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Showbiz Tonight
Comedian Challenges `SNL` Claim about Lack of Black Female Comedians; Britney Spears Works in on British Talk Show; CeLo Green Charged with Giving Girlfriend Drugs; African-American Movies Getting Critical Raves
Aired October 21, 2013 - 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: Tonight on the "Top Ten Countdown." It`s the "SHOWBIZ SNL Star Search." "Saturday Night Live`s" Keenan Thompson claims there aren`t enough talented black women to star on "SNL." Well, we`ve got news for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLOZELL GREEN, COMEDIAN: OK. I just want to talk about live from New York, it`s "Saturday Black Live." These are my black friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Black up dancers.
GREEN: I really couldn`t find any black people because "Saturday Night Live" has said there`s no funny black folk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: The talented comedian and YouTube star GloZell is right here. With millions of fans of her own, she`s got a thing or two to say about the so-called lack of black female comics.
Plus, this man has reportedly spent $100,000 to look just like Justin Bieber. A hundred grand. Over five years. Did it work?
SBT starts right now.
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer. Thank you for watching. So happy to be here with my guest co-host tonight, the lovely Nischelle Turner...
NISCHELLE TURNER, CO-HOST: Thank you.
HAMMER: ... of CNN. We kick off our "Top Ten Countdown" tonight with something you won`t see anywhere else, the "SBT SNL Star Search."
TURNER: I kind of dig this, A.J. You know, we`ve had such a hard time believing that "Saturday Night Live" doesn`t have any black female comedians in the cast this season because they couldn`t find anyone they thought was right. So we started our own search, and there is our first contestant. GloZell Green joining us from Hollywood.
Hey, GloZell, I love it. The race is to you, darling. You know, you just may be the biggest...
GREEN: My big break.
TURNER: I know. So you may be the biggest comedian on YouTube. So let`s give everyone a taste of what happened when your fans gave you -- I can`t get enough of this -- the cinnamon challenge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREEN: Hello, this is GloZell. This is just about what I wanted to know. OK, so 150 billion people out there have been asking me to do the cinnamon challenge. So everybody`s been on my nerves. I got some cinnamon. I don`t even know what kind you`re supposed to get. All right. So here is the cinnamon. All right. All right. Here go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: You know, that video has been seen nearly 34 million times. Overall, your videos have gotten over 400 million hits and two million people subscribe to your YouTube channel.
Now, I`m willing to put money on the fact that you think it`s pretty darn ridiculous that, when someone like you is out there, "Saturday Night Live" says they can`t find any great black female comedians. I mean, I think that`s crazy.
GREEN: It is crazy. It`s that Keenan wants to be the only black woman on the show. That`s all. That`s all that is. He play all the women roles. That`s it. He wants to be the only girl on the show playing black women. That`s it.
TURNER: He does. He plays Whoopi. He plays Oprah. He plays just about everybody.
GREEN: Everybody. Everybody. That`s why. That`s job security for him. In fact, that was the funniest thing he`s ever said on the show, so congratulations. That was funny.
TURNER: I sense a little bit of shade being thrown there by GloZell.
Now, you posted a video in response to the claim that he just made that there aren`t enough talented black women to star on "SNL." So I want to watch some of this response video that you put up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREEN: All of us should host.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think so, too. I think we should do both GloFrank and GloCo.
GREEN: I think -- clearly, well, between all of us we get way more hits than "SNL." Are you patting your weave? Are you patting your weave?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s itching.
GREEN: You can`t just scratch. You got to pat that. You know, you can do it something like that. But you can`t -- you don`t want to mess up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: I love this. I love it. And you`re expecting -- are you half expecting Lorne Michaels to call you and offer you a gig, because if he called and he said audition, what would you say?
GREEN: First of all, I don`t have to audition. OK. Going on "SNL" would be going down for me at this point in my life. My fans don`t watch that. Who watches that show? Who watch it?
TURNER: I do. I`m your fan and I watch the show. So there you go.
GREEN: OK. That is one person. But I`m just saying, if he wants bigger hits then, yes, he needs to have me on the show, obviously. But I don`t know. I`m going to have to fight with Keenan over the female roles.
TURNER: OK.
GREEN: I`ve got a wig for him. Let him wear one. I got Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga. What you want? What you want? I got them.
TURNER: I think he`d look best in Kim Kardashian.
GREEN (singing): Came in like a wrecking ball.
TURNER: At least you have your wig cap on. Put it on. There you go.
GREEN; I can be Kim Kardashian. What you talking about? He`s confused right now. He is confused. Yes.
TURNER: You better watch out, GloZell, because he`s on his way home, he said on Twitter to Kim Kardashian.
Now, let`s forget "SNL" for a moment, because you are...
GREEN: Please. Like the world is doing.
TURNER: Exactly.
GREEN: The world is forgetting about it right now.
TURNER: OK. So you`re on SBT right now. And we`re seen all over the world, so I hope that Lorne Michaels is watching. So GloZell, I want you to give me a little something. Give me a little "SBT Star Search" moment.
GREEN: OK. So here is my audition for SNL. OK.
Well, let me tell you. Well, let`s see what`s going on in the news? President Obama and his shutdown. And everybody`s talking about political views and what`s your political views? The only thing I care about as far as political views, well, I guess I was confused, who is going to play Christopher Grey in "50 Shades." That`s all I care about politically. Can we get back to that?
TURNER: Who would you cast? Who would you cast?
GREEN: Well, maybe I can. Maybe Keenan. Keenan can play it.
TURNER: And you can play Anastasia. You can play the female role. There you go.
GREEN: I can play all of them. "Darling, you`re taking off your shirt. Oh, my God." That`s all they`re doing.
TURNER: You`re right. That is about all they`re doing. There`s just sex, grunting and groaning. That`s pretty much the movie.
GREEN: I`m listening to the book and I`m reading the book at the same time. It`s awesome.
I am looking gorgeous.
TURNER: You do.
GREEN: Take a picture of myself.
TURNER: The Green complements the platinum blonde. It`s beautiful. Stealthy all day.
Now you can check out any of GloZell`s videos on her Web site, GloZell.com.
GloZell, you have given me the gut laugh today, and I appreciate it. Thanks for joining us.
GREEN: Live from New York it`s "Saturday Black Live."
TURNER: OK.
HAMMER: Not sure exactly what just happened, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
OK. Our "Top Ten Countdown" of today`s must-see, must-share stories continues right now with No. 9. It is a remarkable brand-new video of Britney whipping everyone into shape. Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Britney Spears was a guest on the British talk show "Alan Carr, Chatty Man," when she was asked to recreate the whipping scenes from her "Work, Bitch" video. Carr playfully pulled Britney off the set, taking her backstage to whip his staff into shape. And here`s what ensued.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN CARR, TALK SHOW HOST: Do you want to win a TV award or not? If so you need to...
BRITNEY SPEARS, SINGER: Work, bitch!
CARR: Let`s see my writers. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) We need someone like you. Look you`re having a laugh. You better work. You need to...
SPEARS: Work, bitch!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I think I need to get Britney around here.
I want to bring in Joe Pardavila or "Scott and Todd`s Morning Show" on 95.5 PLJ, New York City. He is the pop culture expert there. But now you`re here with us on -- I almost said PLJ. I worked there for a while.
It`s great to have you here.
Britney started off kind of a little shy, maybe a little reserved, and then she totally got into it. I think she really pulled this off.
JOE PARDAVILA, PLJ`S "SCOTT AND TODD`S MORNING SHOW": I actually don`t think so, A.J. If you look at her reaction it`s like a robot. It`s reverse Pinocchio. You know how Pinocchio wanted to be a boy? She`s actually become a robot. It`s unbelievable. She shows no emotion. Watch when she`s whipping. She`s literally whipping with no emotion. She`s like, "OK. OK."
HAMMER: We`ve seen that in the locker room, Joe. I don`t know. She`s got a little fierceness and attitude. Doesn`t seeing this kind of inspire you to perhaps see if Britney is available and bring her into your WPLJ studios? I personally think that Scott Channing could use a little whipping.
Now she`s doing all this press for her Vegas show and is weird. She`s like, have you heard her interviews? She doesn`t know how to speak. She has, like, these structured answers she`s supposed to give. And it almost seems like she`s let out without parental supervision. Right?
HAMMER: Do you feel like she`s kind of lost between really wanting to be herself but having that level of control over her, which she has had, and it`s kind of worked for her?
PARDAVILA: Literally. You almost can see like the strings being pulled in the background. I feel a little bad for her, because that fun Britney is long gone. It almost seems like there`s some Svengali controlling every move she makes. And it doesn`t seem like it`s a real person.
HAMMER: I kind of thought she got it back a little bit, Nischelle. I know it`s been sort of a tough line for her to walk.
TURNER: I don`t know if she`s there. I kind of agree with both of you. I`m going to play Switzerland, because while I think she`s really trying to come back, I agree with Joe she`s not quite there yet. And I do feel like it`s a bit robotish and that she doesn`t really know which way to turn. It`s like she`s scared if she says the wrong thing the whole thing will crumble.
Here`s the thing. I think at the end of the day, if you`re in a room alone with Britney, she`s got that whip, I think you should be careful. I think, really, you want to behave yourself and make sure she`s not coming after you.
PARDAVILA: I`m critiquing from afar.
HAMMER: Watching her on TV. All right, Joe. Great having you here. Thank you so much.
And I must tell you, this countdown is turning into an absolute dream for me tonight. I already have, of course, one of the greatest jobs in the world, hosting SBT right here on HLN.
But my dream job, if this doesn`t exist, which would be hosting "The Price is Right." And that`s where I`m on location.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is like a lifelong dream, standing on this stage alone and getting to be here alongside. How great?
DREW CAREY, HOST, "THE PRICE IS RIGHT": It`s amazing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. I didn`t get to host, but I did get a shot at the next best thing. Such a blast.
I can`t say that Gwyneth Paltrow`s having a blast tonight. Wild report out there of a showdown between Gwnynie and "Vanity Fair" magazine. So is she actually trying to squash a story about her reportedly cheating on her husband? Which must-see, must-share story will be No. 1?
This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TURNER: Welcome back to our "Top Ten Countdown" tonight. We`re now at No. 8. A "Voice" shocker: CeLo charged. "The Voice" coach CeLo Green was charged late today with giving Ecstasy to a woman he reportedly had been dating. The L.A. district attorney`s office says the 34-year-old woman reporting Green to police, saying he slipped her the drug when they went to dinner and back to their hotel room last July.
If convicted, Green faces up to four years in state prison.
Jenn Hobby is back with us. Jenn is the host on Kicks 101.5 Radio in Atlanta. Jenn, "The Voice" reportedly has no plans to take CeLo off the show until this whole thing is settled. Do you think they should now?
JENN HOBBY, RADIO HOST: No, I don`t. Because if the charges come up not true, he needs the chance to be able to defend himself and defend his name against this. These are very serious allegations. And I certainly -- I certainly think that "The Voice" is making the right decision in defending their star, defending one of their coaches until he is found guilty. Because he needs that chance to defend himself against something this severe.
TURNER: There is such a thing as due process, Jenn. That`s for sure.
HOBBY: Right, right.
HAMMER: Such a likable guy. You really hope it`s not true.
All right. Our "Top Ten Countdown" continues now with No. 7. Happy birthday, Kim K. Hey, it`s Kim Kardashian`s 33rd birthday, ladies and gentlemen.
The new mom -- everybody`s excited about it. The new Mom has just given her very first interview since giving birth to her daughter North back in June. She woke with the U.K. "Sunday Times" style section about dressing the part as a new mom who still wants to keep it sexy. And here`s what she`s saying.
"You want your guy to think you`re really hot. I`ll put something on, and Kanye will say, `No, that doesn`t look good,` and I`ll trust him." A terrible Kanye impression.
So Kim there putting a lot of trust in Kanye. Jenn Hobby, back to you in Atlanta. Do you get where she`s coming from giving her guy so much say about what she wears?
HOBBY: Well, sure. And you think as a new mom, too, your body is adjusting. Your hormones are adjusting after baby. And there`s a lot going on. You want to make sure that your guy still finds you attractive and not just sees you as just the mom of his baby. And so I can understand where she`s coming from.
But she`s got nothing to worry about. I mean, the selfies that that girl posts online are, like, amazing. Every time she posts them. She`s got nothing to worry about.
HAMMER: I don`t think he`s picking everything out.
TURNER: No. He`s not. But he should also not tell her, "You don`t look good in that" if he knew what was good for her.
HOBBY: That`s the one. Right there, that`s the one.
TURNER: Whatever floats your boat. You know, the ladies of "The Talk" had a lot to say about giving partners a say in what you wear. Watch what they said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERYL UNDERWOOD, CO-HOST, CBS`S "THE TALK": If man was to say to me whether he liked the outfit or not, I`m not changing it. Because it took me an hour to squeeze into this eight. I`m not taking it off. Once you get into single digit outfits, I`ll be damned if I`m taking it off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: I am with Sheryl there. Because you know what? Actually, women, we usually dress for women and not for men. Sorry to let you know guys that.
HAMMER: I know. I know.
TURNER: Joe Pardavila from "Scott and Todd in the Morning" on WPLJ in New York City is back with us. Do you think she`s onto something, though, Joe? I mean, wearing what only Kanye looks good?
PARDAVILA: I have a feeling, you know, a lot of Kim, she sets trends. This trend will not get going. Women do not care what the men say. All she wants to hear is, "You look good." She doesn`t, "You don`t look good." I never heard a woman say, "Do me a favor. Be honest with me," because they don`t want you to be honest with them.
HAMMER: You just remember, the press wasn`t so kind to Kim recently. Maybe Kanye had something to do with that.
TURNER: You mean the cut-out dress day?
HAMMER: A lot of stuff. All right, Jenn, Joe, thank you both so much.
As our countdown heats up we have a Hollywood icon now dropping the beats as only she could.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOLLY PARTON, COUNTRY SINGER (rapping): I black both eyes with this big top. I know the queen has got them, too, but she don`t work them like I do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So good. Dolly bringing her country groove to hip-hop on the Queen Latifah show. If her god-child, Miley Cyrus, can twerk, well, why can`t Dolly rap?
Is that shocker bigger than this: spending $100,000 to look like Justin Bieber. I`m talking hair implants, Botox. This guy has reportedly done all that and more. But what will be No. 1 on our must-see, must-share countdown today?
This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TURNER: Our "Top Ten Countdown" continues now with No. 6. It`s Hollywood`s black renaissance. "The Butler," "42: The Jackie Robison Story," "Twelve Years a Slave" and "Fruitvale Station." This year is bringing a very welcome change. Movies about the African-American experience are making money and making waves.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER (voice-over): From overcoming slavery...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will keep myself ordered (ph) to freedom`s opportunity.
TURNER: And the battle for civil rights to an inner-city teen finding his footing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t tell anybody. We`re on our own.
TURNER: A glance at this year`s critically-acclaimed films shows an emerging trend.
GIL ROBERTSON, CO-FOUNDER, AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION: 2013 has been a banner year with regards to the number of films that feature African-American themes.
TURNER: At least half a dozen major movies chronicled the black experience in America.
ROBERTSON: Take for example, "42." Take for example "The Butler." Take for example "Twelve Years a Slave." Those films all really arrived at a threshold in terms of the quality that will seriously put them in the running for Oscar consideration.
TURNER: The movies come from major studios, and A-list African-American directors and producers and actors are on board.
FOREST WHITAKER, ACTOR: There`s so many projects. I`m hoping people are being able to have their voices heard. Hopefully, that`s going to continue to expand in African-American media.
TURNER: Hollywood hasn`t been so focused on African-American story lines since the Spike Lee and John Singleton flicks of the 1980s and `90s.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to do something with my life. I want to be somebody.
ROBERTSON: We`ve actually seen cycles like this before. This year, I think the difference is that a lot of the stories that have come out this year are, from a quality standpoint, have realized a much higher level. I also think that the American attitude has changed.
TURNER: Because the face of America is changing. Some crediting Washington for this creative wave from Hollywood.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were on a political high. You know, Obama had just been elected, and people were excited about what that meant for our future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People have talked about kind of the Obama effect. And people are interested, and they want to go and see movies that have diversity or have different -- talk about different things in that way. Then, in a way, that allows them to be created more.
TURNER: Many of these movies retell real-life events and focus on the forgotten, like "The Butler," which highlights the traditional African- American family structure.
OPRAH WINFREY, MEDIA MOGUL/ACTRESS: One of reasons I loved this film and wanted to be a part of it is the tenderness and nurturing nature of the middle-class family.
TURNER: For some, the renewed focus on African-American narratives signals a listing change.
ROBERTSON: I`m hopeful that this is not just a renaissance, that this is a start of a new openness on behalf of the film industry to --to invest and to provide a platform for stories about the African-American experience. And with regards to 2014, the schedule already looks pretty decent.
TURNER: For others, it`s not about black or white but green.
ALFRE WOODARD, ACTRESS: I don`t think it`s because there`s any age of enlightenment. I think it just is serendipitous that those individuals that fight to get funding for the stories they want to tell. It will go just as dry as ever it was shortly.
OCTAVIA SPENCER, ACTRESS: They have to fund those movies. The money is there.
LUPITA NYONG`O, ACTRESS: This should be the norm. I look forward to a time when it won`t be -- it won`t be an anomaly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Great report. But do you really think that this flood of African- American films is happening because of a culture shift, which I hope, or is it really about the money?
TURNER: Well, it`s nice to hope that, but I think I lean more toward what Alfre Woodard was saying. Where she`s saying it`s about the money. If they see the dollars are spending, especially coming from the African- American community, these movies will continue to get made.
HAMMER: Well, there you go.
TURNER: There you go.
HAMMER: All right. Well, our countdown is going to take us on a journey next that`s really been a lifetime in the making for me. I can`t wait to show you this.
TURNER: I can`t wait.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ is on location at "The Price is Right," one of my favorite shows of all time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is like a lifelong dream. You`re standing on the stage alone. Getting to be here alongside you. How great.
CAREY: It`s amazing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It is amazing. I can`t wait to reveal all of the really cool things I got to do when I visited the set of "The Price is Right."
Also, Gwyneth`s "Vanity Fair" smack-down. So is Gwyneth Paltrow really trying to stop a report that she may have cheated on her husband? Which of today`s must-see, must-share stories will be No. 1?
This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is like a lifelong dream, standing on the stage alone. Getting to be here alongside you. How great?
CAREY: It`s amazing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Right now, the "Top Ten Countdown," on location at "The Price is Right." Come on down!
Watch my guest stint on TV`s longest running show.
Dolly`s rapping delight. Dolly Parton busts a rhyme to show her love to the queen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARTON: I black both eyes with this big top. I know the queen has got them, too, but she don`t work them like I do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Nice. Did Dolly`s tribute to Queen Latifah steal the top spot on tonight`s countdown? "SBT" continues right now.
Welcome back. Thanks so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer, along with CNN`s Nischelle Turner along for the ride tonight as we count down today`s top ten must see, must share stories of the day.
TURNER: We`re down to number five. The "Price Is Right" for this guy, literally.
HAMMER: Do you see me smiling? I just had the experience of a lifetime in Hollywood. I was a guest model on "the "Price Is Right"" with its fantastic host, Drew Carey. And this is what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DREW CAREY, HOST: Let`s get another contestant down here.
HAMMER: It`s TV`s running longest game show, now in its 41st year. It`s the show that made me want to go into TV. Now I get to live a lifelong dream.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A.J. Hammer from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, come on down to the ""Price Is Right"."
HAMMER: Yes, I got to spend the day at the ""Price Is Right"," giving away prizes and having lots of fun by being a guest celebrity model. And I got to hang out with the "Price Is Right" host Drew Carey.
This is like a lifelong dream standing on this stage alone and (inaudible). How great?
CAREY: It`s amazing. It is an American institution.
HAMMER: My dream temp job begins with a chat with Adam Sandler.
ADAM SANDLER, ACTOR: The price is wrong, bitch.
HAMMER: No. Not the Adam Sandler who got beaten up by Bob Barker. I`m talking about the Adam Sandler who is the director of the "Price Is Right".
ADAM SANDLER, DIRECTOR, PRICE IS RIGHT: It`s going to be you here with this laptop computer.
HAMMER: As the day goes on, there`s a lot to remember.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re blocking while you`re reading those fantastic words.
HAMMER: A lot of choreography.
Lots of rehearsing, and a lot of walking and talking and posing. Yes, the models on "The Price Is Right" make it look so easy, but trust me, it ain`t. Oops. Got to remember not to block the merchandise. But as my day goes on, I realize something very important. The fun we see the contestants having on the "Price Is Right" is shared by those who bring the show to us every day, from the make-up artist who has been there forever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I started with the show back in the `70s.
HAMMER: To announcer George Gray, to the host himself.
CAREY: It`s like a joyous, happy place to work. It`s infectious.
HAMMER: But of course, on this day the happiest person on the "Price Is Right" stage is this guy.
It`s one of those full circle moments in life from the moment I was nine wanting to be Bob Barker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you ever pretend with the microphone and the whole thing?
HAMMER: I took an antenna from a walkie-talkie, popped it out of the radio, put a ping-pong ball on top and called it (inaudible), looked like Bob`s stick mike, and I would walk around doing this. I`m not kidding.
So when the curtain goes up on the show, do I remember not to block the merchandise? How does my once in a lifetime chance to spin the wheel during the commercial break go? And most importantly, did I represent for my friends here at "Showbiz Tonight" or did I fall off the cliff like the yodeling guy? Stay tuned for more on my day on the "Price Is Right".
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good luck. We`re counting on you.
Just want you to know we`re all counting on you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Could you tell I was having a little bit of fun?
TURNER: I was all ready to bust on you, but you were having so much fun, I just got to say that`s really cool.
HAMMER: There wasn`t a made up moment with that smile. Wait until you see the showcase I tried to give away. Things built around my favorite things. It was an unbelievably incredible experience. I can`t wait for you to see all of it. My whole big "Price is Right" debut. We`re going to do that next week.
TURNER: I`ve never seen this guy smile this much. That`s pretty awesome, AJ.
HAMMER: With this digital camera.
I have that digital camera. That`s why they tried to give it away. You`ll watch me do that, you`re going to watch me get my Oprah on, giving away some of my favorite things. This is part of our special series, "Showbiz Tonight" game show madness. It`s news Tuesday. I`ll be hanging out with my friends Pat and Vanna on "Wheel of Fortune". Next Wednesday I visit the great Cedric the Entertaining on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." Thursday, more of my dream come true day on "The Price IS Right." It is game show madness, and it happens next week right here of course on SHOWBIZ.
TURNER: Did you get to play planko (ph)?
HAMMER: That would be a reveal.
TURNER: That`s my game.
(CROSSTALK)
TURNER: This brings us to no. 4 on our top 10 countdown, and it`s Dolly Parton`s spectacular debut as a rap star on the Queen Latifah show this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARTON (rapping): I don`t hip and I don`t hop, I black both eyes with this big top. I know the queen has got them too, but she don`t work them like I do. Look at them go. Hey, I`m tweaking, I`m working, I`m working. Miley, I got your wrecking balls right here!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: Who would have thought we`d ever see Dolly spitting rhymes like that. She was pretty darn good. I can`t stop laughing. I actually thought she was infectious and really, really cute.
JOE PARDAVILA, POP CULTURE EXPERT: Let me preface by saying she`s an American treasure, and we all love her, but please, Dolly, stop it. You don`t have to do that to yourself. It`s embarrassing. I felt like I was at a wedding and my mom got up and started twerking. I felt really awkward watching her on stage doing that. Stop it. Please.
TURNER: I liked her blonde platinum fro and gold chains. I dug that a bit.
HAMMER: She`s just made a lifetime out of joking about her top. I think it works. She`s known as the queen of country. She didn`t forget her country roots for a moment while she was rapping. Let`s watch her doing her thing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARTON (rapping): I know I`m short, I know she`s tall. Yes, you could call us Biggie Small. Our songs are different, mine`s more fun, like she`ll be coming around the mountain when she comes. (singing).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: She brought it all home there. A little country. She`s got all of it. Let`s bring in Jen Hobby. She`s with us tonight from Atlanta. She`s the host on Kix 101.5 country radio in Atlanta, and Jen, you are the country music expert on staff with us tonight. Did you ever think you`d hear the phrase Dolly Parton raps?
JEN HOBBY, KIX 101.5 COUNTRY RADIO: I will say the headline took me by surprise. I had to go watch this, but Dolly`s got such a great sense of humor. And I think at 67, she looks fantastic. I agree with Nischelle, the big blonde afro wig is fantastic. I thought it was a lot of fun. You can tell Queen Latifah was loving every single moment of this. She had to take that swipe at Miley Cyrus too, which I thought was pretty cool. Dolly could be relevant with that part of the story.
TURNER: And you know, she`s Miley`s godmother, so they definitely have a relationship there. But you know, Dolly and Queen Latifah also starred together just last year in the film "Joyful Noise." Queen Latifah may have schooled her a bit when she was about to give her rap, busting those rhymes there. Joe, I want to know, what do you think? Mark this down as one of the most outlandish but amazing Dolly Parton performances ever? I think I know what you`re going to say.
PARDAVILA: I say no. And I also (inaudible) boobs, first of all, because in this day and age, her boobs are small. If she walked into a strip club, she wouldn`t get tips because they would say those boobs are too small.
HAMMER: Don`t disrespect Dolly on my stage. Come on, man, one of the nicest people in showbiz. All right, Joe, thank you for being here. Jen, thank you as well.
And our countdown is heating up with a celebrity showdown. We have Gwyneth Paltrow versus Vanity Fair magazine. All right, was she really crying (inaudible) report that she may have cheated on her husband?
Also, extreme Bieber fever. This guy reportedly spent more than $100,000 on surgeries to look like Justin Bieber. Did it work? What is going to be no. 1? This is "SBT" on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TURNER: We are down to the final three on tonight`s countdown and it`s an "SBT" exclusive. The hottest boy band in the country makes a fan`s day.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: This is Midnight Red. They have had big hits like "Take me Home," and now they are on MTV`s artist to watch tour with another huge teen star, Austin Mahone. You can imagine how disappointed their fans were when a concert in Atlanta had to be postponed when Austin got sick. Midnight Red decided then to give a surprise visit to a young fan named Samantha. They went to her house in Fayetteville, Georgia, and gave a performance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This one girl was super upset and she was like, why don`t you come over to my house. And you know, it`s kind of like a joke, but we threw out the idea, why don`t we actually do it. We said why don`t way take our tour bus. It started as this whacky idea that kind of just like came to fruition. And here we are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All these people were like tweeting us pictures of their backyard, come to my house, come to my house, so it ultimately became the "Take me Home" invasion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Can you imagine? "SBT" has this exclusive video of Midnight Red putting on the mini concert at the fan`s house. Tonight, there`s good news about Austin. Happy to share it with you. He got out of the hospital today. Turns out, he had a blood clot, can be very serious. But he`s out of the hospital, that`s a great sign.
TURNER: The week will end for the Midnight Red in a big way. They are performing on the Today Show this Thursday. Concert series. Lots of fun.
HAMMER: Make a lot of fans. All right. We`re now up to number two. The shocking news today the Vanity Fair magazine is going to report that Gwyneth Paltrow allegedly cheated on her husband. She`s been married to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin for some 10 years, and she is reportedly trying to stop Vanity Fair from publishing the story, which alleges she had an affair with Miami billionaire Jeffrey Saffer (ph). This supposedly happened back in 2008. They were photographed together at a gala in Miami that year. Saffer is married to supermodel Elle McPherson now. Howard Bragman is the vice chairman for Reputation.com. He`s joining us from Hollywood. Howard, what goes through your mind when you hear a story like this? If the story is going to be published, if it`s going to have that kind of info in it, is it something Gwyneth should be trying to squash, or in order to protect reputation, should she just ignore it? What`s your best advice?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, REPUTATION.COM: I think you hit it. Gwyneth and her PR team are very savvy. What you don`t want to do is make it any bigger than it is. You want to release a statement, which is what her people did, and try to ignore it, and hope it goes away, because the more you talk about it, the more you complain, the bigger story it`s going to be. We`re talking two giants in the industry in Gwyneth and Vanity Fair. Everybody wants to see clash of the titans so don`t give them any fuel for this fire.
HAMMER: To the extent they are talking about it, they aren`t saying a whole lot. Let me read to you a bit of what Gwyneth`s rep is saying. "We have made no request to Vanity Fair to halt publication. We originally passed on the offer for a cover story due to the timing of the cover. We suggested a cover for the spring of summer of 2014, and Vanity Fair wanted to do a story earlier. We passed, and they decided to do a story without our participation. We had no indication from Vanity Fair that there`s a negative story in the works. That is just tabloid speculation that has no basis in truth." Jen Hobby is back with us, so Jen, there are also reports that Gwyneth told her friends do not cooperate with the magazine. Are you buying that at all?
HOBBY: It sounds like a revenge feature. She was not cooperating with the magazine. Maybe they had big plans to put her on the cover, and she backed out for some reason, and now they are like, we`ll get back to you. It seems like a strange story that there`s some back story to it that we`re not hearing yet. We`ll see what sort of proof they come out with, but if it`s not true, of course she doesn`t want her friends to answer any questions so that they might take part of it or misquote them. She`s got a marriage to protect and a family and a reputation to protect as well. I don`t think it`s that strange she would ask people close to her not to participate with this story.
HAMMER: Sadly, so often in Hollywood, I`m not saying that`s the case here, where there`s smoke there`s fire. Howard, let`s just hypothesize, it turns out there`s some truth to this story that people think Vanity Fair will be publishing about Gwyneth being unfaithful. Do you think it would be better to her to just fess up and say I made a mistake or does she just see where this all goes from here or how it unfolds, and if they print the story and deal with it then?
BRAGMAN: I think you have to wait and see what they print, no. 1, but no. 2, this is between Gwyneth and her husband. This is nobody`s business. And I`ll tell you the kind of people that go to her movies and listen to her music and buy her cookbooks, they will not judge her based on this. This is a home issue. This is not a public issue. This is a speed bump, not a sinkhole. She`s got one of the best reputations in the industry. I would never bet against her, but Vanity Fair is enjoying all the attention. They will sell a lot of copies. They will all survive.
HAMMER: We did reach to see what they had to say. They didn`t get back to us by our deadline. Howard and Jen, thank you so much.
Gwyneth is one of those polarizing people in the business. I have never personally understood, because I`ve always liked her.
TURNER: Me too.
HAMMER: But there are a lot of people that don`t like her, and would like to see her fail.
TURNER: I think it`s the whole they think is she too perfect and is she a bit of a pontificator, but I am with you. I think she`s classy, I think she`s a great woman and a good mother. I say leave her alone.
HAMMER: Let`s see where this goes, and I know we will. All right, we`re down to our number one must see, must share story. What could it be tonight? You`re about to find out. This is "SBT" on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: I am ready for it. Are you ready for it?
TURNER: I`m so ready for it.
HAMMER: Time for the big reveal of our No. 1 in our top 10 countdown. It is Bieber fan-danomium.
TURNER: Yes, we know Justin Bieber fans are devoted, but this story takes it to a whole another level. Toby Sheldon is a 33-year-old songwriter who reportedly spent over $100,000 over five years to look like Bieber. No joke. This is Toby Sheldon before and after his Bieber transformation. He had hair transplants, smile surgery and other procedures done to try and capture the look. Let`s take a look at the new Sheldon up against Bieber. Don`t think he quite achieved what he was hoping for, but I digress. Joe Pardavila from WPLJ`s Scott and Todd morning show is back with us, and I see the look on your face like what in the hell is going on here.
PARDAVILA: The best part is he did all of this and he looks nothing like him. He has the 2010 Bieber cut, but that`s it. He didn`t have to spend $10,000 for that, did he?
TURNER: $100,000.
PARDAVILA: Makes no sense.
TURNER: He is a songwriter, so of course he wants to be in the business, right, it seems that way. Do you think this will help him?
PARDAVILA: No. Actually the reverse effect. People will be like, oh my God, what is he doing? And what`s scary about this is the fact that this is happening a lot. A couple of weeks ago we were talking about Lindsay Lohan`s half-sister doing a transformation to look like Lindsey, now this guy. Should doctors be held accountable? Should there be some sort of law that says people who walk in saying they want to look like a celebrity should not do it?
HAMMER: It is strange. And I want to say, I don`t want to sit here and goof on the guy. I feel badly he`s of course going to be ridiculed now because of what he`s gone through. There`s stuff going on there.
TURNER: Other stuff, of course.
HAMMER: And can we show the picture again? He`s not a bad-looking guy. (inaudible) musical talent on his own. There`s got to be more to the fact he specifically wants to look like the Biebs.
TURNER: I will say this, though, if I have the opportunity to look anything like a Ms. Halle Berry, I`m going to the doctor.
HAMMER: Have you ever done anything to look like someone you`ve admired, whether you like music I know, a music star, and I`m not talking about for Halloween, but maybe you`ve gone out on a particular night and done a certain hairdo or a lipstick in a certain way?
TURNER: I was Tina Turner for Halloween once. But Joe, stay with me on this one. When I was like eight, nine years old I really had this intense, crazy fascination with Michael Jackson. And I used to call 411 at that time and try to ask for Michael Jackson in Encino, California, and I thought they would give me his phone number.
HAMMER: I`m sure there was a Michael Jackson.
TURNER: They gave me a phone number, but it was not to Michael Jackson. I think I could have went to jail at some point because I was calling a lot and my mother got livid.
HAMMER: A Jon Bon Jovi haircut for you at any point?
PARDAVILA: No. I used to do Jon Bon Jovi lip-sync videos in my house back in the day.
HAMMER: Not exactly the same thing.
PARDAVILA: No, but we should do "You Give Love a Bad Name" and lip-synch along with it with the old VHS camera. Luckily that video has been destroyed, so that one will not be shown on the next SBT.
HAMMER: As we heard earlier in the program, I tried to be Bob Barker.
HAMMER: You know, it could still happen, AJ.
HAMMER: Colored my hair gray when I was eight years old.
Joe, thank you for having here. That`s number one. Now you must get ready to be scared straight into laughter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got that tape that if you watch it you die in five days.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me see that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s what people should do with those tapes. This is a horror film as you`ve never seen before. It`s not even real film, but this hilarious trailer is getting huge buzz online tonight. Our moment of awesomeness is next. This is "SBT" on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Time for our moment of awesomeness. I`m so glad somebody did this, finally. A horror film with some common sense.
TURNER: Yes, because I cannot count the number of times I`ve seen a scary movie and I`m just sitting there shaking my head wondering what are these people thinking? You know, when the people go into the old abandoned mental hospital on purpose. It`s not just me. A very clever and creative guy named Joe Nicolozzi (ph) used that very cynical eye to create an amazing trailer for a fake film called "Hell No," the sensible horror film.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Critics are calling "Hell No" the most realistic horror film ever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, me and the girls were wanting to sneak into an abandon mental asylum this weekend with a Ouija board. Do you want to come?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don`t.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Smart characters, good decisions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got that tape that if you watch it you die in five days.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me see that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You will believe your eyes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Mayor, I know what it sounds like. There`s a monster in these waters and I think it`s got a taste for human blood.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You there, you`re going to need a bigger sign.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Logic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys think we should split up?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Reason.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m going to wait for backup.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Critical thinking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Goddamn it, it`s not a car, it`s a puzzle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s about time.
TURNER: I love it.
HAMMER: Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer with Nischelle Turner in New York. "SBT " is on every Monday through Thursday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. HLN continues right now.
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