Specs
Age 51
Accomplishments Host of Kathy [1], a new talk show on Bravo; starred for five seasons on Bravo's hit reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. [2]
Base Los Angeles
What’s the first information you consume in the morning?
I’m a big 24-hour news cycle junkie, so I watch CNN and MSNBC. I am so into it that sometimes I will actually watch the reruns of the news, even though news shouldn’t be shown in reruns.
What do you read or watch or listen to at the breakfast table?
Well, being a stand-up comedian, breakfast for me is usually at 3 p.m. I’d be lost, of course, without my Oprah. So I might just flip on OWN and watch a rerun of Oprah [3] and pretend like it’s the late ‘90s again.
What occupies your mind in the car, on the subway, train or bus?
I have certain music and songs that get me in the mood to work. I am constantly writing jokes and material in my head. Whatever inspires me—anything from Justin Bieber to the Foo Fighters.
What do you watch, and how: TV, laptop or tablet?
I watch a lot of bad television because that is what my people want to hear about. I tend to watch bad programming that we can make fun of, more than Community [4]or Parks and Recreation, which are good comedies, and so they’re not the type of thing I’d put into my act. I watch a lot of programming on TLC, and E! and Bravo and VH1. I don’t really like watching shows on the computer or my iPad or my phone. I’m old school. I like to put on the actual television and watch it in its original form.
Do you watch anything that’s not part of your act?
I never miss 60 Minutes or Meet the Press. I like some actual shows like Downton Abbey. Mostly, I love documentaries. I prefer real people in real life. I watch more reality and documentary news than narrative shows.
When do you find time to watch everything?
Every spare minute is time I don’t want to waste not watching television. My life is comprised of these three things: getting material for jokes, telling jokes and then watching TV to tell more jokes.
Besides the phone, how else do you communicate with your mom? Does she email or text?
My mom is a big emailer. At 91 years old, she emails only in caps because of her eyesight. So it’s like she’s yelling at me, even via email.
Give us the skinny on your favorite app.
I know of an app called moreBeaute2, where you get to Photoshop your pictures that you took with your iPhone or iPad instantly. And every actress or female television personality I’ve ever met loses it for this app. And no, I’m not a paid spokesperson.
With such a bloated media universe, how do you cut out the fat?
I am actually part of the fat. I love that you can watch my Bravo show on television, you can see unseen footage on the Web, you can go on my Facebook and see little clips we make for you. I like that we can make people laugh across the digital landscape. I am part of the problem and not part of the solution.