Staying Above It All

'Pumpkin Patch' Courtney Stodden Defended by Anderson Cooper on the RidicuList (Video)

October 27, 2011 -- 06:55 AM EDT

by Tom Rose

Member since:
March 4, 2010

Anderson Cooper is pulling off a neat trick with his RidicuList commentary segment. Not only does he get to joke about off-beat pop culture icons, like Courtney Stodden, he has found a way to slam absurdities while staying above it all.

Cooper weighed in on the "Pumpkin Patch" scandal with some witty double entendres and tongue-in-cheek cracks about Courtney Stodden he may not have been able to get away with if he was doing straight reporting.

It's one of the oldest con games in the world but Anderson Cooper gives it a new spin. And the mark is his viewing public.

But what's a Talking Head to do? If he fell in line with the usual slate of celebrity bashing and gossip, it might harm his vaunted journalistic credentials. This way he gets to play both sides of the fence, winning either way.

Here's how he covered the story. It's a masters class of wit, guile and, most of all, obscenely brilliant talent for gentlemanly muckraking.

Just like the old days...