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“The Test”: Jillian Barberie interview

HOLLYWOOD, June 28, 2001–She’s the weather forecaster who’s taken the TV world by storm.


From award-winning local TV broadcasts on Good Day L.A. to jaw-dropping weather reports on Fox’s NFL Sunday, 34-year-old Jillian Barberie has recently set her sights on the late-night talk show genre as host of FX’s The Test (airing every night at 11 p.m. EDT).


The show, a celebrity-forum talk show that rates the good-and bad-graces of both the guests and host Barberie, often provides some surprising insights into the psyches of today’s top stars and up-and-comers.


However, very little surprises Barberie these days.


She recently spoke with Hollywood.com about late-night TV, her obsession with serial killers, why she wants to be Pamela Anderson and just how chatty teens are about hookers.

Jillian, how are things going these days?


Barberie: I’m on a short break from the show this week, but I’ve got a photo shoot today for Prestone. I’m the new Prestone girl.


Ah, one of your 10 other jobs.


Barberie: [Laughs] That’s right!


Well, speaking of your many jobs, you used to do TV news in South Florida, right? A local news station–WSVN I think, 1993 or so?


Barberie: Yeah, WSVN–“little news, big hair.” But Miami is still my favorite city. I used to go rollerblading all the time. I was a party girl. And the discos …. Miami is so cutting edge. They did things there eight years ago that L.A. still doesn’t do. When I first moved to L.A., I used to say it was so overrated. I’d complain. I’d say, “The people out here go to bed early every night!” But now, I’m one of them. I go to bed at eight every night.


You’ve become a bit of a rarity in the talk-show genre: a female host of a celebrity forum program. Do you consider yourself a pioneer in any way?


Barberie: No. I don’t think about it. I’m more like a man than a woman. I read Playboy, Maxim and FHM. It’s sad. But the bottom line is: late-night TV is not brain surgery.


But do you rank yourself up there with Bill Maher or even John McLaughlin?


Barberie: No. I mean, I love Bill Maher. I think Politically Incorrect would be my dream show. And Comedy Central’s Daily Show is brilliant. But how do you compete with that? The Test doesn’t have that format. I wish it did. On Comedy Central, you can piss people off. You get away with more. They’re notorious for that.


Speaking of the show’s format itself, so many of these tests tend to bring out the best and worst in your guests. Who has given the most surprising response thus far?


Barberie: Um, well they’re always surprising. But what’s more surprising is who’s not as wild as you think they’d be. We had Candace Bushnell on once-the inspiration for Sex and the City–and she was so conservative. Or rock star Vince Neil. He was really quiet. It’s true: big names don’t make for the best guests. The lesser known the name, the more fun they are.


You’ve already covered such topics as sex, marriage, divorce, social consciousness, neighborly love, snobbery …. How do you maintain the creative momentum? Is there any topic you simply won’t touch?


Barberie: Oh, we’ll run out of ideas soon. [Laughs] No, actually, I’ll touch any topic, any day. They have to censor me much of the time as it is. I’m comfortable with these subjects. I have nothing to hide. Well, except for the fact that one of the tests revealed I’m more vain than Carmen Electra.


So, the spicier, the better?


Barberie: Absolutely. On one show, we had two minutes of dead air to kill. The panel consisted of four college students. I think my producer assumed I’d fill it up with some sort of fluff. Instead, I started asking the panel about their past experiences with sex toys. Within two minutes, one of these young guys admits to once hiring a hooker. [Laughs] I love to do this.


Speaking of the panels themselves, if you could have one “dream panel,” who would you select?


Barberie: If I had things my way, I’d want O.J. and Robert Kardashian, maybe Marcia Clark. But that’s just me. I’m obsessed with serial killers. I always have been.


Well, let’s say the topic is sex.


Barberie: Oh, then definitely not O.J.! [Laughs] I’d want Pam Anderson for sure. She’s one of my best friends. But I’d never ask her to come on the show. I just think, though, it would be interesting to be her for a day, you know? Get into her skin. Once, on a trip to Vegas, she and I were walking down the stairs at a hotel, and the place went silent. Not one arm was pulled on those slot machines. She’s today’s Marilyn Monroe.


Would you want Tommy Lee on the panel as well?


Barberie: Nah, we’ve already seen that.


True. Well, as for your other gig, covering the weather on Fox’s NFL Sunday broadcasts, I recently saw a major story on HBO’s Real Sports criticizing Fox’s nontraditional journalistic techniques. Criticizing you and comedian [and Fox NFL commentator] Jimmy Kimmel….


Barberie: [Sighs] That was so unfair. No one told me [HBO] was coming. I walked into that brutal situation just one day after suffering from food poisoning. But, you know, let them attack. So what that I wear tight sweaters? I’m not going to change. I mean, I’m supporting my husband, a retired baseball player [former Florida Marlin Bret Barberie]-did you ever see June Cleaver do that?

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