Kathy Griffin attempts to stay relevant with tasteless decapitated Donald Trump photo shoot
May 31, 2017
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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I imagine a world where, at some point, somebody told Kathy Griffin she was funny as some kind of prank. But, she believed it and has ran with it ever since. Sure, I’m probably not all that funny, either, but I’m not attempting to make a living out of it. Her latest act of “comedy” has landed both Griffin and photographer Tyler Shields in some pretty hot water.
The photo, obscured above, shows Griffin holding up a blood covered Donald Trump mask, made to look like a decapitated head. Now, I’m no fan of Trump, either, but this really is just wrong on so many levels. Causing much outrage online, it even provoked a public response from Trump himself – via Twitter, of course.
Warning : The complete image in question is shown in the post below
Created along with Griffin by renowned celebrity photography Tyler Shields, the image was first published through TMZ. Shields is known for his rather shocking work, so it’s probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that he’d shoot something like this. And he’s sticking behind its creation.
TMZ even posted a “behead the scenes” video of the shoot where Griffin joked “We have to move to Mexico today, because we’re going to get prison, federal prison”. TMZ also reports that Trump’s 11 year old son, Barron, was watching TV with his mother, Melania, when the image appeared on the screen. This was the first time he’d seen it, and thought something had happened to his father, according to the report.
In an interview with Fox News suggests Shields anticipated the reaction they would receive.
That’s what art is meant to do. Some people look at it and they love it. Some people look at it and they hate it… I understand there are going to be people that hate this. It’s a very touchy subject… but this is not real. We didn’t kill anybody nor do I feel anybody should be killed. It’s no different from a movie. It just happens to be a still image.
– Tyler Shields
The photo drew strong responses online.
This is vile and wrong. It is never funny to joke about killing a president. https://t.co/zIiuKoMyFw
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) May 30, 2017
Disgusting but not surprising. This is the left today. They consider this acceptable. Imagine a conservative did this to Obama as POTUS? https://t.co/QdghcbIjS7
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 30, 2017
For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate.
— Anderson Cooper (@andersoncooper) May 31, 2017
As outrage grew, Griffin asked Shields to take down the photos. She has also posted a public apology video.
https://twitter.com/kathygriffin/status/869703678550171648
“I sincerely apologise”, says Griffin, “I crossed the line […] I went way too far. The image is disturbing. I understand how it offends people […] I beg for your forgiveness. I went too far, I made a mistake and I was wrong”. Of course, not everybody’s convinced.
The #kathygriffin phony apology would be a lot easier to believe if there wasn't a video of her mocking the response she knew was coming.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 31, 2017
Politics aside, it’s pretty sick. No matter how you feel about somebody, even somebody as public as Trump, the guy has an 11 year old kid. Regardless of how “privileged” you may think that child is, they really don’t need to see photos like this of their parents.
[via TMZ]
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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34 responses to “Kathy Griffin attempts to stay relevant with tasteless decapitated Donald Trump photo shoot”
New spin on the same article?
She got what she wanted: publicity. She’s a b-grade celebrity who needs attention. We all gave it to her.
Yup. And unfortunately for her, said publicity has bitten her on the ass. Lost her CNN spot, sponsorships, and even had her comedy shows cancelled by venues.
Didn’t help that her ‘apology’ was fake and was outed by her employees almost immediately as well.
Art has to itch and make us think. In this case it hit the bulls eye.
Would you be okay if that was your mother’s or father’s bloody decapitated head she’s holding?
It depends. I see many gross thing that disgust me. I see No reason to forbid them.
“Art” is one of the most misused terms ever. This is “we failed at making art and made garbage instead”. But even Woody Allen said that if you’re not failing once in a while, you are not trying anything new. (Paraphrased.) Art requires one or more of purpose, statement or aesthetic. This has none of those things.
Most of Tyler Shields’ work fit’s the criteria to be art. This does not. Hack attempt at publicity… that generated just that.
She’s only sorry because she lost sponsorships and had shows cancelled. Someone leaked a backstage video of her talking about it.
Her photo op was not meant to be art. It was a political statement that took the atrocities of ISIS, and portrayed it in a manner that she used it as a platform for her political agenda, that went beyond the point of crossing the line. It’s disgusting, are slap in the face of the true victims of ISIS. Including Americans who were victims.
Right. We need to be tasteful with our political messages about serial killer politicians…
(Next issue our deadly healthcare system0
How America Made ISIS
When the US was done, when it had set off the process that led to insurgencies, civil wars, the growth of extremist militias, and the collapse of state structures, it had also guaranteed the rise of something new on Planet Earth: ISIS—as well as of other extremist outfits ranging from the Pakistani Taliban, now challenging the state in certain areas of that country, to Ansar al-Sharia in Libya and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen.
Though the militants of ISIS would undoubtedly be horrified to think so, they are the spawn of Washington. Thirteen years of regional war, occupation, and intervention played a major role in clearing the ground for them. They may be our worst nightmare (thus far), but they are also our legacy—and not just because so many of their leaders came from the Iraqi army we disbanded, had their beliefs and skills honed in the prisons we set up (Camp Bucca seems to have been the West Point of Iraqi extremism), and gained experience facing US counterterror operations in the “surge” years of the occupation. In fact, just about everything done in the war on terror has facilitated their rise. After all, we dismantled the Iraqi army and rebuilt one that would flee at the first signs of ISIS’s fighters, abandoning vast stores of Washington’s weaponry to them. We essentially destroyed the Iraqi state, while fostering a Shia leader who would oppress enough Sunnis in enough ways to create a situation in which ISIS would be welcomed or tolerated throughout significant areas of the country.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175888/
Radical ideaology war has been raging long before your narrative. It goes back hundreds of years. It’s an ideaology that is at war with any religion or Nation that does not accept anything other than it’s destructive and murderous ways.
The first amendment protects all speech- artistic and political. Your offense is irrelevant. Americans have died for generations to protect that very freedom. Your protest rings hollow.
Her next plastic surgery will be her last.
https://www.diyphotography.net/ tries to stay relevant by posting an article about Kathy Griffin.
Sorry I had to :) She is the worst regardless of your political views. So tasteless.
How’s this for tasteless?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7e029d7de7d9cc7b126c545305ccaafd985610e1614d8c1609b7641343e53b22.jpg
Sadly, the head she held looked better than the real thing.
Boycott her and that so called photographer.
DIY photography has it’s share of Trolls… adults in the Room realize what’s tasteless and what’s abhorrent… everyone else points fingers, plays the gotcha game.
Even the Church of Satan has asked people not to bring their name up in relation to this.
been done before with David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko head
One of the great things about living in a free country is that you’re free to express yourself. Even if that sometimes gives us this.
So this is bad, but inviting Ted Nugent to the White House after he publicly, several times, threatened both a sitting president and a candidate with hanging and shooting? Where is the outrage about that? Hypocrisy is far uglier than this drivel.
By the way DIY Photography, you should realize that this news has little to do with the craft of photography (and DIY resources) and much more to do with politics. I personally don’t follow this page for political content. Please let me know if you’re going to keep following this trend, so I can continue to pursue my interest in photography elsewhere.
OH :/
Beyond disgusting
It was a direct hit back at his “blood from her… wherever” statement
Who supplied the prop? I’m surprised she hasn’t blamed the photographer. ..
The whole thing was her idea!
I find issue with a photography website running an opinion piece finding issue with the distaste level of a photograph. It isn’t why I come here. It feels morally uppity.
Please don’t start posting political crap on here! I come to this site because I love photography and learning more about it. I’m bombarded with Trump mess everywhere, I don’t want to see it here too.
Understandable. However this is a photography website. They are simply sharing news of a well known photographer and his wrong doings. Both the photographer and Kathy need to be held accountable in some way. The media backlash helps with that.
It’s a disgusting photograph, and I’ve seen plenty of disgusting stuff. But art is not just about making us feel warm and fuzzy. And there is some thought that Mr. Trump’s policies and actions might just bring about even more bloody violence.
The most inappropriate thing about Ms. Griffin’s piece is probably her timing. If we were looking back in history at a Trump presidency that, say, rekindled the Korean War, resulting in millions of deaths and maybe even a nuclear exchange, this conversation would likely be far different.
The hypocrisy is staggering- republicans and the right literally hung Obama in effigy FOR YEARS- where was this faux outrage then? This is America- I don’t have to enjoy, appreciate, or even find “appropriate” the artistic statements of citizens protected by the first amendment. (For the record, I find this no more offensive than Ted Nugent’s vocal threats of violence toward Obama- both inappropriate, however, both acceptable in a free society) Way to stand up for your fellow artists John Aldred. Perhaps stick to photographing animals under your monarch.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f234709cf9bc8a5999d786a8d1808b9b2102a6283a9b18d4c033205a7dea7bd2.jpg