Bravo gay Andy Cohen, who stays up late to entertain us (live!) about Real Housewives minutia, must have made Anderson Cooper very nervous this week when he mentioned the CNN anchor, who called into the show, has “come out publicly.” Except: Cooper has “come out publicly in your support of NeNe.” Blah. Nor were any of the viewer-submitted question about Cooper’s gahyness. Bravo: What What Doesn’t Happen.
silver foxes
Like a Good Gay, Andy Cohen Protects Anderson Cooper’s Glass Closet
Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...
We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?
Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated
Zebra
You didn’t really think Cohen would out Cooper? They’re friends and he’s not going to put him on the spot. Just being on Andy’s show is an outing in itself however.
robert in nyc
You know, if Anderson were out, he’d be able to go out and have fun instead he’s home alone doing call-ins. His choice.
Zebra
Doubt he was alone when he called in. He lives with that big studly French bar owner and they’re always together riding their bikes around Manhattan.
anon
Yeah, from all we’ve heard Anderson clearly has no social life at all./sarcasm
I doubt Anderson is so very nervous about every insinuation as you seem to think he is Queerty, he seems to just go with it all and has even made some insinuating jokes about it himself on occasion. He’s out to his family, friends and colleagues, he’s no homophobe, and I agree with Rachel Maddow that he should get to do as he wants.
TunnelVision
I have a bigger problem with the fact that millions of dollars was pumped to market his face to the public in order to attract new viewers to CNN. He is the Paris Hilton of journalism which is ironic considering he despises Paris. When I watch him I see no depth in his interactions with other anchors or guests, nor do I sense any empathy or real interest in his own topics. His singular perspective is always cynical and akward. He knows that as the dog to his master, though there is nothing he can do but what told. If I ever did sense his beating bleeding heart it is, of course, when reporting in Africa or New Orleans. You know, places Newspeak tend to oversimplify by encapsulating them in neat sentimental boxes.
Perhaps when he becomes a real journalist he will learn the value of being able to be himself.
Rich spoiled people run and chronicle the world. No wonder shit stinks.
mk
His show changed a lot and became less in depth as a result of changes in management and producers. Jon Klein likes things fast paced and readily digestible, and American cable news in general is focused on producing profits and catering to the lowest common denominator. FOX News introduced competition into the market and lot of flash, glitz and pandering that had the knock on impact of reducing overall quality and lowering the level of discourse in cable news, which is still being felt.
All the major news people on American cable news are personalities and promoted as such. Cults of personality are the American way. Anderson appears on posters more than some because he has been incorporated into regular CNN network advertising since they chose to make him the unofficial face of the network.
Maybe you don’t care, but Rupert Murdoch and FOX fed you that “Paris Hilton of journalism” line you ate up. It’s depressing to see how successfully they manipulate the public.
TunnelVision
@mk:
I didn’t know Rupert Murdoch said that, I didn’t have to….Its so obvious, you slave to the system.
Ernie
The whole “Paris Hilton of the News” tag is not only boring, but completely false. When I’ve watched Anderson in discussion with Peter Bergen or Michael Ware on Afghanistan and Iraq, he’s as engaged and intelligent as the two of them are. It’s custormary on sites like this for people to trash Anderson and characterize him as unintelligent and “not a real journalist”, but that doesn’t make it true. This may be an odd example, but recently he appeared on David Letterman and was talking about Iraq and it was clear that he wasn’t simply some pretty boy talking head, he had a breadth of knowledge of the subject was impressive. He’s no dummy, no matter how much his critics want you to believe.
rrr
The Extreme Challenges series of specials Anderson hosts and moderates is some of the best material CNN creates in terms of serious, comprehensive, constructive coverage of contemporary issues. He just sits down at a table for an hour with well informed, nonpartisan, intelligent analysts and experts and has a quiet, drama free, thorough discussion on a topic.
He’s not a pushy guy or a yeller, but there’s already enough of those. He actually listens to guests when he talks to them instead of just waiting for them to finish talking so he can deliver his own talking points.
dgz
@Ernie: agreed. i’ve been a viewer of his since he was a channel 1 anchor (school-based news) when i was a kiddie in junior high. he paid his dues dodging bullets (literally) every week. and he even had gray hair back then!
but back to the video! he DOESN’T KNOW WHAT A WEAVE IS?!? is donna brazile the only black person he knows?
cheerios
All arguments for or against him aside, he was chosen because he was pretty…thats it and enough to invalidate the seriousness of the business. it has nothing to do with reality but appearances. his in depth reporting? not that deep when compared to someone like amy goodman…so stop sucking celeb cock and wake up peeps.
rrr
@cheerios: Amy Goodman isn’t even in cable news or TV news at all, she doesn’t make sense as a comparison when the discussion is whether someone is crappier than the rest of cable news.
There’s a whole heap of ugly people on cable news like Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck who are nothing but a blight. I’m not going to reject someone out of hand because they have decent looks or they don’t measure up to some random individual you cherry picked from a different medium.
None
@robert in nyc:
He actually DOES go out. You’ll see him out occasionally in the Atlanta gay bars.
Ernie
@DGZ you’re right, early in his career he was taking risks as a reporter long before he had any big network backing him. He’s always the target of unfair, baseless criticism because of his looks and his background AND for the fact that he insists on keeping his private life private.
I also agree with RRR, Extreme Challenges was excellent.
Ronaldo
Benderson are out ALL THE TIME, at David Barton Astor Place, at restaurants and bars and riding those damn bikes everywhere. He’s not hiding at home, he’s living it up with his new man.
Marc
Anderson is disgusting.
cheerios
@rrr:
The bloated hosts you mentioned are harvested from the same crop. The sameness is obvious. Until I see a blind, old, black lesbian woman relating news it all remains suspect to me. I don’t know how you can’t understand it.
ossurworld
Anderson Cooper, the 21st Century’s Own Edward R. Murrow. LOL.
Chris Sosa - Boston, MA
The pettiness in these comments is a bit disheartening. I don’t understand why this introverted and kind man has to be the subject of such intense scrutiny regarding his love life. He’s a working professional like anyone else and is a great talent. While this sort of press follows pop stars and the like, one would think journalists would be somewhat exempt. Beyond being insensitive, it borders on disrespectful. Let him have the life and privacy he deserves and earned.
Eyenou
How did a regular from the AC360 Blog (#19) find THIS place? If you’re a fan of Anderson and happen to come here you need to have a thick skin because the Queerty’s aren’t as kind to him here as they are over there. The good news is that Anderson has a thick skin and doesn’t give a rat’s ass what’s said about him, good or bad. He doesn’t follow any of it.
Latebrosus
@Chris Sosa: some gays get upset about this because exposure is the most important way to defuse people’s stereotyped perceptions of homosexuality. There is a sentiment that homosexuals are more conventional than the public likes to think (the flipside of this are those who dislike pride parades, finding them too flamboyant). So wouldn’t it be great if an introverted and kind man with a platform and visibility like a newscaster came out?
But we can be aware of the issues of privacy and neutrality. When someone becomes too much of a celebrity (famous for being famous), it forever colors their career, and memorable baggage detracts from it. That’s why smart actors shun the spotlight: they don’t want the audience remembering random personal facts when they’re up there on the screen.
Abbie
Why are some queens so obsessed with A.C.? Could it be envy?!
Chris Sosa - Boston, MA
@Eyenou – As a media analyst and comm major, I actually read a variety of sources daily, including this one. Not particularly a fan of anyone, given I travel too many media circles for that not to be weird. My skin’s thick enough though, just like to toss in a good word when people start picking on the nice ones in the field.
@Latebrosus – Thanks for your response. I certainly see your point, and do agree on quite a few counts.
Cam
@Zebra: you said “Just being on Andy’s show is an outing in itself however.”
________________________________________________
Only to other gays. It’s like when Rosie O’Donnell was on her show. Every gay person in America knew she was a lesbian inspite of her trying to convince the world she was in love with Tom Cruise.
not in denial
chris sosa may be the ONLY person who posts on the ac360 blog who knows anderson’s gay. the majority of those people (mostly female) think anderson’s still searching for the right woman and would be shocked to find out that he’s already found the right MAN.
Gus
That show was so gay, I got bored and turned it off. Who was the drag queen in the bad wig?
AlwaysGay
@Chris Sosa – Boston, MA: Yes, some gay men are jealous of other gay men that are successful and/ or good-looking. They are not like that with heterosexual males though. I have no idea why they are jealous since they are unlikely to ever meet these gay men. I root for gay men. I want gay men to succeed.
Millie
@ #25: I think even the fan girls know he is gay. That fan sight All things Anderson puts up pictures of Anderson with Cesar and with Ben on the sight – you have to be totally brain dead to not figure it out that he doesn’t go for the girls.
#25
@Millie, it was a little surprising that All Things Anderson actually posted the photo of Anderson and Ben recently because Ben was so undeniably gay in that picture, he looked like he’d just slid off a stripper pole. They don’t allow their readers to comment about the gentlemen that Anderson is seen with in the photos, the assumption is always that he is only with a mere acquaintance with no possibility of the gay taking place, so while some of them might be clued in, there’s still a large group who are clueless or don’t want to face reality.
Not Millie
Not all AC fans hang out at All Things Anderson, nevermind just All Things Anderson, and while people don’t comment on it there, they’re fans and they know. I know a couple of conservative fan girls who both know (and don’t care) even, but none who don’t. It’s pretty hard to escape for anyone with an interest in him, if there are people left clueless they either don’t care about AC one way or the other, would really have to be braindead, joking or purposefully don’t want to face a reality that is completely obvious. I don’t think there is a large group.
All things Anderson also linked to the pictures of him with a baby that said it was his and his boyfriends baby. I don’t think that’s true, but again, it’s pretty hard to miss that he’s gay.