Anderson Cooper vs Lindsay Lohan/Integrity
I don’t get Anderson Cooper. Watching his daytime show and he starts it with ‘big news’ about Lindsay Lohan crashing her car and then takes an interview over the phone with Harvey Levin from TMZ - the trashiest of smut peddlers. What kind of journalist, from CNN, who’s been to war zones, who prides himself on his integrity, gives a smut peddler from TMZ a spotlight? The worst part is how Anderson feels the need to fake being really interested in this, even though he’s made quite clear in the past he does not care about Kardashians or Hiltons or any of that nonsense. Anderson clearly doesn’t care, but thinks having mainstream appeal means following these stories and trying to take them seriously.
But Oprah never did this. Oprah had mainstream appeal with the daytime audience Anderson’s trying to attract. She definitely knew the importance of fluff pieces amongst the heavy stuff. She might HAVE Lindsay on her show, and frame the discussion as one on addiction, on family trauma, basically, taking her and her problems seriously and giving Lindsay an opportunity to humanise herself. Oprah, however, wouldn’t share the stage with a tabloid shitbox, giving their warped trash-talking take on Lindsay. There’s a difference, and Oprah shows there is a way to ‘go mainstream’ without sacrificing as much integrity as Anderson has with this venture.
Sitting next to Anderson Cooper during this segment was Cyndi Lauper, waiting patiently to be interviewed. Lauper’s always a good sport, but she is rolling her eyes, unimpressed with Anderson’s and TMZ’s dehumanising discussion of this 25 year old girl, trying to inject some compassion for Lindsay whenever she can. Cyndi Lauper is disappointed in you Anderson Cooper, and that’s when you know you’ve crossed a line. She’s thiis close to singing ‘True Colours’ right at you.
