Hanging With Mr. Cooper

File this under “what will the gossips come up with next?” — a recent rumor blazed through the blogosphere that Anderson Cooper, CNN anchorman extraordinare, showers in his boxer briefs at the gym to guard against the prying eyes who wonder if the carpet matches his famously silver drapes. To which we say, get a life, people. We figure the Coop’s got a better shower arrangement than that, and besides, who cares? Lots and lots of people do, apparently. Out magazine recently featured him as the cover boy for an article titled “The Glass Closet.” And MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann put Cooper on blast for not discussing his sexuality — perhaps it hurts Olbermann’s feelings that nobody cares to speculate about his own particular desires.

Cooper’s resplendent gray mane has remained unruffled through the media storm. He doesn’t give a damn if Fox News compares him to Paris Hilton. Despite what anybody says, he’s still producing award-worthy journalistic work for CNN, 60 Minutes, and now in his book, Dispatches from the Edge. Today at 3:00 p.m. at Temple Judea, Cooper will read from his blistering biography, which reveals the effects of fame on his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, and takes readers across the globe to tsunami-ravaged Sri Lanka, parched and hungry Niger, and waterlogged and decaying New Orleans. Tickets cost ten dollars and are available at any Books & Books location. The ticket is redeemable as a credit towards any book purchase.
Sun., May 20, 3 p.m.