Anderson Cooper: "'Outside' Changed My Life"

Anderson Cooper graces the cover of the May edition of Outside magazine and inside, the anchorman/adventurer credits the monthly for reshaping his life. Coop mentions a life-altering trip he took during his youth from South Africa to London in which...oh we'll let the silver-haired globe-trotter finish the story:

Recounts Coop: "...I used to read travel ads in the back of Outside. A lot...I say Outside changed my life, because that trip opened my eyes to a lot of possibilities and different experiences."

Below are a few other snippets from the interview worthy of reproducing here in which he talks about Marlene Dietrich, the Big Apple and the benefits (who knew?!) of the boob tube:

Do Americans have an exaggerated sense of danger about the Third World?

Oh, yeah. But Americans have an exaggerated sense of danger about New York City. I'm also not a good person to ask, because my sense of what's dangerous is completely warped. People have stopped asking me for advice, because I encourage people to go anywhere. It really pissed me off, two summers ago, during the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, when Depeche Mode canceled their concert in Tel Aviv. For security reasons! I don't understand why more artists don't go and entertain the troops. I mean, hasn't Jessica Simpson been over there? I saw this documentary on Marlene Dietrich, and during World War II she was going out, right to the front lines. I think she was having sex with a lot of the troops, too. I'm not saying artists should do that. But she took supporting the troops to a level that few have since.

Did you get bitter about life (in New York City)?

Not bitter, just more confused. It made it harder to fit in. I stopped going to parties. I remember coming back from Rwanda during the genocide, and going directly to a dinner party and not being able to converse with anyone. I just had nothing to say. I remember being very negative: They were talking about stupid stuff. But you can't exist like that forever. You have to come to some sort of understanding in your own head.

You are convinced TV can do more good than harm.

Smart TV can. I'm a big believer in the power of television to bring you to a spot in a very visceral and real way. Whether it's Katrina or the DRC, it can have a quicker and bigger impact than anything.