Grace Under View


 

 

 

Grace Under View

 

 

We sometimes debate whether a professional comic went too far to make a joke or a point. The argument is like Ping-Pong. What’s vile, what’s funny, what’s mean, what’s PC, what’s art, what’s provocative, what’s smart—whatever. This post is not about that. It’s just not.

 

This post is most definitely not about politics.

 

I saw a segment of “The View” Monday. Kathy Griffin was the guest. Most of us know what happened when (some say) she took a “joke” miles too far a while back with an online video. This post is not really even about that.

 

What this post is about is what the host Ana Navarro said to her once Griffin stopped joke-interrupting her enough for Navarro to get it out:

 

“You are a comic. You are a terrific comic with an incredible record. You’ve been on TV, you’ve had shows, you’ve sold out shows. I don’t want you, your life, your career defined by this stupid moment.”

 

Whether you agree or not with the detail that Griffin is a terrific comic—I hope we can hear Navarro’s main point:

 

“I don’t want you, your life, your career defined by this stupid moment.”

 

That’s what this post is about:

 

Grace.

 

I thought it was a beautiful moment.

 

When grace shows up, she tends to be beautiful.

 

I’m not defending Navarro, I’m not defending Griffin, I’m not defending a President or a party or Ping-Pong or a TV talk show. I’m defending grace. And I guess you could also throw in humanity.

 

I’m defending our common humanity in context of our stupid moments. The fact is we all screw up. We all have moments we wished we could undo. Those private, “What was I thinking?!” moments.

 

I’ve had crappy things done and said to me.

 

I’ve done and said crappy things to someone.

 

While watching “The View,” in my opinion, there did seem to be a vague disconnect on “sorry/not sorry,” in Griffin’s case. I’m speaking here about when we individually know full-well we have screwed up.

 

And we just can’t take it back.

 

We just can’t put that Genie back in the carafe, we can’t cram the Colgate back into a wrinkle-free tube, can’t un-ring that hell.

 

Do we want to be known for that one “international” embarrassing moment—do we want all of our other achievements, accomplishments, our own moments of humor, of loving, of grace-giving all wiped out by one stupid moment?

 

That’s my question. That’s all this post is about.