Anderson tries to fan GropeGate flames on CNN and gets laughed out of the room

[BeyondGeography]

Anderson Cooper did his best a few moments ago to make the Favreau Grope a story, but his pundit pals would have none of it.

First Candy Crowley giggled and tried to play along by saying not all of the Obama staff are adults, especially when alcohol is involved. Then Gergen, when Cooper lamely kept trying to unearth some way to make the Favreau photo a source of tension between Clinton and Obama, finished him off by saying, "this is the first time I've ever heard you groping for words, Anderson."

Good for them.

[Webster Green]

1. I thought that covering Katrina had straightened that weenie out..

He must get wads of cash from The Big Dick or something. :smoke:

[BeyondGeography]

2. Oops, he did it again

Just teased it before the break; round 2 coming up.

What a little shit he is.

[Catherine Vincent]

3. He's not trying to flame this.

He's only filling dead airtime. The cable news always talk about off the wall crap. You rather hear more about OJ? The other day he was showing youtube video clips of males in leotards dancing to Beyonce's "Single Ladies".

[ErinBerin84]

4. heh

not that it's wrong to cover it per se, but trying to turn it into such an "issue"....of course by Anderson. I like whenever Anderson is laughed out of the room. I've seen it happen to him before (well, not literally out of the room, but in terms of the panel shutting him down).

[mitchum]

5. That's why they are called "drama queens"

[Bluebear]

18. Why "who" are called drama queens?

[mitchum]

20. Broadcast pundits who have to keep the 24 hour "news" cycle going...

Thoreau criticized most of the "news" of his day as being nothing more than unnecessary scribbling.
Man, if he only knew what was coming...

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ErinBerin84]

7. curious...

would you characterize my post that way? I have made fun of Gergen and Candy for being all about the drama many times, I think there's an added element of funny when it's the moderator or host (like When it's David Gregory) and none of the other panelists will indulge.

[ruggerson]

8. did you read some of the other posts

(that no one has called out)

[ErinBerin84]

9. actually, I had only read one. Sorry.

Maybe you should respond to specific posts.

[ruggerson]

11. Nah

engaging homophobes is an exercise in profound idiocy.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Chulanowa]

12. It's funny that you take the mocking of Anderson Cooper...

And in your head, it turns into mocking of homosexual people.

Nobody here has said anything about gay folks... except you. No one. Not even an allusion. What this tells me is that you see these mocking words and you immediately associated them with gay people. Which would in fact say far more about your outlooks and attitudes than anyone posting on this thread who you're making accusations about.

Interestingly, you are the one who chose to use such a sharp slur against gay men right there... just sayin'... it seems to come almost naturally...

[ruggerson]

14. Yep

When a gay guy is called a "queen" and is said to need to be "straightened out" there's absolutely nothing to react to.

Other people using not-so-subtle slurs and my commenting on it is a very bad thing. Hell, it could make people uncomfortable.

[Chulanowa]

22. Anderson Cooper is gay? Well, learn something new every day...

I'm probably way behind on the news, but I had no clue.

Since you're in an informing mood, I've seen the term "drama queen" used on people of all genders and orientations. Is it always used to denote someone's sexual orientation? That is, if I call some whiny emo kid at my workplace a drama queen, am I also calling him gay? If so am I insulting him for his sexuality, or because he's a whiny emo kid? If he's got "teh strate", is it still an insult to his sexuality?

Further, my mother used to tell me to "straighten up" and would threaten me with a "straightening out" whenever I acted a fool. Was my mother implying that she thought I was not only a troublemaker but also that I was gay? What's up with that? I had always assumed it meant simply that she thought my behavior was off-kilter from the well-mannered young man she expected for a son, but now you've cast all sorts of Freudian doubts across my mind.

Speaking of which... word of advice? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. I dunno if you're one of those kind of people who just enjoys being offended or if you just wanted an excuse to call Anderson Cooper a "faggot" without a pizza being delivered your way or what... But I'm not seeing any gay-hate going on here. Now maybe this is because I'm straight and thus according to some I've seen, hormonally disposed to blithering ignorance on the subject, but, well, I'm just not seeing it. :shrug:

[boppers]

30. As a person who wears kilts....

I am offended that you called something "off-kilter".

:evilgrin:

[Bluebear]

19. "Straighten him out"...right, nothing here about gay folks.

[Tigress DEM]

13. Sigh, another cute one not batting for my team. I like AC, but he is inconsistent at times.

His coverage sometimes is really good, like he got into it and researched and really has a passion for it, and at other times, it's really so so.

Gay or straight doesn't play into it for me, but a lot of the MSM seem to be like that when the public isn't giving them hell and calling them on paying attention to the non-story.

I'm guessing he has pressure from well funded sources that keep trying to turn CNN back into Cee No News. I guess sometimes he's able to sneak something meaningful into the discussion under their noses.

[ErinBerin84]

15. I think Anderson is better when

the subject is not election politics...like when he is at the markets in Thailand talking about exotic animal trade. I had a bad dream about that one after it aired, but he did a good job. And he can be fun when he is filling in on Regis (I've only seen clips though). But as a host for an AC360 type, not sure. They should let him do more specials.

[ruggerson]

16. I think he's completely unoriginal

but I agree, he's better when he's doing his "journalist in a foreign land."

[Jim Sagle]

17. This thread belongs on Animal House, not DU. Thread summary:

:kick:Plop plop plop!!!!!!!!

[Arkana]

21. Favreau was an idiot to allow himself to be photographed doing that,

but if we were going to use social networking sites to judge everyone from my generation there'd be no one left employable. Hell, before my first job interview I took down my Facebook page, and didn't put it back up till I'd gotten the job.

He's a kid doing stupid kid stuff. And yes, I'd have said the same thing if a bunch of Hillary staffers were fondling an Obama cardboard cutout.

[kiva]

23. Not picking on you, but this 'kid' stuff is strange.

The guy is 27, not 17. We all do stupid things (and we do them no matter how old we are, trust me), but it seems strange to me that we all support the idea that an 18 year old is mature enough to make an important decision by casting a vote, but that someone almost a decade older is excused for his youth. Again, not singling out your post but responding to the general response that his age should excuse him from some of the criticism.

[Arkana]

26. I'm not excusing him.

He was stupid to do it.

But it shouldn't disqualify him from being Obama's speechwriter.

[kiva]

29. I agree, think that this incident should be judged in the

context of his work--all of us have done something stupid, and if this is a one-time thing he deserves a thump and the ridicule he's getting online, but not to lose his job. I just think we need to realize he's an adult and should be treated like one, not like an irresponsible teenager (and no, not all teenagers are irresponsible, but they have a better reason when they behave that way).

[4themind]

24. Campbell brown weigh's in too

<http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/05/campbell.brown.clinton/index.html#cnnSTCText>

[Celebration]

25. I agree with Campbell Brown, actually

The photo is kind of freaky. I would be really pretty ticked off it was one of my daughters in the cutout. So I am not sure why Clinton simply laughs it off. But then again, I don't do shots with all the guys at a bar, either.

Having said that, Obama's speeches are fantastic, and this guy is obviously super talented. It doesn't show a pattern of behaviour. It was incredibly stupid, but I am sure that I have done much stupider things in my life, and it just wasn't captured in a picture.

And, I have to admit, part of me thinks it's funny. It's funny but it is sort of sad that I think it's funny. Or, maybe it is funny that I am sad about thinking it's funny.

[polichick]

27. Wish people laughed off marijuana silliness as easily.

[Cha]

28. Good! Troublemaker to

create controversary..guess you'll have to look for something else, cooper. Come on, I know you can do it.

[dkf]

31. I thought this was the writer/director but I guess there are two Jon Favreaus

I thought he seemed awfully talented and wondered how he got the gig as Obama's speechwriter. Funny.