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Showbiz Tonight
The Last Laughs of the Funniest Campaign Ever; The Greatest Impersonators; Which is More Influential - The View or SNL?
Aired November 03, 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, HOST: Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the last laughs in the funniest campaign ever. Tonight, John McCain making fun of himself on "Saturday Night Live," but how did he do on "SNL" compared to Sarah Palin? And did McCain do himself any favors? Tonight, the laughs are on us as we also ask, who have been the greatest impersonators? From Tina Fey to Ben Affleck`s devastating spoof of Keith Olbermann, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is judging the great impersonators.
"Saturday Night Live" versus "The View." Tonight, which show has had more influence on the presidential race? Is Elisabeth Hasselbeck just as influential as Tina Fey? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the great debate and we`re taking your fired-up calls on "Showbiz On Call."
Plus, late-breaking news in the shooting deaths of Jennifer Hudson`s mother, brother and nephew. Tonight, why one of the last things her mother did was try to get BARACK OBAMA elected.
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 with the last laughs of the funniest campaign ever. Yes, as Americans take on the quite serious business of choosing the next president of the United States, there is no shortage of brand-new, over-the-top laughs largely courtesy of John McCain.
But tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got to ask, did McCain do himself any favors by appearing on "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend? McCain goofed on all of the things that critics and comedians have been having a field day with about him and Sarah Palin, even appearing with the fake Sarah Palin, a.k.a., Tina Fey. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the hilarious developments making news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): The historic and hard-fought campaign for the White House is almost over. But even though the task of choosing a leader is serious, the funny thing is, while we`re voting, we`re also laughing.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": We`re having a good time with the election season this year.
HAMMER: That`s because of the days before the vote, we saw McCain schilling goods on "Saturday Night Live."
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This has been a historic campaign, so why not remember it with our line of collectible products?
HAMMER: Palin getting pranked in real life.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: This is Sarkozy speaking. I love you.
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R-AK), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Oh, so good -
HAMMER: And those voting problems we keep reading about started haunting once-powerful voter - Homer Simpson.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR (as Homer Simpson): I can`t fit in the booth.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Use the double-wide.
HAMMER: People may still be deciding which way to go this election year, but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT feels safe declaring once and for all that this is the funniest campaign ever.
MCCAIN: Good evening, my fellow Americans. I`m John McCain.
HAMMER: Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, took a break from the campaign trail this past Saturday night to make his third appearance on "Saturday Night Live." This time he was with Tina Fey, once again playing his running mate, Sarah Palin.
MCCAIN: This past Wednesday, Barack Obama purchased air time on three major networks. We, however, can only afford QVC.
TINA FEY, ACTRESS (as Sarah Palin): These campaigns sure are expensive.
MCCAIN: They sure are.
HAMMER: Even McCain`s wife, Cindy, showed up as the candidates showed some products.
FEY: Sarah Palin`s air fresheners. You plug these into the wall and something doesn`t quite smell right.
MCCAIN: John McCain`s complete set of pork knives - they cut the pork out.
HAMMER: While Fey`s Palin included a not-so-subtle campaign message of her own.
FEY: OK. Listen up, everybody. I`m going rogue right now. So keep your voices down. Available now, we`ve got a bunch of these.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
PIAZZA: McCain, at least, knew how to poke fun at himself. He knew how to poke fun at Sarah Palin. And he did look like he was having a good time with it.
HAMMER: The next night, on the Simpson`s Halloween episode, Homer Simpson showed up to vote for Barack Obama.
PIAZZA: That`s pretty big. I mean, getting a Homer Simpson endorsement, I don`t think that Homer has ever endorsed a political candidate before.
HAMMER: Forget Joe the Plumber, now there`s Homer, the animated nuclear power plant employee. Unfortunately, Homer`s adventures in voting when pretty much the way things always go for him.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: One vote for McCain, thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: No, I want to vote for Obama.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Two votes for McCain.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Come on, it`s time for a change.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Three votes for McCain.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: no, no, no.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Six votes for President McCain.
HAMMER: But in an election year that has had Paris Hilton appear in a genuine campaign ad, the funniest campaign humor was found in real life. The latest example, a prank phone call that targeted Sarah Palin.
PIAZZA: Sarah Palin actually accepted this phone call from a Canadian radio station where they said they were Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France.
HAMMER: And when they got through, Montreal radio personalities, The Masked Avengers, laid on a heavy French accent to talk to Palin about hunting -
PRANKSTER: I just love killing those animals. Take away a life. That is so fun! I`d really love to go, as long as we don`t bring Vice President Cheney.
PALIN: No, I`ll be a careful shot. Yes.
HAMMER: And we even got a possible glimpse of Sarah Palin`s future plans.
PRANKSTER: You know, I see you as a president one day too?
PALIN: Maybe in eight years.
PIAZZA: Don`t her people screen her calls?
HAMMER: Afterwards, Palin`s people said she was mildly amused by the prank but this entire campaign has been more than mildly amusing. It`s been downright hilarious.
PIAZZA: I think everyone`s going to have a little bit of campaign withdrawal. I mean, what is going to be funny on Wednesday morning?
HAMMER: Well, if both the fake Palin -
FEY: We got a bunch of these backstage.
HAMMER: And the real Palin -
PALIN: Maybe in eight years.
HAMMER: are looking forward to future campaigns, maybe we can, too. And hope the next campaign brings us the funniest campaign ever, the rogue sequel.
FEY: OK. Listen up, everybody. I`m going rogue right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So what do you think? Did John McCain do the right thing by making fun of himself on "SNL," and how did he compare to Sarah Palin`s appearance?
Joining me tonight in Hollywood, Carlos Diaz who is a correspondent for "Extra." Also joining me tonight, in New York, it`s Leslie Sanchez, CNN contributor and Republican analyst.
Let`s talk about a ratings bonanza here. We learned today about 12 million people tuned in to see McCain on "SNL," making it the show`s second biggest rating in 11 years - two million less than Sarah Palin on "SNL."
But still, Carlos, A lot of people were watching. Smart idea for John McCain to go on so close to the election and make fun of himself? What do you think?
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": All right. Leslie and the rest of the Republicans out there, get ready to be mad at me. This is a desperate act by a desperate man, all right? I`m sorry, but it did not ring true. It was not Sarah Palin-esque. People were not laughing with him. They were laughing at him.
Listen, John McCain is an amazing leader. He`s an amazing American and he`s an amazing patriot for this country. He just isn`t funny. So to me, it was a dud and I think it was kind of an embarrassment and it was almost like he conceded that night on "SNL."
LESLIE SANCHEZ, REPUBLICAN ANALYST: Wow, did we watch the same show?
HAMMER: Leslie, hang on one second. Because - the interesting thing watching McCain on "Saturday Night Live," it wasn`t as if he just kind of showed up and stood there and had a couple of lines. He had a lot of dialogue on the show, you know, some pretty heavy-lifting. Let`s watch a little bit of him in action. It`s him selling fine gold jewelry on QVC. Pretty funny stuff.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: You can`t go wrong with McCain fine gold.
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
It commemorates the McCain-Feingold Act and also looks great with evening wear. Thank you, Cindy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Pretty impressive there. That was Cindy McCain there as jewelry spokes-model. McCain making also fun of his maverick nickname on the show, standing next to Tina Fey while she was taking shots at Sarah Palin.
So Leslie, we all agree, good to make fun of yourself. But isn`t it a little strange to be highlighting so much of what`s gone wrong just before people are about to pull the lever and vote?
SANCHEZ: You know, I think the brilliance of it is that it allowed him to get in front of so many people at the last minute when money is tight, when Barack Obama is doing the 30-minute infomercials that he alluded to. And it shows he has a very strong sense of humor. And he poked fun at himself.
You know, what`s interesting was he brought up the issues that were important to the campaign, McCain-Feingold, the pork. I think he accomplished a lot of things and got people to laugh at him. Is it going to sway a lot of people? No. But it shows that he`s human and he`s compassionate. And for somebody who has a - you know, sometimes people think a very hard edge is a nice side to see of McCain.
HAMMER: But Carlos, you make the point that it seems, especially right before the election, it almost was as if he`s kind of throwing in the towel?
DIAZ: Yes. You know, Robin Williams has a great sense of humor, too. I`m not going to vote for him to lead our country, all right? I`m sorry, I think that - people were kind of like laughing and, "Aww. Look at the sweet old guy who`s going to lose on Tuesday. And he`s in there and he`s trying to do his best."
I`m sorry, I just - when I watched it, I felt bad for him. I felt badly for John McCain. I mean, he was using terms like berserk - "I`m going to go double maverick with you. I`m going to go berserk on everybody." You don`t do that three days away from the election. You just don`t do it.
SANCHEZ: You know, one thing about it - if it wasn`t Sen. McCain, I could see that point. You know, if you think that`s Mike Huckabee - he came out and was giving these weird speeches and kind of strange statements after he was no longer a contender and it seemed like such a broad leap from him being a potential presidential candidate. You don`t see that kind of transgression with Sen. McCain. He`s still commanding. He`s still strong. And most importantly, he`s still closing in - closing that gap with Barack Obama and that`s probably ...
(CROSS TALK)
DIAZ: I think he hurt that command aspect. I agree with you. That`s what he has going for him. But I think he hurt himself on "SNL." I think he lost that commander-in-chief feel.
HAMMER: Kind of highlighting the negatives as we were saying before.
DIAZ: Yes.
HAMMER: All right. So, you know, we have now seen John McCain a few times on "SNL." But right now - right before the election, of course, Tina Fey has been playing Sarah Palin. But we got the real Sarah Palin herself on "SNL." and that got very mixed reviews a few weeks ago.
So what do you think? Side-by-side, I know that`s your ticket, Leslie. Who do you think did a better job on "Saturday Night Live?"
SANCHEZ: I think Sen. McCain because it showed a different side of his personality. The biggest threat, kind of potential downfall with Gov. Palin being on there is she looks so similar to that candidate. It`s hard to tell farce from reality because it amplifies kind of this caricature of her. And it`s hard - I think it`s going to be hard for her to walk away from that despite what happens after this election.
HAMMER: Absolutely. Carlos Diaz, just a quick vote. Who gets yours? Was it Sarah Palin or McCain who did better?
DIAZ: Sarah Palin did better because that`s her strong suit. She`s funny and she`ll be funny on Wednesday when she says, "Hey, we gave it our best shot."
HAMMER: All right. Got to end it there, Carlos. And thank you for prediction. Leslie Sanchez, Carlos Diaz, thank you both.
Now, let me turn it over to you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here`s what we`re asking - "Presidential Race: Is this the funniest campaign ever?" Let us know what you think at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
And our coverage of the funniest campaign ever continues. Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we`re going to be taking a look at the great impersonators. You know, it`s not just Tina Fey`s dead-on Sarah Palin impersonation. You`ve got Kristen Wiig doing Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Ben Affleck`s Keith Olbermann and we`re judging the great impersonators, coming up.
Plus, did Chevy Chase`s impersonation of Gerald Ford actually cost Ford the election?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that in the back of your mind, you were thinking, "Hey, I want Carter?"
CHEVY CHASE, COMEDIAN: Oh, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "I`m going to make him look bad?"
CHASE: Oh, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow.
CHASE: What do you think they`re doing now? You think they were doing this because Sarah`s funny?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Interesting viewpoint. Well, coming up, we go one-on-one with one of the all-time great, somebody who knows all about where comedy meets politics, Chevy Chase.
And listen up, ladies, Simon Cowell, back on the market. That`s right. His girlfriend called him up and dumped him over the telephone. I`m going to tell you why. Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
You can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video anytime with new stuff going up all the time on the Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Among the videos now playing, "What a Joke: The Funniest Presidential Campaign Ever."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE ARTIST: It`s a really gross process. The cheese does not react well to anything.
HAMMER: Did you see this? The presidential campaign is getting really cheesy. Yes, thanks to an artist in Oklahoma who has put images of Barack Obama and John McCain on cheese slices. He did this using a process called liquid photographic emulsion. Yummy.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And Obama and McCain are everywhere, including on cheese slices, apparently. They`re trying to make a lasting impression, of course, before Election Day. But some of the most lasting impressions may be the impersonations.
And who better to get things going than a former "SNL" cast member who knows all about the intersection of comedy and politics. Tonight, in our continuing coverage of this, the funniest campaign ever, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the Big Chase, as in Chevy Chase.
"American Morning`s" Alina Cho, resident "SNL" correspondent, is back with another edition of "SNL" politics. And this time, Alina spoke with the legendary "SNL" alum. Hi, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": Hey, A.J. Chevy Chase was one of "SNL`s" originals. He was the first person to do a presidential parody on "SNL." The first person to say "Live from New York, it`s Saturday night." So what does he think of Tina Fey`s impersonation of Sarah Palin? Well, we sat down with him recently to get his take on the comedy show he helped create, one that`s making light of the very serious business of politics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: Good evening, my fellow Americans.
CHO (voice over): John McCain, trailing in the polls and the race for money.
MCCAIN: We, however, can only afford QVC.
FEY: These campaigns sure are expensive.
MCCAIN: They sure are.
CHO: Tina Fey, as Sarah Palin, is pure ambition.
FEY: OK, listen up, everybody. I`m going rogue right now so keep your voices down. Available now, we`ve got a bunch of these.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
CHASE: Tina, who`s not an impressionist per se just happened to fit right in there.
CHO: Chevy Chase is speaking from experience.
CHASE: We have -
CHO: Some believe his portrayal of Gerald Ford as a bumbling buffoon cost Ford the election in 1976.
CHASE: They wanted Carter in and I wanted him out and I figured, "Look, we were reaching millions of people - "
CHO (on camera): Wait a minute, you mean to tell me in the back of your mind, you were thinking, "Hey, I want Carter."
CHASE: Oh, yes.
CHO: "And I`m going to make him look bad."
CHASE: Oh, yes.
CHO: Wow.
CHASE: What do you think they`re doing now? Do you think they`re just doing this because Sarah is funny?
LORNE MICHAELS, "SNL" EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: We`re not partisan, and you know, we`re not putting on anything that we don`t believe is funny.
CHO (voice over): And it is funny.
PALIN: Here`s a shout-out to all those third-graders at Gladys Wood Elementary School -
FEY: Who were so helpful to me in my debate prep.
CHO: Joking aside, Chase believes "SNL" affects the race, because of the show`s reach and the Internet.
CHASE: My face, your face, the Facebook, MySpace, your space, my -
CHO: Millions of eyeballs watching this - Palin as punch line.
FEY: And I can see Russia from my house.
CHASE: How might it have hurt her? Check in tomorrow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: And A.J., you heard Chase talking about "SNL`s" impact via the Internet. Well, get this, the "New York Times" is reporting that Tina Fey`s impersonation of Sarah Palin has been viewed online 50 million times. Now, that`s impact. A.J.?
HAMMER: Wow. Sure is. People definitely loving Tina Fey`s impersonation of Sarah Palin. Thank you, Alina.
Well, the "Showbiz On Call" phone lines have been ringing fast and furious with people weighing in on the funniest campaign ever. We heard from Linda in Arkansas who has her own theory on what was the funniest moment in the campaign.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
LINDA CALLER FROM ARKANSAS: I don`t see how anyone can think that the campaign`s gone any funnier than the day he announced Sarah Palin for vice presidency. That is the most hilarious thing I`ve ever heard of in my entire life.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thank you for your call, Linda. You, too, can call us at "Showbiz On Call" so you can let us know what you think about the funniest campaign ever or anything else that might be on your mind. The "Showbiz On Call" phone lines, open 24/7 at 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899. Call the number. Leave us a voicemail so we can play your calls right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And remember, your calls to "Showbiz On Call" are also now online on our homepage. Just surf on over to the CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Well, the presidential election is finally upon us. And tonight, we are asking this burning question - which TV show has been the most influential during the campaign, "The View" or "Saturday Night Live"? Was it the hot topics or the hot impersonations that meant the most? Well, we have got a fired-up debate and your reaction, coming up in our continuing coverage of the funniest campaign ever.
And speaking of impersonations, here`s another question - which have been the best this campaign season? Of course, we have Tina Fey`s Sarah Palin and then there`s Kristen Wiig`s Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and now Ben Affleck`s Keith Olbermann. We are judging the great impersonators, coming up.
We have for you also, the late-breaking developments in the tragic killings of Jennifer Hudson`s mother, brother and nephew. Tonight, shocking new information about the gun used in the killings, plus the last thing Jennifer`s mother did that may help Barack Obama get elected. That`s coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Now, be sure to check out the free, ever-changing SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast. You`ll find them on our Web site, which is CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also get our podcast on iTunes. Just do a search for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming straight back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. It`s time now for the late-breaking developments in the tragic killings of Jennifer Hudson`s mother, brother and nephew.
Family and friends attended a private funeral service in Chicago today. Stars including Oprah Winfrey and Fantasia were also at the service.
On Sunday, there was a public memorial. Jennifer Hudson did not attend that. The second-grade teacher of Hudson`s seven-year-old nephew remembered him as a smart boy who liked to tell "knock, knock" jokes.
Meanwhile, shocking information about the gun used in the killings which was found a block away from where the nephew`s body was found. Police are investigating whether the gun once belonged to the slain brother. He reportedly owned an identical gun that he thought was stolen from the family`s home a few months ago.
And it turns out one of the last things Jennifer Hudson`s mother did was vote. A cousin said Darnel Donerson voted just before she was shot. The cousin said she didn`t want to be left out of this historical moment in the country.
Jennifer Hudson sang the national anthem on the night that Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination and he got in contact with her after the killings.
All right. Switching gears now, the presidential election finally upon us and tonight, we`re asking a burning question - which TV show has been the most influential during this campaign, "The View" or "Saturday Night Live?" Was it the hot topics or the hot impersonations that meant the most? Well, we`ve got a fired-up debate and your reaction, coming up.
And speaking of impersonations, here`s another question to ponder - which have been the best this campaign season, from Tina Fey`s dead-on Sarah Palin to Ben Affleck`s devastating spoof of Keith Olbermann? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is judging the great impersonators. That is still to come.
All right, ladies. Listen up. Guess what? Good news. Simon Cowell back on the market. That`s right. His girlfriend called him up and dumped him on the phone. I`m going to tell you why, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But first, keep in mind, you can always stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news by being a subscriber to the daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. If you want to do that, well, simply head on over to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Click on the "sign up for newsletter" link - it`s right there at the bottom of the page - and we`ll send it to you. We`re coming right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN AFFLECK, ACTOR: Mr. Lieberstein, you speak of consideration of the rights of others. How dare you, sir! How dare you!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, judging the great impersonators. Ben Affleck`s angry, out of control Keith Olbermann, "Saturday Night Live`s" Tina Fey spot on Sarah Palin, Kristen Wiig`s as "The View`s" Elisabeth Hasselbeck. So who`s the best? It`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continuing coverage of the funniest campaign ever.
"SNL" versus "The View." "SNL`s" hilarious campaign skits, "The View`s" nonstop vicious battles. Both are getting record ratings, both have everyone talking coast to coast. But which show is having the biggest influence on the election? It`s "SNL" versus "The View."
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting, tonight and every night from New York City with our continuing coverage of the funniest campaign ever.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is in session with our court to judge the great "Saturday Night Live" impersonators. Man, what a weekend it was. From "The View`s" Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck to Alec Baldwin and MSNBC`s Keith Olbermann, "SNL" just went wild in some of the most dead-on hilarious impersonations we`ve seen, short of course, of Tina Fey as Sarah Palin.
And oh yes, the real John McCain was there, too. Tonight, the great impersonators in the funniest campaign ever.
With me tonight in Hollywood is Brett Ehrlich who`s the host from Current TV`s "Campaign Update. And in New York, is Jami Floyd who is an anchor for "In Session."
All right. Brett and Jami, I`ve got to tell you, "SNL" had a field days with the ladies of "The View." And by the way, a bit later in the show, we`re going to be debating which show, "The View" or "SNL," has been more influential during this campaign.
But first, one of my favorite moments of the weekend, you have to watch "SNL`s" take on Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck getting into it on the show over the past few months. Roll that, Charles.
KRISTEN WIIG, ACTRESS (as Elisabeth Hasselbeck): I just red something online and I printed it out. Eight shows ago we were talking about Sen. Barack Obama and I said the Democratic Party engaged in criminal activities.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR (as Joy Behar): Why are we talking about this?
WIIG: Let me finish. Please. OK? Let me finish.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So it seems to me that Elisabeth Hasselbeck probably took the biggest hit on Saturday night. Brett, what do you think? Great impersonation - maybe one of the best ones we`ve seen in this campaign?
BRETT EHRLICH, HOST, "CAMPAIGN UPDATE": I think they absolutely nailed it. They got to the heart of "The View" which is basically show-up, make a loud wall of emotional sound for an hour.
I was a little upset they didn`t have Sherri Shepherd on, though, because she`s like the easiest one to do. You just say whatever comes to your mind and go with it like it`s a fact. Just like, "I was washing my hair yesterday and I thought Barack Obama reminds me of soap. So I don`t want Barack Obama as president because I don`t want soap."
HAMMER: You know, Sherri Shepherd even acknowledged on "The View" this morning that she was upset that she wasn`t spoofed and nor was Barbara Walters.
But I`ve got to tell you, I think Ben Affleck probably won a whole bunch of new fans over the weekend. He was the host on "SNL." And in the "The View" sketch, he was impersonating Alec Baldwin. I just thought this was terrific. Once again though, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, front and center. Watch this.
AFFLECK (as Aleck Baldwin): Whoopi, this is an election like no other. And when Americans go to the polls, they`re going to make the right decision and vote for real change.
WIIG: Great. One more guest who drank the Obama Kool-Aid.
AFFLECK: Elisabeth, you remind me of my ex-wife and the fact that you`re so pretty and yet so wrong.
Elisabeth, my god, you`re beautiful. You should divorce your husband and marry me, then divorce me so I can right another book.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And of course, Alec Baldwin himself actually hosts "Saturday Night Live" quite a bit. I`d have to think that he was just loving this impersonation himself. What do you think, Jami? Did Affleck just nail it?
JAMI FLOYD, ANCHOR, "IN SESSION": He sure did. And look, he got a lot of it. I was always an Affleck fan - huge, but even bigger now. And I think most people will have to be. I didn`t know that he had this kind of talent. Because, you know, to actually parody somebody who is alive and famous is really hard.
And the Olbermann skit, which we`re gong to talk about, got a huge amount of attention. But frankly, it`s a lot easier to parody Olbermann because he`s so over-the-top. Alec Baldwin - that`s a subtle impersonation and he nailed.
Now, I`m going to tell you, A.J. I watched it. But right now, I`m listening and when you can listen to something and not see it and it`s still really, really funny, then it`s funny. It`s like good old radio theater. This is amazing stuff, and this is going to go down in the annals of comedy history.
HAMMER: Yes. No question about that. And you mentioned the Olbermann skit because this was the impersonation as good as everything else was. This has truly stood out from the whole weekend. It was the buzz of the blogs and the Web sites everywhere today.
It was, of course, you know, Ben Affleck doing Keith Olbermann from his MSNBC "Countdown" show. And I want to show you Affleck`s take on Olbermann`s nightly declaration of the worst persons the world. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AFFLECK: And now, "Countdown`s" worst person in the world! The "Newsweek" senior White House correspondent Richard Wolf (ph), once an actual journalist. Mr. Wolf (ph) is now a full-time water carrier for the Nazi wing of the Republican Party. And Richard, how much is Halliburton paying you? I hope it`s not paying you in oil.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oh, I love this show because I get to watch that again. Ben has Keith down. What do you think? Brett, if you blink, you might have thought for a moment you were tuned to MSNBC and watching Keith`s show?
EHRLICH: Yes, I think, though, the most convincing things happen when your eyes are open because he gets that Keith Olbermann mouth and just gets it so tight and so angry, he`s already got like the fierce, aggressive pastel tie. And he looks at you and you`re just baffled by how much profundity can come out of such a small hole in someone`s face.
FLOYD: And he`s got the body language down, too, almost coming across the desk. But I still think the greatest form of flattery is imitation. Look, if you don`t show up on "SNL," if you don`t show up on "The View," if you don`t show up on Olbermann and if you`re not talked about on Jon Stewart, then you`re nobody. And all of these folks should be honored on some level that you made it on to "SNL." If you`re not poked fun of, then you`re missed out on. And I think it`s good stuff.
EHRLICH: Maybe that`s the reason that - yes, I think that`s the reason that Alec Baldwin wasn`t available that he made it to such a high level that he wasn`t even around to do himself on the show and they had someone else do it. It`s a huge achievement for Alec Baldwin.
FLOYD: He did it so well.
HAMMER: Yes, enormous. Because, Alec, you know - Alec shows up at "SNL`s" door pretty much, you know, any given time they ask him to. We`ve got to watch a little more of Ben Affleck as Olbermann if you want some more proof that this was a dead-on impersonation. I want to show you now the real Keith and Ben`s stand-up. Can we roll that?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEITH OLBERMANN, HOST, "COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN": Saying you`re going to meet with somebody isn`t actions, Wurzelbacher. It`s words. You don`t know what you`re talking about. You may be endangering your country music record deal. While you`re making a fool of yourself out there, shelling for John McCain, William Hung could be taking that record deal out of your pocket. You think I`m kidding about this?
AFFLECK (as Keith Olbermann): Mr. Lieberstein, you speak of considerations of the rights of others. How dare you, sir? How dare you? Where, sir, in any of this were the rights of Miss Precious Perfect considered? Damn you Mr. Lieberstein, damn you to hell!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. So, Jami, obviously, yes, it`s huge flattery. You know, Keith truly has arrived even to another level with this. But do you think perhaps maybe he`s cringing a little bit over this opposite "30 Rock?"
FLOYD: I don`t know. It all depends on how much of a sense of humor you have. You talked, A.J., in the last segment about John McCain. He does have a terrific sense of humor. It was evidenced by his willingness to appear whether it was a smart move or not. ;
I don`t know Keith Olbermann. If he`s got a sense of humor, he`s laughing today. If he doesn`t have one, then, you`re right. He`s probably cringing.
EHRLICH: Personally, I don`t know if he was watching the show. He was probably too busy Photoshopping himself in over old pictures of Edward Armuro(ph).
HAMMER: All right. All right.
FLOYD: Well, you know, I think "The View-ers" have a sense of humor, the "SNL" crowd has a sense of humor. And I think most of the people who are parodied have a pretty good sense of humor.
HAMMER: Let me wrap it up with this and I have 20 seconds for both of you to chime off with a yes or no. But we`re talking about the greatest campaign impersonations from this whole election season. Does it really get better than Tina Fey as Sarah Palin? First to you, Jami.
FLOYD: It was her moment in time. It was the perfect confluence of events. No, she`s the tops this time around.
HAMMER: And Brett, you`re signing on with that, I imagine?
EHRLICH: I will sign off with that. It`s up there with Chevy Chase just falling all over the place as Gerald Ford.
HAMMER: All right, guys. I appreciate you`re being here with me tonight. Brett Ehrlich, Jami Floyd, thanks for being here.
And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "The Presidential Race: Is it the funniest campaign ever?" Go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Yes. I think "Saturday Night Live" obviously has given us plenty to laugh about this election season. But "The View" has really got everybody talking, too. So tonight what we have is a fired-up SHOWBIZ showdown, "SNL" versus "The View." Which has been more influential this election? "SNL" with Tina Fey, of course, a the hilarious skits or the day-after-day battle on "The View" between Elisabeth Hasselbeck and pretty much everyone else on the show. That`s next.
And you know how "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell dumps on a lot of the contestants? Well, I think that karma thing might have caught up with Simon. He got dumped by his girlfriend over the phone. Ouch!
Also coming up, I`ve got your very first look at Britney Spears` brand-new album cover. We`ve been waiting for this. We`ve been watching all of Britney`s troubles. The new album is coming and you have got to see this and hear some of the song titles on the album as well. Britt is not being shy one bit. That`s coming up on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WIIG: I do know that there were a lot of scared old Republicans shivering in their homes because of a Democrat.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: That`s a lie. So who cares? Old people get scared all the time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "Saturday Night Live`s" hilarious take on "The View" over the weekend. And now, tonight, a SHOWBIZ showdown - has "Saturday Night Live" been more influential than "The View" in this election, or does "The View" win?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, "The View" versus "Saturday Night Live." Both shows have been must-see TV during this whole campaign. Tonight, we have the stunning results of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll asking viewers which show has been more influential in this election from the fiery debates between Elisabeth Hasselbeck and her co-host counterparts on "The View" to "Saturday Night Live`s" hilarious Hillary Clinton spoofs and of course, Tina Fey with her dead-on impersonations of Sarah Palin. And we`ve got your fired-up calls on to the "Showbiz On Call" phone lines.
Joining me tonight in Hollywood, it`s Carlos Diaz who`s a correspondent for "Extra." In New York is Leslie Sanchez who`s a CNN contributor and Republican analyst.
All right. Guys, let`s get into this. I`ve got to kick it off with our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll because it is truly incredible. More than 40,000 people responded to the question when we asked in our question of the day - "Which show has been more influential in the election?"
Look at these results. "Whopping" is a good word to use here - 89 percent said "SNL" has been more influential. Eleven percent said it was "The View." Only 11 percent. Carlos, what do you think? Did our viewers get it right?
DIAZ: I think your viewers like to laugh and that`s why you have me on the show so often.
HAMMER: Yes.
DIAZ: But seriously, if I had to choose between one or the other as far as been influential, I have to go with "The View." while "SNL" makes you laugh, "The View" makes you think. And they`re bringing up hot topics to the fray over and over again and really getting to what each person stood for perhaps even better than the candidates did. So I thought "The View" - I`m amazed by this vote from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, let`s see if Leslie Sanchez agrees. Do you agree with Carlos Diaz, or do you think our viewers got it right and say, "SNL" is definitely more influential here?
SANCHEZ: You know, historically, "SNL" has had an impact. People prefer to laugh rather than to cry. You know, sometimes it feels like you`re - it`s the hard sale on "The View. You`re pushing very ardent points and very controversial issues.
But the thing about "SNL" that`s fascinating is they take this caricature, this idea of this candidate and they exploit it in the largest way and people can understand that. They laugh at it but it can have a negative impact on these candidates.
We`ve talked about the impact it can have on Gov. Palin. You saw the impact it had on Gerald Ford historically when Chevy Chase, you know, talked about his follies and his clumsiness. People remember those things.
HAMMER: True.
SANCHEZ: And it kind of goes into consciousness of what they think of the candidates.
HAMMER: Well, as much as we would to, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT cannot take credit for the fact that even as people were voting on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day on "The View" versus "Saturday Night Live," guess what "Saturday Night Live" was doing over the weekend? Really, a hilarious spoof of "The View." And they really nailed "View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck. We`ve got to watch this again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WIIG: I do know that there were a lot of scared old Republicans shivering in their homes because of a Democrat.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: That`s a lie. And also, who cares? Old people get scared all the time. If it wasn`t Iraq, it would be something else.
HASSELBECK: I care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Carlos. Even though it was a spoof, you kind of think as I did when I was watching it, "SNL" was really giving a nod to "The View" saying, "Hey, you know what, guys? We`re in this together here"?
DIAZ: Yes, but it just goes to show how great "The View" is because even though they`re spoofing "The View," the original is always better than the spoof. I felt for the crowd that was watching it. You watch the entire skit - the audience was kind of like waiting to see if a true fight was going to erupt because they were kind of waiting for that next comedic moment. Not really going to burst out in total laughter, but a great job by "SNL" and the writers.
HAMMER: It`s what we`ve come to expect from "The View." And no, Joy Behar doesn`t have that much facial hair, if any at all.
(CROSS TALK)
And while "SNL" has been getting a lot of attention for the jokes, of course, as mentioned, you know, the ladies of "The View" getting all of their attention, or certainly a lot of it, for this nonstop war of words that`s been going on over the entire election season. And I want to play one - a time when Barbara and Elisabeth got into it. Let`s roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "THE VIEW": Why do you think that Sarah Palin would make a very good president?
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Well, since I`ve been studying for this pop quiz forever - tell me why Barack Obama is qualified. She`s been running the state of Alaska. She`s an expert in terms of energy. She has been in charge of the National Guard during a time of war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. So Leslie, you say you don`t think "The View" is having a major impact here. But these really are the same conversations and arguments that are going on all across America and have been for the last many months. How can it not have some influence on this election?
SANCHEZ: You know, there`s two different points, though. I give Elisabeth Hasselbeck a tremendous credit as being the only conservative up there fighting against all of them. I mean, it`s hard to be the lone Republican voice, and she does a very good job at it.
The problem is she`s got to challenge all of those individuals. I think she brings up relevant points but she`s criticized many times. They look at her like she has three eyeballs. I mean, she`s talking about mainstream values and I think she does it very effectively.
But sometimes, she`s portrayed as somebody who`s out of the mainstream and I think that`s actually incorrect. I think she can have an impact. People that fundamentally agree with her values applaud her for what she`s doing.
HAMMER: Yes. No question about that.
SANCHEZ: If you`re not really sure, then you think it sounds like a catfight.
HAMMER: I think they need to add an "SNL" versus "The View" question to the exit polls on election night.
Carlos Diaz, Leslie Sanchez, thank you for being here, guys. I appreciate it.
And we would like to hear from you on which show has been more influential this election. So let us know. Do you think it`s "The View?" Do you think it`s "SNL?" Maybe something else. You can call "Showbiz On Call" and let us know about this or really anything else that`s on your mind. Here`s the number for "Showbiz On Call" which is always open - 1- 888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899. Leave your voicemail so we can play your calls here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And your calls to "Showbiz On Call" right there on our homepage, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
HAMMER: Well, election day is finally upon us. One of my favorite movements throughout this election season has been CNN`s league of first- time voters. All kinds of people have been sharing their inspirational stories of how they`re going to vote for the first time ever.
Well, tonight, I would like to share with you the story behind the first time I voted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER (on camera): One of the biggest things I remember about the first time I actually voted was it was the first time I was in a voting booth a curtain and a lever without my mom or dad. Because they always brought me growing up and I always got to pull the lever when they were done. So actually, that`s probably illegal. And I probably am responsible for voting fraud years and years ago.
I very distinctly remember being excited to be a part of something that I had been learning about since I was a little kid. I really had always taken it in school and in the process of going with my folks to the polls and to actually be able do it. And when I pulled that lever, and it wasn`t for mom or dad and it was for myself, I actually felt like it counted. And I still feel that way.
You`ve got to do it. You`ve got to get out there and vote. I don`t think there`s any question about that. I think something that a lot of people struggle with is, "Well, my one vote. Can it even make a difference?" And you just have to get beyond that.
I still feel to this day when I go in there and I flip the little switch and I pull that lever, I do feel like I make a difference. And I will always feel that way. I think that`s the biggest thing that a lot of people have to get past.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Well, there is still time for you to get involved in the league of first-time voters. I`d like you to go to CNN.com/league. There, you can hook up with other first-timers and even print your own personalized political badge.
HAMMER: All right. Moving on now, "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell might want a badge of his own, maybe one that says, "I`m available." Simon got dumped by his long-time girlfriend. Oh, the tragedy of it all. But the thing is you`re not going to believe how she did it and why she did it. And I`m thinking maybe Simon needs a little Paula Abdul pick-me-up right about now. Stick around for this story. It`s new right now and it is coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Thank you, director Charles Redmond(ph). And I welcome you back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And here are some more stories that are making news right now.
Well, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and "American idol" judge Simon Cowell and his girlfriend of six years Terri Seymour have broken up. "People" magazine reports that Terri called Simon and dumped him about six weeks ago over the phone. The reason for the split? Well, supposedly Terri wants kids and Simon does not.
Well, Simon does want Britney Spears to do his TV show. Simon confirmed to London`s "Daily Mail" that Britney will appear on his U.K. talent show called the "X Factor."
And you are now looking at Britney`s brand-new album cover. This album called, "Circus" is going to be out on December 2nd. I`ve got to say, she`s looking very nice here. Her number one hit, womanizer, is track number one on the album. Some of the other songs include titles like "Kill the Lights" and "Lace and Leather."
Jennifer Aniston tells the "L.A. Times" her "Marley and Me" co-star Owen Wilson is, quote, "brave." Aniston also says that she`s never seen Wilson play a part quite like it. Owen reportedly tried to commit suicide last year.
Ouch. Jessica Simpson`s hairstylist, a guy named Ken Paves, was rushed to the hospital over the weekend. This happened after his face was cut by a paparazzo`s camera. Now, TMZ says Ken was trying to get Jessica to her car after they had dinner at an L.A. hotspot when all of a sudden, photographers swarmed and he got hit. As of right now, no charges have been filed. It appears it was an accident.
On Friday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of day - "Which show has been more influential in the election? Very one-sided as you see - 89 percent of you say "SNL" has been more influential. And here are some of the E-mails we got.
We heard from Anita in Texas who thinks "SNL" is the show to watch, "Elisabeth Hasselbeck is a joke - her comments are very uninformed, and she is very ignorant of issues."
We also heard from Leo in California who says neither show is influences him, "I do my own research. Hollywood would like to believe that they are making a difference, but I really don`t thing they possess that power."
Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
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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