Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper is what happens when old money meets new media. Born into the Vanderbilt dynasty, he managed to parlay his aristocratic lineage and penchant for serious reporting into a prominent career at CNN, where he’s carved out a niche as the perpetually somber, yet strangely compelling, voice of reason.

While his family tree is more Mayflower than menorah, Cooper’s public persona is one of understated gravitas. He’s covered everything from war zones to natural disasters, often with a theatrical sigh that suggests he’s carrying the weight of the world on his well-tailored shoulders.

And while his reporting is undeniably impactful, one can't help but wonder if his success is also partly due to the fact that he looks perpetually concerned, which, in the world of cable news, is often mistaken for profundity. He may not be Jewish, but he certainly knows how to kvetch with the best of them, even if it's about the state of the union rather than a slow deli line.