We recently discussed the controversy surrounding Kathy Griffin and her disgusting image of a bloody severed head of President Donald Trump. Griffin held an equally bizarre press conference on Friday that first took responsibility for the scandal and then insisted that she is being set up by white men and blatant sexism. If this was an effort by attorney Lisa Bloom to repackage the scandal, it was a miserable failure. Indeed, the press conference could be a lesson for all lawyers in high-profile controversies of how not to respond to a scandal. There seemed to be not preparation of Griffin and no development of a single coherent narrative (rather surprising for an entertainer). The set up for the press conference at the law firm was awkward and made the client look like a caged animal. Bloom’s lead in remarks seemed more like a stump speech than a legal defense. Griffin was the object of the exercise rather than a human being in distress. Bloom’s effort to blame Trump for her client’s conduct contradicted one of a number of different narratives being advanced at the same time. The result was a Jackson Pollock press conference of paint splatters. The problem is that they did not make for a pleasing final image. I am not sure what Bloom sought to achieve, but it could not have been what actually occurred. In a rambling press conference, she insisted “Cut the crap, this wouldn’t be happening to a guy.” Indeed, it would. If Anderson Cooper held up the bloody severed head of Donald Trump on CNN, he would also be looking at the end of his journalistic career as would other comedians like Jerry Seinfeld.
Griffin seemed to swing wildly from contrition to condemnation. She insisted that she was being targeted for “standing up” to Trump who was bullying her for her joke. At first she said that she would continue to make jokes and be undeterred. She then broke down and said “He broke me. It’s just not right, and I’ve apologized because that was the right thing to do, and I meant it.” She added “I don’t think I’ll have a career after this.”
Of course, apologizing does not mean that everything is forgiven. People can still find your conduct appalling and question your failure to see the grotesque nature of your statement.
The addition of criminal attorney, Dmitry Gorin, was equally problematic. There is no serious criminal investigation of Griffin. The Secret Service has been mocked for interviewing everyone from cartoonists to children for threats against the president. Gorin became little more than a prop in this catastrophic display.
Ironically, Griffin at times sounds like . . . well . . . Trump: “What’s happening to me has never happened, ever, in the history of this great country.
She then insisted that this was all because she is a woman in a male-dominated industry despite the large number of successful female comedians. She insisted that “There’s a bunch of old white guys trying to silence me, but that’s wrong.”
The effort to portray herself as the victim of sexism (and strangely racism) is about as convincing as Patti Hearst portraying her arrest as the result of an international banking conspiracy.
In the end, it was not clear whether Griffin wanted to be forgiven or lionized for her conduct. However, the claims of a sexist (and racist) element to her current predicament gets a bit lost in the ISIS-inspired image blasted around the world.
Oddly, she makes some bizarre reference to her rather small frame, as if someone who is not very tall or large is, by virtue of that diminutive stature, incapable of ever representing a threat. How ludicrous. I think that the small people of the world should protest. Yes. Thats right. They should stand up to the notion that their height and weight leave them helpless and less than normal, functioning human beings. Can’t wait for those protests. I’m pretty sure that Hitler was a tiny, little runt, as well, but that didn’t mean that he was incapable of being a threat. That he wasn’t vicious. That he wasn’t dangerous. That he wasn’t responsible for millions and millions who lost their lives. Who the f cares about her height, weight and age? Griffin was, regardless of her height, weight or age–to which she kept referring, as if they were in any way relevant or disqualified her from having committed a crime–via this photo, advocating for the beheading and the assassination of our President. Period. I’ve said it. She absolutely deserves what she is getting and more, and, yes, this is coming from someone who was a fan. Yes. I loved her outrageous shows and marveled at her comedic genius, but that love and admiration ends when the murder and decapitation, of a sitting President, is condoned, sanctioned and encouraged. Kathy–you f’d up. Big time.
I have noticed very viscous sexist slurs used against her (as with Hillary), slurs which are wrong and have nothing to do with the action at hand. It is accurate to say that many people’s reaction has been sexist. Undeniably, sexism is at work here. Her lawyer can prove (or not) whether this sexism is definitive.
I think a much better and stronger argument would be based on taking full responsibility for one’s actions and saying, whether you like it or not, I have the right to do this based on our Constitution. I would not make any fake apology. If I was truly sorry, then I would make the apology. After that, her employer does get to decide whether she is fired or not. If they told her to go forward and then fired her, that is wrongful termination. If Trump is using the power of his presidency to silence his critics, she definitely has a case.
The whole thing seems stupid to me. Trump has given money to Saudi Arabia and supports ISIS. He supports torture. So I don’t know why a fake severed head should bother him. He doesn’t care about the children who see the actual severed heads of their parents due to his war making. I notice the press barely mentions all the severed civilian heads the USG has caused in its many wars. This is interesting as it shows how callus our nation really is. A fake head is a problem. A real head, at the hands of USGinc. and its allies?
Not a problem.
“This is interesting as it shows how callus our nation really is. A fake head is a problem. A real head, at the hands of USGinc. and its allies?
Not a problem.” – Jill
Yep. Well said.
Agree, it was exceptionally well said.
As far as Kathy Griffin blaming Trump for her own disgusting, unfunny ISIS-style mock-up of his decapitted head is concerned–it shows her self-serving, infantile mentality ala Hillary–always blaming others for their own choices. Pathetic.
Whilst I disagree with Trump’s decision to more arms to the Saudis–this has been the US-Deep State’s policy for many years–from the Bush/Clinton Crime Families, well into the Obama regime. As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has taken money from the Saudis in return for selling them arms: Bribery.
Refer to: http://www.ibtimes.com/clinton-foundation-donors-got-weapons-deals-hillary-clintons-state-department-1934187
When it comes to supporting torture: look to Bush, Obama & Hillary–all of whom backed torture–the difference is that Hillary’s public persona told us one thing, whilst her private persona did another.
Refer to:
Bush Torture: 1/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daphne-eviatar/wikileaks-cables-reveal-d_b_789506.html
Obama Torture: 2/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/30/barack-obamas-spy-games-ignored-yawning-media/
Hillary Torture: 3/https://news.vice.com/article/cia-sabrina-de-sousa-blames-hillary-clinton-extradition-to-italy
Correction: Sp. “Decapitated” Apologies.
Had Obama been a man of integrity, he would have prosecuted those who committed torture–rendition continued under his own regime. Also, he would have backed Sen. Bernie Sanders, instead of the most corrupt politico in today’s politics: Hillary Clinton. Bernie would have beaten Trump–he would have beaten HIllary, but she rigged the DNC-primaries: thus, committing Election Fraud.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/bernie-sanders-us-election-president-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-democrats-primary-results-a7408451.html
I have noticed very viscous sexist slurs
‘Sexist’ is a nonsense term useful only for rhetorical games. The only reasons to use it are stupidity and dishonesty.
Correction: Sp. “censorship” “Greece”–not “Green” Apologies.
Kathy Griffin is playing the misogyny card ala Hillary–both of whom have mawkish fans who blindly follow them, without using discernment and sans a modicum of decency. Artists have always pushed boundaries–but how far should they go? Can they mock murder; rape; bestiality; pedophilia; etc.? I’m not for censorhip–but each of us has the right to say “Enough is enough”!
What Griffin & Hillary never got, is the fact that anybody who enters the public sphere, whether they are male or female, must accept the fact that people in a free society can approve; stay silent; or disagree with what they say and/or do. From the first thespians who traveled the circuit in Green, throughout Europe & the World–audiences have applauded or booed, depending upon what they liked or disliked. Griffin doesn’t know this? Pshaw!
Griffin knows that Trump is unpopular. Many of us don’t approve of Trump’s position on the Paris Agreement; Health Care; Taxation, etc.–but to show him to be assassinated, ISIS-style is disgusting–and worse for comedy, it’s not funny. I’m an audience member who boos–and that’s my right. I’m also a life-long feminist–a woman–and a thinking human being who refuses to follow-blindly the exploitation of “feminism” as the card played any time a supercilious, spoilt woman doesn’t get her way. Until women support other women with integrity, instead of supporting the Imelda-Marcos-es (Hillary) of politics and her shills ala the Griffins, we have no credibility, and worse no viability to persuade decent people of our positions.
As far as Trump’s abuse of women is concerned–many of us have condemned his crude speech. But the hypocrites who jump on his speech whilst cover-up for Billy-boy Clinton who raped & sexually abused women and the hypocrite and liar Hillary, who attacked his victims in order to advance her own career–is the worst form of blindness and worse, cruelty.
I don’t think I’d ever heard of this woman until Turley posted about her some months back. My head keeps getting her confused with Kathie Lee Gifford.
Please don’t do that to Kathie Lee. She is a much nicer person. The two are absolutely nothing alike. I’ve always tried not to think about Kathy Griffin because I never thought she was funny.
Me, too. I think the story is about Gifford, then I see the picture and realize it’s someone else.
Lisa Bloom sure ain’t the attorney her mother is, but they both dress like my mom did, back in 1975, ready to attend the sisterhood meetings.
The new paradigm: victim as bully. Just go away Kathy.
Professor, two comments:
1., a typo exists in the paragraph above the extra spaces: “woman in a male-d0minated [sic]”.
2. The people who applaud politicians such as Trump who eschew political correctness should not be criticizing a non-politically-correct joke, unless they are serving some bigger need, such as holding the left to their own standards.
JKS:
Defying political correctness doesn’t imply you have to suppress your sense of outrage at outrageous stuff. There was nothing humorous of redeeming about calling for the savage death of the duly elected President of the United States as our miscreant finally admitted herself.
They’re not ‘criticizing a non-politically correct joke’. They’re criticizing something done in exceedingly poor taste. That I might think we should have broad public debate on all sorts of topics does not mean I’m being morally or ethnically or aesthetically inconsistent when I say David Letterman is a major heel for making vulgar jokes about Sarah Palin’s 15 year old daughter.
Giving this human species air time
defies logic.
Bored with her and Trump. Both are low level entertainers who are lacking in impulse control and brain power..
lacking in impulse control and brain power..
OK, brainy Francesca. Point to us the real-estate projects you’ve completed.
Relevance? Completing real estate projects and being President of the United States?
The good professor has taken the bait.
He is giving her a continuing worldwide platform for her miserable performance art.
Ignore, ignore and ignore.
Please stop feeding the appetite of the out of work, red headed circus clown.
I agree with Nick, unfortunately she’ll be back with a new schtick.
Kathy Griffin needs to lie low & so does Tiger Woods. Maybe they can do a hookup & go on a golf outing at Mar a Lago.
Why in God’s name does Tiger need to drive himself ANYWHERE?
Because he’s pregnant? Damn, it looks like he’s 3-4 months along…..
I’m sure Nike is happy to see Tiger was wearing their apparel!
He was lying low. He pulled over to the side of the road and fell asleep. He failed the field sobriety test but had a blood-alcohol level of zero because he was having a reaction to prescription medications.
Yeah Tiger pulled over.
2 flat tires, damage to tire rims & banged up bumper. Lucky Tiger didn’t kill someone. Or did he?
Strange as it may seem to you, you can drive over broken glass when you’re stone-cold sober.
Yeah. A contingent of broken glass bottles attacked Woods. Those damn bottles!
No, they’re lying in the middle of the road and you drive over them. I’ve done that at 11:00 am on a sunny city street.
We’re you high on drugs, like Tiger?
No, I was looking the other direction and didn’t notice them. That he was impaired would be an explanation of the length of time he might have been driving on injured tires, not why the tires were injured. What is it with you?
Manipulative liar.
The aggressor is now playing the victim. She dishes it out, but can’t take the heat.
Griffin wrote in a 2009 tweet about how she was going to go after Sarah Palin and then she mocked Palin’s newborn Downs Syndrome baby. Yeah, Kathy Griffin is a real victim. Boo hoo.
“Vegas this Friday night! 2 shows at Mandalay Bay. Oh, Palin, ur goin down so hard, you’d better just stay in Wasilla w ur “retarded baby” (2009 tweet by Kathy Griffin)
Knowing the nature of that image, it’s surprising she didn’t have a game-plan for the inevitable tsunami that would greet her. Her new remarks appear to lack a backbone.
And as in previous posts, it’s funny how the people once defending Milo and Ann and the freedom of speech now wish to junk the latter because of content.
Now Bill Maher just guided the tsunami toward him, over similarly stupid reasoning:
https://youtu.be/mUvdXxhLPa8
If you watch Griffin’s standup, a main topic in her schtick is people who she hates and hate her. It’s been Madonna, Barbara Reynolds, and a host of other celebrities. While this may look like a train wreck presser to sane people, this is Griffin just making a play for a new schtick and maybe another Reality TV show. She will be back. Bet on it.
I would be surprised if she didn’t come out with the “I’m a poor widdle victim!” nonsense. It is what the Democratic Party has been peddling for decades, the idea that everybody except straight, white men, are victims of mostly straight white men.
My goodness, if your black single mother had three bast*rd kids, and no financial means to take care of even one of them, then your poverty (or lack of equality) isn’t because of her giving you a poor start to life—-NO! It’s institutionalized racism, white privilege, etc. Now, women are just getting into the act bigly.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
You are obsessed or maybe possessed.
or just correct. Left doesnt like hearing the truth
Right. Squeeky is obsessed or possessed, but someone dangling a realistic replica of a severed and bloodied head, of the President of the United States, is not obsessed or possessed.
First it was an effigy…but nevertheless it was appalling and inappropriate. Do I think she is being treated differently because she is a woman. Yes. I also think she is being treated differently because she is viewed as a liberal or a progressive. So if ANDERSON Cooper lost his job for doing the same think it wouldn’t be a gender think or would it. Right wingers get a pass on all sorts of vilolent imagery. I remember some pretty horrific stuff focused on Obama. Neither is right.
Much ado about nothing.
“Donald Trump on Megyn Kelly: “There Was Blood Coming Out of Her Wherever””
https://youtu.be/M28z9y4yT6Y
And this man is…our president.
Move along and focus on something important.
I happened to post my comment in the wrong place; it’s not a response to Justice Holmes.
Did Obama threaten those who created horrific images of him or set his supporters after them? Did the “artists” receive death threats? Not that I heard about.
Steven Colbert has been skewering the president for months. He told an inappropriate (imo) joke. Someone reported him to the FCC. Apology, brief investigation and it’s over. He doesn’t lose his job.
Griffin is noted for comedy that is close to the line and sometimes over it. That’s what she does. Her intent was a parody of his “blood from wherever” comment about Megan Kelly, but what many people saw was ISIS. She apologized for what turned out to be a completely inappropriate “joke”. Trump did not apologize for his Megan Kelly “joke” or any of his other very inappropriate comments about sexually assaulting women. Anyone who brags about to the extent that he does, has undoubtedly done it. A parody of his behavior is appropriate, just not this parody which was too easily misunderstood.
Now what Griffin is dealing with is threats from the President of the US and various members of his family and various supporters. How presidential, a president with skin so thin I’m surprised it can cover him.
Did Obama threaten those who created horrific images of him or set his supporters after them? Di
He didn’t have to. His minions make a few calls and the rodeo clown was out of a job.
She does sound like the snowflake Trump.
I do not like her. I don’t like what she did. Her career may be over. But Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women, in real life. Clearly, it was not a career-ender for him.
Trump did not. He talked about gold diggers being sluts in a private conversation between men. Sexual assault? Puhleeze. Unlike Bill Clinton who is an actual rapist.
and btw yes, men do talk to each other like that. So do women to each other. In fact women are more open and graphic about sex when its ‘just the girls’. Spare me the bs excuses too because I know this is fact.
Bill Clinton and Donald Trump have both been accused of rape. Neither one has been convicted. That is a fact.
Bill Clinton was credibly accused by a married businesswoman in Arkansas. Trump has not been credibly accused.
That is your opinion.
Find an accusation that’s on the record, verifiable in time and place, and not uttered by a woman wearing Eau de Gold-digger, and we’ll talk.
Clinton never raped any one. Clinton was nothing more than a horn dog that couldn’t keep it in his pants. When the bimbos like Lewinsky came up to him on their knees, he gave in. Clinton’s main fault was in squirming and lying about it. He should have simply said, “I have urges. Mind your own business.” Trump is the same but he is an incompetent buffoon on top of all that. Clinton is a real self made man, Rhodes Scholar, etc. Trump is an idiot oligarch that was born into wealth, connections, privilege, and a world of the mega wealthy to whom he panders, on his knees. Trump is disgusting in a 360 degree way. Clinton is disgusting in a 45 degree way. The economy speaks for it all. After Reagan a seven year recession. After Clinton a surplus. After Bush a recession that is almost over. After Obama a recovery from the worst recession since the 30s. After six months of Trump: shame, disgust, more coal, head in the sand, stupidity, buffoonery, incompetence, Bannon, Kushner, Ivanka, …….. Trump is everything that is wrong with the US compressed into a hat. Notice how North Korea’s buffoon and our buffoon are both obsessively into hair.
Canadian Rain Man takes weekends off from meds.
Lol, Nick.
I think Canadian Rain Man smokes really good weed.
Used to when it was good old smoking dope. Now it’s practically hallucinogenic and dangerous for someone with my baggage. The clarity of a clean mind is addictive, I’m finding out, as it contrasts with the partial and selective perspectives illustrated on this, Turley’s blog, a portrait of America, unfortunately. Turley’s blog convinces me more and more each day that as much as too much of America has their heads up their ‘you know where’, in the end, their ends, they have so little and it is such a ‘tail’ that if the world lasts, evolution will take care of them, as nature has shown us, those who pay attention.
“The clarity of a clean mind is addictive.” Yes indeed.
Everything else you wrote was a load of covfefe.
LOL! He majored in polemic drivel. His adviser was Prof irwin Corey.
There are so many inaccuracies in what you’ve posted I wouldn’t know where to begin, but to whit: just because someone ‘comes to you on their knees’ (nice expression, btw, jeeze) does not mean you have permission to take advantage of them, particularly not if you live in the White House.
Does it bug you when Trump refers to the Canadian Prime Minister as “Justin from Canada” ?
.Who cares how the fat old orange goof refers to anyone.
I do. Trump beat Crooked Hillary and Low Energy Jeb and kept the Bushes and the Clintons OUT of the White House. This accomplishment alone is enough for me to support him.
There was a c. 18 month recession early in the Reagan administration.
It was followed by average GDP growth of c.4% for the remaining 6 years of that administration.
I have pointed this out before when Isaac lied about an “eight year” Reagan recession.
I’ll point it out again when Isaac “modifies” his lie and calls it a 7 year recession.
It takes a hell of a lot of dedication on Isaac’s part to repeatedly lie through his teeth to make a point.
Then change the subject, or say that it’s “nitpicking”, when he’s called on it.
Holding up mock-ups of the ISIS-style beheadings is wrong–and it’s not funny, if Griffin claims to be a comedian.
Billy-boy Clinton raped & abused women and Hillary trashed his victims of sexual assault. Why didn’t Griffin hold up ISIS-style mock-ups of their decapitated heads? Pshaw. That would be wrong too.
If Griffin’s career is over, it’s nobody’s fault but her own.
I defended her at first, now she can spare me her indignation, this is just weak. Also, whatever you think about some Trump’s crassness, that was a private conversation, she saw fit to willfully put this in front of the entire world. It was a choice. I am all for using our voices, and I don’t have a problem with dissent, but she, like so many liberals in America, needs to grow the hell up and take responsibility for her convictions.
Some *of* Trump’s crassness, that is