On her Bravo reality TV show, comedian Kathy Griffin this week jokingly called Senator Scott Brown’s daughters ‘prostitutes’. Alluding to the fact that Scott Brown ‘pimps’ the girls all over the country, to anyone who will look at them, watch them or, in daughter Ayla’s case, hear her sing. The girls have appeared in photographs taken with Scott Brown while both are wearing miniscule bikinis, been dragged up on stage by Brown, who then told audiences “They’re single and available” and have had a whole lot of other pushing-them-in-your-face stuff visited on them by their father. So Brown himself should hardly be surprised when someone like Kathy Griffin calls him on it and accuses him of ‘prostituting’ his daughters to further his political career.
It’s also a little hypocritical of Scott Brown to not expect people to comment, after having encouraged his daughters to be all over the news, on political campaign stops with him and, again, in Ayla’s case to even be on ‘American Idol’, (she was voted off after a few weeks, something that still sticks in Brown’s craw, who keeps pleading with ‘American Idol’ to give her another chance).
Besides, as the girls are adults (Ayla is 21 and Arianna 19), if they allow themselves to be used by their father for political gain, unlike the actual ‘children’ of other political figures, honestly, once they’re in the political arena they really are ‘fair game’.
Senator Scott Brown himself said this, in response to Kathy Griffin’s ‘prostitutes’ comment: “People can call me any name they want, but families are off limits. I love my daughters, Ayla and Arianna very much, and any parent would be proud to have them as children. Kathy Griffin and Bravo ought to be ashamed of themselves.”
I don’t think anyone is calling into question Scott Brown’s love for his daughters, but when he calls them “off limits”, no Scott, they’re not, as you became their ‘Pimp’ when you shoved them up there for all the world to see.
However, as a somewhat feminist (and I say ‘somewhat’, as there’s a whole slew of stuff I don’t agree with in the feminist movement), calling someone a ‘prostitute’ isn’t particularly appropriate or going to win Kathy Griffin fans or help her influence people. While I do find Kathy Griffin hilariously funny on many levels, unfortunately sometimes she just doesn’t know when to stop.
In this case, I do agree with Kathy Griffin that what Scott Brown is doing is prostituting his girls (who are stunningly beautiful, by the way) but, I also think it’s a comment she should have kept to herself.
For a photo of Senator Scott Brown and his ‘bikini clad’ girls, see here.
