Madonna dressed as a Boy Scout Saturday night at the GLAAD Media Awards in New York and said the organization should "change their stupid rules" banning gay Scouts and Scout leaders.

Larry Busacca / Getty Images

Anderson Cooper and Madonna at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York on Saturday, March 16.

The Material Girl was on hand to present Anderson Cooper with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's Vito Russo Award, honoring openly gay media professionals who have made a difference in promoting equality.

"I wanted to be a Boy Scout, but they wouldn't let me join," Madonna said. "I think that's f---ed up. I can build a fire. I know how to pitch a tent. I have a very good sense of direction. I can rescue kittens from trees.

"I want to do good for the community. But most importantly I know how to scout for boys."

Madonna said she was a Girl Scout but that she got kicked out because her "skirt was too short" and she "never sold enough cookies."

The 52-year-old pop star took on bullying, homophobia and inequality in a speech that ran nearly 12 minutes before presenting Cooper with his award. "The reason I love you is you are a freedom fighter," she told Cooper, before he came on stage for a kiss.

You can watch all of Madonna's speech on YouTube. Be warned, there is some adult language.

According to a GLAAD press release, the group's Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives.

Other winners Saturday night include (full list is over here):

• Outstanding Drama Series: "Smash" (NBC)
• Outstanding Documentary: "How to Survive a Plague" (Sundance Selects)
• Outstanding Reality Program: "The Amazing Race" (CBS)
• Ally Award: Brett Ratner (presented by Russell Simmons)

Anderson Live

Anderson Cooper is no fan of "The Bacheleor."

Anderson Cooper is not a fan of "The Bachelor," and he wants everyone to know it.

On Tuesday's episode of "Anderson Live," the silver fox accused the dating show of being sham -- and even suggested that some of the bachelors might be gay.

"Haven't we learned this is fake?" he ranted. "These people don't stay together. They don't even last for the reunion show!"

When guest co-host Regina King said she'd like to see Cooper as the Bachelor, the openly gay newsman quipped, "That's how real this show is. I would be the bachelor trying to decide among all these 'lovely ladies'!

"And I've gotta say, there's been a couple of these bachelors where I've been like, I don't think he's really ... Isn't that bachelor checking out (host) Chris Harrison?"

King and Anderson then reenacted a hilarious catfight from the latest show, complete with finger-pointing and this choice quote from one of the bachelorettes:

"My parents said, 'Tierra, you have a sparkle. Do not let those girls take your sparkle away."

"I think these reality shows are damaging us all," Cooper concluded, while acknowledging, "I'm guilty as anybody, I'm not preaching."

Also guilty as charged was guest Emmy Rossum of "Shameless," who, when asked if she's a fan of reality TV, admitted, "I am closetly but only one show: 'The Bachelor.' It's so horrifyingly embarrassing because I want people to think I'm a literate person!"

When Cooper asked whether she questioned its authenticity, Rossum replied, "There's a part of me that does believe in true love ... I think I could probably find an interesting guy if they put 30 cute guys in front of me."

The actress was a good sport about Cooper and King's gift of a "Bachelor" boyfriend pillow (a "really sad" stuffed "arm" for lonely women to cuddle in bed).  

"I would have a meltdown too," she said about the contestants' famous outbursts.

"This house has so much booze in it and seemingly no food," she joked. "I never see these girls eating, and some of them must be PMSing. So they're PMSing and drunk!"

Do you think "The Bachelor" is fake? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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Jason Redmond / REUTERS file

Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper is back to good health after he was recently blinded on the job. Luckily for the "Anderson Live" host, the eye affliction wasn't permanent. 

"Temporarily blinded last week while on assignment," the 45-year-old posted on Instagram with a photo of a large white patch covering his right eye. "UV light bouncing off water. Much better now. Details today on #andersonlive."

Anderson Cooper lashes out at critics!

Cooper went on to further explain on his show that the injury occurred while he spent several hours filming a segment for "60 Minutes" in a coastal area of Portugal.

"I wake up in the middle of the night and it feels like my eyes are on fire," he said. "It turns out I have sunburned my eyeballs and I go blind. I went blind for 36 hours. I took this picture of me after I went to the hospital. I went to see a doctor."

Cooper later consulted with NBC's chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman, who explained that the blindness was caused by the light reflecting off the water burning his retinas, much like how sunlight reflected off of snow can burn the eyes of skiers and snowboarders.

Anderson's show cancelled

Cooper's hospital visit could have been avoided through the use of protective sunglasses.

Ouch! See other celeb injuries 

And now that he's all better, it's good to hear that Cooper has a sense of humor about the whole ordeal. While sharing another photo of his bandaged eye to his audience, Cooper joked, "That's my new Match.com profile picture, by the way."

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Journalist Anderson Cooper came out as gay on Monday after keeping his sexuality private for years.

"The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be," Cooper wrote in an email that he allowed friend Andrew Sullivan to publish at The Daily Beast website. "And I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud."

Sullivan wrote that he had asked Cooper to comment on an Entertainment Weekly story that focused on how gays in public life come out in a more restrained way than past announcements. (Remember Ellen DeGeneres' "Yep, I'm Gay" TIME magazine 1997 cover?)

When Cooper responded by confirming his sexuality, he gave Sullivan permission to print the response.

Cooper also wrote that he'd tried to maintain some privacy in his life despite a very public job (and lineage -- his mother is Gloria Vanderbilt), for personal and professional reasons. "Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I've often found myself in some very dangerous places," Cooper wrote. "For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible."

But recent events had him rethinking that decision, he said, writing, "It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something -- something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true."

Cooper also wrote that bullying and discrimination against gays encouraged his announcement, saying, "I’ve also been reminded recently that while as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible."

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It's no secret that child stars often see much more than they should and at too young of an age. This was certainly true for superstar Janet Jackson.

The actress and singer revealed to Anderson Cooper on his talk show "Anderson" that she, too, saw something rather confusing for her as a young girl. Jackson told her host that when she was just 10 years old, she went to New York to visit her brother Michael while on a break from filming the TV show "Good Times."

"I used to go to (Studio) 54 a lot," Jackson said. "I do (remember it well). You know, it was the first time I ever saw drugs. I couldn't figure out why people were putting flour up their noses."

The star also talked about her weight issues on the set of "Good Times."

"I remember I was getting dressed for the very very first episode ... and the wardrobe lady, while she was dressing me, says I have to put bandages around your chest because your breast are too, I developed at a very young age, and I said, 'OK,'" she revealed.  "I immediately thought, 'I am isn't good enough.' "

Jackson said the body image problems continued in her second season of the show. "Just before we were to start, the producers called and said I was too heavy and I needed to lose weight," the star said.

The star also dished on her career, and of course, brother Michael Jackson. See what else she shares when her appearance airs on Monday. Check AndersonCooper.com for local air times.

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