Comedienne and social cynic Kathy Griffin has apparently landed herself in the hot seat after making disparaging remarks about Jesus at the Emmy awards. For a different approach to this story see here, and here. During her acceptance speech Griffen 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," an exultant Griffin said, holding up her statuette. "Suck it, Jesus. This award is my god now."Asked about her speech backstage a short time later, an unrepentant Griffin added, "I hope I offended some people. I didn't want to win the Emmy for nothing."
Griffen of course is known for her biting comedy that disparages most peoples and groups and is constantly on the verge of downright indecency. As a Christian, I'm not offended by this joke. Yes it's true that you don't hear people at awards saying they'd like to thank the Moses, Mohamed, or the Buddha for an award. But people after winning an award or winning a competition do thank Jesus... why?
Well it's inherent in Christianity is it not... Jesus is not just a figure in the religion, he is God, he is part of the God-Head. So why am I still not angry?
Well , I just don't see God taking sides in award shows, or sporting events. Not saying that God doesn't get involved in the world, that's the point of Jesus in the first place, but is God really sitting in Heaven dictating to the angels who is going to when an award or game? It almost seems a little silly to imagine the Creator of the world, the Savior of humanity, the Sustainer of Life spending even more than an Iota of a second caring about who wins the Emmy or the Oscar, isn't he more concerned with us using those talents he's given us to hone and those treasures we've amassed from using those talents to help those less fortunate than us?
Don't believe me, well look at the meat of the joke "suck it Jesus, this award is my god now" what a creative criticism of our culture, a culture that tells us to put our own selves before everything else, and how we abuse those God-given talents paying little more than lip service to the Man who gave them to us and forgetting to put them into real use serving others. Sphere: Related Content
1 comment:
I'm not at all enraged about the joke, but I think it was poorly executed. It could have been about vapid award winners who thank God for their win, but she went another direction with it. Her remarks make it sound as if Jesus were actively against her, as if, were it up to Jesus, someone else would have won ("if it was up to Him, Cesar Millan'd be up here with that damned dog"). Having persevered against a passive Divinity, she holds the statue aloft, proclaiming it her new god ("so all I can say is, 'suck it, Jesus; this award is my god now.")
If it's meant to be a parody of the usual God-talk, it fails. Her rhetoric makes Jesus her impotent enemy, now replaced by a chunk of glitzy metal.
Were it meant seriously, it would surely be blasphemy. Given that it takes the name of the Lord in vain, it is sin. But what I see most of all is a joke that could have been very funny turned into cheap and unfunny publicity.
Guess that's why she's on the D list.
Post a Comment