Anderson Cooper: Man of Many Faces

Anderson Cooper, hands down, is my favorite newsman.

Actually, this may sound odd coming from the mouth of a former journalism student, but other than Brian Williams, Cooper is the only nightly newsman I can stand these days.

What I love most about Anderson is his versatility. First of all, he is a top-notch journalist. This man is not afraid to get his hands dirty. Whether he's saving a teen from a mob in Haiti or getting punched in the face by Mubarak supporters in Egypt, he's where the latest news is.





Bitch, please cannot wait for the fall premiere of Anderson, his daytime talk show. Though he behaves like the consummate professional on Anderson Cooper 360, he has demonstrated his gift of natural banter in hilarious turns hosting CNN's New Years Eve bash with Kathy Griffin and filling in for Regis on Regis & Kelly.

Most of all, I look forward to hearing about his guarded personal history. No, I don't care if he ever comes out as gay or not (that's up to him); I want to know about his childhood. As an heir to the Vanderbilt fortune and son of the famous jean designer/socialite, he's sure to have some colorful stories.

For instance, during CNN's MJ tribute, Cooper revealed this gem:

"When I was 10, for some odd reason, I went to Studio 54 with Michael Jackson and a bunch of people and I had no idea who he was and I saw him dance and I was like, Oh, that guy is a really good dancer."

What was little Anderson doing at Studio 54 when he was only 10? I want to know more about his club kid background.

Let's face it. He's a hard man to hate. He is TV's top silver fox. He's a celebrated watchdog of the people. And based on his 2011 NAACP Image Award nomination, he might even be an honorary person of color. Cuz he's cool like that.