Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Blasphemy Time



This turns out to be my popular culture week. Kathy Griffin won an Emmy last weekend, but her acknowledgement speech will be censored. These bits will have bleep-outs:

In her speech, Griffin said that '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.'

She went on to hold up her Emmy, make an off-color remark about Christ and proclaim, 'This award is my god now!'

Bill Donohue of the Catholic League called this "'vulgar, in-your-face brand of hate speech" and the Catholic League also called Griffin's speech "blasphemous".

You know what? I think she was very funny. I'm sick to death of all those athletes and stars who thank God for winning an award or winning a game. Does their God really take sides on this level? Root for team A rather than team B, both consisting of His beloved children? And if God does not take sides this way, should the losers thank the Devil? Or rant at God's refusal to help them? It is all those uses of the "ThankYouGodForDoingMyBidding" that I see closer to blasphemy than Griffin's joke. And the joke was about that very aspect of taking the Lord's name in vain.