Friday, July 27, 2007
Kathy Griffin: D-List Finale
So why does Kathy Griffith fail to make me smile as much as she used to? I still laugh, but not as loud. Is it that her shtick is getting old? Could it be that she has played the D-List card too long? How many times can we watch her try to out do Oprah? Or charm gays from another country? Or date celebrities who are almost recognizable? Or try to get the paparazzi to take photos of her? When is a joke worn and old? Like, right now.
The final scenes of the final show when Kathy and her assistants tossed her father's ashes in the Irish wind were touching, and (unlike Paula) there is true camaraderie between her and her three assistants. The affection is obvious. ("All the love and friendship money can buy."Hah!)
But how D-List is Kathy these days? She’s recognized by all the gays of America and quite a few straight folks; she lives in a fabulous hillside house; and she earns enough to pay a contingent of people – assistants and agent I presume, and a cut of the take with her booking people, not to mention a percentage to the clubs and venues she’s appeared in. If the flight, hotel room, limo, and meals are included on top of Kathy's appearance fee, she must be doing quite well. Witness her lovely and exclusive hilltop home.
Does all the activity I just described sound like those of a D-lister to you? Former child actress Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady) is a D-Lister. Kathy is not.
So, my suggestion to Bravo for the next Kathy Griffin go round is to take Kathy off the D List and change the direction of the show. Otherwise there will be a lot more viewers like me the next season – tired of the same old shtick.
Posted by Ms. Place
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9 comments:
Again, your observations are spot on, Ms. Place. The finale had some touching moments, but I also found her behavior a tad annoying. The whole Oprah thing was just not well executed. And, as you pointed out, it's getting old. I hate to say this, but I think they should cancel My Life on the D-List and work on a new project. As they say, all good things must come to an end.
sorry. too many errors above. I'm muddle-headed today.
I agree that there were problems this season:
Naturally it was more sentimental because of her father dying so it had a different vibe.
Receiving awards and travelling internationally certainly made the show feel less like she was on the "D" list.
I also didn't think the dating idea worked this season.
In the last episode the "Oprah" giving away money schtick was uncomfortable and weird. The one exception was that I enjoyed the total idiocy of the "reporter" from Star. She was obviously trained at the same journalism school as Merry Miller:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbpUwx_YLGc
Still, I think that as long as Kathy shows the career flops (the gay bingo in Ireland) to balance the successes the idea of her "D-list" life works.
And there was plenty of proof that Kathy has not lost her bite. How fabulous was her visit to the prison?
I think that they just need to bring her back to more of her everyday life type of activities. She's best when faced with those kinds of encounters.
I'll tune in for another season.
My worry is that Bravo is stretched too thin with so many projects that it will neglect the shows that are proven to be really good.
Even that post above has syntax errors and sounds moronic but instead of revising it again I will just leave it to you to figure out what I'm trying to say. I need another cuppa joe. Also: this just proves that even those whose expertise is in English are sometimes completely unable to proofread their own writing. So you should never worry about any errors you may have in your posts Ms. P!!
Oh, yes, Trixie, there are so many elements about this show that work. I would hate to see Kathy tinker with the truly fun and successful portions of her show. I am merely tired of the forced scenes where Kathy dates weird celebrities and courts the paparazzi and the like. Her father's death was poignant and as powerful as reality t.v. can get. Unlike the way Paula comes across, Kathy is a complex person. She showed sensitivity towards the prisoners and their reasons for being incarcerated. From my conversations with people who teach in the prison system, the episode was spot on.
Yeah, Marius, the whole Oprah thing was not well executed. A coworker and I agree that Kathy is still the funniest woman on television.
Let's hope Bravo gets back on track with Kathy's show. Like Trixie said, they are spread a bit thin.
And not for nothing but My Life on the D-List is the ONLY reality show that my husband watches.
When a reporter thinks you are Kathie Lee Gifford, you are still on the D-list.
I loved this season except for the finale. I really did not understand the scene of handing out money on the street.
finally saw this episode tonight....
the handing out money scenes were really painful and uncomfortable to watch. kathy's given a lot of money to charity, but to do it JUST as a publicity stunt like this felt...icky.
and it seems like all these Bravo shows have one common theme: the main star's best friends are also their paid employees. i find this sad. (Remember Anthony's employees wishing him luck, when Ben and Daisy and Boogie all had their families and partners wishing them luck?)
but: WHAT ABOUT FLIPPING OUT? can y'all PLEASE talk about that hot mess? i lurve it already!
Shall do, frog boots. I adore all the characters in this show which begs for a snark.
Ms. Place
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