When a celebrity does or says something stupid, their PR people step in and force the celebrity to make a meaningless apology. It is usually B or C-list comedians who are trying to shock the world with something they consider to be witty or relevant, but it is actually just in poor taste. Ask Michael Richards about the benefits of being witty or relevant. The meme I am using for this piece describes the situation perfectly. In other words, apologies are useless when you initial act shows what is really in your heart.
Kathy Griffin is actually a successful stand-up comedienne who tours regularly and gets involved in special events. Well, at least she used to. Her show "My Life on the D-List" was a completely accurate depiction of how desperate she is to stay famous and relevant. It was also a good look into just how misguided she is, and how completely ignorant of repercussions she can be. She is desperate for attention, and she regularly does dumb things to get it.
What Griffin, Gottfried, and other second and third-tier comedians seem to forget is that there is more to being a celebrity than calling attention to yourself. You ever notice that Mel Brooks, Ron White, Larry the Cable Guy, and the more popular comedians seem to always avoid saying or doing stupid things in public? When they do, like when White was arrested repeatedly for drug violations, they own up to it and put it in the act. But aside from that, they avoid making a big deal out of it. They rarely respond to tabloid stories, and they are very careful when it comes to who they will let interview them.
In other words, durable celebrities understand that, in the long run, good publicity is really the best publicity. People like Kathy Griffin think that any publicity is good publicity, and that is why they think being edgy keeps them in the spotlight. While they are right, what they don't seem to understand is that it keeps them in the spotlight for all of the wrong reasons. When Ron White gets arrested, it makes the headlines for a little while, he says nothing, then it goes away. When Kathy Griffin posts a picture of her with a decapitated replica of Donald Trump's head, that is something that will not go away for a long time.
Gottfried immediately lost his AFLAC job because of his stupidity, and Griffin was canned by CNN (which I am sure was a relief to Anderson Cooper). Not even Cooper would back up Griffin about the picture, which shows that Anderson Cooper understands how to be a celebrity.
This just goes to show that B and C-list (and especially D-list) celebrities need adult supervision at all times. They should never be allowed to do anything unscripted that will be seen by the public, and they should always get feedback from others before they do anything that the public will see or hear. These are not people that were caught saying something by a hidden microphone, these are idiots who destroyed their careers in the name of fame.
You don't have to be smart to be a celebrity, but it helps to not be stupid. If Kathy Griffin explained her photo shoot idea to her inner circle and they approved of it, then she needs a new inner circle. Just like Michael Richards, we will probably never hear from Kathy Griffin ever again. She ruined whatever celebrity she had with her overzealous pursuit of the spotlight. We get to be appalled for a few hours, while she lives the remainder of her life in self-imposed exile. A fitting punishment for a celebrity who acted without the proper adult supervision.
George N Root III is not a national celebrity, but he is not going to do something stupid to get there. No, really Craig, he promises he won't. Follow him on Twitter @georgenroot3, or send him a message at georgenroot3@gmail.com. And no Kathy Griffin, the Watercooler is not interested in your writings at this time.