Jo Piazza of the New York Daily News ran a snippet over the weekend about the relationship between one of Diane von Furstenberg's male assistants and "a very-high-profile, still-kind-of-in-the-closet male broadcaster." That's not much of a blind item: the TV personality pretty much has to be CNN's Anderson Cooper.
MarketWatch media guru Jon Friedman just doesn't get the deal with that Anderson Cooper fellow. You know the one, right? Infinite blue eyes, enveloping gaze, powerful (but gentle) arms, distinguished and shimmering silver hair? Works on CNN? Well Friedman thinks he's the bunk! People just like Anderson 'cause he's adorable, and warm, and kind, and earnest! Not for any good reasons! Or, as Friedman puts it: "Yes, CNN's Anderson Cooper has heart. He oozes empathy. He's clearly a good-hearted fellow and, by all accounts, as likeable as all get-out." YES, YES, BUT WHY IS HE SO POPULAR? And, more importantly, why don't people feel the same way about Jon Friedman?? (Click thru to see the t-shirt we just bought for Jon, btw.)
Tonight might be a very important and momentous occasion, with a black man securing a major-party presidential nomination for the first time in history and all, but Anderson Cooper isn't going to let that stop him from being outrageous and giggly. The dreamy CNN anchor was interviewing Donna Brazile, strategist for a long string of failed Democratic presidential candidates, when he said something complimentary that made her blush and declare, "you're not my boo." When Cooper replied that "I want to be your boo," everyone got a little flustered and giddy and, probably, confused. Anderson, clearly lost at sea, asked everyone to explain what the word "boo" means to him at some later time. In the meantime, Cooper should be thanked for ensuring that tonight really was an important time for bridge-building and new directions in America. Clip after the jump.
The most beautiful cable news anchor of all time ever is 41 years old today. Maybe his mom will come by the studio to sing to him? Or maybe mean Mrs. Clinton will ruin his party by making him report "news." Sigh. [HuffPo] (After the jump, we'll share some birthday wishes for Anderson from HuffPo commenters.)
Like CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, ABC weatherman Sam Champion has been inching out of the closet: he's basically out socially (just ask our commenters!) but remains closeted professionally. Michael Musto wrote in Out one year ago that Champion was in a "glass closet... the press still gives a free pass to people like... Champion and... Cooper, helping to keep their glass doors shut so they can lead gay social lives while carefully skirting the issue." And yet here's Andy Cohen, a senior VP at NBC's Bravo, blogging about Champion, Champion's boyfriend, and their fabulous party in the Hamptons Memorial Day weekend:
Out 'n proud former CNN anchor and current Insider (shudder) correspondent Thomas Roberts spoke to The Advocate this month about gay dudes doing the news. Apparently there are quite a few of them running around, the obvious silver fox in the room being just one of many. And, out or not, they tend to do OK, as long as they're not looking for an evening anchor gig. A talent agent named Mendes Napoli spoke with the magazine as well, saying: "You can be a morning anchor, a weekend anchor, an afternoon anchor, a reporter — they love gay reporters now because they're so animated, they're not stiff. But a primary male anchor who's gay? It's an issue." Huh. "Animated"? What does that mean?? Are there weathermen doing Gloria Estefan routines and picking out snappy outfits for ladies? I should be watching this! Or, is "animated" how one would describe watching nighttime newsman Anderson Cooper trying to button himself up? It's all kind of unclear, but it's good to know that the gays are providing some entertainment value in those dusty old newsrooms. After the jump, just for the heck of it, Roberts on those (NSFW) nude Manhunt photos.
So it seems the Barack Obama campaign has replaced those three annoying young men in Abercrombie & Fitch shirts with a creepy collection of older white ladies in pastels, as though he were a polygamist cult leader or something. Dashing CNN anchor Anderson Cooper does not seem thrilled about this change, for some reason. His colleagues instinctively felt his displeasure at trading pumped-up college dudes in tight, trendy t-shirts for middle-aged housewives, so they started giggling. Coop-style journalism is contagious! Clip after the jump.
Anderson Cooper continues to let it be known, in every possible medium and format, that he is willing to entertain America's brave, well-toned troops in troubled hotspots should his services as a tough-but-emotionally-nurturing (and sometimes giggling) CNN anchor be required. You'll recall Cooper's message of support in Outside magazine's May issue: "I don't understand why more artists don't go and entertain the troops... I saw this documentary on Marlene Dietrich, and during World War II she was going out, right to the front lines. I think she was having sex with a lot of the troops, too." Cooper must have gotten to thinking about Dietrich's personal sacrifices, because a Rush & Molloy tipster just spotted him "looking patriotic in a USO tee on an early flight from New Orleans to JFK last week." Your salute to the troops, like those before it, will surely not go unnoticed, Anderson. [Daily News]
When I saw a tall, dark-haired, model-esque woman sliding through the pre-awards crowd at the National Magazine Awards in the Rose Ballroom on 60th St. last night, my canny journalistic sixth sense kicked in. "She sure doesn't look like a magazine writer," I thought. Later, she strode out on stage during the awards ceremony. It was Padma Lakshmi, supermodel. "Fiction. It can...raise fire in the loins," she purred. Half of the audience shifted in their seats. "The sharpest weapon an editor has at her disposal is her pen. (Pause). Or her tongue." It really drove home the primary question in everyone's minds: Isn't this supposed to be, like, a magazine thing? What the fuck are all these famous people doing here? And Julia Allison? An attempted explanation, and some terrible, terrible cell phone pictures to sum up the night, after the jump.
Gawker's Hamilton Nolan is at the National Magazine Awards, and notifies us via his Sidekick that Anderson Cooper is there! Someone else emailed us a photo of the adorable silver-haired CNN anchor (left) earlier tonight, looking pretty casual. Oh, also, on a less important note, some awards were given out to various magazines. Hamilton said something about New York's Gawker story, "Everybody Sucks," losing to Atlanta magazine's "You Have Thousands of Angels Around You." Outrage! Everybody sucks!! Anyway, it looks like the full list of winners is up and the only multiple-award winners were National Geographic (three awards) and Vanity Fair (two). Nominated for 12 awards, the New Yorker took home just one, though it was for general excellence, so that's nice. I mean, err, it sucks! Everybody sucks! [National Magazine Awards]
CNN heartthrob Anderson Cooper devoted a couple minutes of his program to AN ADORABLE BEAR last night! Seriously. "Frankly I can watch this bear for hours," said Cooper. How does Anderson know so much about bears? His exciting answer to that question may be found in the attached clip! (We suspect he may be exaggerating the breadth of his knowledge.)
When park-cruising meth-head CNN correspondent Richard Quest wasn't busy with rope tricks, he was pouring forth more innuendo-laden quotes on his globetrotting assignments. Here, Quest makes Anderson Cooper, the third most powerful gay man in America, break out into an embarrassed fit of giggles with his salutation: "As Dame Helen Mirren famously said when she picked up her Oscar: I give you...the Queen!" Cheerio, indeed!
Not that the CNN anchor is gay or anything that might gross out midwestern TV viewers. But, if he were, this is what his hypothetical latino boyfriend might look like. The gossipmongers at L.A. Rag Mag claim they were introduced to the silver-haired TV presenter's ex, J.D. Ordonez, at a gay mafia party in Hollywood. The 22-year-old is not merely the shallow party boy his shirtless Myspace photos would suggest. Ordonez is a marine mammal trainer: he communes with dolphins, as well as closeted news anchors. (Click thumb for close-up.)
Anderson Cooper has staked out a position on media personalities having sex with vast numbers of overseas soldiers: Staunchly in favor! On air, the CNN anchor always seems to be saying or asking a little more than good sense would dictate, and then getting all blushy about it, and the same thing seems to have happened in Cooper's interview with Outside magazine. Here's how Cooper answered the innocent question "Do Americans have an exaggerated sense of danger about the Third World?":
Anderson Cooper made the cover of Out Magazine last year-well, a mask bearing his image, at any rate. Aaron Hicklin's Power issue was making the point that the CNN anchor was widely known in media circles to be gay, but avoided any public acknowledgment of his sexuality. The magazine, which ranks Cooper the third most powerful gay in America, tested the silver-haired TV journalist again this year, asking whether he'd pose for the cover. "Thanks for thinking of Anderson for this issue but we are going to pass," responded his publicist. (After the jump, last year's cover.)
In our hearts, we're all kind of low-grade Anderson Cooper stalkers, but the the top prize may go to a woman who showed up to Cooper's New York apartment Friday with six pieces of luggage, ready to move in. The CNN anchor was having his place renovated at the time, so maybe the stalker thought the construction crews would just let her through, but instead they called Anderson who, naturally, found it "kind of creepy." Cooper explains everything to Regis And Kelly after the jump, and we provide some computer wallpaper of America's secret pretend boyfriend to keep your obsession on a low simmer.
