Fresh off a recent Emmy win, comedian Kathy Griffin performed for a full house at the DAR Constitution Hall on Thursday, armed with ample celebrity gossip.
Griffin is both the scorn and love of the celebrity world. In a business where stars prefer to keep their behaviors secret, Griffin dishes the truth to eager audiences with reckless abandon. She is aware of her own lack of star power and laments other celebrities' successes rather than her own.
Griffin spent most of Thursday night giving behind-the-scenes Emmy dirt, but made sure her political D.C. audience knows what she thinks of the government, starting off by blasting Republican presidential nominee John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.
Palin's family was not safe from Griffin, who focused on her pregnant 17-year-old daughter, Bristol. Griffin constantly referred to Sarah Palin as "Vice President Spears," suggesting that Lynne Spears, the mother to gossip fixtures Britney and Jamie Lynn, is strikingly similar to the Republican candidate.
No stranger to controversy, Griffin spent the majority of the night reveling in the fact that she won a second Emmy for "Outstanding Reality Program" for "My Life on the D-List," despite her controversial acceptance speech last year.
"After last year, I was sure I wasn't going to win," Griffin said during her performance. When she won an Emmy last year, she told Jesus to "suck it" during her acceptance speech, incensing several conservative religious groups.
In a display of her typical honesty, Griffin announced to her D.C. audience that it pays to win.
"Let me tell you, I've lost and I've won and it's so much better to win," she said.
It was evident that the audience members were avid watchers of "My Life on the D-List" before she even took the stage. Tom Vize, Griffin's tour manager and a staple on the show, received thunderous applause and cries from the audience while he set up the stage.
Later in the show, when Griffin made reference to an episode of "D-List" in which she visited the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the audience clapped in recognition when she mentioned a popular patient, Nick. Griffin then went into lewd detail of all the sexual things she would have done to Nick had the reality cameras not been there, exhibiting the brutal honesty her fans have come to expect and adore.
No celebrity was safe during the show, as Griffin both ripped and gushed over fellow Emmy-goers and nominees. Constant references to Lauren Conrad as "that little bitch from 'The Hills,'" Chloe S?vigny's "dead eyes," and the "sexy James Gandolfini" kept audiences laughing.
Well aware of the dynamics of her audience, Griffin made sure to bring particular attention to the mention of Gandolfini.
"Straight guys, you can wake up now," Griffin said. "I know your girlfriends and wives dragged you here and you've been asleep most of the show, but come on, it's Tony Soprano!"
Griffin's unabashed, uncensored stories and banter made for an entertaining 90 minutes of material, which led to a standing ovation at the show's conclusion.
Though it is not clear whether or not Griffin will appear in another season of her Emmy-winning show, it's certain that her fresh, honest views will keep her in the D-list limelight for years to come.
You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
