Keith O Takes on Anderson Cooper

[mondo joe]

http://www.afterelton.com/blog/michaeljensen/msnbcs-keith-olbermann-takes-on-anderson-cooper

MSNBC talking head Keith Obermann is well established as one of the few news anchors out there willing to really speak up about controversial topics. (For the record, I think he's great.) He's repeatedly taken on the Bush Administration, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and pretty much anyone else he suspects of being a hypocrite. Turns out Olbermann's outspokenness extends to his fellow news anchor Anderson Cooper of CNN. In a recent interview with New York Magazine Olbermann has this to say about Anderson (recently "outed" so to speak by Out magazine):

Don’t tell me you don’t want to talk about personal life when you wrote a book about your father’s death and your brother’s death. You can’t move this big mass of personal stuff out for public display, then people ask questions and you say, ‘Oh, no, I didn’t say there was going to be any questions.’ It’s the same thing as the Bush administration saying, ‘We’re going to war, but you really aren’t allowed to know why.

Don't hold back there, Keith! But that isn't all. Olbermann goes on to say:

Don’t tell me you can’t talk about your personal life and then, when they send you overseas and you do a report that consists of your voice-over and pictures of you in a custom-made, blue-to-match-your-eyes bulletproof vest, looking somberly at these scenes of human devastation—like a tourist—and that’s your report. Your shtick is your personal life.


****


Man, do I love Keith.

[devilgrrl]

1. I think Anderson Cooper is a over-pampered dip-shit...

it slays me that people here think he's "all that". The little prep-school tart.

[ronnykmarshall]

2. yeah .... but I'd do him!

:evilgrin:

[Gabi Hayes]

4. I heard he doesn't take too kindly to atheist jokes....

[ronnykmarshall]

12. Who's gonna talk?

[Bunny]

5. You're such a tramp!

:rofl:

PS - I'd do him too, but I don't think he'd be interested!

[ronnykmarshall]

14. Yes I am and PROUD of it!

[devilgrrl]

6. But dude, your wallet isn't big enough!

;-)

[ronnykmarshall]

13. Well my wallet might not be .....

oh dear. Did I just got there?

[Catherine Vincent]

31. LOL!

:evilgrin:

[youthere]

36. hell, I'd do them BOTH!

[pink-o]

39. Oooh...

TOGETHER!!!!



:loveya:

[youthere]

40. Preferably!

[TZ]

9. I read his book

and trust me, he has been in way more nasty places and situations than most average americans. He is more than willing to suffer deprivation to get the story. I have a lot of respect for him. He went to Africa and experienced the actual culture, unlike many who go for show and stay in their cocoon. I like KO, but when he goes and risks malaria and typhoid and such to get a story then he can start in on AC if you ask me. This seems more like professional jealousy for me. I am of course a liberal, but Cooper is very objective in his reporting which is almost IMPOSSIBLE to find these days.

[TahitiNut]

16. Cooper was far from balanced in reporting from the Potemkin Village.

... but Kyra is presstituting herself even more.

[philly_bob]

56. Son of Gloria Vanderbilt, Grandson of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt

according to Wikipedia.

[devilgrrl]

70. But he when to Bosnia and Africa - he pulled himself up by the bootstraps.

:sarcasm:

[Cameron27]

3. Bwa ha ha ... Go Keith!

What did Kathy Griffin say about him...he wore Prada to a hurricane?

[Neecy]

7. I'm not sure what Keith would have him do

Cooper is hardly a closeted homophobe. My understanding is that he's out to more than a few people but hasn't discussed it publicly. I really don't care - it's his decision, his timing.

[mondo joe]

10. I think he'd have him answer honestly, instead of evading the issue under the guise

of not discussing his PERSONAL LIFE - but all the while using his PERSONAL LIFE as his shtick.

[Little Star]

8. Bring back Aaron Brown!

Aaron was never one of my favorites but he at least had something close to a news show. I loved how Anderson handled the coverage of Katrina. That was real true emotion he was reporting with! His show lost its way after that, he became Katie Couric lite! And, KO is right once again!!!!

[Cameron27]

11. Yep, somewhere he changed and I'm not sure why.

[crappyjazz]

17. I liked Aaron Brown

and I can't stand Anderson, not sure why though; I'm probably one of the minority, but I thought his Katrina coverage was full of fake emotion ... another bubble head to me

[Little Star]

18. I also like Anderson ....but.....

His format SUCKS big time!!!!! For me, whoa is the day of mediocre Aaron Brown. Anderson could have really been something if he only had more courage in his reporting. Brown also lacked that courage. So goes the saga of Brown & Anderson, no Balls!!! When will Dan Abrams ever see this? The so called Doc Block totally sucks!!!

Both could be excellent reporters if the network allowed them to be.
I believe in second chances and they both needed to stand up to their producers, whom, will surely bring them both down! Aaron needs a second chance as does Cooper. GROW-UP boys along with Dan Abrams who needs to do the sane!

[madmunchie]

19. I heard that the "younger" viewers preferred AC to AB, I guess I'm

an "older" viewer and I do prefer AB. Where is he by the way, I kind of miss him.

[Little Star]

22. Wish I knew. He deserved better.

[Supersedeas]

24. Katie Couric lite --- Oooouch!!

[knitter4democracy]

15. Cooper's best job was on "The Mole."

I miss that show. It died when they did the celebrity one, but the first two with Cooper hosting were good. I didn't even know he was a news guy when those came out (no cable).

[Tinksrival]

41. So your the other person that watch the mole!

I thought I was alone! Yea, I fell hard for him when In first saw him on that show.
Sad day when I found out I was the wrong gender for AC's attention! Ha Ha!

[Raine]

50. I loved him on the Mole

infact I still love the guy. :loveya: *Sigh* I'm wrong for him too. :-(

[knitter4democracy]

51. Hubby and I loved it!

I picked it the second season, but they surprised me the first season--I thought it was the straight guy, not the chick.

I soooo want to be on The Mole. I think I could do it. :)

[Little Star]

20. Man, do I love Keith.

May I humbly say that Keith needs to become a :little self righteous". Some compassion needs to be shown on certain subjects and he would really channel Edward E. Morrow. Only thing I can see lacking in KO is his blatant self righteousness. He is still my main man though! And, I love him to death for all the trustiness he tells. Just give me a little less cocky self rightness. And, add in a touch of forgiveness for those not as astute as he. I do Love the man though!!!!

[Neshanic]

21. Hate speech against a person who may be gay.

[Cameron27]

30. Maybe you're right. I didn't look at it that way when

I first read the OP. I guess I was focusing on Cooper's over-inflated ego, rather than the outing aspect.

[Neshanic]

42. Yes, until he says that he is indeed gay, Keith is practicing hate speech.

[Killarney]

23. I'm Keith's biggest fan, but he's wrong here.

I love Keith, but he's wrong here.

Anderson Cooper's sex life is nobody's business but his own. He shouldn't be forced to talk about it anymore than Keith should be forced to answer if he prefers blondes or if he likes a playful spanking.

[ellacott]

25. I wish Keith would leave Anderson alone, this may backfire on him

It's not Keith's place to get him to talk about his sexuality. It shoudln't matter to Keith.

Keith has a professional beef with Anderson and he's letting this cloud his judgement.

Please leave this alone Keith.

[mondo joe]

28. Being gay isn't a matter of sex life. Being gay is not equivalent to liking

a fetish.

[youthere]

37. I agree.

but I'd sure like to know an answer to those questions.

[Duppers]

45. I totally agree with you! Keith is WAY over the line here!

Anderson's sexuality is none of Keith's fuckin' business! And at least Anderson WENT to Iraq!

Why the fuck is Keith so threaten by Anderson Cooper, who, btw, has never said one bad word about Keith Olbermann???!!!!

And why the fuck are you people here on A.C.'s case? Do you not remember his coverage of New Orleans, his dad's home town?
He DID cover the story with real passion.

Do I smell some latent homophobes here? Do I?







Here's the Huffington Post's take on this:



Olbermann Hits Cooper Below the Belt

Jason Linkins | Posted Thursday April 12, 2007 at 01:20 PM

"Don't tell me you don't want to talk about personal life...Your shtick is your personal life!"

And with that, Keith Olbermann unleashes fresh hell on CNN's Anderson Cooper, decrying his rival's steadfast need to keep his sexual preferences in a state of non-disclosure. Color us utterly dumbfounded, but it all seems a little unhinged. To wit:

Olbermann: "It's the same thing as the Bush administration saying, 'We're going to war, but you really aren't allowed to know why.'"

Sure! Excluding the enormous expense, the lives lost, the careers ruined, the lack of potable water and power, the corrupt dealings of military contractors, the sectarian violence, the blowback in Iran and Syria, Abu Ghraib, John McCain's heavily armed stroll to a Baghdad falafel stand, and anything that could remotely be considered high stakes, it is SO TOTALLY THE SAME, Keith!

This wouldn't, by any chance, have anything to do with yesterday's chatter about Coop's expected pay increase, would it? Because if so, this is a heck of a way to start salary negotiations!

Good night, and GOOD GRIEF!

(UPDATE: As it turns out, all of Olbermann's rantings on the topic of Cooper's sexuality well precede the news of Coop's pay raise. We're sorry to have implied anything other than the fact that Olbermann really, really, really, really cares about penetrating mysteries that are largely irrelevant.)

RELATED:
Keith Olbermann Slams Anderson Cooper's Silence on Sexuality
Olbermann Now On Cooper's Gay Timeline

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eat-the-press/2007/04/12/olbermann-hits-cooper-bel_e_45690.html

[Duppers]

46. PERHAPS KEITH IS HOMOPHOBIC or just jealous?

I cannot come up with any good reasons for his outrage against Anderson Cooper other than these.

Sorry. I love Keith too....or did.

OR hmmmmmmmmm....does he protesteth too much?
Nawwwwwwww.

[EFerrari]

49. Yep. Keith's wrong.

[ruggerson]

58. IT'S NOT HIS FUCKING SEX LIFE

It's who he is. It's a core component of his personality. If he NEVER had sex again as long as he lived, he'd still be a gay man.

If we know that Celebrity or Newscaster A is married and has five kids, we don't know details about his sex life, but we do know he is (at least publicly) a heterosexual.

There should not be a double standard for gay people.

If we know who Keith Olbermann is dating, the press should also cover who Anderson Cooper is dating.

Being gay is not some fucking dark secret that we all have to conspire to hide.

[file83]

61. Solid point.

:thumbsup:

[EFerrari]

65. I agree with you but browbeating Cooper

isn't "covering" the news.

[ruggerson]

67. I'm fed up with gay public personalities relying on homophobia

in the media to conspire with them to keep their "secret" hidden because they're worried they may make less money if they are authentic.

[EFerrari]

69. I agree with that as well. The thing is, neither Cooper nor KO

handled this well, imho.

[lies and propaganda]

26. Blue to match your eyes!! Holy Shit!

I salivate just thinking about KO is one of his dark pin striped suits right now...

[ellacott]

27. I'm love with Keith but he's getting a little petty with Anderson

He needs to get over the problems he's had with Anderson.

We need Keith on the air and don't want him to mess it up with this squabble with Anderson.

[Catherine Vincent]

29. Oh boy!

Keith Olbermann vs. Anderson Cooper

:popcorn:

[verse18]

32. My sister jokingly said,

You can never trust anyone with two last names.

[itsrobert]

38. If you think about it

Both have two last names.

[BigBearJohn]

33. I think Keith's comments on Anderson are petty. I love Keith, but he disappoints me on this one.

I would think he was above this kind of thing.
People could start sneering about Keith's
"robbing the cradle."

[EmmitFitzhume]

34. Above it?

Olbermann has a long history of snarky and ill-advised comments regarding other reporters and anchors, whether they work for opposing channels or his own.

I can't say this surprises me.

[ellacott]

35. This could prove to be his downfall

I hope he thinks about this.

[Rosemary2205]

48. Keith's downfall?

You are kidding, right?

[ellacott]

52. Of course I'm not kidding

Your enemies will always use your weaknesses against you.

This is Olbermann's achilles heel. If he claims that he's forcing a gay person to out himself is something that can be used against him. This can open the door to further claims of hypocrisy and open him up to further scrutiny.

Of course this could be his downfall. Do you think he's invincible because you like what he's saying?

[Rosemary2205]

53. Where did I say I like what he's saying.

You obviously need to take a tour through the reality based world.

[ellacott]

54. reality based world, that's rich n/t

I happen to like what he's saying. You've probably misinterpreted what I was saying, oh well.

I am a fan of Olbermann and would like to continue to hear what he's saying but if he starts to show himself as a petty bully that may damage his credibility.

[qanda]

43. I'm sorry, but was that really necessary?

[Fleshdancer]

44. I'm a little confused on the Anderson Cooper gay in/out issue...

I never got the impression Anderson Cooper was in the closet. Was he? From everything I've heard, he makes no secret of his sexual orientation off air and since he works for a news network, I don't see how the topic of his personal life would ever come up on camera.

I haven't read his book so I don't know if he discusses his love life or not so any clarification on this would be helpful.

[youthere]

47. Keith is just wrong here.

[bklyncowgirl]

55. I agree, the man's not hurting anybody.

If he was a homophobic loudmouth, I'd say out him in a heartbeat. If he's simply someone who's not comfortable discussing his sexuality in public, leave the man alone.

[ruggerson]

60. Keith is absolutely right

the double standard perpetuates homophobia.

[Joe Fields]

57. I love Keith, but when has he ever put himself in harm's way to

cover a story? It's easy to take potshots at someone from the safe confines of a secure studio in New Jersey.

[shortcake]

59. I don't understand why KO cares.

What's it to him? I'm certainly no Brittany Spears fan, but I don't see why he's as nasty as he is about her. As a mother I see a young messed up kid. Why take pot shots at someone like that? As far as I know Anderson Cooper hasn't done anything to merit this. To all appearances Angelina Jolie does good things. I can't begin to pretend I know why she does what she does, but KO is snarky about that. His producer might make him do those segments, but I doubt if he says be as mean as possible.

Anyway you want to parse this we all know the difference be nice and nasty. This takes away from the rest of his show.

[aikoaiko]

62. I truly appreciate KO, but when somone gets this preachy and self-righteous...

... there is often a big fall from grace.

[marshall]

63. When does KO talk about his sex life?

It wouldn't be an issue if he hadn't brought it up, but when is the last time he explained (since he seems to think one's private sex life needs a public explanation) why he is almost 50 years old and has never been married?

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. It's nobody's business, but if he's going to be hypocritical in his trash talking a rival who appeals to a younger, hipper audience, he needs to be ready to unbosom himself of his own reasons for living his life the way he does.

[ruggerson]

66. BEING GAY IS NOT "YOUR SEX LIFE"

It's who you are. If Cooper never had sex again, as long as he lived, he would still be a gay man.

It's about whom you fall in love with, whom you create a family structure with. It's not just "sex."

And reducing it to that plays right into the rightwing's mantra.

The right loves it when gay people remain invisible.

[marshall]

68. I guess it should be termed KO's identity as a single man

I was trying to draw a comparison between KO's identity as an unmarried, lone man and AC's identity that KO for some reason wants to call into question. If KO thinks AC needs to tell us "who he is" by explaining his family structure, the KO should be ready to do the same.

[shortcake]

64. There's another thread here about KO

dating a young girl and how it's nobody's business who he is dating.