XPost: alt.drugs.hard.grey, alt.asshole.al-gore, va.general
XPost: alt.society.civil-disob

Thank you Kathy Griffin for the indisputable evidence of your
liberal bigotry and ignorance.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Off with her head! Or at least her tour
dates! That's the general consensus among dozens of angry online
commenters calling for the cancelation of comic Kathy Griffin's
upcoming show at the St. George Theatre.

The outcry started on the historic venue's official Facebook
page after an image of the flame-haired funny lady hoisting the
(fake) severed head of President Donald Trump made the online
rounds Tuesday.

Well, the St. George team heard you, loud and clear. The
following statement was issued Thursday afternoon:

"The Kathy Griffin performance scheduled for Thursday, November
2, 2017 has been canceled. The St. George Theatre does not
endorse the actions or beliefs of any of its performers, and Ms.
Griffin's recent actions have severely inhibited our ability to
fulfill our mission as a non-profit theatre serving the Staten
Island community."

Refunds are now available at the original point of purchase, via
Ticketmaster or the St. George Theatre box office.

TOO LATE FOR APOLOGIES

The bipartisan backlash was swift -- the backpedaling even
swifter. A contrite Griffin posted a video apology shortly after
the offending post, which was part of a shoot for self-
proclaimed "celebrity shock" photographer Tyler Shields.

The 56-year-old double Emmy winner admitted her latest project
(the knife portrait in the gallery above is from a previous
collab) with Shields was "too disturbing" and "wasn't funny."

But her mea culpa just didn't cut it.

"No one supports freedom of speech or expression more than we
do," said Brian J. Laline, chairman of the St. George Theatre's
board of directors. "But as with anything, there must be some
boundaries in a free and civilized society. Ms. Griffin went
beyond those boundaries in an act that could well celebrate
terrorist acts and mock the memory of Americans who lost their
lives in the very manner she attempted to parody. It was simply
wrong."

BTW: Many of the resulting one-star reviews -- and derogatory
comments -- on the St. George Theatre's Facebook page appear to
originate from a nationally organized (i.e. most don't hail from
S.I.) effort to secure cancelations from all venues on Griffin's
current "Celebrity Run-In Tour."

This would have marked Griffin's third headlining appearance on
Staten Island, after dates at the Center for the Arts in 2006
and the St. George in 2014.

S.I.-based standup Molly Lisenco echoed the sentiments of
several others in the local comedy community by posting "THIS IS
ART" on a readers' poll asking, "Did comedian go too far with
fake beheading of Donald Trump?"

Lisenco added: "The comedian's place, like any artist, is to
start discourse and to help the general public look at the
current socio/political climate...that is what she did. I'm very
proud of her."

VETERANS DON'T ACCEPT APOLOGY

Turns out Facebook warriors aren't the only ones who are
outraged.

"The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. strongly condemns
comedian Kathy Griffin's incredibly revolting attack on the
President of the United States," wrote VFW National Commander
Brian Duffy in a statement released Wednesday.

"Her apology is not accepted," added Duffy. "What she did was
not humorous nor should it be protected speech or expression.
Playing to an audience with a severed head is what our enemies
do. The USO should end its relationship with her."

Fans of Griffin's BRAVO TV series "My Life on the D-List" will
recall Griffin's 2003 stint entertaining troops in Afghanistan
as part of a USO tour, and organized a holiday fundraiser that
collected and delivered gifts for military families.

She led another USO tour in 2006, with stops in Iraq and Kuwait.
She also hosted 2010's "VH1 Divas Salute The Troops" from the
Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego, Calif.

CNN, SQUATTY POTTY DROP GRIFFIN

Griffin's lucrative endorsement deal with Squatty Potty went
down the drain within an hour of the controversial photos
appearing on Shields' website.

"We were shocked and disappointed to learn about the image Ms.
Griffin shared today," said Squatty Potty CEO Bobby Edwards in a
statement. "It was deeply inappropriate and runs contrary to the
core values our company stands for. In response, Squatty Potty
has suspended its ad campaign featuring Ms. Griffin. We have
acted swiftly and decisively to demonstrate our commitment to a
culture of decency, civility and tolerance."

A few hours later, a CNN spokesperson announced the termination
of Griffin's co-hosting duties on the network's annual New
Year's Eve broadcast with Anderson Cooper.

"We found what she did disgusting and offensive," a CNN
representative said Tuesday. "We are pleased to see she has
apologized and asked that the photos be taken down."

TYLER SHIELDS ISN'T BACKING DOWN

When caught by TMZ cameras during a ice cream run in Los
Angeles, the hoodie-clad lensman refused to respond to claims he
might be in trouble with the "Secret Service" because of his
work.

"Honestly, I got no comment; the only thing is, you make art you
gotta stand by it -- and that's it," Shields told the TMZ
cameraman. "I can't censor myself dude."

Do us all a favor and kill yourself. Take responsibility for
your actions.

http://www.silive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/06/kathy_grif fin_at_the_st_george.html
 

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)