I suspect Anderson Cooper (It Reporter of CNN and new King of Media) likes Elliott. In the EW.com interview he gives, he is objectively analytical about Elliott. And I don't take his comments as a diss. Anderson is very very intuitive and intellectual, as well as snarky and critical (he's a REAL journalist!), but I suspect he likes Elliott or at least recognizes his talent:

Anderson Cooper - Speaks About American Idol

Cooper while going into tabloid type details about almot everyone in the AI crew (Chris?not even mentioned) the only one that he actually comments on about singing ability is Elliott. For what it's worth I think that is actually a thumbs up for Elliott.

I'm obsessed with American Idol. That's the most brilliantly produced show that there is. The gray-haired guy [Taylor Hicks], I liked for a while. I like when he does the actual Joe Cocker stuff. When he gets into the Wedding Singer stuff, it's cringeworthy. No one needs to see a gray-haired man dance. And I include myself in that. Paris [Bennett] I thought was great when she did Billie Holliday, but after a while it was like, Who is this person? I don't understand. The stylists should be lined up and shot. That's the other thing I love about the show. The best moment of the show is, I think, the second week in Hollywood, when they've suddenly been styled. And they emerge and they look completely different. I mean, how did they fix Elliott [Yamin]'s teeth? They've done something, so you don't even notice it! Maybe they've, like, ripped the muscles in his lips so he can't smile, or painted one of his teeth black so you don't notice it, but I swear he's had some sort of major work done. They got rid of the Amish beard and put a little Crew Fiber in his hair. Kellie Pickler, I'm glad she's gone, because I didn't buy that whole calamari thing. Please. Come on. And then there's the woman who was on her knees [Katharine McPhee]. She's incredibly beautiful. She's got a whole Playboy-bunny thing going on, and totally working the camera. Elliott, I think, has a great voice. He does seem nervous from time to time, though. I think it was in EW, someone was saying, If he doesn't believe in his own performance, why should we? And that's a valid point.
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he does!

I hate how journalists, in their own self-interest to appear "fair and equitable" and therefore as a "credible journalist" just end up sniping like all the rest of them.

He spoke about Elliott the most in his reply, so I think you just might be right.

He said on R&K that he was a Taylor fan..

I agree completely with this statement and I think that says a lot about what he thinks of Elliott. He mentions Elliott having a great voice but doesn't talk about singing ability with the other contestants at all.

I think Anderson is likely to say he is a Taylor fan but that is the most asked question since he also has premature grey hair. As well, he has said on two different interviews that he is only a Taylor fan on certain conditions (i.e. when he sings Joe Cocker type of songs).

I think this was a fun sidebar to his serious interview about his harrowing tale of grief and sorrow in the wake of Katrina and it sparked surpressed memories of his own personal family tragedies.

I think Anderson was being analytical in his statement. He acknowledges that Elliott has a great voice (while not at all mentioned the other contestants voices directly) but stated what we all know - that Elliott gets nervous and sometimes it is hard for non-E fans to buy into the performance when he is nervous. Is that a diss or the truth? I interpret it as being a fair statement and personally, Elliott's nervousness is why I love him.

Being a huge Anderson fan, I think it is great that Anderson mentioned him at all. He's a wonderful journalist and I suspect that Anderson respects Elliott the most, even if Taylor is also a favorite of his. :cheerleader:

I don't take what Anderson Cooper says as an insult. We all know that at first, Elliott wasn't all that confident, and the way he was treated on that show by the producers and the media didn't help. Thank God he finally saw in himself what we've been seeing all along.

I actually agree with his comments. He is right-on about Paris. I only enjoyed her singing when she channeled Billie Holiday. Just like him, I liked Taylor at first as well, but he started to wear thin on me after a couple of weeks. I think it telling that Elliott's is the only vocals that he specifically mentions. Elliott's confidence has grown by leaps and bounds. It should continue to grow from here. He's pretty much on point.

I didn't take offense to any of Anderson's comments.

Anderson is a respected CNN Journalist, and I highly doubt that he glosses anything over- the fact that he focused only on E's vocals is saying a lot. Anderson doesn't have much time to watch TV, and spends more of his time listening to the radio in his car.

As much as I think E rocks- he does have some work to do in owning the stage- I think he does just fine, but in the eyes of the general public, he just needs to push that confidence level up and bring it each week- Elvis week and the finale are true testaments to how far he's come and learned during this competition.

I think the tour will definitely be a great boot camp for E and am excited to see how much more he will have improved by the time he hits CA-- almost the end of the tour!

I've also read that Anderson is a HUGE AI fanatic... I think we can start an e-mail campaign in the next few months to keep E on the radar until his album drops- I'm guessing Anderson might throw some shouts out-- especially since he is pretty "in-touch" with today's pop culture.

anderson cooper is hot.

just thought i'd throw that in.

I did not that Gloria Vanderbilt is Anderson Cooper's mother! :yes:

I love me some Anderson Cooper. Yes, I think it sounds like he's an Elliott fan.

I'm swooning right now.

I agree 10000000 percent.





Ah, if Draco lived among us, he would be Anderson.