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Showbiz Tonight
Too Gay to Play Straight?; Sexy Seven-Year-Olds?; Desperate for Marathon Sex; Parallels Between Lindsay Lohan and Michael Jackson; Another "Jersey Shore" Wannabe>
Aired May 12, 2010 - 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: Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - too gay to play straight? Former "Will and Grace" star, Sean Hayes, under attack today. Just because he`s gay, does it mean he can`t play it straight?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOY BEHAR, HOST, "THE JOY BEHAR SHOW": If you`re straight, it`s OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
BEHAR: The minute you come out, no one wants to cast you. The audience won`t accept you.
(CROSS TALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It becomes a lot more difficult.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And why the hit TV show, "Glee," is now caught in the middle of this.
Sexy 7-year-olds? The outrageous video today of 7-year-old girls wearing skimpy outfits and performing Beyonce`s "Single Ladies." Is this just plain wrong?
Desperate for marathon sex? The startling video today of "Desperate Housewives" star Teri Hatcher leading a real life housewife debate about marathon sex.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERI HATCHER, ACTRESS: Would you rather have eight hours of really great sex or eight hours of really great sleep?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City, with big news breaking for you today - too gay to play straight?
Yes. There was a raging debate today over a startling claim that an openly gay big star has no business playing someone who is straight. Now, as ridiculous as that may sound, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that even the hit TV show, "Glee," was dragged into the middle of this mess today.
But wait, there`s more. At the center of the controversy, Sean Hayes, the openly gay former star of "Will and Grace" and the guy who claims that Hayes is too gay to play it straight is also gay.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): It`s the big debate, a "Newsweek" writer claiming that some gay actors can`t play straight, igniting a straight up firestorm of controversy and outrage today.
KATRINA SZISH, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: My immediate reaction to this column was that this guy seems very narrow-minded. The fact that he is also a homosexual man himself made him seem even that more narrow-minded.
HAMMER: Yes, he`s gay too. Ramin Setoodeh`s "Newsweek" article is raising Hollywood hackles big time, especially after he targeted specifically openly gay actors playing straight roles like former "Will and Grace" star Sean Hayes who is now starring on Broadway.
SZISH: He goes directly after Sean Hayes saying that his performance as a straight man in "Promises, Promises" on Broadway is completely unbelievable and that it`s very hard to suspend disbelief because we all that this man is openly gay.
HAMMER: Usually quiet, Kristin Chenoweth, who co-stars with Hayes on Broadway, calls the writer horrendously homophobic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before I transfer here to make you my girlfriend, I asked around about you.
HAMMER: He also drew collective gasps of horror when he went after "Glee`s" Jonathan Groff. He`s the gay actor who plays it straight on the hit TV show.
He writes, "There`s something about his performance that feels off. In half his scenes, he scowls. Is that a substitute for being straight? When he smiles or giggles, he seems more like your average theater queen."
"Glee`s" creator, Ryan Murphy, blew his lid when he heard that. And in an angry retort, he is demanding today that people boycott "Newsweek" saying, "I have asked GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios to stand with me and others and ask for an immediate boycott `Newsweek` magazine until an apology is issued to Sean Hayes and other brave out actors who were cruelly singled out in this damaging, needlessly cruel and mind-blowingly bigoted piece."
SZISH: It really just shows that I think Setoodeh is seeing these characters in a way that he wants to see them as opposed to really accepting the fact that these people are actors and that their personal sexual orientation really doesn`t matter.
HAMMER: But "Newsweek" writer Ramin Setoodeh says he didn`t write anything wrong and says people are blowing his words out of proportion. On HLN`s "THE JOY BEHAR SHOW," he told Joy people missed his point.
RAMIN SETOODEH, WRITER, "NEWSWEEK": The point in the article wasn`t for me to personally come out and say, "Gay actors can`t play straight." It was an article examining why straight actors can play gay characters like the ones in "Brokeback Mountain," but very rare for a gay actor to do the same in reverse.
HAMMER: He also says great actors like Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, who co-starred as gay lovers in "Brokeback Mountain," are more accepted in Hollywood playing gay men than someone like "Glee`s" Jonathan Groff who is a gay man in a straight part. But argument isn`t flying with entertainment journalist Katrina Szish.
SZISH: Neil Patrick Harris is a perfect example of proof that that`s simply not true.
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, ACTOR: Can I sleep with you and then openly screw over?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
SZISH: Neil Patrick Harris is openly gay. And on "How I Met Your Mother," he does a very good job of playing a very believable womanizer.
HARRIS: What are you doing on Friday?
SZISH: So clearly there are many current examples of Setoodeh`s argument simply falling flat.
HAMMER: Setoodeh tells HLN`s Joy Behar that no matter what the fallout, his controversial article serves an important purpose.
SETOODEH: I wasn`t meaning to cause trouble. You know, I don`t want people to stay in the closet. My goal was to get a dialogue going because this was being - and no one was talking about this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: All right. He says he just wanted to get a dialogue going. Well, buddy, I`m here to say mission accomplished.
Right now, in Hollywood, Carlos Diaz who is a syndicated radio show host. And with me in New York, Carolina Bermudez, who is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly" and co-host of radio`s "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show."
OK. He attacked Sean Hayes, "Glee`s" Jonathan Groff. He`s gay himself. The concept some gay actors are too gay to play it straight. Carolina, are you buying that premise at all?
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Not at all because I am a huge "Glee" fan and I can tell you right, hand to god, I had no idea that Jonathan Groff was gay.
HAMMER: Oh, really?
BERMUDEZ: So I had no clue. And that`s the thing - for me, it`s so frustrating to have somebody come out and speak on other people`s behalf and make generalizations, I think that`s the reason why he has come under such attack. If you read the article, it`s just - it`s one, bad, shoddy generalization after another.
HAMMER: Yes.
BERMUDEZ: And I think that`s the reason why people are now - he`s feeling the backlash from that.
HAMMER: Understandably and perhaps maybe he didn`t think it through before he put pen to paper to try to get his thoughts set on this.
What do you think, Carlos? Is it impossible for a gay actor to play a straight character and actually get away with it?
CARLOS DIAZ, SYNDICATED RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: No. I mean, he points that out in the article. He says Neil Patrick Harris, Portia De Rossi - two actors who are gay, openly gay, play it straight and are doing it with success on their respective sitcoms.
I`m sorry I`m taking a conservative opinion here, but I actually completely kind of agree with this guy that it`s tough to look at Sean Hayes - and it`s not gay bashing. It`s typecasting.
Let me explain something to you. When you look at Sean Hayes, people don`t know Sean Hayes, the personal person. They know Sean Hayes as Jack. Nine seasons, 180 episodes of playing an openly gay character on "Will and Grace." So when you look at him, you`re not seeing Sean Hayes, you`re seeing Jack.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Carlos, I hear what you`re saying but -
DIAZ: It`s the same principle - if you see Bob Denver in something, you think of him as Gilligan in "Gilligan`s Island."
BERMUDEZ: So wait a minute. So then a mother can only play a mother. I`m not a mother yet and if I were an actor, then I couldn`t go up for those roles? Are you saying that -
DIAZ: No, but what I`m saying when I see Eric McCormack - when I see Eric McCormack do something else besides play Will Truman from "Will and Grace," I think of him as Will from "Will and Grace," and he`s straight.
HAMMER: I don`t think that - I hear what you`re saying, not so much the premise of what he`s saying here. He`s saying more it`s because the actor as a gay person can`t pull off being a straight romantic lead in some cases.
DIAZ: No, what I`m saying is the person who wrote this review wrote a review about someone`s performance, OK? And everyone`s freaking out because he brought the gay card into it.
But when you look at Sean Hayes on stage and he`s a brilliant actor, what you might see, what you could is you could see Jack from "Will and Grace."
HAMMER: That`s true -
Diaz: I think Sean Hayes is brilliant so -
HAMMER: He`s putting it on the fact that Sean Hayes is actually gay, not because he played a gay character that everybody associates him with. Let me move on because -
DIAZ: And like you said -
HAMMER: Let me just move on for a second, Carlos, because guy who wrote this "Newsweek" article - his name is Ramin Setoodeh - he tells HLN`S Joy Behar that he is being misunderstood. Watch what he told Joy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SETOODEH: I just want to say the point of article wasn`t for me to personally come out and say gay actors can`t play straight. It was an article examining why straight actors can play gay characters like the ones in "Brokeback Mountain." But it`s very rare for a gay actor to do the same in reverse, an openly gay actor.
BEHAR: That confused?
SETOODEH: I was just wondering why society and Hollywood and us as viewers - why do we have a problem accepting that? That was the point of my article.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And there is a point to that in that there are a lot of straight actors who gay characters and they are believable in those roles. But I`m still confused because he attacked Sean Hayes saying he can`t pull off a straight role. Then he tells Joy that his point was not to say gay actors can`t play straight. It seems to me what he`s doing now is digging himself a deeper hole.
BERMUDEZ: Well, right. Well, because of articles like this, that`s the reason why people have this misconception. And that`s the reason why actors may be more hesitant to come out of the closet, because they`re thinking, "Hey, I don`t want to tell people what my life is like outside of here, because then, that`s going to apply. People are not going to believe me when I go up for a role."
You know, for me, it`s just more difficult for these actors, for the Jonathan Groffs and for the Neil Patrick Harrises to go out there and to even fight for these straight roles.
DIAZ: Why in the world -
BERMUDEZ: So now he just made it 10 times harder.
DIAZ: Wait, wait, wait. Why in the world - why in the world would a gay man, a gay writer, attack a gay actor? What is the motivation for this guy who`s a writer for "Newsweek," who is gay, to attack another gay man?
BERMUDEZ: I don`t think that he -
DIAZ: He wrote a review about a performance. That`s what he did.
BERMUDEZ: No, he did not write a review about his performance because he brought in the gay factor. I mean, if you would have said, you know, "I didn`t like him in the role. I felt that he could have done a better job" -
DIAZ: He did say that -
BERMUDEZ: He could have panned the performance. But he brought in the fact that Sean Hayes is gay. That has nothing to do with it.
HAMMER: I think - and I have to bring it to a close here. But I think what he did was, in the end, and not by intention, and this was pointed out by GLAAD today that he reinforced certain stereotypes about gay people and gay actor. And I think that`s what`s really unfortunate here. We do have to leave it at that. Carlos Diaz, Carolina Bermudez, thank you so much.
As we move on tonight, desperately seeking sex or sleep? Why "Desperate Housewives" star Teri Hatcher`s talking about sex, sex and more sex today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HATCHER: Would you rather have eight hours of really great sex or eight hours of really great sleep.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That was a good question. Another "Jersey Shore" reality show wannabe, another day of outrage. Yes, we`ve got the fired-up controversy today over a brand-new show featuring, get this, Jewish American princesses.
All right. Look at these young girls. They are getting down to Beyonce`s "Single Ladies." All that gyrating is sparking an intense debate today. Are these girls too young to dance like this?
(MUSIC PLAYING)
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views. Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Sean Penn gets three years probation and community service for kicking a photographer. "Dancing with the Stars" beats "American Idol" in the weekly ratings.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And where in the world is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson?
Well, she`s at the Cannes Film Festival which opened today. And there`s big buzz over the debut of Oliver Stone`s "Wall Street 2" and Russell Crowe`s "Robin Hood." And the big question today, where are Brad and Angelina?
Brooke, I`ve got to say, I`d love to be there with you. How is it going?
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: A.J., the festival is getting underway with lots of stars descending on the south of France. Kicking it off, it`s "Robin Hood" with Russell Crowe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Enslave people to his king.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Cate Blanchett also stars in "Robin Hood." Hey, earlier today, I got the chance to walk around, take in all the preparations, check out the excitement.
Take a look at my little tour. This is the famed Croisette, the oceanside boulevard along the Mediterranean where all of the fancy hotels are located.
Now, film studios plaster billboards and signs of their upcoming movies in every available spot they can find hoping to take advantage of and appeal to the thousands of people who come here to Cannes.
But interestingly, much of the signage is for movies not necessarily even in the festival. For example, take a look in front of the famous historical Hotel Carlton, a giant billboard for Jack Black`s "Gulliver`s Travels," not even out until Christmas.
So up to the top of the hotel, you`ll see a massive sign for Angelina Jolie`s "Salt" opening this summer. But if you look hard enough, you can find movies premiering here in the festival ala "Wall Street," "Money Never Sleeps."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gordon Gekko was one of the biggest names on Wall Street before he went to prison for insider trading.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That name doesn`t mean anything anymore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s not doing the right thing.
MICHAEL DOUGLAS, ACTOR: It`s about the game.
ANDERSON: Michael Douglas, Shia LaBoeuf and his co-star and girlfriend, Carrie Mulligan, are all coming here to Cannes to promote the film. This is where they will walk the red carpet into the famed Palais where all the major movie screenings are held.
Now, they are not allowed to take questions. They simply smile and pose for photos. Photographers camp out here in the middle of the Croisette day and night to get the best celebrity shot. It can be quite a frenzy sometimes. Monsieur, who would you like to get a picture of?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett and Woody Allen and Naomi Watts.
ANDERSON: You know, Woody Allen has walked this red carpet before. He`s here with his latest film, "You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger," starring tall, dark and handsome Josh Brolin, along with Naomi Watts. And we are just getting started. The festival runs through the 23rd and I will be bringing you all the excitement. A.J.?
HAMMER: And Brooke, for the first time in three years, I know Brad and Angelina are not expected in Cannes, but obviously, lots of other big stars will be there.
ANDERSON: So many celebrities, A.J. Sean Penn is going to be here for the movie, "Fair Game." Javier Bardem for "Biutiful," and of course I`m going to be talking to the entire gang from the long-awaited follow-up to "Wall Street" - Oliver Stone, Michael Douglas, Shia LaBoeuf, Carrie Mulligan and Josh Brolin. It`s going to be fun.
HAMMER: Yes. Big fun and I`m a bit jealous. All right. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson has its covered. And we will be bringing you all the big interviews with the big stars all this week. It`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival.
Well, it`s got to be great to be Betty White right about now, right? No joke, I`m still laughing at Betty`s killer hosting gig on "Saturday Night Live." And today, another big Betty shout-out - an MTV Movie Award nomination for feeling up Sandra Bullock in "The Proposal."
Now, Betty was nominated in the best WTF moment category - I`m putting my money on Betty on this one. Who knows? Maybe she`ll get an Oscar nod next - could happen.
And you are clearly loving Betty, too. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are white hot today. A lot of people singing Betty White`s praises. Arlene from California tells us she loves Betty.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ARLENE, CALLER FROM CALIFORNIA: Regarding Betty White on "Saturday Night Live," she was hysterical and this proves that talent does not go out the window when you are older. They need to bring her back and they need to consider other people over the age of 40. She was wonderful.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Absolutely. Thanks, Arlene. You can call us at "Showbiz on Call," sound off on Betty or anything else. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are open all the time. The number - 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899. Please leave us a voicemail so we could play your call here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
They shake. They twirl. They pose. But are these young girls too young to dance like this?
(MUSIC PLAYING)
They`re seven years old and, as you see, they`re dancing really provocatively to Beyonce`s "Single Ladies." The big controversy over this today.
Big news breaking today on Kate Gosselin`s new reality TV show. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going to reveal to you Kate`s incredible show surprises.
Double Ds in 3-D. Yes. We`ve got your first look at "Playboy`s" center fold in 3-D. And let me tell you, it`s definitely not your dad`s "Playboy."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks very realistic like I could just touch her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Think I`m in a strip club. She`s right in front of me about to dance.
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK, guys. Now you`re getting creepy. Surrender the glasses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views. Now, it`s the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Britney spears and manager boyfriend end professional relationship to focus on dating. Former "Bachelorette" star Jenn Schefft announces she is pregnant.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Happening right now, Julia Louis Dreyfus` new plan for her Hollywood star screw up. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals, Victoria`s sexiest secrets. We`ve got big news breaking in "The Buzz" today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Victoria`s sexy secret is out. Victoria`s Secret has just revealed its fifth annual "What is sexy" list. And supermodel`s Doutzen Kroes tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT some of her favorites.
DOUTZEN KROES, SUPERMODEL: It`s always (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I mean, I think she has a really sexy style - Scarlett Johansson with her beautiful mouth. Ellen DeGeneres, sexy woman with sexy humor.
HAMMER: Victoria`s Secret also names Olivia Wilde sexiest actress, Katy Perry sexiest songstress and says "Glee" Lea Michele has the sexiest smile.
Sarah Palin`s new book gets a name. It`s just been announced Palin`s second n book will be called "America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag." Palin`s new book is scheduled to be in bookstores this November. And it focuses on patriotic writings that have moved Palin.
Julia Louis Dreyfus laughs off her star screw up. Dreyfus` middle name was spelled incorrectly on the star she was about to get on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But CNN entertainment senior producer David Daniel noticed the mistake before the ceremony and he let everyone know just in time.
Watch what Julia just told CNN`s Anderson Cooper on "A.C. 360."
JULIA DREYFUS, ACTRESS: I was hoping they could keep the messed up star for the ceremony, because it would have been such fun to get down there on my hands and knees and use a Sharpie and try to fix it. I`m going to frame it beautifully and I`m going to hang it above my fireplace. How could I not? Look at it. It`s a dream come true, isn`t it?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, the response to the reality TV show featuring people selling their virginity is coming in fast and furious today on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Facebook page. An overwhelming number of you, not surprisingly, just outraged by this.
Pat S. says the whole idea is plain dumb, "This is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard of. They are basically prostituting themselves."
Now, check out this take posted by Carol T., "I`m a 54-year-old Born Again virgin. Could I be on the show?"
Well, you can certainly join the debate on Facebook. Go behind the scenes at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and great breaking entertainment news alerts on Twitter. Call us at "Showbiz on Call." And please remember our friend E- mail. "Showbiz Connects" can be found at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Now, the SHOWBIZ lineup. This is what we`ve got lined up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Is Lindsay Lohan suffering from the same problems Michael Jackson had just before he died? Think about that. We have the dramatic claim by Michael`s former spiritual advisor, Rabbi Shmuley. It`s the headline- making interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Another "Jersey Shore" wannabe, another day of outrage. This is the fired-up controversy over a brand-new reality show. It features Jewish- American princesses.
Teri Hatcher`s desperate decision today caught on tape - sex, sleep or laundry. You won`t believe what Teri would rather be doing. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: ABC planning to air "Transformers" movie opposite "American Idol" May 26th. Comedy Central pulls the plug on "The Sarah Silverman Program."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Teri Hatcher on having lots and lots of sex. The "Desperate Housewives" star leading a great debate today over marathon sex sessions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HATCHER: Would you like to have eight hours of really great sex or eight hours of really great sleep?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "Kate Plus 8" - big news breaking today on Kate Gosselin`s new reality show.
And 7-year-olds dancing to Beyonce in really skimpy outfits.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Big controversy over this today - is it just plain wrong?
Plus more stories breaking today from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker." Jessica Simpson lands a new gig and Ryan Phillippe reveals how he and his ex, Reese Witherspoon, are doing.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City, with big news breaking today - too sexy too soon?
Wait until you see this. An outrageous video surfaced today of 7- year-old girls swearing skimpy outfits and performing to Beyonce`s "Single Ladies."
(MUSIC PLAYING)
This is an eye-popping video stirring up a major debate everywhere today.
Right now, in New York, Cathy Areu, she`s the publisher of "Catalina" magazine. In Hollywood, Michelle Golland - she is a clinical psychologist and an expert with "MomLogic.com."
And I for one couldn`t believe my eyes when I saw these young girls wearing these skimpy outfits, rolling around on the ground, gyrating, dancing provocatively to "Single Ladies." Let`s play a little more.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAMMER: All right. These girls were competing in a contest called the World of Dance Tour. And I get it. It is one heck of a performance to be sure. But you can`t ignore the fact that they`re in grade school, seven years old. And they`re wearing little more than bikinis. Cathy, to you first, is this just way too sexy? Or is it OK, because, hey, it`s a dance competition.
CATHY AREU, PUBLISHER, "CATALINA" MAGAZINE: It`s so inappropriate. I mean, you don`t even pay attention to the dance moves. I wasn`t even looking at the dance moves. I was just watching these girls in lingerie thrusting and moving around.
And I was thinking the women know - the mothers know that if they wore those outfits and they moved around like that, that they would be turning on the opposite sex. So how do you put your daughter in something and make them move around like that? It`s just so inappropriate. It`s disgusting.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, I`ve got to tell you. I just don`t quite get it. You hear the crowds cheering at the tops of their lungs. And obviously, they`re enthused about the amazing dancing abilities of these young girls.
But there were other little kids in the audience, too. Michelle, what`s your take? Too sexy too soon?
MICHELLE GOLLAND, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Yes. I agree. I think it`s way too sexy too soon. You know, the dance moves are incredible. I mean, if we could, you know, do less of the gyrating and those other things that we all know feel way too sexualized for that age.
But it`s also what they`re wearing. That`s what - it just really seems that somebody didn`t really check what should have been here.
HAMMER: Yes. You`ve got to wonder who said, "Oh, it`s OK to have them writhe around on the floor, you know, so they`re impersonating or imitating dances they have seen on MTV. But they`re 7 years old. All right. I think we can all agree on that one.
AREU: Right.
HAMMER: Let`s move on to more big news breaking today, also caught on tape - the great Teri Hatcher`s marathon sex confessions. Yes, the sexy "Desperate Housewives" star has just launched a really cool Web site.
I love this thing. It`s called "GetHatched.com." It`s for moms and for women. And in the video on the site today, Teri asks fellow moms about marathon sex. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HATCHER: Would you rather have eight hours of really great sex or eight hours of really great sleep?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think eight minutes of great sex.
HATCHER: I think as a mom, you know, you`re just like, "I`ll take the great eight minutes and let me get back to the laundry."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. All right. I`ve got to admit, I love Teri Hatcher. She`s got a great sense of humor. She`s doing great as a single mom. Great career going.
But I`m a little worried about Teri. You know, some of her male fans may be hearing this and saying, "Teri, you`d rather be doing the laundry?" Cathy, do this could possibly hurt Teri`s super sexy image?
AREU: No. You`re assuming that men are actually listening to what she`s talking about. They`re just looking at her and saying, "Oh, she`s so pretty." They don`t know what she`s saying. She`s fine. Men will find her sexy no matter what she says.
HAMMER: OK. I just want to make sure it`s not working against her here. There is more of this new video today. Teri reveals more shocking and intimate bedroom details on "GetHatched.com," when one of her fellow moms comes up with a compromise on this whole sex versus sleep debate. You`ve got to take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you want to have two hours of sex, it means spend an hour and 45 minutes doing the laundry and the dishes and, like, getting the kids to school. And I guarantee I`ll give you 15 minutes of mind- blowing -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Cut it. All right. I`ve got to remember. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
GOLLAND: I love that.
HAMMER: It`s still PG, right? We`ve got to, you know, walk the line there carefully. Michelle, it does seem to me Teri`s confessions are definitely going to be striking a chord with moms everywhere, aren`t they.
GOLLAND: I have to say I think it`s genius. Because you know what? It`s true. I mean, I have two kids. I have been married for 17 years. It`s challenging.
And you know what I always tell my couples in my private practice? Sex starts in the morning. Unload the dishwasher. Do those sorts of things. Work together as a team and then, it`s all going to be fine.
HAMMER: And I love the fact that it`s Teri Hatcher on the Web talking about it.
GOLLAND: Yes.
HAMMER: I think this is great move for her, too, because now, you know, not everybody can check her out on the "Desperate Housewives." But she`s such a relatable person and she`s had this ups and downs in her career. And again, as I said, she is working single mom. I think there`s something really relatable. Good for you, Teri. We hope that does well for you.
I do have to get to this. This is fascinating to me today. Also breaking, Spencer Pratt`s violent attack on Heidi Montag`s mom. Did you see this? In the shocking new episode of "The Hills," Spencer goes what I think is just way, way over the line.
He attacks his wife`s mother after she didn`t exactly have the warmest reaction to Heidi`s 10 plastic surgery procedures. Heidi`s mom told Heidi she looked better before going under the knife.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEIDI MONTAG, REALITY TV STAR, "THE HILLS": Do you realize what I`ve been through? You have to realize that I`ve been through so much pain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Spencer then went ballistic on Heidi`s mom after he found out what went down. You`ve got to see his reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPENCER PRATT, REALITY TV STAR, "THE HILLS": Heidi goes home because - she wanted, like, motherly love. I guess her mom didn`t have a good run on the mountain that day, because when Heidi got there, she decided to try to rape my wife emotionally in every single crevice on her body.
She`s offended that her work of art wasn`t good enough. But she`s not God. She didn`t make Heidi. She`s just a vagina.
MONTAG: I understand getting mad for like, Spencer -
PRATT: Really, God made Heidi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oh, oh. I honestly don`t really know what to say. Cathy, that is his mother-in-law he`s talking about. Are you with me in hoping that Heidi - you know, maybe she hasn`t figured out the plastic surgery thing, but maybe she`s going to wake up one day or perhaps after realizing what he said about her mom and realize she is married to a total tool?
AREU: A.J., you`re going to kill me. I have to side with him on this one. I think Heidi`s mom has been really mean to Heidi. I think she`s being a little bit verbally abusive. I think she should have backed her up Heidi no matter how dumb Heidi has been and helped her out, you know.
She has a face only a mother could love. Her mom should back her up. So I think he`s been a little bit too gross and a little bit too harsh. But he`s only siding with his wife.
HAMMER: Michelle, what do you think? I mean -
GOLLAND: I totally - I totally disagree.
HAMMER: I mean, did you hear the language he was using there?
GOLLAND: Yes. Well, you know what? It`s funny. I think we should call him "Spencer Brat" instead of Spencer Pratt.
HAMMER: Oh, yes.
GOLLAND: Because he is so foul-mouthed and it`s offensive. And you know what? Truthfully, what I see with him is he`s a bully. He`s an adult bully.
And my concern is - I wouldn`t be surprised if, you know, this is how he treats Heidi as well, that he may bully her -
HAMMER: Yes.
GOLLAND: In other ways. And I actually think a mother should step in - a mother. When we see a concern, we should step in.
HAMMER: Yes. I agree, and that was, you know, also to Cathy`s point that perhaps mom should have been a little bit more supportive and maybe helped get daughter help, if you know what I`m saying. Cathy Areu, Michelle Golland, thank you both for being here.
As we move on, let`s talk Lindsay Lohan. Is Lindsay becoming another Michael? We`ve got the dramatic claim today by Michael Jackson`s former spiritual advisor. He says that Lindsay Lohan is spiraling out of control and is suffering from the same problems Michael had just before he died.
Michael`s advisor, Rabbi Shmuley, right here today in the headline making interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also, I`m putting this tough question to the Rabbi Shmuley. There`s brand-new show about Jewish-American princesses. Is that way out of line? Or, oh, my god. Is it no big deal?
All right. Double D`s in 3-D? Your very first look today at "Playboy`s" 3-D centerfold.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Which part looks most realistic to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those.
MOOS: Those are very 3D. Those are 38D.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those are 44D.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views. Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Jessica Simpson to play herself on an episode of HBO`s "Entourage." Ryan Phillippe tells "Ellen" today that he and ex Witherspoon still have "connection."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": Are you and Reese still friends?
RYAN PHILLIPPE, ACTOR: We are. Things are great. You know, it`s so important to us divorced parents, I think, to keep that connection. You know, it makes the kids go better.
DEGENERES: Sure.
PHILLIPPE: They know their parents are interacting and with each other. We go to all of the school events together. And yes, we`re there for each other.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Kate gets a date, a premiere date, that is. Kate Gosselin`s new TLC show, "Kate Plus 8," is set to kick off on Sunday, June 6.
And I did a little digging today and I found out the first episode is going to be about the sextuplets sixth birthday surprise. It`s not really a surprise. Big-time spoiler alert here, or maybe not. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT already told you that the kids got to see their dad, Jon, on their birthday.
Welcome back SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. So like Michael like Lindsay? There is a shocking brand-new claim today that Lindsay Lohan`s life is spiraling out of control just like Michael Jackson`s did.
Michael Jackson`s former spiritual advisor says he thinks is struggling with the same issues that Michael suffered from before he died. So could Lindsay learn from Michael Jackson`s tragic tale?
With me right now, in New York, the man making these claims, Michael Jackson`s former spiritual adviser, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who is also the author of this book, "Renewal: A Guide to the Values-Filled Life." Also in New York, Carolina Bermudez, who is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly" and co-host of radio`s "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show."
And I`ve got to say, it really is amazing when you look at some of the similarities between Michael Jackson and Lindsay Lohan. They were both child stars. Both blocked their fathers from their lives. Both struggled with substance abuse.
I totally get the comparison. But Rabbi Shmuley, you obviously could compare Lindsay to any troubled young star. Why Michael in particular?
RABBI SHMULEY BOTEACH, MICHAEL JACKSON`S FORMER SPIRITUAL ADVISOR: First of all, let`s remember the greatest similarity of all - they both confused love for attention. In other words, Michael was deprived real love as a child. He was a child performer, so he was taught to garner attention.
So he thought that the more - the crazier his antics were, the more he was loved because everyone was reading about him. Little did he realize people just thought he was strange.
The same thing is happening now with Lindsay. She can`t stay out of the headlines. This has become almost a drug in and of itself. It`s great drug of all.
Fame is the most destructive narcotic. My fear for Lindsay is that - are we not going to redeem Michael`s life by saving hers, by all those who are going off the deep end?
Look, it`s nice to have all this celebrity chatter and we love laughing at the lives of these out-of-control celebrities. But when they end up dead, when they just don`t wake up one day, it`s not funny anymore.
And the prescription drug abuse, the allegations of alcohol abuse - these are very, very serious things. And it`s there to numb pain and she`s at that level where that pain is being numbed by things that are very, very damaging or very unhealthy. And someone needs to say it.
And let me just finally say, in the same way that I went to Joe Jackson and said to him, "You`re the only one that can save your son, because it`s your validation, it`s your love he has most sought." The only person that can really help Lindsay is her own father. They both know it and that`s the tragedy.
HAMMER: He certainly knows that. Lindsay certainly hasn`t seemed to have gotten that message so far. Carolina, what do you think? Are you with Rabbi Shmuley? Do you think that Lindsay is basically on the same - basically tragic path that Michael Jackson was on? Or is it a little too dramatic in your mind to say that?
BERMUDEZ: Well, no. I think that there are some similarities there. But I do think - you know, how do you save somebody from sabotaging themselves, which is what Lindsay Lohan is doing now.
At the age of 23, you have to become a responsible adult and see that your behavior is detrimental to yourself. In this week`s "In Touch Weekly," we have Robert Rodriguez. He is the director of "Machete." And he says that Lindsay is just misunderstood.
Well, Lindsay is misunderstood because she has a lot of enablers in her life. She is surrounded by people who want to party with her. Even her own mother says that she doesn`t have a problem.
So how do you help someone that is surrounded by people who are telling her that she doesn`t indeed have an issue? That`s where I see the similarities there, you know, at least Michael Jackson`s family stepped in and tried to intervene.
With Lindsay, it doesn`t seem that anybody`s doing that. And Michael Lohan`s attempts are also thwarted, because he`s looking for fame and attention as well.
HAMMER: Yes.
BOTEACH: Well, we have the same problem with Joe Jackson - the same kind of thing. Well, look, in the final analysis, how do you help someone who is so self-destructive? You finally bring an adult into the picture.
You`re right. These sycophants, these brownnosers - they`re always the problem, because they are enablers. I mean, Michael died through prescription drug medication that was given to him by trained qualified professionals.
HAMMER: Right.
BOTEACH: It`s not these really bad people. It`s people who are even doctors. But we need an adult in this situation and we need it fast.
HAMMER: And hopefully we have time. Again, Michael Jackson was 50 and he was being enabled for so long. Let`s hope Lindsay gets her help now.
I do have to move on to some dramatic and rare new video of Michael Jackson`s kids that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT obtained today.
One of the brand-new videos that surfaced on YouTube shows Michael`s youngest, 8-year-old Blanket, playing around, maybe doing a little "Star Wars" light saber action.
Now, this is the first video we`ve really ever seen of Michael`s kids just acting like kids. Rabbi Shmuley, I know you didn`t know Blanket, but you knew his two oldest -
BOTEACH: Right.
HAMMER: What does this video say to you?
BOTEACH: Well, Michael would turn over in his grave. Michael was so insistent that the children be given a normal life, normal by Michael Jackson`s standards. But he certainly didn`t want them to be puppeted before the public.
What it says to me is, it`s nice to see that they`re happy and joyous. I`m very thrilled to see that. But what it also says to me - who`s supervising them? I mean, what kind of video - can they upload absolutely anything. I`d like to know that there is real supervision.
HAMMER: Yes. We know if nothing else, Michael Jackson liked to protect the image and also his children from that kind of exposure.
BOTEACH: He was also very afraid of kidnapping.
HAMMER: And this certainly is going to - would have fed into that for sure. I do want to move on to this other big controversy today.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT confirmed late this afternoon a brand-new reality show on the hunt to cast Jewish-American princesses, the more commonly used term is "JAPs." I mean, I can see that completely derogatory. There are people up in arms over this.
In the casting note, it says that the production company is looking for super-jappy groups of friends. Rabbi, I have to say, this is as bad as calling - "Jersey Shore" calling Italian-Americans Guidos? Quickly.
BOTEACH: I just hope they don`t go to my house. I hope my daughter (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HAMMER: And this is outrageous, is this not?
BOTEACH: Look, it`s embarrassing and it does stereotype Jews as being overly materialistic. I just hope there aren`t going to be a lot of examples of girls that are having million-dollar butt nips, those that fit the stereotype.
HAMMER: All right. Got to end it there. Thank you, Rabbi Shmuley. Carolina Bermudez, thanks as always. We move on now to "Playboy" in 3-D. Yes, I`ve got your first look today of the unbelievable "Playboy" issue featuring a centerfold in 3-D.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks very realistic like I could just touch her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Think I`m in a strip club. She`s right in front of me about to dance.
MOOS: OK, guys. Now you`re getting creepy. Surrender the glasses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I mean, he`s just reading "Playboy" for the article. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Daytime Emmy nominations out today, "General Hospital" gets 18 nominations. "Ellen" nominated best talk show, "The View" co-hosts nominated for best talk show hosts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Thank you Charles 3-D Wegman. All right. Normally, if someone used the words "triple Ds" and "Playboy" in the same sentence, you`d have a pretty good idea of what they`re talking about right?
But today, I can tell you 3-D in the upcoming issue of "Playboy" - it`s taken on a whole new meaning. Here`s Jeanne Moos with your first look at "Playboy" in 3-D.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOOS (voice-over): Ready? Low and behold, it`s "Playboy`s" latest centerfold -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holy cow!
MOOS: In 3D.
JIMMY JELLINEK, CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER, "PLAYBOY": This is the beautiful naked body in three dimensions jumping out of the place into your arms.
MOOS: Maybe not into your arms but still -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks very realistic like I could just touch her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Think I`m in a strip club. She`s right in front of me about to dance.
MOOS: OK, guys. Now you`re getting creepy. Surrender the glasses. Actually, the rather flimsy glasses come with the issue. You assemble them yourselves, all in hopes of seeing every dimension of model Hope Dworaczyk play mate of the year.
JELLINEK: Hef actually wanted to do this with the first issue of "Playboy."
MOOS: But it was too expensive way back then. Now, CNN`s fellow Time Warner Company, HBO, is picking up part of the cost to advertise its series "True Blood."
(on camera): "Playboy`s" first ever 3-D centerfold. What do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have a copy of "Playgirl?"
MOOS: Sorry, no male centerfolds for gay readers. Unfortunately, putting the glasses on the camera won`t make 3-D work on TV.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it makes it appear larger than they should be.
MOOS: Actually 3-D is a growing part of porn. "Hustler" is planning an X- rated 3-D spoof of "Avatar," though "Saturday Night Live" already featured Navi lovemaking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s crazy stuff. Where did you learn that stuff?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: College.
MOOS: "Playboy" isn`t exactly breaking new ground. "Sports Illustrated" has done 3-D photo spreads twice already.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow!
MOOS: With their swimsuit edition.
JELLINEK: Yes. But who cares about "Sports Illustrated"? This is "Playboy."
MOOS: And how do models feel about the idea that readers might be tempted to reach out and touch their 3-D image?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I don`t even want to go there.
MOOS: Critics say "Playboy`s" circulation is dwindling and that this is a desperate gimmick. But "Playboy" sees things through rose-colored and turquoise glasses.
JELLINEK: It`s a big day for men everywhere who want to see women in three dimensions.
MOOS: At least 3-D dispels the notion -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I`ll buy this in a heartbeat.
MOOS: That nude models are one dimensional. Which part looks most realistic to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those.
MOOS: Those are very 3-D. Those are 38D.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, those are 44D.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, if there was some movement -
MOOS: I`m doing the best I can, sir. I can`t do everything here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos in 2-D for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT which is in HD. And you can pick up a copy of "Playboy" with the 3-D centerfold on Friday.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT now live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday. And we are still TV`s most provocative entertainment news show seven days a week at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
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