I happened upon this article while browsing around CNN.com. Kathy Griffin, while accepting a creative arts Emmy for My Life on the D-List, said, "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." According to the story, Griffin "went on to hold up her Emmy, make an off-color remark about Christ and proclaim, 'This award is my god now!'"
Not surprisingly, the always eager-to-be-offended Catholic League has labeled her joke a "vulgar, in-your-face brand of hate speech" and called on the television academy to "denounce Griffin's obscene and blasphemous comment." Here is the part that I found interesting: The academy complied. Griffin's comments will be edited from the show. According to the article: "'Kathy Griffin's offensive remarks will not be part of the E! telecast on Saturday night,' the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said in a statement Monday."
Okay, you may not find Griffin's joke funny (even if I did, at least a little). Still, does it deserve to be expurgated from the broadcast? If it does, can we just make it so that all religious comments are banned from the airwaves?
Think of how many football games have closed with a hapless reporter asking for a victorious player's take on the game and receiving an answer like this: "First, I want to say that all the glory goes to God. I want to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for this victory." If you have ever watched football, you have probably heard a variation on this theme. It is important to note that this statement is logically equivalent to the following: "I want to thank Jesus Christ for interceding on my team's behalf, forsaking the prayers of all those suffering right now so he could influence the outcome of a professional sporting event. More specifically, I'd like to thank Jesus for cursing our opponent with defeat."
Exactly how much less offensive is that comment than Griffin's?
Not surprisingly, the always eager-to-be-offended Catholic League has labeled her joke a "vulgar, in-your-face brand of hate speech" and called on the television academy to "denounce Griffin's obscene and blasphemous comment." Here is the part that I found interesting: The academy complied. Griffin's comments will be edited from the show. According to the article: "'Kathy Griffin's offensive remarks will not be part of the E! telecast on Saturday night,' the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said in a statement Monday."
Okay, you may not find Griffin's joke funny (even if I did, at least a little). Still, does it deserve to be expurgated from the broadcast? If it does, can we just make it so that all religious comments are banned from the airwaves?
Think of how many football games have closed with a hapless reporter asking for a victorious player's take on the game and receiving an answer like this: "First, I want to say that all the glory goes to God. I want to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for this victory." If you have ever watched football, you have probably heard a variation on this theme. It is important to note that this statement is logically equivalent to the following: "I want to thank Jesus Christ for interceding on my team's behalf, forsaking the prayers of all those suffering right now so he could influence the outcome of a professional sporting event. More specifically, I'd like to thank Jesus for cursing our opponent with defeat."
Exactly how much less offensive is that comment than Griffin's?
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