Kathy Griffin is a professional entertainer, a comedian by trade. She’s been in show biz for at least twenty years, and you’d think she might have some idea about what is or is not funny.
I know. I’ve made my own share of artistic blunders over the span of a 40+ years career in the funny business and paid a price for it more than once. I’ve done more than a few crude and tasteless examples of blasphemy. We called them “underground comix.”
And that’s the difference. It was a limited audience, clearly marked “for adults only” and sold behind the counter so no poor innocent minor (or their parents) could see them and demand that I be put to sleep and buried in an unmarked grave. I sure didn’t show them to mom and dad.
In the age of instant images, that’s a little harder to control. If you watch the video, Griffin clearly knows that what she is doing will piss people off. (We’ll have to move to Mexico!) I’m sure she realized the thing would go viral as soon as she hit the enter key. Any adult with half a brain knows that a threat, even an obvious parody of a threat, to a President Of The Divided States will earn you a visit from the Men in Black, and I’m not talking about Tommy Lee Jones.
Of course there’s a double standard. Numerous news sites have pointed out that has-been rocker Ted Nugent made several off-the -wall threats to Barack Obama, and he’s now a welcome guest at the White House. And remember the rodeo clown who got fired for just wearing an Obama mask while being chased by savage bulls?
Life isn’t fair.
I think where Griffin crossed the line was the amount of blood in the photo. In my crude rendering above, the image is far less threatening to the senses without any gore. She might have only incurred the wrath of half as many rednecks with just the dummy’s head. Anderson Cooper would have slapped her hand, and she’d still have her New Year’s gig.
Now She’s hired a lawyer and claims Clan Trump is out to ruin her life. I think they have their hands full trying to ruin the country, and the world if possible. On the other hand, Kathy’s had a hit TV series, sixteen TV specials, six albums, won two emmys and a grammy. After all that, I think she’ll find a job somewhere.
Get over it, Kathy. Don’t give in to the assholes. Lick your wounds and start over. America is always ready for a second or third or fourth act.
Pretty sure that was her 4th act!
…..oh…..important pro tip ……edgy comedians don’t remain edgy comedians by hiring attorneys and crying on TV after a bit goes bad.
I know it’s a stretch for Ms. Griffin but have some dignity!
Comedians dignity anyway!
I’ve always thought of her as a third tier comedian, who’s longevity is more impressive than her humor. She has seemed to always regard her humor as “funny”, and not made the effort to hone it into a higher form, such as another third tier comedian she came up with; Jim Gaffigan.
It was perhaps that hubris which made her think that, since she did it, it must be funny. Big mistake. And while comparisons to assbags like Ted Nugent may give a different perspective, it none-the-less came off as a tasteless display of what it looks like when good people try to out-Trump Trump.
In that, fish is correct; lawyering-up when your act bombs is a sad act of desperation.
Actually Chris I posted that before I heard the audio from the press conference. After listening I got the feeling that she was injecting a little Vitamin C (controversy) into her moribund career. Events might have gotten away from her a bit but six months from now she’ll be “the comedienne who took on the president”!
Crocodile tears…….!
” six months from now she’ll be “the comedienne who took on the president.”
Nah, she’ll still be way behind Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert. All she’ll get is a Warhol 15.
Nah, she’ll still be way behind Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert.
She’s on the stand up circuit! Once the storm passes she’ll be fine. I doubt much TV is in her future though.