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Showbiz Tonight
Ellen DeGeneres Strikes Back; Have Jon and Kate Become a Laughingstock?; Christina Aguilera`s Shocking Claims of Abuse; Tyra Banks`s Claims of Racism on the Job; Bad News for Jennifer Aniston
Aired September 22, 2009 - 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: Right now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Ellen strikes back. Ellen DeGeneres`s eye-opening counterattack on her show today aimed at everyone who says she shouldn`t replace Paula Abdul on "American Idol."
And today, for the very first time, Ellen reveals what she thinks of Paula`s controversial, over-the-top spoof of Ellen on the VH1 diva show. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the must-see-TV Ellen "Idol" response.
Tonight, have Jon and Kate become a laughingstock? Jon and Kate Gosselin try to get serious with new careers after their split. So, how come everyone`s making fun of them?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIENNE (as Kate Gosselin): You don`t love the kids.
GEORGE TAKEI, ACTOR (as Jon Gosselin): Of course I love kids. Have you seen my girlfriend?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, is anyone taking Jon and Kate seriously? And if you find anyone who does, can you have them give us a call? Tonight it`s the great SHOWBIZ debate, are Jon and Kate now a laughingstock?
Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT uncovers some brand-new disturbing information that Jennifer Aniston is not going to like, and why it could mean big trouble for her future.
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.
And tonight, Ellen strikes back at all that talk that she has no business being the newest judge on "American Idol." For the very first time, Ellen DeGeneres used her show today to strike back at anyone who thinks she can`t fill Paula Abdul`s shoes.
But wait, there`s more. Ellen also spoke out today for the very first time about that over-the-top, jaw-dropping spoof of her by Paula at VH1`s "Divas." That`s why SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that what Ellen unexpectedly said on her show this afternoon made for big news breaking today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": Apparently, there`s a lot of debate going on whether I`m qualified or not to be the new judge on "American Idol."
HAMMER (voice-over): On her talk show today, Ellen DeGeneres did something unusual. She campaigned for a job she already has, the next "American Idol" judge.
DEGENERES: I will be kind. I will be compassionate. I will be empathetic. And I will be truthful. I will be an honest judge without being mean. And.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": It`s interesting that Ellen is kind of still in campaign mode. Look, this has happened already. It`s a done deal. Nothing is going to change. She`s the fourth "American Idol" judge, so she doesn`t really have to win people over. But you have to wonder why she is still kind of defending herself.
HAMMER: But every good campaign speech needs a zinger and Ellen covered that requirement today for the very first time by going after her "Idol" predecessor, Paula Abdul. On VH1 last week, Paula imitated Ellen`s famous dance moves.
PAULA ABDUL, FORMER "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: Why are you all stares at me? Can`t a girl try out a new job? All kidding aside, nothing but love, Ellen. And I wish you the best of luck and congratulations on your new gig.
HAMMER: Today Ellen struck back.
DEGENERES: I have nothing but love for you too, Paula, but I want my wig back. I really do. Give it back.
HAMMER: From Justin versus Kelly and Ruben versus Clay to Chris versus Adam, "American Idol" has seen all kinds of rivalries. But could we be seeing one more - Ellen versus Paula?
SERAFIN: It`s kind of funny that now we have this back-and-forth mocking - or playful mocking between Paula and Ellen.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAMMER: Paula must have known that if you make fun of a comedian, you do so at your own risk. And on her show today, Ellen had some fun giving it back to Paula for her little "Ellen moment."
DEGENERES: I don`t know what this dance move was that she did. She did like a little pat - I`ve never patted my butt like that. Today, I might try it. That`s a new move. She`s a choreographer and I`m going to take that in.
HAMMER: Even though Ellen`s new job is inspiring jokes and comedy bits, some weren`t happy when we found out two weeks ago that Ellen would be replacing Paula Abdul.
SERAFIN: Initially, there were some people that said, "Why is Ellen getting this job as judge? She`s not a musician. She`s never been a musical performer. She doesn`t have musical expertise. Why is she in this judging spot?"
HAMMER: On today`s show, Ellen seriously addressed that issue. Well, somewhat seriously.
DEGENERES: The things that people are saying - I thought America had moved past this. First, we have a first African-American president. We`ve sworn in our first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. And I think "American Idol" is ready for their first blond judge. I do.
HAMMER: "In Touch Weekly`s" Kim Serafin tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT both Ellen and Paula seem to be playing into all the hype surrounding Paula`s departure from and Ellen`s arrival at "American Idol."
SERAFIN: They are total pros. They are making fun of this. "American Idol" must be thanking the heavens for all the publicity that they are getting from this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Yes, no kidding. So although Ellen is defending herself as an "Idol" judge, let`s not forget, the new season of "American Idol" doesn`t even start until January.
Joining me tonight in New York, Lisa Bernhard who is an entertainment journalist. Also joining me tonight from Hollywood, Ken Baker who is the executive news editor for "E!"
So a lot of people think that Ellen as Paula`s replacement on "Idol" is genius. I happen to be among those people. And a couple weeks have now passed since the big announcement.
So Ken, why do you think that Ellen now felt the need to go on her show today and passionately defend herself against all the critics?
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE NEWS DIRECTOR, "E!": Well, I personally like Ellen. I like the choice. I think she`s the ultimate super-fan. She`s been a fan of "Idol" for years, so she`s going to bring that perspective. Whether or not it`s genius, we`ll find out in the ratings, because that`s what it`s all about.
But why did she feel compelled to respond to Paula? Well, first of all, it`s comedy. Paula always opens things up for comedy. She`s ripe for it. You can always make fun of her.
But here`s the thing. This has always been the criticism of Ellen that she can kind of have thin skin. And I think it`s very hard for her to take criticism and she just felt compelled to somehow defend herself when I don`t think anyone was taking it seriously what Paula did. That is just her MO and that`s just the way Ellen is.
HAMMER: Yes. And as far as the critics go, I thought she handled them just fine with what she said today. And among what Ellen said today to respond to the critics - she`s been judged all her life so she feels she`ll be truthful and compassionate as a judge on "Idol."
Lisa, do you think we`ve now heard the last of Ellen on the defense? Or was today just the beginning of that?
LISA BERNHARD, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: You know, I actually am not sure about that. It`s probably the last of it. But I think to pick up on what Ken said - what both of you said is - you know, I interviewed her right as she was about to start this talk show.
And she is very sensitive because her "Ellen" sitcom being cancelled and coming out, she feels like she knows what it`s like to have the American public turn against her. And I don`t think she`s ever actually lost that feeling. She was devastated when her sitcom was cancelled and she felt like there was some backlash when she came out for some of the fans there and that really ran deep.
And she`s moved years beyond that. And she`s beloved now by so many. But I don`t think she ever really forgot what that felt like for her to have the American public turn against her. So I do think she`s a little bit still sensitive to that and therefore still felt the need to defend herself.
And she also told "TV Guide" - it didn`t make the interview, but they released a snippet of the interview that she gave back in November where she actually said she`d be a horrible judge on "American Idol" because she doesn`t like to judge people.
Now, if we were all held to the words that we once said.
HAMMER: Yes.
BERNHARD: . and then wanted to take back, we`d all be in a lot of trouble. So I don`t fault her for that.
HAMMER: And she since made the point that she`ll have the fans` perspective.
BERNHARD: Yes.
HAMMER: And I think that`s among what will make her great. Let`s take a look at some of what Ellen said today on her show when she smacked down some of the critics. Roll that, Charles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEGENERES: I thought America had moved past this. First, we have our first African-American president. We`ve sworn in our first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. And I think "American Idol" is ready for their first blond judge - I do.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Very funny, right? Now, I think this is nuts, but hear me out. There are some people who saw this and thought she was making some sort of a reference to being gay and the fact that people won`t accept a gay judge.
Ken, it is obvious to me she was just joking, nothing more. But why do you think that some people may be trying to read so much into this?
BAKER: Well, I think because, you know, like we just discussed of her past, of her sitcom being cancelled shortly after she came out to "Time" magazine, I think those things are very real, and people remember those.
But at the same time, all this criticism that she`s getting on the Internet and things like that - that she`s not a good judge, I personally think that most of those critics are actually just Paula Abdul fans who so badly wanted Paula back. It doesn`t matter who would they pick to replace Paula. They would just do a hate fest on whoever would replace her.
HAMMER: Yes.
BAKER: She`s getting that right now.
HAMMER: I wish those people would have more love for Ellen, because Paula`s had such a great sense of humor about it. Just a few days ago, she hit the stage at VH1`s "Divas Live" dressed as Ellen and saying she has nothing but love for Ellen. I thought it was great how Ellen reacted to that on her show today. Watch what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEGENERES: I have nothing but love for you too, Paula, but I want my wig back. I really do. Give it back. And I don`t know what this dance move was that she did. She did a little pat - I`ve never patted my butt like that, but today I might try it. It`s a new move. She`s a choreographer and I`m going to take that in. I`m going to do a little.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. So Paula loves Ellen. Ellen loves Paula. X-O-X-O. Lisa, is this exactly what Ellen needed to do to put the whole awkward Paula-thing behind her? Just laugh about it?
BERNHARD: Sure, and I think it`s great. And I think it`s made all of us laugh. And I`ll tell you who will have the last laugh.
It will actually be Ellen, because all this is going to come down to is how big the ratings are going to be in January when "American Idol" premieres. And I can`t imagine it will be anything but huge and Ellen will certainly be the one having the last laugh.
HAMMER: And the folks at "AI" who are loving the publicity. Lisa Bernhard, Ken Baker, thanks guys.
So have Jon and Kate Gosselin become a total laughingstock? I mean, think about this - they are both trying to start new careers. But there`s all this talk of clothing lines and TV talk shows. Is anybody really taking these two seriously?
Come on. I have the great Jon and Kate debate also caught on tape, reporters confronted on live TV.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re on, live at MSNBC. Please don`t touch the microphone. Tell us what your thought is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My thought is that you are rude.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You know how annoying it is when people talk in a movie theater, right? Well, how about when a reporter talks during a political event? People get annoyed. And it`s all on live TV. You`ve got to see this out first for yourself. They`re great.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT uncovers some brand-new, disturbing information about Jen Aniston. And Jen is not going to like it one bit. Why it could mean big trouble for her future. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: John Travolta in the Bahamas for extortion trial linked to his son`s death. Tickets for Michael Jackson`s movie go on sale Sunday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Did you see this? Behold the Sneak-a-Peek coffee cart in San Diego, which, I`ve got to say, is giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "double shot." The bikini-clad barista set upshot right across the street from a Starbucks and they`re attracting mostly a male clientele. Big shocker there.
And not everybody is thrilled about the coffee cart, though. There`s an elementary school right down the street.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Tonight, caught on tape, why people are saying, "You`re so rude." What do you think happens when a crowd turns on a TV reporter when the cameras are rolling? The reporters - well, they`re just trying to do their jobs, but got totally hassled. You have to see these outrageous outbursts and they are all caught on live TV.
Here now is CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They call it the "values voter summit."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And God chose me for that moment.
MOOS: But what we valued was how reporters from opposite political camps, MSNBC and Fox, both got hassled live.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: This whole (INAUDIBLE) got your invited guests.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Too bad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: We`re doing live television.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re being rude.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a gentleman who`s trying to crowd into my live shot right now and trying to prevent us from continuing our work here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re disturbing people here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Excuse me, sir. I am doing my job. I`m a reporter and we`re actually showing your event on television.
MOOS: That happened almost simultaneously and it had nothing to do with ideology.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you mind? This is about the rudest thing you could do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re on, live with MSNBC. Please don`t touch the microphone. Tell us what your thought is?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My thought is that you are rude.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: I`m doing my job.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Excuse me, sir. You`re interrupting my work.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are interrupting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please, you`re causing a disturbance.
MOOS: The reporters were just reporting from where risers were set up for cameras shooting the event.
(on camera): Organizers say the problem was that more people showed up than expected. So they had to add chairs in the back, and those seats encroached on the area already set up for the media. So when the reporters spoke, the attendees couldn`t hear the speaker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: And you are?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m Melinda Putt(ph) and I paid to come here to listen and not to be disrupted.
MOOS: Now, reporters are used to getting hassled, but here`s the way we get pestered by idiots just jumping up and down in the background. That`s my producer.
(voice-over): The other day, protestors at the Washington tea party chanted "tell the truth" and "no more lies" behind a CNN radio reporter.
CROWD (chanting): No more lies. No more lies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to start something - can I ask you something? What do you think of Congressman Joe Wilson?
CROWD: Yes!
(CHEERS)
MOOS: At that same rally, a Fox News producer got nabbed revving up the crowd behind a reporter by waving her hand. Fox told "The Huffington Post" he is a young, relatively inexperienced associate producer who has been disciplined.
Back at the value summit, the man that scolded MSNBC`s reporter was escorted out by security. Organizers apologized to the press. But there`s nothing like looks that can kill to liven up a live show.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As far as great live television - you`re causing a disturbance.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Well, I must say the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines have just been overloaded with so many people calling in about whether Kate Gosselin is exploiting her kids.
In fact, look at this. The "Showbiz on Call" operators barely have time to take care of their own kids because they are working their fingers to the bone fielding all those calls that keep coming in and maybe we`ll update that phone system one day.
HAMMER: We`ve got a call into "Showbiz on Call" from Cyndy in Louisiana. Now, Cyndy says, if you don`t like what Kate`s doing, don`t watch.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: There are those of us who appreciate what Kate`s doing. We enjoy watching the show. I`ve enjoyed watching the kids grow. And so we enjoy the show. If you don`t like it, there`s a thing called a knob and a remote. Turn it off.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thanks, Cyndy. Appreciate your call. We also heard from Shannon who called in to "Showbiz on Call" from Georgia. And Shannon says Kate is using the kids to make money.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: I believe she`s exploiting her children because she`s talking about doing this TV show to raise those kids and make money. But what if there was no TV show? Would she have those eight kids? What if there was no TV show? Then what would she have done? She`d be working. She`d have a job and she`d still be supporting her kids any way necessary.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thank you, Shannon. And Melissa from Connecticut called in to "Showbiz on Call." She said, you know what? Kate may be a great mom but she wasn`t such a great wife.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: Kate Gosselin is an awesome mom and she deserves kudos for that. But anybody who has seen her show knows from the beginning she is an awful, awful wife. She`s abusive and she`s mean.
So people need to remember that when they are talking about Jon. Jon deserves to date sweet young things because of his battles with a meanie for a long time.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Melissa, I appreciate you`re call. I know you have an opinion on this, so please call us at "Showbiz on Call" and let us know what`s on your mind about this, about anything.
The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are always open. Give us a ring at 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899. Leave us a voicemail. And we`re playing some of your calls right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And your calls to "Showbiz on Call" also online on our homepage and that is CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Tonight, Tyra Banks speaking out about racism. She is a supermodel, a successful talk show host, a businesswoman with a massive media empire. But has racism been a road block for her?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, CNN HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Did you ever feel in your life looked down upon because of your color?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tyra`s surprising and emotional answer to that question. Wait until you hear what she had to say and it happened just a short time ago.
Have Jon and Kate Gosselin become a total laughingstock? They are both trying to start new careers. But is anyone taking them seriously? I have the Jon and Kate great debate.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT uncovered some brand-new disturbing information about Jennifer Aniston that she`s not going to like. Why it could mean big trouble for Jennifer Aniston`s future. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on CNN.
Let`s roll out the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Fox`s "Glee" is the first new fall show to get a full season order. Betty White scheduled to be a guest star on "30 Rock."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FMR. REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), FORMER REPUBLICAN HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: We will have strict oversight of every dime spent by government agencies to ensure the wise and efficient use of the taxpayers` money.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. So that was Tom DeLay back in the day when he was the House majority leader. Here`s Tom DeLay now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
What? Who in the world would have thought that the conservative politician who became known as "The Hammer" would one day become known for his dance moves?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, dancing with the former House majority leader. Yes, Tom DeLay actually getting rave reviews today for his debut last night on "Dancing with the Stars."
DeLay says the show is just like politics. You`ve got to work hard and maybe you can win. DeLay is paired with two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champ Cheryl Burke who says she really had to work hard with DeLay to warm him up to all the hip-shaking.
Well, they danced last night to the song, "Wild Thing" and DeLay says being a conservative his whole life, the one thing he wasn`t prepared for was getting in touch with his feminine side, whatever he meant by that.
One judge called the performance "surreal," but also said he was light on his feet. Another judge said it wasn`t too bad. And the reviews today are mostly good. The "New York Post" writing, "The whitest man in America can dance."
Well, I must tell you, people are posting their hearts out on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page. Take a look at his. We`re getting a lot of comments about Ellen DeGeneres replacing Paula Abdul on "American Idol."
We heard from Terri M. who says the switch is bittersweet for her. Terri writing, "I will enjoying seeing Ellen on the set. However, but I will really miss Paula. I would have liked to see Ellen replace Kara or whatever her name is."
But Carolyn A. is not looking forward to Ellen as a judge. She says, "I love Paula. She has a lot of class and a big heart. Ellen may be funny and I love humor, but personally, I think she acts very immature for her age." I bet Ellen would take that as a compliment.
Remember, I would love to hear from you on Facebook. You can also follow us on Twitter. For breaking entertainment news alerts, sign up for our Facebook and Twitter pages over on our homepage, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Here now the showbiz lineup - what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
We`ve got to ask - are Jon and Kate laughingstocks? They are both trying to make new careers after their split. But really, is anyone taking them seriously?
Christina Aguilera`s shocking claims about her childhood. Tonight, why Christina says her father made her life hell and how she overcame horrific abuse.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT uncovers some brand-new and disturbing information about Jennifer Aniston. She is not going to like this one bit. Why it could mean big trouble for Jen Aniston`s her future. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Guitarist Joe Satriani and Coldplay reach agreement, ending copyright lawsuit. Columbia Pictures set to make a movie about the rise and fall of Enron.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, big news breaking - Jon and Kate from loved to laughingstocks? They are trying to get serious with their careers, so why is everyone making fun of them? Are these two just total laughingstocks?
Tyra Banks`s shocking racism confessions. New today, Tyra admits to being a victim of racism while on the job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Did you ever feel, in your life, looked down upon because of your color?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Her emotional revelations just revealed a short time ago.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT uncovers brand-new startling things about Jennifer Aniston that could affect her future. She definitely is not going to like this.
Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
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.
So tonight, have Jon and Kate become a national laughingstock? What`s the deal with Jon and Kate Gosselin? Even more jokes were rolling in nonstop today about Jon and Kate.
They are no longer beloved family reality show stars. They are now the butt of jokes around the country in a big, big way. Wait until you see the brand-new riffs, the spoofs and all those one-liners flying around about Jon and Kate. Nothing is off limits from Jon`s philandering ways to Kate`s hairstyle choices.
Comedians are just having a field day. But is this really the way they want people to see them? And Joy Behar revealed today to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT what she really thinks of Kate Gosselin after hanging out with Kate on the set of "The View" last week.
Are all those jokes about Kate valid? Well, I sat down with Joy as she gets ready to launch her own big show right here on HLN. I`ve got to tell you, she doesn`t hold back one bit on the real inside story on Kate Gosselin.
Joining me tonight on Hollywood is Ken Baker who is the executive news editor for "E!" In New York, Lisa Bernhard who is an entertainment journalist.
It really is the Jon and Kate comedy bonanza lately. I`ve got to tell you, the back-and-forth drama of Jon and Kate Gosselin as they`re going through this messy, messy divorce really went from being a serious matter on their show, "Jon & Kate Plus 8" to being the butt of a whole lot of jokes. In fact, here`s the latest one. I must play this for you. Jay Leno wasting no time last night getting in a big dig. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, COMEDIAN: And last week, Jon Gosselin from "Jon and Kate" got a speeding ticket in Pennsylvania. Apparently, he was going nowhere fast. But did you see him? Did you see Gosselin on "Good Morning America" last week? He said he was abused when he was married to Kate. He said she yelled at him, constantly belittled him and made him do things he didn`t want to do. Hey, Jon, that`s called "marriage," OK? Wake up! Wake up!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I mean, it seems to me that Jon and Kate had all this coming if you ask me. Ken, are you at all surprised they`ve become such a laughingstock? Or are you like me, it was kind of inevitable?
BAKER: Well, I think it was inevitable. But you know what, A.J.? Sometimes, when we`re tired of crying, we just have to laugh. I mean, this has been a very sad tragic story for a very long time.
But even in its saddest, most tragic moments, of course, everyone knew that two things are always funny. Bad hair and beer guts. And when you put them on reality stars, you`re going to laugh.
And I think that`s eventually what`s happened. And seriously, though, you know, of course, there`s a tragedy. The one thing that is not funny about this is that there are eight kids caught in the crossfire of a very nasty, public, bitter divorce.
But I think that people are now starting to say, "You know what? We`ve just got to make fun of this."
HAMMER: Yes.
BAKER: It`s past. It`s sort of statute of limitations of tragedy. And now, we just have to play it for the humor. And I think it`s just ripe for comedy.
HAMMER: I didn`t know what the statute of limitations on tragedy was. I`m glad you pointed that out. No, great point, Ken. I really agree with you on that.
BAKER: All the rules are here. The rules are here.
HAMMER: I appreciate that, you folks at "E!" taking care of that for us. And what really has struck me about the whole thing, it`s not Jon, it`s not Kate - neither of them say from all the spoofs and all the jokes. Kate`s reportedly just shot this show for her own talk show, a pilot for it. Something she may be doing with Paula Dean. Jon is busy, of course, dating his "soul mate," as he put it, 22-year-old Hailey Glassman.
These are two things that got "Jimmy Kimmel Show" thinking about the perfect Jon and Kate spoof like what a brand-new Kate show might be like. Let`s roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sixteen desperate single women. One available guy. Kate Gosselin presents, "Who Wants to be the Underage Slut Who Has Sex with My Husband Above the Garage While He`s Supposed to be Watching Our Litter of Kids." Only on Fox.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Lisa, let me throw this out to you. What do you think about all the drama about both of them that`s been in the news lately and how Jon is with this woman who`s 10 years younger than him? Do Jon and Kate really kind of deserve to be a laughingstock?
BERNHARD: Well, I`ll tell you something - I think yes, they sort of do. But listen, what does it mean when you are made the butt of jokes by guys like Jimmy Kimmel and Jay Leno? It means you`ve arrived.
It means you`re stars. It means you have officially been ushered into the pop culture firmament as major stars. You`re in the game now. You`re brands. You`re well known. You`ve arrived.
HAMMER: Yes.
BERNHARD: I mean, I think it actually only helps anything else that they want to do, his clothing line, her doing this talk show where she`s sitting among Rene Syler and Lee Woodruff, you know, a journalist. And she`s among their company and Paula Dean, who is obviously a huge star.
She is now a huge star. And I think, you know, these late-night talk show hosts - they can`t help but ignore this people that everybody`s talking about. And I think, A.J., you and I and most of your guests - haven`t we had a little fun with them for some months now, too, before Jay and the rest of them?
HAMMER: Well, no, it`s true. And no, if that`s your definition of "having arrived," I think it happened some time ago when you think of comedienne and good friend of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Kathy Griffin. And now, she`s been making a living off of taking a stab at Jon and Kate Gosselin for months now.
I mean, she`s been doing this for a while. Check out the hilarious spoof that she did for "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is a mother.
GRIFFIN: I told you monsters to cram Polly Pocket in those pie holes. Mommy`s doing a satellite feed with Regis.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But mom, we`re thirsty.
GRIFFIN: Wah, wah, wah. Here, drink the tears of fame, bottoms up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I love that. But it`s not just Kate that`s at the butt of her jokes. Kathy Griffin did not hold back when she told me what she really thinks of Jon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: He`s a tool, you know. And I know people think she`s a nightmare and they want to call in and say she`s horrible. He`s a tool, sitting there rolling his eyes.
You know, it`s "Kate Plus 9" - that`s what that show is.
HAMMER: OK.
GRIFFIN: And she`s another one. She`s another one there with the tummy tuck and you know - my mother didn`t have a tummy tuck. She has a box of wine and a muumuu.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, Ken, Lisa thinks could help them. But when comedians make these kinds of jokes, could it also possibly ruin each Jon and Kate`s chances of being taken seriously? I mean, they are trying hard to strike out and create serious careers outside of the reality show.
BAKER: Yes. Hold on one second. Kids, shut up, OK? All right. Now, back to important business. No, you can`t have a drink. No, really, what it is, is, look - Jon Gosselin, last I checked, is not running for senator of Pennsylvania. He`s running to get another reality show, OK?
And the last I checked, he wants to do a reality show as a divorced dad trying to move on with his life. And you know what? He knows what he is. He knows what his brand is and it`s not Barack Obama.
His brand is more, you know - it`s just Joe six-pack. So I think it`s fine. It doesn`t hurt - yes, I think it`s totally going to be fine.
HAMMER: Listen to this, Joy Behar stopped by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT just this afternoon to tell me what she thinks about Jon and Kate being laughingstocks. And by the way, I must point out to you that Joy`s new show, "The Joy Behar Show," debuting right here on HLN, Tuesday, September 29th, 9:00 p.m. You want to watch it every weekday on HLN.
Joy did not hold back with me today when I asked her what she thought about the Gosselins becoming a laughingstock. Let`s look at Joy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I don`t think they care. I think they have all these kids they have to now support. So they`ll do whatever they have to do to make money. I can`t fault her for that. I mean, she needs make money now to support those children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Again, Kate`s been trying to get her own talk show. John has been dabbling with the fashion line, maybe even getting his own reality show.
Lisa, are you with Joy that, hey, the Gosselins don`t really care what people think of them as long as people are talking about them, they`re making money for themselves and the kids?
BERNHARD: I think that`s absolutely the case. I mean, look, I think that`s what being in pop culture is about these days. I think for a lot of people, you just realize that there`s - you know, we`ve been saying this kind of for a while.
But there`s really no such thing as bad publicity. Unless you really murder somebody or do something so heinous, there really isn`t such a thing as bad publicity anymore.
HAMMER: I guess for people like Jon and Kate, certainly. Ken Baker, Lisa Bernhard, thanks, guys. I appreciate it.
All right. What do you think? Have Jon and Kate become a punch line? Tell me. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Jon and Kate: Have they become a laughingstock?" Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
So I`ve got to tell you, if Jennifer Aniston doesn`t pick her next job more carefully, well, she could become a laughingstock of Hollywood. I just uncovered some absolutely shocking news that could affect Jennifer Aniston`s future. Let me tell you she definitely will not like this.
Also making news right now, Tyra Banks shocking racism confessions to Larry King.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Did you ever feel in your life looked down upon because of your color?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. This is unbelievable. Just a short time ago tonight, Tyra, one of the biggest supermodels of all time, opens up how she was a victim of racism on the job.
And Christina Aguilera`s explosive brand-new claims about how she and her mom were abused by Christina`s dad. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Michael Jackson`s "This Is It" movie will premiere in more than 15 worldwide cities. Warner Bros. already working sequel to "Sherlock Holmes," Brad Pitt may star.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATHER LOCKLEAR, ACTRESS, ON "MELROSE PLACE": You have a tough time finding a job with your attitude.
ALYSSA MILANO, ACTRESS, ON "MELROSE PLACE": Didn`t stop you any.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: She`s back. Heather Locklear getting into it with Alyssa Milano on "Melrose Place." This is very exciting. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT just learned today that 47-year-old Locklear is joining the cast of the new "Melrose Place" on the CW.
Heather, of course, played the gorgeous but oh-so-evil Amanda Woodward on Fox`s "Melrose" back in the `90s. No word yet on how many episodes Heather will star in. I`m guessing there we can see how it goes.
You can check out Heather Locklear on "Melrose Place" on November 17th.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And tonight, bad news for Jen. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has uncovered some brand-new, disturbing information that Jennifer Aniston is not going to like. Her brand-new movie, "Love Happens," was a bona fide flop when it opened over the weekend. But have no fear because SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been digging deep all day looking for answers on why this happened to poor Jen. You will not believe what we uncovered today.
And also brand new. Tyra Banks just made a shocking new claim on television tonight saying that she was a victim of racism. You have got to hear why Tyra is making that claim.
Joining me tonight in New York is Marvet Britto who is a publicist and brand strategist. Also in New York, Rachel Zalis who is a contributing editor for "Life and Style Weekly."
I want to begin with this bad news for Jennifer Aniston. Her brand- new movie called "Love Happens" really just tanked over the weekend at the box office.
Look at how everything stacked up. The new kid flick, "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs" raked in $30 million. Matt Damon`s new film, "The Informant" - $10 million this weekend.
But Jennifer`s movie came in at number 4. It only made $8 million, and that`s despite a whole bunch of publicity. So here`s the bad news SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has for Jennifer Aniston. She`s not going to like it one bit.
We asked on air and online in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question day this - "Jennifer Aniston`s New Movie Flops: Are you surprised?" And look at the brand-new results that came in late today. A whopping 83 percent said no, they`re not surprised that her movie flopped. Only 17 percent say they are surprised.
Rachel, off to you first. This has got to be really bad news for Jennifer that so many people just expected this to happen?
RACHEL ZALIS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "LIFE AND STYLE WEEKLY": Absolutely. I mean, love doesn`t happen for her in real life and it did not happen for her at the box office. And it`s actually not that surprising. She was our favorite friend on TV. But in the movie, people want a change.
They are sick of her play the girlfriend, the wife. I mean, truthfully, out of over more than 20 movies probably that she`s made, only three have passed the $100 million mark. And two of those were with huge leading men like Vince Vaughn and Jim Carey. One was based on a best- selling book, "Marley and Me." So it`s not all that surprising.
But you know, I`m rooting for her. We love her. She`s a great actress. And.
HAMMER: Yes. I`m with you, Rachel. I love her, too, and I`m very disappointed to see this. I wasn`t so cynical. I though maybe she`d have a hit in her hands. This was her worst opening in years.
Marvet, I want to get your take on it. You`re a publicist. If Jen were your client and she heard that so many people expected her to fail, this is news that she has got to find hard to take.
MARVET BRITTO, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST AND BRAND STRATEGIST: I`m sure she does, but at the same time, Jennifer Aniston still has a very strong brand in Hollywood. She still graces the cover of numerous magazines.
And you know, like Rachel said, maybe folks are just tired of seeing her in the same type of movie. I would stretch a little bit and maybe do something that folks aren`t expecting to see her in. I think they`re probably just tired of seeing the same Jen they`ve already seen.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, this is the vibe from the E-mails we`re getting, just flooded into our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT E-mail box. It would seem that there`s even more bad news for Jennifer on our Facebook page, too. It`s just been inundated.
Let me read some of what we`ve got here. Erica N. writing on our wall, "News flash! Jennifer Aniston can`t act. She plays the same role in every movie. Who wants to see Rachel in five different movies? Dig deeper, Jennifer."
So Rachel, really, to your point earlier, do you think Erica has a point saying, you know, Jennifer is losing her box office mojo because she keeps playing the same roles and really needs to diversify.
ZALIS: Right. Well, first of all, saying she can`t act is not true. I think she is actually quite a good actress. And we`ve seen that in some of her films, "Friends With Money," "The Good Girl." So she has stretched in that way.
But I think it`s more what she is saying in that E-mail is about we want to see her, I think, playing her sexuality more - being a Bond girl. Do something fun and sexy. I think Jen could really do something that`s different in that sense.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, Marvet, do you think that Jen needs to issue a cease and desist order to her agent saying "No more romantic comedies, please"?
BRITTO: I think so. I think, you know, we should see Jen be a bad girl for a change. I think, you know, it was always good girl versus bad girl when it was - you know, her and Angelina.
Angelina has stretched it a little bit. I think we should actually see Jen expand her brand and go for roles that are not typical of the roles that she`s taken in the past.
HAMMER: All right. I want to move on to Tyra Banks` bombshell confession tonight that she was a victim of racism. Tyra made that claim in an interview that aired just a couple of hours ago on CNN`s "LARRY KING LIVE." You`ve got to watch what happened when Larry asked Tyra if she was ever treated differently than because of the color of her skin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Did you ever feel, in your life, looked down upon because I don`t have your color?
TYRA BANKS, HOST, "THE TYRA BANKS SHOW": Most definitely.
KING: But you have to carry it with you.
BANKS: That`s just the state of where we are right now. Most definitely, but it makes me stronger. It makes me stronger and it makes me open up my arms with love as opposed to feeling angry about it.
KING: You faced it in modeling, didn`t you?
BANKS: Most definitely. Every single day of my modeling career, I was told I couldn`t get a job or do certain things because of the color of my skin.
KING: Unbelievable.
BANKS: Every single day. Even as one of the top supermodels of the world, I heard that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`ve got to tell you, I find it really disturbing that Tyra Banks was dealing with this throughout her career. I mean, Marvet, does it surprise you that this would keep happening even after Tyra became a supermodel and was well-established?
BRITTO: Am I surprised that racism still happens? It`s still happening. I`m not surprised at all. I just went to Fashion Week shows, at least 10 shows, and there wasn`t one black model in the shows.
African-Americans contribute to the bottom line of the fashion industry. Yet, we`re underrepresented as a whole in ad campaigns and in shows and beyond. You don`t see that many African-Americans grace the cover of "Vogue", "Allure" - any of the top fashion books. So I`m not surprised at all. And it`s the same thing Naomi Campbell has been saying for years.
HAMMER: Marvet Britto, Rachel Zalis, thank you so much for being with us tonight. I appreciate it.
Right now, Jennifer Garner`s camel confessions. Yes, I`m talking about camels as in desert, humps - you know, that sort of thing? Here`s where I`m going with this. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Jennifer at the premiere of her brand-new movie, "The Invention of Lying in Hollywood."
It`s a really interesting movie and in it, lying doesn`t exist. I love this premise. Everybody just tells the truth. So of course, we had to ask Jennifer what`s the biggest lie she`d ever told that she later regretted. Watch this.
JENNIFER GARNER, ACTRESS: I went to camp when I was nine or 10. And I told everyone there that I had a camel in my basement in West Virginia, that we had turned our basement into a Saharan kind of environment and we kept a camel.
And my sister, who looks a lot like me, was somewhere years, years, years later. And this woman said, "Oh, we went to camp together. You had a camel." And Melissa said, "No, that would be my little sister, definitely. You`ve met Jennifer."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Let that be a lesson to you. Don`t ever keep a camel in your basement. "The Invention of Lying" opens on October 2nd.
I must say this brand-new stuff that I am reading about Christina Aguilera`s childhood is just so painful. Making news right now, Christina opening up about claims that her father abused her and her mother. It`s Christina in her own emotional words on what she went through. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Kevin Jonas picks brothers Joe and Bick as "best men" for his upcoming wedding. Giselle Bundchen has been named as a U.N. goodwill ambassador for the environment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Thanks, Charles. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Making news right now, Christina Aguilera is opening up about being abused by her father. This is really heart-wrenching.
In a new TV documentary, Aguilera claims that her Army sergeant dad not only hit her, but abused her mom and sister, too.
She tells "E," "I witnessed a lot of unpleased things - a lot of pushing and shoving and fighting and quarreling. Growing up, I did not feel safe. Feeling powerless is the worst feeling in the world. I turned to singing as an outlet. The pain at home is where my love for music came from."
Aguilera`s mom even describes one particularly shocking and horrific incident where she found a 4-year-old Christina with a bloody nose. Here`s what she says about that, "I scooped her up and said, `Oh, my God. What`s wrong?` She told me, `Daddy wanted to take a nap and I made too much noise.`" Now Christina`s dad has asked for forgiveness but she does not want him in her life.
Well, we just told you about these shocking results to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day about Jennifer Aniston`s movie bombing. And just now, I just got this final results, just handed to me from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom seconds ago - "Jennifer Aniston`s New Movie, `Love Happens,` Flops: Are you surprised?"
Look at this. Only 17 percent of you said you`re surprised; 83 percent of you said you`re not.
Here are some of the e-mails. Claudine in Oklahoma, "People are tired of seeing her play the same type of character in the same type of movies over and over."
Dawn from Kentucky, "I don`t understand why it has taken this long to figure out Jen isn`t a great actress. Even `good` would be a stretch."
Ouch. Not a lot of Aniston friends in our inbox today or in our "Showbiz on Call" phone lines either. Jenny calling in from California adds this -
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: I couldn`t agree with you more on the Jen Aniston stuff. Her movies are becoming so formulistic and boring. She needs to fire some people who are working for her because they are feeding her the yes word a little too often. And her movies are enough to make you want to jump off of an airplane if you happen to be stuck in there.
Give her a gun. Give her a mystery. Give her, you know, a "Sherlock Holmes" type of movie or something to get her out of the friends want to be girlfriend, boyfriend. They are all so formulistic. They`re old movies that are weak and they`re, oh, really boring. I love you, Jen. Get some work.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I`m still a huge Jen Aniston fan but I guess it`s always going to be hard for her to shake off the Rachael from "Friends" thing. Maybe she will move on to some different types of roles."
Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s -11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning, we`re on at 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on HLN.
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