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Sen. Scott Brown Goes After Kathy Griffin For Calling His Daughters ‘Prostitutes’

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» 51 comments

Republican Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown has somehow, through no effort of his own, found himself in a feud with the cable network Bravo and comedienne Kathy Griffin. The Republican Senator’s office released a statement today censuring Griffin for a joke she made in which she called his daughters, Ayla and Arianna, “prostitutes.”

In a segment with CNN’s John King and Dana Bash, Griffin showed a picture of Brown and, describing him, claimed he had “two daughters, who are prostitutes.” King shuffled his feet nervously in response, while Bash laughed (a fact conservative media watchdog groups quickly picked up on).
The channel then flashed a disclaimer, from “Bravo’s legal team,” assuring the audience that Ayla and Arianna Brown are not, in fact, prostitutes. The joke, it seems, was that Bash and King were helping Griffin learn about politics before a trip to Washington, DC, and Griffin was grossly misinformed.

Brown was not amused by the joke, but for much different reasons than every other person watching the show found it unfunny. In a passionate statement supporting his daughters, Brown stated: “People can call me any name they want, but families are off limits. I love my daughters Ayla and Arianna very much, and any parent would be proud to have them as children. Kathy Griffin and BRAVO ought to be ashamed of themselves.”

Below the report on Sen. Brown’s response from Boston’s WCVB ABC 5 (for which Brown’s wife, Gail Huff, worked for 17 years before getting a reporting job in DC):

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  • Big_F-ing_Deal

    Scott Brown, stop feeding the troll.

  • Jackie_Treehorn

    Of course Newsbusters made this “news”. I’m guessing Obama didn’t devour any babies or punch an old white woman today.

  • Chudi

    For liberals, it’s always OK to attack the kids of conservatives. If anybody mentions Obama’s kids now, the whole liberal media would go on a jihad against the person calling them racist and the like. they however attack Palin’s kids any time they want to.

    This double standard needs to stop.

  • http://SailRabbits.com Magister

    @BFD: Seriously. I would’ve never heard about this, if he hadn’t complained. After all, right now +”scott brown” +prostitutes.produces only 10 results in Google News, all reporting on his statement.

    Though I’m sure by morning, Kathy Griffin will have had loads of publicity and millions of people will have seen the clip.

  • Jackie_Treehorn

    Chudi said:
    For liberals, it’s always OK to attack the kids of conservatives. If anybody mentions Obama’s kids now, the whole liberal media would go on a jihad against the person calling them racist and the like. they however attack Palin’s kids any time they want to.

    This double standard needs to stop.

    Ha ha double standard?

    You had Griffin and Letterman making JOKES about 3 adult women. vs Beck/Limbaugh/Free Republic attacking children. Especially the Free Republic scum calling them “ghetto trash” and “monkeys”.

    But yea righties aren’t racist and the like…..

  • the real john t

    Jackie_Treehorn,

    You’re right. How about when Chelsea Clinton was 12 and Limbaugh called her the White House dog.

  • tiredofbs

    Jackie_Treehorn said:
    Jackie_Treehorn says:e_Treehorn(Quote)

    Of course Newsbusters made this “news”. I’m guessing Obama didn’t devour any babies or punch an old white woman today

    The first & only thought that runs through a Liberal trash brain, is OBAMAS MESSAGE & NEWSBSTERS>
    Innocent young girls are called prostitutes, which will travel world wide in seconds via Internet,
    and there’s absolutely no sympathy.. just more left wing trash talk

    Griffin is a 60+ year old has been & in many ways the epitome of The Left
    Media whore doesn’t begin to describe Kathy

  • the real john t

    Griffin shouldn’t have said it. I like Scott Brown. He seems to be a moderate and vote on what’s best for the country.

  • tiredofbs

    Time to take some serious action on Bravo & get out the good
    old mailing lists to let people know not to go near (yet another) *itch on Bravo TV
    She has a new show this week & that’s what this is all about. Sad that the only way she
    thinks she can get viewers is to pull stunts like this. Pathetic
    Maybe when ratings are low enough…

  • MichelleF

    I’m going to go out on a limb and say Rox is one of griffin’s biggest fans.

  • Helix

    Another cheap shot at Scott Brown. One more reason not to watch Bravo.

  • Big_F-ing_Deal

    Chudi said:
    For liberals, it’s always OK to attack the kids of conservatives.

    Kathy does not just go after Cons.

    She has had feuds with Rosie O’Donnell, Larry David, Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters.

    Hollywood hates her and that’s why she is on the “D-List”.

    She is an equal opportunity troll.

  • JunkJunk

    I’m not excusing the joke, or Dana Bash’s laughter. But oh how soon we forget:

    >>The words “for anyone watching around the country, they’re both available” were offered last night by Scott Brown during his acceptance speech.<<

    http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978004898

    Surely, this is what she was getting at. Still distasteful. But hell, it's Kathy Griffin – it's her shtick. She's a comedienne – just like like Rush and Beck.

  • tiredofbs

    Big_F-ing_Deal said:
    Kathy does not just go after Cons.

    She has had feuds with Rosie O’Donnell, Larry David, Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters.

    Hollywood hates her an

    that’s definitely true, she does take added pleasure
    w/conservatives..Palin & Levi come to mind

  • JunkJunk

    Has Palin called for Kathy Griffin to REFUDIATE her remarks yet?

    http://wonkette.com/416664/refudiate-racism-for-amerikkka-says-palin

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Rush-Youngberg/1695695248 Rush Youngberg

    Brown, how is that cave to the Finance Bill working for ya?

  • Latin2

    Kathy Griffin’s mother LOVES Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity.

  • http://apostrophejones.com Apostrophe jones

    Who cares what this female impersonator says ? Didn’t Griffin use to appear as Danny Bonaduce?

  • TfT

    This made me laugh Frances:

    while Bash laughed (a fact conservative media watchdog groups quickly picked up on).

    Newsbusters pointed out the laughter of Dana Bash; mediaite and tvnewser ignored it. I thought this site was about the media, and yet you scoff at the fact that another media oriented site pointed out the specific misbehavior of a media individual?

    Too funny.

    Dana is another Cooper, she shot herself in the foot with her laughter, just like Cooper shot himself in the foot with his “teabagging” comment. Don’t blame other sites for pointing out what these cnners did to themselves.

    Dana is injured, and rightly so. She can issue an apology or she can ignore it, and the viewers will ignore her.

    CNN is their own worst enemy.

  • lazzzlo

    France, here’s what I don’t understand. You stated…Brown was not amused by the joke, but for much different reasons than every other person watching the show found it unfunny. In a passionate statement supporting his daughters, Brown stated: “People can call me any name they want, but families are off limits. I love my daughters Ayla and Arianna very much, and any parent would be proud to have them as children. Kathy Griffin and BRAVO ought to be ashamed of themselves.”

    Admittedly, I didn’t watch the show and could care less about both Kathy Griffin and Bravo, but I found Scott Brown’s reaction dead on…as any parent would. I’m not sure what the different reasons are that qualifies the statement that Brown’s reaction was different from any other person watching the show that found Griffin’s quote “unfunny”.

    From what I can see, Griffin is a bitter, network enabled, publicity deficient “comedienne” who is trying to be outrageous for the sake of ratings and her own career.

    It’s easy to sink to the level of mean spirited name calling and it was difficult to type the above statement and not include the same pejoratives that Griffin used. Plus, it’s not like this is live television. The content has been parsed. Which leads me to this…

    “The channel then flashed a disclaimer, from “Bravo’s legal team,” assuring the audience that Ayla and Arianna Brown are not, in fact, prostitutes. The joke, it seems, was that Bash and King were helping Griffin learn about politics before a trip to Washington, DC, and Griffin was grossly misinformed.”

    Say whatever you want and then we’ll just quickly add….”Whoops, she didn’t really mean it…she was just mis-informed.”

  • lazzzlo

    sorry Frances :)

  • NORBIT

    Where is the Outrage & Condemnation from the left?

    I’m sick & tired of the blatant Double-Standard on the DISHONEST Left!
    ——————

    The way the media ignored a DOJ whistleblower allegation that RACE is used as a criteria on who & who not to prosecute….If this happened under Bush it would be LEAD STORY on every newscast; when it happens with Obama – SILENCE & COVERUP!

    The mainstream media is a Left-Wing Propaganda Mill, and they no longer even try to hide it!
    ———————————————
    DISCREDIT THE MSM TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW! – that will erode this LYING president’s influence even more!!!

  • TfT

    The MSM is discrediting themselves Norbit. The fact that the alphabets are silent on the DOJ whistleblower is just more evidence that they are acting on bahalf of the administration, not on behalf of the people.

    Just look at the townhall meeting with that dem congressman from CA. His constituents knew more than he did because his constituents no longer rely on the alphabets for truth and fact.

    The audience of both cable networks (CNN in particular) and the alphabets are dwindling….not just because it’s summer, but because the audience knows Katie, Brian and Dianne won’t tell them the truth any longer. CNN and MSNBC both have ignored the DOJ story at their own peril. They continue to dismiss the american public, and the public is dismissing them more and more.

    They are the enemedia.

  • Big_F-ing_Deal

    Kathy Griffin doesn’t make her living from insulting people. Her bread and butter is the controversy stirred up from the result of that.

    She won’t go away until people start ignoring her.
    Remember what she said to Hasselbeck on the View?
    She lives for this shit.

    I’m sure she is following the outrage on the internet and laughing.
    Newsbusters and it’s followers are only feeding her.

  • Azarkhan

    “this site was about the media”

    Mediaite is about attacking Fox and conservatives. Always has been. Otherwise, why all the monitoring of Glenn Beck and Fox? Mediaite is just more subtle about it, not over-the-top stupid like MediaMatters. After all, even a Leftist has to pay the rent. If they were blatantly leftist, they would lose traffic and referrals.

    Call it “MediaMatters Lite”.

    As for Kathy Griffin, just another Leftist ass with a lack of class.

  • The Real Royal King

    Inappropriate, but I don’t care for Griffin anyway. I do have to say, the Brown girls could be more prudent in attire and in conversation.

  • lazzzlo

    Big_F-ing_Deal said:
    Kathy Griffin doesn’t make her living from insulting people. Her bread and butter is the controversy stirred up from the result of that.

    She won’t go away until people start ignoring her.
    Remember what she said to Hasselbeck on the View?
    She lives for this shit.

    I’m sure she is following the outrage on the internet and laughing.
    Newsbusters and it’s followers are only feeding her.

    BFD, on this we do agree.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Boshwickerstaff/100000586682205 Michael Boshwickerstaff

    thought experiment: Big_F-ing_Deal’s kids are whores and junkies. How does that feel, Big_F-ing_Deal ?
    Every parent should stick up for their kids Partisans who encourage a double standard on this show themselves to be spineless and essentially prostitutes themselves.

  • bc206

    Um, people, Kathy Griffin is a COMEDIAN. She is not a politician that the left needs to condemn. If you just ignore her, she will go away.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Rose-Salomon/1077166392 Rose Salomon

    The senator should not be upset he was trying to prostitue his daughter in his acceptance speech. And to all you conservadicks out there it’s called SATIRE.. Just like the crap that Rush Limbaugh dishes out.

  • BR

    Both sides have lowered themselves to doing this. Its wrong and its low class.

  • RTB

    How has brown lowered his self on this?
    The guy is a father defending his family for wrongfull character assasination.
    By him not responding shows he has no guts. I dont care who you are or what side of the political ball your on, you dont take pot shots at someones family for no significant reason…..and its easy to say “oh just ignore her she’ll go away”, this is personal, she was out of line and deserves a kick in the balls and a punch in the mouth for this…you dont let something like this go, brown did the right thing

  • notsofast

    This is typical hate from the left. It is unmitigated and knows no bounds.

    Where are all the hypocritical libs who complained about Beck mentioning BHO’s daughter in a comedy bit?

  • notsofast

    Rose Salomon said:
    The senator should not be upset he was trying to prostitue his daughter in his acceptance speech. And to all you conservadicks out there it’s called SATIRE.. Just like the crap that Rush Limbaugh dishes out.

    Your mother is a whore!

  • PureFreedom

    For sure if there is a hell Kathy Griffin will be there. But to give her credit she at least on the liberal side wears her lack of morals and values on her sleeves.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Arthur-Clough/1419363514 Arthur Clough

    Kathy Griffin not applying for entrance into MENSA, however, has exposed the Peter Principle to its extreme.

  • esd2000

    Liberal or conservative doesn’t matter. Her comment was absolutely inappropriate and should never have been said. She should be ashamed of herself and immediately apologize. It’s not right for either side to make these sort of comments. You don’t have to be conservative to know that, so don’t act holier than thou. By the way I consider myself liberal, so conservatives stop making assertions that liberals condone this behavior. Some do and some don’t on both sides. One side is just as bad as the other and those are just the facts. You may not like them but that’s the way it is, so deal with it. By the way I don’t care what the word prostitute exactly means, so don’t try and defend her, it was still wrong to say.

  • http://www.zazzle.com/talkingpoints NORBIT Jr.

    How about Medaite doing a piece on the COVERUP of the Mainstream Media in SUPPRESSING the story of a DOJ Whistleblower TESTIFYING of the “race-based” justice in Obama’s DOJ?!?!?!

    GREAT RATINGS_GETTER!!!

  • missy2

    Ha! Even Kathy Griffin knows it’s the stand up comics like herself who are the real prostitutes.

  • tiredofbs

    Big_F-ing_Deal said:
    Big_F-ing_Deal says:
    Big_F-ing_Deal(Quote)
    Kathy Griffin doesn’t make her living from insulting people. Her bread and butter is
    the controversy stirred up from the result of that.
    She won’t go away until people start ignoring her.
    Remember what she said to Hasselbeck on the View?
    She lives for this shit.

    I’m sure she is following the outrage on the internet and laughing.
    Newsbusters and it’s followers are only feeding her.

    wonders never cease…
    Mr. Big_F’ng_Deal & myself, totally agree

  • tiredofbs

    Rose Salomon said:
    Rose Salomon says:

    The senator should not be upset he was trying to prostitue his daughter in his acceptance speech. And to all you conservadicks out there it’s called SATIRE.. Just like the crap that Rush Limbaugh dishes ou

    How very..KoS like /pond scummy of u

    conservadicks?=Lame,, not very clever
    I guess u r 17?

  • tiredofbs

    notsofast said:
    Your mother is a whore!</blockquote

    lol
    I have to admit, Conservatives
    are wayy ahead on the Humor/Comedic
    value around here. It's good to see we can
    laugh at life ourselves & our misguided lefty friends

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Rose-Salomon/1077166392 Rose Salomon

    tiredofbs and notsofast. Well notsofast my mother is dead you dick and tiredofbs your sceen name is appro… tired of the bs coming from the right. Aw did I make you conservadicks angry….ha. My point exactly its funny how humor pisses people off.. Lighten up…

  • tiredofbs

    Rose Salomon said:
    Rose Salomon says:
    July 16, 2010 at 4:07 pm Rose Salomon(Quote)
    Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1

    tiredofbs and notsofast. Well notsofast my mother is dead you dick an

    Yea rightttt…blah blah blah
    You libs r fun for about 5 min’s bubye pal,,, much more pressing matters await
    u can, keep responding w/BS maybe someone will pity & respond

  • Jackie_Treehorn

    tiredofbs said:
    Yea rightttt…blah blah blah
    You libs r fun for about 5 min’s bubye pal,,, much more pressing matters await
    ty & respond

    Your mom calling you up for dinner isn’t a “pressing matter” in the big picture.

  • BR

    RTB said:
    How has brown lowered his self on this?The guy is a father defending his family for wrongfull character assasination.By him not responding shows he has no guts. I dont care who you are or what side of the political ball your on, you dont take pot shots at someones family for no significant reason…..and its easy to say “oh just ignore her she’ll go away”, this is personal, she was out of line and deserves a kick in the balls and a punch in the mouth for this…you dont let something like this go, brown did the right thing

    I guess I didnt make it as clear as I wanted to. I was referring to the general subject of attacking families. By both sides I was talking about republicans and liberals.

  • tiredofbs

    Jackie_Treehorn said:
    ackie_Treehorn says:
    July 16, 2010 at 8:40 pm
    You libs r fun for about 5 min’s bubye pal,,, much more pressing matters await
    u can, keep responding w/BS maybe someone will pity & respond

    Jackie_Treehorn(Quote)
    Your mom calling you up for dinner isn’t a “pressing matter” in the big picture.

    don’t even try to play with me,
    you are not equipped run along jack

  • Candi

    I think it back fired on Kathy and the news anchors. I thought, when I read the transcript, that the media was in on her joke. Now they are trying to pull it off as she was learning about politics? BWAHAHAHAHAH The excuses are getting really transparent when something back fires on them…lol

    Like Obama said, We can’t secure the borders unless we give amnesty to the illegals! WHAT! lol…When are we going to get decent, honest reporters back in reporting.

    We don’t get good information anymore…just crap like this!

  • http://lokisings.blogspot.com/?zx=cfd58c68e6530bf1/http://hardcoreexodus.blogspot.com Woof1

    The Hardcore Militia, AWOL, Creativity Movement, Concerned Citizens, Silent Majority, Time Cannibal Cult, Nothing Pedocannibal Cult, The Process Cult and so on ARE DEAD.

    The Lesbian Separatists, especially Ferron, Lily Tomlin, Jane wagner, Cherry Davis, Lenore Burneko and Melanie Dennis INTENTIONALLY spread AIDS under the guise of “testing it.” Gay Pride, Act Up, Queer Nation, Silence=Death and The Pink Triangle are red herrings and fronts for a worldwide child porn, child rape, foetus eating, baby eating, baby fucking, pedophile, necrophiliac, beastiality, AIDS sporeading and cannabalism network. ALL women involved in the music and television industries EXCEPT Catie Couric are mass murderers.

    Adult Male Homosexuals in dangerous, life threatening or abusive relationships please contact:

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    WOOFS ONLY. NO WOMEN. PERIOD.

  • tiredofbs

    Woof1 said:
    Woof1 says:
    July 17, 2010 at 2:36 pm Woof1(Quot

    wow
    say what?

  • jrcmi

    “Like Obama said, We can’t secure the borders unless we give amnesty to the illegals! ”

    Your beloved “St. Ronald” did it.

    “over-the-top stupid like MediaMatters.”

    STILL waiting for proof of MM factual errors. Request No. 20.

    “Griffin is a 60+ year old has been ”

    She’s a FIFTY+ year-old has-been! (At least SHE can count.)

    What Griffin said was a JOKE – one that soared over outraged right-wing heads. Why else would she make such an absurd assertion? J-o-k-e . . . look it up.

    She freely admits to deliberately making such comments for the purpose of self-promotion. It’s part of her “shtick.” It’s working.

    Bash was simply reacting to Griffin’s unexpected comment – but that doesn’t stop the stick-up-their-butts right from exploding with misplaced anger.

    Brown’s daughters are public persons by their own choice. Obama’s are too young to make such a choice. The Bush twins “had too much fun,” so to speak, and left themselves open to ridicule. Unsurprisingly, there was no approbation from the right for THEIR hijinks.

    If you don’t like, understand or care for Griffin’s edgy humor, that’s fine – but don’t try to deliberately misconstrue what she said as a cheap excuse to blame “liberals” for jokes YOU don’t get.

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