In his Monday media column, The New York Times‘ David Carr catches up with Anderson Cooper. How the nighttime newsman is co-existing with the daytime talk show host, now six weeks into his afternoon chat show.
In signing up to do “Anderson,” Mr. Cooper has split his personal franchise: serious newsman by night and chatty host in front of adoring crowds of women during the day. He is probably hoping that the twain never meet. CNN has to hope as much as well.
“I am having fun doing this, learning about how to do it right,” he said. “I want to have real conversations with people and tell their stories. I am personally happiest when I do multiple things, and I think people understand that we all have multiple interests.”
AdvertisementMaybe so, but after watching a recent episode of “Anderson” in which Mr. Cooper discussed the merits of plush toilet paper versus bargain brands, and engaged in a race to see which roll runs out first, I wondered if I would watch his next dispatch from a
hurricane with new eyes. And that assumes he will have the time to put on the parachute and go. With an hour as a prime-time news anchor and an hour spent during the day, oh, say in a “Toddlers and Tiaras” debate with a woman who dressed her 3-year-old daughter as the hooker from “Pretty Woman,” who has time to get to the next earthquake?