Celebrity Jobber Podcast with Jeff Zito

Episode: Kathy Griffin
Date: November 1, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features comedian and television star Kathy Griffin. Host Jeff Zito dives into Griffin's journey from her very first job to her rise in comedy, her struggles during public controversies, and her resilience in the face of adversity. The central questions: Who was Kathy before fame? What might she have been without her break? Griffin discusses the setbacks she’s encountered over the last seven years—including being “canceled,” health issues, and personal struggles—and the ways comedy and touring remain her anchors.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Kathy’s Career Resilience and Recent Comeback

• Surviving “Cancellation” and Returning to Comedy
  • Kathy shares her excitement about being “back” after years of being “canceled" due to the Trump controversy.
  • She’s currently touring with her "New Face, New Tour" (referencing her recent facelift) and promoting her free YouTube special, My Life on the PTSD List.

    "I'm so excited to be back. Jeff, you have no idea. I was canceled for years because I got in a lot of trouble with the government." – Kathy Griffin (02:04)

  • Sets the record straight assertively about her career:

    "I'm a giant star. I'm a legend. I have $50 million. I own my house outright. I'm back on tour. I played Carnegie Hall six times… I’m in the Guinness Book of World Records for more stand up comedy specials than any comedian, living or dead." – Kathy Griffin (02:48)

The Fallout: Public Scrutiny and Personal Hardships

• Recap of high-profile challenges: government investigation, inclusion on the “no-fly list,” lung cancer, painkiller addiction, divorce.

  “Anyway, I have a new special on YouTube that's free… and I have a tour. I'm starting my tour called New Face, New Tour because I got a new facelift and I'm showing it off to the world now.” – Kathy Griffin (02:11)

• Addressed how the media and personal setbacks didn’t break her. Emphasizes resilience and “rising from the ashes.”
  • Features in People Magazine: “Risen from the Ashes.”

    "I'm back. I have a YouTube show, I have a YouTube special, and I have a tour." – Kathy Griffin (03:28)

Early Aspirations and “D-List” Identity

• Childhood dream: Not stardom, but to be a sitcom’s best friend (“Rhoda to Mary Tyler Moore, Ethel to Lucy”).

  "I always thought it would be fun to be the sidekick to the pretty girl." – Kathy Griffin (04:17)

• Breakthroughs: Guest roles on sitcoms, recurring role on Suddenly Susan, and landing HBO and other specials.
• “D-list” self-awareness as comedic persona, despite significant mainstream achievements (Emmys, Grammy, Guinness World Record).

First Job & Entry Into Show Business

• Did not attend college; leapt directly into acting and commercials.
• First “job”: As a teen, a commercial for the Chicago White Sox—playing their theme on a kazoo. That’s how she got her SAG-AFTRA card.

  “My first commercial was in Chicago… and it's hilarious because… I'm a teenager and I'm in the stands of a White Sox game and I'm playing their theme song on a kazoo.” (06:52) "That's how I got my SAG AFTRA union card. So go union." (17:35)

Struggles and the Survival Instinct

• Comedy is her “tool for survival” through cancer, painkiller addiction, divorce.

  "Comedy has been my survival tool. So if I'm not making comedy of my own because I'm dealing with one of my own issues, then I, I'm out there watching comedy." – Kathy Griffin (12:26)

• Continues to draw strength from friendships in comedy (Margaret Cho, Wanda Sykes) and constantly develops new material.

The Digital Age: Navigating Modern Showbiz

• Transition from TV-centric fame to the necessity of constant online engagement—YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc.

  "I've accepted it. And so the days of, you know, television making or breaking you in one guest spot are over. And now you have to be everywhere." (13:57)

Family Roots & Influence

• Grew up lower middle class in Illinois; parents not in show business but supportive and interested in showbiz.
• Parents appeared on My Life on the D List; their charm and authenticity became part of her brand.

  “I'm just gonna say I think they were the stars of my life on the D list. I felt like I was their supporting player. They were so real. And now they were drunk. I'm gonna lie. They were tipsy many of the time… But I embraced it.” – Kathy Griffin (15:23)

Kathy’s Politics and Fearlessness

• Vocal opposition to Trump, support for LGBTQ+ rights; promises her comedy will not shy away from controversial topics.

  "I'm going to stay and fight because I have my issues with Trump and they still continue as well as many cabinet members… We can't afford to be afraid. Gay rights are going away daily… We have a lot to do with the community and civil rights." – Kathy Griffin (08:26)

• On leaving the U.S.: "I'm going to stay and fight" (08:26).

“Jobber” Reflection: Could Kathy Griffin Have Been a “Jobber”?

• For Griffin, the concept of being a “jobber” is fodder for humor. She still “feels like an outsider looking in,” which keeps her comedy sharp.

  “In my mind... I still feel like an outsider looking in… that's, I find, my comedy.” – Kathy Griffin (11:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Surviving Public Backlash:
  “I was in People magazine this week and the article is called Risen from the Ashes. I'm back.” (03:28)
• On Her First Union Gig:
  “That was my first, like, union paying commercial… I'm a teenager and I'm in the stands of a White Sox game and I'm playing their theme song on a kazoo.” (06:52)
• On Ellen:
  "[Ellen]'s a pill. She's a pill. She's a pill. ... She doesn't get joy. She's joyless, right? But she's talented. ... She's a good house flipper." – Kathy Griffin (07:51)
• On Her Parents:
  "I think they were the stars of my life on the D list... they were drunk. I'm gonna lie. They were tipsy many of the time." (15:23)
• On Comedy as Survival:
  "Comedy has been my survival tool." (12:26)
• On Politics:
  "I'll be going for Trump on my new show. I'll be going for him hard. He deserves it." (08:32)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Discussion | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 02:04 | Kathy discusses being "canceled," comeback, new tour | | 02:48 | Griffin lists her successes and rebuffs criticism | | 04:17 | Childhood dreams: sitcom sidekick aspirations | | 06:52 | Kathy's first job: Chicago White Sox commercial | | 07:51 | Disappointing experience guest-starring on Ellen | | 08:26 | On staying in the U.S. and fighting for civil rights | | 09:20 | Breakthrough moments in her career | | 12:26 | Using comedy to survive personal struggles | | 13:57 | Adapting to the digital age as a performer | | 15:23 | Parents' influence and appearances on D List | | 17:35 | Recap of first job and union card | | 18:41 | Thoughts on dating, single life, wanting to be "Golden Bachelorette" |

Closing Thoughts

Kathy Griffin’s journey, as profiled in this episode, weaves together tenacity, irreverent humor, and survival. Despite controversies and personal challenges, she insists on boldly owning her narrative—and her punchlines. Griffin’s comeback underscores her refusal to be relegated to the “Jobber” status the show explores, and her willingness to keep evolving in both content and platform.

Listeners learn not only about Griffin’s early jobs and aspirations, but also get honest behind-the-scenes reflections from a veteran comic who sees everything—including setbacks—as future stand-up material.