StraightioLab: Ring The Kathy Griffin Alarm!
13:47 Share

- Bo, listen, vacation, it's something you gotta get right. - I have never agreed with you more. And I've had so many wonderful trips with you in the past. I remember one of our fantastic Airbnb trips upstate. We got this four bedroom Airbnb, little cabin,

We had like a whole acre to waltz around in. It was so much fun and a gorgeous kitchen, remember? I do remember. That ended up being an iconic trip. But why is Airbnb better than a hotel? First of all, more space. Second, more bathrooms because sharing a bathroom, I know it's not our favorite thing to do. Also, more common area spaces to hang out together. Airbnbs can have things like a private movie room or game room. Doing an Airbnb may also get you access to a better location. Airbnb, it's just for you and me. Fee!

Fiji water is Earth's finest water. Don't you think, Bowen? Yes, I think. Did you know that Fiji water is the number one premium imported water bottle brand in the U.S.? It has a perfectly balanced 7.7 pH. What I love about Fiji water is that it has more than doubled the electrolytes as the other two top

premium water bottle brands, giving its signature soft, smooth taste. Visit your local retailer to pick up some Fiji water today. Listen, real tequila drinkers know there's nothing better than the smooth but never sweet taste of award-winning 21 Seeds Tequila infused with real fruit juice. That's why Rachel Bilson is teaming up with 21 Seeds.

to celebrate the 21st birthday of the OC, appearing as Summer Roberts in new scenes while mixing up some delicious 21 Seeds cocktails. Check out this awesome collab at 21 Seeds Instagram and try 21 Seeds infused tequila today. Visit 21seeds.com. Enjoy responsibly. 21 Seeds. Diageo, New York, New York.

Hello readers, katies, publicists, and finalists. We are interrupting the Las Culturistas feed for a preview of the latest episode from our friends at Stradio Lab, a podcast about straight culture hosted by Culture Award winners Sam Taggart and George Severus. This week they talk to none other than comedy legend Kathy Griffin. Here's a sneak peek and to hear the full episode search for Stradio Lab, no spaces, in your podcast app of choice.

Okay, podcast starts now. Wow. Today we are in the studio in Hollywood, California. The life updates are non-stop. Non-stop. I wish they would stop. I literally wish for one day there were no life updates. I would actually be so grateful to have one day where I don't have to text anyone that anything has happened. I swear to God, the way I am fielding phone calls left and right, you would not believe. So first of all, I'm visiting LA. That's right, to do my famous stand-up show. Sold out two nights, baby. And...

The other day, in the same day, you were in the hospital getting surgery while my sister-in-law was giving birth. Two hospitals, two coasts, two patients, two shows. And I'm feeling like the Carmela Soprano, the matriarch at home that's like, I hope my boys are okay.

That's my southern Carmela's Alfredo. And meanwhile, my mom, who's very invested in both things, like, how's Sam? How's the baby? How's Sam? Calling me the second I'm, you know, entering a work thing or whatever. Yeah. And then I'm visiting you at the hospital. I'm saying, I need to bring him two pastries. What if he's hungry? What if my boy is hungry? And guess what? I was. And you were.

Of course, I'm getting a FaceTime to meet the baby while I'm at the other hospital. Then I'm in the lobby of the hospital, people around me having God knows what. And then I'm in the best mood ever being like, she's so cute. And then everyone around me is in the process of dealing with some terrible illness. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, you've really held it all together. Thank you. You've been my rock. You've been the rock to so many people this week.

And yeah, I had a surgery. And to the point, so many calls, so many texts. My family's like, what's wrong? How are you? And I'm like, I don't have time. Yeah. Well, there is a sort of Munchausen-esque thing happening with you where no one knows exactly what the deal is. Well, that's because it's not like an easy, it's not a quick word. You can't be like, oh, I had an appendectomy. Of course. Of course. Of course.

Mine was sort of custom. Yes. And you always go custom. I've never... If you're getting your surgeries off the rack, you need to grow up. It's 2024. Yeah, we're in Los Angeles. We're in Los Angeles. It's Oscars weekend. Like, if you're out there literally getting, like, your leg amputated, like, grow up. Grow up. Get a custom surgery. Yeah. Just know that it's perfectly fine and was sort of kidney related. And, yeah, I'm going to say it. I have a catheter in currently. No!

So we were saying, you know, we'll bring our guest in in a second, and I am dying to, but the big debate this weekend was we are having, you know, one of our true idols, role models, like she is mother, you know, everyone agrees, everyone has voted, and she is the president of the United States. Yes. And meanwhile, you have a catheter. And there's no way around it. There's no way around it. And the debate is, do, we were like, will Kathy find it funny if we bring it up, or will she immediately leave the room? Yeah.

And to me, it had to be brought up because it is so notable. And I didn't know it was going to happen. And the fear that struck me when the doctor told me that. And then the first thing I thought was like, so I'm going to be in a room with Kathy Griffin trying to do a comedy podcast while I have a catheter in. Okay, we actually need to bring her in because I'm shaking with anticipation. Oh my God, please welcome to the podcast. Please welcome literally the president of the United States, Kathy Griffin. Oh my God, I love her. She is a round of applause.

All right. First of all, I'm so honored because I went on Twitter before it became X, which is now just a Nazi playground. Yeah. But prior to that, when it mattered, I asked my fans, I said, Gaga has her monsters. Nick Minaj has the barbs. What do you guys want to be called? And the number one vote was they wanted to be called catheters. Oh, my God. Wow. I am honored. And my catheters support you. I have had a catheter.

Found it to be a great relief because when I didn't have it and could not void it which is the doctor word for P It was so painful. I felt like somebody was standing on my bladder with a combat boot laughing So my question is how does your dick feel? Uncomfortable, okay, it feels uncomfortable, but not you know, it's been getting better every day And yeah, I've had it since Thursday

How long do we have it? Till Monday. Okay. But I will say it feels, every time I move, I'm like, ow, eek, ooh. Yeah, yeah. And a big part of the narrative is,

Sam's doctor is being very chill about all of this. Sam didn't even know he was going to have to do this and the doctor was like, what's the big deal? He was really like, well, most people wouldn't even want this. Why are you being so weird about it? And you're like, well, I have work. Will I be able to go to work? She's like, yeah, why wouldn't you? It's a world of catheters that the doctor's acting like none of us don't have a catheter.

Yeah, 100%. 100%. And then I also felt gaslit because I told my mom and I was like, isn't it crazy that we're going to, you know, have to record in San Jose Cathedral? And she's like, what's the big deal? I'm like, why is everyone trying to gaslight? I should be thinking it's normal to walk around with a catheter. My mom was like, that's horrible. Yeah. And I was like, okay, well, don't go.

that hard like i do have to do it it has to be we have to split the baby yeah i wish i had one in but i'm also granting that it's horrible and it also could be normalized for people yes it's normalize normalize gay guys having catheters thank you it's about time it's about time start the movement yes i'm going out to dinner tonight and i think it's i cannot stop thinking about how funny it will be to like be having a martini yeah and a catheter yeah

- Talk about high-low. - How often are you gonna drain yourself? - I think I'm gonna go as often as maybe like every hour. - When the bag fills. - When the bag fills. - Amazing. - I keep saying, for some reason I keep referring to having the catheter as diva mode unlocked.

Turn that frown upside down with that expression. Oh, I don't even need to pee. Nope. Honestly, Diva Mode Unlocked would be a great album title for you. It would be really good. Or a special title. Yeah. I think that's really genius. I love it. I have to confront you about something, which is, so I'm, as everyone, every listener knows, I grew up in Greece. My family's Greek.

And I happened to see on a social media platform that you went to Madonna with Nia Vardalos, my number one. Who's the queen of Greece? Literally the queen of Greece. She is the Britney Spears of Greece. She cannot go three feet in Greece without being mobbed by fans. Literally, and that's not a joke. And I, last summer, was in Greece and...

a friend of mine from my big fat great wedding the Empire franchise and by the way I was recently re-watching Curb she's in a season one episode of Curb oh I had no idea playing like Larry's like doctor or something I can't remember she's great she's incredible one of the biggest like uh

pains of my life was I was in Greece and my friend had me over for lunch or something and it turned out that the day previous the previous day she had had me over dollars over and I had missed that lunch and went to the other that is not appropriate when you could have been with literally so yeah so how was

Are you friends with her? I'm friends with her. We've been friends for a long time. I don't even remember how I met her. You know, a lot of these celebs, I meet them at like, I call it the charity circuit. Yes, of course. You know, I went to a thing last night for the Gay and Lesbian Center and I ran into Gabrielle Union, who I haven't seen in years, or Gabby as I call her, or at least as she was called back in the day. And I don't know,

I don't know how I know Nia, but I love that she has this one country where she can go and she's got to have security and everybody wants a piece of her. And then she goes and hangs out with Tom and Rita. Oh yeah. Oh, I know. Cause you know, the big thing. Honorary King and Queen of Greece. Well, 100%. And not even honorary. Excuse you, Rita Wilson is Greek. That's right. That's right.

So there are two Greeks queens. When I was growing up, the big thing was Tom and Rita had a home in, I believe in Tepros, which is an island. And he would, there were stories that he would grill on the beach and like give everyone like a little souvlaki, a little sausage. Oh, can you imagine? Fun. Getting sausage from Tom Hanks. And Rita, of course, you know, dancing in the corner doing traditional Greek dance. Yeah. Do you feel like the Nia Vardalos of gay guys? Kind of. Yeah, you really are. I mean, I admit that when we went to Madonna,

I don't know if you know the movie Soap Dish, but it's one of my favorites. And there's a great scene where Sally Field isn't getting recognized enough. And so Whoopi Goldberg takes her to a mall in Jersey. And I have to admit, walking into the Madonna concert with Sia, Paris Hilton, Lunel, and

had a lot of shout outs, like a lot of, hey, Kathy. And I was stopping. And they're, of course, very famous. They're all going really fast, getting to the seats. I'm not going to speed up that moment. So I was slowing down, posing. I let go of Paris at least three times and said, you're on your own, bitch. It's my time now.

But it was a fantastic night. We had a wild girls evening. And I did do a post about it on my TikTok or my Instagram. You can see it. Because as much as we all worship the Queen Madonna, I did not know she has a strict no air conditioning policy, which Rosie O'Donnell said extends to her life and her homes. Wait, really? Yes, because she thinks it's unhealthy.

And so we ended up leaving early because I'm an older gal and we actually started getting overheated. And even though Paris Hilton was dressed up like S&M Madonna in some little off a cheat got from Trashy Trashy Lingerie that day, Lunel was in like these Fendi sweaters and Sia had on this big taffeta gown that had layers to it. And we kept tripping on it and sitting on it.

So we ended up having to leave early. And as a gay man, I feel very guilty about that. And I would not be surprised if Madonna yelled at me, although I don't know her. But if I ever met her, I'm ready for her to yell at me and say, who do you think you are leaving my show? I think it would be an honor for you to be. Yeah, that would be huge. I would be laughing and crying at the same time and davening. You know, she yelled at...

She yelled at Andy Cohen when I saw her in New York. Well, somebody should. Well, I mean, you're telling me. A lot of people are now. Yeah. Oh, that's true. Wait, why did she yell at him? Because she was like, she sort of saw him. I think she said like, stop saying bad shit about me. Yeah. Because he like talks about her on Watch What Happens Live. And she like spotted him in the crowd and was like, Andy, you stupid faggot. Yeah, yeah. She didn't say that. No, but it was implied. It was implied. It was implied. Well, look, I.

I gotta say, I loved her show. I think it's an amazing show. You should go see it if you can. It's really amazing. And the fact that she's doing the same dance moves as the freaking videos in the MTV heyday and she's 65 is pure inspiration. And so I've been reading a lot of ages comments on TikTok and Instagram and I'm not having it. That is our queen. And does she sing? You know, probably not. But we don't really...

really go to hear the actual scene. Wow, the ageism is coming from inside the house. That's right. The accusations are coming from Kathy Griffith. Well, she's not Maria Callas. I'm just saying. She never was. But she's Armadonna and the way she gives up the hits and she sings Bad Girl, which she hardly ever sings live, and Live to Tell, and she gives up the hits and it's a two and a half hour show. You know, not that I'd know because... Of course. But they tell me. No, but it's a great show and I love that she's doing it at 65 because...

I don't think it's desperate. I think she's proving a point that while Cher still tours, which is also one of my faves, but Madonna, just the dancing part is what kills me. And just so you know, the Janet Jackson tour is also amazing. And Janet at 60 is doing the same moves from the videos and also not singing, but not important to me. Right. Not important to me. Who is singing?

Sia. Sia Singh. Miley. I love Miley. Gaga Singhs. Gaga Singhs, right? I am over... I don't need everyone to sing. I mean, here's the big question. I don't need Britney to sing at all. No, God no. When I did go see her Vegas residency, I did go with a genuine heterosexual who I dragged. Beautiful. Who I'm divorcing because of this. No, I'm just kidding. But he turned to me and he, about 20 minutes in, so sincerely, he goes...

I don't think she's even really singing. I think she's lip-syncing. I go, look around. You think these gays care? These gays are doing cartwheels. Their phones are out. They're jumping up and down and dancing. Nobody gives a shit. She's doing the best she can. And she's our Britney. And that's why Miley is such a big deal when she comes out. Because people are like, oh my God, people can sing if they want. Kelly Clarkson. Get out of town with Kelly Clarkson. She can sing anything. You know what the big mystery is? What?

Beyonce. Beyonce probably does. I would think she does like half and half because you can't dance that much in sync. I agree. That's what people have to understand. She's really, really moving around doing real choreography. So she's probably got the autotune mic, which is also fine with me. That's fine with me. It's part of the whole show and it's a show. It's not a recording session. No. We're not in the studio with Phil Spector trying not to get shot. We're just trying to make the gays happy and do a lot of fun dancing.

Mmm, that was an incredible little snippet. To hear the rest of the episode, find Stradio Lab wherever you get your podcasts. Now get back to work. We don't pay you to just sit around and listen to gay guys talk. Bye. This is it. We've got an Amex Platinum Pro on our hands, ladies and gentlemen. We haven't seen anyone relax like this before in the Centurion Lounge. Is he connecting to complimentary Wi-Fi? Oh my, look at that! He is!

and you will not believe where he's going next. The Amex dedicated card member entrance for the win. Unbelievable. When you get travel perks with Amex Platinum, you're part of the action. That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms apply. Learn more at americanexpress.com slash with Amex.

MITRE is investing in a massive AI supercomputer to power a new federal AI sandbox. With AI's potential to drive transformational advances across industries, MITRE's expertise in healthcare, cybersecurity, transportation, finance, climate, and national security will be critical. Transform your career while helping solve problems for a safer world. Visit MITRE.org slash careers. That's M-I-T-R-E dot org slash careers.

Our kids have said to us since we've moved to Minnesota, we are far more active than we've ever been anywhere else we've ever lived. Moving to Minnesota opened up a lot of doors for us. Just this overall sense of community and of values that, you know, Minnesotans have. It's a real accepting, loving community, especially with two young kids. See what makes Minnesota the star of the North. New residents share why they love calling it home at exploreminnesota.com slash live.