Saturday, June 3, 2017

Kathy Griffin is a Two-Bit Semi-Comedic Bully Who Can't Handle a Backlash

Kathy Griffin is a “comedic” bully who, like most bullies, can’t handle it when the victims push back. Her comedic shtick can be described as unrefined Don Rickles. The late comedian hurled insults, but they weren’t malicious. Kathy Griffin said “I’m happy to do a beat down to Donald Trump – and also to Barron.” She said she would go straight at Barron, after calling President Trump a “piece of s—t.” A line exists, sometimes a fine line and sometimes a gray line, between the acceptable and unacceptable. An understood rule is to keep the President’s family out of it unless they become involved in political activity. Barron Trump is 11 years old and not politically involved. Kathy Griffin is also stupid and has inhaled too much of the Trump Derangement Syndrome. She figured she could score points with her fellow Hollywood crowd by outdoing them. Any late night show host can insult President Trump. Any politico could hurl obscenities at the President. Anyone can protest the President. Nope, she would do a visual stunt that will exceed anything done before. It would get her the 15 minutes of fame, or infamy. There’s few limits on how far one can go in criticizing the President as critics keep pushing the limits. He crossed the line. Kathy Griffin has freedom of speech to malign the President. Freedom of speech includes the visual. Freedom of speech allows her to maliciously, gleefully show the bloody decapitated head, a la ISIS, of President Trump. Freedom of speech does not prevent a blowback. She half expected a reaction, but not the one she received. The non-funny comedian is suddenly radioactive. She quickly issued a pro forma apology that sounded like it came off the internet. Conservatives and liberals on a bi-partisan basis were shocked. Her CNN New Year partner denounced her. CNN, normally hostile to President Trump, cancelled her annual show. Venues cancelled her upcoming performances. Very few, Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, and Alex Baldwin, defended her. Senator Franklin, the comedian in the Senate, initially supported her, but then sensing which way the wind was blowing, ran away from her. Kathy Griffin, if she had even half a brain, would have doubled down on her apology and then ducked for cover, riding out the storm, and then emerging as a penitent in a year or two. Alex Baldwin, Robert Downey, Jr., Mel Gibson, Rob Lowe, Hugh Grant and Martha Stewart have all found redemption. Nope, she hired Lisa Bloom as her attorney. Lisa has learned well from her mother, Gloria Allred, on how to attack. Her press conference was either an act of gross stupidity or rank paranoia. She lashed out at the “mob mentality pile on.” She blamed it on President Trump and his family: “What’s happening to me has never happened, ever in the history of this country, which is that a sitting President of the United States and his grown children and the First lady are personally, I feel, trying to ruin my life forever. Forever.” She said the President “He broke me,” but that she would continue to make fun of him. She added “He picked the wrong redhead.” She also said though that her career is ruined. She’s clearly clueless. Kathy Griffin should look up Kathleen Willie, Paula Jones, and Juanita Broaddrick. She also blamed old white men for her problems. The ladies of The View, no fans of President Trump, were also outraged by her conduct. They are not, last time I looked, old white men. It’s unfortunate she received death threats. It’s unfortunate that death threats are increasingly common in our society as a way to express outrage. She can dish it out, but not take it. Civil discourse is dying in our country. Kathy Griffin has contributed to the loss of civil discourse. Kathy Griffin showed herself to be a D- comedian with an F performance compounded by an F press conference.

No comments: