Sorry, kiddos, but Anderson Cooper is not considered America’s most-trusted newscaster in the post-Cronkite era. (Nor is pundit Rachel Maddow.) Like all such superlatives, this honor is bestowed upon a middle-aged white guy. Of the “fake news” variety.
With almost 10,000 votes, Time magazine’s poll says it’s Emmy-winning, young-person favorite Jon Stewart, whose television show airs on a network called Comedy Central (!) that has Cronkite’s voice of authority. And he does it while making you laugh at anti-gay Republicans sometimes!
This means he beat out real newscasters like Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson, and Katie Couric. (This also means Matt Lauer lost the race, too.)
And, of course, Anderson Cooper is among the losers. But how can you put your trust in a guy when he doesn’t even trust you with his sexuality?
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
(Thanks, Matt!)
galefan2004
I will be interested in what John Stewart actually has to say about this. I think if you asked him his answer would probably be Brian Williams. Stewart doesn’t really champion himself as the newsman that most people have turned him into. He is first and foremost a comedian. I think the only real reason people bring up his name is because in the times he is actually on the air he is more likely to bring real news then a week long marathon of MJ.
anon
Anderson Cooper and Rachel Maddow were not options for the poll, so no wonder they didn’t win, but how did they lose a poll they weren’t in to begin with? Oh, right, it doesn’t matter, you just wanted to trash talk some more. Got it.
Cam
The fact is though that the Daily show actually does have some hard news by virtue of the fact that it will run stories other networks are ignoring and call them on it. If I remember right the Daily show was running stuff on Iran and the vote issue before the other programs picked it up. Additionally it will call out other news programs when they show hypocracy, i.e. just this morning, he showed a clip of Lou Dobbs saying that there are still unanswered questions about Obama’s Birth Certificate and whether he was born in America, then he cutes to a clip from a few days earlier, on Lou Dobbs own show, with a Guest host showing shots of the local Hawaiin paper from back in the Year of Obama’s birth showing the birth announcement, written statements from the Hawaiian state govt. etc… Then proceded to Mock Dobbs by saying “Do You Even Watch your own Show?!”. It was a great moment and it showed how many of these programs will try to stretch out a story just to keep ratings.
mk
This means he beat out real newscasters like Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson, and Katie Couric. (This also means Matt Lauer lost the race, too.)
Those three news anchors are the only people Stewart beat because they were the only other options in the poll. Which in fact means Stewart did not beat Matt Lauer as you claim nor Maddow or Cooper. I actually noticed people trying to do write in votes for other people in news including Maddow and Cooper by twittering Time. There has also already been complaining by conservatives on the web that there was no right wing option for them to support. I have no confidence that someone from FOX like Shep Smith or even Bill O’reilly wouldn’t have blown Stewart out of the water in votes given their big ratings and the number of right wing nuts.
Do you guys actually do any research at all or do you just spend all your time trying to figure out how you can somehow find some way to bitch about Anderson Cooper again and continue ignoring the other closet gays in news?
M Shane
Is everyone so naive that they don’t think that A. Cooper hasn’t considered and talked about outing himself on the air. Truth be told, I’m sure that he lives such an outwardly gay life that his bosses have nixed that option since he is heard all over the country and the average American doesn’t know or care what his private life is.
If being gay impacted what he was doing , I would say that he needs to be outed, particularly if he was hypocritical.
I like listening tio Stewart, comedy is historically a tried and true method of getting the truth out. Presenting it in that formate makes it seem less threatening.
Cam
What is it about Iowa and Katie Couric? Does she have family there?
rigs
ya… its an online poll. enough said
TANK
And the onion is still america’s most trusted source of news.
Andrew
I want to make babies with Jon Stewart.
rick
HEY! I POINTED THIS OUT YESTERDAY ON THE ANDERSON COOPPER STORY!
TANK
@rick:
OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nitesurf
Surely you don’t think Anderson’s been plunged into the abyss of despair over this poll do you? Because I certainly doubt it.
john
I too would like to make some of the baby magic with Jon Stewart.
mikebuc
10,000 votes on a Time magazine online poll. How definitive.
Why do you keep bashing Anderson Cooper? Jealous?
me
keep bashing a-coop pls. somebody has to do it
me
not to turn this into yet another discussion about anderson cooper’s decision to keep his sexuality veiled, but the argument that homosexuality should not be discussed because “it doesn’t matter” seems like a justification of homophobic attitudes. it’s the stale “keep it in the bedroom” sentiment many straight people harbored in the olden days made palatable to gays. it’s alright to oblige people when they want you to keep your deviant sexuality to yourself. i mean if we all pretend to be asexual then we’re all equal, right? oh but heterosexuals are exempt. they are more equal.
anon
@me: Yes, can’t let that guy lead his own life, now, can we?
galefan2004
QT keeps attacking Anderson Cooper because lets face it, he is one of America’s sweethearts. His family is well known, he has an awesome background story and is America’s prince charming. No one person in this country would do more for the cause if they came out than Cooper, and yet he decides to put his own selfish interest of making money before gay rights. That is unacceptable.
anon
You don’t know what his interests are in not discussing his sexuality, and I think that whether you accept it or not, coming out should be a personal decision for anyone not being anti-gay publicly. He’s not obligated to take up a cause just because you want him to.
me
it’s his decision alright. but that doesn’t stop our collective ire at this squandered opportunity.
galefan2004
@anon: No he is obligated to take up the cause because he is gay. Gay males should do things like fight for gay rights. They shouldn’t have to be asked. They should just do it. I can just imagine you arguing that a light skinned person shouldn’t come out as black if its obvious that they can help the community. His ability to help the community by coming out is what should cause him to come out. I stop supporting that its a personal decision when it could help the community that you are part of as much as the coming out of AC would.
anon
@me: It’s an opportunity for you, but it’s still his life. I’m sure he’s considered it, and I don’t think him being one of many people who for whatever reason don’t want to discuss his sexuality is deserving the amount of bashing he gets. The focus is always on him, and considering his work for aids charities and covering gay issues on his show that others miss, like the suicides of the kids who were bullied and committed suicide because they were perceived to be gay, I think this treating him some great enemy to the gay community is unfair.
@galefan2004: I don’t. While I think it would great it if he did come out, and I’m not particularly pleased that he doesn’t, I don’t think he has an obligation to do it. I don’t think many people would consider a black person unable to be an objective journalist the way they might a gay person.
anon
@galefan2004: Not that black people aren’t discriminated against, I mean, but they do have equal rights in this country, while gay people’s rights are being discussed on the news programs by journalists like Anderson, and being gay is generally associated with being liberal.
Cam
@anon: you said “You don’t know what his interests are in not discussing his sexuality, and I think that whether you accept it or not, coming out should be a personal decision for anyone not being anti-gay publicly. He’s not obligated to take up a cause just because you want him to.”
__________________________________________________
You are right, he isn’t obligated….but then again, I’m not obligated to think of him as anything other than a coward on a personal level. I think he seems like a nice guy, at least that is how he comes off. But any guy working in a factory, or a car lot, or a bar, or an office who comes out is braver than this guy, but just like Dorothy Dandridge wouldn’t take roles playing a maid because she thought it was bad to keep putting that image out there, somebody like Anderson Cooper coming out would be much bigger than 50 Lance Bass’s. Cooper is liked by straight America, it would be like one of their friends coming out and we all know that having a friend or a family member come out is the surest way of changing people’s minds.
anon
“But any guy working in a factory, or a car lot, or a bar, or an office who comes out is braver than this guy,”
For as far as I know, Anderson is out to his family, friends, and at work as well.
While I think it would do good for the gay community for him to do so, I don’t think it would be like having a friend or family member come out. People are very critical of the media and journalists, I don’t know if it would be received as positively by everyone as you think.
It’s your right to think he’s a coward, I just don’t get why some people seem to be so gleeful to bash someone again and again who otherwise seems nice, and is not doing anything against them. I think it’s overtly harsh.
anon
*overly
2nice
Does anyone watch PBS? I mean what about Bill Moyers?!?!?! Or any of their other lovely news programs, Ya know I feel a lot older than I actually am.
dontblamemeivotedforhillary
If you removed Katie Couric (best suited for Auto-tune the News by the Gregory Brothers which y’all know how to Google) and remove Brian “Untrustworthy eyebrows” Williams who is quite frankly, the lesbian back-up and shave a few female liberal votes from Daily Show’s John Stewart, we’d have a Trust Horse Race with Gay’s most trusted source: Ms Rachel Maddow! Ya know, the smart ones, not the ones who call her a pundit while men are commentators… Sorry, Anderson, shoulda, coulda and why-didn’t-ya come out when ya had the chance? Me likes Rachel more but must OBEY QUEERTY!
vethormr
Jim Lehrer. He’s also probably the only current anchor remotely like Cronkite.
Anderson, btw, was much better when he was anchoring World News Now. Also, his makeup people should stop painting him orange.
As for most trustworthy pundit, Keith’s a clone/parody of Billo (but he knows it, so it’s OK), and Rachel gets Brownie points for her Moment of Geek. However, I gotta give it to David Brooks.