She’s baaaaack!
Well, actually, Kathy Griffin never went away—she’ll always be a part of our lives, and we’re all the better for it.
But before the legendary comic began her smash-hit comedy tour My Life On The PTSD-List earlier this past spring, it had been six whole years since Griffin had last taken the stage on tour, believe it or not!
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The all new show—with fresh new material every night—takes its name from Griffin’s beloved Bravo series, My Life On The D-List, but also references the rather traumatic past few years she’s had. She’s battled lung cancer and addiction, gone through a divorce, and had to say goodbye to her beloved mother, Maggie, who passed in 2020. On top of all of that, her infamous ’17 photo posing a bloody Trump mask, which put her under federal investigation and even found her on a different kind of list—the “No Fly List”—for a period of time.
Bouncing back fabulously, Griffin is as fierce and funny as ever, showing no signs of slowing down. Her PTSD-List tour’s been extended through 2025, and this coming Saturday, Oct. 26, she’ll play NYC’s famed Carnegie Hall, breaking her close friend Joan Rivers’ record for most solo shows by a female comedian at the venue.
Clearly, even after all she’s been through, Griffin’s still got tons of fans and supporters on her side. And we know for a fact a large percentage of them are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Thanks to her tireless activism and advocacy and her continuing efforts to platform queer voices, the gays have long loved Kathy Griffin—and she’s loved us right back!
With that in mind, and with her record-breaking Carnegie Hall show right around the corner, we jumped at the chance to gab with Griffin about the tour, the upcoming election, her famous dinner salons, and more. Though we usually reserve our rapid-fire Q&A series, Dishin’ It, to highlight our favorite LGBTQ+ names in pop culture, we thought we’d make a special exception this week to honor one of our most strident—and funniest!—allies in the biz.
You kicked off your My Life On The PTSD-List tour earlier this year—your first tour in six years! In what ways is touring different (for better or for worse) for you now that it was six-plus years ago?
It’s better because I honestly thought I was never going to tour again and because I love doing stand up so much. In a way, I felt like the best part of my life was over. And to be honest, there is a difference in the physical toll it takes on my body because I’ve actually made the show more physical than it’s ever been because I wear a headset microphone. But I’ll be honest: The next day, I wake up, and I’m convinced that someone has beaten me in my sleep with a baseball bat.
When you perform in the famed Carnegie Hall in October, you’ll be breaking Joan Rivers’ record for the most number of shows at the venue by a solo female comedian. What do you think the late, great Joan Rivers would say to that? Would she be proud?
Joan would be so proud. And she would also slap me in the face, and we would both laugh our asses about it. And then she would make me pay for dinner but secretly pick up the check
Is there a piece of media—whether a movie, TV series, book, album, theater, video game, etc…—that has played an important role in your understanding and appreciation of the queer community? Why does it stand out to you?
Everything from Angels In America to biographies of LGBTQ+ folks to events that I have attended. I mean, remember, I have been attending events that shine a very important light on a very important community for decades at this point. And it has been inspiring to watch them change from almost events in the shadows of Hollywood or, frankly, all over the country to everything from getting lifetime achievement awards from GLAAD, Trevor Project, and Human Rights Campaign
You’ve always been such a strident ally to the LGBTQ+ community and have given us so much, but what’s something you’d say the gays have given to you?
The gays have given me the greatest laughs and have been the greatest audience I could ever dream of. This is something Joan Rivers and I discussed. I jokingly say “the un-shockable gays,” because the adversity that the LGBTQ+ community has been through kind of has the air sucked out of the balloon, because this is a group that can laugh at itself while dealing with adversity. And I would suggest the more laughter, the more helpful it is to deal with that adversity and make actual progress.
Speaking of, we’re pretty sure every gay would die for a spot in one of your famous dinner salons. What would you say is the hardest part about bringing those dinners together?
The hardest part about bringing those dinners together is making sure everyone gets a chance to speak, whether they are famous or infamous or someone who is there because they have quietly accomplished something exciting or helpful. I have a real hard-on for excellence, and so I try to invite people who are excellent in their field or just excellent as human beings and put them all together. But I do sweat out the mix every time, although so far every mixture of people has been unexpectedly delightful.
As you know, your incredible series My Life On The D-List finally began officially streaming earlier this year on Peacock. For anyone out there who might be watching and loving it now for the first time, what do you hope they take away from the series?
I hope they understand that it is a real time capsule from the 2000s or as we now say, the aughts. The moments that we were able to capture on that low budget, non-union show are very special to me. I have not watched the show since it aired, except for episode one, because I someday hope to do a podcast rewatch. But when I think of having participants in my little show, like everyone from the great Liza Minnelli to an average young gay person who’s struggling with how to tell their parents, I am quite proud. I also still can’t believe and am mortified at the inappropriate things that I did and said. However, that doesn’t mean I still don’t do things that mortify me.
The stakes for this fall’s election are major—to say the least—and though we know we NEED to vote Blue, many people are already feeling exhausted. As an outspoken advocate and champion of voting rights, what advice do you have for people to stay motivated and politically engaged?
Focus on the down ballot. The down ballot is everything. I have cautious optimism, of course, because what we have all been through, with Trump and me in particular. But I really do think VP Harris is going to win. I think people like to make history. But remember, she cannot do her job without the House and the Senate. We do not have the House of Representatives. People get frustrated that Joe Biden didn’t accomplish this or that without remembering basic civics. Without the House and the Senate, you can’t pass a bill. So please do everything you can for VP Harris. But don’t forget to pay attention to the local elections. Everything from your local sheriff election to judges and obviously, state senators, as well as United States senators and state representatives as well as United States congressmen. It takes about 20 minutes of your day to research your own district and boy is it worth it?
Who is a queer or trans artist/performer/creator that you think is doing really cool work right now? Why are they someone we should all be paying attention to?
You know, I’m a big fan of Hannah Gadsby because I believe they changed the game when I watched their special, Nanette. I found a way to reach out and told them that after watching their special, I wanted to elevate my work. I think that’s a very rare and important quality in a comic. I don’t care that theur show may not be one typical setup and punchline after another. I think their work is revolutionary and subversive, and I think there should be more artists out there like that, and they should be getting more accolades even than Hannah gets, because I don’t quite think they’ve gotten their due yet. But I do hope they understand how many people they inspires to be truthful and legit. And other queer artists I love are of course my dear friend Sia who is incredible and an icon. And I love what Chappell Roan is doing at the moment.
Related*
Kathy Griffin makes emotional stage return after surgery paralyzed a vocal chord
It’s great to see her back on stage doing stand-up.
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