Monday, March 10, 2008

What The?

So, a couple of Kathy Griffin fans decided she should preside at their wedding.

Griffin is a comedienne who managed to parlay her stints on Brooke Shields' sitcom and a special "celebrity" edition of The Mole into her own unscripted show, My Life on the D-List. It airs on Bravo TV, which used to be a kind of highbrow basic cable channel but now airs things like The Real Housewives of New York City and Tabloid Wars. D-List won an Emmy, which should be a sign that Ms. Emmy is apparently none too particular with her favors. During her thank-you speech, Griffin took a shot at celebrities who frequently thank Jesus for their awards, whether or not their lifestyles reflect much knowledge about him. Her shot was well-aimed, but she finished with a vulgar suggestion using Jesus' name, which should have surprised no one who had ever seen her act.

Of course humor is one of those subjective things, but Griffin's standup usually demonstrates a much better grasp of how to be profane than how to be funny. (She responded to the controversy over her acceptance speech by rhetorically asking if she was the only Catholic left with a sense of humor. I think she needs to make an offer of proof on both counts).

There are folks who are against the idea of two people of the same sex relating to each other as though they were married. Some of them have that opinion because they're bigoted, but many hold it for sincere and thoughtful reasons. Among those reasons has been the idea that allowing same-sex couples to marry would harm the institution of marriage. Looks to me like we don't need same-sex marriage to damage the institution; a couple like Mr. Anstey and Ms. Shapiro can pull it off just fine with their "wedding ceremony" that consists of off-color jokes from the officiant and the bride reading from the reception menu.

AP's headline says this event is "No joke," making a play on Griffin's profession. Oh, it's a joke alright. But it's like most of the rest of Griffin's jokes. Pretty blankin' stupid and not very bleepin' funny.

No comments: