Pam Marino here. I hope everyone had a good weekend. It was one of those weekends with lots of activities to choose from in the county: The Artichoke Festival, Monterey Bay Jade Festival, live music performances, poetry, films and more.
It was a tremendous weekend for fans of stand-up comedy. Friday night was the “Thistle Be Funny” show in connection with the Artichoke Festival and Sunday was an installment of the XYZ Comedy series at the Sunset Center in Carmel.
The big night for comedy was Saturday, June 8, when about 1,000 people showed up to Golden State Theatre in Monterey to see Kathy Griffin for her “My Life on the PTSD Tour.” I was in the audience, after having the opportunity to interview Griffin two weeks before.
Griffin did not disappoint in the interview—you can read it for yourself in this week’s paper or an extended version online—and she did not disappoint her adoring fans on Saturday.
She told me she does not talk about Donald Trump much on this tour, but a week after our interview, Trump was convicted of 34 felonies, so it was unavoidable. After she ran out on stage she immediately brought it up, triumphantly.
The crowd roared. They similarly roared approval during a video montage of her career at the start of the show, during which the seismic event of Griffin’s life, the photo of her holding up a ketchup-laden Trump Halloween mask being released on May 30, 2017, was shown. (Trump’s verdict took place seven years to the day of the photo’s release.)
The photo put a temporary stop to her career. Her multi-city tour was canceled—including a show at the Sunset Center—due to bomb threats and death threats. She was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice and cleared, but nonetheless was on the no-fly list for two years, as well as Interpol’s list. The experience led to severe complex PTSD symptoms.
That’s all behind her now. On Saturday night, it was Griffin’s audience and they showered her with love. She told me that audience reactions along the tour have been like a big hug.
Griffin could use the hugs after seven years of one hardship after another. She made fun of all of it in her show—the PTSD, lung cancer, a pill addiction, a suicide attempt—all while making fun of the Kardashians, Kanye West and other celebrities, while dishing about her famous friends including Sharon Stone, Jane Fonda, Sia and Rosie O’Donnell.
About two-thirds of the way through there was a medical emergency in the audience. As soon as Griffin was aware of what was happening, she stopped the show and asked someone backstage to call paramedics. She began talking to the person from the stage, asking if they were OK. After several minutes they gave her a thumbs up.
“You couldn’t do this at a Chelsea Handler show?” Griffin teased. Everyone laughed and Griffin launched seamlessly back into her set.
Comedy is healing, Griffin says, adding that it saved her life and can save others.
“I’m a big believer in keep looking for the comedy, keep searching, but especially when you’re down and out for whatever reason. Just reach for it, try to find it. I believe comedy is saving my life.”
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