People are always making jokes about Barbara Walters’ senility. Some of the jokes are unfair, and ageist. But some jokes are rooted in some kind of reality. It’s not that I think Walters is completely senile, but she’s out of touch to a large degree, plus she’s gotten a bit daffy. Barbara’s still doing her annual Most Fascinating People special, and the 2015 list is a who’s who of “Really?” The list includes: Amy Schumer, Misty Copeland, Ronda Rousey, Bernie Sanders, Tracy Morgan, Donna Karan and… Bradley Cooper. Some of us were wondering why Bradley was suddenly so “fascinating” this year in particular. Now we know – it’s because Walters wants to bang him.
While interviewing Cooper for her 10 Most Fascinating People of 2015″ special, the 86-year-old Barbara Walters reveals that she, like many, has a bit of a crush on the Oscar-nominated star.
“I could just sit and stare at you but that would take too much time,” she tells Cooper in the interview. “But I, I find you very screwable.”
Later in the interview, a flirtatious Walters asks if the Joy star, 40, knows he’s handsome, adding, “I think you’re handsome, I think you’re sexy.”
“Thank you,” Cooper responds. “I think that I’ve grown to stop thinking about it. … But sometimes I feel better than others. Yeah, I think it has a lot to do with feeling comfortable with yourself.”
PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive 2011 continues, “And I know that I’m more comfortable with myself than I’ve ever been in my life, so maybe that makes me more attractive.”
Maybe we should look at this as an equality issue – older male hosts are always drooling over the young female starlets, so why shouldn’t Walters drool over B-Coop? The thing is though… David Letterman, Jay Leno, Charlie Rose, Brian Williams, Lester Holt, the 60 Minutes guys… none of those men would tell a young woman “you’re very screwable.” It would be subtext, of course, and they would talk about the woman’s beauty and sex appeal, but it’s like Journalism 101 to NOT tell an interview subject “you’re very screwable.” Barbara Walters is a dirty old woman.
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
I can’t believe she said those actual words. How did B Coop manage to keep it together?
This is a 10 on the cringeworthy scale.
Babs, you’re almost 90 years old…time to retire gracefully…or just retire.
Barbra has gone round the bend. This is the unfiltered speak of someone who was formerly dignified drifting into senility. Network should save her from herself.
LOL and WTF.
He definitely deserves an award for keeping a straight face.
His face doesn’t look so straight to me. I’m just sayin’….
@Pinky
lmao true…
Poor B Coop – I would’ve died!!!
You’re so right – “screwable?” And in Ba-Ba Wa-Wa’s accent? Scwew-able. Put it away, Granny.*
*Don’t come after me, Grannies. It’s the word choice that’s cringeworthy.
I can only hear it in Gilda Radner’s voice.
Perfect!
I am speechless!
Yikes! I Don’t even get what Babs was going for. A date? Ratings?
Oh, ugh.
Cringe.
Walter’s is an embarrassment. After hearing her interview Mel Gibson decades ago and asking him, “Are your children cute?,” I thought she was an overrated interviewer. Now this?
This is the woman that so many people feel broke the glass ceiling for female journalists? Please, she only got her job because her father owned the Copacabana and was connected, literally. To me, Diane Sawyer is real journalist, not Walters. Ugh…
Brunswickstoval to Bradley cooper.
“I don’t”.
I don’t think that most women do, do they?
He has beautiful eyes, I’ll give him that.
He was very cute on Alias, but now ……,?
She’s seen the Booty shorts too. Can’t say as I can blame her.
Me neither, he makes my skin crawl. In fact we were talking about him today at work and there was one ‘he’s alright’, two ‘I don’t get it’ and another woman and myself who think he is creepy. That said, Ms Walters is creepy too, if a man said that there would be outrage.
How uncomfortable to hear that from an interviewer, regardless of age or gender.
She never was my cup of tea anyway.
Ha ha ha!!! The title of this story!
I don’t think I really need anything else to happen today. Flawless.
All I can picture is Bradley telling his friends, “Yeah, so this happened to me…” Awkward.
I know! I sent a link to my friend because the headline is perfection. And I needed someone else to confirm that it actually said what I thought it said.
I TOTALLY AGREE! It’s gross but hilarious. Makes me wish Joan Rivers was around to chime in and make him feel like a pretty piece of meat. But I’m sure he took it all with a sense of humor. When I get that old, I’m going to say whatever I want and wear my red hat with pride. 😀 😀 😀
I’m sure that Bradley found it “fascinating”..
I can’t believe she actually said that. How crass.
So inappropriate and unprofessional. How dare an interviewer put his or her subject in such a position? I don’t find it funny at all. Crass is a good way to put it. Imagine if a man said that to a woman. Ugh.
If a male journalist said it to a female interviewee, he would be fired immediately (after issuing a very deep apology).
I told my husband about this and he thinks she should be fired. Can’t say I disagree.
You guys aren’t wrong about that.
I’m sure some version of this has been said many times by a male interviewer to an actress. Thing is, most men learned a long time ago not to say that sh*t on-camera, or at least to edit it out?!?! Ugh.
I usually watch the Dan Rather’s “The Big Interview” on AXS (great program folks even if you don’t particularly care for the interviewee – cause Rather is just THAT good)
He was interviewing Kathy Ireland recently. If he said this to her, all h*ll would have broken loose!
It was ridiculous and completely inappropriate. I am impressed at the way he handled it though.
GNAT…my thoughts exactly…How unprofessional can she be? If a male interviewer said this to a young woman, he would have to be apologizing all over the place (and rightfullly so). Babs has been in the game long enough to know that this remark is very inappropriate for a journalist to say to anyone, and if she doesn’t know this, she needs to be 1. told in no uncertain terms that this is no acceptable, and 2. RETIRE….
She left journalism a long time ago, and she has gone straight to celebrity worship interviewer with a side of outright crazy. Keep in mind last year, which was going to be the last fascinating people show, she picked Amal Clooney. It previously went to world, political or business leaders, even Mother Teresa, and then she gives it to a woman for as she said it basically doing the impossible marrying Clooney. Really? So the fact that she would have Bradley Cooper on the show this year, when he had far more fascinating years, and ask a totally inappropriate question just shows she has fallen off her rocker even more.
“Maybe we should look at this as an equality issue – older male hosts are always drooling over the young female starlets, so why shouldn’t Walters drool over B-Coop? ”
Because a man being objectified and hit on, even by Bawbwa WaWa, is no different or better than a woman being objectified and hit on. Two wrongs do not make a right.
She has a new show on the Investigation ID Channel. She has so much makeup caked on her face and that wonky eye from her latest and bad eye lift, she is painful to look at. Time to stop fighting age. It isn’t working and it’s embarassing. Get off my channel. I’m fine with Leuitenant Joe Kenda who doesn’t feel the need to try to look like a 30 year old. Well, my my my….
Yep, kinda disgusting people are laughing about this. I wonder if Baba’s gone senile? Whether she has or hasn’t, doesn’t justify the lack-of-reaction from others. Just blatant hypocrisy :/
Yes, it’s straight up sexual harassment. So gross and utterly unprofessional.
Absolutely agree that this is as wrong for her to say as it would be for a male interviewer to say to a woman.
Both crass and narcissistic! They have the same face shape. Look like they could be related.
Definitely crass. Inexcusable really. He handled that question like a champ. I would’ve gotten up and walked away.
That’s just embarrassing.
Never thought I would say this but POOR B-COOPER!!! Awkward af. Ha!!
Lmfao.
She knows he’s gay right
I get so tired of people posting that virtually every man in Hollywood is secretly gay. It’s gotten to the point of being as ridiculous as an 86 year old woman hitting on a 40 year old man.
I agree. I tend to let people identify their own sexuality. Feels like trying to out someone, which I don’t care for.
+1,000,000
Also, I still find many gay men sexy/attractive. Allowed?
But….in this case it’s not a secret so….your point? 😀
No, not every man in Hollywood, but definitely BCoop.
@Jennifer… What is so definite about it? Honestly curious what the evidence is.
The beards.
Hear, hear!
Also, It’s possible he’s bi. Something that the ‘he’s gay’ crowd keep overlooking.
I tend to let people identify their own sexuality. Feels like trying to out someone, which I don’t care for.
@Mayamae. That’s my position as well.
I was just attempting a little humor on a hump day. Didn’t mean to (1) accuse ‘every’ actor of being gay (!!) nor (2) offend anybody.
Have a nice day😉
Ah, but Pinky and JenniferJustice, how do you know he’s “definitely” gay? “The beards” is a non answer. The only place I hear these comments about actors is here on this site.
I just get so annoyed with people using “he’s gay/she’s a beard” as an insult. If he’s gay, he’s gay. If he’s not, he’s not. But to throw it out there as if it’s something bad is truly offensive.
Ain’t nuthin’ wrong with being gay!!! Absolutely not. And, no, it’s not an insult. I just don’t have time for pretenders and closet cases that trick straight women into their messes. That’s unfair and damages a woman’s self esteem beyond measure. If one’s gay, great! Masculine, effeminate? Whatever. We will be best friends and I will love him/her till the end of time. But if you’re dating/tricking some unsuspecting person…You and me? We’re gonna have a problem…. Which brings us full circle back to BCoop.
How do you know he’s gay? Where’s the proof?
A long time ago when I was in grade school, I came across a book Walters wrote called “How to Talk to Practically Anybody about Practically Anything.” I think I missed the “You are so Screwable” chapter. Or maybe is was called “Hello Sailor”? I think Barbara is losing it.
Yep, she is. My guess is that she’s still on HRT (she looks really good for a 86-year old) and the hormones are getting to her brain.
Does HRT really do that? I think 86 is just… 86.
I’m half joking but I know a couple of 70 year old ladies who cannot get off HRT because it makes them feel young and horny. Seriously.
I am not a fan of BC. I think he is way overrated in both the looks department, acting department, interview department, what have you. But man, I feel for him in this situation. If anything, it sounds like he may be gentleman, at least when the cameras are rolling.
According to my insider info, when he was in the Elephant Man in London he was very pleasant and easy going with colleagues and hotel staff etc, nothing at all “starry”. I think he’s a good actor, and good looking, though he doesn’t really appeal to me personally. What an awful thing for Walters to say.
I would love to hear her say that. “Bradwee you are scwooaboo”!
+1000
🙂
Good one!
Perfect!
Too bad Gilda Radner isn’t here to do an SNL sketch: Baba Wawa picking up guys at the bar. “Hi, I’m Baba Wawa and you awe scwooaboo!”
Oh! Absolutely Gilda as Baba Wawa – Still miss you, Gilda –
That is not flirtatious, that is vulgar. And she doesn’t need to do that to stay relevant.
Well, she’s not wrong
I choose to interpret this as retrospect. As in, BC and BW hooked up and BW now gives her Seal of Approval.
Oh wow that’s offensive and EXTREMELY unprofessional. Yikes.
That’s mortifying for B Coop. So unprofessional of Barbara Walters. The view would be calling for the journalists’ head if the genders were reversed, but since it’s baba wawa it’s cute? Nah.
UNPROFESSIONAL BARBARA..
Sadly she is trying to be edgy and losing the classy.
Gross & inappropriate.
I find Cooper too feminine to call sexy. Props for not laughing in Walters face.
wow. That’s terrible. Imagine if a male interviewer asked that to a female celebrity.
There would be major outrage. Such a double standard.
I guess she doesn’t care anymore. It’s a sign when you’re up in age–you think you can say just about anything because no ones gonna whack or reprimand a senior citizen.
Ugh! *Throws up in mouth*
I know some people are offended, but I find this hilarious!
It’s repugnant and hilarious. She shouldn’t have said so deserves to be mocked a bit. That’s life!
Gross Babs. Not even the age difference, just the term.
I think it’s funny! And I agree with her (although I wouldn’t have said it)!
I find you screwable. That’s some pick up line.
Poor Bradley. Barbara has lost her marbles.
Oh, Jesus. Can you imagine!!! BCoop has suffered so much for his fame. Fake baby, booty shorts and lady thighs, and now Walters sex talk. Will his travails never end?! seriously though…LOL.
Sad and Pathetic
Oh big deal! She’s old and paid her dues. Let her dream.
I have a feeling she only said that because she knew it would get attention and ratings. I thought years ago Barbara promised us she’d stop doing these lists of “most fascinating people”? How dare you go back on your word Barbara.
That’s…incredibly crass. I mean, I realize there are certain social dynamics in play that put women at more of a disadvantage in a situation like that, but it’s not acceptable in the reverse, either. Also, SO AWKWARDLY WORDED. Much cringe.
Right. Bye Barbara
Oh my God, finally an excuse to say that I find this most fascinating people list crap such an ass kissing pile of absolute steaming bollocks! Give me ONE reason why half these people are fascinating? It needs to be the 10 most hyped up mediocre celebrities list.
Wouldn’t even think about screwing him lmao I’m not his type 😉
For years, I’ve joked that I planned to be a dirty old woman one day. Barbara just made me completely reevaluate that plan. Thank you for saving me from myself, Bawbwa!
She bearded for Roy Cohn back in the day,, so it is not like she has class.
HAHAHAHAHA WTF, BARBARA?!?!
It’s grossly unprofessional and not at all ok, but I literally howled and cackled with laughter upon reading this.
I think that if I were being interviewed by an 86 year old of any gender, I would just laugh my ass off for the rest of the interview. If it were someone any younger, I’d probably give a swift kick to the interviewer’s crotch and walk out.
LOOOOLLL!!! This is like an Onion article!!!
Weird. I can’t believe they gave her another show—ID station on old murders and scandals. How many times can you go over the O.J. Trial or the Jon Benet Ramsey case? She needs to retire again.