Grammar School

Late Night: Anderson Cooper would like to ban the Kardashians

January 10, 2012 | 9:45am


On Sunday, Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" switched to its new five-night-a-week format. Except for the increased frequency, little about the talk show, hosted by Andy Cohen and broadcast live from the tchotchke-filled "Bravo Clubhouse," appears to have changed.

The guest lineup, mostly cobbled together from various Bravo personalities and Cohen's celebrity pals, could definitely use some diversity. But "Watch What Happens" has something that most other late-night shows are sorely lacking: spontaneity. Cohen steers well clear of the rehearsed conversations that make so much late-night TV feel like an endless press junket, opting instead for fast-paced quiz games that make the show feel like an adult sleepover party.

On Monday night's episode, for instance, "Real Housewife" Camille Grammer and CNN anchor/daytime talk-show host Anderson Cooper participated in a game called "Plead the Fifth" -- basically a series of prying personal questions.

First he interrogated Grammer, asking her the weirdest place she'd ever "gotten busy" (in a laundry room) and how many men she'd made out with since her divorce (three). Wisely, Grammer pleaded the fifth when it came to the subject of her new boyfriend's habits in bed.

Then it was Cooper's turn in the hot seat. He demurred when it came to the subject of sexting, and when asked what his "freak number" would be on a scale from 1 to 10, he joked, "I'm a WASP. My freak number's like 1."

But one question -- "What celebrity would you refuse to have on your syndicated talk show?" -- elicited a candid response from Cooper.

After some hemming and hawing, Cooper said, "I'd say generally any member of the Kardashian family."

Then, perhaps fearing the wrath of the almighty Kris Jenner, he instantly began to backpedal. "I don't have anything against them, I just think they're everywhere. I don't think I could really add much," he said.

Yeah, sure.