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Showbiz Tonight
Kate Gosselin Interview Implosion on `Today Show`; Can Harry Connick Jr. Save `American Idol`?; Actor`s Sister Responds to Oscar Nod; Comedians Riff on Justin Bieber`s Troubles; Illusionist Amazes with Street Tricks; Playing Dumb for Love?; Parody of `Royals` Goes Viral; Lena Dunham `Vogue` Cover Creates Stir; Religion Praises Kanye West
Aired January 16, 2014 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN QUINONES, ABC NEWS: What would you do? Please join us next time for another edition of "WHAT WOULD YOU DO?" on HLN.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Right now on the "Top Ten Countdown," Tamar`s takeover. Grammy-nominated singer Tamar Braxton is right here.
TAMAR BRAXTON, SINGER/REALITY TV STAR: That`s right, A.J. You want to Hollywood. And now I`m in New York running things. Wait till you see the show I have planned for you. SBT starts right now.
HAMMER: Hello, and thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer. I`ve been hanging out in Hollywood all week. And we are kicking off our "Top Ten Countdown" of today`s must-see, must-share stories with No. 10. Oh, boy. It is the absolutely bizarro interview with Kate Gosselin and her 13- year-old twin daughters on "The Today Show." I mean, talk about uncomfortable.
Kat had put herself and her daughters on the cover of "People" magazine just to let everybody know that all is fine in Gosselin land after her reality shows nightmares. But when she followed that with her brand-new interview on "The Today Show," well, wait till you see this for yourself.
Grammy-nominated singer Tamar Braxton knows exactly what it`s like to have those reality show cameras right in her face.
BRAXTON: Yes.
HAMMER: And she stars on "Braxton Family Values" on WE TV. She`s in New York along with former "American Idol" contestant Kimberly Locke. It`s so cool and great to have you both here. And I want you to watch this with me. You`ve got to see how it all played out.
Kate is on "The Today Show." She`s got her twin girls along, Cara and Mady, and Savannah Guthrie asks a perfectly fine question, "How are things going?" Well, the answer, it wasn`t quite anything like that gushy "People" magazine interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC`S "THE TODAY SHOW": Mady, what would you want to say about how you and your sister and your family are doing?
MADY GOSSELIN, FORMER REALITY TV STAR: Um...
GUTHRIE: Mady? Your words?
It`s hard. It`s a hard question.
What about you, Cara?
KATE GOSSELIN, FORMER REALITY TV STAR: So this is their chance to talk. This the most wordless I`ve heard them all morning.
GUTHRIE: Yes.
K. GOSSELIN: I -- I don`t want to speak for them. But Mady, go ahead. Sort of the things that you said in the magazine. That years later, they`re good; they`re fine. Go for it, Mad.
M. GOSSELIN: Well, you just said it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Listen, Tamar, I get they`re young. I get that, you know, maybe they were a little uncomfortable. But there`s a little piece of me - - not being cynical. But there`s a little piece of me that thought, you know, that old expression, "Don`t say anything if you didn`t have anything nice to say"? What did you think was going on there?
BRAXTON: You know, I really do feel like they froze. And you know, it`s almost like Kate had to do like the church pinch. You ever have the church pinch?
KIMBERLY LOCKE, FORMER "AMERICAN IDOL" CONTESTANT: Yes.
BRAXTON: You know, you get pinched like this. It`s real, like -- and you get pinched under the table? It was like "You got to calm down, girl. Do your part, sing your part, sing your notes."
So I think they were a little scared. And they just got stage fright for a second. That`s what I just felt like.
But, you know, home girl got smart with her mama. I would have got, you know, slapped in the face.
HAMMER: Well, Kim Locke, you think it was as simple as stage fright?
LOCKE: I don`t know. I think the silence said a whole lot about what was going on there. I mean, you know, it`s hard being in -- in our world and putting your kids out there. That`s a whole different thing. So, who knows what the conversation was like, behind -- you know, backstage. And they obviously froze.
But there`s definitely something else going on there. Maybe they`re not -- maybe things aren`t OK.
HAMMER: Yes.
BRAXTON: You know what? Being on reality TV is totally different than being on the couch at "The Today Show." You know what I mean?
LOCKE: Right. It`s not as direct (ph).
BRAXTON: Yes.
HAMMER: You guys -- you guys are very accustomed to those cameras being around all the time.
BRAXTON: Yes.
HAMMER: But it`s very interesting if you look at -- first she want to Mady, and look how Mady kind of looked down. I was kind of reading her body language there. And I thought, for a moment, she thought, "Now is the time where I`m going to say everything I`ve been feeling all these years." And she held back.
But look, I also -- look, she`s a young girl. I don`t want to put too much on her. You know, it`s easy to have a little fun. And of course, Kate put her own spin on this. After the interview, she suggested that the girls were just nervous.
BRAXTON: Really?
HAMMER: Let me read what she tweeted out. She said, "Thanks to The Today Show for having Cara, Mady, and me on the show. First live interview can render even the gabbiest girls speechless." Which is really true.
People just went off on Twitter, though. Look at what`s been out there. "Damage control mode already? Please don`t subject them to that again. Sincerely, a concerned mom."
Here`s another that caught my eye. "Because it`s not normal, Kate. Stop forcing this on them. It`s disgusting. You give no sign of backing off this."
And Tamar, Kate also got slammed for putting them on the cover of "People" magazine. What do you think?
BRAXTON: I think they wanted to be on the cover of "People" magazine. Yes, girl. I want to be on the cover of "People" magazine, OK. I`m just saying.
You know, they have lived their whole lives in the spotlight. And it`s nothing new to them. I believe they was on the cover a long time ago with their whole entire family.
LOCKE: They`re young girls now. They want to be -- they want to be a part of the glamour and the glitz.
BRAXTON: Absolutely.
LOCKE: So it`s appealing. But you know, there is something to be said about putting a teenage girl in front of a camera. She could clam up.
BRAXTON: Although, girl, I do have to say, Ms. Kate you`ve seen too much. Just a little bit.
LOCKE: She`s overdoing it.
BRAXTON: A little bit.
LOCKE: A little bit.
HAMMER: Yes. Well, people have felt that for years.
But somebody else obviously not happy about the Gosselin girls` interview, their dad. Jon, of course, once upon a time starred with the whole family on "Jon and Kate Plus Eight." Seems like such a long time ago at this point.
But in the new "In Touch" magazine, Jon accused his ex-wife of using their kids to keep herself in the spotlight. He`s not at all happy about "The Today Show" interview. Here`s what he told "TMZ Live" about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON GOSSELIN, FORMER REALITY TV STAR (via phone): I really didn`t care too much for Kate or whatever. But I felt bad for Mady and Cara, because I love them. It`s just like, you know, they`re put in that situation. And you can tell, you know, it was like deer in the headlights.
HARVEY LEVIN, "TMZ LIVE": Were they manipulated by Kate?
J. GOSSELIN: In my heart, that`s what I believe. It all blew up in everybody`s face. And I feel horrible for my children. Because now they`re going to have to deal with the public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So here`s the thing. And Kimberly, let me throw this to you. I don`t think it was the girls` idea to go on and do "The Today Show." Either "The Today Show" invited them or Kate pitched herself to be on the show. But as far as I`m concerned and we`ve said this for a long time, those young women should not be on television until they say, "Put us on television."
LOCKE: Listen, you know, as a mom, you know, you`re there to protect your girls. And to protect them from, you know, whatever. And especially in Kate`s position, protect the girl from the paparazzi and the media.
I think this is a lot for the girls to handle. It`s going to be embarrassing for them.
BRAXTON: Yes.
LOCKE: So maybe she didn`t make the best judgment call. But hopefully, she won`t continue to throw them out there when they`re not ready. Clearly, they`re not ready.
BRAXTON: Yes, that`s for sure.
HAMMER: Clearly. And, yes. All right. Let`s move on. Let`s -- let`s talk about something entirely different, as the we shift gears. And Kimberly, it`s been a while now since you`ve been on "American Idol." Wow, how things have changed with that show. That`s No. 9 on our countdown. Is Harry the new hero of "Idol"?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY CONNICK JR., JUDGE, FOX`S "AMERICAN IDOL": I think if you practiced, you could get your sound open. There`s a quality there that is a grating quality. And it didn`t -- it just didn`t do it for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Rave reviews are coming in everywhere. I`m not surprised. Harry Connick Jr. has always been one of my favorite people in the business. He, of course, is the new judge on "American Idol." They just debuted their new season.
And we all know "Idol" has been having a rough few years. But now Harry is there. J. Lo is back in the judge`s chair. So can Harry save "Idol"? The question, Kimberly, people love the vibe. On your season of "Idol," during its heyday, of course, it was the original with Randy and Paula and Simon. Are you loving Harry as a judge?
LOCKE: I heart Harry. I mean, you know, last night I watched the show. And I felt like that wholesome quality had come back to the show. I didn`t feel like there was so much tension there. The drama level seemed to drop tremendously, you know, from the past couple of seasons.
And I think the contestants demonstrated some really great songwriting ability last night. And I don`t know. I just enjoyed watching it. I thought it was -- it felt good. I wasn`t watching somebody be humiliated and...
HAMMER: Right.
LOCKE: ... cast out. You know, I felt like they were really giving good advice. And they cared.
BRAXTON: I definitely agree.
HAMMER: I thought that was real -- really refreshing.
And Harry, of course, he`s one of the greats in music. He`s been doing it for a long time. But this is something that I think wasn`t lost on a lot of us when they signed him onto the show. A lot of young contestants really have no idea who the heck he is or how big he was and how big he is.
But before we get to this, let me just show you what happened when one of the contestants actually finally recognized him. This is great.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MUNFARID ZAIDI, CONTESTANT: I read your Wikipedia page every day before going to sleep.
CONNICK: Who are we talking about? Me?
JENNIFER LOPEZ, JUDGE, FOX`S "AMERICAN IDOL": Harry.
CONNICK: Really?
LOPEZ: See? It was you.
CONNICK: I got one. I got one!
KEITH URBAN, JUDGE, FOX`S "AMERICAN IDOL": He`s the guy that`s been reading that.
CONNICK: Cue the music.
You know who I am. Yes.
ZAIDI: That`s so nice. I`m touching you.
URBAN: There`s something weird about that, Harry.
CONNICK: Very weird.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. A little weird.
I mean, Tamar, you`ve got admit it`s kind of strange. And Harry, who`s a guy that`s used to being recognized, is sort of a little out of his element here.
BRAXTON: Yes, but I`m going to tell you something. I got my complete life last night with Harry. OK? He was very honest. He was entertaining at the same time. But at the end of the day, you had to respect what he said. Because he is Harry. OK. He has the voice. He`s like the male Whitney Houston right now. Right? Like, he is amazing.
LOCKE: You know, that`s one of the things I love about "American Idol," is that it does take a whole, you know, generation of music, and it reintroduces it to the world basically.
BRAXTON: Yes, it does.
LOCKE: And I think that is why people love "American Idol." Because the songs that are on "Idol," people remember exactly what they were doing when they heard that song, or when they had their first kiss, or God knows what they were doing.
But they, they have a connection to the music. And it re-exposes all of the great music like Harry Connick Jr. to a younger generation.
BRAXTON: That`s true. And to don`t forget to shave (ph).
HAMMER: Look what it did for Steven Tyler.
LOCKE: Exactly.
HAMMER: Were you able to get a sense of the vibe with Harry, J. Lo, and Keith Urban? Were you feeling? Were you feeling the sort of chemistry with those guys?
BRAXTON: I was.
LOCKE: I was. I liked it. Listen, A.J., it`s very different from previous seasons. I mean, we can`t deny that. All the bickering that went on last year.
BRAXTON: A shame, yes.
LOCKE: Before that the Paula Abdul and Simon, you know, constantly -- constantly bickering together. You don`t have that at the judges` table this year. So it doesn`t distract from the true essence of what the show really is about. I think it`s going to be a great season.
BRAXTON: I do, too.
HAMMER: I`m looking forward to a nicer, kinder "Idol" this year.
Tamar and Kimberly, great having you both here today. Thanks so much.
LOCKE: Thank you.
BRAXTON: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, Harry seems to have brought the magic back to "American Idol." I am now ready to bring some magic to SBT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW MAYNE, MAGICIAN: Is this your I.D.?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MAYNE: All right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. Whatever you do, "Don`t Trust Andrew Mayne." That`s the name of Andrew`s new show. I am telling you, those words should be respected. Master illusionist, Andrew Mayne, is right here. I can already tell he`s up to no good. I`m going to try to get in on some of his secrets.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Oh, Lorde. Here we go. A parody of the hit song "Royals" takes 30-something angst to a whole new level. And now I am getting to the bottom of this hilarious send-up with the comedienne who wrote and performed the song. The lovely Molly Dworsky`s right here. Get ready for a sing-off.
What`s going to be No. 1? This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMY ADAMS, ACTRESS: I said we shouldn`t do any of it. You know I said that. So now I support Richie. He`s got vision. Do it heavy or don`t do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Amy Adams is going big once again. Adams nabbed an Oscar nomination for best lead actress for her performance in "American Hustle." I am so happy for her.
Welcome back. I`m A.J. Hammer in Hollywood. Amy`s golden performance is one of many, of course, being honored as the Academy of Motion Pictures announces its picks for the best in film.
So I get the chance to speak with Amy just after she got her exciting nomination news. That brings us to No. 8 on our countdown. The road to Oscar gold.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADAMS (via phone): These are moments that you reflect on years down the road. You know, I`ve -- I just really -- I`m so lucky. I really, I really feel just so lucky. I don`t know -- I`m at a loss for word again. I`m so sorry.
HAMMER: You mentioned -- you mentioned the reverence you have for the other women you`re nominated along with. And of course, Meryl Streep, such an icon. I believe she`s now having her 18th Oscar nomination. You won in the category again at the Golden Globes.
But what kind of a conversation, if you might let us in on that, do you have with Meryl when you run into her when award are all over and you`re all just kind of settling in? Because there is this great camaraderie that happens when you`re all in the same category through an awards season.
ADAMS: You know what, Meryl, I have worked with her twice. And I really - - what I`ve learned from her is just immeasurable. But when I sit down with Meryl, I -- honestly, I have more questions about how she balances life, motherhood and her career. I`m much more interested in how she lives with such beautiful grace. And that`s really what I admire. Equal to, if not more, than my admiration for her acting. She really lives her life in such a beautiful way. And that`s -- that`s what I look to pick her brain about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: They want to have normal conversations.
Amy`s got some pretty tough competition for the Oscar, up against Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine"; Sandra Bullock for "Gravity"; and Judi Dench for "Philomena"; and, of course, the great Meryl Streep nominated for "August: Osage County."
The Oscar race for Best Actor in a Leading Role just as fierce this year, Great performances. Christian Bale nominated for "American Hustle"; Bruce Dern for "Nebraska"; Leo DiCaprio for "The Wolf of Wall Street"; Chiwetel Ejiofor for "12 Years a Slave"; and Matt McConaughey for "Dallas Buyers Club."
And back at CNN`s New York headquarters, everybody was cheering a little bit louder for Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor. That`s because CNN business correspondent Zane Asher is his sister. I asked Zane how she felt, watching her brother get this huge honor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZANE ASHER, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Just watching him get this nomination, it is a true testament to the importance of hard work. And how -- I`m sorry.
HAMMER: It`s all right. Look. This is, this is an exceptional -- this is an exceptional time.
ASHER: Right.
HAMMER: And I think you need to prepare yourself. It`s going to continue to get more emotional as the award season wears on.
ASHER: Yes.
HAMMER: of course, it was great seeing him at the Globes.
ASHER: Right.
HAMMER: Let me just ask you: Have you heard anything from your brother this morning?
ASHER: Yes.
HAMMER: What`s his reaction been?
ASHER: Yes. Yes. He`s totally over the moon. I mean, you know, this is a moment that not just him, but everyone in my family has really been waiting for, for pretty much 20 years. And just knowing him, and knowing how hard he works, he doesn`t -- he doesn`t do it for the nominations or for the money or anything like that. It is really because it`s his passion. And it has been his passion since he was 13 years old.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So sweet. What a great story. Best of luck, of course, to all the nominees. Oscars get handed out on Sunday, March 2.
Well, I am ready for some magic around here. How about you?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYNE: Is this your I.D.?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MAYNE: All right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So cool. Andrew Mayne is wowing people everywhere with his masterful illusions. But can you trust him with your wallet? Andrew is right here. He`s going to show us a little magic. What`s he got up his sleeve?
From the magical to the bizarre. Kanye may already think he`s a God. But is there really a religion that`[s based on his music?
What will be No. 1? This is SBT on HLN.
Time for the "SHOWBIZ Buzz List." Here`s what we`re buzzing about this week.
It`s time to jam to Shakira and Rihanna`s new duet, "Can`t Remember to Forget You."
We are psyched about the Basis fitness tracker. All your favorite celebs are wearing them.
We`re ready for the road. The countdown to Carnivale in Trinidad and Tobago is on with the release of D.J. Private Ryan`s Soca Sampler 2014 pod cast.
The new season of "American Idol" is under way. And it left us wanting more of Harry, Jennifer and Keith. Love the new all-star judging panel.
And "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit," starring Chris Pine and Kevin Costner, hits theaters Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN COSTNER, ACTOR: Everything official. Everything in public. You`ll be fine. I need for you to be fine.
CHRIS PINE, ACTOR: You sold this as an office job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Our countdown picks up with No. 7. Jessica`s Instagram debut. Jessica Simpson is taking Instagram by storm after posting the very first pictures. Of course, they`re family shots of her sister Ashley and her new fiance, Evan Ross.
Then there`s a second picture that will melt even the coldest hearts. It`s Jess`s little girl Maxwell. Jess wrote, "It`s official. I finally joined Instagram before it`s not cool anymore."
Well, a lot of people are saying Justin Bieber`s behavior lately is a whole lot less than cool. His fans are sticking by him, even though police are looking for evidence to connect him to that old egg throwing at his neighbor`s house incident. Bieber`s egg cracking drama is obviously sending comedians scrambling for punch lines everywhere.
So here now, CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SBT with No. 6 on the SBT countdown, Justin`s jokes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Who hatched this plan? Why would a 19-year-old superstar like Justin Bieber roll up his sleeves and allegedly throw eggs at his neighbor`s house?
JOEL MCHALE, ACTOR: It`s weird how he`s going back to pranks from the 1950s.
MOOS: We don`t mean just egging some cheap bricks like this. We`re talking...
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": Twenty grand worth of damage to his house.
JIMMY FALLON, LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST: He throws Faberge eggs only.
MOOS: Twenty grand to replace Venetian plaster and re-stain doors made out of imported wood.
(on camera): Talk about breaking news.
(voice-over): The late-night comedians had audiences breaking up with their own coverage.
JAY LENO, HOST, NBC`S "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Rick, what can you tell us?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is, in fact, Justin Bieber. I think that he sees us.
MOOS: From a pelted chopper on "Leno"...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our officers were pursuing evidence that a felony had been committed in reference to...
MOOS: ... to pelted police on Kimmel.
At the real sheriff`s department press conference there were some egg- centric questions about the police raid on Bieber`s home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did they match eggs found in the refrigerator, for example? Did the eggs -- with those used in the vandalism case?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would assume that that`s probably possible.
MOOS: But the lieutenant made it clear the raid was no egg hunt. They were looking for security camera video that might show Bieber in the act of tossing eggs from his own property.
Bieber hasn`t commented to CNN, and he hasn`t been charged.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe there is almost always a dozen detectives that were there.
LENO: Why do they send 12 cops? Was it one cop for each egg in the carton? Was that the thinking?
CONAN O`BRIEN, HOST, TBS`S "CONAN": Why is one of most affluent stars in the world right now throwing eggs at his neighbor`s house?
MCHALE: Because he`s a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) idiot.
MOOS: Back in 2011, Bieber himself got egged when a fan trying to get his attention pelted the stage when Bieber performed in Australia. Now the egg is on the other foot.
And Spirit Airlines is running a "you won`t believe these deals" promotion. "Escape Justin time before you get egg on your face."
The jokes, all the puns...
(on camera): It`s enough to make a gun-shy celebrity crawl back in his shell.
O`BRIEN: It`s being called the most pointless use of an egg since the fertilization of Justin Bieber.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: At least he`s come out of his shell.
Speaking of dumb and dumber.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDI DORFMAN, CONTESTANT, "THE BACHELOR": I`m in court, though. I don`t read that much. Like, I`m in court doing it. Sending people to jail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Big "Bachelor" buzz over the woman who appears to have played dumb on TV. Now, as it turns out, she`s actually a powerhouse attorney. Now her act is sparking a firestorm.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: I love this. "Royal" rewritten. A hilarious sendup of a hit song wins the Internet. This comedian is taking you in a time machine to real life after 30.
What`s going to be No. 1? This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYNE: Is this your I.D.?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MAYNE: All right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Right now, the "Top Ten Countdown." "Don`t Trust Andrew Mayne." The amazing illusionist is blowing our minds on TV. He is pushing his hands through windows, making iPhones vanish. Andrew Mayne is right here, and he`s got a few tricks up his sleeve.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: What if Lorde was 30 instead of 17? What would her hit song "Royals" sound like then? It is the must-see, must-share spoof that might have you singing right along. This is the woman behind the incredible viral video, Molly Dworsky. And she is sharing some 30 angst.
But what will be No. 1 on our countdown? SBT continues right now.
Welcome back. Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer. I`m coming to you from Hollywood all week long.
And as our "Top Ten Countdown" continues, I can promise you something magical. And you won`t even believe it when you see it. I`m telling you.
It`s No. 5 on our countdown. The master of illusion and trickery, Andrew Mayne, who just made a motorcycle disappear into thin air on his brand-new series on A&E, called "Don`t Trust Andrew Mayne."
But here`s the thing. When people meet Andrew on street, they immediately trust him until stuff like this happens.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYNE: Try this. Try this. Let`s try this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. All right. Right.
MAYNE: Those $5 bills, those aren`t even real.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, but that`s not what I gave you.
MAYNE: This is exactly what you gave me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I keep real money in my pocket.
MAYNE: Does that look real to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it doesn`t.
MAYNE: This is real.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
MAYNE: All right on that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. So...
MAYNE: The ink is not even dry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And, how the heck does he do that? Andrew is with me in Hollywood.
It`s great to meet you.
MAYNE: How you doing?
HAMMER: That`s a neat trick, man. But I sit there and I watch you, and I love what you do. It`s very entertaining. How do you not get your lights punched out?
MAYNE: I`m fast. There`s that. You try to sense danger and then run.
HAMMER: I know you`re out there having a good time with these people. But does anybody ever get aggressive? Do you ever actually fear for your life? Or they see the cameras around and they`re pretty well behaved?
MAYNE: You know, sometimes people don`t know how to react. But it`s really just, you know, a read of people and making sure they`re having fun. Because that`s what I want, is I want people to have fun.
I grew up with an older brother who played football at Auburn. He`s on the SWAT team. So I had to learn how to sense danger.
HAMMER: OK. There was danger at every turn in your house growing up?
MAYNE: Exactly. Yes.
HAMMER: And I love the fact that you also give people an opportunity to teach others a lesson. For instance on this motorcycle thing, I guess this couple had gotten married, and the husband had promised to stop riding his motorcycle.
MAYNE: Signed a contract.
HAMMER: Afterwards -- yes, saying, "Hey, I won`t ride the bike anymore." He continued to ride it. And then you came into the picture. And well, this is what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYNE: Grab the bag. I`ll just seal this up. Hold onto that right there.
So you`re probably wondering what`s going on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I am.
MAYNE: How much would you say your bike weighs, by the way?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A hundred and fifty pounds.
MAYNE: This is the fun part.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where is the bike?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That is priceless. And I know -- look, I know illusionists don`t like to give away their secrets. But can you please tell me where that bike went?
MAYNE: Heaven. It`s in bike heaven now.
HAMMER: It went to bike heaven now.
MAYNE: I`ll just tell you what was awesome about that was the day we did that, I showed up, and there`s a crossbow sitting down on the ground. Like "Andrew, it`s time to practice with the crossbow."
Everybody should show up at work and be able to fire a crossbow and explode something.
HAMMER: You know what? People think that here every single day. That`s what they say.
MAYNE: When they look at you?
HAMMER: Usually, they don`t quite get through security.
In the end, did the guy agree to stop riding his motorcycle, which was really the whole point of that deal?
MAYNE: Yes. He had a conversation with his wife. He promised her that he was going to dial it back or give it up or live up to the contract that he signed.
HAMMER: I`m looking at his face as you`re doing that, and he is freaked out.
MAYNE: I show up, and I go up to him. I say, "Hey, I have a video of your wife on my iPhone." So already, he doesn`t know what`s going on. And maybe his mind is going to another place. Maybe he thinks I`m a kidnapper or something. So he`s a little bit uneased. But...
HAMMER: How much fun.
I love how you take somebody`s iPhone on the show in a grocery store, and it somehow winds up in a pickle jar at the bottom of the stack of pickle jars. That is absolutely fascinating to me.
Now, I don`t have pickles with me. I`m sorry. We don`t keep them on set. They`re not allowed. But I do have my iPhone. Is there any chance I can persuade you. I promised people magic.
MAYNE: Well, actually, I want to help you out here.
HAMMER: OK.
MAYNE: I noticed your phone, you don`t actually have a case on it.
HAMMER: I do not keep the case on this. This is the work one. If I drop it they`ll buy me a new one.
MAYNE: OK. But it`s still kind of important to have a case. To have a phone.
HAMMER: Sure. Go ahead.
MAYNE: I`ve just got to ask you this first.
HAMMER: OK.
MAYNE: Do you trust me?
HAMMER: Well, the name of the show is "Don`t Trust Andrew Mayne." But for the television and the show, yes, I do trust you.
MAYNE: You do trust me. All right. I`m going to help you out, because there`s no case. I`m going to provide a case for you using this...
HAMMER: Balloon.
MAYNE: Balloon.
HAMMER: You read. Phone heaven, everybody.
MAYNE: It will be fine.
HAMMER: Just like the motorcycle.
MAYNE: Now on every balloon there is a soft spot. If you find that soft spot, what you can do is you can put the phone.
HAMMER: You put the phone inside the balloon?
MAYNE: Inside of there. Yes, you can.
HAMMER: Hold on a second.
Were you guys focused on that? Did you see what just happened?
MAYNE: Now, you`re wondering. You`re saying, "OK, how safe is it inside of there?"
HAMMER: Right.
MAYNE: This is how we show you how safe this is.
HAMMER: OK.
MAYNE: I have a needle. I want you to do me a favor. You can touch that. But I don`t want you to actually hurt yourself.
HAMMER: OK. Touch the tip of the needle here?
MAYNE: Touch the tip. OK. You went right for the needle.
HAMMER: It`s the real deal.
MAYNE: I`m impressed.
HAMMER: OK.
MAYNE: See, if I touched it right there. You can see that`s pretty solid. If I push that in.
HAMMER: OK.
MAYNE: Your phone is still totally safe. Totally safe. We can shove that all the way through. All right.
HAMMER: There`s now a needle going through my phone.
MAYNE: Needle through your phone.
HAMMER: If you sent me a text message, I might not be receiving it any time soon.
MAYNE: Reception won`t be so good.
HAMMER: What are they going to say about this at the Genius Bar? I can`t even imagine.
MAYNE: Well, actually, this is a new Apple case. Now the phone, I don`t want you to worry. Your phone is totally safe. It`s totally safe.
HAMMER: Apparently.
MAYNE: There you go.
HAMMER: It is cheese.
MAYNE: You`re welcome.
HAMMER: It`s cheddar cheese.
Andrew Mayne, I don`t trust you. Great having you here.
MAYNE: Thank you for having me.
HAMMER: Feel free to hold onto the iPhone if you ever find it.
MAYNE: Thank you.
HAMMER: New episodes of "Don`t Trust Andrew Mayne" can be seen Mondays on A&E.
Wow. Cheese for everybody!
All right, from playing up the magic to playing down the smarts. This is No. 4 on the countdown. I`m going to do this with cheese all over the place.
Playing dumb for love? This is the woman on ABC`s "The Bachelor" who appears to be dumbing down to win the heart of Juan Pablo Galavis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DORFMAN: I studied law. I`m a lawyer.
GALAVIS: Oh, my gosh.
DORFMAN: I am a prosecutor.
GALAVIS: Wow, you read a lot?
DORFMAN: I am in court. I don`t read that much. I`m in court doing it. Sending people to jail. It`s not reading that much. I don`t look to read that much. I don`t have the patience to read.
GALAVIS: "I`m in court. Sending people to jail."
DORFMAN: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. You see how she`s acting there. She`s a lawyer keeping her smarts on the down low. So is she on a reality show and completely out of touch with reality?
Well, let me pose that to Tamar Braxton. We, of course, love her reality show on WE, "Braxton Family Values." Tamar is also nominated for three Grammys this year.
Tamar, nice going.
BRAXTON: Yay! Thank you.
HAMMER: Very excited for you about that.
She`s with us from New York, along with the lovely Kimberly Locke, who`s competed, of course, on "American Idol."
So Tamar, do smart women have a better chance of landing a guy if they play dumb? This seems so counterintuitive to me.
BRAXTON: I don`t know. I might be the wrong person to ask. Because I don`t want no dumb man. So therefore, I`m not going to act dumb. You know? It would annoy me if somebody was like, "Oh, girl, I don`t read."
I`m look, "Ooh, I can`t." You know what I`m saying? Like "Can you add? Can you subtract?" Look at the portfolio, like what`s happening? Like, that wouldn`t attract me at all.
HAMMER: Yes, I don`t know what was going on here. Kimberly, I mean, this bachelorette is beautiful; she`s smart; she`s professional. Shouldn`t she be exploiting that?
LOCKE: Absolutely. And I think it definitely sends the wrong message to all the young girls out there. But I do think because she`s a professional -- you know, she`s a professional woman, that, you know, on this show, she probably, some -- somewhere deep down inside, she felt like she needed to dumb it down for this man. So that she could try to win his heart.
No, it doesn`t make any sense, A.J., but there are a lot of men out there who choose the dumb girl. OK? Let`s just be realistic.
HAMMER: Now listen, we`re all on the same page here. But not everybody on our SBT team is feeling the same way. In fact, our producers, Sid Lipsey and Angela Williams, who actually do occasionally go at it, they really butted heads in our newsroom. You`ve got to see what they were saying about all this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SID LIPSEY, SBT PRODUCER: That`s selling a guy short. See, breaking news. Guys can handle a smart woman. Especially one that is accomplished and doesn`t brag about it. But that doesn`t mean she has to hide who she is. You think that -- at all?
ANGELA WILLIAMS, SBT PRODUCER: I think that it helps guys sometimes to feel that maybe -- that he is the leader in the relationship. And sometimes...
LIPSEY: You know that`s not the case, right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tamar, what do you think? Sid says just be who you are. And I agree with you, my friend Sid.
BRAXTON: You know, how long can you keep the dumbness up, though, you know what I`m saying? Like, if you get him and he comes home and he don`t understand what you`re talking about, you`re going to get bored.
So I say be who you are. Accept who you are. And just, you know, I mean, if people can`t accept you for who you are, then they`re not supposed to be with you.
HAMMER: Yes.
BRAXTON: That`s -- my head is giving me a headache. Like, she is, like, dumbed dot com (ph).
HAMMER: Something tells me -- something tells me she will not be getting that final rose. All right. Tamar, Kimberly, thank you both so much.
BRAXTON: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, "Royals" by 17-year-old phenom Lorde is on everybody`s playlist these days. But what if Lorde was pushing 30 What would the song sound like then?
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Ah, yes. It`s the brilliant spoof about middle-aged issues that are royal pains in the rear. It is the brain child of Molly Dworsky, and she`s right here telling us all about this video that`s being passed around on social media like crazy.
Maybe Molly might be as big as Kanye West one day. But is Kanye really worthy of his own religion? Well, he probably thinks so, but hold that thought, because I`m going to introduce you to the Church of Yeezus.
What`s going to be No. 1? You`re going to find out. This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: There`s apparently nothing royal about getting older. It is the viral cover of Lorde`s hit song "Royals" that`s got a lot of people over 25 years old totally identifying. And we`ve got the woman who made it right here.
That takes us to No. 3 on our countdown of today`s must-see, must-share stories. A little ditty about growing older.
Molly Dworsky was inspired to write her song about growing older, because Lorde is just so successful at such a young age. It is so unfair.
Molly Dworsky is with me in Hollywood. It is great to meet you.
MOLLY DWORSKY, COMEDIAN: You, too.
HAMMER: We have been having fun playing your song. And obviously, a lot of people have been watching it over and over online. But you`re 26 years old right now. So why all the angst about being over 25?
DWORSKY: Well, for comedy`s sake, I think, primarily. But -- when I found out that Lorde was 16 when this song launched, and it was enormous, I couldn`t help but feel bad about how little I`ve done relative to her success.
HAMMER: Well, clearly, this has struck you at your core. You had to do something about it. Let`s watch some more. This is fantastic.
DWORSKY: Sure.
HAMMER: Watch this with me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I mean, I could watch this all day. In fact I`ve been watching it all day.
Can we -- do we have a shot of Lorde that I can put up here? Because when I look at the two of them. Yes. Look at, you know, she`s 17. So you`re 26 now. You guys could be twins, though. I actually understand the resemblance somehow also inspired you to write the song?
DWORSKY: Yes, I didn`t know who she was. I heard the song a few times, but it was early -- it was late September when the song dropped. And one of my customers -- I work as a server. One of my customers said that I looked like her, and I didn`t know who she was. So I looked her up when I got home and freaked out, because she was so young.
HAMMER: Oh, my God. Let`s roll some more in the background here, Charles, but keep our mikes up, because I just have to ask you about the reaction that you`ve gotten here. So many, 20- and 30-somethings have been responding to this as the thing exploded and went viral. Tell me some of the reaction that you`ve been getting.
DWORSKY: I`ve been getting a lot of, like, "You go, girl," "I totally feel that way." And I`ve been getting a lot of "You are so young. You don`t know anything. Wait until you`re 40."
HAMMER: But do you have a lot of people saying, look at you, you`re actually quite accomplished. She`s an exception. Let`s face facts. At 17 years old to have achieved what she`s achieved. You do understand that. I mean, I know you`re having fun with all this?
DWORSKY: Yes. I mean, I`m a comedian, and I`m here to poke fun at it. I`m here to -- just happened to work out that my high school was the Royals and that someone said I looked like her, so it seemed like a good -- a good avenue for comedy for me.
And doing the video was sort of my first adult thing that I did. Because I -- I followed through with something that I had an idea for.
HAMMER: And you got it done before you turned 30. Well, it`s great fun. Everybody is enjoying it. I really loved meeting you, Molly. Thank you so much for being here.
DWORSKY: Thank you.
HAMMER: All right. Well, it certainly has been a wild ride on our must- see, must-share countdown. It all comes down to this. We reveal numbers two and one. What could top the countdown? Here`s a hint. It might make the man with perhaps the biggest ego in Hollywood say hallelujah.
This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENA DUNHAM, ACTRESS: I took the train home by myself, and I felt like a huge loser. And it made me remember what it was like in college when you`d say, "Oh, meet me at the Free Calcite (ph) party." Then I find out you`re over at the Israel House. And so I just wish you would get it that this is not OK behavior for a friend.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`m so happy the new season of "Girls" is here. The first lady of Brooklyn angst gets slammed for "Vogue" now.
Of course, I`m talking about Lena Dunham and her awesome cover shot in the February issue of the fashion Bible. The countdown strikes a pose at No. 2 with lovely Lena.
The creator, writer and star of HBO`s "Girls" looks fantastic. And this quote from the Huffington Post, in my mind, pretty much sums up why so many people are over the moon about Lena`s cover. They wrote, "A woman whose very normal body shape is a refreshing departure from the skinny magazine standard."
Back with me from New York, a woman who has been on a magazine cover or two, Grammy nominee Tamar Braxton. She does look great on that cover, don`t you think, Tamar?
BRAXTON: She looks amazing. And you know what? It`s great to see a little bit of normalcy, you know, when you look at a magazine. Everybody doesn`t have to be stick thin. And it makes me feel like I can go right to Shake Shack as soon as I leave from here.
HAMMER: Well, there`s one not too far way. Somebody could direct you.
Lena does represent a real woman, for sure.
BRAXTON: Yes.
HAMMER: There`s actually one Web site that wants to keep things really real. That`s Jezebel.com. They`re offering 10,000 bucks for the unretouched images of Lena. Here`s what they`re saying.
"Lena Dunham is a woman who trumpets body positivity. Her body is real. She is real. And for as lovely as the `Vogue` pictures are, they`re probably not terribly real."
Tamar, you know, what they`re saying, as you know, from doing magazines and photo shoots, it`s not untrue at all. They retouch them; they glam them up. But do you find those words hateful or helpful? Sometimes you have to have the glam covers.
BRAXTON: I definitely agree, but I think that little Web site is doing too much. You know what I mean? Like of course you want to look the best that you can look, especially when you`re on the cover of "Vogue."
And you know, they`re not taking her down too much. You know, we kind of know what she looks like already, right? So you know, if they fixed her hair or fixed the little wobbly bits on the side, who cares? It`s something she can post up in her house, in the bathroom, and look at herself and, you know, be happy about it.
HAMMER: Let`s be honest. If anybody`s seen "Girls," they know we`ve seen every bit, pretty much, of Lena Dunham.
BRAXTON: Yes.
HAMMER: Let`s now move from a glamorous pose to a prayerful one. Please bow your heads and praise Yeezus.
The big reveal of No. 1 on our "Top Ten Countdown." It was only a matter of time. The religion based on Kanye.
Now, he didn`t put this together. This is from an anonymous group. They`re taking the title message of Kanye West`s latest album, "Yeezus" literally. They claim they`ve actually formed a religion called Yeezanity.
Members of the Church of Yeezus believe that "One who calls himself Yeezus is a divine being who has been sent by God to usher in a new age of humanity."
Tamar, are you sitting there, hearing this and ready to convert?
BRAXTON: No, I`m not ready to convert. I will always buy his records. I`m a huge fan. But, you know, I ain`t going to the Church of Kanye West. No, thank you. You know, I think that`s stepping over the line just a little bit.
HAMMER: You have to wonder if he would actually sign off on something like this. Maybe if there was a little money involved for him. I`m not exactly sure.
But I do believe in you, Tamar.
BRAXTON: Aw!
HAMMER: And here`s specifically what I believe. I believe that you are going to win your very first Grammy this year.
BRAXTON: Thank you.
HAMMER: Congratulations on your three nominations.
BRAXTON: Thank you.
HAMMER: I mean, we`re gearing up for the Grammys. They`re not too far away. Tell me how you`re feeling about it all.
BRAXTON: I`m so "nerve-cited." And that means I`m nervous and excited at the same time. You know, I don`t have no idea what I`m wearing. You know? I don`t -- I still can`t even kind of process what has happened to me this whole year.
And I think the Grammys is just like the icing on the cake and just being acknowledged and recognized amongst your peers and everybody that you`ve looked up to all of these years. It just feels amazing. I`m just humbled and just excited. And I feel like I`m...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Now, of course, you come -- of course -- well, you certainly are. Of course, you come from a very musical household. Was the Grammy Awards a big part of life growing up? Every year, the world stopped on Grammy night, you sat down in front of the TV and perhaps practiced your own acceptance speeches?
BRAXTON: Let me tell you something. It`s not a "once was." It`s "still is." It`s a big to-do in my family.
And let me tell you something. I used to line up my nail polish bottles and do my acceptance speech and sing in front of my nail polish bottles. So you know, I just feel like I`m prepared, and I`m ready. And you know, whatever happens, I`m excited. And grateful.
HAMMER: Well, you better -- you better get going on picking out that outfit. You don`t have a whole lot of time. I wish you the best of luck.
BRAXTON: Thank you.
HAMMER: And you`re a good friend to us here at SBT. So you know you`ll be getting a little extra rooting and energy sent your way come Grammy night.
BRAXTON: Thank you, A.J.
HAMMER: Always great to see you.
Well, here we go. Not just the Grammys but the Super Bowl now less than two weeks away. The ads are already being released. And this one is pretty, pretty wild. Wait until you see what this commercial is for. I actually think you`re not going to believe it. I have it, coming up.
This is SBT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: All right. It is that time of year again. The Super Bowl is almost here. But advertisers are already releasing their Super Bowl commercials.
This ad I`m about to show you sucks you in from the first moment. Now it first glance, it actually doesn`t even look like a commercial, but it is for one of the most recognizable brands on the planet. Now pay close attention. See if you can guess what that brand is before the spot is over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make love, not war. With new Axe Peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, Axe body spray just blew your mind, right? The creators of the ad partnered with Peace One Day. It`s a nonprofit organization dedicated to making September 21 an International Ceasefire Peace Day. Axe has made a donation to the organization. The company is promoting it in its ads and on Facebook. Well done.
That is it for SHOWBIZ. Thank you for watching. HLN continues right now.
END
