Joan Rivers: ‘No regrets’
No matter how biting the humor, or how much flak a zinger generated, Joan Rivers wasn’t scared to go there.
“No regrets — about anything. I’m there to make you laugh. My job is to make you laugh,” she told ITK in downtown Washington’s Central restaurant for a combination book/birthday party three days after she turned 79 back in 2012.
{mosads}“You pay your money; you come in to see me; you’re supposed to laugh,” she said matter-of-factly.
Although she was just a year away from becoming an octogenarian, and appearing more petite and delicate than her larger-than-life TV persona, Rivers was a firecracker during her whirlwind visit to the nation’s capital.
The comedian could be seen buzzing around the eatery in her bejeweled blouse, blowing out candles on an over-the-top, sparkling cake, signing book after book as she gabbed with fans, and even hyping an upcoming QVC appearance when one woman admired her necklace.
The book signing was only slotted to be an hour or so, but she stayed well past the scheduled time to make sure every single person who had lined up to greet her and grab her signature on their books left happy.
Her quips — which she famously honed over the previous five decades since first appearing on Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show” in the ‘60s — were just as fast and furious as her energy level.
Was there anyone’s fashion in Washington that she appreciated?
“I liked Jackie Onassis because she knew enough to recycle the pink suit.” ITK winced — Rivers was referring to a photo of the former first lady wearing the same suit for President Lyndon B. Johnson’s swearing-in ceremony that she had worn hours earlier when President Kennedy was assassinated.
Noticing this reporter’s visible reaction, she noted how much time had passed since Kennedy’s death, saying, “It’s far enough away,” and flashing her Cheshire Cat-like smile.
Undeterred, she offered another critique of Washington fashion: “I feel very sorry for congressmen’s wives because they have to look nice and we know that they don’t make that much money.”
But Rivers reserved sartorial praise for the woman who would mourn the death of her “dear friend,” who died at 81 Thursday following complications from a medical procedure. “The greatest looking first lady ever was Nancy Reagan,” Rivers said. “She was just, wow. She’s always pulled together and appropriate, which is great.”
Rivers expressed frustration with celebrities who put their star wattage behind political candidates, saying, “We’re not qualified, most of us, to lead people. And unfortunately people are interested who Britney Spears thinks should run for president.” And then the punch line about the fast food-loving pop princess: “Britney Spears should worry about who works as the CEO of McDonald’s.”
Since it was her birthday, ITK felt inclined to ask the barb master about her own journey up the aging ladder. Asking if there was absolutely anything she enjoyed about getting older, she shot back without missing a beat, “Nothing! They give you half price at the movies. That’s because you’re old, so you have to see them twice.”
She then paused for a moment, and briefly, her signature raspy tone changed slightly, suddenly sounding more reflective. “I think what I say is, stronger with age.”