In which Kathy Griffin kisses Anderson Cooper's crotch [VIDEO]

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CNN's favorite New Year's Eve tradition is to reduce their prized anchor and professional silver fox Anderson Cooper to uncomfortable gigging at comedian Kathy Griffin's ridiculous on-air antics (which have previously included dropping the F-bomb and stripping down to her bra). Cooper, who has ducked rocket bombs in Gaza and pulled a Haitian child from a riot, faces Griffin each year with palpable anxiety.

A few minutes after midnight Tuesday (around mark 1:50), Griffin bent down and smooched Cooper's pants zipper after CNN correspondent Gary Tuchman, reporting from Eastport, Maine, explained why local townspeople kissed a giant sardine statue every year.

"Did you drop something," a red-faced Cooper asked.

"No, I was kissing the sardine," Griffin replied. "You know you want it," she added.

"Believe me, I really don't. I never have," Cooper said.

Though Cooper might not have been prepared for Griffin's below-the-belt kiss attempt, he knew something inappropriate was bound to happen. On New Year's Eve, he tweeted:

I want to apologize in advance to anyone @kathygriffin pokes fun of/makes out with/strips down in front of/punches. #CNNNYE 10pm to 12:30am

— Anderson Cooper (@andersoncooper) January 1, 2013

In Griffin's defense, if you can't mock-kiss Cooper's crotch on New Year's Eve, when can you?

How embarrassing. @andersoncooper can't keep his hands OFF me. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! lockerz.com/s/273680317

— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 1, 2013