Kathy Griffin just got out of a press conference in which she, and her lawyers, explained why she made the photo, her thoughts after backlash hit, her stance on the Trump administration, and what she’s planning to do from this point forward.
If you would like to see for yourself all of what she and her lawyers said, check out the video below.
Before I get into my thoughts on the press conference, I just want to share the bullet points of what was said during it for those who didn't watch.
- Kathy Griffin’s lawyer, Lisa Bloom, started off by saying that Kathy made a terrible mistake, apologized and meant it, but is now being personally targeted, censored, and silenced by the Trump administration
- They state that no administration has ever gone so far before to silence a comedian and should focus on governing.
- They also stated that the Secret Service is investigating her.
- Kathy expressed that she’s sorry she did it (though it was meant as art and not a threat), but will continue to stand up against Trump and make jokes about him.
- Kathy also stated that she’s lost 5 concert gigs so far from the backlash and is hurt from being fired from the CNN New Years Eve gig.
- Kathy says that the photo wasn't planned but an impulse. She and Tyler Shields got together to have a funny and edgy photo shoot. By the end of the day, they decided to make a provocative and sensational photo. They quickly pieced together the idea and immediately went with it.
Now for my personal thoughts.
I was working on a separate news article when I noticed that the little “We’re Live” video in the bottom right corner (which by the way, I hate when news sites do that), was playing a live press conference with Kathy Griffin.
I, of course, decided to tune in.
Now, I first have to express my opinion on the whole situation.
I believe that Kathy Griffin was in the wrong with the joke. It was in poor taste from the get go.
That said, she’s allowed to make that bad decision and bad joke. That’s her first amendment right. Freedom of expression. But with that, she does not have the protection from any backlash because of what she says or does.
So, it’s perfectly fair for people to be mad and for her to get fired.
Though, I do believe that people are sensationalizing it and trying to destroy her career. Yes, what she did was stupid and ultimately a threat against the president (even if she didn’t mean it), but does she deserve to have her entire career ruined because of it? Does she deserve to be silenced? I don’t think so.
But anyway, back to the press conference.
Again, I jumped in a few moments late. At the time, one of Kathy’s lawyers named Lisa Bloom, who’s been a legal analyst for Avvo and The Today Show as well as hosted a legal talk show on TrueTV, was speaking.
Now, my first impression of Lisa Bloom was that she was amazing. She was articulate and pressed the message that Kathy is being ganged up on and focused on the hypocrisy of the Trump administration.
That said, there were other moments where she didn’t seem like a good lawyer.
Honestly, Kathy talked too much. They should have made her stop. Now, it was endearing to see her so candid and just going with the flow. She was off-the-cuff and seemed human and real. But, of course part of that means that she ranted and said things that she shouldn’t have.
I feel like her lawyers needed to make her stop. When questions weren’t directed towards her Kathy would speak, she would say things that she would regret or that she’d have to clarify and that would easily be twisted for a big shot headline. Truly, they didn’t have control of her.
But speaking of headlines, there were a lot of wonderful lines that Kathy said. Some of my favorites are listed down below.
“I want the gay guy who came to see me in lake Charles, Louisiana a few weeks ago. Who said, ‘I wanted to come here because I’m scared to come out, but I get to come here and laugh for two hours.’ That’s what I’m telling you. It’s not for me, it’s for them.”
“I get what I am. I’m the shiny object. I get it. We all know what’s going on here. They’re using me as the shiny object, so nobody’s talking about his FBI investigation.”
“This is America, and you shouldn’t have to die for it.”
“And today it’s me, and tomorrow it could be you.”
“I’m gonna make fun of the president, and you know what, I’m gonna make fun of him more now.”
“He picked the wrong redhead”
At the end of the day, Kathy Griffin made a dumb mistake on an impulse. And now, she might have to suffer greatly for it. She’s being investigated by the Secret Service, and she’s losing jobs left and right.
As I was looking for a video to show you all the live stream, I saw the comments of people watching the stream. They weren’t good. Mass amounts of people were asking for Kathy to be fired or worse.
Kathy is in a bad place right now. I was never a great fan and I’m not convinced that those tears are totally real (but who am I to judge that), but I’m certainly sad to see someone go out like this.
What are your thoughts? Did you watch the press conference? Do you think all of this hate for Kathy’s photo is over-the-top? Do you think she deserves it? Do you think she and her lawyers properly defended her actions and spoke out about the injustice being sent her way? Or, do you think all that's crap?
Let me know down in the comments below, and lets get talking.
Ew, that picture was gross.
Ew, that picture was gross.
I didn't check out the press conference. I never really liked her. I don't like Trump. She did take it very low here. In my opinion, she crossed the line and went too far. There are limits to freedom of speech (limits countlessly breached by Trump also, though). Seems to me she wanted to get back in the spotlight, which worked. I think an action like this should be prosecuted.
President Trump says a lot of
President Trump says a lot of ugly things that have real consequences in the world. He does not give speeches—he enunciates hateful incantations. They are becoming the mantras of the alt right, the single-minded, and, might I say, the simple-minded. I do not like him at all. Performance artists should do exactly what they want to. None of it is of any consequence, compared to the very real power that he holds. He is a monumental tragedy waiting to happen. God help us!
She is nothing more then a
She is nothing more then a washed up comedian looking for attention personally i never found her funny think anyone that did what she did is a sick person and hoping she gets what's coming to her
one day she says she is sorry and then the next day Trump is bullying her give me a break she should go into hiding and never come out she is a nasty person
I’m a Trump supporter and I
I'm a Trump supporter and I also enjoy Kathy Griffin's comedy. She is a caustic insult comedian, a next generation Joan Rivers on steroids. The news conference was a disaster, she needs to lay low for a while, and do some charity work. This will blow over eventually, but she needs to be quiet and stick with targeting entertainment celebrities and avoid politics
I wear down votes as a badge
I wear down votes as a badge of honor !
So a comedian doing a parody
So a comedian doing a parody of Trump's own offensive statement warrants this hate fest when trump himself has insighted violence said some blatantly offensive, racist, sexist, misogenist things and still does.however this sad excuse for an American president throws his hefty weight against any who oppose him or criticise.that fat flabby fake tanned arse has really thin skin.
Kathy Griffin is an acquired
Kathy Griffin is an acquired taste, and does have a huge gay fan base, and to be fair, has been strong in her support. I'm not a huge fan and quite frankly, I think CNN used this as an excuse to get her off the air on New Years Eve. I also don't think her initial apology was all that sincere nor do I think she is a victim. I think her career has been over for a while and she's doing what she can to reignite it.
Whiney bitch picks a fight
Whiney bitch picks a fight and then acts hurt when she gets blowback. Actions have reprecussions. She was grossly miscalculating how low you can go and have everyone applaud. Giving Trump ammunition is an idiotic move.
I love Kathy. Obviously, she
I love Kathy. Obviously, she made a mistake and is having to pay the price. But I was really impressed with how she and her lawyer conveyed her point of view during the press conference. I was even more impressed that they held this in the first place. It took a lot of courage for her to go out there and do that.
In terms of her career, I think she can survive. It might take awhile, but she can do it. She is a tough woman.
Trump is just bullying her.
Trump is just bullying her. He's not afraid of her he just didn't like that she made fun of him so now he's spinning it whatever way he can to ruin her. That's what bullies with power do. It's such a classic bully tactic and shame on companies like squatting potty for dropping her instead of backing her up. trump is a nightmare not just for America but for the rest of the world.