Love Wrecked (also known as Temptation Island internationally)^[1] is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser and starring Amanda Bynes. It was originally produced as a feature film by Media 8 Entertainment, but ended up as an ABC Family television film. The Weinstein Company purchased the rights from Media 8 and, after several attempts at theatrical distribution in the U.S., finally sold the TV rights to the ABC Family Channel. The film premiered on television on January 21, 2007 and it currently can be seen on Lifetime Television in the United States.^[2] It is a romantic comedy about a girl getting stranded with a rock idol on a beach in the Dominican Republic.

Plot[link]

Jenny Taylor (Amanda Bynes) is a fan of Jason Masters (Chris Carmack), a world famous rock star, but her efforts to meet him are always thwarted by her nemesis, Alexis (Jamie-Lynn Sigler). Hoping to get another chance, Jenny takes a job in Masters' favorite Caribbean resort in St. Luchas with Ryan (Jonathan Bennett) her lifelong friend. She gets her chance by sneaking aboard a vessel Jason is on, but he is washed overboard in a storm while recovering from a bout of sea-sickness, and Jenny jumps in to save him. The pair find themselves stranded on a seemingly-deserted tropical island. Jenny discovers that they have landed a short distance from the resort, but instead of telling Jason the truth, she selfishly leads him believe they are stranded so she can make him fall in love with her. After she discovers Jenny's plan, a jealous Alexis pretends to be marooned as well and joins them.

As Jenny's plans fall apart, she begins to realize that her perfect love may have been with her all along - Ryan, whom she has always put off dating due to their friendship, has had a crush on her his whole life. While Ryan has been helping her by giving her things to survive on the island (like food and makeup), he has been seeking advice on asking her out. He completely transforms himself and when she sees him, all she talks about is Jason. Ryan starts to feel bad and begins to leave, but he stops the car midway, gets off and kisses her. He tells her they are perfect together and confesses he can't stop thinking about her, but Jenny protests that they are friends. Upon hearing this, he feels bad and leaves her standing alone as he gets into the car and tells her that he is going back home. She feels bad and goes and tells Jason everything (on the other side of the island) and he promises to sue her before leaving.

She is still on the other side of the island, when Ryan begins to pack his things and go back home. At that moment, the resort receives news that a storm is going to hit St. Luchas Puerto Plata on the side where Jenny is. Unaware of the news, Jenny sits on a branch when the storm hits. Upon hearing about the storm, Ryan rushes onto the other side to save her. When he reaches there, the storm has already hit, so he takes Jenny into the jungle separating the resort and the beach, and lights a fire to keep her warm. After this moment, Jenny realizes that he is the one that cares for her the most. She comes back to the resort with Ryan after the storm is over and sees that the whole resort is practically destroyed. When Jenny and Ryan reach the lobby, Jason and his manager pull her inside a room, where they tell her that they need her help and that they are holding a press conference to tell everyone about the case. When she is about to answer, Ryan bursts inside the room and tells Jason that whatever he does, he should not lose Jenny and that she will be the best girl Jason will ever meet.

After that he confesses his love for Jenny and then is forced/carried out by Jason's bodyguard Gail (Leonardo Cuesta). During the press conference, when Jenny sees Jason lying about everything that happened on the island, she just wants to get it over with. She tells them all that Alexis is his girlfriend and that they are going to get married, and declares to everyone that her real boyfriend is Ryan and then walks up to him and kisses him after both exchange words. Then we see them walking down the resort and dancing. The movie ends with Jason in concert, unhappily dedicating a song to his wife, Alexis.

Release[link]

A Director's Cut was premiered in 2005 at the Dominican Republic International Film Festival held in Cofresi Beach where the film was shot. Lovewrecked was cut and released three times to tone down content:

• 2005: Theatrical rating - PG-13 for Sexual References.
• 2006: Re-rating - PG for Sensuality, Crude Humor and Language.^[3]
• 2007: The original U.S. theatrical version of the film received a PG rating from the British Board of Film Classification for "mild language, sex references and comic violence".^[4] It later played on UK's Sky movie channel.

The film was shortened as Randal Kleiser wanted to target the film toward more family audiences than teenager audiences.

The Region 1 DVD was released on March 13, 2007.^[5] The Region 2 DVD was released on September 17, 2007,^[6] and was the 4th bestselling DVD in it first week.^[7] In the UK, Lovewrecked was the first film released by Delanic Films,^[8] and was released on May 18, 2007.^[6] The film opened at no. 6 on the UK box office chart^[8] at 235 screens,^[7] and grossed £600,000.^[9]

Reception[link]

Lovewrecked received generally negative reviews. On its Rotten Tomatoes listing, 17% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 6 reviews.^[10] Christopher Null of FilmCritic gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, stating that "Bynes has made far better films".^[11] Brian Orndorf of DVD Talk said that "Lovewrecked seems like such innocent fun until the tale drains of excitement and the Bynes batteries begin to wear down".^[12]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Lovewrecked at the Internet Movie Database
• Lovewrecked at Rotten Tomatoes
• Lovewrecked on Myspace

Official websites[link]

• Media8 official website
• Official German website

Amanda Bynes
Bynes at The Heart's Truth Red Dress Collection Fashion Show (February 13, 2009)
Born	Amanda Laura Bynes (1986-04-03) April 3, 1986 (age 26) Thousand Oaks, California, United States
Occupation	Actress, comedian, singer, fashion designer
Years active	1993–present

Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986)^[1] is an American actress, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You. She transitioned to a film career, starring in several films aimed at teenage audiences, including What a Girl Wants (2003), Love Wrecked (2005), She's the Man (2006), Hairspray (2007), Sydney White (2007) and Easy A (2010).

She was named one of Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars Under 25" in 2006,^[2] and in 2007, Forbes listed her as the fifth highest paid celebrity under 21, with earnings of $2.5 million.^[3]

Early life[link]

Bynes was born and raised in Thousand Oaks, California, the youngest of three children to Lynn (née Organ), a dental assistant and office manager, and Rick Bynes, a dentist who also practiced stand-up comedy.^[4] Bynes has two older siblings, Tommy (born 1973), a chiropractor, and Jillian (born 1983), who has a B.A. in History from UCLA and has also acted.^[5] Bynes' ancestors immigrated from Ireland, Poland, Russia, and Romania,^[6][7] and her maternal grandparents are from Toronto, Ontario.^[8] Her father is Catholic and her mother is Jewish. Bynes has described herself as Jewish;^[9][10][11] regarding her religious beliefs, Bynes had stated: "As far as religion, I was raised both. I learned about both Judaism and Catholicism. My parents said it was up to me to decide [which faith to adhere to] when I grew up. I'm sort of a spiritual person anyway. I haven't decided yet on a religion. I don't know yet exactly what I believe."^[12]

Career[link]

Acting[link]

In 1993, Bynes attended a comedy camp, and began professionally acting at the age of seven, appearing in a television advertisement for Buncha Crunch candies.^[13] During her childhood, she also appeared on stage in versions of Annie, The Secret Garden, The Music Man, and The Sound of Music.^[14] Bynes became a regular cast member of Nickelodeon's Figure It Out and All That. She was a regular cast member on All That for seasons three through six. She also starred in her own sketch comedy show, The Amanda Show (1999–2002).

Bynes made her film debut in 2002's modest box office success, Big Fat Liar. Her first leading role was in 2003's What a Girl Wants, co-starring with Colin Firth, Oliver James, and Kelly Preston. From 2002 to 2006, Bynes starred alongside Jennie Garth in The WB Television Network's sitcom What I Like About You. Bynes had voice parts in 2003's Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure and 2005's CGI animated comedy, Robots. She co-starred in Arliss as Crystal Dupree. Bynes appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's July 2003 edition with nine of Hollywood's other young female stars.^[15][16]

Bynes at the premiere of Robots, March 2005

In 2006, Bynes starred in She's the Man, a comedy based on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.^[17] Bynes appeared in another romantic comedy, Lovewrecked, which was shot before She's the Man but released after it, showing in cinemas outside of the United States in 2005 and 2006 and debuting in the U.S. on the ABC Family network on January 21, 2007. She also portrays Penny Pingleton in Hairspray. Bynes next starred in another comedy, Sydney White, released on September 21, 2007.^[18][19]

In 2008, Bynes appeared in the Lifetime Television movie Living Proof as the student assistant of Harry Connick, Jr.'s character.^[20] Bynes was also originally set to star as Ryden Malby in the 2009 comedy Post Grad, but was replaced by Alexis Bledel.^[21]

In June 2009, Bynes inked a two picture deal with Screen Gems. The first of the two movies was the 2010 teen comedy Easy A, starring Emma Stone and Lisa Kudrow, and the second was to have been a starring role.^[22] Bynes also planned to reprise her role as Penny Pingleton in the sequel to Hairspray.^[23] However, Hairspray 2 was canceled.

In June 2010, Bynes stated that she planned to retire from acting, announcing on her Twitter page, "I don’t love acting anymore, so I’ve stopped doing it."^[24] A month later, Bynes had an apparent change of heart and "unretired".^[25] At the 2011 MTV Movie Awards, Bynes told People Magazine that she's merely taking "time off." ^[26]

Fashion[link]

In 2007, Bynes signed a five-year deal with Steve & Barry's to create her own fashion line, Dear, consisting of apparel and accessories. The clothing line launched in stores August 16, 2007. The line was cut short when Steve & Barry's filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008 and went out of business completely in January 2009.^[27]

Bynes appeared in lingerie on the cover of the February 2010 issue of Maxim magazine.^[28]

Personal life[link]

Bynes started out at University Elementary, and later graduated from Thousand Oaks High School's independent study program (though she attended La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks for some time). She has expressed a desire to attend New York University in the near future. She briefly moved into an apartment in Hollywood, California, but has since returned to her family home in Thousand Oaks.^[29] Bynes is interested in drawing and fashion design, having commented that she is "the girl whose biggest nightmare would be to lose my makeup bag while traveling."^[16]

In 2007, Bynes spoke out against becoming another wild Hollywood star: "I think I’ll go out as much as I’ve ever gone out... which is not a lot. I like to dance and stuff, but drinking isn’t good for you in every way. It’s not good for your skin; it makes you feel horrible. So, drinking-wise, no".^[30] She restated these ideas in interviews throughout the summer of 2007, telling Access Hollywood: "I like being with my family and friends, and I don't need to be out at the clubs."^[31] In an interview in December 2007, Bynes described how her parents taught her about alcohol.^[32]

Bynes has since stated that she is "reevaluating" how to spend her social time. In the January 2009 issue of Cosmopolitan, she stated: "I used to be known as the girl who was anti the club scene. But I'm finding a balance. I can have a drink and dance if I want. You have to go out to meet people and guys. I'm in that phase where I just want to have fun."

Bynes appeared in lingerie on the cover of the February 2010 issue of Maxim magazine, highlighting her photo spread inside. She stated "I think every shot ... was sexy" and that the new look is "who I am."^[33]

Legal problems[link]

On April 6, 2012, Bynes was arrested and charged with DUI after side-swiping a police car in West Hollywood at 3:00 am. Her bail was set at US$5,000 but she was released without requiring to post bail.^[34] Bynes's father, Rick, told People Magazine on April 9 that Amanda does not drink and that she was arrested because "she was upset and emotional."^[35] Bynes had previously been stopped by the L.A.P.D. for talking on her cellphone while driving on March 7, 2012.

Filmography[link]

Feature films[link]

Television[link]

Discography[link]

Soundtracks

• 2007: Hairspray: Soundtrack to the Motion Picture

Singles or Songs

• 2007: "Without Love" (Hairspray)
• 2007: "You Can't Stop the Beat" (Hairspray)

Awards[link]

Bynes won Blimp awards at the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards four years in a row, from 2000 to 2003 for Favorite Television Actress in 2000 for All That, Favorite Television Actress in 2001 to 2003 for The Amanda Show as well as the following year(A Record Tied with Selena Gomez). In 2003 she also received the award for Favorite Movie Actress for Big Fat Liar and won another award in 2004 for Favorite Movie Actress for What a Girl Wants.^[36] Bynes also was a part of the Hairspray ensemble win at the 2008 Critics' Choice Awards.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amanda Bynes

• Amanda Bynes at the Internet Movie Database
• Amanda Bynes at AllRovi
• Amanda Bynes on Twitter
• AmandaPlease.com Official website for The Amanda Show

Jenny Ryan is a Scottish actress.

She is probably best known for playing Tina Hunter in the popular BBC Scotland soap opera River City.

Jenny is now playing the character of Michelle in the new Scottish comedy programme, Dear Green Place.

She also appeared in the sixth episode of series two of Dan Clark's sitcom How Not to Live Your Life.

Radio[link]

External links[link]

• Jenny Ryan (I) at the Internet Movie Database
• River City

This biographical article related to Scottish television people is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article about a Scottish actor or actress is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Kathy Griffin
Griffin at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	Kathleen Mary Griffin (1960-11-04) November 4, 1960 (age 51) Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, comedian, writer, producer
Years active	1978–present
Spouse	Matt Moline (2001–2006)

Kathleen Mary "Kathy" Griffin (born November 4, 1960) is an American actress, comedian, model, writer and producer. Born in Oak Park, Illinois, she moved to Los Angeles in 1978, where she studied drama at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and became a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings. In the 1990s, Griffin began performing as a stand-up and also appeared as a guest star on several television shows. She achieved recognition in a supporting role on the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan (1996–2000).

Her breakthrough came on the Bravo reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (2005–2010), which became a ratings hit for the network and earned her two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Reality Program. Griffin has released four comedy albums, with all of them receiving Grammy Award nominations. Her first album, For Your Consideration (2008), made her the first female comedian to debut atop of the Billboard Top Comedy Albums chart. In 2009, she released her autobiography Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin, which topped The New York Times Best Seller list. Griffin has also taped stand-up specials with HBO and Bravo.

Griffin is an LGBT activist involved in causes such as same-sex marriage and the repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell". She has also participated in two USO tours. Influenced by acts such as Joan Rivers and Don Rickles, Griffin is known for her conversational style and controversial statements on pop culture, religion and sexuality. She is recognized as one of the top female comedians in the United States. In 2011, she became the first comedian to have four television specials in a year.

Early life[link]

Kathleen Mary Griffin was born in Oak Park, Illinois on November 4, 1960.^[1] Her mother, Mary Margaret "Maggie" (née Corbally), and her father, John Patrick Griffin, were first-generation Irish Americans.^[2][3] Maggie worked as a cashier in the Oak Park Hospital.^[4] The last of five children, her siblings are Kenny, Joyce, Gary, and John.^[1] Griffin described herself during her early years as "a kid who needed to talk, all the time".^[2] She would often visit her neighbors, the Bowens, to tell them stories about her family; she has referred to these visits as her first live shows and the place where she learned "the power of juicy material".^[5] When most of her siblings moved, Griffin often spent hours alone in the house, and she developed a binge eating disorder. She explained that even though eating disorders were not very well known at that time, she knew that her eating behavior was aberrant and always threw the garbage away in the neighbor's can.^[6] In her 2009 autobiography Official Book Club Selection, Griffin confessed that she "still suffers [from food issues]" but has learned to "deal with them".^[7]

As a young girl Griffin attended St. Bernadine's Elementary School, and began to develop a dislike for organized religion due to the punishments of the nuns towards her and other "vulnerable" students.^[8] After graduation, she attended Oak Park and River Forest High School and sought refuge in musical theatre, playing roles such as Rosemary on How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof.^[9] During her senior year she began arguing with her parents, who wanted her to attend college, because she wanted to become a professional actress. Her first appearance on television was as an extra on a Chicago White Sox commercial, and she was signed with different Chicago talent agencies. At age eighteen, Griffin convinced her parents to move to Los Angeles to help her become famous.^[10]

At age nineteen, Griffin attended a show of the California-based improvisational group The Groundlings. She said, "I thought. This is where I want to be. This is the greatest thing in the world." After the show ended, she went backstage and asked member Phil Hartman about it.^[11]

Career[link]

Stand-up comedy, TV, and film[link]

This section of a biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2008)

Griffin began performing in the early 1980s in the Los Angeles improv comedy troupe The Groundlings. In an E! True Hollywood Story segment, she stated that she often went to see the Groundlings perform before she joined. She said that, at one show, she went backstage and talked with Groundling member Phil Hartman and asked him what the group was all about. Struggling to make it in the Los Angeles acting scene, she joined the troupe after a failed audition for the lead role in the film version of Harriet the Spy. This led to her taking classes there and eventually being asked into the group's main company. When she attended The Groundlings, she became best friends with the late Judy Toll, who is mentioned in Griffin's book.

She went on to perform stand-up comedy and became part of the burgeoning alternative comedy scene in Los Angeles, appearing at Un-Cabaret and her own show "Hot Cup of Talk",^[12] later the title of Griffin's 1998 solo HBO special.

Griffin made an appearance in Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction, as a pedestrian coming to the aid of Marcellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) after he is hit by a car driven by Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis).

She broke into film with the supporting role of Connie in the horror film The Unborn, starring Brooke Adams.

Griffin gradually amassed such TV and film credits as a role in comedian Julie Brown's Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful, a Showtime parody of the 1991 Madonna film Truth or Dare; two appearances as the character Susan Klein, a reporter, on NBC's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, her TV sitcom debut; fellow comic Bob Goldthwait's film Shakes the Clown; as the enthusiastic leader of a fanatical car club on the Ellen episode "Oh, Sweet Rapture", airing in January 1996; starring in a dual-role in a seventh season episode of The X-Files, and an episode of ABC's divorce-attorney series Civil Wars, Griffin's dramatic-series debut. In addition, she appeared on Ugly Betty as a fashion channel reporter.

After starring in an HBO Half Hour Comedy Special, Griffin had her first consistent public exposure in 1996, when she was cast as the acerbic colleague of Brooke Shields' title character on the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan. In 1998, Griffin starred in her first one-hour special, HBO's Kathy Griffin: A Hot Cup of Talk. She honed a comedy and television career that poked fun at her relatively modest place in the Hollywood hierarchy in a self-deprecating manner. She frequently appears in such self-consciously tacky projects as the reality show competition Celebrity Mole Hawaii, in which she won the 2003 edition after undergoing such experiences as walking over hot lava with her bare feet. She identifies her victory as the moment she became a "D-list" celebrity.

Griffin performing stand up in Las Vegas, 2008

Griffin also has a secondary career in voiceover work and has been featured on a variety of projects such as the animated series Dilbert and Spider-Man: The New Animated Series.

Griffin's TV production company is called Inappropriate Laughter, a reference to her sometimes shocking form of humor.

In 2000, she appeared in Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady" music video as a nurse.

On June 12, 2008, Griffin hosted the first ever Bravo! A-List Awards. Included in the show was a scene where Griffin mimicked a "wardrobe malfunction" (referring to the infamous Janet Jackson Super Bowl halftime show controversy in 2004). She also hosted the 2009 Bravo A-List Awards, which aired on April 15, 2009 and her Bravo special Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut a Bitch, taped on March 4, 2009 in Portland, Oregon, aired beforehand. Shout! Factory released an extended version of the show on DVD in early 2010.^[13]

On September 8, 2009, Ballantine Books published Griffin's memoir, titled Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin. The book debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. A week prior, she released her second comedy album, Suckin' It for the Holidays. It is the comedian's second bid to win a Grammy Award.^[14][15]

It was announced on November 3, 2009, that Griffin was to host ABC's new show Let's Dance, which was supposed to premiere immediately after the finale of Dancing with the Stars on November 23. On the show, celebrity contestants would have re-enacted famous routines from past music videos, movies, and musicals, while competing for a $250,000 grand prize for their favorite charity.^[16] However, the show never aired.

Griffin hosted CNN's New Year's Eve Broadcast on December 31, 2009, along with Anderson Cooper. As Cooper talked about the Balloon boy hoax, Griffin said the word "fucking" while making fun of the pronunciation of Falcon Heene, the six-year-old boy who was said to have been trapped in the balloon.^[17] Although Griffin was rumored to be banned from future CNN broadcasts,^[18] she co-hosted the show again with Cooper, on December 31, 2010 and 2011.^[19]

Griffin has also guest-starred in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, playing a lesbian activist.^[20]

Since the 2008 presidential election Griffin has made frequent jokes about the Palin family. Shots at Sarah Palin, her husband Todd Palin, and their eldest daughter Bristol Palin have garnered cheers but also boos.^[21] Griffin parodied Palin in Glee, wearing a red power-suit and wide-rimmed glasses, posing as a judge at the regionals singing competition. Griffin also poked fun at Christine O'Donnell in the show by stating "Before we start, I would like to say I am not a witch."^[22][23]

On March 15, 2011, Griffin had a guest starring role on Glee in the episode "Original Song" as a Regionals competition judge, "Twitterer and former Tea Party candidate" Tammy Jean Albertson. Her character complained about a duet of Hey Monday's "Candles" between two young men, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson, and automatically accused their school, Dalton Academy, of being a "gay school". She also remarks that the show's primary Glee club's, New Directions, performance of "Loser Like Me" was disgraceful because "when I lost the election, I didn't sing about being a loser, I twittered that Obama is a terrorist"; this remark almost started an argument between her and fellow judge Sister Mary Constance (Loretta Devine). On January 7, 2012, it was announced that—along with having two more stand-up specials on Bravo—Griffin will start a weekly one-hour talk show on the channel, Kathy, which will consist of stand-up routines, "rant about pop culture" and celebrity interviews.^[24] The first show aired on April 17, 2012 on Bravo.

[edit] Guest co-host of The View

Kathy Griffin served as the unofficial guest co-host of The View from May 2007 to September 2007, and was considered to join the panel as a replacement for the recently departed Rosie O'Donnell.^[25][26] However, Whoopi Goldberg was ultimately selected as the permanent replacement. On September 10, 2007, Sherri Shepherd took over the remaining co-host spot that had been vacant since Star Jones's departure. Walters stated that she was worried about hiring another loose cannon after the troubles with O'Donnell.

Griffin divulged in her stand-up that she is now banned from The View after talking about the gig on her televised comedy special, Kathy Griffin: Straight to Hell.^[27] While declining to discuss the ban on Access Hollywood,^[28] during the filming of an episode for My Life on the D-List with former View co-host/moderator Rosie O'Donnell, Griffin did talk about the ban, specifically targeting View executive producer Bill Geddie. Griffin has also been mentioned as a possible replacement for Walters in the event she departs the show. As of August 2009, Griffin had been un-banned from The View and was a guest on September 18, 2009, and June 15, 2010. However, in an interview on The Talk, Griffin has stated she has been re-banned from The View,^[29] due to an argument with View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck.^[30]

[edit] Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List

Emmy Awards controversy[link]

Kathy Griffin, Michael McDonald and Karri Turner perform an improv skit for soldiers and airmen in Tikrit, Iraq, March 17, 2006.

The second season, which premiered on June 6, 2006, brought Griffin the 2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program, non-competition, on September 8, 2007. She received it during the Creative Arts Emmy, which was hosted by Carlos Mencia and aired on E! on September 15. Griffin stirred up controversy with her acceptance speech, saying,

Griffin later explained that she meant this remark not as a slight on Jesus, but rather as a satire of celebrities who thank Jesus profusely and nonsensically for their awards, especially artists who themselves are controversial in their speech and actions.^[32]

Her remarks were quickly condemned by the Catholic League which urged the academy to "denounce Griffin's obscene and blasphemous comment."^[33] The Academy said that her "offensive remarks will not be part of the E! telecast on Saturday night".^[34] Griffin later responded, "Am I the only Catholic left with a sense of humor?"^[35] Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly called Griffin a "pinhead" for her remark, which Griffin considered a "badge of honor."^[36][37]

Style of humor[link]

Griffin developed her love for popular culture through her immediate and extended family, who were always commenting about the latest news. She explained that "I may have been into The Brady Bunch like every other kid, but I also wanted to watch John Lennon and Yoko Ono on The Dick Cavett Show, and every minute of the Watergate hearings. It was fear of the dinner table that got me hooked."^[38] She has also named her mother Maggie as influential in her consumption of pop culture, calling her "the ideal audience for the Hollywood dish."^[8] Griffin has also named the character of Rhoda Morgenstern of 1970s sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show as an influence, saying,^[39]

"...[The Mary Tyler Moore Show] gave me the first inkling of what place I could have in the entertainment world. [...] But when Rhoda burst through the door in her Gypsy headscarf, billowy caftan, and hilariously abrasive delivery, I was like, 'Who is that? Oh my God!' That’s when I fell in love with wanting to be the sidekick. Everything out of her mouth was hysterical, yet she was vulnerable and human. I remember my family fell in love with her, too. That’s who I wanted to be. She had all the jokes."^[9]

While Griffin established her career with candid observations about everyday life and her dating experiences, later focusing on mainly mocking celebrities, her act currently consists of recounting embellished stories involving celebrities. Though her humor may be wicked, Griffin hopes people understand that no malice is intended by it. "I'm genuinely a fan of most of the people I trash in the act," said Griffin in an interview. "I really, really try and focus on making fun of people for their behavior. I'm not so into making fun of someone for the way they look, or something that's out of their control."^[40] Her favorite celebrity topics are plastic surgery, Scientology, drunkenness, substance abuse, snooty attitudes, eating disorders, and stars whose sexual orientation is disputed. Among Griffin's staples are Paris Hilton, Clay Aiken, Barbara Walters, Whitney Houston, Larry David, Celine Dion, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jerry Seinfeld, Star Jones, Paula Abdul, Sharon Stone, Oprah Winfrey, Britney Spears, Ryan Seacrest, Lindsay Lohan, Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus, Bravo's Real Housewives, Kirstie Alley, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Uma Thurman and Renée Zellweger.

Griffin is sometimes the object of her own humor, particularly with regard to her D-list status. While Griffin paints herself as a Hollywood outsider, she has a group of close celebrity friends such as Rosie O'Donnell, Joan Rivers, Jerry Seinfeld, Gloria Estefan, Whoopi Goldberg, Jennifer Coolidge, Rachel True, Larry David, Ricky Gervais, Anderson Cooper, Cher and Lance Bass. Griffin's longtime friendship with Bass was the catalyst for a feud between her and gossip blogger Perez Hilton, in which Griffin expressed anger over Hilton's "outing" of Bass on his website, calling Hilton's attacks on Bass "mean" and "unfunny".^[41][42] Hilton responded by saying that Griffin's anger was hypocritical, considering all of the gay jokes she makes about Clay Aiken in her stand-up routines.^[41] In 2007, Griffin commented on her aversion to making fun of celebrity friends by saying, "There's nothing I won't do, but on the other hand I'm full of shit because that changes. For example, you know Lance Bass from 'N Sync and how he's gay now? All those years that I knew he was gay, he and I were friends, I would never say, 'Hey, by the way, did you know that Lance Bass is gay?'"^[43] Griffin and Hilton ended their feud after the death of Griffin's father, and Hilton appeared on an episode of her show in 2007.^[42] Yet in July 2008, he asserted that Griffin's assistant Jessica Zajicek had quit because she could not take Griffin's now hectic career. Griffin dismissed these statements as false as Zajicek is still working for Griffin.^[44] However, the season premier of The D-List depicted that Zajicek was no longer working for Griffin; Griffin explained early in the episode that Zajicek "has decided to move on".^[45]

Griffin at the red carpet of the VH1 Divas Awards in 2009.

Her style has led to a number of controversies. Although some talk show hosts welcome her humor on their programs such as Craig Kilborn, Bill Maher and Howard Stern (who she credits with giving her a "straight fanbase"), Griffin has claimed to be banned from appearing on several TV shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The View. She recently^[when?] got rebanned from The View because of a joke she made about Barbara Walters. She says Ellen's producers told her they cannot have her on "trashing celebrities,"^[46] but she appeared as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on September 11, 2007.^[47] One of the most notable controversies occurred when she made a joke during a 2005 E! televised event that the child actress Dakota Fanning, then age 11, had entered rehab.^[48] This incident got Griffin fired from hosting duties on E!'s red-carpet award show coverage. Nevertheless, E! purchased rights to air My Life on the D-List for its British channel, a fact she noted in an episode of season 3.

In a July 2009 episode of My Life on the D-List, after using profanity in an Octomom joke during her routine at New York's legendary Apollo Theatre, Griffin claimed that she received a letter banning her from the venue.^[49]

Griffin has claimed to have been fired from an appearance on the show Hannah Montana, on account of her Emmy acceptance speech. According to Griffin "the instructions literally came down, 'We don't want her anywhere near the building.'"^[50] Griffin hit back in her comedy act joking that Miley Cyrus "...has been flashing her green bra and posing topless."^[51]

LGBT rights and political advocacy[link]

Kathy Griffin arriving at the rally to Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (Freedom Plaza, Washington, D.C.).

Griffin is an outspoken supporter for LGBT rights, including same-sex marriage.^[52][53] She has protested with fellow proponents in West Hollywood, California,^[54] and showcased the footage of such protests on her reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. Her mother Maggie Griffin is also a supporter of LGBT rights and is seen in Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List protesting alongside her daughter. Prior to the Proposition 8 ballot results, Griffin volunteered for the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center’s "Vote for Equality" campaign, going door-to-door asking Los Angeles residents for their opinion of LGBT marriage rights.^[55]

In March 2010, Griffin helped organize a rally in Washington DC to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." She stated that she organized the rally after meeting with several closeted gay people serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Griffin held meetings with several Members of Congress to encourage its repeal; she also organized a rally in Freedom Plaza.^[56][57]

Griffin caused controversy when she confronted Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann over her anti-gay views at the 2010 Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Dinner, while in town for her rally against DADT. According to Griffin, she asked Bachmann "if she was naturally a bigot or if that's just the way she legislates." Griffin claimed that Bachmann replied by saying, "That's a good question, I'll have to think about it." Bachmann's office confirmed the exchange but claimed that Griffin confronted Bachmann after Bachmann approached Griffin to compliment her appearance.^[58][59]

Griffin has been a long-time supporter of the Aid For AIDS annual fundraiser, Best In Drag Show in Los Angeles, and hosted the opening of the show for more than five years.^[60] In November 2009, Aid For AIDS presented Kathy Griffin with an AFA Angel Award at their silver anniversary celebration.^[60][61]

Griffin has been a long-time critic of Sarah Palin, and has made fun of Palin's daughter, Bristol Palin, using the Palin family as material in her comedy routines.^[62] In March 2011, Sarah Palin responded to Griffin by calling her a "bully." Palin went on to dare Griffin to "come up to Alaska and pick on me."^[63] In connection with her reality TV show, Griffin visited the Palin family home in Wasilla and invited Palin to attend her stand-up show in Anchorage.^[64] Griffin has also poked fun at Willow Palin. Although Willow Palin is a minor, Griffin stated that she poked fun at Willow as a result of her repeated anti-gay slurs and use of the word "faggot" on Facebook.^[65]

Personal life[link]

Griffin describes herself as a "militant atheist".^[66] While in high school, she fell away from the Roman Catholic Church and wanted to become a Unitarian. Said Griffin: "I'm not really sure what that is, but it sounds better."^[66] In a 2006 interview, Griffin said she does not drink alcohol.^[67]

She is an outspoken opponent of LASIK eye surgery, having endured a series of operations for her own eyesight that left her partially blind in one eye with a visible eyeball deformity.^[68] She is open about her multiple plastic surgeries, and jokes that fat "was donated to a soup kitchen" after her liposuction procedure.

Her father, John Patrick Griffin, died of heart failure on February 17, 2007 during the shooting of the third season of her reality show; he was 90 years old. The episode related to his death aired on June 19, 2007.

She placed 17th on Oxygen's 2007 list of "The 50 Funniest Women Alive".^[69]

Marriage and relationships[link]

Griffin and Jim Weiskopf of the Fisher House Foundation during her visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in April 2008.

Griffin married Washington, D.C. native Matt Moline on February 18, 2001, atop the 360 Degree Restaurant in Hollywood. ABC News reported that she walked down the aisle to the strains of 1980s power ballad "Sister Christian" by Night Ranger. Her maid of honor was Brooke Shields; and the wedding was attended by, among others, Camryn Manheim, Bill Maher, James Williams, and Jane Krakowski.

Griffin and Moline appeared to have a loving and supportive relationship on her reality show, but there were problems beneath the surface. After briefly separating and reconciling in 2005, they divorced in May 2006. Griffin had her tattooed wedding ring laser-removed after her divorce.^[70] On Larry King Live, Griffin accused her husband of stealing $72,000 from her. In a written statement, he declined to respond to the allegations publicly but stated that he was saddened by accusations.^[71][72]

Since July 2007, rumors had circulated that Griffin had been dating Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.^[73] They attended the 2007 Emmy Awards together, and speculations arose when the two were interviewed together on the red carpet.^[74] On September 18, 2007, Us Weekly reported that Griffin and Wozniak were engaged; however, neither Griffin nor Wozniak confirmed the rumor.^[75] During a January 2008 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Griffin confirmed that Wozniak will be a regular guest on the fourth season of her reality show.^[76] On Tom Green's House Tonight on February 6, Griffin confirmed her relationship with Wozniak. When asked if she actually targeted Wozniak to make her ex-husband jealous, Griffin stated "What better way to get back at my ex, who was a tech, than to marry the biggest techno-nerd in the Universe?" Wozniak and Griffin served as King and Queen of the Humane Society of Silicon Valley Fur Ball on April 5, 2008, in Santa Clara, California, and scenes for the fourth season of My Life on the D-List were taped.^[77] However, as of June 2008, it was confirmed that Griffin and Wozniak are no longer dating and have decided to remain friends.^[78]

On August 9, 2009, she attended the Teen Choice Awards with Levi Johnston^[79] and subsequently interviewed him in her role as guest host on Larry King Live. In the interview, Griffin and Johnston joked that they were in a serious relationship.^[80]

On March 7, 2011, while appearing on Howard Stern's radio show, Griffin announced that she is currently romantically involved with actor and former NFL practice-squad player Isaiah Mustafa. Since then Mustafa has announced that he is in fact single, though he admitted to finding Griffin "amazing".^[81] In the same interview, Griffin also stated that the previous July, she had ended a private romantic relationship that had lasted four years with a man whom she did not publicly identify, only saying that he was "a regular guy with a regular job," and that it was a "messy breakup".^[82]

Filmography[link]

Stand-up specials[link]

• HBO Comedy Half-Hour (1996)^[86]
• Kathy Griffin: Hot Cup of Talk (1998)^[87]
• Kathy Griffin: The D-List (2004)
• Kathy Griffin: Allegedly (2004)
• Kathy Griffin Is... Not Nicole Kidman (2005)
• Kathy Griffin: Strong Black Woman (2006)
• Kathy Griffin: Everybody Can Suck It (2007)
• Kathy Griffin: Straight To Hell (2007)
• Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut A Bitch (2009)
• Kathy Griffin: Balls Of Steel (2009)
• Kathy Griffin Does the Bible Belt (2010)^[88]
• Kathy Griffin: Whores on Crutches (2010)
• Kathy Griffin: 50 and Not Pregnant (2011)
• Kathy Griffin: Gurrl Down! (2011)
• Kathy Griffin: Pants Off (2011)^[89]
• Kathy Griffin: Tired Hooker (2011)^[90]

Discography[link]

On June 10, 2008, Griffin released a comedy CD titled For Your Consideration.^[91] It is Griffin's first audio-only release of her stand-up material.^{[citation needed]} The disc was recorded at the ETK Theatre at the Grand Theatre Center For The Arts in Tracy, California on February 17, 2008.^[92] Included on the disc are her takes on various celebrities and her personal life. Griffin stated that she decided to release this CD to try to win a Grammy award.^[92] On December 3, 2008, Griffin was nominated for a Grammy for Best Comedy Album. However, she lost to George Carlin's It's Bad for Ya.

On August 25, 2009, Griffin released a second comedy album, Suckin' It for the Holidays, in another bid for a Grammy. The album was initially released as a digital download and retail released on November 3, 2009. Despite the album's holiday title, it contains little holiday-related content, and it just barely made the nominations cut-off.^[93] On December 2, 2009 it was nominated for Best Comedy Album, making it Griffin's second Grammy nomination.

Griffin received her third Grammy nomination for "Kathy Griffin does the Bible Belt".^[94]

Awards and nominations[link]

Primetime Emmy Awards

Grammy Awards

GLAAD Media Awards

PGA Awards

Gracie Awards

References[link]

• Griffin, Kathy (2010). Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin (paperback ed.). Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-51856-9. 

Notes[link]