By Denny Patterson
Two-time Emmy and Grammy Award-winning comedian Kathy Griffin has cemented herself as a powerful figure in comedy thanks to her unfiltered, unapologetic, and utterly hilarious take on the rich and famous, but stand-up has also brought Griffin a lot of trouble. Most notably in 2017, the loveable entertainer received widespread backlash for a political stunt involving Donald Trump.
Best known for her hit Bravo reality series Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List and co-hosting CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live alongside Anderson Cooper, Griffin’s career came to a screeching halt and she lost everything, becoming one of the first casualties of cancel culture.
Griffin is now making a triumphant return, and she is stepping back onstage with a brand-new comedy tour titled My Life on the PTSD List, which will play at the Parker Playhouse on May 15, 2024.
OutClique had the opportunity to catch up with Griffin and talk more about the journey that inspired her latest stand-up venture, as well as how her comedy has changed since being blacklisted, buying back the rights to My Life on the D-List, and finding solace in the healing power of laughter.
Denny Patterson: Kathy, I’m so happy this tour is a new beginning for you! What can we expect from My Life on the PTSD List?
Kathy Griffin: First of all, I hope you love the title. I mean, it kind of writes itself. When I was diagnosed with PTSD, instead of being worried about my health or safety, I was immediately like, that’s a funny tour title. Thank you, doctor! I can see it now in lights, and obviously, that’s kind of what the show is. I like poking fun at all the PTSD stuff because what I’m doing to feel better is embarrassing and laughable. Like, I get acupuncture, and I know it doesn’t do a thing. And remember when Gwyneth Paltrow was all about cupping therapy? I did that, but it just looks like I got into a bar fight with Gwyneth and now I have all these scars on my back. I talk about all these things.
Denny Patterson: As a figure who has worked in entertainment for years, what do you always hope audiences take away from your live shows?
Kathy Griffin: I want them to laugh, think, and gasp a little bit. I say gasp because, this is obviously no secret, I do say stuff just for shock value. Sometimes to wake up the audience, and sometimes just to say that thing that you’re thinking but don’t want to say. That’s where I come in. Much to my detriment many times, but don’t worry, I never learned my lesson, and I’m not going to start with this tour (laughs). Like I said, I make fun of everything. From my prescription pill addiction, for which I’m in recovery, to cancer. I mean, I have half a lung on my left side. You’ve got to laugh at the trauma.
Denny Patterson: And the title is a play on your Emmy Award-winning series My Life on the D-List, which you bought back the rights to last year. What made you do that?
Kathy Griffin: Because Peacock isn’t showing it, and I don’t know why. I wish they would. I’m flattered that people enjoy the show, and it’s nostalgic. The 2000s are having a whole resurgence now, and that’s when the show was on for six years. I’m proud of it because it was very real. I don’t know if anybody would let me do a show like that now, but I love that people are rediscovering it. I’ve been putting clips of it on TikTok and YouTube, and people are remembering certain moments and things, especially my mom. They think of my mom tipping her box of wine in heaven, if she went there. The jury’s still out, but you know, I’ve been on a sitcom, I’ve done specials, and I even had an MTV show for a while, but My Life on the D-List truly changed things for me. It made people accept the super, super shocking side of my comedy, but it also showed them that I’m a freaking human being.
Denny Patterson: Yeah, I love how genuine and authentic the show is. How does it feel to know that it gave a lot of gay men the courage to come out?
Kathy Griffin: That’s my favorite compliment. I have talked to so many gay men who said they shouldn’t have been watching the show because they were nine or 10 or something, but it had many gay themes without saying gay, gay, gay, in your face. That’s just the way I am. I’m an ally in the community, and so many of those kids loved my mom and dad because they were also legit allies in the community without ever shouting it from the rafters. I’ve had so many people say it led to the first conversation with, usually a mom, about coming out, and I think that’s such a great thing because it shows the power of comedy. I don’t even take it as a personal compliment. It shows that not only is laughter medicine, but it can also build bridges.
Denny Patterson: Have you had thoughts about rebooting My Life on the D-List?
Kathy Griffin: I would love to. It’s no secret that Andy Cohen is not a fan of mine, so I don’t think it would come back to Bravo, but who knows? In this era, Netflix is doing reality. HBO Max is doing reality. So, I would love to do it, but I think the industry really has their eyes on this tour. For the past six years, I have been told by people on the street, and even two big network executives, that I’m still toxic to middle America. Well, I’m going to middle America, so I’ll let you know!
Denny Patterson: There has been a shift in the comedy landscape over the last couple years. How would you say your comedic style has changed?
Kathy Griffin: I am more conscious of going hard and going in, it’s okay, but just be conscious of when you’re punching up or when you’re punching down. When I used to make fun of Britney Spears back in the day, I wasn’t making fun of someone with a mental illness because I didn’t know she had one. I was making fun of the fact that she, Paris, and Lindsay were multimillionaire teenagers clubbing all night, and I thought that was fair game. Would I do that now? Not with a teenager. Am I going to make fun of someone like Kanye? Yes, I am, and I know Kanye has mental health issues, but he’s also just an old fashioned misogynist.
Denny Patterson: After this tour, what’s next? What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career and platform?
Kathy Griffin: Oh, man. I really want to do another stand-up special. I’m in the Guinness Book of World Records for doing more televised stand-up specials than any comedian, male or female, living or dead. I’ve done 19, 21 altogether since two are albums, one of which I won a Grammy for, but yet, nobody will give me a special. So, I’m hoping this tour makes my own industry. Money talks and BS walks. My sales are good, so I’m hoping at the end of this, somebody will go, she deserves another special. I don’t care where it lives. I just want to continue to make people laugh.
Stay up-to-date and connect with Griffin by following her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @KathyGriffin, or visit KathyGriffin.net. For more information and to purchase tickets for My Life on the PTSD List, visit ParkerPlayhouse.com.
