with singer, actress and former miss america vanessa williams.e were talking about racism in america a little bit. maureen dowd, in one of her columns way back now, couple weeks at this point, talking about how she thought these scurrilous attacks calling obama a racist and people showing up with guns at some of the t.e.a. parties, et cetera, was based on the fact he was black. do you agree with that? >> i unfortunately do. you know? i think that there's a lot of unrest and a lot of people don't want to change. so that -- i think it's based in the fear. it's always when people act out in that type of anger it's based on fear and it's the fear of change. that's what he promised and what he's trying to do and trying to deliver. a lot of people don't want to change. a lot of people think they're more american if they don't change. things are great. so we're not going to change. we're more american than you are. which is incorrect. >> ridiculous. do you experience racism, or have you? >> absolutely. >> you have? >> absolutely throughout my life. i me

>>> tonight, bette midler, kathy griffin and vanessa williams. i've got more stars in here than the betty ford clinic. all that and more from the time warner center in new york, tonight. >>> you never know what my guest is going to say or say about you behind your back. her comedy is brash, outspoken and takes no prisoners. in fact, i am wearing body armor right now. please help me welcome to my table, kathy griffin. >> i love that intro and here's why. i love that you pointed out that i talk about people behind their backs. >> yes. >> and here's why. i think it's interesting when people want me to confront these celebrities, and the truth is i was raised right. i talk about people behind their backs, and i wait until you leave the room. >> yes. >> so when people say that on reality shows. if you have something to say, say it to my face. i would rather wait until you leave the room. i can be funnier and it's more freeing. >> sometimes you get into trouble. you have things that i have down here. you said suck it, jesus. >> when i won my first emmy

and what was fun is everyone was so game, including vanessa williams, you'll see.o it was fun. >> jimmy: yeah. so they announced all the nominees, and cut to you sitting in the chair. usually you're sitting there all nervous like, oh, i hope i win. >> right. >> jimmy: instead you guys put on some costumes. just take a look. >> the nominees are -- kristen chenoweth, "pushing daisies" -- jane krakowski, "30 rock" -- [ applause ] elizabeth perkins, "weeds" -- [ applause ] amy poehler, "saturday night live" -- [ applause ] kristin wig, "saturday night live" -- [ applause ] vanessa williams, "ugly betty" -- [ applause ] [ laughter ] >> isn't that good? >> jimmy: i love it. it's like -- "no." >> i love it! there were some people that were confused. they thought vanessa really wasn't into it. but obviously it was a bit. she was played it so well. it was so funny. >> jimmy: yeah, yeah. oh, it was so good. what made me laugh, of course -- they didn't put it on the screens in the room. >> they didn't put it on the screens, no. so we were just -- you know what, it was a testa

with singer, actress and former miss america vanessa williams.were talking about racism in america a little bit. maureen dowd, in one of her columns way back now, couple weeks at this point, talking about how she thought these scurrilous attacks calling obama a racist and people showing up with guns at some of the t.e.a. parties, et cetera, was based on the fact he was black. do you agree with that? >> i unfortunately do. you know? i think that there's a lot of unrest and a lot of people don't want to change. so that -- i think it's based in the fear. it's always when people act out in that type of anger it's based on fear and it's the fear of change. that's what he promised and what he's trying to do and trying to deliver. a lot of people don't want to change. a lot of people think they're more american if they don't change. things are great. so we're not going to change. we're more american than you are. which is incorrect. >> ridiculous. have you experienced racism? >> absolutely. throughout my life. i mean -- >> at work? >> well, i don't know

. >>> tonight, bette midler, kathy griffin and vanessa williams. more stars than the betty ford clinic. all that and more from the time warner center in new york tonight. >>> you never know what my guest is going to say or for that matter say about you behind your back. her brand of comedy is brash, outspoken and takes no prisoners. in fact, i'm wearing body armor right now so help me welcome to my table, kathy agriculture. >> i love that intro. and here's why. i love that you pointed out i talk about people behind their backs. here's why. i think it's interesting when people want me to confront the celebrities. i was raised right. i talk about people behind their backs and wait until you leave the room. >> yes. >> when people say that on reality shows, say something to my face. i think i'd rather wait until you leave the room and i can be funnier and more freeing. >> sometimes you get into trouble. >> always. >> you have said things down here, suck it, jesus. >> won my first emmy, first of two. >> why were you in favor of offending every christian

with singer, actress and former miss america vanessa williams.were talking about racism in america a little bit. maureen dowd, in one of her columns way back now, couple weeks at this point, talking about how she thought these scurrilous attacks calling obama a racist and people showing up with guns at some of the t.e.a. parties, et cetera, was based on the fact he was black. do you agree with that? >> i unfortunately do. you know? i think that there's a lot of unrest and a lot of people don't want to change. so that -- i think it's based in the fear. it's always when people act out in that type of anger it's based on fear and it's the fear of change. that's what he promised and what he's trying to do and trying to deliver. a lot of people don't want to change. a lot of people think they're more american if they don't change. things are great. so we're not going to change. we're more american than you are. which is incorrect. >> ridiculous. have you experienced racism? >> absolutely. throughout my life. i mean -- >> at work? >> well, i don't know

. >> joy's guest tonight, two of my favorites, kathy griffin and vanessa williams. that is 9:00 p.m. here on hln. thank you, fantastic panel. now we're talking sex, blackmail and late night television. we'll take a look at david letterman's admitted sexual affairs and the network tv producer who allegedly tried to extort him for $2 million. awe but first americans across the country marching for farm animals. 10 billion farm animals slaughtered every night in the u.s. you will meet the man leading the charge to treat them with decency and kindness and eliminate the cruelties of factory farming. úú?aaauuuuuuu >>> jon gosselin fighting back. the former star of "jon and kate plus eight" claims he had an epiphany and wants his children taken off the reality show. an epiphany? really? funny how his sudden enlightenment came less than a week after he got the boot from the tlc show. wild coincidence? >>> plus, a late night bombshell. david letterman admits to having sex with his co-workers, telling the live audience he was blackmailed by a colleague from cbs. cops say a

>> to divide the house of mead. >> please welcome the beautiful and talented, vanessa williams. >> am smiling? i can't tell. >> you are. kathy griffin and i were talking about plastic surgery, and she says that basically you can't get along in hollywood without some kind of plastic surgery, and it's not just people older, it's young girls getting stuff. what do you think? >> there is a pressure to stay young and stay in the game. i was lucky enough to when i was 40 i wanted to maintain the way i looked. edidn't want to look like anybody else. >> why would you want to look like somebody else? i would rather look like you if i were you, yeah. >> thank you. that's when i first partook in botox. >> the botox. we love the botox. >> we love the botox and it is easy and it's a needle and you're in and out in less than 20 minutes. you know, if you don't like it, you don't have to do it. if you do, you get done every four months or so and it is wonderful and playing slater, i'm vocal about using botox as a character and allegin teamed up and asked me to be the spokesperson. it was a joint vent

. >> joy's guests tonight, two of my favorites, kathy griffin and vanessa williams. that is 9:00 p.m. here on hln. >>> once again, thank you, fantastic panel. now we're talking sex, blackmail and late-night television. we'll take a look at david letterman's admitted sexual affairs and the network tv producer who allegedly tried to extort him for $2 million. >>> but first, americans across the country marching for farm animals this weekend. 10 billion farm animals slaughtered for food in the u.s. every year. you'll meet the man leading the charge to treat them with decency and kindness and eliminate the cruelties of factory farming.         >>> jon gosselin fighting back. the former star of "jon and kate plus eight" claims he had an epiphany and wants his children taken off the reality show. an epiphany? really? funny how his sudden enlightenment came less than a week after he got the boot from the tlc show. wild coincidence? >>> plus, a late night bombshell. david letterman admits to having sex with his co-workers, telling the live audience he was blackmailed

. >> tonight kathy griffin and vanessa williams will be on joy's show. >>> reality tv was too much for jon gosselin. why he told producers to stop the show and how they're reacting. >>> lawmakers work until after midnight on a health care compromise bill, about 2:00 in the morning eastern time. max baucus said work had been completed in all phases of the legislation. democrats made last-minute changes to ease the bill's impact on working class families. one change would exempt millions of people from any requirement to buy health insurance. the final committee vote is set for next week. >>> officials say 3,000 people may still be trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings after wednesday's powerful earthquake. rez c rescuers are still finding survivors. including this woman trapped under piles of debris under her collapsed college for two days. most students could crawl out. others couldn't. wednesday's quake had a magnitude of 7.6. it killed 1,100 people. officials say the number will probably go up as so many people are still missing. >>> in the south pacific mass bur yals are b