CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen rang in the New Year on the network by taking shots of non-alcoholic substances.
During a company town hall back in November, CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht informed staff that he would put a stop to much of the drinking that has usually been a hallmark of CNN’s New Year’s Eve programming.
At the time, it was believed that hosts like Anderson Cooper would be allowed to keep drinking, but anchors and correspondents like Don Lemon would be prohibited from drinking during the broadcast.
However, Cohen exclaimed during live television coverage, “We can’t drink!”
Cohen said that he had a pocket of edibles. “Will I take them? I don’t think so,” he said. “I don’t know. It’s a long night. This is a telethon with no disease. Do you understand? We’re here all night! Passing time!”
Cohen and Cooper instead took shots of non-alcoholic substances.
“What we are doing is we are taking a mystery shot!” Cohen said.
They took shots of pickle juice and buttermilk, Mediaite reported.
WATCH:
CNN's Andy Cohen, Anderson Cooper kept the New Year's Eve mystery shots going with a new drink: buttermilk https://t.co/5MxpKEO1Mh pic.twitter.com/cBYLkgUP7o
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) January 1, 2023
This year will be the first New Year’s Eve show overseen by Licht since he took over the network in February. During the meeting, Licht reportedly told staffers that drinking on-air eroded the presenters’ credibility and “respectability.”
Last year, the broadcast drew significant controversy when Lemon and Cohen both went on alcohol-fueled rants while on air. First, Lemon ranted to fellow host Alisyn Camerota and comedian Dulce Sloan about criticism he receives. “I don’t give a — what you think about me, what do you think about that?” Lemon said. “I’m a grown-a** man. I don’t care what you think about me.”
“I am who I am,” Lemon continued. “I’m a grown, successful black man who a lot of people hate because they’re not used to people seeing me — and people like me — in the position that I am. To be able to share what I … my point of view on television, it freaks people out. And you know what? You can kiss my behind. I do not care. I don’t care. I really don’t care. I have one life, and this is who I am, and I feel very, um … blessed and honored to be in this position to be able to do this. So all the hate I get? It’s motivation to me. Bring it. I don’t care.”
Then Cohen fired a shot at ABC’s annual New Year’s Eve program, which could be seen from the CNN broadcast. “If you look behind me, you’ll see Ryan Seacrest’s group of losers performing,” Cohen said. “I’m sorry, but if you’re watching ABC, you’re watching nothing.”
Too bad it wasn’t antifreeze.
Twitter folks unloaded on CNN last night – EPIC fail for New Years Eve. Applause – Applause. May they continue to SINK… they stated that wanted Kathy Griffin back and Andy Cohen gone and the viewers wanted the alcohol. They changed the channel and watched Dolly Parton & Miley Cyrus instead. So once again, CNN was NOT in tune with the real world.
Crickets! That is what CNN, The Whole Anti-US Constitutional Communistic Chinese Colluding Progressive Liberal Democratic Donkey Swamp Creature Party And Their Illegally Labeled Left Leaning RINO Bed Warming Puppets = The Whole Left Side Of The US Political Equation Love Digging So Deep Of A Hole, They Love Their Secret, Which They Are The Ones That Are Destroying The USA From Within! Disgracefully Biased! Maybe The Left Side Of The US Political Equation Truly Need To Beam Themselves Back In Time Before King George III, Yes, Crazy George, Who Just Could NOT Properly Drink His Spiked Milk, Start Mass-Producing and Wearing That Medieval British Female Under Garment Called ({[“CHASTITY BELTS'”]}), So Today’s Legal American’s Won’t Contract Any Of Those Deadly And Infectious Diseases, Therefore All Of Those Loose Floozies = Un-Married Ladies/Females/Women Pregnant At Every Turn They Make, Or Those Males Can Start Keeping Their Biological Baby Reproducing Weapon Down Under Their Belly Buttons And Those Floozies Can Start Wearing Those Mass-produced ({[“‘CHASTITY BELT”'”]}), Until They All Get Legally Hitched = MARRIED, And NO switching Married Partners NEITHER!!!
And what position is that, Don? Sideways cowboy? Upside-down horseshoe boat captain?