CNN } Anchor Don Lemon Wonders About his Next Prof. Decision
The openly gay newsman is uncertain of his professional future: 'I don't know what will happen when my contract comes up'
CNN anchor Don Lemon's profile rose higher in 2011 - a year in which he came out publicly and published his memoirs.
But he makes clear in a profile published today [22 December] in Creative Loafing Magazine, that he is his own man and wants to make the most of his future - with or without CNN.
'I don't know what will happen when my contract comes up,' he says in the profile. 'People want to have a box to put you in and I don't fit in anyone's box.'
He gets most of his airtime during the weekend as anchor of CNN Newsroom. The 45-year-old newsman is asked what he thinks the ratings-challenged cable news network wants from him.
'I think they want me to be the good-looking black guy,' he says. 'That's what I think. I don't know.'
Lemon is sometimes put off by the network's fast-paced production which he complains can be too gimmicky.
'In general, when I watch cable news during the day, it's frustrating because it reminds me of a game show,' he says. 'If I want to watch The Price is Right, I'll watch The Price is Right. I'm not consciously thinking that when I'm on the air, but that's just my personality. To be like, 'Are we really doing this?''
Because Lemon has so often not attempted to hide his feelings about some stories he has to read, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart ran a segment earlier this year titled "CNN's Don Lemon appears to not care for CNN which compiled some of his unscripted comments about content.
'I just want to be me,' Lemon explains in the profile. 'I want to be the person who goes, 'What the hell?' or 'That's really funny,' or 'Sorry, I screwed that up.' I don't want to be perfect. I want to be real.’
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