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SHOWBIZ TONIGHT

BEST OF SHOWBIZ: King of Paparazzi Shares Secrets to Snagging Celeb Pics; Plan B Spouses: Safety Net or Settling?; Backstage Secrets of the Victoria`s Secret Fashion Show; Music Producer`s Studio Tips

Aired December 26, 2005 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And I`m Brooke Anderson. A special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Best in Showbiz," starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Best in Showbiz." Tonight, we blow the lid off the paparazzi. Inside the often crazy world of the celebrity shooters who aim for the stars.

E.L. WOODY, CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER: They need us more than we need them.

HAMMER: Tonight, behind the glare of the flash bulbs as we take you for a wild ride with the self-proclaimed king of the paparazzi.

You know the voice. Now meet the man. From Stuttering John on Stern to "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. What it`s like to be John Melendez. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT spends the day with John and gets the two-finger salute.

Looking for love in all the wrong places? Time for Plan B. If you can`t find wedding bliss, make it with a spare spouse. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on why marrying your best friend may be the best idea yet.

"Best in Showbiz" starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.

HAMMER: Tonight, we bring you the very "Best in Showbiz." We poured over our stories from the past year. The fine SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff voted, and now we are bringing you our greatest hits.

ANDERSON: First up, we want to take you along for an all-night ride with one of the best known celebrity shooters in the business, paparazzo E.L. Woody. He`s been chasing stars like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Madonna for 30 years. Tonight, he takes SHOWBIZ TONIGHT out on the town in search of that must-have celeb shot.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODY: I think I see a Rolls Royce here. Let me see who`s here.

ANDERSON (voice-over): It`s just another night for Hollywood`s most famous paparazzi, E.L. Woody. By the end of tonight, as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT rode along, he`ll have captured shots of Kirsten Dunst, Lindsay Lohan and Ashlee Simpson. We`ll show you how that played out in a moment.

But first, who is E.L. Woody? He let SHOWBIZ TONIGHT into his world.

WOODY: I had predicted that there would be no wedding. I`m eating in the right place at the right time. I get the night they broke up.

ANDERSON: We`re inside Woody`s home office in Hollywood. And the shots he`s pointing to have all shown up in hundreds of magazines across the globe.

WOODY: Here`s a good one: "Jamie`s (ph) sexy wild night with Bill Clinton."

This was Kiefer with a stripper that I got up on the Sunset Strip. Here`s the Britney wedding. You know, isn`t it strange how everybody knows about everything?

ANDERSON: Here`s the secret. Woody says many of those photos are planned. He says the paparazzi is called when a star wants to get some publicity.

WOODY: That`s what we do. Here`s when the phone rings, then run, fast as we can where we`re going, at a legal speed.

ANDERSON: He got a call that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes would be at Los Angeles hot spot The Ivy. Here`s the shot he caught. He claims it was all staged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When`s the big day, Tom?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re just stalling (ph).

ANDERSON: But it`s the exclusive photos, the ones no one else has, that make the most money. And Woody has gotten many. He calls himself the king of the paparazzi.

WOODY: It`s a performance sport. You either get the photos or you don`t. If you get them, then you`re the top guy.

ANDERSON: To be the top guy, you need to know what`s club is hot what night of the week. And that`s constantly changing. It`s 11 p.m., and it`s time to Cruise, and he`s taking SHOWBIZ TONIGHT along.

WOODY: We`re going to take a Cruise of the hot Sunset Strip.

You really have to be economical in how you use your time in this business. The real secret is to go out for 20 minutes and get the right exclusive photograph of a desirable star doing something that will sell.

ANDERSON: Woody`s gotten some of his best shots on the Sunset Strip.

WOODY: Fire water and actors is like fire water and everybody else. You just never know what you`re going to get.

I got Mick Jagger coming out of the Body Shop strip club right here one night. That made me some money.

Here comes the Roxy in the Rainbow Room. That`s where I got a picture of Christina Aguilera in a little -- a little sexy outfit, the lingerie with the whip was right there.

I got people everywhere that call me and give me tips. This is the business of information.

ANDERSON: Woody has had the same phone number for 15 years. He says everybody knows it and everybody calls it. Woody gets a call. We don`t know from whom.

WOODY: What`s going on? Hello, I`m heading up to Hollywood Boulevard. Why don`t you guys come up there?

ANDERSON: It`s midnight, and now we`re heading to L.A. hot spot Nuked (ph). It`s new, and Woody says it probably won`t be hot for long.

WOODY: We`re going right down the middle of the Walk of Fame.

ANDERSON: Woody sees someone from the club.

WOODY: What`s up, man? How you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.

WOODY: What`s going on?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did that work out the other night for you?

WOODY: Which one?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris.

WOODY: You know, like always, Paris is great.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.

WOODY: Anybody here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes. Yes.

WOODY: I`m ready.

Everybody wins when we get a picture. The store they`re shopping in, the club they`re partying in, the celebrity, the project they`re working on. We get a couple of bucks, too. It works great for everybody.

If they`re in line, they`re not important.

ANDERSON: Woody meets one of his photographers. After 30 years in the business, he has a handful of employees.

WOODY: This is Henry. He`s my videographer. He`s the guy that Tommy Lee threw down and broke his pelvis in four places. You can see he`s still out here shooting. The bravest guy you`ll ever see.

ANDERSON: Here`s the video shot that night. It`s a dangerous business.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Tommy.

TOMMY LEE, MUSICIAN: (expletive deleted)

WOODY: Tommy came at him and attacked him. He never said a word to him. He just came out and found the smallest guy in the crowd and threw him down and broke his pelvis. One of 20 different photographers out there. But he was the smallest one in the whole crowd.

ANDERSON: But those famous images don`t come easily.

WOODY: A lot of this business is just standing around, being bored.

ANDERSON: But here comes a car.

WOODY: Let me see what`s going on here now.

ANDERSON: It`s Kirsten Dunst.

WOODY: There`s not a star in the world that wants to get out of the car and not be recognized by the crowd, even though they`re not going to pose. Let`s see what we got.

ANDERSON: Here`s the secret: Woody says the shot is not worth anything unless there is another celebrity in the picture.

WOODY: If it`s her and Brad, however, I`d be right at the front.

ANDERSON: The paparazzi swarms the club tonight, but so do fans, waiting to get their shots.

WOODY: So who are you guys looking for? Who do you think is going to be here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lohan, Jessica Simpson.

ANDERSON: Another car approaches. It`s Ashlee Simpson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you so much. I go to all your concerts.

WOODY: Look up! Look up! Hello, gorgeous!

They need us more than we need them.

Well, it`s starting now.

ANDERSON: It`s after 12, and the action has begun.

WOODY: Here we go.

ANDERSON: Here comes Lindsay Lohan. She`s no stranger to the paparazzi. She poses for the photographers.

WOODY: That was Lindsay Lohan, the troublemaker of the week.

ANDERSON: But Kirsten, Lindsay and Ashlee don`t make a good night.

WOODY: They`re all absolutely worthless photos, every single one of them. Had one of them shown up with a guy, it might have been worthwhile. But you know, a photo of a star alone is worth 10 bucks, tops.

ANDERSON: But the night`s not over. There still could be some action ahead.

WOODY: Hey, we`re on Hollywood Boulevard, folks. Red light`s flashing, something`s going on. If we`re in luck, it`s a movie star being arrested somewhere.

ANDERSON: We`ll find out in the morning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Woody is usually out until the wee hours of the morning. He told us it`s much better to get a star leaving a nightclub than arriving at one.

No surprise there, A.J.

HAMMER: None at all, Brooke.

Well, tonight, Plan B spouses. As the national age for marriage increases, so does the concern that you`re not actually going to find that special someone. And that`s where the backup spouse comes in. Of course, it happens all the time in the movies. We see it everywhere, and it turns out it happens in real life, too. But is Plan B a good idea? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I came in to church a little late. I saw this beautiful blond sitting down there, and there was an empty seat beside her. And I dated her for about 10 months and I asked her to marry me and she accepted. It`s been 50 years ago.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not everyone has a fairy tale story like theirs, and that`s why many have the mighty backup plan.

JULIA ROBERTS, ACTRESS: It just where, when we`re 28, if we`ve never married, we marry each other.

VARGAS: She just may have inspired a generation, in the last few decades, a new phenomenon called Plan B. What`s the plan?

JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS: So if neither of you are married by the time you`re 40, you`re going to marry Joey?

LISA KUDROW, ACTRESS: Yes, we shook on it. Believe me, that is not how he wanted to seal the deal.

ANISTON: Seriously?

KUDROW: Yes, I think his exact words were (growls).

VARGAS: It`s a real phenomenon, having a backup spouse if you can`t find the one. And it could be because Americans are waiting longer and longer to get hitched. Back in the olden days, people generally got married in their early 20s.

EMMA TAYLOR, RELATIONSHIP EXPERT: It used to be that, you know, you went to college looking for three letters, M-R-S.

VARGAS: And in the `70s, the average age for women to get married was 20 and 23 for men. These days, things are different. People wait longer: 25 for women, 27 for men. And it`s even later in the northeast for some reason.

So what`s the ideal Plan B age for tying the knot?

TAYLOR: The average is somewhere between 30 and 35.

VARGAS: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT took to the streets to see how long people plan to wait to cash in on their Plan B.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My best friend from England, we made a pact that if we`re still single and we haven`t found the love of our life by 29, then that`s it. We`re going to get married and have kids together.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We both said if we don`t get married by the time we`re 50, we would get married. But he got married about six years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My Plan B was my best friend from college. We decided if we were 30 or 35, we would get married.

VARGAS: Turns out they`re not the only friends making pacts.

ANISTON: So what do you say we make a pact? If you and I are both single by the time we`re 40, we get married. I mean, we know each other, we like each other. We`ve already slept together. So you know, there will be no surprises there. You know what I mean? No like, what`s that?

VARGAS: And that chemistry thing is a big part of relationships. And for many Plan B`ers, a big dilemma.

TAYLOR: The dilemma of the backup plan is obviously that it is kind of settling. And the reason that you`re not marrying your backup plans earlier and that you`re putting it off for a decade is that you don`t really have chemistry with this person.

VARGAS: Chemistry is huge. And there is something to be said for waiting for the right one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I found Denise when I was 35 and she was over 45. So that was...

VARGAS: This happy couple also happens to be relationship experts. They say having a backup spouse is nothing but desperate.

DENISE BERARD, RELATIONSHIP EXPERT: You never know where it`s going to happen, and to force it, you may be missing something great. I mean, it`s almost like Cinderella. You know, they tried to shove the shoe on everybody`s foot. And if it doesn`t fit, it doesn`t fit. But then when it fits, it`s perfect.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas.

Now, relationship expert Emma Taylor said of all the people that she interviewed about their backup spouses, very few actually married them, even if both were single at that agreed upon age.

ANDERSON: Coming up, find out what it`s like to be a music producer. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT hangs out with one of the biggest names in the biz.

HAMMER: And the glitz, the glamour, and those angel wings. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you backstage at the Victoria Secret holiday fashion show and tells you how you can be an angel, too.

Plus, "South Park" fires a Cruise missile aimed at Scientology and Tom Cruise. But will they need their own defense shield? That`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Best in Showbiz."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Best in Showbiz," a look back at the best in SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this year.

Tonight, we`ve got a very special way to keep your holiday spirit going, angels. Victoria`s Secret angels decked out in their holiday finest. And they revealed to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT their secrets to looking spectacular.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

ANDERSON (voice-over): There`s a reason why they call this the most wonderful time of the year, the sexiest night on television. The Victoria`s Secret fashion show.

HEIDI KLUM, VICTORIA`S SECRET ANGEL: This year is called Sexy Little Things. So we`re all sexy little things. And we have all very sexy little things on. So something to unpack for Christmas.

KAROLINA KURKOVA, VICTORIA`S SECRET ANGEL: It`s really about holidays and teddy bears and snow.

ANDERSON: And angels. Hot angels. The kind that might make Santa blush.

The models are gorgeous, no doubt. But to get here, they have to start here, backstage. It`s hot and the place is jammed full of press. But the models are making the most of it. Also backstage, some of the world`s top hairstylists and makeup artists.

LINDA HAY, VICTORIA`S SECRET MAKEUP ARTIST: Beautiful. Maybe a little bit more in here. More mascara. You know, like bring them out. But otherwise, beautiful.

ANDERSON: Linda Hay is here to make these models look their absolute best.

HAY: The overall look for this show is very, very sexy. It`s very feminine and just a little bit of glamour.

ANDERSON: She`s in charge of makeup, and she`s the woman all the top models seek out.

HAY: Luckily, their faces are beautiful, so that`s face the battle, really. And then it`s actually the heat and the atmosphere is what fires you up and makes you work faster, basically. It`s just an adrenaline rush. It`s fantastic.

ANDERSON: Amidst the interviews and preparations, Victoria`s Secret models get top treatment, including full pedicures and manicures.

And they may be angels, but their skin doesn`t glow like that naturally. They get the look with body paint and shimmer. A special station every model hits to give their skin that ethereal sheen.

And then there`s the hair, that bouncy, voluminous hair.

ITALO GREGORIO, VICTORIA`S SECRET HAIRSTYLIST: I want it to feel very touchable feeling, very sexy.

ANDERSON: So how do they get that look? These, hair extensions. And having a top hairstylist work on your hair doesn`t hurt either.

GREGORIO: The girls, obviously, they`re gorgeous, you know. They`re easy. Like a 99 percent platform there to start with. So I just do that one percent.

ANDERSON: And if you`re going to strut your stuff down the runway, you`ve got to make sure everything is plucked, pruned, and preened, even your eyebrows.

ANASTASIA, EYEBROW EXPERT: We are doing everybody`s eyebrows.

ANDERSON: Anastasia is the queen of eyebrows, one of the top pluckers in the world. Her secret?

ANASTASIA: I was in art school. I studied so much the bone structure and the muscles, specifically the muscles around the eye area. And I think that`s the secret of the way I do eyebrows.

ANDERSON: So if you want to look like this, these top stylists have a few words of wisdom for you.

GREGORIO: Don`t wash your hair too often. Wash your hair every other day.

HAY: The one beauty tip I think is take care of your skin. Your skin is your best accessory. If you have beautiful skin, then that`s half the battle. And of course, mascara helps.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: And some big changes for the Victoria`s Secret models. Supermodel Tyra Banks has finished her run as an angel. Karolina Kurkova is taking her place.

HAMMER: Whitney, Britney, Brandy. They all have Rodney Jerkins to thank for some of their top selling hits. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT checked out his L.A. recording studio. "Best in Showbiz" now gives you an inside look at what it`s like to be music producer Rodney Jerkins.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RODNEY JERKINS, MUSIC PRODUCER: This is actually studio B of Passive D (ph). This is where we do the vocals and the production. I did "Say My Name" by Destiny`s Child in this studio.

I mixed a Britney Spears record in this studio.

I did some stuff for Brandy. Brandy`s whole "Never Say Never" album was mixed in this studio.

Michael Jackson, I did stuff for Michael Jackson.

Today, I`m going to record my wife, Joy. A record called "Irreplaceable You."

(MUSIC)

JERKINS: Let me get the level on you.

Stop, stop. I need you to be more -- you have to bring out the air in your voice. Be a little bit more sexy with it.

I`ve had success with a lot of different female artists, and I`ve worked with a lot of different emotions throughout the years. I worked with some of the best artists there are. And everybody is different. So you`ve got to treat everybody different.

I have to learn to ease back on certain artists. Some artists emotionally can`t take, "Do that again. You`re off. You`re flat. You`re sharp." They start to cry. You know? So sometimes I`ve got to ease back and just feel them out first and then tell them what to do.

We`ve got to win a Grammy right now. We`re after Grammies. I need you to be on fire right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right.

JERKINS: Watch your pitch. One more time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know. I...

JERKINS: I know, but you`ve just got to take your time.

It`s all about juggling. My days are very hectic and very long. If it`s not in the studio, it`s shooting some pool. If it`s not shooting some pool, I`m at the nail salon getting a manicure. Not bad. If I`m not there, I`m trying to get a quick bite in. Back to the studio to mix.

And people come to me and say, "You`re Dark Child, right?" I used to say it on all the records. If you listen to the Toni Braxton record in the beginning of "He Wasn`t Man Enough for Me," she says Dark Child. And then you heard me on the beginning say my name, like "Dark Child 99" Right before the track starts. You heard Michael Jackson say it on "You Rock My World."

Dark Child comes from actually when I was younger, when I first started. My music had, like, a dark element to it. And child was because I was so young. I was only, like, 13 when I started. So it was like Dark Youth. No, that doesn`t sound good.

Dark Boy? No. Dark Child sounded like, you know, a great name for a production company. And I happened to be dark skinned. So that helps out a little bit, too.

OK. OK. But I`m seeing that you went for it, though. You can hit that. Let`s take it from the bridge.

Come out. Come out. You nailed it that time.

Thanks for hanging out at Passive D (ph) Studios with me. I hope you learned a little bit about what it is to be a music producer. Sorry, but I got to get back to work. Catch you next time. Bye.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Well, Rodney told us that the project most dear to his heart right now is the Versatility Competition. It`s a collection of Rodney Jerkins tracks that kids can actually write to and sing over. He`s hoping to find fresh new talent for his company, Dark Child Records.

ANDERSON: Coming up in "Best in Showbiz." Jay Leno`s photo booth, one of our favorite laughs in "Laughter Dark."

HAMMER: And you may not know his name, but you probably know his voice. Leno`s announcer for "The Tonight Show" invites us along for the ride and shows us what it`s like to be him.

ANDERSON: Plus, dress up your do. How to get red carpet ready with hairstylist to the stars, Frederick Fekkai. That`s ahead on "Best in Showbiz."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARIS HILTON, HOTEL HEIRESS: Hi, I`m Paris Hilton, and I`m watching "The Simpsons," because I have loved it for years, and Homer is hysterical.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Best in Showbiz," a look back at some of the best of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this year. We keep the laughs rolling in "Laughter Dark," and tonight, "The Tonight Show" rigs a booth with hidden cameras and a microphone. It`s a gag that really proves people will do just about anything for a free photo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to the Universal Studios free photo booth. Please throw your daughter in the air to activate the free photos.

How long have you been dating?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please sit down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, crap.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. We got to go. Are you taking a picture?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This would be a good time to propose.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To activate your free photos, please take off your shirt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did it say?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please take off your shirt, it says.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Take off your shirt, honey.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please take off your pants.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please take off my pants now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, nobody is watching.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Nobody is watching, right. He did take off more, but we didn`t think you wanted to see that.

And you know, A.J., we may never know what it`s like to be the Marquee Guy, but one of our "Best in Showbiz" stories was when we found out what it`s like to be Jay Leno`s announcer, John Melendez. That`s coming up.

HAMMER: And Melendez, of course, lends his voice to Leno. Other celebrities giving their name to video games. Who`s doing that? That`s on the way with "Video Game Voice-Overs."

ANDERSON: And "South Park" strikes Scientology. The cartoon crew pokes fun at Tom Cruise and his religion. But is it too much? That`s ahead on "Best in Showbiz."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

A.J. HAMMER, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Best in Showbiz." We`re taking a look back at the best in SHOWBIZ TONIGHT from this past year. It is 31 minute past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.

Tonight, you might remember him as Stuttering John from the "Howard Stern Show." Well, he lost the stutter and gained a job as the announcer on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Does this sound familiar?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MELENDEZ, "TONIGHT SHOW" ANNOUNCER: It`s "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Yep, that`s the classic John Melendez two-finger salute. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got to see a little bit more of John. We spent the day with him in Hollywood. Here`s a "Best in Showbiz" behind-the-scenes look at what it`s like to be John Melendez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELENDEZ: The television adds about 200 pounds. I look like a big Jabba the Hut half the time. So I try and jog every day. Already, after only three minutes, 22 calories burned. I`ve burned off about one asparagus spear so far.

My beautiful wife, Suzanna (ph). Suzanna, she`s everything to me. Without her, I`d still be -- I`d still be -- I`d still be -- I`d still be stuttering.

It`s off to the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. All right. We`re ready to go!

Working at the Stern show was fun, and I just -- you know, but who knew if Howard was leaving or not, and who knew what was going to happen? So when I -- so when this opportunity came up, I was, like, "Oh, my God."

The problem is, I -- you know, I`m a stutterer. They don`t want to make fun of stutterers and have the announcer be someone stuttering, as funny as it might be. And I had to go and -- you know, and do a bunch of announcements and show them that I could do that, you know, without, you know, stuttering.

There is a warm-up that you do that really helps me to get, you know, the voice. There we go. From sunny Burbank, California, it`s the "Tonight" show with Jay Leno! How was that?

There`s the man himself, actual size. The treadmill was bad. Now, look at that, my name on the door. This was the sheet I get every day. This is the announce. This is who`s on tonight, Steve Irwin, Sandra Oh, and then Joss Stone.

Hello, tour people! I`m the announcer of the "Tonight Show." It`s the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. I look skinnier in person, don`t I? Now let`s get some In and Out Burger. $1.61, please

Go ahead, tell him how much you love me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love him!

MELENDEZ: See that? See, every day, I come in here and eat because we always have this just incredibly enlightening conversation, like we`re having now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So today, I think when he introduces you, I think you should give the old two-finger salute.

MELENDEZ: You know, Jay introduces me, which I`m so happy about, because he says, you know, say hello to John Melendez. So, you know, it`s a weird thing, like, when you say, "Hey, say hello to John Melendez," you don`t want to go -- you know, you don`t want to go -- however you do it, it looks stupid, like, you know -- so I was doing this for a while, until every (INAUDIBLE) goofing me about it, so now I`m -- and now I`m doing this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please say hello to John Melendez.

MELENDEZ: See, now, you don`t want to do -- you don`t want to do that because some people aren`t into peace. Too goofy. Too cool.

Now we`ll go down to my dressing room. You know, I come in here -- see, they have the -- these are the clothes I`ll be, like, wearing tonight. Hey, look. Look. I mean, this just amazing. I would never in -- this is a Prada suit. I would never buy this! This is the same makeup room that Johnny Carson used to get his hair done.

It`s the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, featuring Kevin Eubanks and the "Tonight Show" band. And I`m John Melendez. Tonight, Jay welcomes "The Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin, from "Sideways," Sandra Oh, the music of Joss Stone. Now Jay Leno!

JAY LENO, HOST: Say hello to John Melendez.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: John told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he spent a lot of time Googling waving techniques, but still does not feel completely satisfied with his two-finger salute. And, A.J., have you ever noticed John Melendez kind of sounds a little bit like our Marquee Guy?

HAMMER: Yes, well, the Marquee Guy clearly set the bar there.

(LAUGHTER)

Well, tonight, a "Best in Showbiz" "South Park" shocker. The off- beat, off-the-wall Comedy Central cartoon is wildly popular because it takes brutal potshots at Hollywood a-listers. It gets lots of laughs, but, when it ripped into Tom Cruise and Scientology, there are those who say the satire might have just crossed the line. This SHOWBIZ TONIGHT story, by the way, was one of the most viewed stories on CNN.com.

Sibila Vargas reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re going to go play laser tag.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, see you.

VARGAS (voice-over): "South Park" is the highest rated show on Comedy Central, in part because the show is not afraid to stir up controversy. It seems no one and nothing is off-limits.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you heard of Scientology? A lot of really cool people are scientologists, like Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

VARGAS: The innuendoes were clear. The show refers to Scientology as a cult.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just need $240.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, Stan, we`re really getting considered about this cult you`re getting into.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You and I together will make $3 million. This is a scam on a global scale.

VARGAS: And Tom Cruise, who for years has battled gay rumors, and even sued to stop these rumors, well, no restraint here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dad, Tom Cruise won`t come out of the closet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Cruise, Mr. Cruise, come out of the closet.

VARGAS: And if you didn`t get it the first time, they hammer it home. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT had the counter ready to go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tom, you got to come out of the closet, oh my God.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s been four hours now, and Tom Cruise still will not come out of the closet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tom Cruise, this is Park County Police. Please come out of the closet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s time for you to come out of the closet.

VARGAS: Our unscientific tally, almost 40 references. Even for "South Park," did they cross the line? And is the show opening itself up to libel charges by Cruise? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT getting the answers.

HARVEY LEVIN, MANAGING EDITOR, TMZ.COM: I think, in Tom Cruise`s wildest dreams, there`s no lawsuit here. This was strictly parody. There`s no doubt about it. I mean, this show is legendary for its parody. I don`t think anybody is saying, "Wow, this must be true." There`s no lawsuit here.

VARGAS: For Tom Cruise, he`s been the target of ridicule and wonder ever since he famously professed his love for fiancee Katie Holmes on Oprah`s couch.

OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Have you ever felt this way before?

(APPLAUSE)

VARGAS: And went public on "The Today Show," touting Scientology`s opposition to treating depression with medication.

TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: You don`t know history of psychiatry. I do.

NICKI GOSTIN, "NEWSWEEK": It`s just amazing. He`s just been criticized this year. There`s just been a million websites making fun of him and making fun of his relationship with Katie Holmes and making fun of his Scientology and just his aggressive happiness. I think it creeps a lot of people out.

VARGAS: Tom`s used to the bad press. Check out this "New York" magazine cover, "Celebrity Psychos." He`s even hired a high-powered publicist to help his image.

And now Madonna, whose own Kabala beliefs gets a lot of scrutiny, came to his defense, saying, quote, "I don`t really know what Scientology is, and because I don`t know, I`m not in a position to have an opinion about it. But I don`t think anybody else knows, either. They need to shut the (bleep) up."

Some say this could be the last straw for Tom, who`s not afraid to defend his name. He won a multimillion-dollar judgment in 2003 after suing a male wrestler for claiming they had an affair. So the "South Park" team decided to make light of lawsuits, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are going to sue you. You are so sued.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ll sue you in England.

VARGAS: But just in case, no one`s taking responsibility on the show`s credits, just a bunch of John and Jane Smiths.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas. Matt and Trey Parker, by the way, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who are the creators of "South Park," told us they don`t want to talk about the episode. They just want to move forward with new ones. And one interesting note: Viacom owns Comedy Central and also owns Paramount. That`s the studio behind Cruise`s next big flick, "Mission Impossible 3."

ANDERSON: Still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, how stars go sight unseen for obscene amounts of money. Coming up, why celebrities think video games are fair game for their careers.

HAMMER: Plus, one of music`s biggest stars, she sings about the one- two step, but can Ciara step it up at the bowling alley? I`ll find out with one of the "Best in Showbiz" reports as we hit the lanes with the hip- hop star singer coming up next.

ANDERSON: Also, hair dos and don`ts with hairstylist to the stars Frederick Fekkai. How to get red carpet ready, whether it`s for a holiday party or the office. You`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Keep it here for the "Best in Showbiz."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Best in Showbiz," a look back at some of the best in 2005. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.

Tonight, Frederick Fekkai. He`s one of the most talented hairstylists in the world, snipping and shaping the tresses of top Hollywood stars. The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT loves this story, the time we caught up Fekkai, and unlock the secrets of how you, too, can get his fabulous dos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIC FEKKAI, HAIR STYLIST: If you have curly hair, there`s a great style you. If you have short hair, there`s another style for you. It`s versatile.

And the beauty of it is that it`s really about texture. It`s about volume. It`s about style. And some, you know, we have, for instance, on short hair, you know, looks that are deconstructed, but playful and soft.

Many of the actresses we see out there all have this look. You know, we saw it on Renee Zellweger, Reese Witherspoon. We saw short hair on Charlize Theron.

I would like to get the same length that you have, but you need a little more body here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whatever you do is magical.

FEKKAI: So here, on the crown, it is vital for us to layer the top and give a great angle, leaving the top, the front, long. And it will allow us to get a great structure, a great body throughout the hair. It is so important to have a hairstyle that works for you on the daily basis.

And now I`m going to show you a trick. When you apply product, that`s your number-one mistake. Don`t overdo it. And make sure you put the right product at the right place.

So very often, people will do mousse all over the hair, and it go like that. Do not put it in your hand first, but -- very important -- shake it like this. And as you see, you go like that. You go this way, rub it. This way, rub it. And then (INAUDIBLE) a massage, which is very appreciated in general.

For the finishing touch -- and this is where your customer actually can do very easy at home -- it is what we call the magic cream, the glossing cream, like that. You put it on your hand. And you just go like this.

And once you have a nice, thin film, you go through the hair. It looks modern. It`s young. It gives you the great shine and also helps the hair to be manageable, so, any way you place it, you cannot make any mistake. It`s mistake-proof.

I think this is such an easy look. It`s softer. And this is what it`s all about. This is fashion of today. And she looks really glamorous. And she could be on a red carpet, too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Fekkai says the biggest hair mistake he sees on women is over-processing hair and getting highlights on top of highlights. He says it gives hair a brassy, washed-out look, the last thing you want this holiday season.

HAMMER: Absolutely. Well, from celebrity hairstyles to celebrity voices, if you have ever fired up your Xbox or PlayStation and suddenly heard the "Godfather`s" Michael Corleone saying, "I`ll make him an offer he can`t refuse," well, you`re not imagining it, but you`re actually hearing voices, celebrity voices.

Stars are flocking to voice-over video games. And it`s a big business, one of the "Best in Showbiz."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): Just when you thought they were out, Robert Duvall and James Caan are getting pulled back in the Corleone family.

ROBERT DUVALL, ACTOR: It came back quick, like we were looping from a week ago or something. It just came back.

HAMMER: They`re reviving their characters from "The Godfather," sensible lawyer Tom Hagen and doomed hothead Sonny Corleone...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE GODFATHER")

(CROSSTALK)

DUVALL: ... your father was business, not personal, Sonny.

JAMES CAAN, ACTOR: Well, then business will have to suffer, all right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: For Electronic Arts, a video game version of that film classic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUVALL: Even the shooting of your father was business, not personally, son.

CAAN: Well, then, business will have to suffer, all right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tracked down Duvall and Caan in New York City. They told us why recreating their classic "Godfather" roles for a video game was an offer they couldn`t refuse.

DUVALL: Brando did it, we figured we`d do it.

HAMMER: That`s right, the Don himself, Marlon Brando, also recorded scenes for "The Godfather Game" just months before he died.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARLON BRANDO, ACTOR: I`m going to call upon you to do a service for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BATMAN BEGINS")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: The cast of "Batman Begins" also performed a service. They`re lending their voices and images to the video game version of their movie. It`s the latest sign that, in Hollywood, video games aren`t child`s play anymore.

DAN MORRIS, EDITOR IN CHIEF, "PC GAMER": I think in the last few years, the idea that it`s condescending for a big actor to do a video game has really kind of gone out of the window.

HAMMER: That`s a good thing for game makers, who know that snagging a big-name actor for a game can mean big buzz and possibly big bucks.

Exhibit A, Pierce Brosnan, his most recent and final performance as James Bond was not in a movie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIERCE BROSNAN, ACTOR: I will try not to blow things out of proportion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: But in last year`s Bond game, everything or nothing. That game pulled in a not-too-shabby $42 million.

The video game version of last year`s summer hit, "Spider Man 2," featured voice work from Tobey Maguire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOBEY MAGUIRE, ACTOR: This is the city I protect, New York City.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: That game netted an amazing $112 million.

And then there`s "Grand Theft Auto, San Andreas."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMUEL L. JACKSON, ACTOR: I almost forgot, Karl. Time to die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Samuel L. Jackson played corrupt cop Frank Tenpenny in that game, which made off with an astounding $253 million. That`s more than double the take of the movie that gave Jackson his most famous role, "Pulp Fiction."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACKSON: Correctamundo.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORRIS: We`ve got some examples of games that are every bit as much an artistic achievement as any film. If you look at "Half-Life 2," or a game like that, where they`re really doing something special. A lot of people can look at it and say, "That`s something I want to be involved with."

HAMMER: It`s clear that, as games get more cinematic, complex, and, well, cooler, even more big-name actors will want to get in on the video game game.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: No big surprise, a video game based on the upcoming "Da Vinci Code" film is being produced. It comes from the same people who put out "Grand Theft Auto." And it`s going to be released to coincide with the movie`s release coming up in May of 2006.

Well, coming up right here, see what happens when I take one of music`s biggest stars to the bowling alley and finally pin down an answer about what crunk really is, next on "Best in Showbiz."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Twenty-year-old R&B singer Ciara is hotter than ever. Her debut album, "Goodies," has gone double-platinum. And she was just nominated for a best new artist Grammy. That`s one of two for her debut album, "Goodies."

Well, Ciara and I hit the bowling lanes together in New York City and proved that she`s one singer whose not easy to pin down, and one of the "Best in Showbiz."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Now, do you have much experience with the bowling?

CIARA, SINGER: I haven`t bowled in a while.

HAMMER: OK.

CIARA: OK? I haven`t.

HAMMER: They have a little kiddie thing.

CIARA: The one they pull up the gutters on the sides?

HAMMER: Yes, we can pull the gutters up. That`s not a problem.

CIARA: Aw, we don`t need that one. I got this.

HAMMER: You`ve been dubbed the first lady of crunk.

CIARA: You know what?

HAMMER: It`s just something that happens.

You and I know what crunk is. A lot of people won`t know what crunk is. You might have to fill somebody in.

CIARA: You know what? I like to say that crunk music is kind of like -- to me, it`s like high-energy music. The way that I define it is, it`s like the heavy metal of hip-hop. If you go to a club in Atlanta where they get crunk, you literally may need your elbow, you may need your pads, wear your knee pads and everything, because it`s crazy.

HAMMER: Making a record is kind of like bowling. Sometimes you`re going to bowl a strike; sometimes it`s going to be in the gutter. Well, how great for you, your first time out, to be able to work with Lil` Jon, Missy Elliott, Ludacris. Talk to me a little bit about working with Missy.

CIARA: She`s like a mentor to me. She`s like a big sister to me. I mean, she`s been in the industry for so long, and she`s been consistent with hits. And she remains humble.

And I think a lot of times people lose that once they, you know, get to a certain status and they accomplish so much. I think that, the more humble you are, the more the blessings will flow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: My thanks to Ciara for bowling with me. And a big congratulations to her on her Grammy nominations. We`ll find out if she wins on February 8th.

ANDERSON: It is time now to see what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. Yes, it`s time for the "Showbiz Marquee." Marquee Guy, take it away.

MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, we look into our crystal ball for 2006, "Celebrity Predictions." Who`ll split up? Who`ll stick together? Big baby news. We`ve got the people who know all and will tell all, and they will all be here, live. 2006 predictions, guaranteed to maybe come true, tomorrow.

This is the Marquee Guy with this production: I predict that tomorrow will be tomorrow.

ANDERSON: Really?

HAMMER: I want to make a note. Tomorrow will be tomorrow. You know, we just -- we go to the marquee for that all that important information.

ANDERSON: That`s quite a prediction.

HAMMER: That is it for this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Best in Showbiz." I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Happy holidays to you all. Stay tuned for more from CNN Headline News.

END