Considering the raucous nature of most New Year’s Eve celebrations, it is a true testament to professionalism that many of our favorite New Year’s Eve hosts don’t end up totally smashed on live television as the year draws to a close. Well, not usually, anyway. Last night, though, it looks like CNN Tonight host Don Lemon might have partied a bit too hard while the cameras were rolling.
Twitter was abuzz with reactions to Don Lemon’s party shenanigans on New Year’s Eve, and @42MikeB posted this video of one of Lemon’s slip-ups to his feed. There’s something I never thought I’d hear a news anchor say on purpose on live television. And, just in case you didn’t catch all of that, Lemon’s exact words were: “I have to say Kathy... I have to say, nice rack. I didn’t know you had all of that going on…up there.” Whew, boy. Don Lemon? You need to kick the booze to the curb while broadcasting, sir.
As is completely appropriate, Don Lemon’s co-host Brooke Baldwin, who anchors CNN Newsroom, quickly took his special cup away, after staring bug-eyed at the camera for a second and mouthing “What?” yelled, “Cutting him off! Cutting him off!” and then instructed their camera person to follow her away from Lemon’s drunken compliment about Kathy Griffin’s “rack.” And, I think we all know that if Baldwin hadn’t acted quickly, he was bound to say something else slightly NSFW, especially considering his leading comment when Baldwin first went over to him, to put his Mardi Gras-style necklace on: “She has my balls.” Really, Don Lemon. Go home; you’re drunk.
Brooke Baldwin and Don Lemon were posted at what many would consider to be party central for the festivities, New Orleans. And it’s clear that the “neighborhood juke joint”, Tipitina’s, where they were stationed inspired Lemon to some gleefully off-color commentary. Lucky for us, too, because what would New Year’s Eve be without drunk people saying stuff they just shouldn’t? Sometimes people are so much fun when the brakes are off. If you had your revelries at home last night, this is exactly the kind of thing you needed to make a simple night of pizza and bubbly interesting. As I said earlier, Twitter certainly loved it.
Honestly though, why shouldn’t they?
We all have to get our New Year’s Eve jollies somehow.
Here’s hoping that there’s no severe punishment for Don Lemon. I think there’d be a very public outcry if he’s not allowed to get plastered on TV next New Year’s Eve.
