An Open Letter To Kathy Griffin ... With A P.S. To Bill Maher

Dear Kathy,

Last week, when that photo of you and The Head hit the internet, I was instantly compelled to write an Open Letter to you. But then I thought I’d hold off, because you’re smart; you’ll realize the idiocy and stupidity of what you’d done, apologize and we’d all move on.

And you did do that ... at first. But then you started losing gigs, from CNN, and from nightclubs around the country—a friend of mine had tickets to see you in September and that show was cancelled last week. And so you chose another tack; you began playing the victim, and it’s not a good look. Kathy.

Last week, at a press conference, you wept and sniveled that your career is over and that Trump “broke” you. No, Kathy, you broke yourself. You didn’t stop for that nanosecond just before the photographer snapped the photo to think if this was the right thing to do. And, I believe that had you paused and thought about it, you might have passed. But you didn’t, and so the fallout is on you, not anyone else.

Yet there you are, crying that the Secret Service  contacted you—they do that when someone makes a death threat against the President and that’s kinda what you did when you held up that mock severed head—and that the Trumps are “trying to ruin my life forever.”

Maybe they are; maybe they should. It was disgusting, but for god’s sake, girl, let it go.

Stop whining and crying about the fallout because the fallout is on you. You should have said it like this:

“I screwed up. I was stupid. The picture was disgusting. I apologize to the President and his family.”

And then you should have closed your mouth on the topic forever. But you can’t do that.

First, you said the video was a parody, meant as a comeback to _____’s remarks last summer—nearly a year ago—about former Fox News personality Megyn Kelly had “blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of wherever.”

Seriously, Kathy; you expect anyone to believe that photo was in response to something _____ said a year ago? The man says something idiotic, insane, illogical, stupid, disgusting, nearly every single day, so this “excuse” is one I ain’t buying. Say you’re sorry and move on, mouth shut.  But you can’t ...

“I’m not laying down for this guy. I’m going to keep making jokes about this guy.”

Good. Do that; that’s your gig. But don’t do these kinds of photos ever again. I mean you slipped into Ted Nugent territory; is that where you want to be? Stop this nonsense, stop complaining, stop playing the victim,  until your life truly becomes D-list, if not Z-list.

By doing that photo shoot, and then continuing to talk about it, you are riling up his base, and riling up the most base of the GOP ... in fact, GOP Party spokesmoron Mike Reed said this ... 

“Kathy Griffin’s career was over long before she attempted to make a disgusting joke about decapitating the President. What she did was wrong and President Trump and his family have every right to condemn it.” 

... and then the California GOP sent out a fundraising email calling your photo shoot disrespectful and obscene.

So, thanks for helping them raise money; thanks for getting their base all hopped up again. I seriously thought you were smarter than that.

And stop playing the First Amendment card, the Free Speech card; yeah, you have the right to say whatever you choose, but when you say it, there sometimes are repercussions, and you have to accept those, too.

Even _____’s family coming after you is their First Amendment right, so quit whining about them doing the exact same thing you did. If you say it, own it, accept, and when the shiz hits the fan, apologize and move on.

Move.

PS Bill Maher. Oy. This is a week for allegedly intelligent comedians to say and do stupid things ...

The Real Time host was interviewing GOP Senator Ben Sasse and talking nonchalantly about how some adults still dress up for Halloween. Sasse said he didn’t think that happened in his state, Nebraska, and Maher said he needed to go there; to which Sasse replied:

“You’re welcome. We’d love to have you work in the fields with us.”

And Maher said:

“Work in the fields? Senator, I’m a house n****r. No, it’s a joke.”

Okay, first thing, it’s not a joke, to many white people in this country and to all Black people. Slavery isn’t funny; the n-word isn’t funny when it rolls so easily out of the mouth of a white man.

Worse yet, some in the audience laughed and clapped—while there were some groans. Even Sasse laughed at the comment.

But, the next day, Maher apologized:

“Friday nights are always my worst night of sleep because I’m up reflecting on the things I should or shouldn’t have said on my live show. Last night was a particularly long night as I regret the word I used in the banter of a live moment. The word was offensive and I regret saying it and am very sorry.”

He didn’t make an excuse about being a comic and how he crosses “the line”; he said it was wrong, he was sorry and that should be it. Done.

But, please, Bill, say no more about it. Even to those that are demanding you be fired. I don’t think you should be fired. You said it, wrong, and then you apologized almost instantly. Now keep quiet.

I mean, I am all for Free Speech, and I am all for saying inappropriate things, but racism is not inappropriate, it’s wrong; holding a severed head is wrong.

But the difference between Maher and you, Kathy, is that you keep talking, and whining about this is affecting you. This is a mess that you created, and yet you keep yammering about.

End it.

And to those of you who laughed at the picture, or Maher’s comment, you ought to think twice. I am no fan of _____, but even I knew this was too much; murder, beheading, is not a joke. And do not say to me, “Well, look at all the things “they” did and said about Obama.”

Just because some on the right posted racist pictures and said vile things about Obama does that mean we need to go that low about _____? Or, as Michelle Obama, said, shouldn’t we aim higher? Shouldn’t we stop this kind of chatter?

Yes; when someone says something racist, call them out; when someone posts an idiotic hate-filled picture on social media, call them out. Make it stop by saying you won’t stand for it. Sure, they’ll still be racist, and they’ll still think that photo is funny, but they’ might shut up about it and crawl back under the rug where they belong.

And if we fail—and some of us will—just  apologize, and move on ...

For the love of Free Speech and comedy, Kathy, once again, stop talking.