Kathy Griffin

[enviousdominous]

Finding middle ground is difficult, especially these days. If you lean ever so slightly toward one polarity of a spectrum, you're likely judged as being an extremist.

So, apparently Kathy Griffin did a photo shoot with a guy named Tyler Shields yesterday, during which they decided to take some pictures and video of Kathy holding up a Donald Trump mask that's covered in fake blood.

Here's a photo from TMZ(fair warning, some might find it gruesome. I however think it just looks stupid).

Spoiler

Kathy's initial statement on Twitter right after the photo was taken:

"I caption this "there was blood coming out of his eyes, blood coming out of his…wherever" Also @tylershields great Photog/film maker."

Followed by:

"OBVIOUSLY, I do not condone ANY violence by my fans or others to anyone, ever! I'm merely mocking the Mocker in Chief."


She's since profusely apologized, even going so far as to tweet a video apology where she explains that it wasn't funny, that it was offensive and that it's another example of a mistake she's made throughout her career.

My opinion regarding celebrity involvement in political movements:

Spoiler

This occurrence has caused a firestorm of heated debate around social media. My main reason for wanting to open a discussion is that I often find myself being someone who's willing to give credit to my opponents in this world, it just feels like good sportsmanship to do so.

I will listen attentively while valid points are made regarding Donald Trump's actions as President, good or bad. Apparently Ms. Griffin was still reeling from the President's comments regarding Megyn Kelly, and decided to make a bold statement. Ms. Griffin didn't advance an intellectual chain of dialogue, she kicked the giant hornet's nest that is Twitter and assumes that it does any good at this point to apologize.

If you're a popular voice who often speaks on behalf of their political beliefs, you force those who may occasionally agree with those beliefs to own your controversies. Kathy Griffin has made herself the poster-child of the anti-Trump movement, and I'm probably not going to express anything mildly critical of The President until all this blows over.

My opinion in regard to lashing out, but keeping a cool head:

Spoiler

This also brings to mind the idea that it's a very good idea to think things through before you go full throttle with experimental art.

A severed head doesn't communicate humor, it conveys the idea that you wouldn't lose sleep over the idea that The President was murdered in a gruesome manner.

Speaking from personal experience, one should always consider how an indifferent third party would view their expressions of extreme emotion before broadcasting them. If you have a legitimate gripe with The President, focus on that. You might not get too many hits, but rest assured that the few you do get will be from people who are actually intelligent. Depicting a violent act against the President is a cheap way to drum up attention, and it makes people who would do that look pathetic in that they always apologize right away after doing so.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Kathy Griffin ultimately accomplished what she primarily meant to accomplish because it's got people talking about her. I almost never pay any attention to celebrity political rants or stunts whether it's from an ultimate so called "libtard" like Kathy Griffin or a true "conservaturd" like Ted Nugent because that's generally what I think they are: stunts that are first and foremost ways of saying "look at me and pay attention to what I'm saying and doing." Kathy Griffin's a 56 year old stand up comedian that hasn't been all that relevant in a really long time and she found a way to generate some controversy while simultaneously making her opinion on Donald Trump known. Some will condemn it, some will praise it, some will see it as harmless, some will try to say it's an encouragement to someone actually killing Trump. To me, it's a publicity stunt.

 

[enviousdominous]

Kathy Griffin ultimately accomplished what she primarily meant to accomplish because it's got people talking about her. I almost never pay any attention to celebrity political rants or stunts whether it's from an ultimate so called "libtard" like Kathy Griffin or a true "conservaturd" like Ted Nugent because that's generally what I think they are: stunts that are first and foremost ways of saying "look at me and pay attention to what I'm saying and doing." Kathy Griffin's a 56 year old stand up comedian that hasn't been all that relevant in a really long time and she found a way to generate some controversy while simultaneously making her opinion on Donald Trump known. Some will condemn it, some will praise it, some will see it as harmless, some will try to say it's an encouragement to someone actually killing Trump. To me, it's a publicity stunt.

I'm thinking that she went way too far, even for a comedian that's desperate for cheap attention. I really don't think that she's smart enough to have predicted the controversy that followed.

It reminds me of when Ted Nugent made comments about shooting Barack Obama. My initial reaction was that he was trying to generate humor by reflecting on murdering a father and husband.

I think about how Donald's family, specifically his son Barron, would react to seeing that image, or rather; I think about how I would react if at the age of 11 I saw an image of someone holding my Dad's severed head. It's one thing to say that you'd like to do that, it's another to give the world a visual representation of what that would look like.

I agree with you in terms of what her motivation was. Every left-leaning comedian is crafting their A-material around ripping into Donald Trump.

I thought that Stephen Colbert was out of line as well, in that I like a joke to relate to that which is being criticized. I don't see how alluding that Donald Trump gave oral to Vladimir Putin in any way responsibly mocks Donald Trump for walking out on an interview. Maybe a crack at how Donald Trump stepped on the Constitution on his way out of the interview would have been a little more proper.

I see people like Kathy and Stephen using rage to motivate their comedic expression, and it all comes across as disingenuous in that Stephen claimed victory for earning a response and I'm pretty sure that Kathy was channeling a very real part of her soul when she took the photo.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I am thoroughly repulsed and disgusted by Griffin's actions. For her to try to fool the American public in to believing that she beheaded Trump is incredibly deceitful and wrong. You don't joke about these things. I was so ready to celebrate when I saw his severed head in her grasp. When I learned that it was fake I was nothing but saddened that he continues to live and ruin my country and world.

In summation, I'm totally fine with beheading Trump and putting it in pictures. I'm not okay with faking it. #NOTATHREATJUSTANOPINION

 

[enviousdominous]

I am thoroughly repulsed and disgusted by Griffin's actions. For her to try to fool the American public in to believing that she beheaded Trump is incredibly deceitful and wrong. You don't joke about these things. I was so ready to celebrate when I saw his severed head in her grasp. When I learned that it was fake I was nothing but saddened that he continues to live and ruin my country and world.

In summation, I'm totally fine with beheading Trump and putting it in pictures. I'm not okay with faking it. #NOTATHREATJUSTANOPINION

You know what, I'm calling it. Donald Trump will be re-elected in 2020.

GSB, you're funny, clever, and absolute treasure on these forums. If the anti-Trump movement had your level of wit, these stunts would never happen.

Donald Trump is living up to my expectations, but the left are outdoing themselves in ways I couldn't have imagined possible. Donald will say things and do things that could be grounds for his immediate impeachment, but then some idiot comic is going to do something so far beyond the pale of sensible comedy regarding their hatred for Donald Trump that it'll demonize them more than him.

Any respectable statistician would have told you that you're throwing away your vote in 2016 if you vote for Donald Trump. Whelp, I might not be respectable, but I'm predicting that Donald Trump will be re-elected.

 

[JGlass]

You know what, I'm calling it. Donald Trump will be re-elected in 2020.

GSB, you're funny, clever, and absolute treasure on these forums. If the anti-Trump movement had your level of wit, these stunts would never happen.

Donald Trump is living up to my expectations, but the left are outdoing themselves in ways I couldn't have imagined possible. Donald will say things and do things that could be grounds for his immediate impeachment, but then some idiot comic is going to do something so far beyond the pale of sensible comedy regarding their hatred for Donald Trump that it'll demonize them more than him.

Any respectable statistician would have told you that you're throwing away your vote in 2016 if you vote for Donald Trump. Whelp, I might not be respectable, but I'm predicting that Donald Trump will be re-elected.

You think by the time he's done with his term (if he even makes it that long, between the scandals, constant whispers of impeachment, and how much he seems to hate this job, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't make it through his first term) he'll want to run again? By the time 2020 rolls around he'll be so exhausted from being president that he'll be dying to go back to civilian life where he can continue to sexually assault women and bully small businessmen in relative peace.

 

[enviousdominous]

You think by the time he's done with his term (if he even makes it that long, between the scandals, constant whispers of impeachment, and how much he seems to hate this job, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't make it through his first term) he'll want to run again? By the time 2020 rolls around he'll be so exhausted from being president that he'll be dying to go back to civilian life where he can continue to sexually assault women and bully small businessmen in relative peace.

I think that public opinion has more power than was previously assumed by the media, and that the media doesn't have a rational perspective in regard to the whims of public opinion.

Look at what's happening right now. The left is gearing up for what they imagine to be a bombshell when James Comey will supposedly testify to Congress that Donald Trump used his office to pressure him into not investigating Michael Flynn. The right is relying on Lindsey Graham's crusade to make James Comey seem unreliable.

This is potentially gearing up to be another heated political battle where the left feels like they can't possibly lose. Does that sound familiar?

Meanwhile; Kathy Griffin up and decided to allow someone to take her picture while holding what was apparently supposed to be Donald Trump's severed head. For most of us (probably not you or me, but you get my drift), that's more important than having to connect the dots to determine that our President obstructed justice.

Donald Trump has proven that he's cool with failure, and that he can easily go from having an epic meltdown to having a pleasant sunday brunch with friends as if nothing happened. I think his dickish will to win is going to overshadow the fact that he'll be a 74 year old who mostly subsists on junk food.

I predict that if an attempt is made to impeach him, it will fail, and I predict that the Democrats will either serve up a John Kerry-esque sacrificial lamb or they'll destroy yet another prominent politician's career by picking them over a more popular candidate.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

In my country she would be arrested for this on "informative conversation". Rightfully so, because beheading anyone(even if it is dirty politician) is no joke. And I am fine with jokes, even dark humor. Just not this much tasteless one. And I havent heard about this one since "Suddenly Susan" so she must have been desperate for attention.

 

[Slash-LN]

She got so much backlash because of who she is.
She has very little respect in her field and is the butt of many jokes.

If this was done by an American sweetheart they would be largely applauded. They would get some backlash mostly from the diehard supporters and the overly sensitive types but at the end of the day people would be sticking up for the sweetheart and saying that everyone who doesn't like it is too sensitive.

When I first heard "beheading" I thought she had made a video or something showing her actually decapitating a dummy or something.

There's worse shit than this on TV every night.

I don't really get the outrage.

Maybe if he was more respectable I'd understand people being upset.

I really think it's just mob mentality though. I see people on Facebook bashing her that have admittedly not heard of her before this became a thing. But to them she's the most vile person imaginable right now. And yes they are supporters of the President. But with the combination of social justice warriors and her being an easy target it's probably the reason it became as big of an issue as it did.

The next thing will come along soon and people will forget all about this.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I have no problem with the offensive nature of her shoot. I just think she's an idiot for trying to be the one to take this kind of stand (leave it to the real shock jocks — Manson already did it, anyway). I also think the concept is flawed from the onset. Beheaded imagery is synonymous with ISIS/ISIL, who are a fundamental talking point of Trump's base. All this image did, in that regard, is rile them up and give them another talking point to criticize the Left as violent over.