Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff. 

It’s hard to put most people’s first reaction to comedian Kathy Griffin’s — video and photos of a fake beheaded President Donald Trump — into words. Who would have known that for a moment satirical Griffin would bring together Democrats, Republicans and her sponsors in a universal condemnation of this 56-year-old, burned-out-has-been who is now witnessing her own demise by her own hands.

Talk about classic political drama – the Golden Age of Rome could not have come up with a better plot. In today’s talk – you can’t make this stuff up.

“When I first saw it my heart dropped … so sick,” said a Facebook comment. These few words sum up a worldwide reaction to a publicity stunt that was allowed to go forward by the star-power of liberal Hollywood. So here we all are — down and out with carrot-topped Kathy Griffin — who soon issued a shallow apology from her home that has fallen upon deaf ears.

Several of Griffin’s major sponsors have dropped her like a lead balloon including liberal CNN who cancelled their association including the annual CNN coverage of New Year’s Eve in Times Square which she co-hosted with CNN News Anchor Anderson Cooper, according to CNN.

”For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in,” said Cooper. “It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate.”

The photographer — Tyler Shields — not only took still photos but video-taped the entire session with Griffin as they discussed how best to hold Trump’s bloody head for maximum effect. This video has gone viral on social media and it shows this stunt was no accident or some spur-of-the-moment attempt at political humor.

“The image is too disturbing. I understand how it offends people. It wasn’t funny,” said Griffin in her ‘apology’ she posted on social media. “I get it … I went too far … and I beg for your forgiveness.”

President Trump and his family were shocked at Griffin’s pathetic stunt apparently designed to show the level of political hatred toward this new president, but it backfired badly.  Griffin and the president have known each other for years through both of their respective appearances on celebrity-reality-television shows.

“Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself,” President Trump stated in a Tweet. “My children, especially my 11-year-old son Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!”

Speaking for herself and Democrats nationwide, former President Bill Clinton’s daughter Chelsea Clinton spoke out against Griffin’s tasteless display of hate.

“This is vile and wrong,” said Chelsea Clinton. “It is never funny to joke about killing a president.”

The real problem with this entire Griffin matter is that it all went too far. Nobody stepped in — not Griffin’s friends, not the photographer or the studio that produced the photographs and video. Griffin had plenty of help and someone paid for this to happen. That fake severed Trump head, dripping with blood, took some doing to make. It was pre-mediated — like a first-degree murder charge.

Who among us has not had a bad idea that we wish we could take back? But in Griffin’s case she has chosen friends and associates that back her bad ideas and encourage her to take her brand of dark comedy over the edge. Just the fact that this stunt made it to completion is proof enough that Griffin herself did not realize the damage she was doing to no one else but herself. She did not say “I really shouldn’t do this. I’m gonna stop this idea.”

First Lady Melania Trump hit the nail on the head with her released statement.

“As a mother, as a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and it makes you wonder about the mental health of the person doing it,” said the First Lady.

It’s also worth noting that over the recent Memorial Day weekend Hollywood’s nationwide movie box office receipts were the lowest in 18 years, according to Score.com, who keeps track of such things. Perhaps the American movie-going public is beginning to reject the fake super heroes, stupid remakes of ‘Bay Watch’ and all that endless violence on the big screen.

As a result of Griffin’s stunt, she’s saying goodbye to her lucrative long-term contract with CNN. She’s also saying goodbye to her current nationwide comedy tour — the cancellations are coming in fast. Say goodbye to Kathy Griffin.

About the Author

Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.

Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.