Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper, who broke into a giggle fit while delivering a pun-filled monologue on the Ridiculist about Gerard Depardieu's reported urination on the cabin floor of an airplane this week, appeared to surprise even himself with the force of his reaction.  In Anderson Cooper's case, the reported tinkling prompted the giggling. More often, it's the giggling that prompts the tinkling, an event known as giggle incontinence . And yes, this is a real medical condition. Though it's not well understood, it appears to occur when the detrusor muscle, which squeezes urine from the bladder, contracts during a fit of laughter.

One of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" has just described how she agrees with Bravo's decision to air the show in the aftermath of the suicide of Russell Armstrong, husband of one of the housewives, when Anderson Cooper breaks in with a query. "I've been touched by suicide. My brother committed suicide when he was 23 and I was 21," Cooper said, citing his well-known personal history. "The question is: Is reality television the best forum to bring it up?" As viewers of his prime-time CNN program "Anderson Cooper 360" will quickly recognize, the moment is vintage Cooper: a journalistic interrogative cloaked in emotional and even personal garb.

No two ways about it, the Fourth Estate is on life-support -- and the public is eager to pull the plug. Once regarded as the noblest of professions, journalism has toppled from the heights of David Halberstam to the muck of Judith Miller.

A roundup of entertainment headlines for Thursday. Former Delaware Senate candidate and current not-witch Christine O'Donnell walked off Piers Morgan's CNN show over gay marriage questions. ( Los Angeles Times ) "The Lone Ranger" may still go before the cameras. ( Los Angeles Times ) An autopsy confirms that "Real Housewives' " Russell Armstrong did indeed commit suicide. ( Los Angeles Times ) A "Man of Steel" casting call has revealed the first hints of the top secret film's plot.

Taking Regis' seat As soon as Regis Philbin announced he was stepping down (but that his show would go on), the speculation began: Who would replace Regis? Here are a few prospects being kicked around the water cooler: Mark Consuelos Consuelos, 39, has already proved that he has good chemistry with Kelly Ripa: the two have been married since 1996 and have three children. The former star of "All My Children" ? which is where he met Ripa ?

CNN is considering several options that would elevate the role of anchor Anderson Cooper, seeking to give the broadcaster's brand of emotive reporting greater exposure, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Currently the host of "Anderson Cooper 360," Cooper has anchored CNN's 7 p.m. newscast since March 2003. Last month, the show saw a substantial boost in its ratings, compared with October 2004.

Back in the day when he ran CNN, Ted Turner resorted to a motto to explain why the network avoided high-priced anchors and other showbiz trappings. "News," Turner would say, "is the star." News may still be a star at CNN today, but I'm guessing it might be on the verge of throwing a tantrum about the reduced size of its dressing room. And who can blame news, with bigger stars like Angelina Jolie flitting around, sucking up all the attention with her tousled hair and beauteous bee-stung lips?

CNN "NewsNight" anchor Aaron Brown is leaving the network after executives decided to give his flagship 10 p.m. broadcast to Anderson Cooper and create an expanded role for Wolf Blitzer in prime time, CNN announced Wednesday. With the programming changes, Brown -- who had anchored the 10 p.m. EST hour for the last four years -- was in effect elbowed out. "There weren't that many options left that made sense for someone of Aaron's stature," CNN/U.S.

When the final Nielsen television ratings came out this week showing that CNN's Anderson Cooper edged out his Fox News competition in a key demographic in 2008, the network was quick to crow about it. On Wednesday, CNN ran full-page ads in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal touting the fact that the first hour of "Anderson Cooper 360?" won the time period among 25- to 54-year-old viewers, the age group most sought after by advertisers who buy time during news programs.

Move over, MTV. CNN, whose viewers are mostly from the older range of the age spectrum, will be co-host of its first Rock the Vote event, a Democratic presidential candidate forum. Rock the Vote, which works to get young people involved in the political process, more often chooses the more demographically compatible MTV as a partner. The Nov. 4 forum, in Boston, will be moderated by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, with questions coming from the youth audience. -- Elizabeth Jensen

Anderson Cooper, who broke into a giggle fit while delivering a pun-filled monologue on the Ridiculist about Gerard Depardieu's reported urination on the cabin floor of an airplane this week, appeared to surprise even himself with the force of his reaction.  In Anderson Cooper's case, the reported tinkling prompted the giggling. More often, it's the giggling that prompts the tinkling, an event known as giggle incontinence . And yes, this is a real medical condition. Though it's not well understood, it appears to occur when the detrusor muscle, which squeezes urine from the bladder, contracts during a fit of laughter.

Oprah Winfrey, the monarch of daytime television, tapes her final episode this month. For 25 years, Winfrey, avatar of the national psyche and high priestess of the self-empowerment movement, has ruled the daytime airwaves by inviting celebrities and statesmen to her couch for friendly tête-à-têtes watched by millions of loyal followers. Already, members of TV's royalty are plotting to seize Winfrey's crown. Katie Couric is marshaling an insurgency. Anderson Cooper has staked a beachhead.

Taking Regis' seat As soon as Regis Philbin announced he was stepping down (but that his show would go on), the speculation began: Who would replace Regis? Here are a few prospects being kicked around the water cooler: Mark Consuelos Consuelos, 39, has already proved that he has good chemistry with Kelly Ripa: the two have been married since 1996 and have three children. The former star of "All My Children" ? which is where he met Ripa ?

During Broadway's autumn doldrums, celebrity stunt casting is often seen as a surefire way of drumming up sagging sales. This week, Billie Joe Armstrong of the band Green Day joined the cast of "American Idiot" for a brief run. Now the organizers of "Rock of Ages" have announced their own celebrity cast addition. The hit Broadway jukebox musical, which draws on '80s hair-metal rock favorites, will be getting an injection of the real thing starting Oct. 11, when Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider joins the cast for an 11-week run. "Rock of Ages" is scheduled to play Hollywood's Pantages Theatre in February as part of a national tour starring Constantine Maroulis, who headed the original Broadway cast.

After months of speculation, Piers Morgan, the British newspaper editor best-known to U.S. audiences as a judge on NBC's "America's Got Talent," has finally completed talks to take over Larry King's weeknight talk show on CNN. CNN, hoping to bolster its flagging prime-time lineup, has settled on Morgan after delicate and wide-ranging negotiations that cleared numerous obstacles, from the host's visa status to his role as a judge on NBC's summer...

With gloomy economic news dominating the headlines, Fox News and MSNBC posted substantial audience increases in the last four weeks compared to the same period a year ago, while CNN shed a large share of its audience. Top-rated Fox News drew an average of 2.4 million viewers in prime time between Jan. 26 and Feb. 22, a spike of 28%, according to Nielsen Media Research data. CNN held onto sec- ond place with 1.2 million viewers but dropped 30% from last February, while MSNBC posted an average of 949,000 viewers, up 23%. Part of CNN's audience fall-off can be traced to the three presidential primary debates the network hosted last February, including one that drew 8.3 million viewers, greatly boosting its average viewership for the month.

CNN's Anderson Cooper will contribute five stories a year to "60 Minutes" on CBS in an arrangement that also allows his own channel to rebroadcast those reports, both networks said Monday. Cooper, 38, fills a part-time slot previously taken by CNN's Christiane Amanpour and, along with Katie Couric's arrival at CBS this fall, gives a shot of new blood to TV's long-running and still top-rated newsmagazine. CNN wanted more than just exposure for its best-known personality.

When the final Nielsen television ratings came out this week showing that CNN's Anderson Cooper edged out his Fox News competition in a key demographic in 2008, the network was quick to crow about it. On Wednesday, CNN ran full-page ads in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal touting the fact that the first hour of "Anderson Cooper 360?" won the time period among 25- to 54-year-old viewers, the age group most sought after by advertisers who buy time during news programs.