Andy Cohen
Andy Cohen is the executive producer of the 'Real Housewives' franchise, and if you're interested in those programs, Cohen writes about them in this memoir. Cohen's coverage is extensive, but he does not include everything you ever wanted to know. That out of the way, I'll continue.
Andy Cohen, born in 1968, grew up in a close Jewish family in St. Louis, Missouri. Cohen writes, "I was a good kid, but I've had one Achilles' heel that's stayed with me through the years: talking. I simply could not shut the f**k up - I still can't - and that small issue has gotten me in all sorts of trouble." Relating an anecdote about his constant chatter during a trip with relatives, Andy recalls, "My Aunt [Judy] - my own flesh and blood by marriage - dumped an entire pitcher of iced tea over my head!"
Little Andy Cohen
Teenage Andy Cohen
Andy includes lots of stories about his youth, including this one about vacationing in Sarasota with his extended family. Andy remembers, "I loved doing impersonations. My specialty was the Reverend Ernest Angley, who wore a white suit and a big toupee and healed people. I often took my Reverend Angley act in the street and 'preached' around the neighborhood.....now I wonder what people thought of the screamy little Jewish boy pretending to be a Bible Belt preacher."
Reverend Ernest Angley (whom young Andy Cohen liked to impersonate)
Regarding his sexuality, Cohen writes, "To be clear, I've been gay since the day I was born, but even though I knew it somewhere in my head, I didn't want to face the facts of what that meant." Andy grew up in a time of widespread bigotry against homosexuals, and notes, "I really believed my life would be over once I came out." Recalling an Eddie Murphy show he attended, Cohen writes "Every other word out of [Murphy's] mouth was 'faggot.' Cohen goes on, "My friends loved it. I was surrounded by thousands of people in hysterics, and they were laughing at 'faggots.' And ipso facto, laughing at me."
Comic Eddie Murphy
Andy Cohen at his high school prom
After high school, Cohen went to Boston University (BU) in 1986, to study Broadcast Journalism. According to Cohen, he picked BU because "it was urban, with a good communication school, and, I'd found out on the sly, a semblance of a gay community." Andy began to hang out with gay men, but stayed in the closet to his friends and family, for fear they'd ostracize him. Cohen also worried about his health. He observes, "The dark side of my initial forays into the gay world was that I was absolutely terrified that I was going to get - or had already gotten - AIDS."
Andy Cohen sporting his 'Jewfro'
When Cohen finally decided to come out in college, he wrote a journal entry that he read to each friend after he told them his secret - an explanation that was long, explanatory, and heartfelt. As things turned out, Andy's friends and parents accepted him. Cohen writes, "Overall, the support was overwhelming, although two friends later confessed to barfing hours after our conversations. I'm going to choose to blame that one on processed foods, whether it's true or not."
Cohen writes a great deal about his career, which started with a summer internship at 'CBS This Morning' in 1989. After graduating from college, Andy returned to CBS as a newsclerk, and he "answered phones, ripped scripts, collated packet for the anchors, and did irritating work for producers."
Andy Cohen at CBS News
Andy Cohen and friends on shirtless Tuesdays at '48 Hours' on CBS
Andy slowly worked his way up to a producer on CBS news, and mentions many of the famous people whose appearances he produced - including Mary Jo and Joey Buttafucco; Buddy Hackett; and Tammy Faye Bakker, of whom Andy speaks with great affection. Andy also had to rush to disaster scenes (floods, hurricanes, fires, bombings, plane crashes, etc.) to line up people to be interviewed on the news. These experiences were difficult and haunting.
Televangelist and singer Tammy Faye Bakker
Eventually, Andy started working for the new Bravo network, which was "seriously gay friendly", with shows like 'Boy Meets Boy'; and 'Gay Weddings.' In time, Bravo morphed into a very successful network, airing reality programs such as 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy','Project Runway', 'Top Chef', 'My Life on the D-List', 'Shear Genius', 'Flipping Out', 'Million Dollar Listing', and others. Bravo is also the home of the popular 'Real Housewives' franchise, and Andy writes a good bit about the cast members (including those awful Salahis) and the reunion shows, which he hosted.
Real Housewives of New Jersey Reunion Show
Michaele and Tareq Salahi dressed for a (notorious) dinner at the White House
Once Cohen got on-air there was no stopping him, and Andy went on to host reunion shows for other Bravo programs. Finally, in 2008, Cohen got his own show, called 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen', where he discusses pop culture topics with celebrities and reality show personalities.
Carol Burnett on What's What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Andy includes lots of chit-chat in the memoir, including his camp experiences as a boy; his fascination with Susan Lucci and Oprah Winfrey; his college travels in Europe; his good friend Graciela, with whom he pulled (what they thought) were hilarious pranks; his wonky eye; his work; his parents Evelyn and Lou; and much more. Many of the stories are funny, and Andy's exuberant personality comes through loud and clear.
Andy Cohen with Susan Lucci
Andy Cohen with his parents, Evelyn and Lou
From a boy, Andy wanted to be on television, and when he's asked if his life is different now that he's famous, Cohen responds, "Sometimes I can get into a great restaurant, sometimes people want to have their picture taken with me, and sometimes people come up to me and say something that they perhaps intend to be nice or funny, but that leaves me feeling....sweetly bludgeoned. Something like: You are cuter than I thought you would be! Or, The Housewives are the end of civilization."
Andy Cohen on the Red Carpet
On the down side, every mistake of a celebrity is trumpeted on social media. For instance, when Andy criticized public school children who sang on the Oscars - thinking he was being funny - all hell broke loose. Andy recalls, "That was the day I realized I was kind of famous....and I wish I could've enjoyed that moment instead of having it tied to the nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach....as it became clear that I would now be world famous for being a child-hater." Andy sincerely apologized and now has two children, Benjamin and Lucy, so he's not a child hater at all....and he likes dogs as well. 😀
Andy Cohen with his children, Benjamin and Lucy
Andy Cohen with his rescue dog Wacha
I listened to the audiobook and had a digital copy. I enjoyed Cohen's memoir, and recommend it to fans of Andy Cohen and people who enjoy Bravo television shows.
Rating: 4 stars
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