It's funny, my brother and I rarely talk but he texted me earlier today to ask my thoughts on the latest Kathy Griffin scandal. 💁 While I'll always love my Miss Kathy and have always been a proponent of everyone's right to Freedom of Expression, I can't condone what she did. Although there were equally if not more offensive images directed at the Obama Administration, none of those had a celebrity scapegoat attached.
It'd be different if the joke were actually funny, but it just comes off as tasteless and unnecessary. It's a shame that she's losing all of her endorsements now, but that's the risk you take when a joke crosses that fine line. That's why it's so important to have a second set of eyes look over your artwork to see if the risk will be worth the reward. Someone should've said NO!
Kathy definitely could've made the same point but in a less literal and overt way. Back in 2005, Margaret Cho released her politically charged ASSASSIN comedy special, taking on the George W Bush regime. The poster art depicts Margaret in all black, wielding a microphone stand like an assault rifle, using her words to metaphorically annihilate the President. Kathy holding Trump's bloody decapitated head is not symbolic or creative; it's graphic and literal and no one should be surprised when it's perceived as a death threat.
Despite the recent controversy, I'll still support Kathy's books and standup shows, and I just hope her career can bounce back after this major setback.
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