Kathy Griffin and Trump Derangement Syndrome

[Sampiro]

Kathy Griffin was way too big to have a show called “Life on the D List” by the time it ended in 2010, and some of her stand-up specials were inspired. Then she kinda went away- she wasn’t relevant anymore, celebrities avoided her, her books kind of just sat there, so by 2017 she was justified in calling herself D-List again.
Now she’s trending more than she has in a decade. People who haven’t thought of her in years are talking about her and associating her with hating possibly the most hated president in living memory.

Lead story on the news and the fallout was costing her a 1 night per year gig. Gee, what a misfire on her part…

[Chimera]

Well, let’s look at it this way.

When I want to know what a Republican thinks, I listen to Republicans.
When I want to know what a Democrat thinks, I listen to Democrats.

Republicans have been trained to listen to their own (Coulter, Rush, Hannity) to tell them what the other side thinks.

Which makes about as much sense as asking Peewee Herman for a summary of Chinese policy positions.

[Bricker]

@BigT

The above is also my answer to Bricker’s question. The big deal is how visceral an attack it was, and how it would reflect badly on CNN if they kept her, given how Trump supporters would freak out over this.

I understand CNN’s decision.

My own reaction is not based on the responsibility for maintaining ratings; I’m just talking about the general act and my reaction to it.

[doorhinge]

@Chimera

Well, let’s look at it this way.

When I want to know what a Republican thinks, I listen to Republicans.
When I want to know what a Democrat thinks, I listen to Democrats.

Republicans have been trained to listen to their own (Coulter, Rush, Hannity) to tell them what the other side thinks.

Which makes about as much sense as asking Peewee Herman for a summary of Chinese policy positions.

It seems to me that yellow dog Democrats like to tell other people how to think, and what they should, and should not, say. I think it may have become more of a hobby than political discourse.

[snoe]

1. I don’t understand why CNN was ever putting Griffin on the air, paid or no. (Applies to much of the rest of CNN’s on-air talent, to be fair.)
2. If you don’t see a significant difference in awfulness between Griffin’s photo and stuff like this, cited earlier as a “butwhatabout” example --, http://images.gawker.com/182d9y9yzmegpjpg/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636.jpg – I don’t know what to tell ya.
3. The artistic merit of the photo is actually elevated somewhat by the D-listishness shared by Griffin and Trump. They are both enthusiastic participants in the celebrity-for-celebrity’s-sake side of our pop culture. The photo was intended to play with that – I think – in a thoughtful way. It’s crass in the way a lot of Jeff Koons’s art is crass.

[Jophiel]

@snoe

2. If you don’t see a significant difference in awfulness between Griffin’s photo and stuff like this, cited earlier as a “butwhatabout” example --, http://images.gawker.com/182d9y9yzmegpjpg/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636.jpg – I don’t know what to tell ya.

I wouldn’t have picked that sign when things like this burning effigy of Obama does a better job.

If anyone is still saying “But this is DIFFERENT!” then the “not getting it” issue doesn’t lie with me.

[kayaker]

The only thing Griffin did wrong was apologize.

Sam Kinnison wouldn’t have apologized.

[kaylasdad99]

@CurtC

Uh, Megyn Kelly, after she moderated one the Republican candidates’ debate in August 2015. Trump later complained “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever. In my opinion, she was off base.”"

Oh, her. I don’t see why anyone who works for a television “news” company can be plausibly characterized as a journalist, let alone a respected journalist.

[Shodan]

@Jophiel

I wouldn’t have picked that sign when things like this burning effigy of Obama does a better job.

If anyone is still saying “But this is DIFFERENT!” then the “not getting it” issue doesn’t lie with me.

I don’t think it is different. If burning Obama symbolically is a big deal, then symbolically beheading Trump is a big deal. If either is deserving of more than token disapproval, then both are.

And if the idea is to behave just as despicably as the person being attacked, that kind of misses the point. Behaving despicably is bad. And “you didn’t condemn that enough, so I am not going to condemn this enough” isn’t much better.

Regards,
Shodan

[Spice_Weasel]

@Shodan

I don’t think it is different. If burning Obama symbolically is a big deal, then symbolically beheading Trump is a big deal. If either is deserving of more than token disapproval, then both are.

And if the idea is to behave just as despicably as the person being attacked, that kind of misses the point. Behaving despicably is bad. And “you didn’t condemn that enough, so I am not going to condemn this enough” isn’t much better.

Regards,
Shodan

Ayup.

[Jophiel]

@Shodan

And if the idea is to behave just as despicably as the person being attacked, that kind of misses the point. Behaving despicably is bad. And “you didn’t condemn that enough, so I am not going to condemn this enough” isn’t much better.

Agreed. But then almost everyone in my personal circle thinks that Griffin’s photo was tasteless, crass and terrible for political discourse so there’s not much dissonance.

Someone who did protest loudly about the burning effigy and now says “neener, neener” is another story. My point was just that saying “People are comparing it to this Obama thing and it’s much worse than that” while showing a sign (which, while bad, is far from the worst instance) are being a bit disingenuous. Trump isn’t reaching any new heights of being attacked with this photo.

[VinylTurnip]

@doorhinge

It seems to me that yellow dog Democrats like to tell other people how to think, and what they should, and should not, say.

We try not to, really, but when you see someone who’s red-faced and hyperventilating while furiously yanking on the handle of a door marked PUSH, it’s sometimes hard to quash the compassionate urge to offer a suggestion.

[Chimera]

Eh, more often I find that is the Republicans telling their people how the Democrats think.

As I posted on my FB page yesterday and elsewhere;

When I want to know what a Democrat thinks, I listen to Democrats.
When I want to know what a Republican thinks, I listen to Republicans.

Listening to Rush, Hannity, Coulter or Fox News telling you what Democrats think makes about as much sense as asking Peewee Herman for a summary of Chinese policy positions.

Telling me, a Liberal Democrat, what I think based on what those people say makes you look like a damned fool.

[CurtC]

@kaylasdad99

Oh, her. I don’t see why anyone who works for a television “news” company can be plausibly characterized as a journalist, let alone a respected journalist.

She now works for NBC News, which is an actual (no scare quotes required) news company.

Although I’ve read her first ground-breaking interview (yet to be aired) was with the head of a Russian “news” agency, in other words a Putin propaganda machine, telling her that he doesn’t think the Russians were responsible for messing with our election. I was starting to have some respect for her, but this sure doesn’t help, unless it’s accompanied by lots of warning to viewers that they’re seeing a Putin stooge.

@Chimera

Listening to Rush, Hannity, Coulter or Fox News telling you what Democrats think makes about as much sense as asking Peewee Herman for a summary of Chinese policy positions.

I would at least expect Paul Reubens to have some coherent thoughts about it, and not to outright lie to me.

[Knowed_Out]

@doorhinge

It seems to me that yellow dog Democrats like to tell other people how to think, and what they should, and should not, say. I think it may have become more of a hobby than political discourse.

You should stop thinking that way.

Number 2 off my do-gooder imposition check list done.

[madsircool]

@kaylasdad99

Oh, her. I don’t see why anyone who works for a television “news” company can be plausibly characterized as a journalist, let alone a respected journalist.

Walter Cronkite? Mike Wallace?

[Drunky_Smurf]

Kathy just admitted that the only reason people are going after her is because she is a woman. I would never say it but if she’ll admit it then I’ll agree. Her comedy sucks because she is a woman.

[Shodan]

@Jophiel

Agreed. But then almost everyone in my personal circle thinks that Griffin’s photo was tasteless, crass and terrible for political discourse so there’s not much dissonance.

So does my circle, so do I. Just as we agreed that the lynch Obama signs were equally crass and terrible.

Someone who did protest loudly about the burning effigy and now says “neener, neener” is another story.

Absolutely. The same story, in fact, as someone who protested loudly about the lynch Obama signs but is now saying “neener neener” about the Griffin incident.

They both represent a coarsening of the public discourse. And saying “but this is about Obama/Trump/Hillary/Bush/whoever!!!” doesn’t change that.

Regards,
Shodan

[Spice_Weasel]

@Drunky_Smurf

Kathy just admitted that the only reason people are going after her is because she is a woman. I would never say it but if she’ll admit it then I’ll agree. Her comedy sucks because she is a woman.

Have you ever seen that documentary “Women Aren’t Funny?” It does an excellent job highlighting the depressing bias against women in the comedy world, but is greatly undermined by the fact that the comedienne hosting the documentary is… not funny.

[Jophiel]

@Shodan

They both represent a coarsening of the public discourse. And saying “but this is about Obama/Trump/Hillary/Bush/whoever!!!” doesn’t change that.

I’m not sure if we’re cross talking or what. It SEEMS as though we both agree that this behavior is bad regardless of which side it originates from or who it targets.

I mentioned the burning effigy as a response to this post where Snoe seems to dismiss earlier instances of this behavior as lesser than Griffin’s photo because the linked sign isn’t “as bad” and implies that people don’t get it or that this is somehow unique.