Kathy Griffins political stunt goes too far/caption
Is the abhorrent image of a blood-soaked decapitated head" resembling President Donald Trump art"? This visual horror is suspended in the air invoking the classic image of Perseus holding Gorgon Medusas head. Its the kind of ugly propaganda one would expect from a proponent of radical Islamic terror not self-proclaimed D-list" comedienne Kathy Griffin 56. This unapologetic liberalan outspoken Trump criticobviously subscribes to Irish dramatist Oscar Wildes axiom: There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about." Among those taking notice is the Secret Service charged with evaluating all perceived threats to any U.S. president. One of the agencys tweeted responses: Threats made against @SecretService protectees receive the highest priority of all of our investigations. #ProtectionNeverRests Thats territory well beyond the controversial. Thats an idiotic foray into the foolhardy.
As Griffins now on the Secret Services radar shes been on the fringe of Hollywood celebrity for a long time. For context shes a less successful contemporary of has-been pop singer Madonna. Like the middle-aged Material Girl" (most famous for her recent public utterance Yes I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House.") Ms. Griffins attention-grabbing militancy has utterly overshadowed her considerable comedic talent. That ability has resulted in notable past successes: shes won two Emmy Awards for her reality TV show My Life on the D-List" and is one of only three women to win solo Grammy Awards for comedy. What shes known for today is this odious anti-American political antic.
These days its a rarity for the left and right to agree on anything. Yet both sides widely condemned Ms. Griffins publicity stunt. While morally challenged Hillary Clinton has remained tellingly silent even her daughter Chelsea tweeted This is vile and wrong. It is never funny to joke about killing a president." For comparison lets consider an unthinkable scenario. What if vanquished Hillary had won the 2016 presidential election and a famous conservative had held her blood-drenched severed head" in effigy? Better still imagine the crazed and violent reaction of leftist political radicals if the likeness had depicted a decapitated Obama"? Thus how could the measure of Ms. Griffins outrage be made any more plain?
How could this public figurethis veteran of naked self-promotionnot predict the thunderous backlash? (President Trump being defendedby any Democrat for any reasonis disorienting stuff indeed!) So far Ms. Griffin received little more than a few slaps on the wrist. Per Variety Magazine shes been fired from her ten-year gig as the co-host of CNNs annual New Years Eve program with anchor Anderson Cooper. Likewise a couple venues on her Celebrity Run-In Tour in Albuquerque NM and Grass Valley CA have canceled scheduled appearances. Yet counterbalance a few days of lost work with the media bonanza of numerous internet storiesand blurbs on the nightly news!
In her defense Ms. Griffin (unlike Madonna) quickly apologized on Tuesday for the uproar she caused. Naturally this provocateur enjoys First Amendment protections for her inflaming shenanigans. And as her comedic signature is known for brutal honesty perhaps her posted mea culpa is genuine. Still whether thats true or not isnt really the point: TMZ reported Wednesday that President Trumps understandably panicked 11-year-old son Barron thought the horrifying televised image featuring Griffin was real.
How could this innocent know any better? Unfortunately he was in the familys New York City penthouse with first lady Melania Trump not in the White House. In any case she released a statement that goes right to the heart of unhinged progressives thoughtless tactics:
That photo makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it. As a mother a wife and a human being that photo is very disturbing. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong."
To that end per Fox News one is automatically reminded of 119 wounded and 22 killed including many children at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on May 22nd. Did the world really need the made-up gore Ms. Griffin peddled?
Unfairly this reality TV star has benefited from Barrons sufferingand the presidential familys collective disgust. The fact remains that Kathy Griffins gone viral in a way that the infamous Oscar Wilde of the 19th century could not fathom. Hence this social media firestorm is a good effort for the woman whose shtick includes such gems as Well Ive been trying to sleep my way to the middle for my whole career." Although said in jest Ms. Griffins self-serving ploy of cutting edge" pop culture infamy is accomplished.
Whatever the ultimate consequencesgood or badthis agitators made her bed. A raunchy bed she alone must sleep in.
David L. Hunter is an Associate Editor at Capitol Hill Outsider and a Newsmax contributor. Hes on Twitter and blogs at davidlhunter.blogspot.com. He is published in The Washington Post The Washington Times FrontPage Mag and extensively in Patriot Post Canada Free Press and American Thinker.