Olbermann vs. Cooper, Round Two

Keith Olbermann apparently has a problem with Anderson Cooper.

In a recent interview with New York Magazine, Olbermann said:

"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."

and

"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."

Is this jealousy over the "$50 million over the next five years" deal Cooper is about to sign with CNN?

(Please bear in mind that I'm not trying to start an argument over Cooper's sexuality. Thank you.)

A fight for equality or just cheap exploitation?

Many visitors of this blog knows my personal view about the gossip blogs and sites. Some people have gone so far as labeling me as homophobic for not wanting to address the Anderson Cooper controversy. The truth is I'm far from it. I've been very lucky to have extraordinary gay people in my life. I've been witness of the pain brought through discrimination, illness, religious bigotry, family rejection and the lack of equal rights. And have admire how most of them have overcome this and live their life as full as the law allows them to be. One of the happiest days of my life was to attend my friend's marriage in Madrid to his long time lover.

Today I came across with an article that finally pin points my position, presented by gay organizations and activists which I want to share with you.

• "It's not our policy to out people. We only out people when they have come out to us personally or when they have been previously written about by other publications." - Corey Scholibo, The Advocate's A&E editor
• "Media speculation about a celebrity's orientation is not something we support. This kind of gossip can lead some people to the decision to come out, as we've seen recently, or it may drive others further into the closet. People are going to become more guarded and secretive and not less, because they don't want to create any opportunities [for anyone to out them]." - Damon Romine, spokesperson for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
• "I do not outright call people gay. I do not feel it is my place, or anyone else's place, to make people come out of the closet. Being shockingly hurtful just to get attention is not my style." - Trent Vanegas, blogger Pink Is the New Blog
• "I don't understand why we profit from having some bitter miserable person exposed against his will. How does that make a gay teenager happy to be gay? What kind of a role model does that establish? I don't think it does anything for anybody." - Bruce Vilanch, comedy writer
• "Spreading gossip is just your average pedestrian variety of immorality. Claiming that you're doing it to further civil rights is an outright sham." - Japhy Grant, screenwriter and author

So I think their position makes them "homophobes" like me.

Editorially it is a hard call. But what about the rumors that we pass on, knowing full well they're probably not true? I've been thinking about this for some time, and aside from the obvious answer (celebrity gossip is fun!).

We can find hundreds of Anderson sightings on the Internet, but all that makes him, I believe, is a man that walks and eat - and God knows he can gain some pounds - but that won't make him gay … or straight, for that matter.

Granted, his sensuality is something public, there is no surprise of all the people that are drawn to him. He is a very attractive man. But his sexuality is his, and it is no ones business and he has made that point loud and clear. His career, like almost all respected jounalists, is not based in his sexuality. We don't know absolutely nothing about Michael Ware's private life. And that is the way it is supposed to be. There are people who make their career solely based on their sexuality, but this is not Anderson Cooper's case.

Sometimes the news industry walks a thin line between its governing ethics and the entertainment factor. CNN's marketing campaign isn't helping either - I simply can't imagine ABC' website with Charlie Gibson fansite -. Personally I find it cheesy. Unfortunately for most viewers visibility is becoming more important than credibility. That could explain the "panty gate" and how it overshadows more important things. I would like CNN to spend more money in the actual production of the show than in ads.

And we have keep within the proper perspective where all the comments come from. People, who like ticks, live from the blood from others. And to answer last night's anon question that was not directed to Jade or Marie (I could bet it was towards Courtney and me):

"Anderson Cooper
Madison and E 62nd St.
Manhattan
December 13, 2006 @ 4 PM
I saw Anderson Cooper and a young woman with long black hair crossing Madison Ave., having an animated conversation.

12/14/2006 9:09 PM

Anónimo dijo...

Sightings, sightings! Thanks anon. I wonder if the people who dislike the posting of sightings of AC feel the same about them when it's reported that he's seen with a WOMAN as in this latest. I'm not directing this comment to Marie or Jade, so please don't get mad! I love this site. :D"

Well with that description it might have well be me, and that doesn't mean we are lovers. So I hope this entire post helps you understand my position.

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