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Seaman (matelot) of the French frigate Jean Bart

Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the navy, followed by able seaman and leading seaman, and followed by the petty officer ranks.

In the United States, it means the lowest three enlisted rates of the U.S. Navy, followed by the higher petty officer ranks. The equivalent of the seaman, in French-speaking countries, is the matelot.^[1]

The term "seaman" is also a general-purpose for a man or a woman who works anywhere on board a modern ship, including in the engine spaces, which is the very opposite of sailing. Furthermore, "seaman" is a short form for the status of an "able-bodied seaman", either in the navies or in the merchant marines. An able-bodied seaman is one who is fully trained and qualified to work on the decks and superstructure of modern ships, even during foul weather,^[2] whereas less-qualified sailors are restricted to remaining within the ship during times of foul weather — lest they be swept overboard by the stormy seas or by the high winds.

Canada[link]

There are 4 grades of seaman/matelot in the Royal Canadian Navy:

The rank of master seaman is unique because it was created only for the Canadian Navy. It does not follow the British tradition of other Canadian ranks. It corresponds to the rank of master corporal/caporal-chef.

France[link]

Matelot 2e classe (seaman 2nd class), or apprentice seaman, and matelot breveté (able seaman) are designations of the French Navy. Matelots are colloquially known as "mousses".

United Kingdom[link]

In the Royal Navy the rate is split into two divisions: AB1 and AB2. The AB2 rating is used for those who have not yet completed their professional taskbooks. The rate of ordinary seaman has been discontinued.

United States[link]

Seaman is the third enlisted rank from the bottom in the U.S Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps, and other navies and coast guards. For the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard the rank and pay just above that of a seaman apprentice and below those of a petty officer third class. This naval rank was formerly called "seaman first class".

The actual title for an E-3 in the U.S. Navy varies based on the subset of the Navy to which the sailor, seaman, submariner, aviator, hospitalman, nurse, etc., has been assigned. Likewise, the color of his/her group rate mark also depends on his section of the navy.

• Those in the general deck and administrative community are "seamen". They wear white stripes on their navy blue uniforms, and navy blue (black) stripes on their white uniforms.
• Hospital corpsmen are now called "hospitalmen." They possess the only rating in this area of duty. They wear white stripes on their navy blue uniforms, and navy blue stripes on their white uniforms.
• Those in the ship's engineering and hull maintenance area are called "firemen", and they wear red stripes on both their navy blue and white uniforms.
• Those in the aviation area of the Navy are called "airmen", and they wear green stripes on both their navy blue and white uniforms.
• Seabees are called "constructionmen", and they wear light blue stripes on both their navy blue and white uniforms.

No such stripes are authorized to be worn on the working uniforms - NWUs (navy working uniform), coveralls, utility wear, flight suits, hospital and clinic garb, diving suits, etc. However, sailors with the rank of E-3 are permitted to wear silver-anodized collar devices on their navy service uniforms.

In October 2005, the dental technician rating was merged into the hospital corpsman rating, eliminating the "dentalman" title. Those who once held the rank of "dentalman" have instead become "hospitalmen".

Sailors who have completed the requirements to be assigned a rating and have been accepted by the Bureau of Naval Personnel as holding that rating (a process called "striking") are called "designated strikers", and are called by their full rate and rating in formal communications (i.e., machinist's mate fireman, as opposed to simply fireman), though the rating is often left off in informal communications. Those who have not officially been assigned to a rating are officially referred to as "undesignated" or "non-rates." In order to advance to the rate of petty officer third class, a seaman would have to submit a request every 6 months. However, advancement is not guaranteed because of the vast amounts of seamen competing for a promotion.

As with the Navy, the actual title for a E-3 in the U.S. Coast Guard varies based on their community. However, the smaller size of the Coast Guard limits the E-3s to only three options: seaman (white stripes), fireman (red stripes), and airman (green stripes). The Coast Guard does not possess its own medical corps, dental corps, pharmacy corps, or legal corps, but rather, it either draws the necessary services and experts from the U.S. Navy, Air Force, or Army, or it contracts for services by civilians. Likewise, the U.S. Marine Corps does not possess its own trained experts in these areas, but rather, it generally uses the corps of experts from the U.S. Navy, or else from the other two American Armed Forces (whichever one is available in the region) that have own corps of experts: e.g. medical, dental, legal, or nursing.

See also[link]

• United States Navy enlisted rates
• Comparative military ranks
• United States Coast Guard officer rank insignia
• United States Coast Guard enlisted rate insignia
• List of United States Coast Guard ratings
• Seaman (Admiralty Law)

References[link]

1. ^ http://www.usamilitarybenefits.com/navy-enlisted-military-ranks.html
2. ^ http://mitags-pmi.org/courses/Able_Bodied_Seaman

David Andrew Seaman MBE (born 19 September 1963 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire) is an English former football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury. He was awarded the MBE in 1997 for services to the sport.

The peak of his career was during his period as Arsenal and England goalkeeper in the 1990s and early 2000s; during his time at Arsenal he won many medals including three league championships (1991, 1998, 2002), four FA Cups (1993, 1998, 2002, 2003), the League Cup in 1993 and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1994. During this time he also played in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, and Euro 96 and Euro 2000, and is England's second-most capped goalkeeper with 75 caps, after Peter Shilton.^[1]

Seaman's career highs came in his successful performance in UEFA Euro 96 and in Arsenal's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Premier League and FA Cup (including a superb save from Paul Peschisolido for Sheffield United in the FA Cup 2002–03) campaigns in the mid-90s and early-2000s. Notable lows came with two costly errors, both from long-range efforts — conceding a last-minute goal in the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final to Nayim and conceding to a Ronaldinho free-kick in the 2002 FIFA World Cup quarter-final.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

Seaman is left-handed,^[7] but throws the football with his right arm^[8] and kicks with his right foot. He also played in the Premier League for Manchester City, as well as appearances in the Football League for Peterborough United, Birmingham City and Queens Park Rangers.

Club career[link]

Early career[link]

Seaman was brought up in Rotherham where he attended Kimberworth Comprehensive School.^[9] He began his career at Leeds United, the club he supported as a boy. However (much to his disappointment), he was not wanted by then-manager Eddie Gray, who had been his favourite player. Seaman went to Division 4 club Peterborough United for a £4,000 fee in August 1982, where he began to make a name for himself.

Just over two years later, in October 1984, Second Division Birmingham City paid £100,000 for Seaman's services. They ended up winning promotion at the end of that season, but were relegated again at the end of the following season. Seaman was not to follow them back to Division Two, however.

In August 1986, Seaman moved to Queens Park Rangers for £225,000. Playing in a higher profile club on a plastic pitch, he earned his first England cap, which came under Bobby Robson in a friendly against Saudi Arabia in November 1988. Whilst at Q.P.R., Seaman was coached by Arsenal double-winner (of 1971) Bob Wilson, who was to work with him for more than a decade.

Arsenal[link]

In 1990, long before the current transfer window system had come to English football, there was still a transfer deadline a few weeks before the end of the season. Arsenal, who had won the league in 1989, wanted to sign Seaman, but the deal involved Arsenal's keeper John Lukic heading the opposite way on loan. Lukic did not want to do this, and the deal broke down and remained unresolved when the deadline passed. As soon as the season ended and clubs were allowed to buy players again, Arsenal manager George Graham came back for Seaman, with £1.3 million (at the time a British record for a goalkeeper)^[10] being the agreed fee. Lukic, who was highly popular amongst Arsenal fans, left to rejoin Leeds.

Seaman's time at Arsenal coincided with one of the most successful periods in the club's history. The 1990–91 season saw Seaman concede only 18 goals when playing in every match of the 38-game season as Arsenal regained the league title.

Arsenal won both the FA Cup and the League Cup in 1993 and supplemented this a year later with the European Cup Winners' Cup. Shortly before the European success, Terry Venables was appointed as England manager. Venables saw Seaman as his first-choice goalkeeper and Seaman would remain a permanent member of the England team until 2002.

In 1995, George Graham was sacked, and Arsenal came close to becoming the first club to retain the Cup Winners' Cup, with Seaman earning a reputation as a penalty-saving specialist after saving Attilio Lombardo's shot in Arsenal's semi-final shoot-out against U.C. Sampdoria. However, in the final Arsenal lost in extra time to Real Zaragoza, with a spectacular last-minute goal from Nayim from 45 yards out catching Seaman off his line, it was noted that there were only seconds left of extra time when Seaman conceded.

In August 1996, Arsène Wenger became the new manager of Arsenal. Wenger rated Seaman highly and in 1998, Seaman backstopped the team to the Premier League and FA Cup double. In 1998–99, Seaman played all 38 league matches, conceded only 17 league goals as Arsenal came agonisingly close to retaining the Premier League and lost in the FA Cup semi-finals to Manchester United. The following season Seaman managed to reach the 2000 UEFA Cup Final, which Arsenal drew 0–0 with Galatasaray, but lost on penalties.

In 2002, Seaman won the Premier League and the FA Cup again to complete his second career double, although Arsenal's other goalkeepers Stuart Taylor and Richard Wright also won championship medals, due mainly to Seaman's absence through injuries.

Despite his international career ending so flatly and accusations his mobility had faded with age, the 2002–03 season—Seaman's last at Arsenal—ended on a high note. In the FA Cup, he made a spectacular save against Sheffield United's Paul Peschisolido in the semi-finals, in what former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, a pundit for the BBC on the day, dubbed "the best save I've ever seen".^[11] Arsenal were defending a 1–0 lead, when with less than ten minutes to go, Peschisolido had a header towards an apparently open goal from six yards out with Seaman seemingly stranded at the near post. However, the goalkeeper leaped sideways and backwards, somehow managing to stretch his right arm behind him and scoop the ball back and away from both his goal and the opposing players ready to pounce on a rebound. The match was all the more remarkable in that it was Seaman's 1,000th professional career game. Seaman went on to captain the team during the finals in the absence of injured Patrick Vieira and keep another clean sheet at the Millennium Stadium as they defeated Southampton 1–0. His final act with Arsenal was to lift the FA Cup, which was his eighth major trophy with his team. Seaman played in goal for Arsenal more times than anyone else, and is second after Ray Parlour in the all-time Premiership appearances chart for Arsenal, with 325 to his name. In June 2008 he was voted seventh in the list of 50 Gunners' Greatest Players.^[12]

Manchester City[link]

Released by Arsenal, Seaman joined up with Kevin Keegan at Manchester City in the summer of 2003, but Seaman's career at the City of Manchester Stadium did not last long. Whilst out of action due to injury, Seaman announced his immediate retirement in January 2004 at the age of 40. His last act at City was to help Keegan select his successor in goal, David James — the man who had ousted him as England's first choice goalkeeper a little over a year earlier.

In November 2005, Paul Merson and Walsall approached Seaman, and later ex-ex-Wales goalkeeper Neville Southall and Chris Woods to perform in an FA Cup game at Merthyr Tydfil as their two first choice goalkeepers, Joe Murphy and Andy Oakes, were unavailable. However, Seaman was forced to turn this offer down, as it would have constituted a breach in the terms of his retirement insurance pay-out for his recurring shoulder injury.^[13]

International career[link]

Seaman made his England debut in 1988 and appeared for the side in fifteen consecutive years, a national record.

He earned his first England cap under Bobby Robson in a friendly against Saudi Arabia in November 1988. Robson selected him as England's third-choice goalkeeper behind Peter Shilton and Chris Woods at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, but after arriving in Italy he had to pull out of the squad due to injury and was replaced by Dave Beasant.

Seaman remained a member of the England squad under new manager Graham Taylor but only cemented his place as undisputed number one with the arrival of Terry Venables and played every minute of every match during Euro 96. Seaman saved two spot-kicks in the tournament; the first a penalty in normal play from Scotland's Gary McAllister in a group match, while England were 1–0 up (Paul Gascoigne scored soon after to make it 2–0). Then, after England's quarter-final against Spain ended scoreless, Seaman saved Miguel Angel Nadal's kick in the shootout to knock Spain out of the tournament. England eventually were eliminated in the semi-finals of the competition; Seaman was named alongside Golden Boot winner Alan Shearer and winger Steve McManaman in the UEFA "Team of the Tournament". Euro 96 sponsor Philips named him "Player of the Tournament".

Seaman remained first choice under the management of Glenn Hoddle for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. England went out on penalties, losing against Argentina. Kevin Keegan selected him for Euro 2000, where he started against both Portugal and Germany but sustained an injury in his warm-up exercises for the third game against Romania. Nigel Martyn stepped in, and Phil Neville's clumsy foul late in the game gave Romania a penalty which Martyn could not stop. England lost the match and went out in the first round.

Seaman was part of Sven-Göran Eriksson's 2002 FIFA World Cup squad, and played every game as England reached the quarter-finals, turning back a second half offensive to shut out arch-rivals Argentina 1–0 in the group stage after English captain David Beckham scored the penalty spot kick. However, in England's quarter-final against Brazil Seaman was caught off his line by Ronaldinho's long-range free kick, as England lost 2–1; he blamed himself for the error.^[14]

The result led to a debate about whether Seaman should remain England's number one.^[15] He remained England's first choice goalkeeper until a Euro 2004 qualifier in October 2002 against Macedonia. In this match, he let in a goal directly from a corner kick by Artim Sakiri in a 2–2 draw and brought further press criticism.^[16] This was Seaman's last appearance for the England national team, as Eriksson dropped him in favour of David James.

Career statistics[link]

Club[link]

International[link]

^[18][19]

Honours[link]

Team[link]

With Arsenal

First Division Championship/FA Premier League:

• Winner: 1990-91, 1997-98, 2001-02
• Runner-up: 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03

FA Cup:

• Winner: 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003
• Runner-up: 2001

League Cup:

• Winner: 1992-93

FA Community Shield:

• Winner: 1991 (shared), 1998, 1999, 2002
• Runner-up: 1993

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup:

• Winner: 1994
• Runner-up: 1995

UEFA Cup

• Runner-up: 2000

UEFA Super Cup

• Runner-up: 1994

With England

FIFA World Cup

• Appearances: 1998, 2002
• Unused Squad member: 1990 (Withdrew injured)

UEFA European Championship

• Euro 96 Quarterfinal Winner
• Appearances: 1996, 2000

Tournoi de France

• Winner: 1997

Individual[link]

UEFA Euro 96 Team of the Tournament

PFA Team of the Year: 1997

Member in The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (1997)

Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–2002):

• Domestic Team of the Decade
• Goalkeeper with most clean sheets (130)

Later career[link]

This biographical section of an 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. (September 2010)

Seaman began working on his coaching badge with a view to coaching goalkeepers but decided to pause after learning that he would first need a badge in outfield coaching in which he had no interest.^[20] His on-screen presence made him a popular choice for chat-shows and televised appearances during his sporting career, and he can occasionally be spotted on British television. Whilst still a player, he acted in a cameo role in a BBC film based around the events of England's successful Euro 96 tournament, starring Rachel Weisz and Neil Morrissey, entitled My Summer with Des. He also became the spokesman for Yorkshire Tea during the early 1990s. He briefly replaced Gary Lineker as team captain on the television quiz They Think It's All Over before producers decided to drop him in favour of former Arsenal team-mate Ian Wright.

In December 2004, following his retirement from professional football, he became one of the celebrities to take part in Strictly Ice Dancing, an ice dance version of Strictly Come Dancing, in which celebrities are paired with professional dancers. He joined the show at late notice, replacing Paul Gascoigne. With just eight days to prepare for the show, broadcast on BBC One on 26 December, Seaman and his professional partner Zoia Birmingham managed to win the competition. The other competitors spent a month in training for the show.

In late 2005 he had his trademark ponytail cut off on live television for charity, which ended negotiatory talks with such companies as L'Oreal who wanted to sponsor his hair as they had with David Ginola. He returned to the ice for another ice-dancing series, Dancing on Ice, broadcast on ITV. The series started on 14 January 2006, and Seaman ended in fourth place. He has also appeared on All Star Family Fortunes.

Seaman also hosts a "Safe Hands" charity golf event annually, and has released two football-themed DVDs entitled David Seaman's Goalkeeping Nightmares in 2003 and Jeepers Keepers in 2004.

Seaman has also played in all four Soccer Aid matches for England.^[21][22][23]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Photos and stats at sporting-heroes.net
• Statistics at soccerbase.com
• Profile at UpThePosh! The Peterborough United Database
• David Seaman at IMDb
• David Seaman in the Goalkeeping Museum

England Squad v t e England squad – UEFA Euro 1996 Third Place 1 Seaman 2 G. Neville 3 Pearce 4 Ince 5 Adams (c) 6 Southgate 7 Platt 8 Gascoigne 9 Shearer 10 Sheringham 11 Anderton 12 Howey 13 Flowers 14 Barmby 15 Redknapp 16 Campbell 17 McManaman 18 Ferdinand 19 P. Neville 20 Stone 21 Fowler 22 Walker Coach: Venables v t e England squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Seaman 2 Campbell 3 Le Saux 4 Ince 5 Adams 6 Southgate 7 Beckham 8 Batty 9 Shearer (c) 10 Sheringham 11 McManaman 12 Neville 13 Martyn 14 Anderton 15 Merson 16 Scholes 17 Lee 18 Keown 19 L. Ferdinand 20 Owen 21 R. Ferdinand 22 Flowers Coach: Hoddle v t e England squad – UEFA Euro 2000 1 Seaman 2 G. Neville 3 P. Neville 4 Campbell 5 Adams 6 Keown 7 Beckham 8 Scholes 9 Shearer (c) 10 Owen 11 McManaman 12 Southgate 13 Martyn 14 Ince 15 Barry 16 Gerrard 17 Wise 18 Barmby 19 Heskey 20 Phillips 21 Fowler 22 Wright Coach: Keegan v t e England squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Seaman 2 Mills 3 A. Cole 4 Sinclair 5 Ferdinand 6 Campbell 7 Beckham (c) 8 Scholes 9 Fowler 10 Owen 11 Heskey 12 Brown 13 Martyn 14 Bridge 15 Keown 16 Southgate 17 Sheringham 18 Hargreaves 19 J. Cole 20 Vassell 21 Butt 22 James 23 Dyer Coach: Eriksson

Dave Seaman
Dave Seaman in Melbourne in 2006.
Background information
Also known as	Brothers In Rhythm
Born	(1968-04-29) 29 April 1968 (age 44)
Origin	Sheffield, United Kingdom
Genres	Progressive House, House
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Audio Therapy,
Website	http://www.djdaveseaman.com

Dave Seaman (born 29 April 1968) is a British dance music DJ and record producer. He was formerly a member of the DMC Publishing, and editor of music magazine Mixmag. He formed one half of Brothers In Rhythm with Steve Anderson, doing production work for (amongst others) Pet Shop Boys and Kylie Minogue. He has since founded Audio Therapy record label. He is also well known for his releases in the famed Renaissance Masters Series' (see Renaissance (club)) and a number of releases for Global Underground. He went to school in Garforth, West Yorkshire

Discography[link]

Mix Albums

• 1991: Mixmag, Vol. 1 with Carl Cox (DMC)
• 1993: DJ Culture, Vol. 1 with Sasha and John Digweed (Stress Records)
• 1995: DJ Culture, Vol. 2 with Nick Warren (Stress Records)
• 1995: Mixmag, Vol. 10 with Masters at Work (DMC)
• 1995: DJs at Work, Vol. 1 (Pimp Music)
• 1996: Renaissance Vol. 4 (Six 6)
• 1996: Renaissance The Silk Mix
• 1997: Renaissance Worldwide: London with Robert Miles (Renaissance)
• 1998: Renaissance Worldwide: Singapore with David Morales and BT (Renaissance)
• 1999: Global Underground: Buenos Aires (Boxed)
• 1999: Back to Mine (DMC)
• 1999: Renaissance Worldwide: America (Renaissance)
• 2000: Renaissance: Awakening (Renaissance)
• 2000: Global Underground: Cape Town (Boxed)
• 2001: Renaissance: Desire (Renaissance)
• 2002: Global Underground: Melbourne (Global Underground)
• 2004: Therapy Sessions with Phil K (Renaissance)
• 2005: Therapy Sessions, Vol. 2 with Luke Chable (Renaissance)
• 2005: This is Audiotherapy (Audio Therapy)
• 2006: Renaissance: The Masters Series, Part 7 (Renaissance)
• 2007: Therapy Sessions, Vol.3 with Lexicon Avenue (Audio Therapy)
• 2007: Therapy Sessions, Vol.4 (Audio Therapy)
• 2008: Renaissance: The Masters Series, Part 10 (Renaissance)
• 2009: Renaissance: The Masters Series, Part 14 (Renaissance)
• 2010: Global Underground: Lithuania (Global Underground)
• 2011: Renaissance: The Masters Series, Part 17 (Renaissance)

References[link]

Singles[link]

• "Mighty Ming" (Toolroom Records)

External links[link]

• Official website
• Dave Seaman discography at MusicBrainz
• Dave Seaman Tracklisting archive
• Dave Seaman interview at musicOMH.com

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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]