Comic Kathy Griffin uses Emmy acceptance speech to blaspheme

Sep 12, 2007 / 07:37 am

The Emmy’s are usually an opportunity for performers to thank all of those who helped them deliver their award-worthy performances. Many stars thank God for their abilities, but comedian Kathy Griffin decided that she would prove that she has no fear of God by blaspheming Jesus in her acceptance speech.

Griffin made her inflammatory comments on Saturday night as she took the stage of the Shrine Auditorium to collect her Emmy for the best reality program for her Bravo channel show "My Life on the D-List."

"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 exuberant Griffin said, holding up her statuette. "Suck it, Jesus. This award is my god now."

Kathy Griffin was asked by the L.A. Times backstage about her anti-Christian speech. Without any sign of remorse, she said, “I hope I offended some people. I didn't want to win the Emmy for nothing.”

Bill Donahue of the Catholic League pointed out how a double standard is being applied when it comes to  anti-Christian speech. “It is sure bet that if Griffin had said, ‘Suck it, Muhammad,’ there would have been a very different reaction from the crowd [which laughed at Griffin’s comments] and from the media who covered this event. To say nothing of the Muslim reaction.”

Griffin's comments also upset her former Suddenly Susan co-star Sherri Shepherd, who is also a stand-up comic. Appearing on the TV show The View on yesterday morning, Shepherd raged, "I love Kathy but I was trying to text her, 'Girl, you know you ain't supposed to be saying no mess like that.' "There's just a line that you shouldn't cross, there's a reverence for God that we should have."

Nevertheless Griffin seemed unabashed. In a statement issued by her publicist she said: "Am I the only Catholic left with a sense of humor?" Strangely, the comic also describes herself as a militant atheist.

In response to calls by the Catholic League for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to censor Griffin's acceptance speech, her taped comments will be heavily edited before it airs on cable television's E! Entertainment Network this coming Saturday, the night before the live Fox network broadcast of the main Primetime Emmy Awards.