Oh...you know the talk will only be about Cooper in is swim trunks and Phelp's won't even be talked about.

The piece was very poorly done IMO. Cooper helps put it together so the fact that it was all about him doesn't surprise me at all. He does have an ego! All of his stories have to focus on him.

Hi, Thanks for the comment. Actually, a correspondent, especially a contributor like Cooper, can often have almost nothing to do with putting the piece together. The producers do almost all the work, and sometimes the interviewer only shows up for the sitdown interview with the celebrity and reads the questions the producers and researchers prepared. I think Cooper was more involved than that. But I hope some TV producers will weigh in on this as well. Thanks. PS I think you are absolutely right about the talk and Cooper in swim trunks -- and I think he knew that. Z

Cooper was doing what he could to make the piece engaging. When he has an interview subject who is himself quite engaging and full of personality, like Kenny Chesney, he just relies on displaying the subject. Phelps is young, training focused, and lacking a showy personality. If he had lots of wit, talent for chit chat, or profound intellectual observations we would have already seen some evidence of it rather than having to depend on 60 Minutes to root it out. There's nothing wrong with that, Phelps seems like a nice modest kid and the 60 Minutes piece captured those qualities. However, it's understandable that Cooper would draw viewers' attention as the more charming and lively person in the piece. Was he supposed to bleep his name out of the mother's brief choked up response? Was he supposed to not find the natural humor in Phelp's dog being offered endorsements and marvel at the rest of the circus currently surrounding the kid?

I am sorry, are you seriously saying that Phelps' mother's comments were focused on Cooper ? At no point in the interview did I feel that Cooper put himself in the center. Ever. 60 Minute correspondents covering a 'light' story like this always engage in such personal banter. There was nothing worth noting about it. Cooper's swimming with Phelps was no more unusual than Lesly Stahl playing a piano duet with Rex in the last week's episode. I thought Cooper did an excellent job.

Well, I like Michael Phelps, but seeing as the only reason I watched the whole show was to see Anderson, I guess I have a different persepctive on your story. :)

Anderson Cooper has always hit me as a newsman who needs to stick to genuine news... Granted after having been assigned to stand near the CNN booth at the DNC I now can't stand him or Wolf Blitzer, but still...

And I admit that I'm a fan of Michael Phelps and I did like the interview, but I do agree with your comments... for the most part

Anderson is liked the world over because of those things you are complaining about. His interviews are not the same as Dan Rather's or Tom Brokaw's, and Anderson can afford (in physic and training) to race Michel Phelps because he can; I doubt Ed Bradley would have ever attempted to suggest it.

I also like Michael Phelps a lot, he is a very sweet and sincere guy, not to mention his ability to break swimming records and win eight gold medals at the Olympics. And, thanks to this 60 Minutes segment, I know now a lot more about him.

Michael is a great person and a fantastic athlete, and Anderson did a very good job during the interview. Besides, Anderson has the looks and the body to show off, so why not? If you had been the interviewer I'm sure you would not have even thought about racing Michael, Would you? But Anderson can and his public, well, most of his public, appreciate that.

I must say I've never noticed Cooper's "sense of irony" -- didn't see it in the Phelps interview either. He does have a sense of humor -- you could use one of those.

The Monday morning buzz? How about Phelps partying all night in Vegas? Didn't see THAT in the The Sun.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/35250899.html

Cooper thinks too much of himself
and that always comes through

Why is a CNN anchor doing pieces for CBS' "60 Minutes"?

The news, even this article, is mostly about itself. It's an entertainment, a show, a staged production - with theme music and graphics. It is candy. And who doesn't like candy?

I liked the segment and got a kick of the swimming race. It showed the competitive spirit of Phelps...yeah, bring it on old man...and tie me down with bricks, too. Our family loved seeing his devotion to his mom, his dry humor, and that, in some cases, he's just a regular 23 year old. My gripe is about the lack of seatbelts worn in the car. ARGH! Please take care of your bodies!

Riots, threats, the economy, Obama, McCain, Hillary, the First Girls, the First Dog, pirates, bailouts, recession, depression, wars, attacks, terrorists, where does it end?

Cooper showed that there is a light side to Thanksgiving journalism while profiling Phelps. It was nice to see a "good story" about focus, determination and stamina once in a while!

60 Minutes was right on! Sounds like you are a little bitter, Mr. Zurawik.

Would you rather have seen Andy Rooney in the pool with Phelps?

Anderson Cooper's "self-deprecating" personality was just the right touch to allow Phelps' gangly, unspoiled youthfulness to shine through all the hype. Yawn.....

I feel that Cooper is famous for the way he interjects himself into the spotlight of what he is presenting. In many cases it works to the benefit of the story. I agree with Zurawik that he probably should have backed off a bit with the Phelps interview. While amusing at it was Cooper swimming with Phelps was a cry for attention. The piece was supposed to be about Phelps out of the pool and we have already seen the star athlete beat anyone and everyone in the pool. It just did not play to the strengths or ideology of 60 Minutes. Though that is not all Cooper's fault.

It seems odd to me that knowing everything we know about Anderson Cooper and the way he conducts himself on CNN that the producers of 60 Minutes would put him on as a guest interviewer. Maybe it is a precursor to 60 Minutes thinking they need to reinvent themselves some. But that would be a sad mistake.

That's Entertainment! Cooper and Couric...they get paid to entertain. They're not serious journalists. That's why they get paid like Hollywood stars.

Hi Z,

I just want to make a brief statement about this. The economy is going down the drain, the War in Iraq is endless, and there's terrorism in Bombay. Yet, the big story on 60 minutes-Michael Phelps' diet.

I'm sorry, but I think the media should more focused on more crucial issues. Instead of telling us about Michelle Obama's dresses, how about talking about her husband's policies when is in office.

I saw the piece and did not think Cooper did anything out of the ordinary. In fact, I thought the swimming piece at the end was interesting to see how Phelps compares to an average person. I enjoyed the piece.

Hi Frox, You were not alone in feeling this way. And a reporter at the Sun who has interviewed Phelps told me the Olmpic champion is not a great interview. The reporter thought that perhaps Cooper did the swim thing to try an enliven the segment. Thanks. Z

I partially agree Z that the Cooper's piece was it may have been lightly sarcastic and meaningless banter...but that seems to be the tone of almost all media today. Witness how ESPN is NOTHING but sarcastic and light banter about nothing ad nauseum--I call the spread of such 'journalism' "ESPNization of society"--where we mock everything and make sport 'mere entertainment' (which of course sport 'is' entertainment) but I argue that sport is sport not 'just' entertainment. I did feel Cooper was guilty of centering things in himself with the swimming routine BUT I kind of liked it to, just to see an average guy versus the olympian.

Hi Cal, Thanks for making the larger point. And I had not thought about the role of ESPN in it. But I think you are mainly right -- though maybe overstating the centrality of ESPN . Z

I have to disagree with your commentary. Though an amazing swimmer, Michael Phelps comes off to me as quite boring and difficult to watch when not in the pool. Cooper made the piece lively and enjoyable.

As a long time viewer of Cooper's cable show, I can't say I've seen this ego that you speak of. When he said the line about Phelps yawning, it was a joke. I laughed. And I would have laughed if Ed Bradley said it too. This was a light-hearted piece--it's not like Cooper was saying those things to Ahmadinejad.

I'm also confused by your statement that Cooper brings a sense of irony to almost everything he does. Sure, that's true in regards to things that aren't so serious. But you do realize he's done reporting on things like famine and rape victims in the Congo, right? I assure you, there was no sense of irony in those stories.

Speaking of Cooper, where has he been on his blog? Guess he got his good blog ratings reviews from Zurawik and moved on to bigger and better things.

What a peasant......

Dear Matt: Very funny. But I am so glad to hear from someone who remembers the story I did two or three years ago rating the blogs of the network anchors. I think I had a little help on that one from a college dean, a university professor and a phenom of a journalism student at Goucher College. I wonder what happened to that young man who showed such promise. BTW Very interesting choice of word: "peasant." What can I say? Thanks. Z,\i>

Anderson cooper is a joke, and doesnt understand anything that goes on in the swimming world.he made a joke of himself when he pulled the stunt of him and phelps competeing together in the pool even though phelps had claimed he was in the worst shape of his life. It is people like this that brings embaresment to the sport of swimming and all together is underlooked as a sport.