[Joan] Rivers has been down too many times, and too far, to think that getting the last word really counts for much. It's an apt touch to play video footage of Rivers misidentifying one star after another on the Oscar night red carpet. Celebrity, which she's courted one way or another all her professional life, is a ripe fruit waiting to rot. "Who the f- are you?" as Rivers puts it, the eternal Hollywood question.
" 'Thank-you' is a sign of weakness," she says in one of her battle mottos in the show. Women should "use sex as a weapon." Balance that hard sell with the surreal images she conjures of her own body falling apart or the cartoon lunacy of some old man's 36-hour erection on Cialis. Rivers talks tough about going after what you want, but she knows it all falls apart anyway. Laughter, finally, is what gets you through the career disappointments and a husband dead by suicide and all the rest.
Link.
I can't say I've paid close attention to Joan Rivers in recent years, but when I was young I thought she was hilarious. I love outrageous, offensive humor. The worse, the better. Part of me thinks I would love to be the garden blogger who trashes everyone's flowers on Bloom Day. "Those flowers are hideous! What a shitty garden! Another goddamn daylily? Is she fucking kidding me?" But that's just not me. (So, I guess I would actually prefer to read that blogger, rather than be him.)
The Joan Rivers show at the Plush Room sounds like fun.
In a rapid-fire hour at the Plush Room, Rivers laid waste to homeless people, stroke victims, Palestinians ("They're so ugly"), lesbian nuns, Angelina Jolie's "pelican lips," Anne Frank, Tom Cruise, crazy people, Hillary Clinton ("She's such a dyke"), Madonna's "homely children" and her own good friend Linda Carter ("that stupid bitch") and "best friend" Julie Andrews.
but it's way sold out. There's always Connie Francis. And Charlotte Rae. Seriously. Charlotte Rae. Scroll down.
When I win the lottery, I'm hiring someone who's job it will be to make sure I have tickets to all the fun, ridiculous shows that come to town that slip past my admittedly poor radar.
7 comments:
I've always loved Joan Rivers! And I'm like you - I really like the raunchiness. Do you like Kathy Griffin? She came to Birmingham last year and my partner and I wanted to go see her so bad it was bad timing all around and we couldn't make it. I'm hoping she will return. Would love to see her, Joan and Mario Cantone.
I do like Kathy Griffin! And, you know what, I think her show has gotten muuuch better since she and her husband split. It's almost like they've taken a different tack with the direction or something. But it's much funnier, and more interesting now. Anyhow, we watch it every Friday on DVR with take-out. That, or Ugly Betty.
We love the show too. I also think it is better since the husband left. I just hate that her seasons are so short. It seemed like it was just starting and then it was over.
Yeah, the short seasons are frustrating sometimes. We watch everything on the DVR now, so we actually don't know when things begin and end. We just watch whatever the machine gives us.
Did you also watch Kirstie Alley's Fat Actress? And also Lisa Kudrow's The Comeback. Loved those shows. My favorite right now is Sarah Silverman. She seems to have short seasons too. That, or the DVR can't figure out where to find her.
I like the 'perfect gay couple' animated show too. I can't remember the name of it.
Now I sound like someone who watches endless television, but I don't. The only show I'm extremely dedicated to is Battlestar Galactica.
Seriously. September 15th. ;) Although no daylilies will be blooming by then to be trashed, darn it.
We watch everything on DVR too - I think it is the greatest thing ever invented. I only watched the first ten minutes of Kirstie Alley's show and didn't care for it. She's never been a favorite of mine. Haven't watched Lisa Kudrow's show. The gay animated series is hilarious - I think it is called "Rich and Steve" or maybe "Bob and Steve"?
Heh....I know how you feel about enjoying mean humor. I was in the post office the other day, and the clerk and customer were making the most nauseating small talk-I really wanted to bitch-slap both of them! I'm not ALWAYS in that sort of mood...but rather often. ;-) I saw a t-shirt one time that said "If you don't have anything nice to say..." on the front, and "...come sit next to me." on the back. I wish I'd bought it now, but I can always make one. I like Joan Rivers, but I don't get cable, so I miss all that stuff. *sigh*
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