Over the last two years, Kathy Griffin has blasphemed Jesus and dropped F-bombs while accepting awards at the Creative Arts Emmys, but she will officially preside over the event at Nokia Theatre on Sept. 12. Even though the TV academy has publicly denounced her performance at the podium as "offensive" in the past, she will host the ceremony that she frequently mocks as the "Schmemmys." The Creative Arts Emmys are a target for jokes because they honor mostly technicians, makeup artists and other crafts workers at a low-profile gala held prior to the main Emmy bash telecast on network TV.

In 2008 and 2007, while nominated at the Schmemmys, Kathy Griffin's Bravo show, "My Life on the D-List," won best reality program and probably would've skated to easy victory again this year if not for the breakout success of "Jon and Kate Plus 8," which will probably nab its first nomination this Thursday. While presiding as host, will Griffin erupt in a tirade of F-bombs is she loses? Or if she wins?

When she triumphed in 2007, Kathy Griffin's acceptance speech caused major hubbub: "A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus." Then she added: "Hell has frozen over. ... it, Jesus. This award is my god now!"

TV academy chiefs issued a statement denouncing her remarks as "offensive," and they were heavily censored when her win was shown on the edited version of the ceremony aired by E! Entertainment network.

When she won in 2008, she dropped lots of F-bombs that were also edited out of taped version of the show aired later on E!: "Well, well, well! Here we go again . . . . Here we go again!" Looking around the auditorium, she acknowledged some celebs in the audience, adding, "Hanks, Gandolfini — what the … ! I'm not going to tell anyone to ... it. I would make love to this thing if I could."

Awards-obsessed Kathy Griffin isn't satisfied with having won an Emmy last year. Now she's going after two more — she's nominated for best reality program again ("My Life on the D-List") and best variety special ("Straight to Hell") — plus she's campaigning for a Grammy. Her new CD is brazenly titled "For Your Consideration."

"I am trying to be Rita Moreno," she confesses in our podcast chat. "How many times do I have to say it?" CLICK HERE to download or listen to the MP3 file.  NOTE: You may need to hold down your computer's control key while clicking.

It's scary — and impressive — that Kathy Griffin knows about Rita Moreno. But it also proves that Kathy Griffin is our kind of gal. She's referring to one of 10 winners of showbiz awards' grand slam: Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, Tony. How many other celebs are aware of that, eh? (The nine others on that list, by the way: Mel Brooks, John Gielgud, Whoopi Goldberg, Helen Hayes, Audrey Hepburn, Marvin Hamlisch, Mike Nichols, Richard Rodgers and music arranger Jonathan Tunick.)

When Kathy Griffin won the Emmy last year, she gave what can easily be pegged the most outrageous acceptance speech in all kudos history — so shocking that E! network bleeped her from its telecast of the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony, where she claimed the statuette a week before the main show.

If she wins this year, "believe me, something's going to happen," she promises Gold Derby. "This year I'm nominated for the creative arts plus the real fancy Emmys. Everybody's in trouble!"

Why did she cause such a hubbub last year? "When I watch these award shows I'm looking for the person who's going to say something inappropriate," she tells us. "I'm looking for the person's who going to cry to the point where they can't even speak. I'm looking for the person who's going to forget to thank their husband — like if Oprah forgot to thank Gail. Can you imagine? So I thought if I was ever even close to getting up there, I want it to be something people are talking about the next day."

In our podcast chat, Kathy confesses her awards-show addiction: "Look. Here's the deal. I'm such an awards show fanatic … I mean I watch every awards show … I'll watch, like, the Alma Awards … I'll watch anything."

And she's furious that the Emmys have asked five other reality hosts — including Heidi Klum ("Project Runway") — to emcee the ceremony and not her. "I am now going to enter into a murder-murder suicide with Heidi Klum," she swears.

Kathy also revisits her infamous firing from E! network, where she covered the red-carpet parade — up until, that is, she made a joke about 6-year-old Dakota Fanning going into rehab.

I picked her because she has this squeaky-clean perfect record," Kathy says. "I wouldn't make that joke about Miley Cyrus."

But Griffin shrugs off the whole kerfuffle that followed as "so silly and funny," adding, "It was hilarious. I loved the whole thing. In a way, I live for moments like that.... I got fired for making inappropriate jokes about celebrities, but you know what? Celebrities deserve it. They deserve it and they know it!" CLICK HERE to listen to listen to our full chat!  

Photo: ATAS