Griffin's career is noted for three major events:
1. Working infomercials for toilet seats;
2. Posing with a disgusting image of a guillotined President Trump. She was fired for doing this while the media moguls who publicized the photo made millions off the publicity.
3. Retracting her apology for #2 and then shaving her head.
Paul Cruz, the Festival's director said, "It was a no-brainer to honor Kathy Griffin," without realizing the irony in such a statement.
In fairness to Cruz, however, consider that Griffin's competitors are people like Stephen Colbert, Sarah Silverman, and Jim Carrey. It can't be that difficult to rise above a crowd like that. Most of what passes for comedy today is actually less funny and more offensive than what we used to laugh at as 10-year old boys in the locker-room.
Once upon a time, Americans were noted for their sense of humor. At some point, comedy became politicized. It's to the point now where comedians score off the anger and repressed rage of an audience. Just throw out some vulgar insults against Trump, the Church, Putin, or heterosexuals and a drug-addled audience rolls on the floor with laughter. Traditional comedy---where we laugh at ourselves as a people---is considered hateful or bigoted. It's almost today as if people need permission to laugh.
Fortunately Hollywood is becoming so irrelevant that events like the Palm Springs Comedy Festival are nothing but echo-chambers within the media itself. The Internet has given us Youtube and similar sites where we access vintage comedy, foreign shows, and even a few talented modern innovators. We can ignore chumps like Kathy Griffin and Paul Cruz there, and have a good time doing it besides.
Here here!!!
ReplyDelete