Key Learnings From Our Hang with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen

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Hope you all had a lovely three-day weekend in honor of MLK. As for us, we spent our rainy Sunday afternoon at the Paramount Theatre in Oaktown, laughing our arses off with two ACs. That would be Silver Fox, intrepid CNN newsman and NYE host Anderson Cooper and his longtime buddy Andy Cohen, queen of the Real Housewives, host of Bravo's Watch What Happens Live and the most celeb-obsessed man on the planet.

Fun, right?

The show AC²: An Intimate Afternoon With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen (Deep Talk and Shallow Tales) has been making its way around the country. On Friday night, the guys were at the Masonic in San Francisco; Saturday, they played the Paramount in Seattle, and Sunday was the East Bay's turn. (Future dates are scheduled for Philadelphia and St Louis, among others.)

Essentially, the show's just two pals shooting the shit (re: work, life and sex), telling stories and answering audience questions. A smattering of hilarious video clips help break up the non-stop gabfest.

Undoubtedly a good time was had by all—save for the man sitting next to yours truly who was insanely bothered by the light on my phone, which I needed in order to take notes (Oops Sorry.) Anywhoo, let's move on to the good stuff. Presenting, in no particular order, some of the juicy intel we gleaned from our 120 minutes with Anderson and Andy.

Bosom Buddies

It's clear Andy and Anderson have a genuine affection between them, and they often finish each other's sentences the way friends do. But Anderson is quick to point out: "We're two guys as close as two guys can get without sleeping with each other." Andy was mum but we have a suspicion if it were up to him, things may have worked out differently. The two did, after all, meet on a blind date. Anderson was more than happy to regale us with the deets of that first call by imitating Andy: "So Gloria Vanderbilt's your mom..."

A Mad Case of the Giggles

Anderson Cooper laughs like a 12-year-old girl. His words. Although he's kept the giggles in check for most of his 20-plus years as a newsman, he lost it big time a few years back during a pun-filled piece about a drunk Gerard Depardieu urinating on an airplane sans bathroom. Hi-lar-ious! (We love AC even more for making fun of himself.)

Marry. Shag. Kill.

Given the opportunity, Mr. Cohen would marry Sarah Jessica Parker, shag Kelly Ripa and kill Madonna (sorry, Madge). And thanks for that fabulous audience question, whoever you are.

This is how it's done, Mr. Affleck

Unlike Ben Affleck, Anderson Cooper didn't even think to have his fourth great-grandfather's status as a slaveholder stricken from his segment on PBS's Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates. In the clip, we see a shocked Anderson learning first that his relative owned slaves. And then...that he was murdered by one of them. (With a farm hoe, no less.) Mr. Gates asks if he thought the relative (on his father's side) deserved it. The ever-classy Anderson replies without missing a beat: "Yeah, I have no doubt." Cray.

Presidential Politics

So how does Andy Cohen feel about Donald Trump? "Not a fan."

Hall Pass

Anderson has a serious crush on David Beckham. (Like who doesn't?)  After reviewing footage from a segment that aired on 60 minutes, Anderson asks the cameraman if there were any shots of him "not grinning like a 12-year-old girl." Nope, not a one replies the cameraman.

Mama's Boy

Like most GJBs (Good Jewish Boys), Andy went to sleep-away camp as a kid and was an ardent letter-writer. In a funny video package, we got to see many of Andy's famous friends reading the letters he wrote to Mom Evelyn. We learn that Andy failed his canoe test five times and that he had very definite opinions about what his "bar" (as in mitzvah) invitations should look like. He included a drawing and directed Mom to make sure that A-N-D-Y appeared down the side.

Got Game?

Anderson Cooper is not a fan of sports. "I never understand when people say ‘Did you watch the game last night,' how does everyone know what game they're talking about?" Oh, Coop.

If Anderson Was on Bravo...

Andy treats Anderson to a few Housewives taglines of his own. Our favorites? "I may be a Silver Fox but that doesn't make me any less of a cougar" and "I don't keep up with the Vanderbilts. I am the Vanderbilts." Bravo, indeed.