Friday, June 2, 2017

Photo Fallout

Kathy Griffin 2009
KG waving us goodbye!
(Photo by Greg Hernandez
Wikimedia Commons)
Kathy Griffin (KG)
I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.  She was led to believe nothing was off limits in this godless society with its rebellion against authority and lack of respect in general.  She is paying a heavy price for her action: CNN canned her, Squatty Potty dumped her, and venues are canceling her all over the country.  But I wonder if her greatest surprise in this fiasco was realizing she really didn’t have any friends to back her. Anderson Cooper, her CNN New Year’s Eve Cohost, the ladies of The View, Chelsea Clinton, and Hollywood starlets like Debra Messing and Alyssa Milano to name a few, all publically decried the deed. Even Roseanne Barr had some pretty unprintable things to say.

(Is it just me, or do you find it hard to pray for people whose opinions, values, and morals are completely different from yours when they are very in-your-face about it? I often do, and therefore, I often don’t.  I freely admit my attitude needs adjusting.  Loving others doesn't always come easy.)

Unfortunately, instead of letting this blow over, KG continues to stir the proverbial pot:

Lisa Bloom
KG hired attorney Lisa Bloom to make things much, much worse. I’m sure that wasn’t the intention, but that was the result. In the first few sentences, Bloom managed to alienate even further those people she was hired to manipulate. (Yes…when we get down to it, that is exactly what she was trying to do.)

Then KG took the microphone and blamed older white guys, being a woman in a male-dominated field, President Trump, his grown children, and the First Lady, saying the First Family is "personally trying to ruin my life forever.”

Sadly, she just may believe that…
but she really only has herself to blame, doesn’t she?

Bloom called the photo an “edgy work of artistic expression,” and said that Kathy was fine with knowing the photo could be interpreted in different ways. Bloom stated that it was misinterpreted as a threat of violence towards President Trump, and added,
“…as soon as she (KG) learned that this is how it was being perceived (as a threat of violence), she was horrified, and she took down the picture, and she asked the photographer to take it down. And as fast as possible, she videoed a heartfelt apology, literally begging us for forgiveness. That should have been the end of it.”

Not exactly, Lisa. I think what KG does not realize…and most of the world with her…is that she is reaping years of sowing disrespect toward others while falsely labeling it “comedy.”  (God is not mocked, what is sown will be reaped. Galatians 6:7)

When was it exactly that comedy ceased to be funny and became hateful, disrespectful, and mean? How did the Kathy Griffins and Stephen Colberts slip in with their vile verbal garbage and dupe people into believing it was okay, that it was art…that it was funny?

People are deceived. We are living under a huge cloud of lies and deception, lawlessness, crudeness…and we have become a nation entrenched in self-love, greed, bragging, proud, blasphemers, disobedient, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.  (The last days...2 Timothy 3)

We really need Jesus.
Yes, Jesus Christ.
The one to whom KG held up her Emmy and said things to Him I will not type.

Ken Jennings
Remember the record-breaking Jeopardy! winner? With all of the backlash and criticism against KG, Ken Jennings apparently thought it was a good idea to tweet mocking remarks about Barron Trump’s reaction to “the photo.” I have to wonder if he was either hacked (but considering the last time I looked, there were well over 4,000 comments condemning his words and calling for his publishing company, Simon & Schuster, to drop him, I don’t believe he was hacked) or if he is mentally unstable.  He writes children’s books, yet chose to ride Kathy’s coattail into career suicide?  It will be interesting to see if he faces any consequences.

Tyler Shields
Do you know who Tyler Shields is?  He is the photographer who took the infamous KG photo, and it seems to have been his idea.  His comments about it?  He wouldn’t change anything even if he could, and said, “I can’t censor myself.” Again, another slap in the face for KG, as it may very well have marred her career permanently, and he’s just fine with that.

UPDATE: According to an article by Peter Sblendorio and Leonard Greene on nydailynews.com, Shields said the photo was mostly Griffin’s idea. “She came to me,” Shields said. “She said she’d like to do something political, that she’d love to do something that makes a statement. It’s always a collaboration. It wasn’t completely her, but it wasn’t completely me, either. Without Kathy, I would have never done a photo like that.”


The View
It galled me to call the co-hosts of The View 'ladies'…well, two in particular, with one riding the fence. I’ll let you decide who’s who. Or ask, I don’t mind sharing my opinion. (I should probably pray about my opinion and words about others.)  The View sometimes surprises me.

Prayer
My remarks about prayer are done in complete sincerity. They need prayer. America needs prayer. I definitely need prayer. When Paul said “pray without ceasing,” I believe he knew that there was always, always issues that needed God’s attention, then and now!  The Bible tells us that Jesus often got alone with God and prayed.  If He did it, it’s for sure I should be, even if I don’t see the results I am seeking.  Have I prayed for Griffin, Jennings, Shields, or the ladies of The View? No. Will I?  I do not know.

Sometimes, the pollution of the news, social media, 
and life, in general, chokes me.

I hope your weekend is a grand one.


12 comments:

  1. I prayed for her the other day. Probably won't pray for her again, but her name came in my mind when I was praying, so I figured God wanted me to pray for her. I prayed that her eyes would be opened up to the truth of Jesus and who he is. God is the God of the impossible, who knows. I remember hearing after one celebrity got into trouble about something (and I can't remember which one) that the public is pretty forgiving of the celebrity after a time if the celebrity really truly apologizes and pretty much then stays out of the public eye for a bit (maybe it was said of Paula Deen). Anyway, it looks like KG didn't hear that piece of "advice" and seems seems to want to keep this "alive" instead of doing her public apology like she did and then move on. You got to feel sorry for her. Deep down, is she happy??

    I will have a wonderful weekend; I hope you have the same.

    betty

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    1. When I am praying and someone comes to my mind, like you, I pray for them. I believe she made a HUGE mistake in this press conference, and judging from the comments and headlines, most everyone else does, too.

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  2. Excellent piece, TBR, just excellent.

    The thing about KG's news conference that left me with my mouth dropped was when she said 1. no one has ever been treated as badly in this country as she has been and 1. Pres Trump, eta l were after her. The reason that bit shocked me so was that I thought Pres & Mrs. Trump were incredibly self-controlled in their responses. Especially the Pres.

    After I thought on it, I have to wonder if she had her response to the Trumps reaction already formed in her mind, assuming he would over-react, and just went with it despite the fact that her words didn't fit his. It was just an odd moment--in a news conference that could, in and of itself, have been a dark comedy spoof on the "I'm a victim and need a safe space" crowd, it weren't part of such a horrendous true event. I mean, seriously, "no one's ever been treated like this...!!! He broke me; he broke me..." Oh, pahlease.

    haha. As yo can see, you're post said it much better than I would have. :}


    Deb

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    Replies
    1. Snicker. I should proof my comments. I left out the "if" before "it weren't". Should have been "if it weren't" not just "it weren't" chuckle.

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    2. Thank you, Deb. I think others are thinking along those same lines, that it was all planned. Me? I just think she was that blind and did something immensely stupid. I was listening to the press conference live, and less than two minutes into it, I knew it was a really, really bad idea, and every minute that ticked by, it got worse.

      PS: I am fluent in Typo. lol

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    3. You know, I don't think it was ALL planned out like some are saying. I think she expected to shock & to be applauded by her courage to put it out there. And, then, when her pals protested, she panicked and did the conference.

      But, she would have known before the photo went up that Trump would have a tweet in response and she expected him to be completely over the top in that tweet-- I think she had her response all thought out. Problem was, he was uncharacteristically reserved in his tweet--but she ignored his almost non-response and went with her "he's out to ruin me, broke me" foolishness. She threw the Secret Service in there, but one can hardly blame Trump for them doing their job. I mean, she held up a bloody, severed head look alike of the president! It would get the SS attention. sigh.

      And that claim that she did it in response to his comment to Megan Kelly last summer? Ridiculous. She did a mock up of those Isis beheadings. Same pose, sort of frozen look on her face Isis often has. Nah. We didn't misread her intent; the new explanation is just that, new.

      You're right. the press conference was a huge mistake. She should have left it with the apology. People would have, for the most part, come to the conclusion that she got carried away...made a mistake...it happens. The whole victim indignation kind of snatched the apology away. No much remorse if you're mad that people are mad at you.

      Sigh. No excuse for death threats against her, tho. No excuse at all.

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    4. Exactly. I believe you said it all.

      Death threats? I have my doubt that there were many, if any. But like you say, no excuse for even one.

      Delete
  3. Man, you really hit the nail on the head! I pray Dailey for our president, First Lady, family, staff and cabinet. I also pray that the Holy Spurit would pour out the balm of healing on this world. Sometimes it's hard to wrap my brain around the fact that so many people hate the more conservative population in this country and they seem to hate us with an usually strong and vicious hatred. We have been reading through the New Testament this year and Jesus tells us to not be surprised at the world hating us......for it hates him. However, it still surprises me. Yes, we need to pray more for those who - according to scripture - who persecute you. He tells us to love our enemies......
    Perhaps if we lost vid and prayed as hard as they hate and persecute......we would see a change in this world.
    Great post, Margaret! I'm proud of you for posting!

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    1. Thank you, Linda. (I hate trying to type on my phone or Kindle!)

      Admittedly, I live in my southern bubble, and I do not personally face a lot of push-back for my faith, but I guess what surprises me is the double standard, the hypocrisy, the spin on what really happens/is said...the complete lack of truth in America today! It is disturbing and unnerving, but like you said, it should be expected.

      Delete
  4. My eyes are not so good and my iPad is small.....I meant to say.....
    Perhaps if we loved more.....

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  5. I agree, she behaved badly and I don't feel at all sorry for her, especially since I found out she directly and physically went after Sara Palin's children also. She is a little crazy.

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