“Did we look like idiots?” Limitless star Bradley Cooper turned American Morning co-hosts Kiran Chetry and Christine Romans into “two school girls” this morning (as Kiran aptly noted). Not only did he have them giggling, blushing, and almost ruing their wedding bands for almost thirty minutes, he rendered them speechless–literally.
The fun began during the final half hour of AM today when Christine started to promo Cooper’s upcoming segment before a commercial: Stopping suddenly, she turned to Ali, saying, “Why don’t you take this lead?”* Amused, Ali read, “Sure, he’s got a sexy smile…but Bradley Cooper sure can act: His new slick thriller Limitless is number one at the box office, catapulting him into Hollywood’s big leagues. Bradley is here.” As Kiran and Christine giggled and Cooper grinned and waved back at them, Ali ribbed, “My two married co-anchors are having some difficulty spitting this all out.”
Turning to Ali, Kiran playfully protested, “Married?” Chiming in, a similarly piqued Christine queried, “Why did you have to bring that up? Ah!” Slipping out of her anchor seat in her bare feet, Kiran bent over and began to slip on her high heels, muttering, “Thanks a lot, Ali.”
When AM returned from ad break, the frivolity returned as Kiran and Christine joyfully interviewed a dapper Cooper who looked like he had just climbed out of bed with his scruffy beard, mussed hair, and loosened tie.** Initially, Christine and Kiran appeared on terra firma as they asked Cooper about his hit Limitless and his older cine Hangover. However, as the interview went on, they appeared to get lost in Cooper’s clear blue eyes as this handsome hunk answered their queries with an attentive eye, quick wit, and seductive smile.
Rarely taking their eyes off their dreamboat, Christine and Kiran seemed to lose track of time. As the interview progressed, the questions turned personal. When Christine asked him how it felt to be a “megastar” and Cooper self-deprecatingly scoffed at the idea, Kiran intently intoned, “People have an intensive interest in your life….People want to know about your personal life. Are you back on the market now?”
As Cooper looked back at Kiran and chuckled, she quickly added, “We’re married. We don’t want to know but we’re asking for our friends.” Even less convincingly, Christine chimed, “Oh, yes. This is important for the people to know.”
Evading Kiran’s question about his love life deftly, Cooper suddenly answered Christine’s query about being a “megastar,” explaining that his “life has not changed, honestly.” Joking, Kiran riposted, “So, you don’t have somebody to carry an umbrella around if it’s sunny.” Cooper chuckled, “Of course, I do. That’s normal, right?” Joining in the mirth, Christine jested, “And then somebody else to count the money, too.”
Then, abruptly, the colloquy ended as Christine looked over at Kiran. “What!” exclaimed Kiran. As the two sat befuddled, Cooper interposed, “So what are we going to talk about?” Shrugging, Kiran replied, “Nothing else. Um.” Looking back at Ali in disbelief, a smiling Cooper exclaimed, “Wow! Total dead space. That was amazing! That was amazing!”
Chagrined, Kiran pointed to Ali, saying, “Ali’s making fun of us. This never happens: we interview ambassadors, interview ex-Presidents. We never run out of things to say but now we’re like two school girls in a bar. This is terrible!” Still somewhat shocked, Cooper exclaimed, “That was incredible!”
As Kiran and Christine mocked themselves, feigning a feverish search through their papers for one last question, an amused Aly patiently waited in the background for the toss. Fanning her flushed face with her hand, Kiran exclaimed, “Get us out of here!” Ali teased, “He’s pretty dreamy, huh?”
Then, reading out the segment, Aly declared, “It’s hot in here but it cold’s outside….Rob Marciano’s got your weekend travel forecast next.”
When AM returned from break, it was still “hot” in the AM studio as Kiran, Christine, and Aly sat behind the AM desk.*** When Kiran started to toss to Rob for his report, Christine whimsically interjected, “I don’t mean to name drop but my mike is falling off because we just were hugging Bradley Cooper, Rob, and we’re going to have to get the weather so we can get everything all settled here.” Before Rob could reply, Kiran queried, “What do you think? Did we act like idiots?”
Responding indirectly, Rob gibed, “Ali, are they trying to make us jealous? It’s not working you know. We professionally respect what he does as an actor.” Agreeing, Ali asserted, “I was fine sitting here being ignored for several minutes that continued to go on and on and on.” Seemingly, still somewhat slighted, Rob humorously bristled, “It was a nice break, you know, watching them abuse somebody else for a change. God love them. Poor Bradley!”
Howling in laughter, a flattered Kiran answered, “Rob, I know. You’re still our favorite. Don’t worry.” Concurring, Christine declared, “We objectify you everyday, three times an hour. You know.” Affirmed, Rob riposted, “An entertaining segment, nonetheless.” He got no argument from Kiran: she simply raised her eyebrows and suggestively smiled.
Subsequently, when Rob had given his report and had segued back to Kiran, Christine, and Aly, Aly jested, “I’ll take it to break. My co-hosts are still recovering.”
Later, as AM‘s final segment concluded, Kiran, at least, had still not yet fully recovered. Segueing to CNN Newsroom guest host Carol Costello, she coyly commented, “Carol, from a fellow happily married woman, me and Christine.”**** Looking down, a weary Aly pleaded, “Oh, don’t start!” Undeterred, Kiran continued, “We can blush and giggle over Bradley Cooper, right? Because he’s just a, he’s just a beautiful man to look at.” But, we’re happily married.”
Sighing like a school girl herself in the retinue of Justine Bieber, Carol responded, “He’s hot! I’m happily married, too. But, he’s hot!”***** Smiling and raising her eyebrows, Kiran nodded her ardent agreement.
“Did we look like idiots?” No, Kiran. Happily, more like Fox & Friends. Hopefully, AM executive producer Jim McGinnis finally did remember CNN chief Ken Jautz’s sage advice.
[Author’s aside: Jim, if you are indeed beginning to make AM “more compelling and engaging…more fun…[and]…livelier,” you may also want to ditch the distancing desk for a cozy couch (and close those doors again behind that odious AM desk).]
*American Morning – 03/25/11 (@ 6:34 a.m.)
**Ibid at 8:37 a.m. ET.
***Ibid at 8:47 a.m. ET
****Ibid at 9:00 a.m. ET
*****Kiran, Christine, and Carol are married to meteorologist Chris Knowles, Rueters reporter Ed Tobin, and Loyola College Maryland’s Veep for Academic Affairs Timothy Law Snyder, respectively.
Carpe Diem 