I’m a bit of a news junkie. Because I was raised in Libya, I was glued to the TV during what the media refers to as “Arab Spring”.  I had a twitter full of nothing but journalist covering uprisings in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and other countries. Yesterday, Anthony Shadid, a Pulitzer prize winning journalist who was held captive in Tripoli, Libya last year, died while covering the Syrian government’s attacks on its own people. Early reports indicate that he died of an asthma attack brought on by an allergic reaction to horses. I admit to being a bit skeptical of that report. I first heard of his passing via a tweet by Anderson Cooper.  I love Anderson Cooper.  The man has won half a dozen or more Emmys for his journalistic talent. I stayed up late watching his coverage of the protests in Egypt. He was involved in heroic efforts in Haiti. He is an A list journalist by any measure. His prime time CNN show Anderson 360 often provides unique insight on global issues that are hard to come by on US networks. And he’s hot.  He’s very, very hot.

Last September, Anderson got a daytime talk show with the most magnificent set I’ve ever seen. I had such high hopes! But those hopes were dashed when programming began  spiraling into the arena of Jerry Springer. This is Anderson Cooper! Son of Gloria Vanderbilt! Emmy award winning international journalist!  WHAT IS HE THINKING?  Frankly, I blame my ex-love Andy Cohen. Andy has always been head over twinkle toes when it comes to Anderson, which is just wrong for more reasons than the fact that  Andy and Andy is just well…too silly. Anyway, Anderson has been in a  relationship with Benjamin Maisani (ALLEGEDLY!) for several years.  Nonetheless, the two Andys seem to spend a lot of time together. And I blame Bravo Andy for the way that CNN Andy is behaving lately. Here’s what,  Anderson has become obsessed with Toddlers and Tiaras. He has had at least half a dozen episodes about the subject on his show. Click through the jump to see pictures of today’s episode. Yes, you do care. Click through the jump!

ONCE AGAIN today Anderson is talking about Toddlers and Tiaras. As a southern girl, I really don’t get the drama over children’s beauty pageants. Like most other things that are sensationalized on TV they pick the craziest moms and the most over the top little girls to focus the show on. There is nothing wrong with pageants. There is something wrong with some of the pageant moms who dress their babies up as hookers and cover them in make-up and prance them all over the stage looking like mini-prostitutes.  In the scope of global issues, this is not a problem that deserves a whole lot of our time and attention.  Yet somehow, Anderson has become obsessed with the topic.  And it’s creepy. To be fair, part of the creepiness is that Anderson is a man and that alone makes it creepier than if say, Wendy Williams covered the topic.  Anderson Cooper talking about makeup and weaves and such on little girls just makes me feel oooky.

For someone who finds the whole idea repulsive, Anderson sure dedicates a lot of his shows to this topic.  I’d venture to guess that this is his most often covered topic. If it isn’t, it sure seems like it. If you don’t like little girls dressed inappropriately on TV, why have little girls dressed inappropriately on TV on your TV show at least once a month? Are you just reminding us every few weeks how horrible it is, Anderson? On today’s show, Anderson once again reminds us how giving children Go-Go Juice ( a mixture of Mountain Dew and Red Bull)  and Pixie Stix before hitting the stage is tantamount to child cruelty (and it is).Then, after parading the young girls around in their most controversial outfits, full of satin and glitter, he sends the pageant moms off stage and puts them through the paces of preparing for a competition. He has used his budget to have custom-made matching outfits for the mothers. There is weave and makeup and shoes. Lord only knows how much this must have cost. Only to prove that Anderson Cooper really, really doesn’t like little girls in pageants. No.he.does.not.

Oh Anderson, please tell me this is simply a result of someone telling you that daytime viewers are idiots with pudding for brains. Tell me you are at least a tiny bit embarrassed by your behavior. Please stop taking programming tips from Bravo Andy. We need you to use that beautiful stage of yours to bring at least a smidgen of dignity and journalistic integrity to the daytime airwaves. Stop wallowing in the daytime talk show  gutter and put your skills to good use for a brand new audience.  Don’t make me break up with you too!