The question of a person’s morals is the first thing to come to mind when hearing about Kathy Griffin’s disgusting photo holding a bloody head model of President Donald Trump. Love him or hate him, we can all agree that this really crossed the line. Griffin is known for being a comedian who is not afraid to cross the line or say/do anything, but is this really something that needed to be seen?
As human beings, we are expected to follow the standards of human decency. Following that standard is anything but what Griffin did when she posted this photo. As citizens of America, like or dislike the president or anyone else, there is some amount of respect that needs to be shown. It is expected of us, it is decent for us to do, and it is the standard in this country. We should have the same common value of respect. Respect for anyone; whether you have differing opinions or you have a personal problem with them, respect is needed for a functioning society. There is a difference between disagreeing with or disliking someone and articulating that in a respectful manner, or full on crossing the line much like Griffin did.
When you look at Griffin’s past, you could come to the conclusion that this really wasn’t something that was morally wrong to her. She was rebuked by CNN and banned from many different events, including talk shows and various performance venues, as a result of dropping the f-bomb while co-hosting the New Year’s Eve Countdown with Anderson Cooper. This incident was considered a breach of contract by Griffin, but in the end, CNN decided to renew her contract the next year. Now, it seems like Griffin has really stepped over the line of CNN’s standards, and after this incident, they ended their contract agreement with her. The network called Griffin’s photo with President Trump’s severed head “disgusting and offensive.”
We can see that she realizes what she has done now, since she did make a formal apology in a video stating “I am just now seeing the reaction to these images. I’m a comic. I crossed the line. I move the line. Then I cross it. I went way too far. The image is too disturbing. I understand how it offends people.” This doesn’t erase what has been done, though. Millions of people have seen this photo, it’s out there forever, and it’s something she is stuck living with. But given her past, it’s questionable as to whether or not that will really bother her. She’s done over the top, line crossing things in the past so how can everyone know that she’s truly sorry?
The answer to that question is that we really can’t know - especially now that she’s taken back that apology. Yes, you read that right. If you were not aware, Griffin has now taken back her apology for posting a photo with a model of Trump’s severed head. Griffin claims that while she does still regret posting the photo, she still won’t stop making fun of President Trump or urging others to as well. She goes on to claim that the Trump family is now trying to ruin her life as a result of this photo, and is now identifying as the victim.
But, when she made the gruesome model of Trump — can she really claim that title?