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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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.

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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.

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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.

Hats off to Yellow Pages and SearchBoth, which have teamed up for this informative, but maudlin Gay Heritage video.

As you can imagine, the reel shows us the real history of homo happenings throughout the ages. What's most intriguing, however, is that the companies included "glass closeted" Anderson Cooper among a modern day queer montage. Perhaps they didn't get their facts straight.

Also, we don't recall Barry Manilow ever coming out, either…

Renee Zellweger certainly knows how to pick her men.

It's been nearly two years since Renee Zellweger divorced rumored homo Kenny Chesney amid charges of "fraud". Though older, the pinch-faced actress hasn't grown any wiser. Not romantically at least.

From Harper's Bazaar:

"I'm not a big scene girl," she says of the celeb pack. "If I see the scene once a year, that's more than plenty." She describes a perfect night in: "Anderson Cooper would probably be involved at some juncture."

Someone break it to her easy…

Anderson Cooper's so put upon! The CNN anchor wants the world to clean up its environmental act because, quite frankly, he's sick of covering the story:

When CNN producer David Doss announced that Planet in Peril would probably become a regular feature on Anderson Cooper 360, Cooper groaned, “Jesus Christ! We really need to solve this whole environmental thing quickly, because I really don’t want to do it again.”

That's the best reason to recycle we've heard - well, ever!

• Jeff Corwin, Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta looked smart at the Planet In Peril premier.

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Every once in awhile an ostensibly "straight" man lets out a little bit of fag.

You can't tell by this snap, but CNN's Anderson Cooper's reacting to Whoopi Goldberg's enticement, "We will be right back with fall footwear for under 50 bucks."

Cooper's totally forgotten that our planet's in peril - the reason for which he appeared on the show. He's definitely thinking, "Shoes!"

Not convinced? Head to Gawker to watch the video. It'll take your breath away.

Meanwhile, we're not sure if George Clooney's playing princess in this picture, but he's looking a bit light…

Singer Elton John had some choice words for President Bush before his foundation's gala. When asked to comment on the American president's AIDS policy, John took aim at Bush's anti-sex stance:

They've made a grave error in giving millions to abstinence programs. They don't work. They were told in the beginning that it wouldn't work. It's a tragic waste of money. Please don't listen to those idiots. God almighty.

Meanwhile, Anderson Cooper, who also appeared at the gala, explained that his "young gay friends" underestimate AIDS:

I talk to young gay friends in New York, and some of them seem to think the AIDS problem is a thing of the past. … The reality is that it's getting worse, not better.

Yes, yes it is…