and said he wanted to publish a book based on the recordings.
The charges were eventually dropped. But the man says his reputation has been damaged.
HAMMER: And Angelina Jolie says she may quit the movie business because of her kids. Jolie telling Italian edition of "Vanity Fair" that the kids are her priority. So from now on, she might make fewer movies or stop altogether.
She also says that she and Brad Pitt could tie the knot because of pressure from the kids. Jolie says, sooner or later, the kids will ask them to get married. They`re already asking questions like, "Why are Shrek and Fiona married and you`re not?"
She also says her life is so much more adventurous now than when she was in her 20s. Jolie says she and Brad pilot airplanes and travel nonstop with the kids. She says she feels a lot braver now than when she was an angry young woman. She says, she used to be completely self-absorbed and it was only when she started taking care of others that the she found the real Angelina.
Well, we have been asking you to vote on the real SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It is this - "Sarah Palin`s Media Tour: Should she go on `The View.`"
Here`s how the voting has been going so far. Split right down the middle with 51 percent of you saying yes, 49 percent of you saying no.
I want to read a couple of the E-mails we received. We heard from Lincoln in Florida. Lincoln writes, "As an independent, I would like nothing more than to see her face those tough women and hold her own if she can.
We`ve also got an E-mail from Darlene in Missouri who writes, "Palin going on `The View` would be suicide. Those women detest her except Elisabeth. I think she should focus on visiting states to help her campaign."
And as always, we thank you very much for writing in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And we thank you for watching as well. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Don`t forget, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 p.m. Pacific. And in the morning, that`s at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The latest from "CNN "HEADLINE NEWS" is coming up next. Take care.
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