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Showbiz Tonight
Julianne Hough Under Fire for Blackface Costume; Chris Brown Getting Special Treatment?; `Entourage` Movie Greenlights; Dark Film Shot Secretly at Disney World; `Star Wars` Blooper Reel Surfaces; SBT Game Show Madness: Wheel of Fortune; Katy Perry Weighs in on Stars Getting Naked
Aired October 29, 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 SBT`s "Game Show Madness," and we`re on the set of "Wheel of Fortune."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Hello.
VANNA WHITE, "WHEEL OF FORTUNE": Hi!
HAMMER: There she is.
WHITE: Hey!
HAMMER: Great to see you.
WHITE: How are you.
HAMMER: Finally, I get to see the lair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`m in Vanna White`s dressing room. and wait until you hear me quiz both Vanna and Pat Sajak about the history of their great show.
Julianne Hough gets backup from her fellow dancers on "Dancing with the Stars" for her Halloween blackface debacle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VALENTIN CHMERKOVSKIY, PROFESSIONAL PARTNER, ABC`S "DANCING WITH THE STARS": I know Julianne personally, and none of the critique that she`s getting is -- at all relates to her as a person, period.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: How long will it take for Julianne to recover from her misstep?
SBT starts right now.
Hello and thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer, and we are kicking off the "Top Ten Countdown" of today`s must-see, must-share stories with No. 10, stop being rough on Hough.
Well, that`s the powerful message we just got from the stars of "Dancing with the Stars." Julianne Hough has now done five seasons of "Dancing," winning twice but has been getting nothing but grief since dressing up in blackface for a Halloween party.
She went as the character Crazy Eyes from the hit Netflix series, "Orange is the New Black." Don`t know that she totally pulled it off. She has apologized, but that hasn`t stopped the haters.
Last night, we were on the set of "Dancing with the Stars," and comedian Bill Engvall, who`s competing this season, told us he thinks it was all innocent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL ENGVALL, CONTESTANT, ABC`S "DANCING WITH THE STARS": Is it something I would have done? Probably not. But you know, I also know Julianne, and I know that there`s not a mean bone in her body. And I`m sure there was no intent on anything, other than "I`m just going out to a Halloween party to have fun."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: But does that make it OK? Celebrity publicist Kita Williams is with us from Hollywood tonight.
So Kita, is Bill right? I mean, if she only meant it to be in good fun, is Julianne getting a raw deal here? She is still getting slammed left and right, even though she`s apologized for this.
KITA WILLIAMS, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: You know, I`ll say this. I think she may be a tad bit naive. She is young. But it`s definitely something that she should be -- should have been conscious of.
Any time you think about historical, whether it`s slavery, whether it`s black face, when you`re dealing with a cultural stigma where people have been completely put in a situation where it`s uncomfortable.
I mean, as a black woman, of course, you`re asking me, I think it`s totally unacceptable. I was a tad bit offended, because I don`t think it`s funny when we mock something that is such a sensitive issue in history.
Do I accept her apology? Yes. Do I think it`s something that we should talk further about and educate about? Absolutely. And I think that maybe when she put her costume on, she didn`t have a lot of her friends saying, "You know what? You might want to change your option there, sweetheart."
HAMMER: No. I really hope she didn`t have any of her friends around at the time.
CNN`s Sunny Hostin is also with us. That`s the thing, Sunny. I actually don`t think she had any idea what she was doing. She wasn`t out to make fun of anything.
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, I`ve got to tell you, I almost feel that that`s worse.
HAMMER: Yes.
HOSTIN: How can someone be so culturally unaware, especially when you`re in the media, when you should be reading the news, when you should be following current events. And I think that`s what I find so offensive.
You know, if she hasn`t gotten the memo yet, no blackface, no red face, no yellow face, no Brown face ever. Ever.
And to Kita`s point, I mean, bottom line, this is really about cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity. Should we continue talking about it? Yes. But Julianne, no blackface ever.
HAMMER: Yes. What a horrible way for her to have to learn this. And so late in life, too.
And it wasn`t just Bill who was coming to Julianne`s defense last night. Val Chmerkovskiy is now doing his sixth season on "Dancing with the Stars." He told us that, yes, Julianne made a mistake, but he says, come on, it`s ridiculous that anyone would think Julianne had any racist intentions. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHMERKOVSKIY: Whether it was a smart decision or not is a different conversation, but the intentions and going deep into the conversation of judging her character and what she may or may not think behind the scenes, that`s absurd.
I know her as a person. She`s kind and graceful and just the right person. She has the right mentality and is a good person. I think it was a stupid mistake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, and I think most people would agree with that.
Kita, you`re a publicist. Any more advice to get Julianne besides that apology to get this behind her?
WILLIAMS: Wash your face, No. 1.
No. 2, you know, I think it`s important for her to make a point in saying, "You know, I was young. I`m young. I was totally unaware." As a publicist, putting an apology out is great.
As a woman of color, I`m still offended. I`m not judging her character. I`m just looking at the fact that she offended quite a few people out there. Historically, looking back, where I am today, it`s something that we just need to be more aware of. Culturally, not just whether you`re black, white, Asian, Hispanic. We need to be more sensitive to each other`s background and history.
HAMMER: Yes. And no question this story being out there will hopefully prevent people from making the same mistake and also realize why they shouldn`t make that mistake.
And by the way, I can`t talk about "Dancing with the Stars" tonight without taking my hat off to my good friend, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi. Oh, I was so sad to see Nicole and her partner, Sasha Farber, got voted off the show last night. They had seven hard-fought weeks on "Dancing with the Stars." It was such an emotional moment for her.
And here`s what she told us last night about the whole thing coming to an end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE "SNOOKI" POLIZZI, REALITY TV STAR: I`m sad. This sucks. I love everybody. So I definitely wasn`t ready to leave. I`m upset.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I know you`re upset, Nicole. You did a great job. Everybody is very proud of you. You should be very proud of yourself. And I think your little baby boy is going to love looking at these tapes of his mom "Dancing with the Stars."
And that brings us to No. 9 on our countdown: is Chris Brown getting special treatment? Chris is one lucky man tonight: He`s free after fans gave him what seemed like a hero`s welcome. Look at what`s going on here. Everybody is cheering for him as he was released from jail.
Now, when Brown was arrested on Sunday morning, he was facing -- facing a felony assault charge for allegedly punching out some guy who photo bombed him. That charge has now been reduced to a misdemeanor.
Vinnie Politan joining us now. He, of course, is the host of "HLN AFTER DARK," seen weeknights at 10 p.m. Eastern.
Vinnie, what do you think is going on? Is Chris getting special treatment? If it was some average Joe on probation with Chris`s track record, I`m thinking they`d be locked up. What do you think?
VINNIE POLITAN, HOST, "HLN AFTER DARK": I think a downgrade like this to a misdemeanor is pretty normal. I mean, look at where all this has taken place, down in D.C. The intake from the prosecutor`s office and the D.A, everyone else, has to look at this and say, "All right. In light of all the cases we`re handling, what do we do with this one?" They don`t prosecute every case to the maximum.
Now, another question has to be answered, what happens when he goes back to California? Does he get special treatment? But for what happened and the facts surrounding it, I think pretty much anyone in that situation would have gotten the same downgraded offense from a felony to a misdemeanor.
HAMMER: OK. Because there are people running around today, Sunny Hostin, saying he got special treatment.
A very smart lawyer who I know and happen to work with here told me yesterday that -- that person was Sunny Hostin -- D.C. doesn`t mess around. And that leads me to believe that he didn`t get special treatment. When you look at what he`s done over the past few years, he beat up Rihanna. He had that bar brawl with Drake, the -- he allegedly broke a window after getting ticked off at a "Good Morning America" interview. Got into it with Frank Ocean. If all of that, plus this D.C. incident, had happened to somebody else, would they be in jail right now?
HOSTIN: I think it`s possible. You know -- and I meant it when I said D.C. doesn`t mess around. Because I`m a former assistant U.S. attorney in D.C. My office is handling this matter.
And I often say, A.J., he who has the best lawyer wins. Chris Brown hired a very good local lawyer, Daniel Onorato, who I know, who I worked with at U.S. attorney`s office.
My sense is that he pled his case at the U.S. Attorney`s Office and basically said, "Hey, listen, can you really prove felony assault?" And perhaps the prosecution thought, "You know what? We probably don`t have enough to prove it."
But I have to disagree with Vinny, I don`t think this would have happened with anyone because of his history of violence, his history of assaultive behavior and the fact that he is on probation in another jurisdiction.
You take all of that together, if I`m the prosecutor sitting there he may still be in jail today. And I think when he gets back to L.A., I think he has a real problem, because that judge has been pretty no nonsense and has increased his probation and community service hours and now I think is going to say, "Really? You go to D.C. and do this in our nation`s capital, maybe you go back to jail.
HAMMER: Yes. That`s all still going to unfold. He`s getting advice from all over the place, by the way. Mike Tyson is a guy who`s been there and done that, and he`s telling Chris that he needs to really reel it in. Watch what he said this morning on Scott and Todd`s Morning Show on 95.5 PLJ in New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE TYSON, FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION: You keep going that stuff, man, people will turn on you. The press will make people turn on you and make you bad. And he`s selling out arenas now, you know. I love when they say, "Never me," because that`s what I said. They didn`t want anything to do with me, not because I was so bad; because they don`t want that stigma. Chris, know this: if you`re not humble in this world, this world will dress humbleness upon you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Chris, humble? I`d like to see that.
All right. Sunny, Vinnie, thank you both so much.
Well, as we move on tonight, does George Clooney have a new mystery girlfriend? Is this woman George`s new lady friend? And who the heck is she anyway?
Also ahead, I can`t wait to bring you "Game Show Madness" week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`m having such a blast hanging out on location on the set of "Wheel of Fortune," and I have trivia with Pat and Vanna you don`t want to miss coming up. But first, Pat has been kind enough to put up those key letters, R-S-T-L-N-E, on the board. I`d like to solve the puzzle. Is it "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT"?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And we have a winner. I`m hanging out with Pat and Vanna. I`m going into her dressing room. I`ll be asking them all of the questions you`ve always wanted answered. Which must-see, must-share story is going to be No. 1?
But first, let me challenge you with some "Wheel of Fortune" trivia. It`s part of our "Game Show Madness" week, and here`s our question. What was the very first letter that Vanna White ever turned on the "Wheel of Fortune" puzzle board? Was it the letter "C"? The letter "D"? Or the letter "T"? You think about that. The answer coming up.
This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Coming up, I can`t wait to take you behind the scenes of "Wheel of Fortune" as we bring you "Game Show Madness" week here on SBT.
But now the answer to the "Wheel of Trivia" question we just asked you. What was the very first letter that Vanna White ever turned on the "Wheel of Fortune" puzzle board? Was it the letter "C," the letter "D" or the letter "T"? And the answer is the first letter Vanna ever turned on the "Wheel of Fortune" puzzle board was the letter "T."
Our "Top Ten Countdown" continues right now with No. 8. And we are hugging it out. That`s because we learned today that "Entourage," the movie, is on. So happy to hear about this.
The creator of the HBO show just tweeted these sweet words confirming the news, "It`s a go. Love you all."
Now, there`s no word yet on when shooting is going to start. But we can say that all the guys -- Vince, Turtle, E, Drama and Ari -- will all be back, and I can`t wait.
No. 7 on our countdown tonight, the secrets behind the secret Disney movie. Now, if you`re like me, when you think of Walt Disney World and Disneyland, words like "festive" and "happy" come to mind. Well, a dark new movie turns all of that on its head. It`s called "Escape from Tomorrow," and it slams the happiest place on earth.
This whole thing was shot on the fly. They used an undercover camera for it. So what`s Disney saying?
Well, that might actually be the surprising plot twist of all. Here`s CNN`s Nischelle Turner for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It`s billed as the happiest place on earth. But Disney World is anything but in a daring new feature film.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People come here because they want to feel safe. Bad things happen everywhere.
TURNER: The Magic Kingdom is turned into a black-and-white nightmare in "Escape from Tomorrow," the story of a man who comes unglued during a family vacation to the Orlando theme park.
Amazingly, first-time director Randy Moore shot his movie on the sly inside Disney World and Disneyland over a period of weeks without Disney ever catching on. It`s one of the most brazen acts in recent cinematic history.
RANDY MOORE, FILMMAKER: There was high anxiety the entire time while we were making this film. I lost a ton of weight.
TURNER: How could Disney not notice a film crew and more than half a dozen actors had infiltrated their parks? Well, it had a lot to do with the camera Moore used, one that looks like the kind any tourist might carry.
MOORE: It was when I learned about the cannon 5D Mark II camera that I realized this is possible. I could make this film, and it could look like a real film.
TURNER: Moore ads that he`s not out to promote Cannon and got no money to praise its product.
And he`s certainly not out to praise Disney. In fact, his film slams everything the parks represent.
MOORE: The movie is about our obsession with these artificial worlds of manufactured happiness. That, you know, people save their whole year`s salary to come and basically pay other people to smile and make them happy.
TURNER (on camera): Even the poster for the film is provocative: a bloody mitt that looks like it belongs to Mickey Mouse. But surprisingly, despite every opportunity to respond, Disney hasn`t lifted a finger against the filmmaker.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s something going on here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s this place.
TURNER (voice-over): When CNN asked Disney for a comment, a spokesman replied only, "We are aware of the film." Perhaps they`ve decided making a fuss would only attract more attention to the film.
MOORE: We`ve still had no response.
TURNER: On the film`s Web site, a clock is ticking, labeled "Number of hours since release that we haven`t been sued."
Moore previously told us he`s been pleasantly surprised he hasn`t heard from Disney`s attorneys.
MOORE: If you`re asking if I`m happy I`m not being sued and, you know, dragged over the coals, absolutely.
TURNER: He`s vowing his next film, whatever that becomes, will be a whole lot easier to shoot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It`s very interesting. I was actually doing some digging around on this movie today, and I came across this comment on the Internet. "Not sure how I feel, but I was entertained." I get the impression a lot of people might react the same way when they see "Escape from Tomorrow." It`s going to be in select theaters; it actually is in select theaters right now.
So Rihanna, Lady Gaga, go put some clothes on. That`s not my message. Oh, no. That`s what Katy Perry is telling her fellow pop stars tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATY PERRY, POP STAR: It`s like everybody`s so naked. It`s like put it away. You know you got it. I got it, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. So is Katy onto something here, or is naked ambition in pop music something that`s here to stay?
Plus, it is "Game Show Madness" week on SBT. Vanna White is as iconic as the "Wheel of Fortune" itself. The dresses, the hair style. Tonight I take you inside Vanna`s "Wheel of Fortune" dressing room.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Hello.
WHITE: Hi!
HAMMER: There she is.
WHITE: Hey!
HAMMER: Great to see you.
WHITE: How are you?
HAMMER: Finally, I get to see the lair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thank goodness she was home. It`s so cool. Wait until you see me quiz both Vanna and Pat Sajak. But will the "Wheel" top our countdown?
Now our next "Wheel" trivia quiz. So how many "Wheel of Fortune" shows do you think are taped in a single day? Do Pat and Vanna tape one to two shows a day, three to four, or five to six shows a day? Think about that. The answer is coming up in a moment.
This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, prepare yourself. I am taking you behind the scenes of "Wheel of Fortune" in just a bit as part of SBT`s "Game Show Madness" week. But first here`s the answer to our "Wheel of Trivia" question.
Here is what we asked: How many "Wheel of Fortune" shows are taped in a day? One to two, three to four or five to six shows in a day? The answer? Pat and Vanna tape five to six shows a day. They change outfits between each taping.
Well, our "Top Ten Countdown" continues now with No. 6. It`s so cool. It is a major find from a long time ago from a galaxy far, far away.
A never-before-seen blooper reel from the 1977 iconic "Star Wars" has emerged online. Everybody was rushing to watch this today before somebody takes it down. I feel that`s coming. It shows stars blowing lines, tripping over furniture, basically falling apart. Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEX GUINNESS, ACTOR: Here`s where the fun begins. Well, I lost it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cut.
Action.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m sorry. Jimmy.
MARK HAMILL, ACTOR: Glad you were here to see it. Now let`s get some distance before that -- now let`s get some distance before that thing goes supernova.
How do you pronounce "supernova" is the question, super nova or supernova?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: How would you say that? That line didn`t even actually make it into the film, and we just got to see it. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer, all- around good guy and resident sci-fi geek Sid Lipsey with me.
All right, Sid. Great to have you here.
SID LIPSEY, SBT PRODUCER: Good being here.
HAMMER: This is a lot of fun. It`s just great, great fun to see this.
LIPSEY: Yes. I don`t know about you, but when I saw this for the first time, I felt like I was watching that old Mel Brooks movie "Spaceballs." Remember that? You`ve got troopers -- storm troopers tripping over themselves. In fact, that`s my favorite part of this video. You have this one blooper reel where the storm troopers are trying to come through the wall. The special effects guys blow a hole through the wall, but it`s not big enough. And you see them tripping over themselves. It`s like a Keystone Kops thing. So sci-fi geeks are loving this.
HAMMER: And of course, without any modern technology. I mean, this is almost 40 years ago, which is why this all is so incredible. Because there have really not been any behind-the-scenes footage or blooper reels from "Star Wars." Why is it surfacing now after 36 years?
LIPSEY: It`s the greatest thing. This writer -- his name is J.W. Rinzler -- was researching this retrospective on "Star Wars." And he digging through the archives and found this old footage. Like you said, no one`s seen it in 36 years. So what happens is he takes it to Comic-Con this past summer, shows it to a room full of people.
HAMMER: Yes.
LIPSEY: And then yada, yada, yada it winds up on Reddit and YouTube.
HAMMER: Can you imagine the glee at Comic-Con? It has been incredible. I`m so happy it`s out there, for the time being anyway.
Sid, great to have you on the show.
As we move on, are the Jonas Brothers no more? Could it be? Well, days after canceling their tour, they say they`re splitting up. What`s up with that?
Plus it`s "Game Show Madness" on SBT. I just had the trip of a lifetime. I went behind the scenes of "Wheel of Fortune," and I mean deep behind the scenes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Hello?
WHITE: Hi!
HAMMER: There she is.
WHITE: Hey!
HAMMER: Great to see you.
WHITE: How are you?
HAMMER: Finally, I get to see the lair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`m taking you inside Vanna`s "Wheel of Fortune" dressing room and her private fridge. Which show-stopping story will be No. 1?
This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I am having such a blast hanging out on location on the set of "Wheel of Fortune." And I have trivia with Pat and Vanna you don`t want to miss coming up.
But first, Pat has been kind enough to put up those key letters, R-S-T-L-N- E, on the board. I`d like to solve the puzzle. Is it "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT"?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Right now, tonight`s "Top Ten Countdown" continues with "The Wheel of Fortune" as we bring you "Game Show Madness" week here on SBT. I`m revealing all of the huge backstage secrets of TV`s biggest game shows.
Tonight, I take you behind the scenes of "Wheel" with Pat Sajak and Vanna White. With something that`s even better than winning the show`s bonus round.
Plus, Katy Perry roars about naked stars. Her passionate plea to the ladies of pop, please, stop getting naked.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATY PERRY, SINGER: Everybody`s so naked. It`s like put it away. We know you got it. I got it too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s right, Katy wants everyone to keep their clothes on. But is anyone listening? Our countdown is just starting to sizzle as SBT continues right now.
Welcome back. Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer. Our top ten countdown continues now with our big No. 5. It`s the start of game show madness week right here on SBT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD: Wheel of fortune!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight my amazing time on the set of "Wheel of Fortune". Now all this week I`m taking you behind the scenes of the biggest game shows on TV. Tomorrow I`ll be taking you to "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," and Thursday I`ll be a guest model on "The Price is Right," but right now we`re kicking off SBT game show madness week with the wheel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, the wheel is tough here.
HAMMER: That wheel. The puzzles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a momentous occasion.
HAMMER: And those prizes.
CROWD: "Wheel of Fortune"!
HAMMER: "Wheel of Fortune" is an American institution. So I had to go personally experience the wheel. I want to buy a vowel. And when I was done playing around, I went to visit the real "Wheel of Fortune" set at Sony Pictures Studio in Culver City, California, and I spent the day with Pat Sajak and Vanna White.
Let`s see if Vanna is home. Hello. There she is. Great to see you.
VANNA WHITE: How are you?
HAMMER: Finally I get to see the lair.
WHITE: Welcome. Come on in.
HAMMER: Beautiful.
WHITE: Thank you.
HAMMER: The dressing room is very Vanna White. This is what I would expect, the marble. And the chandeliers. And the gowns of course. And this is just for today.
WHITE: It is. I`m wearing all these today. And I have shoes. In here. I have shoes down here.
HAMMER: Will you decide which shoes you wear today? Or does someone coordinate it for you?
WHITE: Someone does it for me.
HAMMER: Who wants to work that hard? Pick the shoes to go with the outfit.
WHITE: Exactly.
HAMMER: As you would expect, Vanna is a super gracious host. She takes me through her closet.
WHITE: My bathrobe I have had forever. This is a classic.
HAMMER: It is a classic. Do you know what it would fetch at auction?
WHITE: Oh my God, it`s disgusting.
HAMMER: And her fridge.
No tequila.
WHITE: I have chicken salad I`m having for lunch. And Kathy usually brings a dessert. Which is in there.
HAMMER: Which would be what?
WHITE: I think today it`s apple pie.
HAMMER: Nice. Every day?
WHITE: She brings something every time we tape. It`s terrible. And then she expects me to get into those dresses.
HAMMER: I can tell it`s causing you all kinds of problems.
WHITE: It`s hard. I go back and forth. Should I have some? No, yes. And I do eat it.
HAMMER: Nice.
I got to leave Vanna to get ready for the show. It`s time to go spin my wheels, literally. It`s tougher than you might think to spin this thing, but I`ve been in training. I don`t want to wear out the wheel before the show. So I got to find another way to kill some time. Fortunately, Pat Sajak stops by. And we get to catch up.
Last time we spoke, which was back in the spring, you had the best job on the planet, really. I want to make sure that is still the case.
PAT SAJAK, HOST, WHEEL OF FORTUNE: It is. I was thinking not only do I have the best job now, but before I had this job I was a TV weatherman in Los Angeles, where there is no weather. So that was the best job. I just go from job to job where I have nothing much to do.
HAMMER: On the contrary, Pat and Vanna have a lot to do once the show starts. Have to of course keep things moving.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: And as always, Vanna is the queen of letters. And in the control room, that team is a well-oiled machine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three, two, one --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Up on six.
HAMMER: But while Pat and Vanna clearly love "Wheel of Fortune," I wonder how well they know "Wheel of Fortune". I think I`ll put them to the test with --
CROWD: "Wheel of Fortune"!
HAMMER: -- trivia with Vanna versus Pat.
I`m going to play game show host, I am going to pop a couple of questions about this show, the great "Wheel of Fortune" and test your knowledge. Are you ready?
WHITE: I`m ready.
HAMMER: You look a little worried.
WHITE: I am a little worried. I`m sleeping half the time when I`m doing the show. So.
HAMMER: You have been doing it how many years?
WHITE: 31.
HAMMER: I think this should all be embedded. This is going to come out naturally, let`s get right to it.
WHITE: Am I nervous or what?
HAMMER: "Wheel of Fortune" debuted in 1975, created by the great Merv Griffin, but what was the show`s origin name?
WHITE: Shopper`s Bazaar?
HAMMER: What was the show`s original name?
SAJAK: Shopper`s Bazaar.
HAMMER: Any idea how much has been awarded in cash and prizes since the show syndication debut in 1983? And this will be multiple choice, I`ll make it a little easier for you. Over $50 million? Over $100 million, or over $200 million?
WHITE: Wow. I`m going to guess over $200 million.
HAMMER: Look at that.
All right. You`re doing great.
SAJAK: I`ll say over $100 million.
HAMMER: Over 100? That buzzer indicates you are $100 million off. Over $200 million.
How many people in your studio audience?
WHITE: 300?
HAMMER: 160. I`m so sorry.
How many people in your studio audience here in Hollywood?
SAJAK: I`d say 220.
HAMMER: 160 people in that audience. It seems much bigger on TV.
SAJAK: Sometimes we bring in -- people share seats.
HAMMER: That -- judges? The judges are saying no.
SAJAK: I`ve missed two out of three. It`s my own show.
HAMMER: How many people try out for the show each year? I need this answer within 1,000, please.
WHITE: Billions.
HAMMER: More than 10,000 people.
WHITE: Wow.
HAMMER: How many people try out for the show each year?
More than --
SAJAK: More than 10,000.
HAMMER: Exactly. Give him an extra bell for that one!
Looks like we have a tie. While Pat may not know every single bit of "Wheel of Fortune" trivia, he tells me he does know why the show has been such a TV staple for 30 years.
SAJAK: There comes a point in the life of a show where it kind of takes on a special life of its own and becomes more than a TV show for people. It becomes part of their daily ritual almost. It`s a nice spot to be in. And I often liken it to a beautiful sunset. You don`t go out every time and watch it, but it`s nice to know it`s out there. That`s the way it is with wheel now.
HAMMER: And after all these years, Pat and Vanna look like they are still having a whole lot of fun. Maybe this wheel gig is something I`d like to try.
I`m not aiming to push you out. But of course, I`m here.
SAJAK: You`re available should the need arrive. Should I clutch my heart in the next 10 minutes and fall to the ground and you happen to be here.
HAMMER: I`m ready. I got the makeup on.
SAJAK: We`ll get you a tie and you`ll be fine.
HAMMER: Or maybe I could be the next Vanna.
Everybody thinks Vanna has it so easy. All she has to do is tap some letters on the board to make them appear. First of all I can`t figure out what the heck this puzzle is, but I`m going to try to get it right and reveal this letter. I actually did it. Thank you. I`m A.J. White signing off.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I got to tell you, I get to be around TV stuff all the time, but getting to be on the set of a show I have been watching for decades, as I`m sure you have too, it was such great fun. Such a pleasure being there.
And now as we like to say, but wait, there`s more. So much more to our game show madness week here on SBT. Tomorrow I`m cashing in big time on the set of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," and of course my special guide will be the host of the show, Cedric the Entertainer. And on Thursday, something really special, it is my dream come true day. I`m on "The Price is Right," you`ll actually get to see me as a guest model on the show. Game show madness happening all week here on SBT. So much fun.
Well, pop powerhouse Katy Perry thinks that her fellow female stars are going mad tonight. And she got a message for them. Keep your clothes on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PERRY: It`s like everybody`s so naked. It`s like put it away. We know you got it. I got it too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: As the countdown continues, Katy Perry wants the ladies of pop music to stop getting naked.
But is anybody listening to her brand new roar? Plus, does George Clooney have a new mystery girlfriend? We reveal the woman who could be George`s hot new squeeze. She just might be one of the most eligible bachelorettes in the world. So will George`s mystery girlfriend be No. 1 on the countdown? This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: We are now down to the final four in our top ten countdown. Coming in at No. 4 it`s Katy Perry`s naked plea. Katy Perry is asking her fellow female pop stars, who can`t seem to do a photo shoot lately without getting naked, please cover it up. Enough. Perry didn`t point any foam fingers specifically at Miley Cyrus or anything, but it sure does sound like she was referring to Miley. Listen for yourself. Here`s what she told NPR.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PERRY: Like females in pop, everybody`s getting naked. I mean, I`ve been naked before, but I don`t feel like I always have to get naked to be noticed. But it`s interesting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you talking about anyone in particular?
PERRY: I`m not talking about anyone in particular, I`m talking about all of them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s true, I guess.
PERRY: I mean, it`s like everybody`s so naked. It`s like, put it away. We know you got it. I got it too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, she sure does got it, and she`s used it to sell her music. She was naked on the cover of her album, "Teenage Dream." That was back in 2010. Do you remember when she shot whipped cream out of her bra for her music video for "California Girls?" She`s done it. Celebrity publicist Kita Williams, back with us from Hollywood tonight. Now, Kita, to be clear, Katie is not saying, hey, don`t do it at all, she`s just saying don`t overdo it. And I am thinking you really can`t argue with that.
KITA WILLIAMS, PUBLICIST: No, you can`t argue with it. Actually, her preacher praying papa finally anointed her head with holy water, probably (inaudible), finally she`s come to her senses. I think it`s important. There is a message that is being sent out there, and she is finally wanting to say something that less is not best. I think it`s good she is putting it out there. Obviously we are not walking around with a styrofoam finger on stage, but I think she is responsible for what her fans see, and right now fans are seeing way too much on women. And I think she is an important point she`s making.
HAMMER: I like the way she`s making her point. She acknowledges clearly that she has taken her own clothes off to sell her music. She`s not hiding from that, but she says there are options when it comes to selling yourself. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PERRY: I`ve taken it out here and there. And I`m not necessarily judging, I`m just thinking, sometimes it`s nice to play that card, but also it`s also nice to play other cards. I know I have that sexy card in my deck, but I don`t have to always use that card.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Kita, listen, she`s not naming names specifically, but I quite frankly don`t know why she didn`t just say, hey, Miley, enough, we know what you look like naked. We got it.
WILLIAMS: Absolutely. A lot of times messages are made more clear when people have actually done something themselves. The fact that she said she kissed a girl and she liked it, maybe she is saying you know what, I honestly have been kind of sending a message out there. And I just want to say, you don`t have to do it all the time, and a lot of young girls are taking selfies of themselves. The only role models we have now are Kendall (ph) and Kylie Jenner (ph). So I think it`s important for her to send this message out there to young women. And performers need to be responsible, that the message they send, the looks they have, the images that they are pushing is almost similar to telling these kids, hey, be like me. So she is saying you don`t have to do that.
HAMMER: It`s all about balance. We are making our way to No. 1 on tonight`s countdown. Here is what`s at No. 3, George Clooney`s new girlfriend? Could it be? Well, there is speculation that is running wild today that it`s British attorney Amal Alamuddin. She was spotted in a London tavern with George. Apparently the two of the shared a taxi afterwards.
Kita, you know, you can`t do that and not expect the rumors to run rampant. She is obviously beautiful, and evidently she is very smart. Here is the most amazing factoid that I found today about her. She represents Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in his Swedish extradition case. In 2013 she was No. 1 on London`s hottest barrister list, which rates attorneys. I can`t believe they have that list, but what do you think? Do they make a good couple? Why the heck not, right?
WILLIAMS: You did your research, AJ. They absolutely fit perfectly for George. Come on, please, George Clooney is the modern-day Hugh Hefner. We all know this is part of his gig. This is part of his (inaudible). This is what he does. It`s like changing hair color for him. I think George is going to be the modern-day bachelor forever. And when he gets married, women are going to be said. If I wasn`t engaged, I would be standing in line.
HAMMER: Everybody is. But here is the thing, he split with Stacy Keebler, the former WWE wrestler this summer, reportedly because Stacy wanted to have children, where George has said he doesn`t. Do you think any woman will ever really change George`s mind about having kids, Kita?
WILLIAMS: No. Unless she is having a pot belly pig. I don`t think any woman is going to be able to change his mind. George is doing George right now. If you are a man on top of the world, why not?
HAMMER: You know what? I can`t say a bad word about George. And he is entitled to do whatever he wants as far as I`m concerned.
Let`s move on to No. 2 now on our countdown tonight. Say it ain`t so. Is it really over for the Jonas Brothers? Yes, one of the biggest boy bands of all time confirmed today they are ending it all, their band, that is. The news comes after they canceled their 19-city tour because of what they called a deep rift within the band. Kevin Jones telling "People" magazine, "it`s over for now." Nick says "it`s really hard to say forever. We are closing a chapter for sure." Joe calls the decision unanimous. And Kita, really, this isn`t a big surprise coming on the heels of the tour cancellation.
WILLIAMS: No, it`s not a surprise. But I say this, as a publicist, it`s brilliant. Why not break up? Because the best part about it is the reunion tour, when they come back together. We know the Jonas brothers obviously are growing in their separate directions, blah, blah, blah. But the best part is when a group comes together, it`s like the Beatles reuniting. That`s what they are hoping for. Brilliant.
HAMMER: And make no mistake about it, I don`t know if we can call them signs that this was coming, but they certainly have been doing their own thing. They have not recorded an album since back in 2009 together, the very same year Kevin got married. In 2010, Nick released his solo album and Joe did his in 2011. Last year, Kevin and his wife did a reality show, now they are having a baby.
So here is my question to you. They bust out, they go solo, who is going to have the bigger success? Joe or Nick?
WILLIAMS: You know, I`m torn in between the two. I would honestly say it would be Nick. I`m a Nick fan. Not New York Knicks, but I`m a Nick fan, a Nick Jonas fan. I think he will branch out a little bit more than the others. So I`m rooting for him, and I am looking forward to the reunion tour. What about you?
HAMMER: Yes, I can`t wait, I`m here with bated breath. But in all seriousness, for those people who are worried, like most bands, they break up, they travel to different parts of the world, they completely go their separate ways, these guys are brothers. They can only get so far apart. So rest assured the reunion is coming.
Kita, great to have you, thank you. We are here, time for the big reveal on tonight`s countdown. What is going to be No. 1? This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Here we go. It is time for the big reveal. No. 1 on our top ten countdown. My SBT quiz for Pat Sajak and Vanna White. A short time ago as part of our game show madness week here on SBT, you saw me taking you behind the scenes of "Wheel of Fortune" and I put Pat and Vanna to the test. How much do they know about their own show? Now, I have the questions you didn`t hear. Let`s call it game show madness extra.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I know you know this one. What is the first letter you ever turned over on the "Wheel of Fortune"?
WHITE: T.
HAMMER: Very good. And last question are you ready? This is for the big prize. We`re going to let you keep your chandelier.
WHITE: Thank you.
HAMMER: Any idea how many outfits you have worn on "Wheel of Fortune"?
WHITE: I know it`s thousands. 7,000.
HAMMER: Judges? I`m sorry. I have nearly 6,000. You haven`t done 7,000 shows, have you?
WHITE: No, we haven`t. You`re right.
HAMMER: But you don`t keep any of them.
WHITE: I do not.
HAMMER: And you never wear one more than once, do you?
WHITE: That is correct.
HAMMER: There is that off screen monitor, that indicates how many times a chosen letter appears in the puzzle. You`ve shown it to me before. Before you had that camera, do you remember how you knew?
SAJAK: Yes, some poor guy or woman from the staff had to sit there and hold up fingers.
HAMMER: And as a bonus question what was their position called?
SAJAK: We called them, lovingly, finger boy.
HAMMER: Was that a union job?
SAJAK: I think so.
HAMMER: Moving on to our final question, you have been with the show since 1981.
SAJAK: I have.
HAMMER: When you got your star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the year, 1994.
SAJAK: 1994.
HAMMER: There was a mistake on your star. What was that?
SAJAK: Well, they gave me one.
(LAUGHTER)
SAJAK: For one thing, I don`t know what they were thinking.
HAMMER: OK, good night, everyone.
SAJAK: On every star there is a logo indicating what -- for example, if you are in radio -- made your fame in radio there`s a microphone. There`s a movie camera if it`s movies, the old TV antenna. I should have had a TV icon. They gave me a movie icon.
HAMMER: Correct. You do remember.
SAJAK: But they changed it now.
HAMMER: And what did they put on it?
SAJAK: They put a --
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: A red X?
SAJAK: Exactly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: How much fun? I really want to say a big thank you to Pat and Vanna. They were such good sports. Everybody at "The Wheel of Fortune" just made me feel right at home. Everybody was so gracious. So thank you guys so much.
We are not done with game show madness week here on SBT, oh, no. Tomorrow I`m right there on the set of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." The show`s new host, Cedric the Entertainer, hangs out and gives me a personal tour. And on Thursday it`s "The Price is Right." You`re going to see me as a guest model on the show. Game show madness all this week on SBT.
And get ready for a super foxy look at "Dancing with the Stars" tonight.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Dancing taking on the biggest viral video in the world. They have got a one of a kind take on what the fox says. Let our inner fox bark, howl or do whatever the heck it wants. It`s our moment of awesomeness, this is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Time now for our moment of awesomeness. Tonight, "Dancing with the Stars" gets super foxy. Now, it`s the question that we actually answered for you right here on SBT. What does the fox say? The Norwegian brothers who came up with that huge viral hit, told us that, you know, every fox says something different. And now "Dancing" is taking on the fox and giving it one more awesome and totally unique voice. Watch what happens.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I think that was totally awesome. I think once we get past Halloween, we can wrap it up with the fox. I`m just saying.
Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You can catch SBT Monday through Thursday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. HLN continues right now.
END
