[Cho:] Welcome back. Forty-two minutes after the hour. Are you ready to ring in the New Year? Well, New Year's Eve is tomorrow, and that can only mean one thing here at CNN, Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin. It will be Anderson and Kathy's fifth year hosting New Year's Eve together, and Anderson's tenth for CNN. I asked him if this is his way of avoiding having to hit the town on New Year's Eve? Watch.
[Anderson Cooper, Host, Anderson Cooper 360:] It is. I started doing this because I never have fun on New Year's Eve. I think it's impossible in New York, there's no cabs, it's freezing cold. So I volunteered, I guess 10 years ago God, I didn't know it was that long. But started volunteering. And found out I really loved it. It's great being actually in Times Square and
[Cho:] Yes, talk about that a little bit. I mean, give us sort of a behind-the-scenes look where you are. Where is the set? Here's the crowd
[Cooper:] We're on this giant sort of podium of bleachers that all media is on and everybody has like two or three feet of space that they're allowed, and you're basically above the TKTS, around like 46th Street.
[Cho:] Right.
[Cooper:] And, you know, there's just a great atmosphere there. I mean, it's nice I don't think I could do it as a civilian, because you're hemmed into pens with thousands of other people and you can't go to the bathroom. That seems very unpleasant to me.
[Cho:] Talk about Kathy Griffin a little bit. By her own estimation, she's been fired three times from this. Why do you keep inviting her back?
[Cooper:] It's not me. We've become friends over the years. And, you know
[Cho:] And she's like this with your mom.
[Cooper:] She and my mom are very good friends as well, which is surreal. In fact, they see each other more than I see either of them. And they talk about all sorts of stuff that I don't want to know about and yes.
[Cho:] Well, last year, she tried to talk her clothes off. I want to play this clip. Watch.
[Cooper:] What the
[Kathy Griffin:] I met someone. What? It's New Year's.
[Cooper:] You're supposed to do that at stroke of midnight. We're still, like four minutes away. And we're going to be live all the way through all the way through the New Year. Playing all the traditional stuff that we love. New York, New York. The playing of what is going on?
[Griffin:] I'm taking your clothes off.
[Cooper:] No. All right.
[Griffin:] It's for America. I love America.
[Cooper:] You know, it's weird because you never actually see the program when you're doing something like this, and you go back and see it. So, it's weird to actually watch it.
[Cho:] You know what she said she'll try to do this year, right?
[Cooper:] What?
[Cho:] She kind of pants you.
[Cooper:] You know, she's I don't know. I don't know
[Cho:] She says you should probably, just to be safe, duct tape your pants to your body.
[Cooper:] Really? Is that what she said?
[Cho:] Is that something you're willing to do?
[Cooper:] Well, that's interesting. Maybe I'll try suspenders or something. She always comes up with some hair-brained idea and we have to talk her down. Last year
[Cho:] Yet she still tries.
[Cooper:] Yes, last year she wanted to throw money into the crowd. And I was like, you now, you can't throw money
[Cho:] I mean, in all seriousness, though, do you have a favorite moment or two over the years? I mean, it has this will be your fifth year with Kathy.
[Cooper:] That's crazy.
[Cho:] It is crazy.
[Cooper:] Wow. Favorite moment? I favorite moment, actually, no. It's actually just there really hasn't honestly, I try to blank it out as soon as it's done, and I just I pray that I wake up the next day and it's not on the headline of the Drudge Report. That's basically oh, there was actually, the year she threw stuff at Jonas Brothers. That was fun. They were performing and she was literally throwing things at them. We actually had Gaga on the New Year show years ago before she was huge. She was playing, and we went to her concert and that was fun. So, I really feel we're responsible. Our little New Year's show is responsible for her success.
[Cho:] I think you are. I think you are. Anderson, thanks.
[Cooper:] Thanks.
[Cho:] I'll be watching.
[Cooper:] All right.
[Cho:] Always fun to talk to Anderson to celebrate the New Year with us. Again, Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin will be hosting the big event from New York City's Times Square. CNN correspondents will give reports of celebrations across the country and around the world The party, by the way, starts on Saturday at 11:00 p.m. eastern right here on CNN, but you should get to Times Square much earlier if you want to see it from there.
[Feyerick:] Anderson's going to need own security from Kathy.
[Cho:] That's right.
[Feyerick:] Forget the crowds. Forget the crowds. Anyway, great piece. Get them out of your system while you still can. Lake Superior State University, as it does every year at this time, released its list of words and phrases that should be banned from the English language. They include the overused occupy. Sorry about that, 99 percent. And it also includes man cave. It's really just a basement with a TV, recliner from eBay, mini fridge and old air Jordan posters. So, really, get over it. Get over it. OK? And get a new couch. Also, blowback, ginormous, and baby bump. So, if you have a ginormous baby bump, well, chances are you've been in your man cave too long or you're just really pregnant.
[Cho:] People are going to be continuing to use those words, especially occupy, but anyway, fun to do. Coming up, don't book your next vacation just yet. Our expert will reveal the latest travel trends for 2012 in just a couple of minutes. Stay with us.