The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences gave away part of this year's Emmy Awards last weekend. Winning her first Emmy Award was edgy comedian Kathy Griffin, for her TV show My Life on the D-List. As she is known to do, Griffin told the truth as she accepted her award.
Obviously the Academy was not ready to deal with the truth, and along with the E! network, they have said they would censor Griffin's acceptance speech before it is shown on television. You may be thinking that she must have said one or more of television's seven forbidden dirty words. Not true.
You have probably heard christians thank Jesus when they win something, even though they really won it through talent and hard work. If there is a God, I seriously doubt that he/she cares who wins an award, game, race, etc. To claim you won because of God/Jesus is to say God/Jesus preferred you over the people who lost. That's pretty presumptious to claim to be God's favorite (which is really what you are saying).
But instead of playing that silly game, Kathy Griffin decided to make fun of it. She 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 proclaim, "This award is my god now."
I thought her remaks were funny and very true. She didn't win the award because God/Jesus preferred her over the others. Her show got the award because of some very talented performers, writers, producers, directors, cameramen, soundmen, etc.
But some so-called christians didn't see the humor in this little bit of truth. Religious bigot and Catholic League president Bill Donohue was quick to call her words a "vulgar, in-your-face-brand of hate speech". I would think he should know how to recognize hate speech by now, since he indulges in it so often. But evidently his version of hate speech is when someone disagrees with him.
The TV Academy shares Donohue's religious bigotry. Either that, or they are so afraid to offend right-wing christians that they quickly knuckled under and threw free speech out the window.
There is nothing wrong with Griffin's remarks. If christians are free to spout their religious beliefs on TV, then those with differing beliefs should also be free to give their own opinion. Isn't that what free speech is all about?
It's easy to allow speech that you agree with, but if you truly believe in free speech, you must also allow speech that you don't agree with. If you are never offended by speech, then you don't live in a free country.
Censoring Griffin's acceptance speech is just wrong.
