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World Of Celebrity In Griffin's Hands

Bravo

Kathy Griffin says what's on her mind - pleasing her fans but earning scorn from others.

By CURTIS ROSS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 19, 2009

Updated: 03/20/2009 02:00 pm

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It may be cold, slim comfort to the many she's outraged, but Kathy Griffin sometimes appalls herself.

"My problem is when I think something is funny I can't stop myself from saying it," Griffin says in a phone interview.

That lack of a filter has won her legions of fans, who flock to her concerts and follow her every move on "My Life on the D-List," her Bravo network reality show.

It's also won her the approbation of religious groups and celebrities, as well as, she says, bans from several talk shows, including "The Late Show With David Letterman" and "The View."

It's pretty easy to see why. Griffin's primary targets are celebrities. Any act of vapidity, self-importance or strangeness is grist for Griffin's comedic mill.

On "Dr. Phil" McGraw: "There's some crazy stuff going on at 'Dr. Phil.' And Oprah gave him ownership of the show! She's so cheap she won't even fly her own guests in and she gave him the show. I think the more she saw him do really stupid things like visit Britney in the nuthouse, even Oprah said 'He's … nuts.'"

On "America Idol": "I watch the songs and then fast-forward past (judges) Randy (Jackson) and Kara (DioGuardia) to get to Paula (Abdul) … so I can see if Paula can enunciate."

On Sarah Palin: "I'm gonna be honest. I'm not saying this as a woman or as an American, but I miss her. It would have been like having Vice President Spears. Little Bristol is not unlike our Britney or our Jamie Lynn."

These are among her milder comments. Click here for her more outrageous ones.)

Griffin, 48, made her way to the D-List by way of Oak Park, Ill. She moved to Los Angeles in the early '80s, woodshedding with The Groundlings comedy improve troupe, gradually picking up small parts in movies such as "Pulp Fiction." She had recurring roles on "Seinfeld" and played Brooke Shields' friend on the sit-com "Suddenly Susan."

Her stand-up routines increasingly focused on her self-described "D-List" status in Hollywood. That led to her Bravo reality series, "My Life on the D-List," for which she recently completed filming the fifth season.

But hasn't all this fame — and infamy — pushed her well beyond D-List status?

"No," she says firmly. "I mean, I have been mistaken for Kathie Lee Gifford. And ironically I'm banned from "Live With Regis and Kelly," which Gifford used to host, Griffin says. "That's why I have to take out my anger on celebrities."