Anderson Cooper strips for Michael Phelps

[RockHard]

Personally, I like Anderson but some of his professional choices are really questionable. This 60 Minutes piece, airing tonight, certainly is one. Even with the "conditions," Cooper is a dud. And the dud is confounded by a shirtless warm-up and the god-awful swimsuit, obviously borrowed from Larry King. Cooper is completely out of breath after the lap but every hair remains perfectly in place. One can only wonder -- why? Was Cooper even fit enough to stand next to Phelps in a swimsuit? At least Cooper isn't afraid to look silly, like some escorts on this board. I guess that says something.

 

[a href=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/29/anderson-cooper-in-a-swim_n_147104.html]Watch video.[/a]

[NorthWoods]

Anderson Cooper is a very high profile celebrity who has chosen to remain in the closet. At this point in time, he is simply a "collaborator."

 

He should be ignored.

 

-North

[Cooper]

North, I didn't realize that Cooper was still in the closet. I've often seen him and his "buddies" in Chelsea checking out the local bars.

 

Q. Who is Anderson Cooper's famous mother?

 

A. Gloria Vanderbilt, a fashion designer, mostly famous for some of the first designer bluejeans. Anderson Cooper had 2 older brothers that died. One from a heart problem and one from jumping out of a high rise in NYC.

[NorthWoods]

From Wikipedia:

 

"Cooper has never married and has actively avoided discussing his relationships, citing a desire to protect his neutrality as a journalist:

 

I understand why people might be interested. But I just don’t talk about my personal life. It’s a decision I made a long time ago, before I ever even knew anyone would be interested in my personal life. The whole thing about being a reporter is that you're supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group you’re in, and I don’t want to do anything that threatens that.

 

...Independent news media have reported that Cooper is gay, and in May 2007, Out magazine ranked him second behind David Geffen in their list of the fifty "Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America." After Cooper published a professional and personal memoir (Dispatches from the Edge), MSNBC host Keith Olbermann said, "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.'"

 

Note: Cooper's avowed refusal to "talk about my personal life" has not kept him from talking about his mother's personal life and his brother's suicide -- on Oprah, of course. His face (along with Jodie Foster's) famously graced OUT Magazine's cover issue: The Glass Closet: We all know which stars are inside the glass closet, so why won't they come out?

 

http://out.com/detail.asp?id=22392

[NorthWoods]

And from RADAR Magazine's "Anderson Cooper's Gay Timeline:"

 

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2007/04/anderson-coopers-gay-timeline.php

[Guest zipperzone]

>Anderson Cooper is a very high profile celebrity who has

>chosen to remain in the closet. At this point in time, he is

>simply a "collaborator."

>

>He should be ignored.

>

>-North

 

Before he became a "star" reporter for CNN, he was quite open about his sexual preference. After he became almost a household name that all changed, no doubt at the insistence of his employer.

 

If I had to balance the prospects of making millions against the honesty of continuing to be true to myself, I'm not sure that my decision would be any different than his.

 

Like it or not - money talks.

[+ purplekow]

Public silence is not denial. A public person is not obligated to share all or any details of their life. I am sure there are people who use this site who are out to friends and family but choose not to confide in fellow employees or their bosses. Mr. Cooper owes us his best work and his most thoughtful opinions not a blow by blow description of sex life.

[Rick Munroe]

>Mr. Cooper owes us his best work and his most

>thoughtful opinions not a blow by blow description of sex

>life.

 

Saying that you're gay is not the same as giving a "blow by blow" account of your sex life. We all knew Tim Russert had a wife and son but we never heard about him sticking his cock inside her. (Or did we? I don't watch TV so I may have missed that episode.)

[NorthWoods]

No one asked Anderson Cooper for a "blow by blow" account of his sex life. He was asked, point blank, if he was gay, and he chose not to answer the question.

 

Because he is someone with a very high, public profile -- not to mention a "journalist" -- answering that simple question truthfully would have benefited gay people, as we struggle for visibility and rights.

 

But Anderson Cooper is not really a journalist. He is a celebrity concerned about his own fame and wealth. And that is why he is a collaborator -- and as relevant in the 21st century as a minstrel in blackface.

 

-North

[Yeswell]

RE: Anderson Cooper strips for Michael Phelps

 

I agree both with Rick and with the poetically named North Woods. Saying what you do in bed is private information; saying that you have a male or female partner (or both) is not. Cooper's response is a paltry evasion. Also, as North Woods points out, Cooper is not a real journalist. He might have been once, but those days are gone. And finally, I can't tell you how much I resent the inference in Cooper's statement that straight journalists can be trusted to be objective.

[NorthWoods]

RE: Anderson Cooper strips for Michael Phelps

 

"And finally, I can't tell you how much I resent the inference in Cooper's statement that straight journalists can be trusted to be objective."

 

Well said!

 

-North

[dfw2sfo]

RE: Anderson Cooper strips for Michael Phelps

 

He also tended goal against David Beckham.

 

Also, regarding his swimsuit, I'm sure if he wore a Speedo or even a square cut it would be "too gay."

[ariadne1880]

RE: Anderson Cooper strips for Michael Phelps

 

You gay nut activists will never be happy until everyone is identifed as "gay" first and a human being second. You have no more right to know about Anderson Cooper's sexuality than you do about Angelina Jolie's. If he chooses not to be "out" publicly that is his choice. Not every person in the world identifies themselves by their sexuality.

 

I realize that, for many of you, that is the only way you identify yourself.

 

By the way, I've seen AC in a speedo and he is hotter than bloody hell. Much hotter than Phelps. I'm sure it was "modesty" that caused him to not be in a speedo.

 

As my 25 year old bf says "what it is with all these fags who are gay first, men second?"

[Rick Munroe]

RE: Anderson Cooper strips for Michael Phelps

 

"An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory...messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response."

 

http://www.salagir.com/gfx/troll-web.jpg

[Guest zipperzone]

RE: Anderson Cooper strips for Michael Phelps

 

>By the way, I've seen AC in a speedo and he is hotter than

>bloody hell. Much hotter than Phelps. I'm sure it was

>"modesty" that caused him to not be in a speedo.

>

>As my 25 year old bf says "what it is with all these fags

>who are gay first, men second?"

 

So..... we're back to the mythical "AC, my cousin" and the equally mythical 25 year old Hollywood Adonis boy friend again!

 

I guess if you say it often enough SOMEBODY will believe you.

[Lankypeters]

RE: Anderson Cooper strips for Michael Phelps

 

>You have no more right to know about Anderson Cooper's

>sexuality than you do about Angelina Jolie's.

 

Angelina Jolie, self-promoter extraordinaire, makes no secret of her sex life or of any aspect of her life.

 

"I'd say that's a bit of an extreme reaction, now wouldn't you?" -- N.F. Bates

 

 

Lankypeters

[ariadne1880]

RE: Anderson Cooper strips for Michael Phelps

 

Or in Mr. Munroe's case, a "troll" is someone who has a genuine opinion but he doesn't like it. So he tries to shut it down.

 

Shame on you.

[ariadne1880]

RE: Anderson Cooper strips for Michael Phelps

 

Get laid. You'll feel better.

[Lankypeters]

RE: Anderson Cooper strips for Michael Phelps

 

Those Brillo suppositories sure do smart.

 

 

"I'd say that's a bit of an extreme reaction, now wouldn't you?" -- N.F. Bates

 

 

Lankypeters

[RockHard]

RE: Are you a gay role model?

 

Well, considering that several posters on this thread graduated from the Munroe-Adler Priceline Institute ("What a bargain!"), I guess I shouldn't find it so depressing that a brainless status is alive and loud on this board and fully evident in this thread.

 

We can never know exactly what goes on in another gay man's life, his home, his head, or his heart, yet, too many queens are quick to judge and use Nazi-style words like "collaborator" to point the finger of blame for their misery and failed expectations.

 

Honestly, what can a broke, aging escort, one who can't afford television service or a decent photo shoot, or a fat, old, gay guy who thinks Munroe and Adler are I.Q. princesses, someone who can't get a fuck without paying for it, know about protecting a formidable "public" career and a sizable financial investment? It's clear to me the Nazi-style loving blowhards know NOTHING about money and celebrity and it's absolutely impossible for them to imagine a life lived in much BIGGER shoes let alone under a microscope.

 

Yet, god forbid someone try and take some perceived equal right away from one of these smart-mouthed, shit-for-brains, judgmental turkeys. Does any gay man on this board care about the RIGHT TO PRIVACY?

 

If Anderson Cooper isn't permitted his right to privacy, and the right to protect the privacy of those closest to him, then Rick Munroe, the hypocrite, and the other assholes like him, are not permitted to display headless photographs and/or use an alias when expressing an opinion. (Now watch all these smart asses hide behind the word "illegal" to justify their hypocritical behavior and beliefs. When it comes to making money, sweeties, legally or not, no one is free from justifications. And that's the truth.)

 

Gay men in any business shouldn't lose their right to privacy, especially those who choose a (legal) profession that exposes them to millions of people in a professional context. The same holds true for straight folk and I know plenty of straight people in the entertainment industry who DO NOT discuss their private life in public, especially a private life that denotes sexual activity. (Since the great majority of people are heterosexual, it has become common practice to assume that "straight" sexual preference applies to everyone whether we like it or not. That doesn't mean the question, "Are you heterosexual?" is ever appropriate in a public setting.)

 

Some people are wrong (and stupid) to suggest that professional exposure and personal exposure are one and the same. (Even though Paris Hilton and folks with similar brain power are determined to blur the boundary lines.)

 

Anyone who thinks that "admitting gay" has no risk in big business is a know-nothing fool. Calvin Klein married a woman to secure serious financial backing for his multi-million dollar fashion enterprise. He has since divorced that woman and sold his designer name, and STILL he has not publicly admitted that he is gay. Does anyone really care now that he's old and scary looking? Aren't Klein's choices an important lesson for young, gay people who dream of big business success?

 

I imagine if Anderson Cooper didn't have a famous mother and he was as old and ordinary looking as Pete Williams (the gay NBC News correspondent that Michael Signorile outed in 1991 and who still has not publicly admitted to being gay), nobody would care much. But since many gay men find Anderson attractive, they want him to become their fantasy role model.

 

We've come a long way since 1991, for sure. Gay people are allowed to be open, free, and successful in most businesses. Nobody needs to be outed anymore because everyone knows gay people exist everywhere and they flourish. But the decision to publicly state your sexual preference, especially "on the job" remains a personal decision and I wouldn't want anyone else dictating what my personal decisions should be. Does anyone on this board welcome someone else telling them what to do in their personal life?

 

In a perfect world sexual preference should not matter. This isn't a perfect world and I doubt we will ever live in one. The world of finance is deeply conservative and no amount of militancy is going to change that. The decision to go publicly "gay" in any business is no small decision. The bigger the business, the more (big) money is at stake. Any decision to go publicly gay DOES NOT come without ramifications. The financial stakes are more serious than most people can imagine. Some people can succeed after public proclamation and do OK. (We'll have to see what the future holds for Clay Aiken.) Unfortunately, there aren't many success stories (mostly women) to use as a guiding light. Even David Geffen, who finally came out in '92, does not speak publicly about his private life. Your lucky if you can get him to agree to do an interview.

 

I advise every client that the less people know about you the better. (Easier said than done for the son of a Vanderbilt.) Not because of any attempt to hide the truth but rather to foster a respect for privacy and protect every financial advantage that business offers. In my opinion, Anderson Cooper is playing his business just right.

[Guest MickeyMoosie]

RE: Are you a gay role model?

 

I agree with several of the points RockHard makes (I'm not referring to the big steaming dump he took on Rick Munroe & Scott Adler) but it becomes tricky when you try to say that something that is public is also private. The two are polar opposites.

 

For instance, let's say that Anderson Cooper likes to dress up as Kathy Lee Gifford and get fisted by trannie hookers while blasting Judy Garland's "Live at Carnegie Hall" album from a boom box. However, he only does this in his bedroom where no one ever sees him. That's called "private".

 

However, let's say that Anderson decides he wants to do that on the gym floor at David Barton. That's "public".

 

For someone to say that it's totally off-limits to ask him about Lady Shaniqua and Her Magical Fist because it's "sexual and private" is nonsense because he's right there in the middle of the gym floor taking one to the elbow for the entire world to see.

 

Now before some of you start screaming: "BUT HE'S NOT HAVING SEX AT DAVID BARTON", calm down. I know. It was an extreme example.

 

My larger point is that, although one's sexual preferences are manifested by what one does in the bedroom (or the men's room at Bergdorf Goodman if you're so inclined), there are PUBLIC ways that communicate those preferences without doing something sexual.

 

People far more tuned into Anderson's public comings and goings than I can give a list of all the public things he does that clearly and unambiguously say: "Hey world! I love cock!"

 

So, my problem with Anderson is that he runs around "acting gay" (let's put it that way since there aren't any pictures - yet), yet at the same time he doesn't want anyone to ask him about those things that clearly indicate he's gay because he would say those public things are private.

 

huh?

 

I understand and am sympathetic to the possible repercussions that might occur if Anderson came out professionally but you can't have it both ways.

 

The thing that annoys me about the AC example is that it's not a secret - aka "PRIVATE". He doesn't even try to hide it.

 

If a public figure were in the closet and did his or her best to keep it a secret yet something accidentally slipped out that pointed to that person being gay, it's no one else's business to drag that person kicking and screaming out of the closet. It's their life and they can lead it anyway they can - as long as they're not hurting anyone or scaring the horses.

 

However, AC puts it out there for the entire world to see yet he wants his "privacy". Sorry AC, lying out on a public beach with your bf/fuck buddy/rentboy isn't private. If you don't want people asking about him then go somewhere PRIVATE.

 

No one forced him into choosing a public profession and those who do are well aware of the "privacy" issues. He has made a choice to be public with his sexuality and he needs to live with the consequences - and the #1 consequence is that he will be asked about it - that's not off limits. What is, is something like: "So, do you spit or swallow?"

 

My money is on "spit".

[Guest TBinCHI]

RE: Are you a gay role model?

 

You just saved me a massive amount of typing. I totally agree with what you said.

[RockHard]

RE: Are you a gay role model?

 

"I understand and am sympathetic to the possible repercussions that might occur if Anderson came out professionally but you can't have it both ways."

 

Sure you can. It just depends on how you define "it." "It" is a simple numbers game and, as long as heteros far outnumber the gays, the straight numbers matter.

 

There are plenty of straight, Hollywood actors - hot, sexy men - who love their adoring gay male fans. They're completely secure with their sexuality and appreciate the attention they get from the gay community. Some easily agree to full frontal nudity and are completely comfortable with a cock compliment that comes from another man. These actors know how to "milk" their gay popularity even though they are not gay. They clearly are having "it," and working their business interests, both ways.

 

If a gay actor, one who is gifted with enormous hetero sex appeal, wants to play it both ways, he can by not publicly admitting that he is gay. Once he states publicly that he is gay, he runs the risk of turning off millions of female fans (who often pay cash to purchase his product) and he runs the risk of turning off the straight movie studio honchos (women and men) who believe they can no longer mass market the hetero sex appeal of their famous, male hottie.

 

One cannot exclude perception when calculating the risks of running a public business.

 

I'm sure there is a better way to handle gay acceptance in the business world (it will get better in years to come) but, when it comes to fantasy and fan bases, the fact is, you CAN have it both ways now if you play your P.R. astutely. This is why business consultants and star handlers make a sturdy income.

 

Calvin Klein is a good case study. He needed mega-money to grow his business but no financial institution would "trust" lending to a suspected homosexual who played on Fire Island Pines (with all the requisite inferences that come with the word "play" in the age of HIV-AIDS). How did he fix the trust issue? He was advised to get married (as in hetero) and he did. And he got his formal loan (and paid back the temporary one that Geffen provided). He got it both ways.

 

It is also possible when he sold his company that Calvin agreed, as part of his licensing agreement, to never disclose publicly that he is gay. Such an agreement can serve to protect those who spent millions of dollars to buy into the license and sell Calvin Klein products for years to come without the threat of a sexual P.R. meltdown. In this case (and others like it), having it both ways provides a WIN-WIN to all parties concerned.

 

The music industry has its own rules and the pendulum swings in all directions. However, many music executives will argue today that it was a financial mistake for George Michael to "come out." These executives use George's numbers to deter other young male artists from following the same course. Yet, such discussions don't include Elton John. (Maybe Elton was never considered "hot" enough for sex appeal to matter.)

 

"He doesn't even try to hide it."

 

And there's the funny thing about perception. As long as you don't say "gay," definitively, the world is free to wonder, dream, and fantasize. The minute you proclaim "gay," all bets are off.

 

"No one forced him into choosing a public profession and those who do are well aware of the "privacy" issues."

 

Everyone in show business knows the battle of balance and reasonable. However, with the internet and 24/7 entertainment news, the feeding frenzy is at an all time high. Trust me, nobody signs on for this treacherous ride of intrusion by nosy wackos. You have to live on the other side of the fence to know what such a life is like. Walk in those shoes first before you judge.

 

Balance and reasonable treatment can be achieved and managed by the strongest and the smartest in this group. I know Cooper is strong and smart. He's one of the lucky ones.

 

(edit)

"I agree with several of the points RockHard makes (I'm not referring to the big steaming dump he took on Rick Munroe & Scott Adler)"

 

As Bill Maher would say, I kid my favorite Jewish escorts, especially the one who thinks that just because his parents were Caucasian, that somehow makes him Black. :-)

[JT Brooklyn]

RE: Are you a gay role model?

 

Mr. Rockhard Rocks with his very Intuitive and Knowledgeable take on the Pros & Cons of the OUT Situation faced by Celebrity's in different fields. ;-)

[Guest MickeyMoosie]

RE: Are you a gay role model?

 

>"I understand and am sympathetic to

>the possible repercussions that might occur if Anderson came

>out professionally but you can't have it both

>ways."

>

>Sure you can. It just depends on how you define

>"it."

 

 

You're defining "it" differently than I am. I'm saying that "it" is running around openly gay and then saying it's no one's business to call attention to that fact. You can't expect privacy when you're doing it in the open. (i.e. getting fisted on the gym floor at David Barton) The specifics are no one's business (i.e. spit or swallow) but the bigger picture that you're openly flaunting is fair game. Another example would be a famous straight couple being photographed everywhere together and being asked if they're seeing each other. In a perfect world it would be none of anyone's business, but asking the general question is benign in the extreme.

 

 

>Calvin Klein is a good case study. He needed mega-money to

>grow his business but no financial institution would

>"trust" lending to a suspected homosexual who played

>on Fire Island Pines (with all the requisite inferences that

>come with the word "play" in the age of HIV-AIDS).

>How did he fix the trust issue? He was advised to get married

>(as in hetero) and he did. And he got his formal loan (and

>paid back the temporary one that Geffen provided). He got it

>both ways.

 

 

Unless you have first-hand knowledge, your scenario is gross speculation at the very least. It's actually possible he wanted to get married - there are countless gay men who have done that who weren't in need of a loan.

 

 

>It is also possible when he sold his company that Calvin

>agreed, as part of his licensing agreement, to never disclose

>publicly that he is gay. Such an agreement can serve to

>protect those who spent millions of dollars to buy into the

>license and sell Calvin Klein products for years to come

>without the threat of a sexual P.R. meltdown. In this case

>(and others like it), having it both ways provides a WIN-WIN

>to all parties concerned.

 

 

Another wild speculation.

 

 

 

>The music industry has its own rules and the pendulum swings

>in all directions. However, many music executives will argue

>today that it was a financial mistake for George Michael to

>"come out."

 

If he had recorded hit songs it wouldn't have mattered. The huge mistake that George Michael made was to wait three years before releasing a new album after Faith. It was essentially a flop (QUICK! Name a hit single from it.........crickets.........exactly) It was another FOUR years before he released his next album which was also a snore. He should have done what Mariah did which was release a new album every year - she kept the roll going.

 

 

>"No one forced him into choosing a

>public profession and those who do are well aware of the

>"privacy" issues."

>

>Everyone in show business knows the battle of balance and

>reasonable. However, with the internet and 24/7 entertainment

>news, the feeding frenzy is at an all time high. Trust me,

>nobody signs on for this treacherous ride of intrusion by nosy

>wackos. You have to live on the other side of the fence to

>know what such a life is like. Walk in those shoes first

>before you judge.

 

 

yawn, the dreaded and feared "J Word". No one is saying that he's a bad person, however, everyone is free to make a judgment as to whether they believe his behavior is acceptable or even logical. My contention is that his public behavior renders his protestations null and void. If you want your sexuality kept private, then don't parade it in public.

 

It's just that simple