DVD Review: Kathy Griffin’s She’ll Cut a Bitch

D-lister Kathy Griffin recently released her sixth Bravo stand-up special She’ll Cut a Bitch to coincide with a winter tour. The 60-minute DVD, from a show that originally aired last April, includes stories from last year’s Grammys--where she proves she’s definitely not a Jonas Brothers fan--and an Emmy moment(s) with the taciturn James Gandolfini. FIlmed in Portland, the audience is your typical Griffin crowd dominated by gay men, women and in last place, straight men who were dragged to the show by their wives and girlfriends.

Now while we can all appreciate Griffin’s hilarious take her story about meeting Cher and going to Cher’s house, the best bits were reserved for updates on her mother Maggie Griffin. Especially one where she explains that her “frail, elderly alcoholic mother” has moved out of the house they shared because she finds her daughter annoying.

We wonder why? Oh maybe because Griffin’s not afraid to call out her mother’s faults in public, like her ability to return anything to Nordstrom’s for cash. Or that “tip it” was her mother’s favorite expression. (As in what to do with her much beloved boxed wine.) Imitating her mom--and you can just picture her wearing the Target muumuu--“Tip it, Kathleen. Cause the spigot’s not working and there’s s still some more wine in the plastic bag. You gotta tip it.”

Griffin reveals to the audience that when she was younger she tried to stop her parents drinking. But she then she realized, “Dad lived until 90 and Mom’s 88. F*ck it! Bottom’s up!”

Now some of the sketches seem a little dated, especially when she refers to then-news headliners Sarah Palin and Octomom. But the zinger of the evening was purely unintentional. It was her bubbling enthusiasm and giddiness when she exclaims “We finally won!” and “I have the audacity of hope.” That was so 2008 Kathy.

Also included in the 60-minute DVD are extras not aired on the TV special, including more momma Maggie stories on hoarding food and plastic bags and her (and other seniors’) “apocalyptic fear of a shortage of plastic garbage bags.”