Published: August 07, 2008 12:35 am            

Kathy Griffin helps troops heal with laughter

sgillespie@themeridianstar.com



Kathy Griffin has taken her gift of laughter to troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

On Thursday, Aug. 14, we see her visit wounded troops and try to lift their spirits at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., in an episode of her Bravo Network show "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List."

She tours the hospital and visits with many soldiers who are recuperating from horrific injuries.

Griffin also visits the family members of the injured who are staying at Fisher House, a residential complex near the hospital that offers free housing to families who have traveled a long way to visit their loved ones.

Her special stand-up performance at the hospital starts off bumpy, however.

"I was performing for people in wheelchairs and amputees and they still walked out," Griffin said.

But, the soldiers at the hospital leave an unforgettable impression on Team Griffin in this episode, from Corporal McCauley, who bonds with Griffin over his "questionable tattoo," to Sergeant Shirley, works on getting better with the help of an adorable therapy dog named George.

Here's an interview with Griffin about the Walter Reed episode scheduled to air at 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14:



Meridian 360º: We've seen you entertain troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. How tough is it to maintain a sense of humor and lift the spirits of these brave men and women in a hospital setting?



Kathy: Well, that was the whole goal of the episode because when I first talked to the Bravo people about it, they were nervous and they said 'This is a comedy show, and we're afraid it's going to be depressing,' and I said you know, you're wrong. After going to Afghanistan and Iraq, what it really is, is a story of how people use humor to get through an incredibly difficult time in their life, as well as out-and-out trauma.

What I was struck by when I visited overseas, is how these men and women just get through their day. If any of those things that happen to them five times a day happened to even one of us (civilians), once in our lives, it would be a trauma I would carry with me forever. Yet they just keep on keeping on.

What I learned is maybe the number one thing they do to get through the day is humor. It's a relief. It' certainly how I've dealt with anything in my life. I think most people are happy to go there and have that way to kind of blow off steam.



Meridian 360º: What can the viewers learn about Walter Reed from this episode?



Kathy: Obviously it was a very different situation in Walter Reed than when I went overseas, because they're on the base, and they're all energized and they've just come from combat. At Walter Reed it was such an interesting story of what happens when these men and women come home and they've really got to deal with a major crisis, and how does it affect their families?

I met so many wives, and kids, and moms, and dads and I think it's an interesting look at how we treat these men and women when they come home. How do we treat them? Do we treat them as well as we should? No. In my opinion we don't. However, we're doing the best we can, and the people at Walter Reed were great. They were very concerned with showing and proving that all the stories that had been in the news about how they mistreated them, that they were changing that — and they had changed that.

The Walter Reed folks were great. They gave us access that we've never had, and that has never been on television.



Meridian 360º: How do you rate this episode of "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List?"



Kathy: I've never been prouder of an episode, I think it's a really nice balance. Of course there are serious moments, and then moments that are just going to blow your mind because of the strength of these men and women, and then there's a lot of funny moments.

You've lost two legs, and believe me when it comes to a sense of humor, they just go there. You've never heard such sick jokes in your life. We're sitting there and we're just laughing. And that's how they get through it. That's the thing I heard from them more than anything.

I saw some of the craziest tattoos I've ever seen in my life. These guys would take their prosthetic legs and put these wacky decals on them. They have these stories about one guy that would take his leg off and drink beer out of it — crazy stuff that makes absolute sense when you think, 'How am I going to get through this traumatic, traumatic change in my life?'



Meridian 360º: Has this episode touched you or changed you in any particular ways?



Kathy: The minute I set foot in Afghanistan my first words were: 'Boy am I a wuss.'

I look at these men and women and I think, 'Oh my gosh,' when I was 19 I probably had like a part-time job temping. I was probably complaining about something. The two things you just can't get over are the strength of these men and women, and also how young they are. It hits you hard when you go to Walter Reed and you see a 19 year old kid, and he's a double amputee, and his wife is 18 and they have a baby.

For me as a comedienne, I go 'OK I need to make these people laugh — these people need a laugh, and I will do anything to get it.'

I was doing outrageous things, sitting on guys' laps, all sort of inappropriate behavior. I am expecting to get kicked out of the Army anytime soon. I'm expecting that call.

You can't help but be touched by their strength. Also you're touched by people who aren't dealing with it so well.

I went there off camera about nine months ago. I saw a guy who was medivaced in a few days before. He had really severe injuries and I was talking to him. His name was Mackenzie. I just never forgot him. He was there visiting with his Dad. He was kind of out of it but he was coherent. He said 'Ma'am I'm done. I'm done with the Army. I'm done with this war.'

There was an officer with me and he certainly didn't judge him for that or anything. The father kind of looked at me, and I said, 'You do whatever you want. You earned it.'

Sure enough I do the episode at Walter Reed, and I've got the cameras around me — I'm concerned with this or that. At the end of the day I'm doing a signing after the show, and this guy comes up on crutches and he says, 'Hey ma'am will you write — To Mackenzie?'

I turned around and I went 'Mackenzie!?' I said 'do you remember me?' And he said 'I sure do.' I said 'look at how far you've come, you're walking.' He was like a different guy. I thought that was a great story as to how Walter Reed does work.

This show doesn't make any judgments about Walter Reed. We don't say it's a palace, and we don't say it's a horrible place that mistreats men and women. I saw a real success story. I said 'how do you feel Mackenzie?' He said 'I'm staying in the Army.'



Meridian 360º: I understand things started out kind of bumpy as far as your standup segment at Walter Reed. You even said some amputees got up out of their wheelchairs and walked out.



Kathy: That's when you know you're bombing. It was a campaign of shock and awe. The Bravo people said we can't edit the show like that, we need to edit the end of the episode like you have a triumphant show. I said 'no, no, no. It didn't happen that way.' I was bombing, I was sweating, I said 'that's life on the D-list.' Sometimes I sell out Madison Square Garden, and sometimes I bomb. I'm not Jerry Seinfeld where every show is great, no way.

When you have three chaplains walk out of your show, and amputees walking out of your show, you know you're pushing it. By the way, there's the comedy of the episode because obviously it's a pretty serious episode in some ways, but if you want your comic relief, I'm happy to be it.

The nice thing is when I was doing the signing afterwards, all the same people who weren't laughing that much were like different people during the signing. They were relaxed and one-on-one, and then I got to hear more of their stories and take pictures with them, and that ended up being the triumphant end of the day. It's really not how we planned it. I thought I was going to get thunderous laughter.



Meridian 360º: So you haven't been banned from Walter Reed have you?



Kathy: I haven't heard that I've been banned but it's not like they're sending me invites to the Christmas party.

They were unbelievably cooperative. This is the only time cameras have been allowed in their rehab facility. We really got to see these men and women working hard and the emotional toll was obvious, and the physical toll was more obvious, so that was a privilege that they would let our cameras in there, and people were speaking freely, and that was a nice thing. I know the Army is happy with the episode and they've collaborated with Bravo.

        

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