The Little Prophet Kathy Griffin Shows Us the “edgy” Future
I think it was Francis Schaeffer who said that artists are culture’s little prophets. I wouldn’t swear to my recollection of the source but the point is correct. Artists are both a reflector of cultural values and a compass of cultural direction. After a fashion; artists show us the future.
I can think of two examples.
Sharon Stone’s movie, Basic Instinct: In 1992 Sharon sat in a police interrogation room, turned toward the camera crossing and uncrossing her legs, flashing everyone on the big screen. It was maybe 15 seconds of titillating video but in 1992 that was as close as anyone got to frontal nudity so everyone flocked to the cinema to check out the original Brazilian. Of course, the religious right had a collectivist fit because people were doing bad things with body parts and every Christian who knows anything about sin knows that all sin is equal before God except sex sins. Sex sins are particularly sinful . . . uh . . . er . . . something like that. Anyway, the counter criticism was that the religious right was a bunch of prudes bla bla bla.
Fast forward to 2006: Because Hollywood has run out of ideas, Sharon Stone did Basic Instinct 2 with more nudity of the 50 year old actress. No one went to see it. I mean, Sharon is my idol. I hope I look that good at 50 . . . well, ok so I’m already there, but I’m just saying.
Of course, the director rehashed and redoubled his 1992 criticism—the reason his movie was a flop was the fault of all those religious nuts. And the director was profoundly wrong. The first movie is the reason the second movie flopped. In 1992 Basic Instinct was almost considered soft core porn. By contrast; in 2006, TNT, AMC, USA, HBO, Starz, and a boat load of other networks show more skin every hour than Basic Instinct 1 and 2 combined. In 2006 KIDS were getting more nudity in sex education class. And here is the truth: Basic Instinct 1 set the new standard on sexual “edginess” and so today, nudity on pretty much any media outlet is fair game. It wasn’t because America was too prudish that caused the 2006 failure. It was because America is unrestrained: a movie with a naked 50 year old woman? Yawn . . .
The second example is the Mapplethorpe “art” display from roughly 25 years ago. Beyond the correct outrage over taxpayer dollars being used to subsidize the “arts” more outrage boiled to the surface over the Mapplethorpe content: a bottle of urine filled with a crucifix, men with bullwhips sticking out of their back side, and other sundry vulgarities. Of course the New York liberal wine and cheese crowd lauded the display as visionary, and after a fashion they were paraphrasing the Francis Schaeffer quote: it was a vision . . . of what was to come.
Now, media, in almost all forms, is a cesspool of vulgarity. Not that my sensibilities are delicate. As I have admitted in other places, I can drop the F bomb with the best of them and am perfectly comfortable in company cracking very politically incorrect jokes. But I am also very aware that cultural America has trended to an endless embrace of the twisted, the warped, and the reprobate. Television and movies are little more than circus freak shows. American heroes are at best comic book characters, and at worst people offered up to us as heroes are heroic because they are twisted; e. g., Bruce Jenner.
And here is the point: In each example the artist tried to capture/reflect the “ideal” in cultural values thus setting the compass to cultural direction.
So now we get to Kathy Griffin and the Donald Trump severed head.
Comedians are a special kind of artist; they hold a unique place in culture because they talk about the things that everyone “knows” we are not supposed to talk about. Comedy is a cultural release valve which also implies it is an indicator of cultural pressure.
I won’t dig too deep into the psychology of comedians except to notice the following: when Ms. Griffin was doing her bit, it is very apparent she saw nothing abnormal, nothing strange, nothing repulsive in her comedy. She was performing for an audience that she absolutely assumed would see the “humor.” She fully believed she was capturing/reflecting a cultural ideal (you can’t crack a joke unless the audience has a reference to the punch line). Notice that when called to account her first reaction was to tweet defiance. And then she was obviously bewildered, unable to understand the fuss; it was just “edgy” comedy. 24 hours into the back lash, after sponsors stopped paying money and comedy gigs were canceled, America was treated to her tearful plea for forgiveness as if that was supposed to end the dealeo.
By the way, the Hollywood left’s sobbing beggary for forgiveness is yet one more cultural example of the rot created by historic Christian doctrine. Heinous people do evil things and everyone else has to write a moral blank check. Big fat crocodile tears obligate everyone to bequeath absolution. But for the “grace of God” we would all be holding up bloody presidential heads in the name of art, right?
Of course, Kathy played everyone for suckers because hours later she was in front of the mic alternately belligerent that it was her divine right to perform “edgy” comedy and weeping that Donald Trump “broke her”; she is nothing but a victim of a rich white man’s conspiracy to destroy her career.
My prediction: In three months Hollywood will create a severed head Oscar and turn Kathy Griffin into a hero. Michael Moore will make a movie about the Trump conspiracy to plant a bloody severed head in Kathy’s hand and Al Franken will demand a Senatorial investigation into Russian collusion—those damned Russians twisted the American public mind to be against yet one more innocent woman!
And you think I’m being absurd to make a point?
Snort!
So dear reader Pop Quiz:
Ready? This is a tough one.
Who else cuts off people’s heads?
Why does this group of people use this kind of atrocity?
Give up?
The answer: Islamic Jihadists cut off heads as a political statement of social dictatorial dominance.
Cutting off a head and holding them high for everyone to see, has always been, at the root, a political statement.
Dead is dead, right?
Shoot someone in the chest with a bullet, stab them with a spear, blow them apart with a bomb, and drown them in water. The end is the same: dead is dead. Maybe some methods are fast and maybe some are slow, but . . . dead is dead.
From John the Baptist, to Marie Antoinette, to Robespierre and the guillotine, to ISIS, to the Queen of Hearts, “Off with his head” has always meant social dictatorial dominance.
And this is exactly the point of Kathy Griffin’s “edgy” comedy.
Beheading the President of the United States is by proxy is an overt political statement of social dictatorial dominance. As an “artist” Kathy Griffin was happy to reflect the political left’s cultural values. Make no mistake: what Kathy Griffin did is a snapshot of the political leftist endgame. The beheading of Donald Trump is a metaphor for the rage the political left feels for the American electorate. The only reason the political left hasn’t built the French Revolution guillotine in Time Square, and frog marched POTUS and everyone who voted for him to the platform is because the political left knows we still have our guns.
Kathy Griffin fully believes she captured/reflected a cultural ideal.
Kathy Griffin’s “edgy comedy” is a compass pointing to the direction of American politics.
Kathy Griffin is a little prophet, because after a fashion, she is showing us the future.
John Immel
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
You totally get it. Few do.
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Immel is sharp.
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Yea… the fact that so few do get is very very troubling.
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I believe one has to be stoned/under the influence of something to find a stand-up “comedian” funny. I really do, and I mean….any stand-up comedian, and I include those fakes that pose as “Christian comedians (they tell a joke and then spin you the false gospel according to Calvin, and you laugh because he is making fun of everyone else except the elected snobs).
Narcissistic does not even come close to describing stand-up comedians. When you’re all doped up, street names are funny; so, when you sit at your corporate table with your stoned/intoxicated corporate “professionals” and the famous comedian drops the f-word drops within 15 seconds, it’s hilarious…after 90 seconds, the sex one-liner comes, and you and your friends are rolling of laughter. Then the sex jokes start (complete with illustrations) and you and your buddies (who have coughed up top dollars to watch this crap) laugh so much you are crying (remember that you paid for it).
And then “Christ”, “Jesus,” “Oh my God” come from the stage, and you and your sick amigos just about pee yourself. There is nothing funnier than Jesus’ name!
All the while, when you’re sober and looking and listening to these idiots who call themselves comedians, you know that they are simply not funny. It’s all in the marketing. It’s all an illusion.
I bet anyone the front wheel of my bicycle that today, even right now, that there are “comedians” who are cracking jokes about the Manchester and London Bridge terrorist attacks and in the same breath say “Is it too early?” and then get a laugh out of that little idiotic statement. Didn’t I tell you they are all narcissistic? The spotlight’s got to be on them, just like the spotlight and attention have to be on a stripper/prostitute. Not much difference between the lot, anyway, whoring out their so-called “talents.”
Great piece, John Immel, and I understand just too well why sexual abuse is so high and prevalent in the sexually obsessed Protestant Church (especially the Calvinists/Reformed lot). To them, it is nothing, and their actions show it. They pull a grace card, laugh, and carry on. Just like stand-up “comedians.”
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lol . . . I think you are over stating your point there a bit. I’ve been to my share of comedy, laughed until I almost peed myself and was never drunk or high.
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I would like, very much, to argue with you and tell you that you are wrong, wrong, wrong. Unfortunately, I am afraid, very afraid, that you are right, right, right. Terrifyingly.Right. Yes, the “deplorables” have their guns and enough ammunition for Civil War 2.0 and the training to use their weapons well. Thus far, there has been remarkable restraint on the part of the majority who voted for Trump.
It has been the left that has been in your face violent and anarchist. No matter whether these “protests” (ahem, riots) are paid for by George Soros and are part of a color revolution or soft coup … or not …. I fear there will come a day when a spark is triggered and the seething rage that lies beneath will erupt into open war within the United States. One domino falls and then another. The veneer of civility will be gone.
I am surprised, very surprised, that some of these protests (antiFA vs. proTrump) have not had a “random sniper” shooting at “both sides” to enflame the hatred. (As is what was done in the Ukraine.) But I expect that that will come. What will that spark be? Financial collapse and bank holidays? The assassination of Trump? The shutdown of the US government and the stopping of EBT cards, Social Security payments, etc.?
I don’t know ….. but I know that day is a coming ….. and I have friends who only read and watch MSM news. They know the talking points for every bit of propaganda that is spewed forth. Project MockingBird, indeed..
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Hey Susan, Yes I understand why you want to argue with me. I get it . . . we on the political right don’t want to wrap our heads around the direct attack on the profound achievement that the United States of America represents. From our perspective it is inconceivable that people WANT to destroy what this is. But a people can only refuse to address the reality before for so long. Eventually reality will bite them firmly in the backside. Or maybe better said, the edgy comedy will just be the edge of the guillotine blade. We are watching a political coup played out in real time. And as near as I can tall almost all of our political leaders–almost no exception–are complicit . . . either by neglect, willful ignorance, or overt action. They are all facilitating the same outcome: the ascendance of a dictatorial political class over a representative republic.
Civil society can overcome many governmental failures, but the one thing it cannot overcome is political corruption.
The fact that America has political figures with known criminal action, clear actions of treason, and theft still walking around free and defiant in their criminal action tells us that we are very very close to collapse. When the people finally figure out that elections and badges and judges are all pretense to dictatorship . . . well, do about 10 minutes of research into Juarez Mexico and you will know exactly what comes next. If political criminals don’t start going to jail, very soon, for very long periods of time . . . . the people will figure out that justice is dead. And once that happens there is no looking back.
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The United States is being destroyed from within. You are absolutely correct in what you write. I think we are watching the fall of modern day Rome. Collapse is close, yes. America is morally, spiritually, financially and politically bankrupt. Yes, treason, theft, graft, corruption, blackmail, murder, extortion ….. all go unanswered.
If any of these individuals are charged, tried and convicted (or not based upon the evidence), I will honestly be shocked. I do not expect that to happen. I think the elite/ deep state would have Trump and Sessions killed (immediately) if there is any indication that they plan to head down the path of investigations and trials.
Also, I do not believe Hillary Clinton was anywhere close to what was claimed as her vote count. I noticed that Jill Stein’s “challenge” went away very quickly after major irregularities were discovered in one Detroit county with respect to votes supposedly cast for Clinton. Multiply that times how many counties across the USA.
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“Justice is dead in america . . .” well, it depends on what she meant by justice. What you and i mean is equal culpability under the law . . . or said another way, we believe in the earned, or the deserving. These two concepts require the presumption of individual autonomy and individual responsibility. If this speaker meant “social” justice is dead she is conflating Marxist ideology with the concept of justice. She means to say that justice is only achieved when everyone has the same amount of money and the only way to make that happen is to take what some people have and give it to another. If that is what she meant … she might get asked back.
And i’m not persuaded that people are asleep as much as they are unsure.
See, on the political right (and i use this term loosely) we are still playing by the rules. We are still conducting elections and all the sundry actions contained in the constitution. Election results show that the political right is VERY engaged. For all intents and purposes the Political left (democrat party) is dead. They are a true political minority and if everyone was still playing by the constitutional rules they would likely be irrelevant for generations. But the reality is the political powers are NOT playing by the constitutional rules and that has those on the right unsure what to do next. I think the grass roots folks are keenly aware of the coup being played out in real time but at the moment we don’t have “next steps” organization. Plus i think we are holding on to the naive notion that the treason and corruption being committed will work it self out–that some Lone Ranger will ride in on a white horse and save us. The naivety has made us reluctant to accept that war has been declared which makes us hesitant to wage the war of unconditional surrender required to sustain our representative republic and throw off the usurpers.
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She meant “rule of law” or “a nation of laws, not a nation of men” type of justice. She did not mean social justice as in equality of money/ resources (Marxism or the new SJW). She meant, there is one set of laws for the elite and upper class and there is another set of laws for the rest of America. If you have the money, you can buy the outcome — whatever “justice” you want, you can buy it. And that is exactly what is happening.
So if you are HSBC Bank and are (allegedly) laundering millions of dollars in drug money, you pay a fine and no one goes to jail. If you are selling drugs on the street corner or are a mid-level trafficker, you will get the book thrown at you and the key thrown away. If you are John Corzine, you will never see the inside of a jail cell after having (allegedly) stolen millions from allocated client accounts. But if you are convicted of breaking and entering local homes and businesses, expect to get comfy and cozy in an 8 x 10 jail cell.
That is what she meant; I am absolutely certain she will not be invited back. She was speaking at the State Bar Convention. It was a stunning comment for her to have made — said to a room full of attorneys. The problem wasn’t the truth of her statement. The problem was that she dared to speak it. I would guess that every person in that room knew she was right/ correct, but in these dark days of universal deceit, truth is treason.
I think you are correct in that people are naive and do not know what to do or how to respond. It is becoming increasing clear that voting, elections, the political process, the judicial system, etc. are broken beyond repair. When the system no longer works, then what? The people go outside the system. Yes, we are watching a coup unfolding in America in real time. What the left does not understand is history and history repeating itself. “Let them eat cake” was followed by “off with their heads”. The tree of liberty watered by the blood of patriots.
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Susan,
Wow . . . the woman you are referring to is a very brave woman. I’m impressed.
“. . . but in these dark days of universal deceit, truth is treason.” I’m going to have to plagiarize that one.
It will not take much longer for Patriots will figure out they are the system. This is government FOR the people and by the people and soon we will remember that Tomas Jefferson and the whole 13 colonies insisted it was their right to disband tyranny. This is what the current political class has failed to keep in mind.
“When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
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Oh, on May 23, “I was Manchester.” Today, “I am London Bridge.” Now that is funny, not so? Well, it’s hell-arious, according to those stand-up “comedians.” I mean, their teams of “writers” feed on news items to get material (gee, that is creative and original. Someone, please book me a corporate table).
Beheading Trump would be funny to the pathetic left, even in real life, especially in real life. Stand-up comedians’ mouths speak what their hearts are full of. Sickos.
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Susan, I have a very liberal step sister whom I love dearly even though her politics drive me insane and make no sense. One of her sons is a DNC campaign consultant and made a fortune by age 40 running campaigns. ( the money is unbelievable. One mailer can equal an average Americans yearly salary)
It absolutely rocked her world when he and his wife obtained concealed carry permits and received firearms training. They just told her that yes, they had been anti gun, had promoted anti gun campaigns (for big money) but were convinced major civil unrest is coming. So, they made a fortune with divisive group identity politics pitting groups against each other but now fear the outcome of the very thing they helped promote.
Where do people think this hatred and pushing the edges is going to go? They can only heap so much on the backs of the working class and small businesses until they say enough and stop playing their game. Shame censoring has run its course.
Like Griffin, They want to be victims and bullies at the same time.
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One of the reasons I like this blog site is that there are a number of folks here who “get it” and who comment thoughtfully and articulately — not only with respect to religion, but also with respect to politics and with respect to where we are headed as a country. Very few are awake and aware. The rule of law is dead in America. I attended a professional conference where one of the speakers was the head of a Legal Aid Society for a large urban area in Ohio. She dared to say to the attendees, “I hope no one here thinks there is justice in America.” (I am sure she will never be invited back to speak at any conference, ever again, for that comment.)
People are figuring it out. Very slowly, the light of truth is dawning, but what worries me is whether they will know who to “blame” — who is really responsible for where we are at as a nation. Yes, major civil unrest is coming. A great number of people in the media, in lobbyist groups, in political campaigns/ politics, in law and banking (and a whole series of other professions) have sold their souls for money to promote agendas that benefit the 1% but greatly harm the vast majority of the people. The game being played is deadly dangerous and many will die as a result. The streets of America will run red with blood (of that I am convinced).
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Susan the commenter,
Have a look-see here: https://paulspassingthoughts.com/2014/08/09/why-john-piper-and-calvinism-is-isis/
Happy times in Bozo Town. Someone, paint me a beard.
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I think someone (John Piper) is seriously misconstruing/ misinterpreting God’s permissive will (I.e., God allows something to happen/ doesn’t step in to stop evil men from doing evil deeds) as compared to God’s active will (i.e., God intends and is the cause of evil men doing evil deeds — thus making God into the author of evil),
The way this is described by Pope John Piper, there really is no difference between ISIS and Calvinism. Or between ISIS and Christianity, as Pope Francis has recently made that link and connection. (I don’t remember where I read that comment from the Pope, but I was shocked/ stunned when he equated the two.)
I have never truly understood how God ordered Joshua and the Israelites to kill all of the inhabitants of Jericho and the land of Canaan. Typically, one would view such killing as murder and as wrong (violating God’s ten commandments). Perhaps in the Old Testament it was viewed as a carrying out of God’s judgment?
When someone is convicted and sentenced to death for a grave crime in our modern-day court system, we do not view the court as wrong or as acting beyond its power. Maybe that same analogy can be made in the OT. God judged these pagan people as guilty of capital offenses; Joshua and his men carried out God’s judgment.
Honestly, I am at the point of: If John Piper has said it, then it is probably heresy. Disregard. And there are a number of other celebrity pastors who are on that list.
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“But the reality is the political powers are NOT playing by the constitutional rules and that has those on the right unsure what to do next. ”
I don’t normally do this much anymore but I have been going back and watching hearings on the server situation with Hillary. Let’s take the server out of the equation for a minute and just focus on the process and the political structure involved. I mean we know it’s all there but how bad it is is not resonating enough with the American people. For example, there are only 8 people in all of Congress who can look at intelligence material. So you have unelected law enforcement bureaucrats telling members of Congress I cannot discuss any of this with you because you’re not cleared. Ok. But worse, law enforcement seems to think they have a right to say what they believe is Criminal Intent. The statutes of course are very clear on what is allowed and what isn’t but they drove a Mack truck right through them. Evidently if you are part of the establishment oligarchy ignorance of the law is an excuse. The arrogance of unelected bureaucrats was astonishing.
And that is where we are. An oligarchical establishment that does nothing but protect itself. For them Justice is a fluid concept but not for us.
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The post brought me to tears and uncontrolled laughter! You, John, and my dear husband, are the ones who hooked me into the idea of getting to know more about philosophy and doing the research so that I can come to a better understanding of truth. It is hard work…thinking and reasoning, that is. I have so much to learn, and unlearn, and I have two great teachers ( three if you count Andy) to help me along the way. Thanks! and looking forward to being under your teaching once again at the conference. Susan Dohse
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Susan, you are a great teacher in your own right. And you are compassionate, thoughtful, utterly self-sacrificing, and a tireless worker…could outwork anyone I know (with the exception of maybe my wife 🙂 ). As lucky as you feel to be associated with great teachers, like Andy, Paul, and John…that value is most certainly reciprocated.
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