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CNN Live Event/Special
New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin
Aired December 31, 2014 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, AC360 HOST: And good evening from New York's Times Square.
KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIENNE: I love that song by the way.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: It's the alternate theme song for Match Game PM.
GRIFFIN: I love that show, underrated.
COOPER: It was very underrated. I wish we had one of those long nights like Jean Rivert (ph). For hundreds of thousands of people tonight...
GRIFFIN: That was so insensitive that you would say that. I mean, we're just starting the show and you just say something so controversial.
COOPER: ...place to be. People have come from all around the world so they can say by the end of the night and for years to come that they were here and that they spent this year with us. They're sending out the year with us.
GRIFFIN: I believe it says, this year out of style.
COOPER: I don't care. I don't care.
GRIFFIN: Here's why I care. Would you like to talk to America about your cover from the Italian magazine called L'Uomo.
COOPER: Geez.
GRIFFIN: OK.
COOPER: Anyway, listen, I just want to welcome you all for joining us.
(CROSSTALK)
GRIFFIN: A normal American, not a model.
COOPER: We got to be on (inaudible), you don't have to give it all up now.
GRIFFIN: I just cannot believe this photo. Explain yourself. COOPER: I don't know. It was a magazine thing.
GRIFFIN: OK.
COOPER: I am here with Kathy Griffin. What is this, our eighth year together? OK that one I didn't like.
GRIFFIN: OK, what's going on?
COOPER: I don't know. They...
GRIFFIN: What's going on top hat?
COOPER: ...one of these clothes sometimes.
GRIFFIN: They made you?
COOPER: Yes.
GRIFFIN: It's Mark Seliger, a very famous photographer.
COOPER: I know he's a very good photographer. For the next three and a half hours, we are going to show you how people all around this country and all around the world are celebrating, are going to be celebrating and have already celebrated the New Year ringing in 2015. Helping us do it, we have folks all over the place. You know what, it was one photo shoot I did.
GRIFFIN: No, but this is how you lay around your house and you won't admit it. So, explain what this...
COOPER: OK, I want to tell the folks who's -- who we have tonight, Michaela Pereira and Richard Quest are down at street level tonight.
GRIFFIN: Wait, Richard Quest?
COOPER: Richard Quest is here.
GRIFFIN: You let him out?
COOPER: Richard Quest is here.
GRIFFIN: My Richard Quest?
COOPER: They're both down -- your Richard Quest, they're all -- they're there...
GRIFFIN: I can't wait. Hi Michaela!
COOPER: ...along with hundreds of thousands of partyers. Some of whom had been here since early in the day...
GRIFFIN: Yeah.
COOPER: ...early this morning. Brooke Baldwin and Don Lemon are in the great city of New Orleans where they certainly know how to celebrate....
GRIFFIN: Oh yeah.
COOPER: ...New Year's. We're going to check in with them just a little bit later. Also, Pamela Brown is in Memphis down on Beale Street for the big guitar drop, which is what they do there.
GRIFFIN: Of course.
COOPER: And some really (inaudible) music as well. Braving the tropical heat and gentle breezes, Randi Kaye...
GRIFFIN: Who always gets the easy stories.
COOPER: She is on a cruise ship off to Bahamas...
GRIFFIN: What?
COOPER: ...along with Elise Miller, the world's luckiest field producer. We are going to go -- you've done a lot of cruise ships, Kathy.
GRIFFIN: I have actually done eight gay cruises. I'm a gay cruise veteran.
COOPER: Really?
GRIFFIN: Yes.
COOPER: Wow.
GRIFFIN: I bring the offensive material and a lot of big gays like to dress up as Walter White from Breaking Bad. That was the most...
COOPER: What?
GRIFFIN: Yeah, Walter White was the most common costume on the gay cruise.
COOPER: Well, there's a lot to discuss about that.
GRIFFIN: A lot to discuss.
COOPER: For the very first time, we are bringing you a New Year's in Havana in Cuba. You can put these down now. Havana, Patrick Ottman is going to be joining us from the Tropicana Night Club. There obviously...
GRIFFIN: Is it 1934? Tropicana.
COOPER: Exactly.
GRIFFIN: All right.
COOPER: And we of course are here live at Times Square and I just want to just -- before we get started... GRIFFIN: What do you think you have?
COOPER: I just want to say I apologize. I apologize.
GRIFFIN: What?
COOPER: I apologize in advance for anything she says, I am sorry. I too am deeply offended and I have no control over her.
GRIFFIN: OK, first of all I am like Rihanna of New Year's, I'm #noapologies, that's right. And second of all...
COOPER: You're hashtag (inaudible) apologetic.
GRIFFIN: #apologetic, that's right, you're a good friend of Madonna, now you know her and tell me something about Madonna I didn't know.
COOPER: She's very nice. She's very talented.
GRIFFIN: Little less controversial. Did you ever see her do anything inappropriate or flash...
COOPER: No, what -- you're decked out.
GRIFFIN: OK, here's what you're going to apologize for and I do as well, but I can't help it. I am wearing my dear departed friend, Joan Rivers' Dennis Basso coat.
COOPER: This is actual Joan Rivers' coat.
GRIFFIN: It is actually is inscribed as Joan Rivers so in honor of my pal, I am decked out in the Dennis Basso, an actual Joan coat and I have been with Joan when she would wear it and she would scream at PETA, which I know is not supposed to be funny, but it sort of was.
COOPER: So wait, this is a real fur.
GRIFFIN: Yeah.
COOPER: Why are you wearing a real fur?
GRIFFIN: Because I love Joan and she had it made for her in 1980, so...
COOPER: OK.
GRIFFIN: ...you can apologize for that, but I won't because she would yell, "It's real, I'm old," and it was funny to watch on the red carpet.
COOPER: Well, I am not wearing -- this is not fur. This is....
GRIFFIN: No, typically you're wearing something more like, come on if only I -- yeah, OK explain -- this is these exact outfit (inaudible) by the way so I love how you act like you're modeling career so different from tonight. COOPER: I wouldn't do that to a suit. Anyway, how has the year been for you?
GRIFFIN: What's your thought on this picture?
COOPER: Yeah, I'm just getting out of the clothes.
GRIFFIN: Are you gathering your thoughts?
COOPER: My thought was how do I get out of this...
GRIFFIN: What's the most thought (inaudible) you've had at one time? Four, tops.
COOPER: So how was your year been for you?
GRIFFIN: It's been fantastic. I'll start on Fashion Police on January 12th.
COOPER: Yeah, congratulations on that?
GRIFFIN: I'm very excited.
COOPER: Yes.
GRIFFIN: Yeah, you're on the worst dress list.
COOPER: Well, that's OK, I don't mind that.
GRIFFIN: (inaudible) even if you don't get any award shows.
COOPER: Yeah.
GRIFFIN: Yeah.
COOPER: When -- last night, we had a big dinner...
GRIFFIN: You're going to brag about this?
COOPER: Well no...
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: You feel ashamed of that?
GRIFFIN: Whatever, game on.
COOPER: Kathy made us have dinner with Ryan Seacrest last night.
GRIFFIN: Do you believe it?
COOPER: So we had dinner with Ryan Seacrest last night.
GRIFFIN: And he -- this is the sort of stuff Ryan Seacrest does, I wish I'm kidding.
COOPER: You tweeted a picture. Do we have -- there's the picture...
GRIFFIN: Yeah.
COOPER: ...to prove it.
GRIFFIN: That's right, and by the way. Snooki called, she wants her tan back. What's wrong with him? Why is he orange? Is he on a beta carotene supersize diet? I mean, we were like two ghosts. So Ryan was there counting his money, I picked up the check as usual.
COOPER: No, I picked up the check.
GRIFFIN: I picked up the check, and Ryan scooted up. He actually said he had to exit. I'm not kidding.
COOPER: Right, right. He said he was a robot.
GRIFFIN: I said -- I go -- I said why are you (inaudible) he's a robot. He's like, this is my style.
COOPER: Ryan Seacrest left claiming he had to go work.
GRIFFIN: Exit, yeah.
COOPER: Yeah, to work.
GRIFFIN: That's right.
COOPER: Which we were like, oh come on.
GRIFFIN: (inaudible) the nerve to tweet a photo of their actual writers room for their big dance eve broadcast and this is our writers room, people. So this is it.
COOPER: Right, we will have -- you know, in the picture I saw, it looked like they had a cast of thousands...
GRIFFIN: Yes, and a giant crew.
COOPER: ...of people working behind the scenes.
GRIFFIN: And you know he flew here private and happy new year by the way. I guess I'm early. Happy new year. And hello as usual to our friends at (inaudible), hola. And we also want to say that we're more American than the Fox broadcast because they're calling theirs like a salute to America.
(CROSSTALK)
GRIFFIN: What are you, my mother?
COOPER: We're all Americans.
GRIFFIN: Easy, and by the way, I'm sorry, I'd like to do a shoutout to my mom but she's watching Fox.
COOPER: Is she really?
GRIFFIN: Yeah, she loves Megyn Kelly.
COOPER: I love Megyn Kelly.
GRIFFIN: That darling Megyn Kelly.
COOPER: Sure, of course.
GRIFFIN: And she thinks I'm (inaudible).
COOPER: I think we'll have a funner New Year's though.
GRIFFIN: Funner?
COOPER: Yes, more fun.
GRIFFIN: Why did you go to (inaudible). I'll bet money that your poor mother Gloria Vanderbilt spent (inaudible) when you've gone to (inaudible) you would have been, had a better education, funner.
COOPER: We have -- We got folks as I said all over the United States. They're already ringing the New Year's various places all around the world. We're going to show you how the New Year has been rung in there. Let's check out with Pamela Brown right now who is in Memphis. Pamela, how are things there eating up?
