Bravo's Andy Cohen Says School Kids 'Ruined Everything' at Oscars

By Nicki Gostin Posted Mar 2nd 2011 02:30PM

It seems that Andy Cohen, the Bravo exec and genial host of all the 'Housewives' reunion shows, did not like the Oscar ceremony. At all. But it wasn't James Franco's lethargic performance, Anne Hathaway's cheerleader perkiness or the sheer length of the show. No, the culprit was -- are you ready for this? -- the children's choir from Public School 22 in Staten Island, who performed a rousing rendition of 'Over the Rainbow' to close the broadcast. No lump in Cohen's throat, just bile.

"It was just bad," he professed on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' on Tuesday. "It was just awful. It was horrible."

Not finished chiding the kids, he carried on about how much he abhorred the performance. "I literally -- if I wasn't going to go out to some parties I would have slit [my wrists] right then. It was the worst. I was looking for a knife to stick in my eyes, it was so terrible." Ouch.

Cohen compared them to Up With People, a singing group from the '70s. They were a saccharine choir made up of fresh-scrubbed teens with sensible haircuts (no long hair on the boys).

So what was it exactly about those munchkins clad in multi-hued tees that so offended the man who brings us 'Housewives,' 'Millionaire Matchmaker' and 'Tabatha's Salon Takeover'?

"Not the time," said Cohen firmly. "Everything has its time and place. The end of the Oscars is -- we don't want to see this. You just ruined everything."

Gregg Breinberg, P.S. 22's charismatic choral director, had a quick retort, telling the New York Daily News, "Anyone who would diss 10-year-old public school kids probably has some issues."

By Tuesday night, Cohen labeled himself the "Jackhole of the Week" during a segment on 'Watch What Happens Live.' He said that he was a product of public education and that the school kids didn't deserve his dissing.