Kathy Griffin takes aim at Bristol Palin, 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' in new Bravo comedy special

 

Kathy Griffin has a theory about why Bristol Palin isn't the most skilled dancer on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." It involves being sore from other, shall we say, strenuous extracurricular activities.

"Anyone can make a Bristol Palin joke," the red-haired comedian, who will celebrate her 50th birthday on Thursday, said backstage during the filming of her latest Bravo comedy special. "But you're just not going to hear about Levi's ... from Ricky Gervais. You're only going to hear about it from me."

Palin is just one of many tabloid stars who get the crude treatment during Griffin's "Whores on Crutches" special, which airs Tuesday on Bravo. And she's not alone, considering Griffin has built a career out of making fun of celebrities.

Griffin "is the current-day version of Phyllis Diller, or Joan Rivers, except she's taken a more direct hit at pop-culture celebrity," said Kimber Rickabaugh, one of the executive producers of the special. "And it works because it speaks to who we are as a society today. We're fascinated by reality television, by celebrity culture. People didn't care about that stuff 30 years ago. Celebrities have taken over pop culture. And she is here to keep them in check."

And no one's immune in her latest special -- from Palin to longtime rival Elizabeth Hasselbeck to Tiger Woods and the ladies of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." Even the dames featured on TLC's "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" are a target.

"I have an open-door policy," Griffin said. "No one's safe. I really do my stand-up act based on whatever I think is funny and what I'm hearing at the water cooler. Those toothless ladies who didn't know they were pregnant ... they're all the water-cooler rage."

For more on Griffin, check out Tuesday's Calendar story and/or check out the video below. If you're in the L.A.-area, Griffin will be taking her stand-up act to the Gibson Amphitheatre in December.

-- Yvonne Villarreal
twitter.com/villarrealy

Photo: Comedian Kathy Griffin performs at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[richard]

It's too bad that she doesn't take aim at herself. What a loser she is.

[Brett]

Yet another reason to avoid Bravo. Kathy Griffin's been spetacularly unfunny for years now. The continuing existence of her career must be the same reason why Sarah Palin is so popular.

[Em]

Kathy Griffin ROCKS!!! I L-O-V-E her acerbic humor! She says what a LOT of people are thinking, but don't have the cajones to say!

[Floridian]

I used to love her...then she got stale. Hopefully everyone knows she embellishes situations in her own mind. She is a great storyteller but c'mon;
she depends on crudeness more and more; signs of laziness or maybe she just bores herself. I can never forget her show when she pretended to be a judge/contestant for a little girl's pageant: disgusting. She will apparently run her celebrity potshots into the ground or retire to her LA modern "home."

[Sue]

She is disgusting...here we are currently worrying about the whole subject of "bullying" and that is all that she is about. Using her words to insult and put down others.

[ELIJAH GRANDMOTHER]

i love kathi are yesterday on bravo from 8am-2pm,i agree 100% on her comment about the ding bat on the view-elizabeth,her daddy must be the executive producer of the show,or she has stock,she really is slow,and all her remarks going in circles,she has to feel bad,she never makes a point,maybe she would be better in a game show like wheel of fortune.i love u kathi,keep,it up,and we will continue to support and come see you

[Dee]

Just watched this - what a waste of an hour. She used to be funny - now she's just stale, as another commenter pointed out. 95% of the special was KG talking about reality shows. Who cares? And is she unable to get access to real celebrities any longer - maybe she scared them all off. Too bad - she was really funny ... a while ago.