New Year’s Eve I wrote about my shock in watching the crude and often unhinged conduct of Kathy Griffin on CNN with Anderson Cooper. We switched over to the networks due to her bizarre behavior, but it appears it got worse as the night went on. Griffin followed her juvenile antics with a simulation of giving Anderson Cooper oral sex on national television. CNN’s response to this controversy is rather muted. While a “wardrobe malfunction” in the Superbowl merited weeks of discussion, simulated oral sex on a host appears to merit a return for Griffin to CNN the next day to joke around with Cooper about their wild time in Time Square.
Griffin has had a long and checkered history on New Year’s (though like many I was not familiar with her reputation or juvenile antics until two days ago). In 2008, Griffin repeatedly dropped the F bomb. Then she screamed that an onlooker should “knock the dicks out of your mouth” on national television. Then there is her taking her clothes off last year on television. Yet, CNN has repeatedly showed that it is only interested in ratings and invites her back despite the fact that New Year’s Eve is the only late night with a large number of children watching these programs, including my own. Networks (and advertisers) expect the highest number of children to watch on New Year’s Eve — recognizing that this is a common right of passage for kids to make it to midnight and watch the ball drop. Even my seven year old daughter made it to midnight and, before we cut her off, was exposed to Griffin.
We cut off the show after watching Griffin try to throw money into the crowd and actually wrestle with Cooper who went to a commercial. As Cooper clearly understood, such a moronic act would have likely triggered a stampede below and legitimate lawsuits against CNN. What is astonishing is that it is not (like much of her work) funny in the slightest. It came off as a rich entertainer throwing baubles to the masses. As she struggled with Cooper, she added the appearance of an unstable rich entertainer. She proceeded to substitute outrageous comments for humor such as insisting that the “fiscal cliff” should be called the “fisting cliff” as if that is remarkably clever. I find it astonishing that CNN would want to put one of its key anchors in this type of juvenile display.
By the time Griffin turned to the burlesque, we were gone. However, she told Anderson Cooper “I’m going to tickle your sack” and actually kissed his crotch. Cooper joked on twitter that people were playing a drinking game whenever he giggles nervously. I respect Cooper greatly but nervous giggles did not suffice in response to this performance. I fail to understand why producers or Cooper would subject people to this entertainer who appears a female version of Andrew Dice Clay. Even when Leslie and I saw the clip of faux oral sex, we found it unfunny and the type of thing high school kids do at parties. I realize that our entertainment is getting increasing raunchy and that this type of low-grade humor appeals to some. I just do not know why CNN wants to move so aggressively to that lowest common denominator.
When Janet Jackson had a “wardrobe malfunction” in the Superbowl, there was considerable debate over whether it was intentional and sanctionable. Griffin has repeatedly shocked the national audience to profanity and other crude antics, but CNN continues to invite her back. After the latest controversy, she reappeared with Cooper. She made rather stale jokes about the fiscal cliff and then said her mother gave her a thumbs down for her performance before saying that Suzanne Somers told her to be more crude (and that she would follow her advice). CNN then ran a series of images designed to show how funny they were together even though even the edited clip was notably not funny. Indeed, I am not very familiar with Griffin but she seems remarkably unfunny, even humor impaired. Like Clay, she appears to substitute outrageous acts or statements for actual humor.
My main interest however is how CNN had allowed this person to appear again on New Year’s Eve in a blind pursuit for ratings. Yet the only thing keeping viewers watching was the sense of a recurring car crash. The difference with Jackson is that the networks did not keep inviting Jackson to have repeat wardrobe malfunctions. This is a host malfunction and it appears a malfunction by design.
also… I saw the video…. It was not as overt as some are making it out to be….
A small child would not have understood….
This is ONE thing I kind of miss about the 70’s and 80’s… people were a LITTLE less uptight….
mainstream people went to porn movies as normal entertainment like Deep Throat….
NO way would that happen in todays world….
Tony Sidaway
1, January 2, 2013 at 9:02 am
She’s a hoot! If you’re bothered that kids might see this (and what? discover that oral sex exists?) you might like to consider the wisdom of letting them stay up past midnight for a traditionally adult, alcohol-fuelled celebration.
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I totally agree… I think she is funny as all hell….
and like Tony pointed out… People might want to consider the wisdom of letting children stay up past midnight for a traditionally adult, alcohol-fuelled celebration.
and really….. it is Kathy freaking Griffin…. Of course she is going to
be offensive… That is what I LOVE about her… 🙂
cnn just a giant lack of morals
kiss the sardine all night 🙂
Man, I agreed with Tony Sidaway. That doesn’t happen often.
Yeah, it’s midnight when this act of stupidity occurred but there are other timezones across the nation where this is being broadcasted live and families are tuned in.
The term “malfunction” is in appro po. The malfunction was on the other end of the two doing the tango. You must be fair and balanced in your assessments of news coverage of the bringing in of the New Year on Times Square with all the billboards behind the tango. Oh, what a tangled web CNN weaves. And this is not a complaint. I aint itchinBay or however one has to pronounce it in Piglatin to get it posted here on the WordPress channel.
Is she related to Merv Griffin?
The dogpac decided to change channels, not because of the hooter gal with gay guy but because of the backdrop of the huge billboard size tv screens which CNN chose to put behind the two candidates for schmucks of the new year. Why not have them stationed at ground level with reveling humanoids. Those huge TV screens are flashing and obnoxious and I dont want to see free Bank of America ads behind the chippy. A bj on gay guy is a hoot but she is not a Hooter gal. Doesnt qualify. Too old.
Jeez JT, lighten up a bit, I thought her behavior was absolutely hilarious, and I was literally ROTFLOL. I even called some of my friends to watch, we all had a good time, VERY funny.
Of course you must know the inside joke that makes it all the more funnier (and I hate giving away magic tricks), is that Cooper is gay. Griffin’s act was one of trying to convince him to go straight.
Don’t be a fuddy duddy JT, as another poster mentioned here, New Years Eve parties are not for children. 12 midnite and booze, and riske’ behavior, we all know it will be there.
She’s a hoot! If you’re bothered that kids might see this (and what? discover that oral sex exists?) you might like to consider the wisdom of letting them stay up past midnight for a traditionally adult, alcohol-fuelled celebration.
Wow, puritanical outrage much? I guess you haven’t seen many sitcoms lately (or any!). I’m really tired of people pretending to be “shocked” by mild stuff on network TV that they can see any time of the day, any day of the year, on cable.
I’ve never thought Griffin funny anyway, so had no desire to watch when I saw she was on the show with Cooper. Perhaps Cooper’s fans should tell CNN to stuff it if they try to pair the two up again next year. I feel bad for him being subjected to that woman again. I feel bad for anyone being subjected to that woman again.
Note to Cooper: when current contract is up make sure you have veto power on who they team you up with for New Year’s Eve!
I wonder what a “vial act” is. Even spelled correctly, its the wrong word to use here. “Shocking” would sum it up better. After all, it was not the act, but the time and place.
grow up – everybody knows this woman is totally socially unacceptable. There is no excuse for your sanctimony here. New Year’s Eve is NOT for small children, CNN knew exactly what it was doing, and you are a fool for pretending shock.
There are going to be some posters here that will be in shock that you placed this on your site. More than likely they will either come to her defense or o they they do in the collegiate world and hope it dies down soon, or change the topic so often that you haven’t the opportunity to discuss this vial act which should not be seen on CNN but the playboy channel or its ilk.
Look, there is no compelling reason for anyone to watch this crap they foist on the viewing public every 12/31 so someone has to do something ‘outrageous’ to generate some buzz.
With any ‘luck’ some relatively prominent religious crackpot or wingnut elected official will call for her to be stoned to death and people will talk about this in the same breathless manner they talked about Ms. Jackson’s nipple for years. That will ensure a larger audience for next years dreck-a-thon.
Didn’t like it much either however there is so much violence and death on TV real and fictional that I find it difficult to get too riled up about this performance. Our children are exposed to so much hate speech against women, gays, unions, teachers and others on a day to day basis from our so called leaders that the adolescent antics as crude as they maybe pale in comparison.
Next time Kathy is on don’t watch. Unfortunately we don’t have that luxury with our “leaders” and they set policy and pass legislation and doll out our tax money to, among others, billionaires and corrupt governments all over the world.
On a more upbeat note, Happy New Year to all.
Kathy is losing her audience and her material is getting old. When that happens to artists they sometimes substitute shock for skill and here is the result. Bad form, bad comedy, and bad on CNN for airing the porn.
Yeah, Kathy G was way down town … without her gaydar on evidently.