Kathy Griffin Photo Controversy

I'm not surprised that Kathy Griffin just lost her New Year's Eve contract with CNN, because that sort of thing is to be anticipated following something like her most recent photo shoot with Tyler Shields that included Griffin holding what appeared to be the head of (*tries not to vomit*) P-Pres- no - Mr. Donald Trump. Part of me thinks that having the photo exist, but especially, for it to be public, is a bad thing, disrespectful to the office of President, and that same part of me worries about the message that the image sends to other countries, especially people with a strong anti-American attitude. 
Another part of me...well...
Remember when "Duck Dynasty"'s Uncle Sy was recorded spouting his racism? 

Well, he was fired and rehired due to ratings. A&E doesn't try to venture into news or journalism. The shows, the viewership, the professionalism are very different. I get that, and although Sy's [very brief] firing was by a different network, the situation's similar enough to what just happened with Kathy Griffin, and I'm hoping CNN might eventually have a decent relationship with Griffin instead of none at all, even if it's a few years down the line.

Tyler Shields is quite the intriguing photographer. I find some of his work refreshing, like the piece that is a Louis Vuitton trunk set aflame.

I don't like the thought of making our country appear to be more divided than it is or somehow weak, but I also stand firmly by freedom of speech and ideas and artistic expression. I don't blame Tyler Shields at all for not censoring himself, for saying, “I am sure there is a line, I have just never seen it,” to the Dallas Observer in January. 


Also, I love Kathy Griffin and want to be one of the many fans encouraging her to push on.