Joan Rivers, the queen of dish, is a lot like the rest of us -- standing on the outside, peering through a window at the glossy world of celebrities and examining them for fat, pimples and nose jobs. Laughing at her is a guilty pleasure.
She gives voice to the evil, petty thoughts most of us keep bottled up. When she offers her trademark line, "Can we talk?," we know famous people are about to get deboned and filleted.
This Brooklyn-born woman, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, could have been successful at any endeavor. She is, after all, a successful businesswoman having earned a reported $200 million selling her Joan Rivers Classics jewelry collection on QVC. But comedy was in her bloodline, traceable all the way back to Sophie Tucker, Fanny Brice, Belle Barth, Totie Fields and the entire tradition of brassy Jewish comedians.
Those who remember Rivers' breakthrough in 1965 will recall how fresh she was. This svelte and good-looking dame often joked about her appearance.
Early on, she directed her aggression primarily at herself, but eventually, she began dissecting the physical imperfections and sexual quirks of her peers. Mariah Carey, Kate Winslet, Elizabeth Taylor and countless others have felt her comedic lash. You never know when she'll go too far -- not even she knows -- but that uncertainty is part of the fun.
Rivers, 72, has been a movie actress (The Swimmer), gag writer ("Candid Camera"), scriptwriter (Rabbit Test), talk show host, author of two autobiographies and maker of comedy albums. She's also TV's fashion maven, offering unsparing critiques of the haberdashery and gowns worn at awards shows.
Rivers remains edgy, fearless, bawdy and even dangerous. And funny! Seeing her show is like taking part in a gossip session without having to feel remorse.