The Five Best Moments in Kathy Griffin’s Saturday Night Performance:
5. Criticizing the many college-age girls who came dressed in the standard Iowa City bar attire of a short cleavage-bearing dress and spike heels, Kathy informs them that they are catering to the wrong crowd. “Ladies, you aren’t getting any tonight,” Griffin said, acknowledging that approximately 50 percent of her audience was gay males who would at least “lovingly” judge their fashion choices.
4. Griffin told a hilarious story of a college event she did years ago with a very high Andy Dick, who shocked the Southern crowd by making many homosexual references, including rubbing his naked body against an unwilling audience member. Classic.
3. One of the best things about Kathy’s standup has always been the insider perspective she gives on Hollywood parties/events, and Saturday was no exception. Kathy dished the dirt on the recent Emmy Award Ceremony and the celebrities in attendance, including Tracy Morgan (as crazy as his 30 Rock character), James Gandolfini (who never turns off his Tony Soprano vibe), Tina Fey (as lovely in real life as the characters she creates), and Conan O’Brien (who is apparently “kind of a dick”- which left the audience shocked and a little disheartened).
2. The audience laughed for a solid two minutes when Kathy called Michelle Obama, the new Jackie O., “Blackie O.” I talked to a female African-American friend of mine earlier today who said, “I would kill to have Kathy Griffin call me ‘Blackie-O’ just once.” I’m pretty sure the sentiment would be shared by most of those in attendance.
1. Kathy railed on Sarah Palin. Within the first few minutes of the show, Griffin announced that “that bitch is going down hard tonight,” and she was more than true to her word. But Kathy took on Palin and the election overall in a really smart and insightful (yet still characteristically vulgar way). After deeming the Palin’s the new Lohan’s (because each member of the family is equally crazy), she did a great dramatic re-enactment of Bristol Palin’s “Baby-Daddy’s” MySpace page. She also made some really astute Vice Presidential Debate critiques, including the fact that she was convinced Palin was flirting with her the entire time. When the one conservative in a crowd of liberals booed at her commentary (Griffin told him he was a little out numbered), Griffin made a great observation that no matter what your political agenda, Sarah Palin and the current election makes fantastic fodder for any comedian.
And in the case of Kathy’s performance at least, this was irrefutably true.
—Melea
