CNN’s Anderson Cooper was in for an unwelcome surprise during his “Ridiculist” segment, when he discovered that his staff had filled his teleprompter with complaints about a basil-scented candle he burns in his office.
“Oh really? This is what the Ridiculist is about tonight? I should have read it ahead of time,” Cooper realized on-air.
Cooper ran the gamut of emotions—surprised, confused, irritated, and finally cracking up.
His staff even provided an “abbreviated list” of things the candle’s pungent scent reminded them of, including “Woodstock vomit” and a “garden gnome’s underwear drawer.”
Cooper launched into an indignant defense of his candle, which only got more bizarre. Apparently a past researcher once complained that he smelled bad because he doesn’t wash his jeans, so Cooper bought a pricey basil candle to counteract the odor.
Cooper has admitted in the past that he basically never washes his jeans.
Watch it all play out live below:
