Im stephen sucker. Comedy is subversive. It finds laughter in dark and difficult places, but when it goes wrong things can get ugly. Kathy griffin is an american stand up comedian probably best known for being pictured last may Holding Donald trumps severed head in her hand. The trump head was fake, but the outrage was real, from the president , the tv network which fired her, the fbi which investigated her, and the public which heaped abuse on her head. What was, and is, Kathy Griffin thinking . Kathy griffin, welcome to hardtalk. Youll stand up so which you are taking around the world is funny and frank but to many people shocking and to some offensive. Do you carefully calculate how to offend . And to some offensive. Do you carefully calculate how to offend . |i do. Iam carefully calculate how to offend . |i do. I am an expert in offending people. I offended you in the dressing room because i cannot believe someone actually married you. Anyway, good luck to her. What i like to talk about in my head is talking about people saying it was a severed head. As if i went to the shop and bought one. I have no single day of paid work in my country because of the reaction. Lets start with the action. thought i was the guest. Lets start with the action of choosing to go into the photographers with that mask and the catch up. Tomato sauce. I have no say in the copyright of that photograph. Because i trusted him i kind of got screwed because he can make as much money from that image has it wants. Your epitaph may be about that moment. People at airports wanted to do it oppose like that. You must have known you were crossing a line. Yes, of course, that is a comedians job. I like to move it and then across. But we dont, what do we do . Makejokes across. But we dont, what do we do . Make jokes about the difference between puppies and kittens. There is never been a president that deserved to be shamed so much and the reason he had such as reaction, and his growing children. Lets stick with your thinking. As we tease out your career, it is important to understand how you make decisions. There you are with Donald Trumps had an you adopt a pose reminiscent of those so called Islamic State fighters. And also medusa. A lot of iconic imagery in comedy has been done. A movie with david spade, theres a scene where they roll meryl streep. Head down they roll meryl streep. Head down the bowling alley. None of this would have happened if donald trump did not get freaked out about a girl shaming him. A girl shamed did not get freaked out about a girl shaming him. A girlshamed him. Did not get freaked out about a girl shaming him. A girl shamed him. The beheading of the commander and chief and america has ideas about the security of its president. I cannot even count the lines you have crossed. When you talk about not being confused and clear about what you are doing, after this reaction, it you issued an apology. You are doing, after this reaction, it you issued an apologylj you are doing, after this reaction, it you issued an apology. I am not sorry. I take the apology back thousand . I made the apology because i thought people would think it is just the doing a shocking thing. One time i said suck it, jesus and conservatives were out in the paper and that it what they like to spend their time and money on. My good friend rosie odonnell, the pre eminent expert on being trolled by this accidental president , he has been trolling her 1a years, and she said, what if daniel pearls mother saw this. Said, what if daniel pearls mother saw this. Daniel pearl, the americanjournalist be saw this. Daniel pearl, the american journalist be headed saw this. Daniel pearl, the americanjournalist be headed in pakistan. When she said that, i said, oh, my gosh. I neverapologise for a joke but i get it. Number one, the apology was not enough the trump psycho still came out at me and he was happy to have the attention away from russia and all the other improprieties. When you say i went too far, i apologise and beg for forgiveness. It was a sincere at the moment. I am not worried about my career. I have two emmys. That is a website called tmz. Why it report those in real time. Tmz reported the cancellations of my american tour in real time. I want to point out i have been to iraq and afghanistan, has donald trump . I performed in a war zone so i know exactly what am doing and i more of a patriot benny is every day of the week. You seem to believe donald trump has organised to plot against you. You seem to be accusing him of being behind the secret service investigation. Department of justice. I am still on the interpol list. I have been detained in every single airport at this tour. And you seriously think President Trump, sitting there in the white house has time to say, lets get Kathy Griffin. Are you not aware of this guy . It is not govern. Gu find donald trump funny . guy . It is not govern. Gu find donald trump funny . I proud of this tour because i have had this donald trump for 20 years. I have known this orange full, the accidental president for so long. This guy shows to the opening of an envelope so shows to the opening of an envelope soi shows to the opening of an envelope so i have met him plenty of times. Once he turned to me and said, so, you are a female comedian, next thing you know we will want to vote. He is an idiot. Whether you like him 01 he is an idiot. Whether you like him or hate him he is an extraordinary president. Careful. Careful. What do you mean by extraordinary president . Whether going on stage and slapping him off is it actually comedy . I have personal experience within. My current show is notjust jokes about donald trump. I have had interactions with him. Now that he is accidentally the president through cheating etc, is sort of comical. It is frightening as a citizen but as a comedian with a goal mind. Before cnn, on nbc, as a throwaway someone said do you want to interview the trumps and i said, only melania. A two month taxpayer funded investigation which has never happened in the history of the United States so, if nothing else, respect the history of the fact that youre looking at the only woman, an american citizen which the entire white house, the department of justice and fox studio in the words of the little monster, we want to decimate Kathy Griffin it was unjust the threats to my mother, to my sister as she was dying of cancer, yes, it is a campaign and well documented. The fact that you lost your sister in the middle of all this. That is why i shake my head andi this. That is why i shake my head and i know i look like 11th from stranger things. Many of my friends we re stranger things. Many of my friends were dear balde dyke we died insta ntly sister. Were dear balde dyke we died instantly sister. This sounds like an incredibly painful moment. Ijust wonder, why on earth you are now back on the road doing stand up comedy, engaging with the very people he knew say tried to bring you down. You are still getting vile abuse on twitter because, frankly, you still engaged. Hang on, it is two ways. What comedians do not . Name one. The point is, what do you wa nt to name one. The point is, what do you want to play this game . They are playing with my life. He is trying to stop me from making a living. I wa nt to to stop me from making a living. I want to be a case study. I am clear, i want people colour, lgbt people to not go through this again. This should not happen to an american citizen. My point of doing this tour, believe it or not, it is not about me, i want younger people to look and say if they couldnt take that old bird down, they cannot take me down because this should not happen to an american citizen. Id be Death Threats continuing today . Yes. How do you handle them . I am all over the map. I will have days where i will be crying, days where i am justified. There is one which i read on stage. A lot of the trump fa ns read on stage. A lot of the trump fans are not into the grammar and it gets so crazy it is funny. One thing i have done my whole life, we like to ta ke i have done my whole life, we like to take something dark and difficult and spin it and spin it in the week and spin it and spin it in the week and make it funny and relatable. Sometimes i willjust read a death threat on stage and hopefully make hilarious comments. May show currently is different than my regular act because now it has a lady at tuitt that it never did and i got lady at tuitt that it never did and igota lady at tuitt that it never did and i got a standing ovation at the syd ney i got a standing ovation at the Sydney Opera House and trust me nobody in hollywood cares one bid. It seems to be in a position where you are bringing in big crowds in big arenas around the world and you cannot get a gig in the us. And no one will lift a finger. We will see, never say never but the point that no one will lift a finger hurts. I have never been more on my home and yet i have never had more fun with the material. We will get back to the material. We will get back to the way it so best works in the us because it raises questions but sticking to the personal for the moment. You talk about how you take the dark stuff and spin it around until it is comedic as well as painful but you do that to an extreme. You pick apart your life and some of the darkest corners in yourup ringing in and some of the darkest corners in your up ringing in a way that i cannot think of many other people would be able to do, including abusive behaviour inside your family. My brother is a paedophile. All the Harvey Weinstein things i am aware of certain triggers. I was sexually assaulted myself, twice, and frankly my narrative is a little bit more about ageism and misogyny and that is what i have experienced more than any other challenge. And that is what i have experienced more than any other challengem there not some stuff inside your family that fed them as much as you, it would be better not to put out their. No. I do it would be better not to put out their. No. Ido not it would be better not to put out their. No. I do not cover for paedophiles, even if he was my brother. The truth hurts. You have a paedophile in your family, brother. The truth hurts. You have a paedophile in yourfamily, you think it is not effective . He was never convicted. He did go to prison for other offences but he would talk to me about it in a way that was unbelievable so when you grow up like that, it turned me into the type of comedian, at the and thai airland type of comedian, at the and thai air land where my comedy is very down to less. Anti ellen. My audience is forward thinking people, people who cannot be shocked and thatis people who cannot be shocked and that is why i doing well here and overseas. Some authors find there are certain things they cannot write while their pa rents a re things they cannot write while their parents are still alive. Does your mother come and watch your show . Share me comes to senior los angeles, she wont get on a plane any more because she might get the runs. Look, that is how i was raised, she talks about getting the runs. Old people talk about their ailments a lot. Comedy, hasnt a lwa ys ailments a lot. Comedy, hasnt always been you, because you have a difficult up bringing and complicated life, hasnt always been a form of therapy . Let me be clear, my life now much more difficult in my life now much more difficult in my bringing. My up and in was on this typicalfor a my bringing. My up and in was on this typical for a comedian. My bringing. My up and in was on this typicalfor a comedian. Upbringing. But my journey this typicalfor a comedian. Upbringing. But myjourney now in my 40s, 50s, it has never been harder than now. That is why i am speaking out now. The people who kept me down, thejeff out now. The people who kept me down, the jeff zuckers of the world. Idid find down, the jeff zuckers of the world. I did find a half hours on cnn, the highest ratings in ten years, i am not a cnn employee. All those people who hate cnn or whatever, i worked there one night a year. And i got fired. Here is what i see is a paradox. You should see what happens when i tried to get a raise. I dare say many people watching this will have been there themselves. I dare say many people watching this will have been there themselveslj will have been there themselves. just want women to know, when Cheryl Sandberg says lingy and, in my case i fell sandberg says lingy and, in my case ifell on my face sandberg says lingy and, in my case i fell on my face and broke the nose. To her. Says lean in. I fell on my face and broke the nose. To her. Says lean in. Why do you continue, clearly, to have this drive and ambition to make it in showbiz . You have made it, you have 12 emmys. But you got so fired up have 12 emmys. But you got so fired up by have 12 emmys. But you got so fired up by the fact that cnn fired you. No, the cnn thing. Let me finish the question. You had showbiz in so many ways. How dare you, i love it you have talked about a business that has, over time, you have talked about a business that has, overtime, it you have talked about a business that has, over time, it encouraged, if not forced you to get cosmetic surgery, if not forced you to get cosmetic surgery, to get so sick with different forms of losing weight because of a particular way they wa nt because of a particular way they want women to look on screen. Two nosejobs, all want women to look on screen. Two nose jobs, all that. You took speed to lose weight. That isjust funny. I took speed back when it was called speckled eggs. I dont know if they even make those any more. But when i was 19, working in a shop, i took speed to try to be thin because i had so many agents say if i was then andi had so many agents say if i was then and i wasnt so ugly i might work. And i believe them at that age. Men, it has to be said, dont suffer in the same way. Ive never been told, god knows i probably need it, to get a head job or a facejob. And probably do not suffer the same way that women have these demands on them on screen, especially in the us. So why do you still want to do it . Firstly, i love it. I really love it. Thats weird. How can you say that . Nothing better than making people laugh. How can you love being ina people laugh. How can you love being in a business which objectified as you, demeans you, judges you on the things you do not regard truly important . Yet you love it . Because i think important . Yet you love it . Because ithinki important . Yet you love it . Because i think i have finally figured out a way to run it like a boss. I have all male employees. Every piece of material is mine. I do not have writers lack many other thing comedians. Like i have i have done 23 stand up comedy specials, and i just wanted to be in the guinness book of World Records for younger women do not have defied that stigma of women not being funny. Have to fight that stigma. I like to set these records are after im gone, young women can say maybe they have a shot. She did it, so i will try. It is not even just about the demands on looks and weight and everything else. It is also a basic sort of thing about money, isnt it . Of course. I would kill to make 80 cents on the dollar. When women say, making 80 cents on the dollar, in my business i make a nickel on the dollar. You think i make anywhere near my former grounding student will ferrell . I was his teacher. You think i make the same money as adam sandler . This is a quote from the recently. Im not saying there is in progress, but there is not a woman in hollywood who can really sign a cheque, for example, a woman rupert murdoch. What is going to change that . It and the people with the money and the power to get more women in those positions . First of all, women have to not be discouraged out of the business. One thing, obviously, people are talking about are the weinstein. One of the things that breaks my heart is all the women who either became addicted to drugs after being raped, how could you not, orjust left the business, how could you not. One thing i want to do is, stay in it. I am not going to let them wind. And luckily, like i said, when i do be vicar in dublin, when i do the palladium, it is two hours, sometimes longer, and i canjust breathe. And i love it. Im not a snob about comedy. I dont care if it isa snob about comedy. I dont care if it is a funny commercial, a funny sitcom, ive done it all. Ive done a reality show, a talk show. Any opportunity to make people laugh, i cherish it. You say, im not going to let them wind. In this conversation weve already acknowledged that right now your career in america is effectively over. You are not getting the live gigs. Over. You are not getting the live gigs, you are not getting the tv work. Do you even want to be in america animal . Yeah. It is my home. We will see what happens. Anything can happen. Im going to finish this tour, im going to go home, and i dont know whats going to happen. It is frightening to me, to not have, like they said, a day of paid work. And you should know, all the celebrities i make fun of, they a lwa ys celebrities i make fun of, they always committed host their charity gigs forfree, so always committed host their charity gigs for free, so they hate me until the free performer. Chelsea and sarah said no. Anyway, i love doing it and sarah said no. Anyway, i love doing itandi sarah said no. Anyway, i love doing it and i will keep doing it. Thank goodness stand up is the one thing that even a horrible man, and i could list the names right now, cant stop me from doing. Because as long as there is an audience and a mouth and a microphone, then i can do that. Thats what im doing now. Do you feel patriotic . do that. Thats what im doing now. Do you feel patriotic . I think, like isaid, you do you feel patriotic . I think, like i said, you dontjust go to afghanistan as your pager. You dont go do stand up in this pakistan and kuwait and iraq unless you a patriot. I am or pager at it than any of those nazi tom supporters. I think our president is a nazi. I think our president is a nazi. I think people should be frightened. I think people should be frightened. I think there is an actual nazi, or at least somewhat nazi leaning, in the white house. Wake up. We began the interview would you saying that sort of thing and we are ending the interview with that sort of thing. Because everybody is afraid to say it, especially the american journalists. The way that you say it, and the fact you are so determined to say it, suggests to me that you burn your bridges in america and networks who have to ensure that they sort of appeal to a wide range of different people across the nation are not going to put you on television. Are you nuts . Wait until i do the first thing that gets ratings. They will come running back. Thats all a care about. They care about. I do one thing that gets ratings, boom, they are back. Ive done it for times in my career. It isa ive done it for times in my career. It is a merry go round. Up and down, i learn so much from idea departed friend joa