Anderson Cooper Gets Dirty: PHOTO
Anderson Cooper tweeted a photo of himself last night shirtless and covered in mud, asking his followers:
"I'm off for a few days. From this photo can you guess where in the world I am? Exact location?"
Any guesses?
UPDATE from Anderson: "great guesses. some got it right! I was at volcan el totumo. Mud volcano near Cartagena, Colombia...You go to the top of the volcano and go into the warm mud. Its really weird, but fun. Colombia is a beautiful country."
A cookout at Jodie Foster's?
Posted by: Jack M | Jul 19, 2011 11:44:21 AM
Waveland, Mississippi
Posted by: Jan Olson | Jul 19, 2011 11:46:57 AM
@Ranfe
People Magazine "yep, I'm gay" covers stories are corny. Anderson Cooper should get to come out in his own time and own way like most people do, and do it in gradual stages like many people do if that's what's fits him.
Nearly all well known US officially out LGBT celebrities, including many of the news people like Don Lemon and Thomas Roberts, refrained from officially coming out to the public for a long time, shared personal things with viewers before officially coming out, only officially came out when they were ready, and insist everyone else should get to do it when they've reached the right point in their personal process.
When Anderson has been asked about it in interview he hasn't said he wants to cover the news not be the news. He originally said he didn't want to talk about it because it could risk some of his ability to get stories on location. More lately he said he thought opening up about it would just result in further invasion into sex life instead of being left more alone about it, which might be true in his case.
Posted by: brianb | Jul 19, 2011 11:49:57 AM
If I were constantly hounded by paparazzi and worked around the clock, the last thing that would cross my mind on vacation would be to tweet. Much less tweet so that people could find me.
Take some real time off, or you look desperate for attention.
Posted by: Paul R | Jul 19, 2011 11:51:05 AM
file this under "who cares where you are"
Posted by: jim morrissey | Jul 19, 2011 11:59:05 AM
I think gay people know he's gay. My mom has no idea. I just asked. SO I'd say, he's in the closet. The hypocrisy is that he is critical of anti-gay bigots, but he perpetuates the bigotry by hiding. The only reason to hide is because you are ashamed. If you are ashamed you are acknowledging that the bigots are right. Wouldn't it be a lot more powerful if he could look at the bigots he interviews and say, hey, it's not a choice.
I don't think he can have it both ways. And at the end of the day, I really don't think people will care; his career and certainly his fortune won't be impacted. So there really is no excuse except cowardice.
Posted by: dms | Jul 19, 2011 12:04:11 PM
Today I learned that you can "come out" after literally the entire world knows you're gay.
Posted by: ohplease | Jul 19, 2011 12:05:25 PM
And that DMS's mom being clueless is the ultimate test of whether or not you're in the closet -- regardless of whether or not literally every single other person on the planet knows you're gay.
Posted by: ohplease | Jul 19, 2011 12:07:09 PM
I doubt he's anywhere people can quickly run out and find him.
He has a daytime talk show show coming up so he's been trying to engage more with fans.
I wonder if he's naked outside of frame there?
Posted by: rfk | Jul 19, 2011 12:10:18 PM
Most prominent gay men remain at least somewhat in the closet; almost all, in fact, even in Hollywood.
I personally don't think it is because they really think their careers will be harmed in many cases or because they are not totally comfortable with who they are.
Instead, I think it is because they regard the culture of "gay" with all its effeminate connotations and associations to be embarrassing and they don't want to be associated with it publicly.
And I can hardly blame them for that.
Posted by: Rick | Jul 19, 2011 12:17:41 PM
@DMS
If your mom didn't know he's gay then she probably doesn't know a lot of people who already officially came out are gay either.
He's been critical of active anti-gay bullies and people attacking gays. That's not hypocritical. It would only be hypocritical if he was bullying and attacking gays himself, which he isn't. It's a GOOD THING for a gay person to speak out against anti-gay attacks whether they have fully come out to everyone or not. If you aren't yet helping in every way you can at least help in some ways. The ones who are doing bad things are the Ken Mehlmans who participate in attacking the gay community and the Shep Smiths who sit over with the enemy on FOX News and keep silent about gay issues.
Being ashamed is not the only reason people choose to wait to come out to strangers. There are also lots of self-destructive totally out people who are very public with their sexuality but still clearly have a lot of issues with their sexuality and themselves.
Posted by: brianb | Jul 19, 2011 12:27:29 PM
The Gulf Coast?
Posted by: Shannon | Jul 19, 2011 12:29:37 PM
Is he re-enacting "The Jazz Singer?"
(But with AC-perfect hair?)
Posted by: Fix It Again Tony | Jul 19, 2011 12:59:04 PM
In a way I can understand AC's reluctance to make an official "I'm Gay" announcement. Nothing I've read about his various BFs leads me to believe he's taken a vow of chastity and how would YOU like it if your every move, every date or hook-up, was announced breathlessly in tabloids and on TMZ? The "glass closet" AC lives in provides him a modicum of privacy since even tabloids are reluctant to "out" anyone.
AC does lots of stories on gay issues now but if he came out officially, overnight he'd become The Official Gay Spokesperson and I can understand not wanting that role, either feeling that you aren't the best candidate for the job OR you don't want to be reduced to just that.
And I don't really think of him as being "in the closet" anyway. Anyone who's in the least interested knows he's gay. He's living by the same standard David Hyde Pierce used, 'My life is an open book, but don't expect me to read it to you.'
*IF* AC is 'settling down' and with his new talk show, maybe he'll come out officially but IMO he's not a closet case.
Posted by: Codswallop | Jul 19, 2011 1:00:04 PM
Someone saw Anderson on a flight in Colombia, so that's where he is. AC's bf Benjamin must've taken the photo.
Posted by: Zee | Jul 19, 2011 1:04:10 PM
Another thing is that whenever Anderson's gone on vacation in the past, several people would tweet it and reveal his exact location. He usually won't tweet about his private vacation time and will only mention where he is if it's work-related. I think he may have wanted to get ahead of those folks who see him somewhere and then tell all on the internets. It gives him a little control over the situation. Plus, I believe he's opening up more because he's got this talk show thing coming up and he wants to be more accessible to potential viewers.
Posted by: Zee | Jul 19, 2011 1:20:28 PM
AC is out to his friends, out to his family, out to his co-workers. He's out exactly the same way you or I are out.
Posted by: Sean | Jul 19, 2011 1:22:05 PM
Isn't AC's 15 minutes up yet?
Posted by: Ted | Jul 19, 2011 1:25:57 PM
It's sad and disturbing to read the comments and lies in defense of Anderson Cooper's closet case status. All that self-loathing has gotta hurt.
Posted by: HOMOPHOPBIA | Jul 19, 2011 1:26:39 PM
@DMS and Ranfe: If your local newspaper Reporter showed up at your own workplace and wanted to take pictures of you at work and feature you on the front page with the caption "Yup, I'm Gay!" would you accept?
I wouldn't. There are several reasons, and none of them have anything to do with being in the closet or ashamed.
I'm out to my family and friends. I haven't ever had any occasion to tell my co-workers whether I'm gay straight or bi, but if I'm asked what I did on the weekend, I don't hesitate to say that my boyfriend and I went to Vegas. I've worked on anti-homophobia campaigns and accepted when I was asked to speak to a university class about being gay.
Not wanting one's sexuality to be a media story does not mean one is in the closet.
If I were traveling in many parts of the world (the West Bank, Pakistan, Nigeria, etc.), I also wouldn't want a local paper to say, "Yup, I'm an American" and tell which hotel I'm staying at. But that doesn't make me ashamed of where I was born, either.
Posted by: Gregv | Jul 19, 2011 1:34:43 PM
Fire Island
Posted by: Shane | Jul 19, 2011 1:36:39 PM
"I've worked on anti-homophobia campaigns and accepted when I was asked to speak to a university class about being gay." LOL. What BS!
Posted by: HOMOPHOBIA | Jul 19, 2011 2:22:43 PM
A gay man who doesn't like spas?
Next he will say he doesn't enjoy a glass of white zin. Oh the blasphemy!
Posted by: Max | Jul 19, 2011 2:42:08 PM
pushy bottom!
Posted by: David B. | Jul 19, 2011 3:37:46 PM
I just don't care.
Posted by: Perry | Jul 19, 2011 4:25:44 PM