Thursday, September 20, 2007

Christian Theater Troupe Scolds Comic


PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (AP) - Members of a Christian theater troupe are spreading the word that they're irate about Kathy Griffin's off-color speech in accepting a creative arts Emmy earlier this month.

The Miracle Theater in Pigeon Forge spent $90,440 on a full-page advertisement in USA Today that ran nationally Monday, proclaiming "enough is enough."

In accepting the Emmy for her Bravo reality show, "My Life on the D-List," Griffin said that "a lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus."

She went on to hold up her Emmy, make an off-color remark about Christ and proclaim, "This award is my god now!"

We at The Miracle Theater consider it an honor to stand for Jesus today," the ad said. "We may never win a national award. We may never be household names. We may never be seen in Hollywood. Although others may choose to use their national platform to slander our God, we are honored as professional entertainers to stand for Christ."

The Associated Press was attempting Wednesday to reach Griffin's publicist.

Griffin's comments have also drawn ire from the Catholic League, an anti-defamation group that called on the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to "denounce Griffin's obscene and blasphemous comment" at the Sept. 9 ceremony. The E! channel chose to edit Griffin's speech when it aired the taped event last Saturday night.

Griffin, whose standup comedy shows often focus on mocking and dishing on celebrities, issued a statement through her publicist in response to the Catholic League's criticisms, indicating her statements were meant as a joke.

"Am I the only Catholic left with a sense of humor?" she said in the statement.

Russ Hollingsworth, general manager of The Miracle Theater, said members of the theater's cast were tired of celebrities' joking attitudes toward Jesus. The theater is sponsoring a petition on its Web site, .http://www.miracletheater.com

"When word reached our cast that a Hollywood celebrity had stood before TV cameras and said such vulgar things about Christ, they were incensed," he said. "It's just not OK anymore to mock Christians and Jesus with impunity."

Griffin was fired in 2005 from her job as an E! Channel red-carpet commentator after joking at the Golden Globe Awards that child actress Dakota Fanning had checked into rehab.

2 comments:

Johnny Sweatpants said...

That picture of her speaks volumes, doesn't it? It could very well be the most obnoxious picture ever posted on this blog beating out Zac Efron, Jar Jar and that awful, awful guy from Babylon 5 with the stupid haircut.

Other observations:

- So now she's back pedaling, reassuring everyone that she's religious.

- As predicted, the god botherers are playing the "poor us" card. 200 years ago they could and would have burned her alive for blasphemy. Now they have to resort to whining so I guess we've made some progress.

- I hate Kathy Griffin

- I hate it when people spell Cathy with a "K".

Octopunk said...

The Miracle Theater in Pigeon Forge? USA Today? Has anyone ever heard of these podunk, ass-backwards entities before?

"It's just not OK anymore to mock Christians and Jesus with impunity."

This burns my butt. 1. Yes, it is okay, because it says so in the Bill of Rights, and you're acting like a bunch of Muslims rioting over a cartoon. 2. No, it's never been okay because there's always a bunch of stuffed up whiners getting in everybody's face when it happens.

What's annoying is that people are so cowed about reprinting "suck it, Jesus" and keep referring to her off-color remark. Whimps.

Salem's Lot 1979 and Salem's Lot 2024

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