Poor Anderson Cooper. No matter how hard he tries to be seen a serious journalist on CNN, the ladies just won’t stop treating him like a piece ofmeat. That sounded rude, right? Coop IS a serious journalist. He’s performed some very dangerous reporting in war-torn regions all over the world. Yet Coop is very much objectified by viewers everywhere. Can we blame part of this sentiment on Coop’s brief stint as a daytime talk-show host? Perhaps. Even without that embarrassing blip on his resumé (plus the rumor that he almost took over for Matt Lauer on Today), he’s always been quite the silver fox. I’ll admit that his non-washed jeans habit is pretty gross, but I’d still go there.

Coop is a good sport about his sex-symbol status. He gave a speech at University of Texas at Arlington and talked about how women persist in chasing him two years after he came out. Gotta love it. Coop also talks about NFL top draft pick Michael Sam and his decision to go public as a gay athlete:

Anderson Cooper may have come out of the closet two years ago, but the CNN news anchor is still getting attention from the ladies!

During an appearance at UT Arlington’s Maverick Speaker Series, Cooper admitted that some “very determined young ladies” still ask him out on dates.

He also addressed the recent news of footballer Michael Sam coming out as a gay man.

And when asked if it would be hard for Sam to be “a gay football player,” Cooper responded by saying, “What if the word ‘gay’ was replaced with ‘black’ or ‘Jewish’?”

Cooper also explained how comfortable he is with his sexuality, especially since going public with it in 2012.

“Being born gay is one of the greatest blessings in my life,” he shared with the crowd.

Cooper got emotional when discussing how he dealt with his father’s death when he was just 10 years old, as well as his brother’s suicide years later.

“Sometimes I wish I had a physical scar so people would see the pain I felt,” he said. “I know what it’s like to be on the other side of the camera, and it’s not a good feeling.”

He went on to say that over the years, it’s become increasingly difficult for him to separate his own life with the work that he does.

“There are times when I feel like my heart is too full with the people that I met,” he shared.

[From E! Online]

See, I joke about wanting to get with Coop, but I wouldn’t want him to be any other way than his natural-born sexuality. Coop’s a great proponent for gay rights, and he enjoys a very visible platform to spread the message. He’s impossible to tear apart for any reason. Sigh. I just love this guy. Ladies (and men) love Anderson Cooper.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN