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Anderson Cooper can't stop giggling telling Colbert about 'embarrassing' childhood interest

"I can't even bring myself to say it. It's so lame."

YouTube, CBS

Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen discuss their childhoods on Colbert.

When it comes to reporting the news, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper is usually quite serious. After decades of reporting on everything from hurricanes to elections to wars, Cooper has earned 18 Emmys and two Peabody Awards.

But if you get so much as a thimble of alcohol in him (as his friend and New Years Eve co-host Andy Cohen likes to do)—Anderson is known to get what can only be described as a big old case of the giggles.

@colbertlateshow

When you have a laugh attack with your bestie. 😂 Tag the @andycohen to your #AndersonCooper! #Colbert

On a recent episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Cooper and Cohen appear by each other's sides. Cooper says, "I was a very strange kid, clearly." But when Cooper begins to attempt to share what he was interested in as a child, he starts laughing in his trademark high-pitched, quick-fire giggle. Cohen pipes in with "He's drunk," which Cooper denies. Colbert tries to get the train back on the tracks and asks, "What were you interested in?" And now all bets are off. Cooper literally can't stop laughing, and the more he laughs, the more the audience laughs.

Again, Cohen says, "He's drunk, he's gone. One shot!" (Which may or may not have been true.) Colbert continues asking for the answer, and finally Anderson can get four words out. "I was interested in…" and again, a fit of laughter overwhelms him. Trying his best, he says, "I can't even bring myself to say it. I was…" and then again–uncontrollable laughter.

Anderson Cooper, laughing fits, giggle fits, CNNAnderson Cooper laughs.Giphy

Colbert finally asks, "What as a child could you have possibly been so interested in that would make you giggle?" Fighting back tears of joy, Cooper says, "It's so lame." And the laughter returns. He finally pulls himself together, red-faced and amped up, and states, "As a child, I was interested in 'The Zulu Wars.'" (He is referring to the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.) He can't get the word "Wars" out before bursting back into the giggles, and as Cohen says, "What?" and Colbert repeats, "Zulu Wars," Cooper has now physically slid down in his seat, arms crossed, laughter dialed up to 11.

Now Colbert knows how to have fun with it. He eggs him on, asking, "Like the Battle of Rorke's Drift? And Isandlwana and stuff like that?" To which Cooper laughs, nods, and says, "Yes," and then is immediately impressed by Colbert's knowledge on the topic.

What led up to that moment was equally charming, as Colbert pushed Cohen and Cooper to discuss what they were like as kids.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com, CBS

It's pretty adorable to see anyone laugh that hard, but what's even quirkier is the embarrassment Cooper seemed to feel about his childhood interest. He's not alone. Kids and teens can be into the darndest things for the most random of reasons. (At 14, I was really into Jungian psychology and made everyone discuss it ad nauseum.)

On a Reddit thread, someone asks, "What were your weird or bizarre childhood obsessions/interests?" And the comments most definitely didn't disappoint. The OP continues, "Mine were buoys. Yeah, buoys. My uncle was in the Coast Guard at the time (I was about 7), and he arranged a visit for me and my dad to go down to a shipyard. I remember spending hours wandering around these massive iron buoys."

A few people answered the more typical "dinosaurs" and "sharks." But this Redditor's brother had a more unique interest: "My brother was completely and utterly obsessed with those National Emergency Broadcast tests. Mainly just the electronic beeps it would make in the beginning. He would sit on YouTube and listen to them for hours on end. Whenever they came on TV, he would scream for everyone to be quiet and would turn on every single TV in the house. The sound now creeps me out pretty bad."

FCC, television, emergency broadcast system, testing, broadcastEmergency Broadcast System at KPTV Portland tests in 1988.en.m.wikipedia.org

Now this one is even stranger: ""Paths. I can't really explain it. Especially two paths near each other." (That sounds like more of a spiritual pursuit than an interest, but cool nonetheless.)

This commenter bravely shares what was less of an interest and perhaps more of a strange compulsion: "I've heard that I used to bite the heads off Barbie dolls at my daycare."

Had that been the case for Cooper, I'm not sure he'd ever have gotten through the sentence without complete laughter-implosion.


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Humor

Grandchildren hilariously act out iconic real life photos for grandfather's 70th birthday

They've raised the bar for grandkids everywhere.

Image via Canva

Grandchildren surprise their grandpa for his 70th birthday by acting out his old photos.

You only turn 70 once--and the milestone birthday is a big one to celebrate. For grandparents, there is nothing better to commemorate the special day than with their kids and grandkids. And one family went above and beyond to make their grandpa feel special on his big day.

Aimee (@athomeiwthaimee), a stay-at-home mom and certified personal trainer, shared a hilarious video with her followers on Instagram of an epic birthday surprise her family pulled off for her dad, 'Papa'. At his 70th birthday, all of Papa's grandchildren dressed up and recreated old photos of him throughout the years. Each one came out individually to show him to roaring laughter that is contagious.

"Papa's 70th Birthday photo recreations 🤣❤️🤣," she captioned the post, adding, "We surprised our dad for his 70th birthday. All of his grandchildren recreated old photos of him."

In the video, it begins with Papa sitting in the family's living room in front of a mantle covered in 70th birthday cards. He is sitting in a chair, waiting for the first grandchild to come out in costume. And it did not disappoint--the first grandson is dressed in an altar boy outfit, recreating a photo of Papa standing in front of an altar at church as a young boy. "Oh my goodness," he says as his grandson walks out.

The second recreation is a vintage golf photo, and another grandson comes out wearing a red tank top and jean shorts rocking a fake mustache just like his Papa did back in the day. He's also holding a golf club. "That's awesome," he says laughing as he shakes his grandson's hand.


golfMoon Walk Dance GIFGiphy

A third grandson comes out dressed up as Papa posing pensively on a tree in a yellow button down, navy shorts and striped crew socks--with a fake mustache, of course. "I love the mustaches! Look at those socks, they're beautiful!" he says. "I made them," his grandson responds.

For the fourth look, his granddaughter comes out in a bathrobe and fake mustache to recreate a lazy morning photo. The sixth look is another grandson dressed as Papa in a previous Halloween costume--a poker dealer, complete with a see-through visor, bow tie, button-up white shirt and arm band. "I remember that!" Papa says.

And the looks just keep coming. For the seventh recreation, another granddaughter comes out in a midlife outfit of Papa wearing a checkered button-down, jeans and glasses with the mustache. She stands next to him to pose exactly as he did in the original photo, and the family laughs loudly.

snowmobileCriss Angel Snow GIF by DefyTVGiphy

The eighth look is Papa from an old photo on a snow mobile, rocking a retro snowsuit. His grandson comes out in a nearly identical one. "That is awesome," Papa says to him.

There is a ninth look, and for this one Papa was in baseball coach mode. Another grandson comes out in a red polo, red and white ball cap and fake mustache to recreate the photo, and Papa is loving every second.

California RaisinCalifornia Raisins GIFGiphy

For the grand finale and tenth look, another grandchild comes out dressed like a California Raisin to mimic a previous Halloween costume. The family's laughter is boisterous and from the gut, and viewers fully enjoyed watching the family come together to celebrate Papa. "People from background should be hired for sitcoms 😭," one commented. Another wrote, "The moustache was the main character in all this!!! 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣" And another viewer added, "Now that is a life well lived and a family well adjusted ❤️."

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Joy

Irish couple got 'the chuckles' in video for daughter overseas. It's pure laughter therapy.

They couldn't keep it together in their baby shower message, even on their final attempt.

Representative photo credit: Canva

Sometimes you just can't keep it together.

Have you ever gotten the giggles at the most inopportune time, like when you're trying to do or say something serious? We've seen it happen to actors filming comedic scenes, news anchors during broadcasts, singers in church services, kids in spelling bees, and more. When the giggle bug bites, it bites hard, and keeping it together can sometimes feel like a superhuman feat.

That's what happened to a woman's parents in Ireland when they tried to make a heartfelt video greeting for her baby shower. The woman, Orla, was an expectant mother in Australia and her parents were creating a selfie video of love and encouragement as she got ready to welcome her little one. The problem was, neither of them could keep it together for longer than a few seconds at a time. And the best part is, it wasn't even their first try.

Her father said they'd spent 15 or 20 minutes trying to make the video and this was their final attempt. They weren't used to seeing themselves on video and it proved to be too funny to handle. But the best part is how the mom would say something heartfelt, like, "You're going to be wonderful parents," and then they'd both burst out laughing.

Watch:

People cannot get enough of their chuckles.

"Literally the best 2 min on the internet ever 😂😂😂. I love them so much. I’m so jealous of your baby for having the best grandparents on the planet. ❤️"

"And this is our final attempt that killed me. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣"

"It's the sincerely at the end for me. 😂"

"I don’t know how many time i have watched it today 😂😂. Maybe twenty 🤣🤣. Such lovely parents you have 😅😍."

"😂😂😂 love their laughter! You need to save this to show that baby some day!"

"If I had a video of my parents carrying on like this, I would cherish it forever!!"

Videos like this truly feel like laughter therapy, which is a legitimate thing. In fact, laughter therapy has been used by medical professionals in some form or another for centuries. According to the MayoClinic, laughter has the following short-term and long-term therapeutic benefits for both your mental and physical health:

In the short-term, laughter can:

  • Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
  • Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.
  • Soothe tension. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

Long-term, laughter may:

  • Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.
  • Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.
  • Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations. It also helps you connect with other people.
  • Improve your mood. Many people experience depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your stress, depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier. It can also improve your self-esteem.
So there you go. Viral videos that make you laugh aren't just a mindless time waster after all. Here's to loving parents, raucous chuckles, shared joy and that lucky baby of Orla's who has utterly delightful grandparents over in Ireland.
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People with unusual laughs were put together on a TV talk show and hilarious chaos erupted

What's that beeping noise?

via Sunny Skyz Videos/YouTube

Some people with unusual laughs can't keep it together.

A French TV show, “C'est Mon Choix,” made a hilariously diabolical programming decision and put together people who have unusual laughs on the same stage at the same time in an episode entitled, “‘Mon Rire Ne Passe Pas Inapercu’ or (“My Laugh Does Not Go Unnoticed”). The funny thing is that even though the clip is in French, it doesn’t really matter if you don’t speak the language; you'll probably still find it funny.

The guests on the show were seated beneath placards with a picture of what their laughs sounded like, including a pig, car horn, horse, seagull, and rooster. But once the woman who snorts like a pig started laughing, the other people on the panel joined in, and each funny laugh forced the others into fits of bizarre laughter. The whole thing is a laugh riot that builds like a crescendo.

The show’s host, Évelyne Thomas, cannot keep it together, especially when she asks a man on the panel if his laugh has affected his romantic life. "If you are single, it is not because of your laughter?"

"I hope not," the man responded before he began laughing like a dolphin.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

Commenters on the video loved the setup and how the participants had a blast playing along. They could have easily felt insecure or ridiculed, but they seemed to be in on the joke. "Whoever came up with this concept is an absolute genius,” one commenter wrote. “I swear their laughs combined sound exactly what I think the Amazon rainforest sounds like,” another added.

"I love the fact they are mature enough to have a sense of humor about it,” a commenter said.

What’s interesting about the video was how once one person in the stage began to laugh, it had a ripple effect on the rest of the participants, the host, and the audience. Many people laughed because the bizarre cackles were funny, but as research has shown, laughter is contagious. When one person starts laughing, it physically affects those around them.



Is laughter contagious?

“Laughter is a social phenomenon,” Sophie Scott, a neuroscientist at University College London, said according to Psychological Science, who wrote a study showing that the brain responds to laughter by preparing one’s facial muscles to join in. Hence, you start to feel a tug at your lips when someone next to you begins to chuckle. “Contagious laughter demonstrates affection and affiliation,” Scott adds. “Even being in the presence of people you expect to be funny will prime laughter within you.”

"It seems that it's absolutely true that 'laugh and the whole world laughs with you," Scott said, according to Live Science. "We've known for some time that when we are talking to someone, we often mirror their behavior, copying the words they use and mimicking their gestures. Now we've shown that the same appears to apply to laughter, too—at least at the level of the brain."

The big takeaway from this story is that if you laugh, the whole world will laugh with you. But if you have a ridiculous laugh that sounds like a car, pig, or a horse, the world will not only laugh with you but probably fall on the floor, guffawing ‘til their stomach muscles ache.

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