Pop-ed: Recently, likely Republican presidential candidate and FOX News contributor Sarah Palin lashed out at comedienne Kathy Griffin over her guest appearance as a "recent Tea Party candidate and home schooler -- a Sarah Palin type" on an upcoming episode of 'Glee.'
Of Griffin, Palin said, "You know, Kathy Griffin can do anything to me or say anything about me, because you know, she's kind of this -- she's a 50-year-old adult bully is really what she is ... She's kind of a has-been comedienne."
It has become commonplace for Palin to use the language of disenfranchised, ridiculed and attacked communities to cast herself as some sort of conservative martyr, and frankly, it's bull. Here's why:
Sarah Palin is a public figure and has, with her countless TV appearances, books and reality show, become a celebrity, and by accepting the fame and money that comes with her higher profile, she opens herself up to scrutiny and parody.
Just as Palin herself is entitled to joke that First Lady Michelle Obama's seemingly benign anti-obesity campaign, with its push for new mothers to breast-feed, is a means to compensate for high milk prices and criticize 'Family Guy' for making light of Down syndrome, Kathy Griffin and the writers of 'Glee' are entitled to poke fun at Palin's politics, and Oscar-winning 'Social Network' writer Aaron Sorkin is free to call her a "witless bully" and assert that an animal shot during a hunting segment on the former Alaska governor's reality show, 'Sarah Palin's Alaska,' was "the first moose ever murdered for political gain."
None of the above is bullying because all of these people have knowingly entered an arena -- be it politics or entertainment -- that brings with it the propensity for criticism. A major facet of both politics and the arts is debating their merits, and criticism and parody are not the same thing as bullying.
Interestingly enough, during an interview late last year with Chelsea Handler, while discussing criticism Griffin received after making statements about Bristol Palin's (another public figure after her star turn on 'Dancing With The Stars') weight, Handler smartly noted, "Bullying ... is being a bully to someone who's defenseless, a poor little person who's done nothing wrong."
Griffin is no more bullying Palin by parodying her on 'Glee' than Palin is bullying Michelle Obama for, well, very frequently simply for being Michelle Obama, and any time she includes the term in her rhetoric, she minimizes it, and that is dangerous.
And, as is often the case, it seems Palin probably should have gotten her facts straight before opening her mouth. Without wanting to seem like we are rushing to the comedienne's defense, though we freely admit to being a longtime fan of Griffin, it should not go unmentioned that this particular "has-been" scored her third Grammy nomination in a row this year, had a recent New York Times best-seller with 'Official Book Club Selection,' has been nominated for six Emmys (and won two) in the past five years and this week will open a limited-engagement run of her stand-up at Broadway's Belasco Theater. She will also tape four stand-up specials for Bravo, five-year home to her now defunct reality program 'Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List,' this year alone.
Objectively, Griffin is far from a "has-been" or a "bully," and Palin's use of the term falls squarely within the rhetoric she so often employs. She routinely attempts to minimize the importance of anyone who criticizes her, turns them into the bad guy and aims to inspire sympathy for herself by making it seem like she is being unfairly picked on.
Her famous deriding of the media and many democratic politicians as "elitist" is perhaps the strongest example of this. During her now notorious 2008 interview with Katie Couric, Palin talked circles around Couric's pointed questions about economic recovery and foreign policy without really answering any of them. But when the media called her on it, she pulled the "liberal media elite" card; the media was bullying her then, too, because it was for some reason inappropriate to ask a political candidate direct questions applicable to the office she was running for and expect specific and informed answers.
She was being victimized. Questioning her appropriateness for the office of vice president was tantamount to pushing her down on the playground.
In her recent comments to FOX, Palin also mentions a statement Griffin made on CNN's New Year's Eve telecast about Willow Palin, saying, "As she had stated on CNN that her New Year's resolution was to destroy my 16-year-old daughter." Here again, Palin uses attack and victimization language to amplify what Griffin actually said -- "I've already gone for Sarah, Todd and Bristol obviously, but I think it's Willow's year to go down."
Bullying has been a hot topic for the last several months following the suicides of several bullied gay teens. These teens were emotionally tortured and in many cases physically abused because of who they were, and every time Palin uses bullying language to describe media criticism of herself, she further displays her ignorance to the impact of real emotional abuse and the psychological distress caused by bullying.
Maybe if Palin conducted herself like a real politician and used her national platform to present solutions to the problems facing the United States, offering specifics on how to create more jobs and lower the deficit, instead of taking to the airwaves to issue snarky comments about comediennes and others who disagree with her political ideology, the big bad media would stop "bullying" her and listen to what she has to say for a change.
You need to get your story right. Sarah Palin called Kathy a bully for what she has said and done to her children. She plainly states that Kathy can say anything she wants to her but to leave her children alone. Kathy Griffin is nothing but a left wing nut, that shouldn't have an outlet to say anything. She has never said anything that deserves being printed.
I can't stand the red head. She thinks that she is funny but all that I see is her as trying to ruin other people's lives for her own selfishness. She is washed up. Even the troops "boo"ed her. That is as bad as it gets everyone. I can't believe that anyone would subject our troops to her ugliness. That is not what anyone needs. She is negative and mean, NOT FUNNY.
Sarah Palin is the original bully. If you don't believe me, look up her vicious speech at the Republican convention in 2008. This article is spot on. Poor Sarah! She can cut everyone else up into little pieces but if you criticize HER, she is a poor little victim! I am sick to death of her and wish all of her so-called supporters would wise up and see through all of her BS!
Griffin is about as entertaining as a dog taking a dump!...and the people that think she is entertaining are revealing their poor taste. Even our troops booed her down when she made her pitiful effort to entertain them.... Palin, on the other hand, is a decent, honest lady that has a right to respond to all the crap that has been dished out to her. Go Sarah!!
She may have said it...but she doesn't mean it. Sarah is always the victim. Having said that...
I am tired of the "She's fat" line that Kathy uses on several people and Joan Rivers uses it too. We have too many girls/women struggling with eating disorders to be throwing that line around every few minutes.
You don't have to be a liberal to say something negative about Palin. Her actions make it easy to pick on her, and if she wants to play in the big game, she can't change the rules. She came on the scene on bought into this negative attack approach the GOP was using, and she must like to be negative because she just won't stop.
That's interesting. Let's see what would happen if someone started talking crap about Obama's kids. The liberals would be all over that. Everyone would say how they were off limits. As I recall, Chelsea Clinton was a "sheltered child" too. Of course, President Bush's kids couldn't catch a break. Palin isn't trying to defend herself in this article; she is defending her children.
No one is saying anything about the Obama children because they haven't done anything worth talking about. If they were getting caught drunk and underage like the Bush girls then we would hear about it so dont try to play one side.
It never ceases to amaze me that people still defend Sarah Palin. If she represents what you feel would be good leadership, then you're one of those deluded people who votes for candidates based off the notion that you'd like to have a beer with them or some such nonsense. Leaders aren't supposed to be "one of us." They are supposed to be the best of us and Frau Palin simply doesn't qualify. But please, rant on, as it's been made apparent that her followers could watch her gut a child and still find a way to make her a victim in the situation. It would be laughable were it not so ridiculously pathetic.
I didn't read this article, but being a mother of 3 kids. If my children said or did any of the things that Kathy has (to anyone, not just Sarah Palin) they would be suspended from school for the "Zero tolerance" bullying rule. So in most terms of this matter, she most infact IS a bully in the realm of what they define it. Joke or not. When it happens in school, even if it's a joke (which doesn't make it ok) it's still considered bullying.....
As usual - I have to disagree. I think calling Kathy G a bully is totally justified She is on stage and says things that are hateful and detrimental to those who are the subject of her jibes. Having "celebrity" is equal to being stronger and more powerful. She uses that celebrity like a beefy kid would use his fist in a school yard. Don't think much of people who use put-downs and ridicule to make their way in life. I think there are much better things in this world to dedicate a whole article to, don't you?
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Pop-ed: Recently, likely Republican presidential candidate and FOX News contributor Sarah Palin lashed out at comedienne Kathy Griffin over her guest appearance as a "recent Tea Party candidate and home schooler -- a Sarah Palin type" on an upcoming episode of 'Glee.'
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Learn to respect that kids, are just kids...a-hole! No matter who's kids.
Kathy's not a bully, just a pig!
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Kathy is one ugly and old mean girl.
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Why does Kath G. get away with attacking, Palin's kids? Thats bullyinh behavior....
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You need to get your story right. Sarah Palin called Kathy a bully for what she has said and done to her children. She plainly states that Kathy can say anything she wants to her but to leave her children alone. Kathy Griffin is nothing but a left wing nut, that shouldn't have an outlet to say anything. She has never said anything that deserves being printed.
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Really? You are so behind.
Griffin is a vulgar hag.
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I can't stand the red head. She thinks that she is funny but all that I see is her as trying to ruin other people's lives for her own selfishness. She is washed up. Even the troops "boo"ed her. That is as bad as it gets everyone. I can't believe that anyone would subject our troops to her ugliness. That is not what anyone needs. She is negative and mean, NOT FUNNY.
Reply
Sarah Palin is the original bully. If you don't believe me, look up her vicious speech at the Republican convention in 2008. This article is spot on. Poor Sarah! She can cut everyone else up into little pieces but if you criticize HER, she is a poor little victim! I am sick to death of her and wish all of her so-called supporters would wise up and see through all of her BS!
Reply
Griffin is about as entertaining as a dog taking a dump!...and the people that think she is entertaining are revealing their poor taste. Even our troops booed her down when she made her pitiful effort to entertain them....
Palin, on the other hand, is a decent, honest lady that has a right to respond to all the crap that has been dished out to her. Go Sarah!!
Reply
The dog taking a dump is MORE entertaining than Griffin (and a more pleasant sight.)
She may have said it...but she doesn't mean it. Sarah is always the victim. Having said that...
I am tired of the "She's fat" line that Kathy uses on several people and Joan Rivers uses it too. We have too many girls/women struggling with eating disorders to be throwing that line around every few minutes.
Reply
You don't have to be a liberal to say something negative about Palin. Her actions make it easy to pick on her, and if she wants to play in the big game, she can't change the rules. She came on the scene on bought into this negative attack approach the GOP was using, and she must like to be negative because she just won't stop.
Reply
That's interesting. Let's see what would happen if someone started talking crap about Obama's kids. The liberals would be all over that. Everyone would say how they were off limits. As I recall, Chelsea Clinton was a "sheltered child" too. Of course, President Bush's kids couldn't catch a break. Palin isn't trying to defend herself in this article; she is defending her children.
No one is saying anything about the Obama children because they haven't done anything worth talking about. If they were getting caught drunk and underage like the Bush girls then we would hear about it so dont try to play one side.
It never ceases to amaze me that people still defend Sarah Palin. If she represents what you feel would be good leadership, then you're one of those deluded people who votes for candidates based off the notion that you'd like to have a beer with them or some such nonsense. Leaders aren't supposed to be "one of us." They are supposed to be the best of us and Frau Palin simply doesn't qualify. But please, rant on, as it's been made apparent that her followers could watch her gut a child and still find a way to make her a victim in the situation. It would be laughable were it not so ridiculously pathetic.
Reply
"Gut a child"? She's anti-abortion so she's AGAINST killing children. Better look to the left to see that.
I didn't read this article, but being a mother of 3 kids. If my children said or did any of the things that Kathy has (to anyone, not just Sarah Palin) they would be suspended from school for the "Zero tolerance" bullying rule. So in most terms of this matter, she most infact IS a bully in the realm of what they define it. Joke or not. When it happens in school, even if it's a joke (which doesn't make it ok) it's still considered bullying.....
Reply
As usual - I have to disagree.
I think calling Kathy G a bully is totally justified
She is on stage and says things that are hateful and detrimental to those who are the subject of her jibes. Having "celebrity" is equal to being stronger and more powerful. She uses that celebrity like a beefy kid would use his fist in a school yard.
Don't think much of people who use put-downs and ridicule to make their way in life.
I think there are much better things in this world to dedicate a whole article to, don't you?
Reply
I agree with you.
Reply