Andy DehnartEven though Kathy Griffin won her first Emmy over the weekend, she’ll still have something to talk about in her act. That’s because when the Creative Arts Emmys are broadcast Saturday on E!, her acceptance speech will be censored.
Upon winning this past Saturday, Kathy said, “Can you believe this shit? I guess hell froze over. … a lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. So, all I can say is, ‘suck it, Jesus.’ This award is my god now.”
In its story, the Associated Press would not reprint the “suck it, Jesus” line, instead reporting that Kathy “went on to hold up her Emmy, make an off-color remark about Christ.” According to the AP, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said in a statement, “Kathy Griffin’s offensive remarks will not be part of the E! telecast on Saturday night.”
In a statement Monday, Catholic League president Bill Donohue said, in part, “Griffin described herself as a ‘complete militant atheist.’ Unfortunately, her kind of vulgar in-your-face brand of hate speech found a receptive audience on Saturday: The Hollywood Reporter says her foul remark ‘drew laughs.’ It is incumbent upon Dick Askin, chairman and chief executive officer of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, to denounce Griffin’s obscene and blasphemous comment; a statement should also be read on Sunday. … It is sure bet that if Griffin had said, ‘Suck it, Muhammad,’ there would have been a very different reaction from the crowd and from the media who covered this event. To say nothing of the Muslim reaction.”