Anderson Cooper has come a long way, baby!

Soup Cans came across this video of CNN's main man covering the gay pride beat for former employer, ABC. Cooper's not as confident or impassioned as his current persona, but the kids got heart and the tale's sweet: old gay couple celebrate rainy pride. Awwwww.

Anderson Cooper and his CNN team took a look at the Lawrence King murder last night. In addition to telling us what we already know - King was shot by a 14-year old class mate - the 360 journos point out that the shooter, Brandon McIrney, may have been "humiliated" by King's school yard crush.

Do we smell a gay panic defense?

Kathy Griffin does not approve of Anderson Cooper's "shame-based" friendship with Ryan Seacrest.

Lance Bass came out on People. So did Ellen DeGeneres. They didn't need to, of course. We all knew they were flamers, yet the still felt the need to announce it to the world. While we certainly support the famous flamers burning down the closet door, Nick Denton Maggie Schnayerson over at Gawker raises an interesting question: why can't we just call seemingly gay people "gay"?

She specifically discusses could-be queer news anchors such as Bill Hemmer and Anderson Cooper, writing,

…It's 2008 for God's sakes, a news anchor can be whoever he wants to be… Ask the press to call a gay news host like they see one, and all of a sudden demureness is a virtue. For every stab taken at outing a closeted news man, a contradictory report pops up. ABC's Sam Champion made out with a chick! Bill Hemmer was seen loving a lady on the Empire State building! But let's be careful not to point out why both those things are newsworthy enough to be mentioned.

Maggie and her peers then provide five videos of five different news men, all of whom strike us as poofters: Hemmer, Cooper, Champion, Fox's Shepherd Smith and Sean Hannity. Here's our favorite clip of Smith doing his - um - job:

The Gawker kids seem to think that Hemmer's the least likely to take it up the pooper, but we're not so convinced…

We erroneously attributed the piece to Denton, when, in fact, Maggie Schnayerson wrote it. Sorry, Maggie!

Anderson Cooper's adorable wing woman Erica Hill will be getting more screen time:

Erica Hill is joining CNN/U.S. as an anchor and as a correspondent to Anderson Cooper 360°., it was announced today… She joins Anderson Cooper 360°. full-time on Friday, Feb. 1, and will be based in New York.

“We’re delighted Erica is joining us full time,” Doss said. “She’s an exceptional journalist, a terrific broadcaster and a great addition to the AC360 team.”

This will be just like Will & Grace - only with news, not self-important New York yuppies. Oh, wait…

CNN's Anderson Cooper may be hosting a New Year's Eve extravaganza for the news network, but that doesn't mean he's feeling the spirit. Via Page Six:

…Cooper doesn't like ringing in the New Year… "Each year it gets worse and worse, and then I always think it can't get any worse, and then it always does," he told Paper magazine. "No matter where you go, I think everyone is having a bad time on New Year's. There's so much pressure. It's like amateur night."

The ever-professional Cooper will be joined tonight by queer-friendly comedienne Kathy Griffin. It's a match made in heaven…

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• Fantastics Mag celebrates the boys who blow smoke.

• Project Runway's Jack Mackenroth sits down with HX's Brandon Voss.

• Democrats in close Iowa race.

• Mollygood editor Cord Jefferson doesn't like the suburbs. We have a feeling the suburbs probably don't like him, as well.

CONTINUED »

CNN's Anderson Cooper crossed from cable to network when he took Regis Philbin's place on this morning's Regis & Kelly.

Perky and bright-eyed, the gray haired wonder gabbed about his encounter with a group of drunk girls, which he then proceeds to imitate. Rather than engaging the intoxicated youth, the 40-year old New York did what he always does when faced with strange interactions: he pretended to talk on his Blackberry.

Cooper's plan would have worked out swimmingly had the ladies recognized him. Unfortunately, they didn't and one asked, drunkenly, "Were you on a nature show?" The Coop attempted to thwart their inquisition with his imaginary phone call, which he finally aborted when the brazen babes mistook him for John McEnroe. Coop proceeded to fag out: "I was insulted… John McEnroe is like fifty!" Girl, we would have flipped, too.

Don't worry, Coop fans, Anderson got the last laugh: he stole their cab.

Meanwhile, Cooper doesn't appreciate Kelly Ripa's touch.

Via Radar's presidential debate exam.

Anderson Cooper's such a mama's boy! Page Six passes word that the 40-year old CNN anchor (pictured with his mother and late brother, Carter) proudly displays his famous mother's portrait in his Manhattan apartment. And apparently it's quite the draw:

Anderson Cooper has a huge photographic portrait of his iconic mom, denim designer Gloria Vanderbilt, taken when she was young, hanging in a guest room in his Manhattan loft - and it's a huge hit with his guests, said a spy. "People always go in there to check it out."

Too bad it's not in his bedroom, huh? Wait, that would actually be creepy…

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Radio host Michael Savage tainted the air waves with his repulsively closed mind Monday. A caller phoned in to ask why Savage refused to attend last week's Republican debates. Savage first explains the bad blood between him and the news channel - something about Whoopi Goldberg, Al Sharpton and Joy Behar plotting a character attack on Larry King Live - and how Ted Turner set up a "bear trap" for conservatives.

From there, Savage launches a verbal assault on "Anderson Blooper" and Keith Kerr, the retired brigadier who asked the presidential candidates about Don't Ask, Don't Tell. And, from what we gather, Savage isn't so keen on Kerr:

I don't care about this old queen, frankly. He disgusts me to make — my flesh crawls from the old queen. That was a general? Now you wonder why we're still in Iraq five years later. General — with General Keith Kerr, you know why we're still in Iraq five years later. That's all. He wasn't just racking up cue balls at the pool table. I'm sick of it! I'm sick of the whole country, it's like Rome! It's melting down like Rome!

Christ, won't someone feed Savage to the lions, already?

The 65-year old commentator also commented on Cooper's sexuality: "Why don't you enlist, Anderson? I'm not saying you're gay. But you certainly could enlist if you're so interested in "do ask do tell.""

Keith Kerr appeared on CNN's American Morning to defend charges that he works for the Clinton Campaign. Kerr caught our eye, of course, when he asked the Republican presidential candidates why they support Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

CONTINUED »

The CNN/YouTube debates sure were straight last night, huh? We had to wade through immigration, Iraq and the economy before we got our 'mo moment.

For those of you who came and went before the blessed event, we'll fill you in: homosexual and Retired Brigadier General Keith Kerr inquired:

I'm a retired brigadier general with 43 years of service. And I'm a graduate of the Special Forces Officer Course, the Commanding General Staff Course and the Army War College. And I'm an openly gay man.

I want to know why you think that American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians.

Well said, if you ask us.

We break the candidates down, after the jump.

CONTINUED »

Straight-laced newsman Anderson Cooper gabbed with lesbian entertainer Ellen DeGeneres this morning. We never would have guessed, but CNN's super star can talk trash with the best of 'em. While discussing his reality show addiction, Cooper offered his two cents on MTV's Tiara Girls: "It's like, low-rent beauty pageants. It's like, the Miss Filet of Steak Pageant from Philadelphia." Like, Grrrrl!

The Coop also tells DeGeneres that he's addicted to Paula Abdul's train wreck, Hey, Paula!. He'll be straight-up heartbroken to hear the show got the ax.