Simon to Return to "American Idol"; GLAAD Draws Attention to Transgender Portrayals
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.</s>HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Simon says something really important.</s>SIMON COWELL, JUDGE, "AMERICAN IDOL": It was what came out of Mikalah`s mouth which was the problem.</s>HAMMER: Tonight, breaking news about the "American Idol" judge you just love to hate. Will he be leaving the show? And why is he involved in a big legal battle in Britain? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the latest on what`s going on between Simon and Simon. Not those two; these two! Also, why GLAAD isn`t too happy. Tonight, why the gay rights group is so worked up about transsexuals and a "Desperate Housewives" star. The inside story. Plus, we go one-on-one with Felicity Huffman to set the record straight, in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Classic rock, rocks on! Tonight, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John still packing them in all over the world. How they do it, why they keep on rolling when others have retired. It`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.</s>ISAAC HAYES, SINGER: I`m Isaac Hayes. If it happens today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.</s>HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer live in New York.</s>BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: I`m Brooke Anderson live in Hollywood. Tonight, the end of the drama surrounding America`s biggest TV show. And Simon says, "I`m in!" In a blockbuster announcement today, Simon Cowell put an end to a battle that threatened to turn "American Idol" upside down. The bottom line: the straight-talking "Idol" judge is staying put for a long time to come.</s>COWELL: Bo, probably the closest finale we`ve ever had. You look like my chemistry teacher.</s>ANDERSON (voice-over): Last season`s finale of "American Idol" drew a powerhouse 66 million viewers. It`s the third largest program in FOX history, and Simon Cowell`s snap wit is one of the major reasons.</s>COWELL: It would be rather like ordering a guard dog for your home, and getting delivered a poodle in a leather jacket.</s>ANDERSON: And if you haven`t gotten enough, Simon will be saying a lot more, for at least five more years. FOX just announced he`s signed on for the long haul, if we can all take it that long.</s>COWELL: It was a complete and utter mess.</s>ANDERSON: Cowell, a longtime music industry producer, told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he`s the reason behind the success.</s>COWELL: Because most people who work in the music industry, they don`t say very much. They`re very, very cautious. I`ve always gotten into trouble, because I`ve got a big mouth.</s>ANDERSON: Cowell`s big mouth has made big stars of "Idol" names like Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Kelly Clarkson. Can`t forget Fantasia and most recent idol Carrie Underwood. She`s got the No. 1 country album out. Cowell and "American Idol`s" other Simon, music mogul Simon Fuller, manage, or have managed all their careers. But will it get old? With the top songs in the country and the top show in America, this franchise is big business. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went straight to "Newsweek`s" Marc Peyser for the inside scoop.</s>MARC PEYSER, "NEWSWEEK": It`s a multi-, multi-, multi-million dollar business. I mean, FOX basically exists because "American Idol" is the huge success that it is. I don`t know what would happen to the network if the show went away. And I don`t think the show would be in good shape if Simon had gone away either.</s>ANDERSON (voice-over): I`m here in Hollywood at the Kodak Theater, where "American Idol" will start up again in January. Cowell`s announcement comes just as he settled a lawsuit filed against him by the other Simon, Fuller, who says Cowell tried to start another talent show in England. That was holding things up. Now that there is a full go-ahead, I asked fans whether the show needs a bit freshening up.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like the format. I like Simon Cowell, Paula, Mr. Seacrest. Everything`s fine.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it has a good format, but it needs to change. You know, people are getting bored with the same old reality show.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Audiences don`t like a predictable show. That`s the bottom line.</s>ANDERSON: "TV Guide`s" Mary Murphy told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the show definitely has staying power.</s>MARY MURPHY, "TV GUIDE": "American Idol" will be here five years from now, because the resources are there. We have people already sending in their ballots to line up all over America. It will be here, because everybody that wants to be an "American Idol" is already saying, "Maybe, maybe it will be me." That`s why it will be here.</s>ANDERSON: And with an average of 25 to 30 million viewers per episode, and 360 million votes per season, the juggernaut continues.</s>ANDERSON: Simon Cowell was reportedly making as much as $8 million a year. But for once, he`s being tight-lipped, not divulging what he`ll be making in this new contract.</s>HAMMER: Well, tonight, gay rights activists are calling for big changes in Hollywood, and they want to set the record straight. GLAAD, which is the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, today demanded the media stop using the words "transvestite," "transsexual" and the term "sex change" to describe characters in three new films that have been getting a lot of buzz these days, including "Rent," "Breakfast on Pluto," and "Transamerica," in which "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman plays a transsexual, a man who`s about to undergo a sex change operation to become a woman. But GLAAD says we should describe Huffman`s character as "transgender," and the procedure should be called "sex reassignment surgery." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with the Emmy award-winning actress today.</s>FELICITY HUFFMAN, ACTRESS: And I`m proud to represent the transgender community in the small way that I have. I mean, she just represents one individual in a broad spectrum of people like any -- like any group. So I`m proud and I hope that the transgender community approves.</s>HAMMER: Felicity Huffman had a lot more to tell us, including what surprises are in store for her "Desperate Housewives" character, Lynette, in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s coming up in just a bit.</s>ANDERSON: The controversy today over the media`s use of words like "transsexual" and "transvestites" leads to tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview. Live tonight in Washington, D.C. is Mara Keisling, who is the founder and executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. Mara, welcome. Thanks for being here.</s>MARA KEISLING, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSGENDER EQUALITY: Thanks for having me, Brooke. How are you?</s>ANDERSON: I`m doing well. Thank you. OK. Now many people may be watching this and think, "OK, we can`t say transvestite, can`t say sex change." Many may say this is political correctness that is out of control. What do you think, Mara?</s>KEISLING: The most important thing to keep in mind is that how the media respects people, transgender people and otherwise, and how the media -- what language the media uses to describe people really does impact how the public treats people and respects people and what they language they use. So we believe that the media and journalists in particular really want to use the language that is most accurate and the language that is the most appropriate.</s>ANDERSON: In the movie "Transamerica," which we just spoke about, it stars Felicity Huffman. She plays a male to female transgender who is about a undergo surgery. Now GLAAD says we don`t need to say sex change. We don`t need to call it that. What should we call it?</s>KEISLING: Well, the wonderful thing about the movie "Transamerica" is that it isn`t about what people expect. It isn`t about surgery. Surgery is a very small part of any transgender person`s life. And when we talk about sex change surgery, we really are focusing on that in a way that really isn`t true to how most transgender people are. Many transgender people never have surgery. Even those who transition from one gender to another, usually don`t have any kind of surgery. And focusing on that really does injustice to the subject. There are a lot more interesting things to talk about</s>ANDERSON: Well, a number of films focus on transgender issues, people who don`t have the surgery. "Breakfast" on Pluto features a cross dresser in London. "Rent" features a drag queen named Angel. Is it incorrect to call them transvestites? How should we refer to them? Even in "Breakfast on Pluto," that character refers to herself as a transvestite.</s>KEISLING: Yes, absolutely she does. "Transvestite" in the United States has become an archaic term that primarily is used pejoratively. I`m sure there are some folks who do identify themselves that way. But in general, that`s now an archaic term. The term that`s preferred now by most people who fit that classification is cross dresser.</s>ANDERSON: So very quickly, we have just a few moments left, but is the goal here not just targeting the media, the entertainment industry, but do you want everyone to change their terminology?</s>KEISLING: You know, the terminology around all things changes over time. What`s important is that transgender people are respected as members of the community, that they are -- that they are safe from discrimination and violence and disrespect. And a really important start to that is the kind of language we use to describe people, and how the language people use to describe themselves is a good way to start.</s>ANDERSON: Mara Keisling, thank you so much for being here and educating us on this issue.</s>KEISLING: Thanks so much.</s>ANDERSON: We appreciate it.</s>KEISLING: Thanks. Bye-bye.</s>HAMMER: Coming up, Tom Cruise nuptial news. The wedding date has been set. You can mark it in your calendar. We`ll tell you when it is, coming up next.</s>ANDERSON: Plus, a mother-daughter team on a cross-country quest to find love. It`s never a dull moment with the beautiful and bubbly "Gastineau Girls" Brittny and Lisa, live. Up next.</s>HAMMER: And, they are still rocking while many others their age are in rocking chairs. Tonight, how the Stones, McCartney, Rod Stewart and others are able to still sell out seats everywhere. Their secrets revealed, in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report. That is coming up. But first, let us get into tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What was the name of the carnival machine that granted 12-year-old Josh Baskin`s wish in 1988`s film Big"? Was it Zoltron, Zoltar, Zoltan or Zamboni? We`re coming right back with the answer.