Richard Simmons Makes Passionate Appeal on 'Your World With Neil Cavuto'

This is a rush transcript from "Your World With Neil Cavuto," April 22, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: One of my favorite guests of all time: From bashing big to passing fit, Richard Simmons just rocking the House of Representatives, members voting to pass his Fit Kids Act. They're trying to jump-start physical education in schools.

Let's just say Richard's a little excited. I was wrong on this. I didn't think this would happen.

RICHARD SIMMONS, FOUNDER, RICHARD SIMMONS INC.: Say it again. Say it again. Say it again.

CAVUTO: I was wrong.

SIMMONS: "I was wrong." Say it again. Say it again.

CAVUTO: I was wrong.

SIMMONS: Mother, daughter.

(LAUGHTER)

SIMMONS: Faye Dunaway in "Chinatown."

CAVUTO: You did this.

SIMMONS: Neil, where are the flowers?

CAVUTO: Well...

SIMMONS: Where is the dinner tonight?

CAVUTO: Well, careful. I mean, it's — you were right. How did you know that this would get through? Because a lot of these guys, they wouldn't strike me as your fans. But —

SIMMONS: Well, it's not that they're my fans. They just believe in what I do. Our kids are overweight. They're obese. I have worked three-and-a-half years to get this bill passed.

CAVUTO: We should explain what the bill is. It requires...

SIMMONS: The bill is — the Fit Kids bill is — we're going to all the schools and find out what they're doing and see if we can improve upon it, so we can get physical fitness back in the school system in a big way.

CAVUTO: I see.

SIMMONS: No flowers, no roses, no nothing. You're cheap.

CAVUTO: Get over it.

SIMMONS: You sat here — I'm not — I can't get over it. You sat here and you said, it will never happen.

CAVUTO: I —

SIMMONS: Wait. You cocked your head like this. Look.

(LAUGHTER)

SIMMONS: Like that. Yes, you did.

CAVUTO: I never do that.

SIMMONS: Yes, you did.

CAVUTO: I never do — I'm happy for you. I'm happy for —

(CROSSTALK)

SIMMONS: So, I went to Washington. I was there with...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Did you dress up like that when you were in Washington?

SIMMONS: No. I was in a suit. I was with Chairperson George Miller.

CAVUTO: Last time you were with me in a suit, it looked like a prom suit. What was that suit?

SIMMONS: You're so hurtful. That was Bijan. You better...

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: It was. OK.

SIMMONS: Prom suit.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: So, you went there.

SIMMONS: I went to Washington. There I am right there in a purple suit.

CAVUTO: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: That's what you wore with me.

SIMMONS: Chairperson George Miller and Congressmen Wamp and Kind. And it's been passed unanimously in Congress.

CAVUTO: That's terrific. Now what's next, though?

SIMMONS: Out next thing is Senate. And we're going to start working on a campaign.

CAVUTO: Those guys are very serious, Richard.

SIMMONS: Wait a minute. I started here with questionnaires and I got over 200,000 questionnaires back.

CAVUTO: I know you did, but the Senate is a big hurdle.

SIMMONS: I don't care if it's a hurdle. I'm up for it. I'm up for it, Neil! I am up for it.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Sit down.

SIMMONS: I'm not going to be happy until every child in every school is physically active. And we cannot —

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Now, obviously, the president would sign this in a minute, right?

SIMMONS: I think he would, because —

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Have you talked to him?

SIMMONS: No. But I —

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: What about Michelle? She's Ms. Fitness.

SIMMONS: I would talk to the first lady or the president, anything —

CAVUTO: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Neither of them have talked to you?

(CROSSTALK)

SIMMONS (singing): You don't bring me flowers.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: Wow. Richard.

SIMMONS (singing): You don't sing me love songs.

CAVUTO: Please don't go...

(CROSSTALK)

SIMMONS: You know what? You hardly talk to me anymore.

CAVUTO: I'm feeling — I'm feeling uncomfortable.

All right, so, let me ask you, I find it odd that you've been leading this cause. They're the fitness couple, probably the fittest couple who have been in the White House ever.

SIMMONS: That's true.

CAVUTO: And they haven't contacted Mr. Fitness?

SIMMONS: Well, I'm waiting for the call. I think, after today, they know how serious I was.

CAVUTO: You know, Richard, the White House watches this show.

SIMMONS: They do?

CAVUTO: Yes, they do.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: They don't admit it.

SIMMONS: Oh, they don't?

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Robert Gibbs, I'm looking at you.

SIMMONS: You know, I'm so passionate about this. I have been doing this...

(LAUGHTER)

SIMMONS: Is this my segment or do you want to bring John Stossel on early?

(LAUGHTER)

SIMMONS: Huh? Mr. Happiness in the green room. Oh, my...

CAVUTO: He's a very — wait. He's a very serious...

(CROSSTALK)

SIMMONS: Oh, my goodness.

CAVUTO: What don't you like about him?

SIMMONS: No, I love him, but he was a little — he hurt my feelings. But I'm not going to...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Why did he — how did he hurt your feelings?

SIMMONS: Here's the bottom line: I need your help.

CAVUTO: No, no, no.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Stossel — what happened?

SIMMONS: Wait. No, no, I need your help.

CAVUTO: No, no, no. I know. You will get me help.

SIMMONS: I need your help to help me with the Senate.

CAVUTO: Well, what about Stossel? What happened? Something happened in the green room. What happened?

SIMMONS: Nothing.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: OK.

SIMMONS: But listen to me. I need your help.

CAVUTO: You know what?

SIMMONS: You're not going to let me talk.

(CROSSTALK)

SIMMONS: You're not going to let me talk.

CAVUTO: Now I won't. You move on. I like that. Continue.

SIMMONS: OK. Yes.

John, roses.

(LAUGHTER)

SIMMONS: Congress will be a hurdle, but I think everyone in — excuse me — Senate will be a hurdle, but I think everyone in there has children. Everyone in there has grandchildren. No one wants to see our kids continue to gain weight, have high blood pressure — let me finish — high cholesterol, diabetes, and depression.

And I'm going to fight hard. I'm going to ask you when I come back. I'm going to have something on RichardSimmons.com where they can write their senators.

Do you know how many e-mails? Over 200,000 e-mails went to Congress, the congressmen.

CAVUTO: Let me ask you, do you know, from your last appearance here, we got 1,500 e-mails, just from your appearance.

SIMMONS: What —

CAVUTO: That's very good.

SIMMONS: What did they say?

CAVUTO: They said, he's nuts.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: No, no, they said — no, they really like you.

SIMMONS: Why don't you go join John Stossel in the other room? You two can play cards.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: All right. Well, what else?

SIMMONS: Listen to me, I'm going to need your help with the Senate.

I'm going to come back and we're going to do another blast — another blast of e-mails.

CAVUTO: You know, I want to ask you on the fitness thing, — I had a general on a couple of days ago on Fox Business Network, which, if you don't get —

(CROSSTALK)

STUDIO: Demand it!

CAVUTO: Right.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: Anyway, here's what this dude said.

SIMMONS: This is supposed to be my time.

(LAUGHTER)

SIMMONS: You brought up John Stossel.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Now this general.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: He's talking about you. I mentioned you in the conversation.

SIMMONS: Oh.

CAVUTO: And he says, Neil, something that Richard might be wrong on is that kids are actually, in total, getting about the same amount of exercise, but they're eating more junk.

SIMMONS: No, the general is wrong.

CAVUTO: Well, he's going to launch an attack on you.

SIMMONS: No, it's OK. Four percent of — of grammar schools have it, 12 percent of high schools. It's not enough. What we're doing now is not enough.

CAVUTO: No, he's saying that we — yes, you're right, you know, fitness and all. But he's saying, unless you get to the core of this, we're eating junk.

SIMMONS: No, there's two things. We have two things here to talk about, cafeterias, what they're serving —

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: And John Stossel.

SIMMONS: ... food, and exercise. And I can only tell you this. I never —

CAVUTO: Well, that's what he said. He's agreeing with that. But you said the food thing wasn't an issue.

SIMMONS: No, the food thing is important. It's two different things, though.

CAVUTO: You're scared because he's a general.

(LAUGHTER)

SIMMONS: Watch. Watch me do this.

(LAUGHTER)

SIMMONS: No, I'm not scared.

CAVUTO: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

SIMMONS: But, I mean, the processed food, the cafeterias, that's one problem that we have to solve.

CAVUTO: Right.

SIMMONS: But the other problem is to get physical activity in the schools in a big way.

(CROSSTALK)

SIMMONS: And I hope that you will help me with Senate.

CAVUTO: You know what? I will.

SIMMONS: You know?

CAVUTO: It's a very good idea.

SIMMONS: I'm going to come back and ask your help, because, you know, the first time I was on —

CAVUTO: But I don't have to go on a tour with you, right?

(LAUGHTER)

SIMMONS: I have a tank top...

(LAUGHTER)

SIMMONS: No, but...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Well, you know, you could do worse. Right.

SIMMONS: This is serious. This is serious.

Forty thousand people filled out that questionnaire because of you, Neil.

CAVUTO: Because of you, Richard. All seriousness, that was you.

SIMMONS: Forty thousand were watching, and they came.

CAVUTO: You have been relentless on this.

SIMMONS: So, 200,000 came in. We all wrote our congressmen. And that's why I was in Washington today...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Do you know , I was reading something, Richard — I wish we had more time.

(CROSSTALK)

SIMMONS: Just knock John Stossel. Just knock him.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: I'm not going to knock Stossel.

SIMMONS: Oh.

CAVUTO: That you are among the country's most likable television entities. That's pretty good.

SIMMONS: Well, you know, I have never lied to you —

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Shep Smith was number one, but you were like right up there.

SIMMONS: I have never lied to the people. I have always told them to love themselves, to move their body, and to watch their portions.

CAVUTO: Yes, you have.

SIMMONS: For 38 years, Neil, that's the only thing I have told them. And, after 38 years, I never jumped on any other bandwagons for stupid diets or shots or pills or anything.

I'm very worried about our young people. And we need to take care of them, or they're not going to live as long as their parents. And this is really something very important to me.

And it's my life dream to be able to go and continue going to schools and teaching them about stretching and aerobics, cardio and strength training, because I want them to have a better life than I did. I don't want them to grow up to be me. I want them to be healthy. I want them not to go through eating disorders.

CAVUTO: Were you abused as a fat kid?

SIMMONS: We all — we all — by someone who finds us to be a target.

CAVUTO: You even said, it's really the last accepted form of prejudice.

SIMMONS: It's terrible, the way obese children and adults are treated in this country. And I'm not leaving this Earth until that is changed.

And it has to start with the schools. And then we want to get the parents to be — to learn how to do things with kids, more physical activity for both the parents and their children, because, adult-wise, we have so many morbidly obese people —

CAVUTO: You're right. You're right.

SIMMONS: ... who are depressed and don't feel good about themselves.

CAVUTO: You're right.

SIMMONS: So, I'm going to really hold on to you.

And, you know, you can have my address. I do love red roses, but I will take pink or white or yellow, a dozen, two dozen, that say congratulations.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Now, I take it, for you, a White Castle gift certificate, bad idea?

OK. You're a class act.

SIMMONS: Thank you. Thank you.

CAVUTO: Very good seeing you.

SIMMONS: Can I stay on with John? You think I can just...

CAVUTO: No. No.

(LAUGHTER)

SIMMONS: No, I could sit over there.

CAVUTO: No.

SIMMONS: Can I sneak — can I just be over there and just wave?

CAVUTO: No.

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