Like Jim Carrey did last week, Alec Baldwin publicly supported Kathy Griffin as the fallout increases from her extremely ill-conceived photo of her holding a bloody, “severed,” wax head of Donald Trump. Alec, of course, is no stranger to invoking public outrage. When Bill Clinton came under fire for his handling of his Monica Lewinsky affair, Representative Henry Hyde headed up his impeachment. Alec, a militant Democrat, went on Conan O’Brien’s show and called for the citizens of the US to stone Henry Hyde to death and then stone his family. It was a joke, just like Kathy’s. And, like Kathy’s, it was a gross and terrible use of humor. So, Alec is invoking his weathering of that storm to buoy Kathy as she’s come under attack. On Saturday, he posted the following:
1- Dear Kathy Griffin,
Kathy….baby…I've been there.
The whole Henry Hyde thing w Conan, where we bring out an oxygen mask at the end?— AlecBaldwin (@AlecBaldwin) June 3, 2017
2- a joke. That's what I thought. That's what we intended. No one walked out of the studio and said, "No! We're serious!"
No one.— AlecBaldwin (@AlecBaldwin) June 3, 2017
3- but all your gutless, weasels in the GOP insisted that I actually threatened Hyde. They played the victim beautifully.
— AlecBaldwin (@AlecBaldwin) June 3, 2017
4- Kathy…fuck them. Fuck them all. No 1 believes u meant 2 threaten Trump. Trump is such a senile idiot, all he has is Twitter fights.
— AlecBaldwin (@AlecBaldwin) June 3, 2017
5- ignore him. Like the leaders of all the other countries in the world. Ignore him.
— AlecBaldwin (@AlecBaldwin) June 3, 2017
I, personally, find Kathy’s stunt indefensible but I don’t have any problem with people trying to defend her. I do think she meant for it to be shock humor and not a verifiable threat on anyone. I find Alec’s defense kind of amusing because I, also, found his Henry Hyde rant indefensible so that’s not picking up any points with me. Then he lays into the GOP with such vitriol, he’s just fanning the flames. His tweet #5 alone would have been a really good show of support but instead, he just got down in the mud with them. Ah Alec…
However, Kathy needs all the support she can get because the axe is swinging on her current projects. CNN dropped her and various venues are cancelling performances on her Celebrity Run-In Tour. Last week Kathy held a press conference in which she said Trump, “broke me.” She claimed that not only are he and his family harassing her but she’s receiving detailed death threats, all of which caused her to break down crying as she discussed it. It is possible that Kathy had no idea how much of a controversy this would become but I honestly just see crocodile tears. Maybe it’s too far to say she’s relishing the attention but a press conference claiming ‘poor little me’ doesn’t exactly scream ‘make it go away.’ Kathy will be fine just like Alec is fine. For me, I am going to take Alec’s advice in tweet #5 and just ignore this, there are far more important things we should be focusing our attention on.
But I won’t apologize for thinking this is a clever response:
— Brandon Neely (@BrandonTXNeely) June 2, 2017
Photo credit: WENN and Getty Images
I think I fall in the ranks of “I don’t care”. Personally, I’ve never found her funny, but I’ve never found her offensive, I do relate to what she said about this election breaking her. It broke me, too. I don’t understand the big deal with what she did, but I also can’t stomach his being a president.
I agree. I don’t care.
Everything is now shock and outrage. Really! Kathy Griffin should be isolated and bombarded with HATE when Donald Trump is President. GET A GRIP People.
I will say that I thought her press conference was awful and she needs to put on her big girl pants.
Also, I think much less of Anderson Cooper for how he dumped on Kathy during this period. She has classless jokes it is who she is….
I agree about Anderson, quite the disappointment
Yea, the image actually reminded me of Marie Antoinette. Her laissez-faire attitude towards the poor helped lead to her being charged with depletion of the national treasury, conspiracy against the security of the State, and high treason. The image was more of a warning than a direct threat.
Anderson Cooper disappointed me deeply, I have to say. You don’t have to like what she did but as a friend, you call that person or tell them to their face. Instead he tweeted that sh*t and stabbed her in the back. Publicly. I have no problem that he was appalled or whatever, he gets to have an opinion on it like everyone else. The way he handled it was not cool at all. Friends reveal themselves when you f*ck up.
In my opinion Kathy made it worse with that press conference. She should’ve just gone on a long vacation after her apology and come back later. The more you mess with crap the more it stinks. I did find the pictures tasteless and I hate Trump with every ounce of my being.
I think she made it worse by apologizing so profusely in the first place. She should have issued a GOP-type apology, i.e. “It was freedom of expression. Stop being politically correct. But I apologize to anyone who was offended.” I have yet to hear 45 applegize (shout out to Alec Baldwin) for anything he’s said about any group of people he’s offended, including women, the disabled, “the” Blacks, “the” gays, etc.
+1
This. To me her apology makes the fact that she did it in the first place even more of a letdown.
Yep. She should have gone into hiding for a bit. People forget easily when the next cable news cycle begins. She lost her relevancy a long time ago. Joan Rivers she is not, except for the bad surgeries.
Wtf was that the press conference? Firstly even if she had come coherent and composed with a quick list of solid points, it would still have been a bad idea. She was such a mess, squandering the opportunity to point out Trumps and the GOP hypocrisy. If this was someone else, Kathy would roast her to hell and back for it. So I’m shocked at her lack of self awareness. The melodramatic way she said “he broke me” is the cringiest thing I have ever seen in a press conference.
I liked her when she had her reality show on Bravo. People forget, go to Spain for 6 months and write a book or something. There’s your comeback. She played the victim way too quick,
I don’t see the big deal about this, tbh. Just something for Republicans to cry about, which is ironic considering they call liberals Snowflakes. I also don’t believe Baron saw it. Obviously she’s trying to be funny. Much ado about nothing, imo
I don’t want to sound mean, but I really don’t see what the big deal is either. It was just a joke that not everyone found funny
After everything the deplorables said and did to Obama, both in real life and online, I just did not get the fuss over Kathy’s shock humour. So it is okay when Republican *elected officials* and their cronies mock, denigrate, and outright threaten the first black POTUS for YEARS but NOT okay when a stand-up comedienne takes one single controversial photo with Trump’s head? Faulty logic.
See: Ted Nugent.
It’s fine if it’s a white-trash hillbilly dumpster fire taking shots at a black man and a woman candidate and actually angrily discussing how they should be killed. HE gets defended by 45, and gets invited to the whitehouse for dinner with other class acts like Kid Rock.
A woman takes a questionable photo – with humor intended – and her career is ruined and Trump plays the “but think of the CHILDREN!” card.
Erinn – you summed up my thoughts on this perfectly. All of this.
Somebody probably already mentioned this but do you think this has to do with her being a woman? I see Bill Maher isn’t getting fired for saying something awful.
Doubt if the kid saw it, doubt he or his mother would be upset by it. It’s clear Melania can’t bear him. GOP is just making hay because they can. Unfortunately Kathy Griffin gave them amo.
@huckel: In my opinion what Maher said was so much worse because it basically slipped out. Basic rule: As a rich white dude, you do not use that word. Ever. Unless you’re recording the audio book for Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Kathy’s was a gross stunt but didn’t really speak to her character. Maher will be fine though.
And Kathy might not be. We’ll see. But the assertion that “she’ll be fine” is interesting. Based on what? Pop culture history? Janet Jackson anyone? I mean really.
I agree. He’s getting so much bad press, he’s looking for anything to be victimized about.
Plus no one is talking about Tyler Shields, the guy who took the photos and arguably came up with the concept. He hasn’t apologized; just the reverse.
Right–little cry babies…..can’t take the heat.
On the one hand, I’m glad that the Boys’ Club is coming to her defense. It’s nice to see A List comedians coming to defend the craft, defend the 1st Amendment, and defend her. But if you have ever seen her act or watched her show…she lives for this! She loves getting any attention or acknowledgment from the A List (good or bad) and uses it as self-validation. It’s like a fetish. So…I question whether she will have learned anything from this experience. She’s too star struck for her own good.
@Lolalulu: calling it a ‘fetish’ is not a very accurate assessment of her schtick. She plays up the wanting to be A list because it is the basis of her act. I have a real soft spot for Kathy Griffin after watching her show and reading her memoir. She is genuinely a very down-to-earth and good hearted person. She never drinks, is conservative and smart with her money, took care of and obviously adored her parents, and didn’t trash her jerk husband even after finding out he was stealing from her. She is a strong advocate for LGBT, has performed many times for overseas troops, and is a huge animal lover. She is actually quite humble and works hard. Every standup show she does is improvised–no telling the same jokes over and over.
That being said, I was originally upset sbout the stupid picture. But, when I learned the context of the ‘bloody’ head I became less angry. It is in reference to trump’s sexist comments about Megan Kelly (“She had blood coming out of her everywhere…”). Taken in context I find the photo to be much less offensive. She had a good point that obviously didn’t come across well. But, it isn’t nearly on par with Obama lynchings and disgusting Ted Nugent threats.
You know, I thought what KG did was all kinds of wrong and attention-whoring. But, the more that asshole (POtuS) opens his flaming sphincter about London and the ramifications & implications; the more indifferent I’m becoming to what she did.
FTR, I’ve never found Griffin to be funny.
Agreed, well said. (Except for the part about Griffin being funny. I haven’t followed her in recent years but I used to find her observations about celebs especially to be pretty hilarious.)
She did it to herself. There is no defense. She is digging that hole deeper every time she opens her mouth to try and defend her action. No sympathy.
Agree.
So if one of the Trump supporters makes good on the threats and attacks her physically, you’re good with that?
I don’t think any of us are “good” with violence of any kind. Kathy was in the wrong. She shouldn’t have done this stunt. It was gross and inappropriate.
I don’t even like Trump. I think many of his supporters are unhinged sycophants. However that does not excuse her irresponsible and disgusting play for attention.
Pretty sure I never said what she did was right. In fact, below, I clearly stated it was wrong but yes, while you may not be advocating violence against her, some here are dismissing it because “she started it.”
Exactly. Beheadings are nothing to joke about. All I could think about was Daniel Pearl’s family and the families like them who have lost loved ones to terrorism. It’s not something to be joked about.
This crossed a line.
If a comedian vulgarly making a joke about the hatred your guy has earned causes you to have no sympathy for her when fellow deplorables send her REAL DEATH THREATS, that reflects more on you than it does on her . By your own logic, we should feel no sympathy for Trump (don’t worry, I don’t) because of his own behavior.
She had the right to say it. People have the right not to like it.
Two crybabies, Griffin and Baldwin. They want to push limits for the sake of their art, but not accept the consequences. Because $. Cowards.
I think the press conference was a bad idea because it is only inflaming the already inflamed. What she did was bad and she is paying for it with lost wages. Own that, continue with what work you do have and lay off the public displays for a while. But she IS receiving death threats and the Trumps, particularly Donald Trump JUNIOR, are bullying her. Junior’s twitter feed has become a “let’s attack Kathy” slugfest where he encourages the lowest of the Trump base. She should be quiet, take precautions to protect herself and monitor Junior and his followers very closely, taking legal action QUIETLY as necessary.
Legal action? She started this debacle.
That does not give anyone the legal right to threaten her with physical harm or to encourage others to harm her, which is exactly what Trump Junior is doing. There is a point where what she started ends – the lost jobs are within that scope, the death threats go beyond that. Or do you truly believe it is okay to threaten her physically or to actually hurt her because she started this? Seriously?
HE started it. 🙂
If someone has threatened her with death as she says…..then she should report that to the authorities and pursue it. I hardly call the Trump response to what she did to be bullying though. That press conference? Hyperbolic andriduculous is what it was. She made matters worse. She needs to go away and lick her (self inflicted ) wounds and come back actually funny.
I don’t agree with what she did. But to each their own is she is always going to be a shocker. But there are pictures of Obama’s “body” being hung covered in blood and no one threw a fit about those???!!!!
I, like many people, just don’t find her funny, but if you are going to do this crap then you might want to face the consequences of your actions. Other people besides staunch conservatives thought this was a bad idea…I don’t really think that anyone from the right forced CNN to fire her. I just don’t think that could happen. Her “I’m being bullied act” immediately after just seems like it was planned, like she knew this was going to happen. Don’t go out there and act like a bad ass and then try to play the bully card. Own it, sister girl friend.
Her stunt was tasteless and offensive, just like Tr*mp. They are both entertainers, who have had successful reality shows. They both have free speech. One of them has committed treason to steal the presidency and has the nukes code, though. Now that is what I call crossing the line.
I find it vexing how folks on the right wing are so forgiving when Emperor Baby Fists says or does something horrible. They are so willing to ignore, overlook, forgive-and-forget but us on the left are so eager to axe Griffin, Maher. I am not excusing the latter’s stunts but we are so unforgiving, ruthless to our own. Why can’t we be more like the right, it won’t hurt.
Poor taste. I don’t care ab Trump. It made me think of those REAL ISIS be headings of Australia, Americans, britians and more countries…..
I don’t think real families which endured watching video of their loved ones as hostages or beheaded would think this is humor?
NEVER APOLOGIZE. The thing is a tempest in a teapot yet again drummed up by media. Poor upset gun-toting, death-penalty-loving, anti-earth Republican Sensitive Snowflakes.
I’m starting to lean that way. I think the difference between Kathy and all those on the right who demonized and threatened Obama is that she actually possesses humanity, which is why she feels compelled to apologize.
+1 @ Svea
Quit the faux outrage and take stock of your lives. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, if your really that offended then you should have been offended by the Obama effigies but you weren’t you openly encouraged and approved of that extremely offensive behaviour. The right need to harden the f**ck up bunch of snowflakes. The very people condemning her denigrated and lynched Obama for 8 years in front of his daughters, bunch of spineless worms.
yessssssss!!
I think I have 0 Fs to give to a man who called his then young daughter a”selfish pig” and any advice he has to give to an idiot that held up a fake, bloodied beheaded head of a sitting president. Neither of these twats rank a F in my book.
This is absolutely what happens when we have successfully been divided as a people. We are filled with such confusion and impotent rage that we turn on each other with a vicious intensity and overlook the REAL problems. If we were focused, we’d be able to put stunts like the ones Griffin pulled, or the Bill Maher mess, into immediate perspective. The next step is putting artists in jail. WE HAVE GOT TO FUCKING GET A GRIP.
I have always enjoyed Kathy, but the picture was just not funny. I really wished she hadn’t done that awful press conference. I think the one thing that this awful presidency has taught us is that there is no low you can’t come back from in the next news cycle. Every time we think “Oh, now they will see and reject him because he’s so awful” they don’t. In 6 months, it will be water under the bridge.
She is so full of melodramatic bs. It was a cheap stunt to get back in the public eye. It worked!!! She took a page from Trump’s playbook.
What a mess.
Like anyone took her stunt/shock op as a threat? I found the send up of lynching Obama’s effigy to be a threat as lynching black men is historical fact. And the lynchers weren’t comedians. I highly doubt this has ruined Kathy’s career – at least I hope not. And as for CNN – I can’t BELIEVE they cancelled her NYE gig over this. Love the bleeding earth pic tweeted above. Spot on.
To the people who don’t feel sorry for her because her humor is gross and she loves attention – doesn’t that logic kind of feel like “she was wearing a short skirt and is a slut so, she was asking to be raped?” If what she is saying is true about receiving threats (based on Trump’s record, I believe that) – why on earth are we not outraged?
It was a dumb/crass joke but you should be appalled by the response regardless of whether you thought it was appropriate or not. *free speech,* right?
Kathy did this for attention as is her shtick. It’s her gimmick to get attention & fame whore any situation.