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Showbiz Tonight
Hollywood`s New Weight War; Desperate Housewives Legal Showdown; Oprah`s Oil Outrage; Is Lady Gaga a Madonna Copycat?; Should Kate Gosselin Do a Dating Show?
Aired June 17, 2010 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, HOST: Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - Hollywood`s unbelievable new weight war. Kyra Sedgwick`s startling revelation today about why she won`t weigh herself. Tori Spelling fights back after getting slammed for being too skinny.
The nasty "Desperate Housewives" legal showdown gets nastier. The counterattack today against Nicollette Sheridan over her abuse claims.
Oprah`s oil outrage. Her surprising words about President Obama and the devastating gulf oil spill.
Is Lady Gaga a Madonna copycat? Her music, her style. SHOWBIZ investigates the copycat claims.
Brand-new reports today that Kate Gosselin may do a dating show. But should she?
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today - Hollywood`s new weight war. I have to tell you that I can`t remember the last time we had so many big breaking stories in one day about stars revealing their most intimate weight secrets, intimate secrets that have left them both frustrated and outraged.
From Tori spelling to Kyra Sedgwick to Jewel, the revelations SHOWBIZ TONIGHT obtained today are all sadly adding up to the same old story in Hollywood that the incredible and unfair pressure on women with to be thin is absolutely ridiculous.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): There`s a revolution brewing in weight-conscious Hollywood. With reality star Tori Spelling revealing on national TV she is sick of being called skinny.
TORI SPELLING, REALITY STAR: When you call someone underweight, it`s just as horrible.
ANDERSON: And singer Jewel calling on women to handle their weight issues like men do. And actress Kyra Sedgwick is so fed up with weight scrutiny she`s actually thrown out her scale.
JO PIAZZA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: They`ve had enough. They are fed up, so to speak, about everyone scrutinizing every single pound or half pound that they gain or lose.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the big news breaking today adds up to Hollywood waging a large-scale weight war.
Tori Spelling started the weight war revolution with a bang, saying she`s actually sick and tired of people calling her skinny.
PIAZZA: Most people would love to be called too thin or say, "Oh, no, she`s just too skinny."
ANDERSON: Tori just explained her frustration on the "Today" show.
SPELLING: You know, they understand that it hurts to be called overweight. But when you call someone underweight, it`s just as horrible. You know, it really knocks down your self-confidence.
ANDERSON: Singer Jewel is making her own headlines today with her no- holds-barred shot at Hollywood`s weight obsession.
In a new interview out today with "Shape" magazine, Jewel says, "We should be more like men, God bless them. They can take their shirts off show their man boobs and they don`t give a hoot."
Entertainment journalist Jo Piazza tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT says, Jewel has a point.
PIAZZA: No one is scrutinizing men`s man boobs or their baby bumps or their over-enlarged derrieres. Women are more comfortable and women are saying, "back off" the way men do, then maybe the media will start portraying these women as what they are, women that are comfortable and happy with their bodies.
ANDERSON: In her brand-new interview, Jewel is revealing today that her own battle with weight image almost took a devastating turn.
JEWEL, SINGER: I wrote a blog and then it was (INAUDIBLE) about a certain time when I was a little overweight on the road and people were making fun of me saying I was the fat Renee Zellweger. It didn`t make me happy and I didn`t really like looking at myself.
ANDERSON: Jewel tells "Shape," quote, "My feelings were with so hurt by that story, I ended up binging on an entire cake. Afterward, I actually tried to throw it all up, but thankfully, I couldn`t do it."
Fortunately, jewel tells "Shape" she didn`t go down that unhealthy road.
JEWEL: Being in the entertainment industry at a young age, I saw a lot of bulimics. I saw a lot of anorexics. And there`s a lot of people with bad body image, you know, in my industry. And I struggle with the same thing. I was overweight, but at the same time, I didn`t want anything to do harm to myself.
ANDERSON: Kyra Sedgwick is also making her own shocking revelations about her weight issues.
PIAZZA: Kyra Sedgwick is of the last women in Hollywood that we would expect to have weight issues.
ANDERSON: In a brand new interview out today with "More" magazine, the actress says, quote, "Food has never been easy for me.
PIAZZA: She was taping a movie in the `80s where she played a holocaust survivor which cause her weight to go way down.
ANDERSON: About that experience, Sedgwick tells "More" magazine, quote, "I came back from that and it triggered something. I ate everything in sight. My weight went up and then too far down." Then Kyra said she solved her problem in a radical way.
PIAZZA: Finally, she just threw out the scale. She couldn`t deal with it anymore and decided, I am the weight I am will and people will have to deal with it.
ANDERSON: Sedgwick tells "More" magazine, quote, "I`m so grateful I don`t get on a scale because it`s never going to be the right number."
PIAZZA: Women read these magazines and watch these shows and movies and see pictures of women that look impossibly skinny and impossibly perfect.
ANDERSON: Entertainment journalist Jo Piazza tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she thinks Spelling and Jewel and Sedgwick`s weight wars will have an effect that goes far beyond Hollywood.
PIAZZA: I think reading stories about celebrities that say, "I`m not perfect. "I`ve struggled and I don`t love my body all the time, just like you," will make women more comfortable with their own weight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: There is no doubt today that the entire nation is caught in the same weight war. But are there no winners in the all-out assault on size?
Right now, in Hollywood is a Wendy Walsh who is a TV journalist and doctor of psychology. And in New York, Gwen, who is a beauty director for "Us Weekly."
Wendy, Gwen, let`s start with Tori spelling. She has heard, "You`re too skinny," her entire life. And now, she`s putting her foot down, and I`ve got to say I don`t blame her one bit.
On the "Today" show, Tori said that she is defensive for a reason.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPELLING: I`m labeled it all the time. I think people don`t really understand how much it hurts. You know, they understand it hurts to call people overweight. But when you call someone underweight, it`s just as horrible. You know, it really knocks down your self-confidence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Tori`s been called anorexic. Wendy, I think Tori has every right to be furious, don`t you?
WENDY WALSH, TV JOURNALIST AND DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY: She does. And it`s good to see that celebrities are coming out and being honest and vulnerable. Celebrities are people, too. Some of them gain weight easily. Some lose weight easily. They get sick and these things happen.
But remember, they also live in a fish bowl, Brooke, and they have to have a little bit of alligator skin because they are celebrities and they get to live in the big house.
ANDERSON: They do have to have a thick skin. And I will say, though, that Tori has always been fragile about how her appearance has been perceived. Gwen, what do you think? Do you think Tori has a right to be teed off?
GWEN FLAMBERG, BEAUTY DIRECTOR, "US WEEKLY": I think that she does. You know, just like people can`t control when they get overweight, she can`t control that she`s underweight. It`s a strong possibility.
But yet, that said, she`s a role model for girls. Tori has chosen a life of celebrity. She`s a reality star. She`s out there, and it does have an impact on girls` self-esteem when they look at a skinny woman like Tori and they want to be just like Tori.
ANDERSON: Well, you know -
WALSH: You know, what you said about -
ANDERSON: I think it`s hurtful and wrong for people, though, to pressure anyone to look a certain way, to be a certain size, especially through really cruel remarks.
All right. I do want to talk now though about singer Jewel because we learned today that Jewel had the exact opposite problem from Tori. She revealed that one blogger called her the chubby Renee Zellweger in a blog.
And so she tells "People" magazine about this blog, quote, "My feelings were so hurt by that story I ended up binging on an entire cake. Afterward, I actually tried to throw it all up. But thankfully, I couldn`t do it."
I mean, come will on, ladies. Take a look at Jewel on the cover of "Shape" magazine here. Do you know how many women would kill to look like that? Wendy, how sad is it that that somebody like Jewel has to defend herself?
WALSH: It is a little hard to hear her complaining when she looks like that. But I think the big piece and what you mentioned earlier is this thought of control. You know, what we`re passing, what the public is passing on these celebrities is moral judgment.
In other words, is their behavior responsible for their weight? Or is there a genetic component? There`s all kinds of eating or not eating that goes on for emotional reasons, and that`s really what fans want to know.
Is there some dysfunction there? Or is this a gene? Is their set point weight low or high? And that`s really why it becomes fodder for everybody.
ANDERSON: Well, the chubby Renee Zellweger comment is just so ludicrous it`s laughable. All right. And then there was a revelation from Kyra Sedgwick who had to lose 20 pounds for a role back in 1985. And that threw her into a frenzy dealing with food.
She tells "More" magazine, "I came back from that, and it triggered something. I ate everything in sight. My weight went up and then too far down. I`m so grateful that I don`t get on a scale because it`s never going to be the right number." Gwen, I`ve got to tell you, I don`t use a scale.
FLAMBERG: I don`t either.
ANDERSON: Kyra says she doesn`t use a scale. She we start - I don`t know - an Oprah no-scale zone?
FLAMBERG: I think that we should -
ANDERSON: Are you ready to join the club?
FLAMBERG: I think we should all throw out the scale. I think that Kyra is awesome. She is one of the fittest women in Hollywood. She`s over 40. She`s gorgeous.
But you know, actors have to lose and gain weight to fit into roles. Look at Charlize Theron. She gained 20 pounds for "Monster" and she won an Oscar.
So you know, sometimes they`re going to have to play with their weight for a role. And I think that the public needs to see that that`s a role that they`re playing. That`s their job. They`re actors and we need to be a little more forgiving.
ANDERSON: Yes. It`s part of the job and sometimes it is a brutal reality for a lot of those actors. I do applaud these women for being so open, so honest. Wendy Walsh, Gwen Flamberg, thanks, ladies.
OK. Speaking of Oprah, Oprah`s unbelievable gift today. You`ve got to hear what she just gave some of her employees. I really hope my boss is listening to this.
Plus, Oprah`s oil outrage. Her surprising fired-up words today about President Obama and the devastating gulf oil spill.
And is Lady Gaga a Madonna copycat?
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Gaga`s controversial songs, her over-the-top style. Today, SHOWBIZ investigates the unbelievable claim, is Lady Gaga a copycat?
And will it be bachelor number one, number two, number three, or not at all for Kate? The brand-new reports today that Kate Gosselin may do a dating show. But should she? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Gary Coleman`s former press agent is planning a farewell event for him. Sean "Diddy" Combs, Mark Wahlberg and Lenny Kravitz to guest star on "Entourage."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENNY KRAVITZ, SINGER AND ACTOR: After my dramatic role with "Precious," you know, I had to keep moving. I`m playing myself, the most difficult role of them all.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Stop it right now. Shut the front door. Get out of town. It`s a dancing baby that`s beyond hilarious. You can`t mess with this one, right? Did you see this? Check out his moves. They showed this on the "Today" show this morning.
But Matt Lauer thinks it`s all a conspiracy. He thinks this Brazilian baby`s moves were digitally enhanced. Hey, if so, whoever did it did a really great job, right?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with the jaw-dropping new developments today in the "Desperate Housewives" legal showdown.
Former "Housewives" star, Nicollette Sheridan, is suing the creator of the ABC hit show. And today, ABC made it very clear it plans to hit back and hit back hard.
Right now, in New York, is Sunny Hostin. She`s an attorney and legal contributor for "In Session" on Tru TV. Sunny, first I want to look at Sheridan`s $20 million lawsuit.
She claims show creator Marc Cherry hit her on the set, that there was a pattern of abusive behavior and that she was fired for age and sex discrimination. Pretty strong claims here.
And today, Sunny, we learned ABC`s hired a high-powered attorney who`s already serving subpoenas. So it seems to me that Nicollette is in for a very nasty war here.
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION" ON TRU TV: She really is. And she better be able to finish what she started because they`re bringing in the big guns. He`s an experienced attorney. He`s won so many cases.
I`ve got to tell you she also filed an amendment to her claim saying, "Actually, I wasn`t really actually punched in the head. I was sort of lightly tapped in the head." And any time you start changing your allegations like that to that degree, you are in trouble.
ANDERSON: Everybody is going to need to hunker down for this one, Sunny, because I think it`s going to get really ugly.
HOSTIN: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: Sheridan claiming that she suffered emotional distress. And we learned today that ABC`s lawyers are demanding her personal medical records. Sunny, quickly, what do you think the connection might be?
HOSTIN: Well, you know, she said she was punched in the head. Then I would say she`s got to show that she was punched in the head and that she really suffered some severe injury. If she can`t show that, she`s in trouble.
ANDERSON: Yes. And if her claims, if what she said truly did happen, somebody needs to be punished and take responsibility. But at the same time, I bet Nicollette is shaking in her Louboutins that this case might fall apart.
HOSTIN: I would be. I would be.
ANDERSON: Another legal - yes, me, too. Another legal dispute exploded today, Sunny, involving former ESPN production assistant Brooke Hundley.
The 22-year-old Hundley revealed today that she is suing ESPN for firing her after having an affair with 47-year-old baseball analyst Steve Phillips who also got fired. Hundley did her first big TV interview today and told CBS` "The Early Show" why she`s suing. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE HUNDLEY, FORMER ESPN PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: I went to a couple of different female supervisors and just sort of explained, "I`m dealing with harassment from a member of the talent." And they just told me a story about how they had been sexually harassed.
It was almost as if, "OK, you`ve been officially initiated. We all have a story to tell. This is just the culture." So that - they never felt any sort of responsibility to report it to anyone higher than them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK, Sunny, quickly, if she wound up having an affair with Phillips, could that hurt her harassment claims? It seems to me, it could.
HOSTIN: I think so. I mean, I`ve never really heard of a sexual harassment case where the basis is, you have an affair with someone and you sue the place that you met the guy at. I mean, she fell into bed with him. ESPN didn`t force her to. Unbelievable. Special place in hell for Brooke.
ANDERSON: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reached out to ESPN to comment on Brooke Hundley`s lawsuit and what she said on the "Early Show."
ESPN told us, quote, "Hundley`s claims are without merit and we will vigorously defend against them. Her current charges do not accurately portray ESPN`s handling of the matter. Sunny Hostin, thanks.
Wow, you will not believe the gift Oprah just gave some of her staff. Hey, I like my boss. He`s really cool. But he`s never given us anything like this.
Plus, Oprah`s oil outrage today. Oprah speaks out exclusively to CNN. Her fired-up words.
Another "Jersey Shore" fight today? I can`t say I`m shocked, but I am surprised at which cast member allegedly slugged somebody. Will she go to jail?
Also this, it`s Em-Wow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VINCE SHLOMI, SHAMWOW GUY: You`re going to clapping when you hear Eminem rapping. Now, look at this. The Eminem CD has dozens of uses. Cuts razor thin slices. Use it as a coaster.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The ShamWow guy pushes Eminem`s new CD. You`ve got to see this. It`s pretty hysterical. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Eddie Cibrian dropped from "CSI: Miami" after one season. Jessica Simpson to join Oprah Winfrey and Maria Shriver at women`s conference 2010 in California.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHLOMI: Use it as a coaster. Put it on your hose. Cut Eminem`s "Recovery" in half, use one to slice and one to chop. Tacos, steak bone, silicone
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Did you see this? Yes, that`s the infomercial guy who sells the ShamWow, the Slap Chop. But now, for a limited time only, today he`s the pitchman for Eminem`s new album "Recovery."
This is really funny. Em got Vince Shlomi to hawk his new CD which is out next week. I want to show you the ShamWow commercial for fun.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHLOMI: ShamWow, you`ll be saying wow every time you use this towel. It`s like a chamois. It`s like a towel. It`s like a sponge. A regular towel doesn`t work well wet. This one works wet or dry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. So here`s Vince doing the Em-Wow version for Eminem`s album today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHLOMI: Hey, its Vince, with Eminem`s new album, "Recovery." You are going to be clapping when you hear Emimen rapping. Now look at this, the Eminem CD has dozens of uses, cuts razor thin slices. Use it as a coaster. Put it on your hose.
Cut Eminem`s "Recovery" in half. Use one to slice and one to chop. Tacos, steak-bone, silicone. I like mine real so forget about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Great, right? Eminem`s "Recovery" releases on Monday and of course operators are standing by.
I just checked the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page. We`re getting tons of posts about celebrity blogger Perez Hilton allegedly posting a sexually- revealing photo of Miley Cyrus. Remember, Miley is still a minor. She`s still 17.
Holly B. thought doesn`t think Perez should be slammed, "You put yourself out there as a celebrity and you`re going to get your picture posted everywhere. Perez is right on the money. Sorry, Miley."
But Tamara M. is disgusted, "Miley is a minor and it doesn`t matter if she posed for the picture or not, Perez has a responsibility as an adult to choose carefully the material he posts about minors."
Melissa D. adds, "At the school where we went, if we had worn what she did, we would have been made to go home, change and put on something more appropriate."
Join the debate on Facebook. Go behind the scenes of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and get breaking entertainment alerts on Twitter. Call us at "Showbiz on Call" and there`s always E-mail. "SHOWBIZ Connects" at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
And now, the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Is Lady Gaga copycat? The outfits, the music. Some say she`s copying Madonna. SHOWBIZ investigates today.
Oprah`s oil outrage today. Her surprising words today about President Obama and the devastating gulf oil spill.
So a guy thinks he sees big foot in his backyard and what does he do? He dials 911.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know what it was. He`s walking upright like a man.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. What did it look like?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looked like a giant ape with a man`s face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You have got to see what happens next caught on tape. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views. And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Ellen DeGeneres to host fourth variety special for TBS, airing June 27th. "Slumdog Millionaire`s" Danny Boyle to direct `12 Olympics opening ceremony.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Oprah`s oil outrage. Her surprising response to the gulf oil disaster and how President Obama is handling the crisis.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Lady Gaga, originator or imitator? Big new questions today, is Gaga a Madonna copycat? SHOWBIZ investigates incredible Gaga copycat claims today.
Kate Gosselin is getting a dating show? Juicy new details just revealed today. Is Kate going to date on TV? Should she?
Plus, breaking today from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker," Betty White`s new red-hot new TV show. And Eminem`s surprising support for gay rights.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today - is Lady Gaga a copycat? We are revealing a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigation.
And we have done some serious digging as we ask the burning question today - is Lady Gaga an originator or an imitator? And is she just outright ripping off Madonna? Showbiz investigates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Is Lady Gaga the next queen of pop? She`s been called genius, androgynous and controversial. The lady`s got all of the ingredients to rock it to rock royalty. But is she a musical innovator or an imitator? Gaga says her style has been influenced by a range of pop icons, including Michael Jackson and Madonna.
LADY GAGA, SINGER: I think Madonna`s great. She`s been a wonderful friend and very kind and supportive and amazing.
ANDERSON: But is Gaga`s provocative approach a knock-off of Madonna`s? Take a look at this side-by-side comparison of Madonna`s "Like a Prayer" video to Gaga`s "Alejandro." Naughty nuns, crosses and Catholic Church controversy to spare. Gaga told CNN`s Larry King she doesn`t mind the comparison.
LADY GAGA: No bad comparison to Madonna. She`s wonderful and there can never be another. So I have to think of even more ways to annoy and shock everyone because she`s done everything.
ANDERSON: Music journalist and "Maxim" magazine editor-in-chief, Joe Levy, isn`t surprised by the mirror imagery.
JOE LEVY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "MAXIM": She is our first pop superstar who didn`t just grow up with Madonna but who grew up completely defined, her life completely and absolutely defined by the world Madonna created.
And of course she`s an inheritor of some of that. What`s interesting about Gaga is, she`s inherited and worked with so many other things. She is a sponge. She soaks it up and she spits it out.
ANDERSON: Shocking videos aren`t the only thing Gaga is spitting out. To spark reaction, the lady loves outrageous fashion.
LADY GAGA: Well, some of the things that I wear are obviously created for me by designers or they`re reactions by archives, of things worn in the `70s and in the `80s.
ANDERSON: `70s and `80s ala Elton John? Sir Elton`s crazy style in the early days seems rather similar to Gaga`s over-the-top experience. David Bowie is another artist that Gaga says she admires. Did she borrow her gender-bending looks from Bowie?
LADY GAGA: Listen, I`m trying to push the limits, push the boundaries as much as I can.
ANDERSON: Gaga has also been compared to Fiona Apple. Take a look at her video for "Just Dance" compared to Fiona`s "Criminal." Is this a "Criminal" rip-off or just random?
LEVY: Gaga - what is interesting about her, she`s kind of a blender. I`m not sure she`s had one original idea in her life. What`s interesting is, they all go into her head. She puts it on puree, and it`s kind of a delicious idea smoothie.
ANDERSON: Early in her career, Gaga was compared to Christina Aguilera. But now, critics and fans say that Christina is trying to go gaga with edgy sexuality in her latest video.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
LEVY: It`s not that Christina Aguilera is taking from Lady Gaga. It`s that she tends to take from the same thing Lady Gaga takes from. It`s like they`re all eating at the same lunch counter, and behind the lunch counter serving up delicious hot imagery, would be Madonna.
I don`t care if Christina Aguilera rips off Lady Gaga and if Lady Gaga rips off Madonna as long as everyone is wearing shiny black leather bustiers. I think we all win.
ANDERSON: So perhaps when it comes to pop music, imitation is art. And whether Lady Gaga is an eccentric genius or creative copycat, her fans don`t seem to care.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
So is Lady Gaga just an eccentric genius who`s interpreting what she has seen from other music icons to push the envelope in her own brand-new way? Or are we giving her too much credit? And that brings us to today`s "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint" - is Lady Gaga a copycat?
Right now, in New York, Janell Snowden, who is a host for VH1 News. And from Hollywood, Hyla, who is an entertainment journalist "5DollarPrep.com."
Janell, Hyla, I`ve got to say I think Lady Gaga is an amalgamation of all her favorite influences. Yet, she manages to me to remain unique and somehow make it her own. But to this "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Flashpoint," Janell, do you think Lady Gaga is a straight-out copycat?
JANELL SNOWDEN, HOST, VH1 NEWS: I think she`s a copycat who`s taken things to the next level. I mean, shock is all relative to society. And Gaga has said that she just wants to do everything Madonna has done, but maybe in a more exaggerated way.
And I think that`s what we`re seeing. She`s definitely here for shock and awe. She is an artist who does not have an off switch, you know, like she`s not going to turn off in an interview.
She`s going to give you all of that drama and all of those theatrics. And I, for one, love her. I say bring it. Give us the entertainment. Give us everything that you`ve got and give it to us times a thousand.
ANDERSON: She is always character.
HYLA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST, "5DOLLARPREP.COM": But it`s fun to call her a copycat.
ANDERSON: It`s incredible. Hyla, yes. They say imitation, the sincerest form of flattery. Do you think Lady Gaga is a copycat?
HYLA: No, she`s not a copycat. She`s inspired just like every single artist. You can even take another great band, U2, and they`re going to say, "You know what? We were inspired by The Clash."
Every artist has another artist that they look up to. And of course, they`re going to take elements of that. I mean, before Lady Gaga even blew up, Madonna was on scene praising her saying, "I see some of myself in Lady Gaga." This isn`t a rip-off. She`s inspired by her. There`s nothing wrong with that.
SNOWDEN: Yes. I mean, when you copy someone and you do it well -
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: Go ahead. Go ahead, Janell.
SNOWDEN: I was going to say when you copy someone and you do it well, I don`t think that`s a bad thing. I think that she said that they`re friends. Madonna obviously sees a lot herself in her. That`s why they`re friends. That`s why they`ve done "SNL" skits. So I mean, I don`t think it`s a bad thing as long as she`s not copying someone whack.
ANDERSON: And Gaga doesn`t seem to be bothered by the comparison, by the similarities. And I have to tell you this, guys, when we posted the "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint" question on our Facebook page, our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT fans went berserk.
Kat E. wrote on our wall, "Definitely a copycat. She came out of obscurity and overnight, it was, `Lady Gaga this and Lady Gaga that.` I don`t understand how someone with no talent can explode overnight instantly."
But Lauren F. wrote this on our wall, "Lady Gaga is not copying Madonna. She has her own unique style and has way more talent than Madonna ever did. Christina Aguilera is copying Lady Gaga."
So Hyla, forget for a minute if Lady Gaga, whether or not she is copying Madonna. What about Lauren F`s point that Christina Aguilera is copying Gaga?
HYLA: I don`t mean to offend your viewers, but both of them are kind of dumb and know nothing about music. Lady Gaga was in the New York music, you know, trying to claim small clubs and coffee shops and she`s been hustling a long.
Yes, you get one hit single and it appears that you`re an overnight success but that is not what happened. And you know what? She`s not copying Christina Aguilera. Christina Aguilera has been around for a long time since the late `90s.
And she was wearing outrageous outfits and had controversial videos and crazy hair-dos way before there even was a Lady Gaga. So your viewers are completely off of that.
ANDERSON: And I kind of see both of your points and Janell`s, that she`s kind of taking it to the next level. And I think they`re all kind of influenced by one another, even if it is a little subconsciously.
All right. From Gaga`s talent to Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe`s mother who is now proving that she has got some talent. Gabby`s mom, Alice Tan-Ridley, stole the show this week on "America`s Got Talent" when she belted out an incredible rendition of Etta James` "At Last." She got a standing ovation. Watch.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: Whew! Do it, honey. All right. Alice has been singing in the New York City underground subway system for years, never been signed to a record deal. And yet, she oozes talent. Janell, do you think she could be the next Susan Boyle?
SNOWDEN: I think she better sing on, mama. I`m with Nick Cannon. What a voice! I just wonder how Gabby feels about it all. I hope she is not threatened that her mom`s trying to get shine.
ANDERSON: No. You know Gabby is so proud. I`ve got one thing to say - Alice Tan Ridley rocks! Janell Snowden, Hyla, thanks, guys. Good to see you.
All right. We`ve got Oprah`s oil outrage. Oprah`s exclusive response to CNN about the gulf oil disaster. Plus, what Oprah is saying today about the way the president is responding to the gulf crisis.
A Kate Gosselin dating show? Is one in the works today, and should Kate even date on TV?
Hey, check out this guy. He just had a date with a tall, dark, and hairy creature.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know what it was. He`s walking upright like a man.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. What did it look like?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looked like a giant ape with a man`s face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You see big foot? You call 911. I`m playing this unbelievable call for you. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Oprah, Tina Fey among the celebs getting stars on Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011. Five million watched Betty White`s new TV Land show, "Hot in Cleveland."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does anyone else smell pot?
BETTY WHITE, COMEDIENNE: What are you? A cop?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
WHITE: Then what`s it to you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Big news breaking in "The Buzz" today, is Oprah the best boss ever? And a "Jersey Shore" star doesn`t have to worry about facing jail time. Here`s what`s happening right now in "The Buzz" today
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): No Miami heat for a "Jersey Shore" star. Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola won`t be charged after a South Beach scuffle where she allegedly punched another woman. Prosecutors say they could pursue misdemeanor battery charges against the reality star, but it isn`t worth it to pursue such a small case against someone who`s not in the county although if the sweetheart ever comes back to Miami, they could reopen the case. Her lawyer dismissed the whole story as, quote, "someone`s feeble attempt to get publicity."
Indiana Jones and the marriage vow. Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart just got married. The Hollywood couple snuck off to the governor`s mansion in New Mexico to exchange rings on Tuesday.
According to "People" magazine, it was the smallest of weddings. Aside from the required witnesses, the only guest at the ceremony was Flockhart`s adopted eight-year-old son.
Oprah may be the best boss ever. Oprah Winfrey surprised all of the staffers at "O" magazine, even the new ones, with brand-new Apple will iPads and checks for $10,000. A spokesman for the talk show queen tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the gifts were given as a thank you for the staff`s hard work and dedication. Maybe next time they`ll get a car.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Man, Oprah is so incredibly generous to her employees, but is she going to open her wallet again? There`s more big Oprah news breaking today about her possibly helping with the gulf oil spill.
Right now, in Hollywood is Wendy. She is a TV journalist and doctor of psychology. In New York is Sunny Hostin. She is a legal contributor for "In Session" on Tru TV.
Wendy, Sunny, Oprah has not just been overwhelmingly kind to her staffers but to regular folks, too. I will never forget that famous car giveaway in 2004. So when CNN`s Don Lemon caught up you with Oprah, he just had to ask if she`s going to do something huge for the gulf coast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You`re so charitable. Are you going to help do anything for the folks down there?
OPRAH WINFREY, MEDIA PERSONALITY: Well, I don`t have any plans right now to do anything specifically because it`s going to take more money than I have to do that. So I think that all of us being united in our sense of understanding what is going on and what is happening not only to the people but to the animals is what breaks my heart watching that every day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes. And we know if it takes more money than Oprah`s got, that`s a lot of money. Sunny, I`m thinking Oprah may need to get on the horn to her good friend President Obama and ask how she can use the power of Oprah to help. Because if anybody can make a difference, it is Oprah.
HOSTIN: Well, there`s no question that she can make a difference. I mean, I like to call her the oracle because she really is my best friend in my head. I have an Oprah crush certainly.
But think about what she`s done for sort of driving while texting. Any issue that Oprah takes on becomes the issue and she usually has the solution to it. So I do think that she should not only get on the horn with the president, but come on, Oprah, help us out. Do something and use that Oprah oracle magic.
ANDERSON: She is very, very charitable. Very giving. All right. I do have to move now, though, to Kate Gosselin news. The reality mother of eight today shot down rumors that she may do a "Bachelorette"-type dating show. Wendy, given the fact that Kate is raising eight kids on her own and can`t exactly go out to singles bars on Friday nights to meet guys, would it really be such a bad idea?
WALSH: I think it would be an excellent idea. First of all, there are 14 million single moms in America. I`m one of them.
And what she needs to be doing more than anything as well as mothering those eight children is making money. So if she`s paid to do a dating show, great. If she participates on it and meets a guy, that`s wonderful, too.
But this is a woman whose time is very limited. So if she can multitask by working and dating at the same time, why not?
ANDERSON: Sunny, what do you think? Kate Gosselin, the next bachelorette?
HOSTIN: No, I completely disagree. I mean, her first job should be taking care of those eight children. I have three words for Kate - just say no. No more reality television for you.
ANDERSON: Well, I do have to say I agree with Wendy, that Kate has limited time. So maybe she needs somebody to help her sift through would-be suitors.
HOSTIN: Who would take on that job?
ANDERSON: But as you say, Sunny, keep those kids first - I know. Who would do that? Wendy Walsh, Sunny Hostin, thanks, ladies.
All right. This story gives me the creeps, but it also makes me laugh. The wild 911 call about big foot?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know what it was. He`s walking upright like a man.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. What did it look like?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looked like a giant ape with a man`s face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views. And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Eminem reveals today he supports gay marriage rights. Jon Gosselin launching new plan to return to reality TV.
ANDERSON: Now, HLN`s salute to dads. Father`s Day coming up. And we`ve been asking stars what their fathers mean to them. Today, Josh Brolin. Josh told me all about the special relationship he has with his father, fellow actor James Brolin. Check out Josh`s hilarious message to his dad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSH BROLIN, ACTOR: This is what my father would do. If I looked in the camera, my father would call me and go, "Why were you looking in the camera? That was just weird." My Father`s Day gift to you is that I`m not looking in the camera and doing a Father`s Day thing. Love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Now, I`ve heard some tall tales before, but this one just might take the cake. A North Carolina man said he saw big foot and what did he do? He called the po-po, caught on tape. It`s the 911 call gone wild, literally. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When self-described mountain man, Tim Peeler, dialed 911, he didn`t report a mugger or a burglar -
TIM PEELER, SELF-DESCRIBED MOUNTAIN MAN: I don`t know what it was. He`s walking upright like a man.
MOOS: In his backyard messing with his dogs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. What did it look like?
PEELER: It looked like a giant ape with a man`s face.
MOOS: Now, we`ve heard a lot of weird 911 calls from complaints about fast food.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I asked them four different times to make me a western barbecue burger.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ma`am, we`re not going to go down there and enforce your western bacon cheeseburger.
MOOS: To a lady looking for a husband.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Could you get a husband?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You need to get a husband?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. You`re calling 911 to get a husband?
MOOS: Yes. Well, maybe Tim Peeler`s got someone for her. Someone tall, dark and awesome.
PEELER: This thing was ten foot tall. He had beautiful hair.
MOOS: This being rural North Carolina, Mr. Peeler had a gun, but PETA would be proud.
PEELER: I did not shoot -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
PEELER: The thing.
MOOS (on camera): Tim Peeler called 911, not once, but twice that night. And both times, we said it sounded like maybe he`d had a few.
(voice-over): Reminds us of the plot from "Harry and the Hendersons."
JOHN LITHGOW, ACTOR: I want to report a - something in my house. It`s big foot.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Of course, yes. They can be a nuisance.
MOOS: Actually, the Cleveland County dispatcher refrained from sarcasm.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was there more than one or just the one?
PEELER: Just the one.
MOOS: Hey, one`s enough.
PEELER: And I said, get away from here!
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: And where is it now, Mr. Henderson?
LITHGOW: It`s in the bathroom.
MOOS: At least Mr. Peeler`s big foot never made it that far. Twice he says he scared it back into the woods. This, by the way, is a cheesy simulation.
(on camera): Now, there is one way we would have known for sure whether this guy actually saw big foot.
PEELER: Would I get in any trouble if I shot and killed this beast?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can`t answer that question.
MOOS (voice-over): We recommend against calling 911 if you`re just going to put your foot in your mouth. Your big foot.
PEELER: Get! Get! And he went right back up that path again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Now, I`ve seen and heard it all. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks, Jeanne.
That`s a wrap for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood Hollywood. Thank you for watching. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday.
And don`t forget we are still TV`s most provocative entertainment news show seven days a week 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. Take care.
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