My Weekend Crush

I love smart gals. I love funny gals. And I really love wicked gals. So when you find a wickedly smart, funny gal, well, swoon. Ana Marie Cox is all three served up with the best smirk in the business. The snarky journalist extraordinaire, political junkie and frequent Rachel Maddow flirter contributor has brought a refreshingly bold brand of reporting to the political arena. Equal parts policy, personality, passion and pubescent delight in sex jokes, Ana Marie is the kind of gal you’d love to have a beer, or six, with. She is unfailingly witty, unquestionably knowledgeable and unexpectedly fluent in the language of LOLcats. The former Wonkette editor made her bones in new media and continually connects with her audience through her blog, Twitter account and accompanying Twitpic stream. The Air America correspondent also writes for The Daily Beast and just started as a contributing editor and political columnist at Playboy.

Ana Marie is a pioneer in the new journalism that turns the messenger into a person, not just a byline. Sure, I don’t think Edward R. Murrow would have ever updated his viewers on his pants status or bed head situation. But in this age of the overshare, we want to make personal connections with even our news media. You don’t have to like a reporter to trust that what she tells you is true, but it also doesn’t hurt. And there is so much to like about Ana Marie. Her love of making Rachel blush. Her soft spot for all creatures great and small. Her proper employment of the term ZOMG. Her propensity for posting pictures of herself in bed all rumpled and delicious (for the love of ginger, click those). And her hair, her seriously lesbian hair. Oh, Ana Marie. If you were a gay lady, you’d give Rachel a run for her money with the lesbians. As is, you’re already getting us all to read Playboy “for the articles.” Happy weekend, all.