Kathy Griffin Performs at the FOX

I don't follow much television, and it's not because I'm some sort of intellectual snob, I just don't have the time. So, even though I'm keenly aware of Kathy Griffin's show My Life on the D-List, I've never actually seen it. I am, however, familiar with Griffin, having seen her appearances on talk shows, sitcoms, and in movies over the years. And, a video that played before she took center stage at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis, reminded me of her body of work. I was particularly struck by her spot on Seinfeld as the comedian whose act consisted entirely of brow beating the poor slob, and making constant reference to the fact that "Jerry Seinfeld is the devil". But, on stage Griffin is a revelation, commanding attention with a steady stream of jokes that consistently hit their mark.

From the beginning Griffin established the tone by asking the audience if it was "Too Soon?", and we knew exactly what she meant. A rant on the freakish details surrounding the life and death of Michael Jackson followed, and it was truly funny stuff. The media circus that continues to hype this story have only acted to shorten the distance required in the old adage: "Comedy is tragedy plus time".

 After apologizing to the male heterosexuals in the audience, because she knows that her act is really not designed to register with them, she launched into a series of long, intersecting riffs on her various celebrity encounters. Along the way, she offered up choice bits and spot on imitations of Suze Orman, Mary Grace and her mother. She even divulged the secrets of the diet that keeps her so slim and trim: "I'm bitchy and hungry all the time". A rambling story about her meeting the people who star on the various Real Housewives of... reality series had me a tad befuddled, but Griffin punched up the tale with enough humor to amuse even the uninitiated.

Griffin's talent is not only her ability to talk non-stop for nearly two hours, but to make it all seem so effortless. You imagine that she's making it all up on the spot, but comedy requires a lot more work than that to appear that way. And, on this particular evening, she was absolutely hilarious.