1
00:00:04,176 --> 00:00:06,970
So many people that are here.
Hello, my darling.
2
00:00:06,970 --> 00:00:09,181
Missy,
darling, are you there?
3
00:00:09,181 --> 00:00:11,808
[narrator] She was known as
fashion's funniest critic...
4
00:00:11,808 --> 00:00:13,435
Who are you wearing?
Who are you wearing?
5
00:00:13,435 --> 00:00:15,646
Who are you wearing,
and who are you wearing?
6
00:00:15,646 --> 00:00:17,689
And the "Queen of Mean".
7
00:00:17,689 --> 00:00:18,690
This is what,
this is feathers?
8
00:00:18,690 --> 00:00:20,317
What kind of feathers,
cock feathers?
9
00:00:20,317 --> 00:00:23,946
Joan Rivers also blazed
a trail in a man's world.
10
00:00:23,946 --> 00:00:25,948
She was hilarious!
11
00:00:25,948 --> 00:00:27,658
The beautiful,
Joan Rivers.
12
00:00:27,658 --> 00:00:29,535
It was the first time I
ever saw a female comic.
13
00:00:29,535 --> 00:00:32,287
I went, "Oh, girls
can do that!"
14
00:00:32,287 --> 00:00:35,624
The world was not
quite ready for Joan.
15
00:00:35,624 --> 00:00:38,377
She was comedy's
version of a rock star.
16
00:00:38,377 --> 00:00:41,255
A woman modelling
being a boss...
17
00:00:41,255 --> 00:00:42,631
Here's Joan Rivers.
18
00:00:42,631 --> 00:00:46,176
And being funny
and unafraid.
19
00:00:46,176 --> 00:00:47,928
I should be in good in bed
'cause my first sexual
20
00:00:47,928 --> 00:00:50,847
experience was at 12,
you know, this afternoon.
21
00:00:50,847 --> 00:00:52,224
♪
22
00:00:52,224 --> 00:00:54,101
And she'd have the
gorgeous gowns,
23
00:00:54,101 --> 00:00:56,061
and she'd have
the styled hair.
24
00:00:56,061 --> 00:00:58,605
So glamorous!
25
00:00:58,605 --> 00:01:01,191
She looked like a normal lady.
26
00:01:01,191 --> 00:01:04,403
But when she opened up her
mouth, you better watch out.
27
00:01:04,403 --> 00:01:06,029
So, how'd you
gain the weight?
28
00:01:06,029 --> 00:01:07,823
-I ate a lot.
-[Laughing]
29
00:01:07,823 --> 00:01:09,199
You shouldn't let that happen
to you, you're very pretty.
30
00:01:09,199 --> 00:01:11,243
-Oh, Joan, you know what!
-No, I don't want to hear!
31
00:01:11,243 --> 00:01:13,745
She was honest.
32
00:01:13,745 --> 00:01:15,247
I don't go into
hotel rooms with men,
33
00:01:15,247 --> 00:01:17,124
I don't spend my
life on knees and-
34
00:01:17,124 --> 00:01:18,875
I don't either-
[Indistinct speaking]
35
00:01:18,875 --> 00:01:20,460
[Audience laughing]
36
00:01:20,460 --> 00:01:23,463
I don't spend my life
on my knees either!
37
00:01:23,463 --> 00:01:25,924
But beneath her
powerful exterior...
38
00:01:25,924 --> 00:01:27,843
There was a piece of
her that was broken.
39
00:01:27,843 --> 00:01:30,304
You are always
putting yourself down.
40
00:01:30,304 --> 00:01:31,888
You must have some
favourite, surely.
41
00:01:31,888 --> 00:01:34,308
Oh, please,
no... nothing.
42
00:01:34,308 --> 00:01:37,227
She was struggling with
a dangerous obsession.
43
00:01:37,227 --> 00:01:38,604
-Hi, Doc.
-How are you?
44
00:01:38,604 --> 00:01:40,772
-Very nervous.
-Okay...
45
00:01:40,772 --> 00:01:44,526
I think about how scary
everything was for her.
46
00:01:44,526 --> 00:01:46,320
If any of you are thinking
of plastic surgery,
47
00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:49,114
this was taken
the day after.
48
00:01:49,114 --> 00:01:51,575
Very bruised,
but alive, right?
49
00:01:51,575 --> 00:01:53,243
She was being spoofed,
she was-
50
00:01:53,243 --> 00:01:55,078
she turned into a
caricature of herself.
51
00:01:55,078 --> 00:01:56,747
She was not
taken seriously.
52
00:01:56,747 --> 00:01:58,874
It was the monster
that created
53
00:01:58,874 --> 00:02:00,751
her need to win people.
54
00:02:00,751 --> 00:02:02,794
How does a comic who
smashed the glass ceiling
55
00:02:02,794 --> 00:02:07,174
become so toxic to women,
especially herself?
56
00:02:07,174 --> 00:02:09,635
No one,
I mean no one,
57
00:02:09,635 --> 00:02:11,011
is safe from my wrath.
58
00:02:11,011 --> 00:02:12,054
[Overlapping voices]
Ladies and gentlemen!
59
00:02:12,054 --> 00:02:13,430
You're about
to be entertained!
60
00:02:13,430 --> 00:02:15,640
Getting the laugh is the
greatest addiction.
61
00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:16,808
They want more of it,
they want more of it.
62
00:02:16,808 --> 00:02:18,977
He was getting death threats.
It [beep] with your head!
63
00:02:18,977 --> 00:02:20,771
...he's out of his skull!
That's what took her down.
64
00:02:20,771 --> 00:02:22,272
This is a crazy story.
65
00:02:22,272 --> 00:02:24,900
♪
66
00:02:25,567 --> 00:02:28,403
[Applauding]
67
00:02:28,403 --> 00:02:29,613
I don't know how many of
you know about Brooklyn,
68
00:02:29,613 --> 00:02:31,865
but Brooklyn was, it was
very tough to grow up.
69
00:02:31,865 --> 00:02:33,575
My parents, we lived
right down there,
70
00:02:33,575 --> 00:02:35,994
wonderful people.
Worked hard, played.
71
00:02:35,994 --> 00:02:38,038
We lived in a big
brownstone right off there.
72
00:02:38,038 --> 00:02:40,248
Not a house- a big,
brown stone.
73
00:02:40,248 --> 00:02:41,541
[Laughing]
74
00:02:41,541 --> 00:02:43,543
Joan Alexandra Molinsky,
75
00:02:43,543 --> 00:02:45,629
a child of Russian
-Jewish immigrants
76
00:02:45,629 --> 00:02:49,841
seems born with a passion
for the performing arts.
77
00:02:49,841 --> 00:02:52,469
When she was 3 years old,
she was cast in
78
00:02:52,469 --> 00:02:56,306
a preschool play as
the "pretty kitty".
79
00:02:56,306 --> 00:02:58,683
And she made the
audience laugh.
80
00:02:58,683 --> 00:03:01,645
She said, "It might as well
have been crack."
81
00:03:01,645 --> 00:03:04,022
And from then on she
was chasing that
82
00:03:04,022 --> 00:03:08,360
incredibly thrilling,
exhilarating high.
83
00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:10,862
Because what it meant was
that the audience loved her.
84
00:03:10,862 --> 00:03:12,572
Now, you're a Barnard
College Graduate?
85
00:03:12,572 --> 00:03:13,990
-Yes.
-And your father's a doctor?
86
00:03:13,990 --> 00:03:15,826
-Yes.
-And your mother is a...?
87
00:03:15,826 --> 00:03:17,953
-A mother.
-Just a mother.
88
00:03:17,953 --> 00:03:19,704
How do they look upon this,
what you're doing?
89
00:03:19,704 --> 00:03:21,873
-What it is you do?
-Frightened.
90
00:03:21,873 --> 00:03:24,709
From the time of
her preschool play,
91
00:03:24,709 --> 00:03:28,255
Joan desperately wanted
to be an actress.
92
00:03:28,255 --> 00:03:30,924
It's a dream that will
sustain her through college,
93
00:03:30,924 --> 00:03:33,218
but she's plagued
by self-doubt.
94
00:03:33,218 --> 00:03:35,637
She used to tell stories
about how somebody
95
00:03:35,637 --> 00:03:37,264
would see her in a bathing
suit, and they would say,
96
00:03:37,264 --> 00:03:39,224
"I'm not going out with her."
Or, you know,
97
00:03:39,224 --> 00:03:41,351
a cousin who refused to
take her to the prom.
98
00:03:41,351 --> 00:03:44,563
So, she always had a
terrible complex
99
00:03:44,563 --> 00:03:47,023
about her appearance.
100
00:03:47,023 --> 00:03:49,067
A new medical procedure is
being marketed to women
101
00:03:49,067 --> 00:03:50,652
as a beauty miracle.
102
00:03:50,652 --> 00:03:52,738
It's called plastic surgery.
103
00:03:52,738 --> 00:03:54,906
In the time when
Joan grew up,
104
00:03:54,906 --> 00:04:00,245
the standards of beauty in
America were very
105
00:04:00,245 --> 00:04:02,164
blonde, blue-eyed,
106
00:04:02,164 --> 00:04:03,665
pert,
bobbed noses that
107
00:04:03,665 --> 00:04:06,084
the models in the
magazines had.
108
00:04:06,084 --> 00:04:08,753
She felt like she was-
in that way, in the,
109
00:04:08,753 --> 00:04:11,798
in the physical way-
not quite good enough.
110
00:04:11,798 --> 00:04:13,341
There's the ethnic part of it.
111
00:04:13,341 --> 00:04:17,262
There was a part of it
of the not embracing...
112
00:04:17,262 --> 00:04:18,805
who we are.
113
00:04:18,805 --> 00:04:22,184
Joan's mother takes her
for her first nose job.
114
00:04:22,184 --> 00:04:24,519
The transformative surgery
allows Joan to
115
00:04:24,519 --> 00:04:27,022
see herself in a
whole new light.
116
00:04:27,022 --> 00:04:28,857
When I first got
out of college,
117
00:04:28,857 --> 00:04:31,067
I got me a manager who said,
"You'll never make it under
118
00:04:31,067 --> 00:04:33,528
the name Joan Molinsky,"
which is my real name.
119
00:04:33,528 --> 00:04:37,407
Which hurt. And, ah, I, I
would be booked in places
120
00:04:37,407 --> 00:04:38,825
I can't tell you 'cause
you've never had to
121
00:04:38,825 --> 00:04:40,577
go through, you know,
like, strip joints.
122
00:04:40,577 --> 00:04:42,454
-No.
-And I tried to belong.
123
00:04:42,454 --> 00:04:44,331
I used to wear a G-string
over my dress and everything.
124
00:04:44,331 --> 00:04:45,916
[Laughing]
125
00:04:45,916 --> 00:04:47,751
-Weird.
-Strange.
126
00:04:47,751 --> 00:04:49,586
When she graduated,
127
00:04:49,586 --> 00:04:53,173
she spent a terrible
decade trying to
128
00:04:53,173 --> 00:04:56,676
break into performing
in New York.
129
00:04:56,676 --> 00:04:58,428
♪
130
00:04:58,428 --> 00:05:00,555
She would make the rounds
of the casting agents.
131
00:05:00,555 --> 00:05:02,349
And finally, one of the
secretaries said to her,
132
00:05:02,349 --> 00:05:03,600
"You know,
you're kind of funny.
133
00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,520
Did you ever think about
trying to do comedy?"
134
00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,271
And when she first
tried doing stand-up,
135
00:05:08,271 --> 00:05:10,774
she was terrible.
136
00:05:10,774 --> 00:05:14,069
She went to see Lenny Bruce
who was fearless and
137
00:05:14,069 --> 00:05:16,112
famous for getting up
onstage and saying
138
00:05:16,112 --> 00:05:18,657
all the things that you are
not allowed to say.
139
00:05:18,657 --> 00:05:22,035
Ah, she was like, "Oh,
my god, you can do that?"
140
00:05:22,035 --> 00:05:23,995
As Joan beings writing
her own material,
141
00:05:23,995 --> 00:05:25,705
a new persona emerges.
142
00:05:25,705 --> 00:05:29,042
I met Joan in,
in the Village.
143
00:05:29,042 --> 00:05:32,337
And, here was this
tiny person...
144
00:05:32,337 --> 00:05:35,674
and she was doing what women
didn't do at that point.
145
00:05:35,674 --> 00:05:38,635
Came in appearing to
be harmless, but boy,
146
00:05:38,635 --> 00:05:40,637
she was a killer.
[Laughing]
147
00:05:40,637 --> 00:05:42,764
She's so likeable,
she's so sweet.
148
00:05:42,764 --> 00:05:44,391
And then she says these
crazy things, and that's...
149
00:05:44,391 --> 00:05:46,226
that's the sneak attack.
150
00:05:46,226 --> 00:05:50,021
I just absolutely became
enamoured with this very
151
00:05:50,021 --> 00:05:52,899
intelligent, articulate,
well-educated woman
152
00:05:52,899 --> 00:05:55,986
coming up with issues
and situations-
153
00:05:55,986 --> 00:05:57,737
political and social
commentary-
154
00:05:57,737 --> 00:06:00,365
that the world
had not seen.
155
00:06:00,365 --> 00:06:01,783
We weren't even allowed to
have like our own
156
00:06:01,783 --> 00:06:03,201
credit cards at the time
where Joan
157
00:06:03,201 --> 00:06:04,995
was going onstage.
158
00:06:04,995 --> 00:06:06,705
That made her powerful.
159
00:06:06,705 --> 00:06:09,291
She was more than a comic,
she was an event.
160
00:06:09,291 --> 00:06:10,417
[Joan]
It was Second City,
161
00:06:10,417 --> 00:06:11,918
which did well
around here.
162
00:06:11,918 --> 00:06:13,545
And then nobody cared
really, you know,
163
00:06:13,545 --> 00:06:15,004
there were
great lapses.
164
00:06:15,004 --> 00:06:17,173
And I'd given it up,
and I'd become a writer,
165
00:06:17,173 --> 00:06:18,383
and was making a living.
166
00:06:18,383 --> 00:06:20,260
And then they asked me to go
on the Carson show to
167
00:06:20,260 --> 00:06:23,054
discuss writing-
not as a performer-
168
00:06:23,054 --> 00:06:24,889
and discuss my
theories of writing,
169
00:06:24,889 --> 00:06:26,641
and I did,
and they laughed.
170
00:06:26,641 --> 00:06:29,185
So, I became a
performer again.
171
00:06:29,185 --> 00:06:30,478
The Tonight Show,
172
00:06:30,478 --> 00:06:31,980
when Johnny Carson
was the host,
173
00:06:31,980 --> 00:06:34,065
he was known as the
king of late night,
174
00:06:34,065 --> 00:06:38,778
and was unquestionably the
show to watch at 11:30.
175
00:06:38,778 --> 00:06:40,780
It was a launching pad,
it was a
176
00:06:40,780 --> 00:06:44,367
platform to introduce
comics to the world.
177
00:06:44,367 --> 00:06:47,579
You would be seen by
as many people in,
178
00:06:47,579 --> 00:06:50,957
in 15 minutes as could
possibly see you in
179
00:06:50,957 --> 00:06:52,584
10 years in a club.
180
00:06:52,584 --> 00:06:54,669
My name is
Patric M. Verrone.
181
00:06:54,669 --> 00:06:57,088
I'm a television
comedy writer,
182
00:06:57,088 --> 00:07:00,175
currently working
on Futurama.
183
00:07:00,175 --> 00:07:01,801
Here's a good
friend of ours.
184
00:07:01,801 --> 00:07:05,347
Um... Julie says she taped
three shows today.
185
00:07:05,347 --> 00:07:07,140
She's a lot of fun. Would
you welcome, Joan Rivers!
186
00:07:07,140 --> 00:07:10,727
If Johnny Carson gave you
that sign, or that sign,
187
00:07:10,727 --> 00:07:13,313
or called you over
to the couch...
188
00:07:13,313 --> 00:07:14,689
you had made it.
189
00:07:14,689 --> 00:07:17,776
And apparently,
he told Joan
190
00:07:17,776 --> 00:07:19,235
on her first appearance...
191
00:07:19,235 --> 00:07:21,696
You know, you're
gonna be a big star.
192
00:07:21,696 --> 00:07:23,990
And, he loved her.
193
00:07:23,990 --> 00:07:25,950
It's the most awful
thing for a woman,
194
00:07:25,950 --> 00:07:27,786
is when you're sitting there
talking to a guy and an
195
00:07:27,786 --> 00:07:30,497
18-year-old chickee
walks past, and-
196
00:07:30,497 --> 00:07:31,915
"Heh-heh-heh-heh."
197
00:07:31,915 --> 00:07:33,416
And these girls are
dumb, Johnny.
198
00:07:33,416 --> 00:07:34,834
-Dumb?
-Dumb!
199
00:07:34,834 --> 00:07:36,795
-You know, stewardesses?
-Oh, yeah.
200
00:07:36,795 --> 00:07:39,464
Dumb!
Dumb, dumb!
201
00:07:39,464 --> 00:07:42,467
-They're pretty.
-Oh, sure, bring that up.
202
00:07:42,467 --> 00:07:46,304
It was like Johnny Carson
was anointing Joan Rivers.
203
00:07:46,304 --> 00:07:49,557
We'll take a break,
and we'll be right back.
204
00:07:49,557 --> 00:07:51,476
The fact that she woke up
and she was suddenly an
205
00:07:51,476 --> 00:07:55,063
overnight star, ah, was just
a testimonial to her
206
00:07:55,063 --> 00:08:00,026
persistence and her refusal
to take no for an answer.
207
00:08:00,026 --> 00:08:01,736
Joan's breakthrough
appearance on
208
00:08:01,736 --> 00:08:04,698
The Tonight Show is a
life changing event.
209
00:08:04,698 --> 00:08:07,242
Joan Rivers, a refreshing
change of pace from the
210
00:08:07,242 --> 00:08:10,578
usual sleep talking nature
of Johnny Carson's show.
211
00:08:10,578 --> 00:08:12,956
And this fall, she's begun
a series of engagements with
212
00:08:12,956 --> 00:08:16,000
that monument of massive
charm, Ed Sullivan.
213
00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,462
The first time I ever saw
Joan River was as a very
214
00:08:19,462 --> 00:08:23,508
little girl, on my TV,
watching Ed Sullivan.
215
00:08:23,508 --> 00:08:24,968
I almost didn't come out
tonight because
216
00:08:24,968 --> 00:08:26,678
I'm backstage
shortening my skirt.
217
00:08:26,678 --> 00:08:28,638
It was the first time I ever
saw a female comic.
218
00:08:28,638 --> 00:08:29,889
You know, you have
to shorten it again
219
00:08:29,889 --> 00:08:31,433
because the
dumb styles.
220
00:08:31,433 --> 00:08:35,979
Joan was the person who
I could say to this day,
221
00:08:35,979 --> 00:08:39,399
I went, "Oh,
girls can do that."
222
00:08:39,399 --> 00:08:41,693
I'd watch Joan Rivers
on Ed Sullivan
223
00:08:41,693 --> 00:08:45,530
in her beautiful black
designer cocktail dresses.
224
00:08:45,530 --> 00:08:47,031
Here is...
225
00:08:47,031 --> 00:08:49,242
little Joan Rivers!
226
00:08:49,242 --> 00:08:50,785
With all the
beautiful jewelry,
227
00:08:50,785 --> 00:08:52,287
her hair done perfect.
228
00:08:52,287 --> 00:08:55,623
Perfect makeup, manicured,
gorgeous shoes-
229
00:08:55,623 --> 00:08:59,502
the whole thing- and I went,
"She's beautiful!"
230
00:08:59,502 --> 00:09:00,795
When I was 21,
my mother said,
231
00:09:00,795 --> 00:09:03,590
"Only a doctor for you."
When I was 22,
232
00:09:03,590 --> 00:09:06,676
she said, "Alright,
a lawyer. CPA."
233
00:09:06,676 --> 00:09:08,970
24, she said,
"We'll grab a dentist."
234
00:09:08,970 --> 00:09:11,139
26, she said,
"Anything!"
235
00:09:11,139 --> 00:09:12,932
She looked like
the perfect woman.
236
00:09:12,932 --> 00:09:15,518
My father's a doctor,
and he figured if they
237
00:09:15,518 --> 00:09:18,480
educate the lump, she'll get
married, you know?
238
00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:20,690
[Lisa Ann]
But she kept telling me
239
00:09:20,690 --> 00:09:22,942
that she wasn't.
240
00:09:22,942 --> 00:09:25,820
Joan's overnight success
isn't enough for her.
241
00:09:25,820 --> 00:09:27,864
She wants
something more.
242
00:09:27,864 --> 00:09:30,617
She becomes obsessed with
the way she looks onscreen.
243
00:09:30,617 --> 00:09:33,745
This time, it's the
bags under her eyes.
244
00:09:33,745 --> 00:09:36,623
She returns to the
surgeon's chair.
245
00:09:36,623 --> 00:09:38,750
Back when Joan was
doing stand-up,
246
00:09:38,750 --> 00:09:41,795
you started looking your age,
you don't get booked!
247
00:09:41,795 --> 00:09:43,046
That's the
Dark Side of Comedy,
248
00:09:43,046 --> 00:09:46,257
is that there is a chronic
low self-esteem
249
00:09:46,257 --> 00:09:48,009
in every good comedian.
250
00:09:48,009 --> 00:09:49,052
And it doesn't go away
251
00:09:49,052 --> 00:09:50,261
no matter how
successful you are.
252
00:09:50,261 --> 00:09:52,138
No matter how much
face work you get,
253
00:09:52,138 --> 00:09:54,265
it just,
it's still there.
254
00:09:54,265 --> 00:09:56,559
But, you know,
why not keep trying?
255
00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:59,479
You're already fighting to
be on a stage full of men.
256
00:09:59,479 --> 00:10:01,397
You're playing
in a boys' club.
257
00:10:01,397 --> 00:10:03,900
So now you don't
look as pretty.
258
00:10:03,900 --> 00:10:05,944
What are my
opportunities gonna be?
259
00:10:14,619 --> 00:10:16,788
So, here is a young
lady who, ah...
260
00:10:16,788 --> 00:10:19,207
I think had her first national
exposure on my show,
261
00:10:19,207 --> 00:10:21,668
who not only writes funny,
she is funny, herself.
262
00:10:21,668 --> 00:10:23,378
Would you welcome,
please, Joan Rivers.
263
00:10:23,378 --> 00:10:25,421
Joan's breakout appearance
on The Tonight Show
264
00:10:25,421 --> 00:10:27,799
isn't the only big
change in her life.
265
00:10:27,799 --> 00:10:28,967
A lot's happened
in a year.
266
00:10:28,967 --> 00:10:31,094
Last year, I was home alone,
with no job,
267
00:10:31,094 --> 00:10:33,012
watching you, you know,
on television.
268
00:10:33,012 --> 00:10:35,849
And, which is- you know,
you were funny, but then...
269
00:10:35,849 --> 00:10:37,600
[Laughing]
And, ah, you know.
270
00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:39,894
This year, I'm married, and
I was out with my husband
271
00:10:39,894 --> 00:10:42,856
to a formal party, and we
watched you on television.
272
00:10:42,856 --> 00:10:45,400
Joan had been looking for
an appropriate husband for a
273
00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:49,112
long time when she finally
met Edgar Rosenberg.
274
00:10:49,112 --> 00:10:51,781
He was kind of a Hollywood
producer wannabe,
275
00:10:51,781 --> 00:10:54,200
and then he proposed to her,
and they kind of had a
276
00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,495
whirlwind romance and got
married pretty quickly.
277
00:10:57,495 --> 00:10:58,913
As some of you can tell now,
278
00:10:58,913 --> 00:11:00,748
I'm 7 and a half
months pregnant.
279
00:11:00,748 --> 00:11:01,958
And you want to
know the truth?
280
00:11:01,958 --> 00:11:03,626
You know how lousy
you feel at night?
281
00:11:03,626 --> 00:11:04,794
When I'm undressed,
my husband
282
00:11:04,794 --> 00:11:06,504
looks at me and
mentally dresses me.
283
00:11:06,504 --> 00:11:07,964
-You know?
-[Laughing]
284
00:11:07,964 --> 00:11:10,216
Soon she's balancing
motherhood along with
285
00:11:10,216 --> 00:11:11,467
a white-hot career.
286
00:11:11,467 --> 00:11:13,636
Would you welcome
Miss Joan Rivers!
287
00:11:13,636 --> 00:11:16,931
Joan's regular appearances
on Johnny Carson's show are
288
00:11:16,931 --> 00:11:19,601
her springboard to becoming
a household name.
289
00:11:19,601 --> 00:11:22,020
You're done
so beautifully.
290
00:11:22,020 --> 00:11:24,230
-She does.
-Oh! I hope she's not happy.
291
00:11:24,230 --> 00:11:26,232
-It just kills me.
-[Laughing]
292
00:11:26,232 --> 00:11:27,817
Do you have a calendar
like this out?
293
00:11:27,817 --> 00:11:30,945
Not- Well, I tried.
But unfortunately...
294
00:11:30,945 --> 00:11:32,572
[Laughing]
Just one month.
295
00:11:32,572 --> 00:11:33,781
[Laughing]
296
00:11:33,781 --> 00:11:34,908
They said, "Forget
the rest of the year," ah?
297
00:11:34,908 --> 00:11:36,242
Yeah, they said,
"Blech!" No.
298
00:11:36,242 --> 00:11:37,660
[Laughing]
299
00:11:37,660 --> 00:11:39,078
They saw December and
says, "Well, forget it."
300
00:11:39,078 --> 00:11:40,955
I have no sex appeal,
you know that.
301
00:11:40,955 --> 00:11:41,956
I'm just teasing.
No- I- See, I-
302
00:11:41,956 --> 00:11:42,957
-Oh, come on!
-No, no come on,
303
00:11:42,957 --> 00:11:44,417
You're gonna start that
self-deprecating stuff again.
304
00:11:44,417 --> 00:11:46,336
Well, how can you when
Ann is sitting next to you,
305
00:11:46,336 --> 00:11:49,464
you know what I- How can you-
I mean, my marriage, I mean,
306
00:11:49,464 --> 00:11:51,049
there's nothing,
there's no romance left.
307
00:11:51,049 --> 00:11:51,925
Oh, come on.
308
00:11:51,925 --> 00:11:53,635
Last time there was
any sex, you know,
309
00:11:53,635 --> 00:11:55,511
he was doing push-ups
and I slid in.
310
00:11:55,511 --> 00:11:56,971
-Otherwise...
-[Laughing]
311
00:11:56,971 --> 00:12:00,099
Carson gives Joan a
golden opportunity.
312
00:12:00,099 --> 00:12:02,560
Johnny only worked
four nights a week.
313
00:12:02,560 --> 00:12:04,229
The Monday night show,
314
00:12:04,229 --> 00:12:06,064
he would bring
in a guest host.
315
00:12:06,064 --> 00:12:08,149
You name it, they would find
anybody who was willing to
316
00:12:08,149 --> 00:12:10,944
sit in the chair and talk
to somebody on the couch.
317
00:12:10,944 --> 00:12:12,779
So, Joan became
a regular.
318
00:12:12,779 --> 00:12:14,989
And Joan was
well, well liked.
319
00:12:14,989 --> 00:12:17,450
So, at some point,
every Monday night,
320
00:12:17,450 --> 00:12:20,203
she became the
permanent guest host.
321
00:12:20,203 --> 00:12:23,957
For her to take over and host
when Johnny wasn't there...
322
00:12:23,957 --> 00:12:25,208
mind blowing.
323
00:12:25,208 --> 00:12:28,544
Even today, it's unusual
for there to be
324
00:12:28,544 --> 00:12:32,423
a woman host of a
talk show at night.
325
00:12:32,423 --> 00:12:35,134
That was a ----ing huge deal.
326
00:12:35,134 --> 00:12:37,011
Joan would come on,
and she would
327
00:12:37,011 --> 00:12:40,473
do material that Johnny
Carson would not do.
328
00:12:40,473 --> 00:12:42,433
When my water broke,
it showed up on
329
00:12:42,433 --> 00:12:44,143
the weather report,
now what about you?!
330
00:12:44,143 --> 00:12:46,437
She would also have guests
that he wouldn't have.
331
00:12:46,437 --> 00:12:48,815
And, people liked to be
a little bit naughty
332
00:12:48,815 --> 00:12:50,024
when Joan was there.
333
00:12:50,024 --> 00:12:51,985
I keep staring at
your chest, just- Ah!
334
00:12:51,985 --> 00:12:53,695
[Laughing]
335
00:12:53,695 --> 00:12:55,321
And I'm a woman,
I mean,
336
00:12:55,321 --> 00:12:57,323
do men ever
see your face?
337
00:12:57,323 --> 00:13:01,035
It felt to me like she was
the only woman on TV.
338
00:13:01,035 --> 00:13:03,162
But Joan was
always herself.
339
00:13:03,162 --> 00:13:06,791
It felt like she did not hold
back on what she would say,
340
00:13:06,791 --> 00:13:10,336
and that was a rare quality,
for any comic in those days,
341
00:13:10,336 --> 00:13:12,130
but especially for a woman.
342
00:13:12,130 --> 00:13:13,464
She was ballsy!
343
00:13:13,464 --> 00:13:14,841
So, how'd you
gain the weight?
344
00:13:14,841 --> 00:13:17,427
-I ate a lot.
-[Laughing]
345
00:13:17,427 --> 00:13:19,303
No, no, no, no!
No, no, no!
346
00:13:19,303 --> 00:13:20,596
You said 50 pounds!
347
00:13:20,596 --> 00:13:22,140
You shouldn't let that happen
to you. You're very pretty.
348
00:13:22,140 --> 00:13:24,267
-Alright, Joan, you know what?
-No, I don't want to hear!
349
00:13:24,267 --> 00:13:26,269
It seemed like
she was fearless.
350
00:13:26,269 --> 00:13:29,355
She would go there
with no hesitation,
351
00:13:29,355 --> 00:13:31,691
reservations,
or apologies.
352
00:13:31,691 --> 00:13:34,402
-Ah, Joan Rivers, please.
-Joan Rivers!
353
00:13:34,402 --> 00:13:36,571
But beneath Joan's
fearless exterior,
354
00:13:36,571 --> 00:13:39,991
she's fighting an ongoing
battle with her appearance.
355
00:13:39,991 --> 00:13:44,370
Joan was always incredibly
paranoid about her weight,
356
00:13:44,370 --> 00:13:48,458
and she was bulimic for
a lot of her adult life.
357
00:13:48,458 --> 00:13:52,003
Her friends claimed that she
lived on, you know, like,
358
00:13:52,003 --> 00:13:57,050
Altoids mints and just
would not eat food.
359
00:13:57,050 --> 00:13:58,968
From liposuction
to face lifts,
360
00:13:58,968 --> 00:14:02,555
Joan turns to surgery over
and over again.
361
00:14:02,555 --> 00:14:06,559
Despite her obsession,
the public loves her.
362
00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:09,354
Whenever Joan was
on The Tonight Show,
363
00:14:09,354 --> 00:14:12,231
the ratings like spiked.
364
00:14:12,231 --> 00:14:16,110
She became the substitute
teacher that everybody loved.
365
00:14:16,110 --> 00:14:18,529
So, if Johnny was the
king of late night,
366
00:14:18,529 --> 00:14:19,906
Joan became the queen.
367
00:14:19,906 --> 00:14:21,741
This is- I'm used to this,
I shouldn't complain.
368
00:14:21,741 --> 00:14:23,910
Men never do things
because I'm not attractive.
369
00:14:23,910 --> 00:14:26,120
[Laughing]
370
00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,206
When I was born,
my mother looked at me,
371
00:14:28,206 --> 00:14:30,500
looked at the afterbirth,
and screamed, "Twins!"
372
00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:31,626
[Laughing]
373
00:14:31,626 --> 00:14:33,086
Famously self-deprecating,
374
00:14:33,086 --> 00:14:35,963
Joan's comedy begins
to take a turn.
375
00:14:35,963 --> 00:14:38,883
I loved it when Joan Rivers
was self-deprecating because
376
00:14:38,883 --> 00:14:42,261
I think that's the way
we get into, you know,
377
00:14:42,261 --> 00:14:43,429
people relating to us.
378
00:14:43,429 --> 00:14:46,641
And a lot of it was the very
379
00:14:46,641 --> 00:14:50,645
direct assault on certain
personalities.
380
00:14:50,645 --> 00:14:52,980
She changed and,
you know,
381
00:14:52,980 --> 00:14:55,733
sometimes she would
double down on people.
382
00:14:55,733 --> 00:14:57,777
She really got on
Elizabeth Taylor's ass.
383
00:14:57,777 --> 00:15:00,530
She talked about her hair,
she talked about her clothes,
384
00:15:00,530 --> 00:15:01,823
she talked about
her makeup.
385
00:15:01,823 --> 00:15:03,199
I mean, she was
fat, not-
386
00:15:03,199 --> 00:15:04,784
Who's gonna tell you if not
your good friend?
387
00:15:04,784 --> 00:15:05,827
Well, I suppose
you're right.
388
00:15:05,827 --> 00:15:07,578
She had her ears pierced,
gravy came out,
389
00:15:07,578 --> 00:15:08,788
I mean, this woman-
390
00:15:08,788 --> 00:15:10,873
The fat jokes...
391
00:15:10,873 --> 00:15:12,792
again, and again,
and again.
392
00:15:12,792 --> 00:15:14,752
One nice thing about having
Liz to dinner is when you buy
393
00:15:14,752 --> 00:15:16,504
a pizza, you don't have
to cut it into slices.
394
00:15:16,504 --> 00:15:19,173
[Laughing]
395
00:15:19,173 --> 00:15:21,717
When she began to
go to Las Vegas,
396
00:15:21,717 --> 00:15:24,554
the material that she was
able to do there was
397
00:15:24,554 --> 00:15:27,056
much more, ah,
salacious even.
398
00:15:27,056 --> 00:15:30,101
She was vicious
about many of
399
00:15:30,101 --> 00:15:32,478
America's most
respected women.
400
00:15:32,478 --> 00:15:35,815
And, audiences
ate it up.
401
00:15:35,815 --> 00:15:38,568
She is fat!
Her blood type is ragout!
402
00:15:38,568 --> 00:15:40,403
The audiences roared.
403
00:15:40,403 --> 00:15:44,574
And, it was really, for Joan,
it was like, you know,
404
00:15:44,574 --> 00:15:46,951
throwing red meat
to a starving tiger.
405
00:15:46,951 --> 00:15:48,744
The woman is a tramp!
406
00:15:48,744 --> 00:15:51,330
Her towels say
"His" and "Herpes".
407
00:15:51,330 --> 00:15:53,249
-I- Oh, yes!
-[Laughing]
408
00:15:53,249 --> 00:15:55,334
The woman is a tramp!
409
00:15:55,334 --> 00:15:57,003
Her legs are in
the air so often,
410
00:15:57,003 --> 00:15:58,462
her feet are
sunburned!
411
00:15:58,462 --> 00:16:00,381
[Laughing]
412
00:16:00,381 --> 00:16:03,092
Joan's popularity is at an
all-time high when a
413
00:16:03,092 --> 00:16:06,220
dream job opening
makes it onto her radar.
414
00:16:06,220 --> 00:16:08,306
After years of
speculation, rumours,
415
00:16:08,306 --> 00:16:11,225
cocktail party conversations,
and just plain old gossip,
416
00:16:11,225 --> 00:16:14,061
Johnny Carson has
finally made it official.
417
00:16:14,061 --> 00:16:16,564
He is not going to stay
on television forever.
418
00:16:16,564 --> 00:16:18,858
It was a long time for
anybody in television,
419
00:16:18,858 --> 00:16:20,276
and he was...
420
00:16:20,276 --> 00:16:22,987
aging, so the assumption
would be that someone
421
00:16:22,987 --> 00:16:24,488
would have to
take his place.
422
00:16:24,488 --> 00:16:27,909
Here's Joan Rivers!
423
00:16:27,909 --> 00:16:31,245
[Cheering continues]
424
00:16:35,208 --> 00:16:38,211
If you have somebody on that
does the job that Joan did,
425
00:16:38,211 --> 00:16:40,922
I think there has to be an
understanding that,
426
00:16:40,922 --> 00:16:43,382
well, I'm probably gonna
be a successor.
427
00:16:43,382 --> 00:16:45,676
You know, and he's
gonna support that.
428
00:16:45,676 --> 00:16:47,220
'Cause she knew what the
show was doing,
429
00:16:47,220 --> 00:16:51,557
the numbers the show was
doing when she was on it.
430
00:16:51,557 --> 00:16:55,144
Supposedly, there was a list
produced by somebody-
431
00:16:55,144 --> 00:16:57,897
I don't know who-
that...
432
00:16:57,897 --> 00:16:59,774
talked about who would
take over for Johnny,
433
00:16:59,774 --> 00:17:01,067
and Joan wasn't
on that list.
434
00:17:01,067 --> 00:17:03,069
And of course, it was
all men on the list.
435
00:17:03,069 --> 00:17:05,279
And they weren't
even considering her
436
00:17:05,279 --> 00:17:07,990
to take over
hosting duties.
437
00:17:07,990 --> 00:17:09,575
If you're the
permanent guest host,
438
00:17:09,575 --> 00:17:11,911
and you see your ratings
are going up because Joan is
439
00:17:11,911 --> 00:17:14,538
coming in, why would
she not be on a list?
440
00:17:14,538 --> 00:17:18,209
You could only say it's
because she was a woman.
441
00:17:18,209 --> 00:17:20,753
Even as a TV queen,
she's still a woman
442
00:17:20,753 --> 00:17:22,296
fighting in a man's world.
443
00:17:22,296 --> 00:17:25,841
My sense of Joan, because
she was such a hard driven,
444
00:17:25,841 --> 00:17:28,511
hard driving individual,
if she thought that
445
00:17:28,511 --> 00:17:31,180
she was not being given
the opportunity that
446
00:17:31,180 --> 00:17:33,474
anybody else would
have been given...
447
00:17:33,474 --> 00:17:35,184
that would've upset her.
448
00:17:35,184 --> 00:17:39,188
That would cause her
to drive even harder.
449
00:17:39,188 --> 00:17:41,691
Joan's perfectionism pushes
her back into the surgeon's
450
00:17:41,691 --> 00:17:43,734
chair with each new
television appearance and
451
00:17:43,734 --> 00:17:46,529
magazine cover.
452
00:17:46,529 --> 00:17:49,782
It really made Joan Rivers
obsessed with the way
453
00:17:49,782 --> 00:17:52,743
she looked because Joan
had to deal with fear,
454
00:17:52,743 --> 00:17:54,829
and she dealt
with insecurity.
455
00:17:54,829 --> 00:17:57,832
When you go in and you start
thinking, "Oh, my gosh,
456
00:17:57,832 --> 00:17:59,375
there's something
wrong with me...
457
00:17:59,375 --> 00:18:03,129
I got too many chins,
my nose is too wide,"
458
00:18:03,129 --> 00:18:04,964
you, you can
get addicted.
459
00:18:04,964 --> 00:18:09,719
Some will see her next
move as career suicide.
460
00:18:09,719 --> 00:18:12,471
To do what she
did took chutzpah.
461
00:18:21,188 --> 00:18:22,440
Good evening, this is
the 10 o'clock news,
462
00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:23,607
I'm Steve Powers.
463
00:18:23,607 --> 00:18:26,569
And today, confirmation of
the largest single broadcast
464
00:18:26,569 --> 00:18:28,738
station transaction
in history.
465
00:18:28,738 --> 00:18:31,949
Joan is furious as what she
sees as a betrayal by
466
00:18:31,949 --> 00:18:34,368
Johnny Carson until
a new opportunity
467
00:18:34,368 --> 00:18:36,162
falls into her lap.
468
00:18:36,162 --> 00:18:38,956
My understanding of the
story at the time was that
469
00:18:38,956 --> 00:18:41,542
Rupert Murdoch announced,
with Barry Diller,
470
00:18:41,542 --> 00:18:43,502
that there was going
to be a fourth network.
471
00:18:43,502 --> 00:18:45,546
They were going to
start in late night.
472
00:18:45,546 --> 00:18:48,591
And so, in order to make
the biggest splash possible,
473
00:18:48,591 --> 00:18:51,302
they needed to get a late
night host who was somebody
474
00:18:51,302 --> 00:18:55,389
that was recognizable, and
who was a proven commodity
475
00:18:55,389 --> 00:18:58,017
in a world dominated
by Johnny Carson.
476
00:18:58,017 --> 00:19:01,437
Well, Joan Rivers was
the obvious candidate.
477
00:19:01,437 --> 00:19:04,065
Fox executives offer Joan
the biggest opportunity
478
00:19:04,065 --> 00:19:06,233
of her career, but it means
she will have to
479
00:19:06,233 --> 00:19:09,320
compete directly
with Johnny Carson.
480
00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:12,531
This is a businesswoman
saying, "Oh, I need to work,"
481
00:19:12,531 --> 00:19:14,033
and she did what
anybody would do.
482
00:19:14,033 --> 00:19:17,620
If you were gonna pay me
9 times my salary, buh-bye!
483
00:19:17,620 --> 00:19:21,374
That rippled the waters.
484
00:19:21,374 --> 00:19:23,876
Joan Rivers against late
night talk show champ,
485
00:19:23,876 --> 00:19:26,045
Johnny Carson,
and both corners
486
00:19:26,045 --> 00:19:28,089
will be pulling
no punches.
487
00:19:28,089 --> 00:19:30,132
[Applauding]
488
00:19:30,132 --> 00:19:32,635
The groundwork for
tonight's main event was
489
00:19:32,635 --> 00:19:36,180
laid last May when Rivers was
still serving as sole guest
490
00:19:36,180 --> 00:19:39,100
host for Carson, appeared
at a press conference to
491
00:19:39,100 --> 00:19:42,144
announce plans for her
own late night talk show.
492
00:19:42,144 --> 00:19:44,063
There's room for all of us.
493
00:19:44,063 --> 00:19:46,023
He should be
thrilled he found me.
494
00:19:46,023 --> 00:19:47,608
There's room for all of us.
495
00:19:47,608 --> 00:19:50,319
Carson was not thrilled, and
a statement issued through
496
00:19:50,319 --> 00:19:52,655
his company maintained
that Rivers, quote,
497
00:19:52,655 --> 00:19:55,074
"Handled the situation
very shabbily in
498
00:19:55,074 --> 00:19:56,951
her sudden announcement,"
end quote.
499
00:19:56,951 --> 00:19:59,328
He further termed her
behaviour, "Unethical."
500
00:19:59,328 --> 00:20:01,122
And the kingmaker
didn't like it.
501
00:20:01,122 --> 00:20:05,126
I think he felt
like he could...
502
00:20:05,126 --> 00:20:07,044
destine her life?
503
00:20:07,044 --> 00:20:11,132
The word at the time was
that Johnny was offended
504
00:20:11,132 --> 00:20:14,427
that Joan Rivers,
a woman whose
505
00:20:14,427 --> 00:20:17,304
career he felt
he had launched,
506
00:20:17,304 --> 00:20:21,183
didn't consult with him or
even let him know that
507
00:20:21,183 --> 00:20:23,686
she was going to take this
very high-profile job
508
00:20:23,686 --> 00:20:27,815
in direct competition
against him.
509
00:20:27,815 --> 00:20:29,775
It was perceived by
a lot of people
510
00:20:29,775 --> 00:20:32,027
as a slap in the face.
511
00:20:32,027 --> 00:20:33,446
She's not asking
to marry someone,
512
00:20:33,446 --> 00:20:34,613
needs a father's
permission.
513
00:20:34,613 --> 00:20:37,366
There was no
protocol for this.
514
00:20:37,366 --> 00:20:39,910
What a lot of people
don't understand is,
515
00:20:39,910 --> 00:20:42,413
because there's so many
women in comedy now,
516
00:20:42,413 --> 00:20:44,748
she had to fight
for everything,
517
00:20:44,748 --> 00:20:46,250
so that's probably why
she didn't call Johnny
518
00:20:46,250 --> 00:20:48,169
to ask to kiss the ring.
519
00:20:48,169 --> 00:20:50,212
"Is it okay if I go do
my own show?"
520
00:20:50,212 --> 00:20:52,131
She's gonna go
do her own show.
521
00:20:52,131 --> 00:20:53,591
Doesn't Johnny
have the power to
522
00:20:53,591 --> 00:20:55,718
really hurt you
in the business?
523
00:20:55,718 --> 00:20:58,012
I don't think
Jonny wants to.
524
00:20:58,012 --> 00:21:00,598
NBC is trying to,
but I...
525
00:21:00,598 --> 00:21:01,807
Oh, who cares?
526
00:21:01,807 --> 00:21:03,767
You want to know something,
what's gonna happen?
527
00:21:03,767 --> 00:21:06,228
I have a good marriage,
I have a terrific child.
528
00:21:06,228 --> 00:21:07,897
Um...
529
00:21:07,897 --> 00:21:09,815
I have a terrific dog.
530
00:21:09,815 --> 00:21:12,193
[Laughing & applauding]
531
00:21:12,193 --> 00:21:15,488
Not only was she never
back on The Tonight Show,
532
00:21:15,488 --> 00:21:18,407
but Johnny Carson never
talked to her again.
533
00:21:18,407 --> 00:21:20,117
What do viewers think
of the Johnny Carson,
534
00:21:20,117 --> 00:21:21,577
Joan Rivers feud?
535
00:21:21,577 --> 00:21:23,329
It was great
Hollywood gossip.
536
00:21:23,329 --> 00:21:27,416
All Fox had was The Late
Show with Joan Rivers,
537
00:21:27,416 --> 00:21:30,127
so this was a dream
amount of publicity for
538
00:21:30,127 --> 00:21:31,587
the launching
of this network.
539
00:21:31,587 --> 00:21:32,588
Hold it, Harry!
Hold it!
540
00:21:32,588 --> 00:21:33,881
My new show is coming on!
541
00:21:33,881 --> 00:21:35,716
Harry, Joan Rivers
is talking to you.
542
00:21:35,716 --> 00:21:38,344
But I like the weatherman's
puppet, Mr. Sunshine.
543
00:21:38,344 --> 00:21:41,096
For Joan, the stakes
can't be higher.
544
00:21:41,096 --> 00:21:42,765
She's burned a
bridge with Carson,
545
00:21:42,765 --> 00:21:44,600
and the success of a
brand-new network
546
00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:46,268
rests on her shoulders.
547
00:21:46,268 --> 00:21:49,396
As the first-ever female host
of late night television,
548
00:21:49,396 --> 00:21:52,274
the world is watching.
549
00:21:52,274 --> 00:21:55,486
Joan insists on hiring her
husband as executive producer
550
00:21:55,486 --> 00:21:59,865
and gets down to the business
of creating a smash hit.
551
00:21:59,865 --> 00:22:02,910
The first episode
in October of 1986,
552
00:22:02,910 --> 00:22:05,788
and they had booked a list
of guests for the premiere
553
00:22:05,788 --> 00:22:08,207
that was gonna blow the
roof off the place.
554
00:22:08,207 --> 00:22:10,084
For her first round
with the champ,
555
00:22:10,084 --> 00:22:12,711
Rivers is parading out
an all-star lineup,
556
00:22:12,711 --> 00:22:16,382
including Cher, Elton John,
Peewee Herman,
557
00:22:16,382 --> 00:22:18,175
and David Lee Roth.
558
00:22:18,175 --> 00:22:22,638
She herself, Joan herself,
was an attraction.
559
00:22:22,638 --> 00:22:24,390
♪ ...THE BITCH IS BACK! ♪
560
00:22:24,390 --> 00:22:26,600
♪ THE BITCH IS BACK! ♪
561
00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,520
[Cheering &
applauding continues]
562
00:22:33,232 --> 00:22:36,652
I ran into the green room,
and in the green room
563
00:22:36,652 --> 00:22:39,613
were sitting Barry Diller
and Rupert Murdoch.
564
00:22:39,613 --> 00:22:43,534
That shows you how important
this first episode was.
565
00:22:43,534 --> 00:22:46,412
They were
businessmen looking
566
00:22:46,412 --> 00:22:48,706
very carefully at
their investment.
567
00:22:48,706 --> 00:22:50,040
Right now, they're
here to perform,
568
00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:52,167
"You Gotta Fight For
Your Right to Party,"
569
00:22:52,167 --> 00:22:54,128
The Beastie Boys!
570
00:22:54,128 --> 00:22:55,212
[Cheering]
571
00:22:55,212 --> 00:22:57,464
I'm enjoying you 'cause
this is not my house.
572
00:22:57,464 --> 00:22:59,049
Chris Rock!
573
00:22:59,049 --> 00:23:00,759
[Cheering &
applauding]
574
00:23:00,759 --> 00:23:01,885
So, what's up?
575
00:23:01,885 --> 00:23:03,387
Are you gonna
have PMS with us?
576
00:23:03,387 --> 00:23:04,597
No...
577
00:23:04,597 --> 00:23:06,265
No, I had it
this afternoon.
578
00:23:06,265 --> 00:23:07,349
[Laughing]
579
00:23:07,349 --> 00:23:10,102
She was like an
electrifying presence,
580
00:23:10,102 --> 00:23:13,355
and she had a really
young following.
581
00:23:13,355 --> 00:23:15,024
What's going on?
582
00:23:15,024 --> 00:23:16,775
It's either the 4th of July...
583
00:23:16,775 --> 00:23:18,611
or someone's
trying to kill us!
584
00:23:18,611 --> 00:23:21,155
No!
585
00:23:21,155 --> 00:23:23,741
When Joan lands her first
cover of People Magazine,
586
00:23:23,741 --> 00:23:26,660
it's the ultimate symbol
of celebrity success.
587
00:23:26,660 --> 00:23:28,162
But instead of celebrating,
588
00:23:28,162 --> 00:23:30,748
it triggers
something else in Joan.
589
00:23:30,748 --> 00:23:33,208
And what she sees
in the mirror...
590
00:23:33,208 --> 00:23:35,753
is very different
than what we all see.
591
00:23:35,753 --> 00:23:38,047
The thing about becoming
famous and being constantly
592
00:23:38,047 --> 00:23:40,424
in front of cameras is
you look at yourself on a
593
00:23:40,424 --> 00:23:42,343
magazine cover, or
in People Magazine,
594
00:23:42,343 --> 00:23:44,428
or on camera or whatever,
and you think,
595
00:23:44,428 --> 00:23:46,055
"Oh, I hate the
way this looks.
596
00:23:46,055 --> 00:23:48,140
Maybe I could do
something to fix that."
597
00:23:48,140 --> 00:23:50,476
And, her attitude was,
bring it on.
598
00:23:50,476 --> 00:23:52,978
As the number of Joan's
surgeries increase,
599
00:23:52,978 --> 00:23:55,481
her late night talk show
hits a roadblock.
600
00:23:55,481 --> 00:23:59,610
There was a rumour in town
that if you went on the show
601
00:23:59,610 --> 00:24:02,696
with Joan to promote
your movie or TV show,
602
00:24:02,696 --> 00:24:05,324
you would not get booked
on The Tonight Show.
603
00:24:05,324 --> 00:24:06,825
I guess he got mad and said,
604
00:24:06,825 --> 00:24:09,036
"You can't be on
her show and my show,"
605
00:24:09,036 --> 00:24:13,040
and everybody was afraid to
go on the woman's show.
606
00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:14,958
He tried to ruin her.
607
00:24:14,958 --> 00:24:18,212
As the weeks went by,
it became clear
608
00:24:18,212 --> 00:24:21,298
the show was
beginning to falter.
609
00:24:21,298 --> 00:24:24,259
As in any time something
goes wrong in anything in
610
00:24:24,259 --> 00:24:26,845
this world, somebody
needs to be blamed.
611
00:24:26,845 --> 00:24:31,517
She would rely on Edgar's
opinion more often than
612
00:24:31,517 --> 00:24:33,936
she would when people
with more experience
613
00:24:33,936 --> 00:24:36,271
doing this kind
of programming.
614
00:24:36,271 --> 00:24:39,066
The executives
started to tinker.
615
00:24:39,066 --> 00:24:43,696
And they started to
disagree openly with Edgar.
616
00:24:43,696 --> 00:24:46,573
They weren't so
into her husband.
617
00:24:46,573 --> 00:24:49,743
They weren't so into
the Edgar of it all.
618
00:24:49,743 --> 00:24:51,745
They asked her to choose.
619
00:24:51,745 --> 00:24:56,125
Fox executives demand
Joan fire Edgar, or else.
620
00:24:56,125 --> 00:24:58,627
She chose her husband...
621
00:24:58,627 --> 00:25:01,588
which is so ----ing
crazy to me.
622
00:25:01,588 --> 00:25:03,924
So, I don't...
623
00:25:03,924 --> 00:25:08,262
understand the choice,
but it shows her spirit that
624
00:25:08,262 --> 00:25:10,514
she's just like, "---- you,
that's my man.
625
00:25:10,514 --> 00:25:12,850
I'm standing
by my man."
626
00:25:12,850 --> 00:25:14,935
After less than
7 months on the air,
627
00:25:14,935 --> 00:25:17,604
Joan is fired from her
late night talk show.
628
00:25:17,604 --> 00:25:19,857
When you have a bomb like
that where you have this
629
00:25:19,857 --> 00:25:23,360
huge opportunity,
you have this talk show...
630
00:25:23,360 --> 00:25:25,863
and then it gets canceled,
it's so embarrassing.
631
00:25:25,863 --> 00:25:27,239
She was the first
woman in late night.
632
00:25:27,239 --> 00:25:29,908
It was a huge moment to have
her have her own talk show,
633
00:25:29,908 --> 00:25:32,828
and I'm sure people just
loved it when it failed.
634
00:25:32,828 --> 00:25:34,413
Things don't work out,
you know what I mean?
635
00:25:34,413 --> 00:25:36,123
It's nobody's fault.
636
00:25:36,123 --> 00:25:37,958
I've been in this business
23 years.
637
00:25:37,958 --> 00:25:40,669
I'm gonna be in this
business another 23 years.
638
00:25:40,669 --> 00:25:42,546
-[Cheering]
-It doesn't matter.
639
00:25:42,546 --> 00:25:45,007
But the loss of her show
is only the spark that will
640
00:25:45,007 --> 00:25:47,926
ignite a devastating fire
storm in Joan's life.
641
00:25:47,926 --> 00:25:52,848
♪
642
00:25:52,848 --> 00:25:57,144
In the aftermath of the
disaster with Fox...
643
00:25:57,144 --> 00:25:59,855
she was in California,
and she was getting
644
00:25:59,855 --> 00:26:02,608
yet another
cosmetic procedure,
645
00:26:02,608 --> 00:26:04,860
some beauty-related thing.
646
00:26:04,860 --> 00:26:07,863
Edgar was in the east...
647
00:26:07,863 --> 00:26:09,948
where Melissa,
their daughter,
648
00:26:09,948 --> 00:26:12,201
was at the University
of Pennsylvania.
649
00:26:12,201 --> 00:26:16,371
♪ SFX: [Heartbeat] ♪
650
00:26:16,371 --> 00:26:19,500
Edgar was staying at the
Four Seasons in Philadelphia.
651
00:26:19,500 --> 00:26:24,213
♪ SFX: [Heartbeat] ♪
652
00:26:24,213 --> 00:26:27,132
♪
653
00:26:27,132 --> 00:26:31,512
He chose that place to...
654
00:26:31,512 --> 00:26:33,347
kill himself.
655
00:26:33,347 --> 00:26:37,518
♪
656
00:26:46,318 --> 00:26:48,779
We were fired from Fox,
657
00:26:48,779 --> 00:26:52,199
and then he
committed suicide.
658
00:26:52,199 --> 00:26:54,910
1987 was not a very
good year for me.
659
00:26:54,910 --> 00:26:57,454
The husband of comedian
Joan Rivers is found dead
660
00:26:57,454 --> 00:26:59,206
in a posh
Philadelphia hotel.
661
00:26:59,206 --> 00:27:01,959
Police say it may
have been a suicide.
662
00:27:01,959 --> 00:27:05,754
I don't know why
exactly he did it.
663
00:27:05,754 --> 00:27:08,048
There were all kinds of
rumours that were
664
00:27:08,048 --> 00:27:09,967
swirling at the time.
665
00:27:09,967 --> 00:27:14,805
There was some blame
being laid at Edgar's feet
666
00:27:14,805 --> 00:27:17,224
for the, the failure
of the show.
667
00:27:17,224 --> 00:27:20,602
And, honestly from a
firsthand perspective,
668
00:27:20,602 --> 00:27:23,480
I can't tell you that that
was necessarily the case,
669
00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:26,275
but there was that sense.
670
00:27:26,275 --> 00:27:27,943
The reality was,
the man was dead,
671
00:27:27,943 --> 00:27:31,613
and Joan was a widow.
672
00:27:31,613 --> 00:27:34,408
Joan talked to me about
what happened in
673
00:27:34,408 --> 00:27:38,704
that aftermath
of Edgar dying.
674
00:27:38,704 --> 00:27:42,541
My name's Oz Scott.
I'm a director, producer.
675
00:27:42,541 --> 00:27:46,169
She talked to me about
sitting Shiva and having her
676
00:27:46,169 --> 00:27:51,425
agents show up and tell her
they were letting her go
677
00:27:51,425 --> 00:27:54,803
because nobody wanted
to see a comic
678
00:27:54,803 --> 00:27:57,264
whose husband had
committed suicide.
679
00:27:57,264 --> 00:28:01,852
And then, for her to learn
that she was broke...
680
00:28:01,852 --> 00:28:03,687
on top of it all.
681
00:28:03,687 --> 00:28:06,023
While still dealing with
the shock of Edgar's death,
682
00:28:06,023 --> 00:28:09,276
Joan learns that he had been
keeping a secret from her.
683
00:28:09,276 --> 00:28:11,445
Edgar was filled
with shame because
684
00:28:11,445 --> 00:28:13,614
he had screwed
up everything.
685
00:28:13,614 --> 00:28:18,869
I gather Edgar had made
some bad investments so,
686
00:28:18,869 --> 00:28:23,040
she was really in trouble.
687
00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,667
Not only had Edgar lost
all of their money,
688
00:28:25,667 --> 00:28:29,463
he left her
$37 million in debt.
689
00:28:29,463 --> 00:28:31,924
Millions and millions
of dollars in debt,
690
00:28:31,924 --> 00:28:33,842
which is so devastating.
691
00:28:33,842 --> 00:28:36,386
I can't even imagine...
692
00:28:36,386 --> 00:28:40,849
how she and Melissa
got through that.
693
00:28:40,849 --> 00:28:43,435
I was so angry at my husband,
I went in one night,
694
00:28:43,435 --> 00:28:45,354
and I opened his
medicine chest.
695
00:28:45,354 --> 00:28:47,773
I think the man had killed
himself four days before.
696
00:28:47,773 --> 00:28:50,567
And I said, "What did
you do to us?"
697
00:28:50,567 --> 00:28:52,486
I love my husband,
I miss my husband.
698
00:28:52,486 --> 00:28:55,030
I was so angry, it was like,
"You son of a bitch,
699
00:28:55,030 --> 00:28:56,239
you son of a bitch!"
700
00:28:56,239 --> 00:28:57,741
I was very secure in
the fact that I knew
701
00:28:57,741 --> 00:29:00,577
my father loved me,
and that I, I knew that
702
00:29:00,577 --> 00:29:02,996
he knew that I loved him
tremendously.
703
00:29:02,996 --> 00:29:04,957
All of the anger and
all of the rage
704
00:29:04,957 --> 00:29:07,960
came flying out
at my mother.
705
00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:10,379
When Joan's show was
canceled and she was
706
00:29:10,379 --> 00:29:12,297
fed up with being
married to him,
707
00:29:12,297 --> 00:29:14,091
he had screwed up her
whole life and her career,
708
00:29:14,091 --> 00:29:15,926
which is the thing she
cared most about,
709
00:29:15,926 --> 00:29:18,887
when he died...
710
00:29:18,887 --> 00:29:23,600
Melissa blamed her mother
for her father's death.
711
00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,311
She's lost her career,
she's lost her money.
712
00:29:26,311 --> 00:29:29,731
She feels like she has
nothing left to live for,
713
00:29:29,731 --> 00:29:32,567
and so she's sitting
there with this gun.
714
00:29:32,567 --> 00:29:35,445
And, she knew
how to use it.
715
00:29:35,445 --> 00:29:37,197
But Joan
doesn't give in.
716
00:29:37,197 --> 00:29:39,449
Instead, she does what she's
always done in the face
717
00:29:39,449 --> 00:29:42,911
of a challenge-
she fights through it.
718
00:29:42,911 --> 00:29:44,997
I have terrible things
happen to me all the time,
719
00:29:44,997 --> 00:29:46,581
but I don't dwell on them.
I spend like a
720
00:29:46,581 --> 00:29:48,500
week or two weeks, and I
say, "Enough of this."
721
00:29:48,500 --> 00:29:51,044
Out the door
and start again.
722
00:29:51,044 --> 00:29:53,839
Even though the
person she sacrificed
723
00:29:53,839 --> 00:29:57,968
everything for
checked out...
724
00:29:57,968 --> 00:29:59,678
she kept going.
725
00:29:59,678 --> 00:30:03,557
She had to rebuild her
career from scratch.
726
00:30:03,557 --> 00:30:06,393
Total scorched earth...
727
00:30:06,393 --> 00:30:08,729
and then she rises.
728
00:30:08,729 --> 00:30:10,564
[Applauding]
729
00:30:10,564 --> 00:30:13,358
Joan lands a brand-new
daytime talk show.
730
00:30:13,358 --> 00:30:14,401
Are you sleeping
with Miss Piggy?
731
00:30:14,401 --> 00:30:15,402
Can we just get
right down to it-
732
00:30:15,402 --> 00:30:17,487
are you sleeping
with Miss Piggy?
733
00:30:17,487 --> 00:30:19,197
Well, Joan Rivers
was a hustler.
734
00:30:19,197 --> 00:30:22,075
Can you please welcome,
Miss Grace Jones.
735
00:30:22,075 --> 00:30:24,745
Why do you have
to be so extreme?
736
00:30:24,745 --> 00:30:27,956
She kept her position
at Caesar's Palace,
737
00:30:27,956 --> 00:30:29,916
and she continued
to, to tour,
738
00:30:29,916 --> 00:30:34,129
and she continued to make
albums, and she put out books.
739
00:30:34,129 --> 00:30:37,340
She did what every
real woman does,
740
00:30:37,340 --> 00:30:39,676
pull herself up
by her pumps,
741
00:30:39,676 --> 00:30:42,012
put on her big girl panties.
742
00:30:42,012 --> 00:30:43,305
She's doing the grunt work.
743
00:30:43,305 --> 00:30:44,890
Now she's
interviewing people,
744
00:30:44,890 --> 00:30:46,808
she's out at every event.
745
00:30:46,808 --> 00:30:48,435
She hits the stages,
746
00:30:48,435 --> 00:30:51,021
and she is bringing it
full fledged fire.
747
00:30:51,021 --> 00:30:54,316
-Joan Rivers!
-[Cheering]
748
00:30:54,316 --> 00:30:55,859
She was back.
749
00:30:55,859 --> 00:30:58,779
Ah! Hi, can we talk?
750
00:30:58,779 --> 00:31:01,990
Listen, this Saturday evening
I will be joining QVC to
751
00:31:01,990 --> 00:31:04,826
introduce my new classics
collection of fashion jewelry.
752
00:31:04,826 --> 00:31:07,454
It's just beautiful, and
you are gonna love it.
753
00:31:07,454 --> 00:31:10,874
People would say, "Oh, my,
she's done, she's doing QVC."
754
00:31:10,874 --> 00:31:16,338
Nobody who was
famous already...
755
00:31:16,338 --> 00:31:20,467
was on the Home
Shopping Network.
756
00:31:20,467 --> 00:31:22,844
In Joan's quest to
rebuild her fortune,
757
00:31:22,844 --> 00:31:26,098
nothing is off limits
for public consumption.
758
00:31:26,098 --> 00:31:29,309
Oh, don't worry, Daddy.
759
00:31:29,309 --> 00:31:31,561
Mom's just fine, she won
best dressed patient and
760
00:31:31,561 --> 00:31:34,940
Miss Congeniality
at the hospital.
761
00:31:34,940 --> 00:31:39,528
The film "Tears and
Laughter" was the aftermath
762
00:31:39,528 --> 00:31:42,781
of Edgar having
committed suicide.
763
00:31:42,781 --> 00:31:47,536
And, how Joan Rivers
and Melissa Rivers,
764
00:31:47,536 --> 00:31:51,581
the two of them fell apart
and had to find a way of
765
00:31:51,581 --> 00:31:53,750
coming back together.
766
00:31:53,750 --> 00:31:56,336
One of the things a lot of
people asked was
767
00:31:56,336 --> 00:31:59,548
why did Joan
take this part?
768
00:31:59,548 --> 00:32:02,884
And I asked Joan,
and Joan said,
769
00:32:02,884 --> 00:32:07,180
"Why would I create
a part, a character,
770
00:32:07,180 --> 00:32:09,057
and give it to
somebody else?"
771
00:32:09,057 --> 00:32:10,475
♪
772
00:32:10,475 --> 00:32:11,852
"I want to do it."
773
00:32:11,852 --> 00:32:15,480
Ah! What a surprise,
you're early!
774
00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:19,234
Missy, what is it?
Missy, what's happened?
775
00:32:19,234 --> 00:32:22,529
Melissa, just tell me
what's happened.
776
00:32:22,529 --> 00:32:27,993
♪
777
00:32:27,993 --> 00:32:29,995
I know that her goal was
to be taken seriously
778
00:32:29,995 --> 00:32:32,289
as an actress and I don't
think she ever was.
779
00:32:32,289 --> 00:32:34,833
♪
780
00:32:34,833 --> 00:32:38,753
Despite all her success over
the years, Joan wanted more.
781
00:32:38,753 --> 00:32:41,715
She always felt that her
looks were holding her back.
782
00:32:41,715 --> 00:32:43,758
♪
783
00:32:43,758 --> 00:32:48,054
From her earliest childhood,
she was incredibly jealous of
784
00:32:48,054 --> 00:32:51,016
other girls who,
because of beauty,
785
00:32:51,016 --> 00:32:55,061
had opportunities that
Joan felt she was denied.
786
00:32:55,061 --> 00:32:57,397
Hearing her say that she
wanted to be taken seriously
787
00:32:57,397 --> 00:32:58,940
as an actress kind of
breaks my heart.
788
00:32:58,940 --> 00:33:03,278
She, she didn't care about the
other gifts God gave her.
789
00:33:03,278 --> 00:33:05,989
Joan always felt like the
ugly duckling in the family.
790
00:33:05,989 --> 00:33:07,866
She had an older sister.
791
00:33:07,866 --> 00:33:10,785
And, the sister was,
according to family
792
00:33:10,785 --> 00:33:14,289
mythology, prettier,
smarter, and more popular.
793
00:33:14,289 --> 00:33:16,958
To be told as a child,
"Oh, you're fat, you're ugly,
794
00:33:16,958 --> 00:33:18,752
you're not the best
-looking in the family,
795
00:33:18,752 --> 00:33:20,253
everybody's better
than you,"
796
00:33:20,253 --> 00:33:22,255
it probably really
took a toll on her.
797
00:33:22,255 --> 00:33:24,049
That is what created her.
798
00:33:24,049 --> 00:33:26,176
It was the monster
that created
799
00:33:26,176 --> 00:33:28,220
her need to win people.
800
00:33:28,220 --> 00:33:30,847
This fuelled an endless
quest for beauty,
801
00:33:30,847 --> 00:33:32,682
regardless of the dangers.
802
00:33:32,682 --> 00:33:34,434
-How are you?
-Very nervous.
803
00:33:34,434 --> 00:33:36,311
It's sad that Joan
never felt beautiful,
804
00:33:36,311 --> 00:33:40,815
and was constantly always
trying to fix herself and get
805
00:33:40,815 --> 00:33:44,277
that love that she never felt
and that adoration from just
806
00:33:44,277 --> 00:33:46,446
being a girl that people
admire from across a room,
807
00:33:46,446 --> 00:33:47,864
without having
to tell a joke.
808
00:33:47,864 --> 00:33:49,741
And then this thing
is getting me.
809
00:33:49,741 --> 00:33:51,826
This is really looking old.
810
00:33:51,826 --> 00:33:54,579
Okay, we're gonna
go ahead and...
811
00:33:54,579 --> 00:33:57,290
take care of the bends
of the neck area here.
812
00:33:57,290 --> 00:33:59,251
There's gonna be a small
incision just underneath
813
00:33:59,251 --> 00:34:00,835
the chin area here.
814
00:34:00,835 --> 00:34:03,672
Plastic surgery is a way to
achieve a look that
815
00:34:03,672 --> 00:34:05,924
you think will get more
people to love you.
816
00:34:05,924 --> 00:34:08,009
'Cause I want to look good.
I don't want to look...
817
00:34:08,009 --> 00:34:10,470
I don't want to look too
tight, I want to look good.
818
00:34:10,470 --> 00:34:12,138
Okay, got that.
819
00:34:12,138 --> 00:34:14,140
Just remember,
I'm a mother.
820
00:34:14,140 --> 00:34:16,518
♪
821
00:34:26,236 --> 00:34:29,114
I was ugly as a child,
I was ugly as a teenager,
822
00:34:29,114 --> 00:34:31,116
and I'm puke now.
I- [Laughing]
823
00:34:31,116 --> 00:34:33,118
That's why
my sex life is so bad.
824
00:34:33,118 --> 00:34:34,160
My husband says he
won't touch me
825
00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:36,162
on religious reasons.
He's Jewish and I'm a pig.
826
00:34:36,162 --> 00:34:37,205
[Laughing]
827
00:34:37,205 --> 00:34:38,957
In a world that
demands beauty,
828
00:34:38,957 --> 00:34:41,418
Joan started out by
making fun of herself.
829
00:34:41,418 --> 00:34:43,461
Being funny is very powerful.
830
00:34:43,461 --> 00:34:46,298
It is intrinsically powerful,
which is, in women,
831
00:34:46,298 --> 00:34:49,718
huge amount of our
personal power is sexual.
832
00:34:49,718 --> 00:34:51,136
Or beauty.
833
00:34:51,136 --> 00:34:53,179
In order to mitigate
that power,
834
00:34:53,179 --> 00:34:55,473
we have to say,
"We are not that."
835
00:34:55,473 --> 00:34:57,559
I didn't like all the
self-deprecation
836
00:34:57,559 --> 00:34:58,893
that she had to do.
837
00:34:58,893 --> 00:35:01,771
At the time that
she was coming up,
838
00:35:01,771 --> 00:35:04,149
that was the way
comedy was for women...
839
00:35:04,149 --> 00:35:05,483
self-deprecating.
840
00:35:05,483 --> 00:35:07,694
And then she got
more bold and she...
841
00:35:07,694 --> 00:35:09,279
pushed that envelope.
842
00:35:09,279 --> 00:35:10,322
Is this feather?
What kind of feather?
843
00:35:10,322 --> 00:35:11,406
Is it cock feather?
844
00:35:11,406 --> 00:35:14,826
When she was asked to do
red carpet commentary,
845
00:35:14,826 --> 00:35:17,620
for her it was just an
excuse to crack jokes and
846
00:35:17,620 --> 00:35:18,913
make fun of people.
847
00:35:18,913 --> 00:35:20,373
That didn't exist!
848
00:35:20,373 --> 00:35:22,500
She turned that
into an art form.
849
00:35:22,500 --> 00:35:24,919
-Who are you wearing?
-"Who are you wearing?"
850
00:35:24,919 --> 00:35:26,087
Who are you wearing?
851
00:35:26,087 --> 00:35:27,130
"Well, who are
you wearing?"
852
00:35:27,130 --> 00:35:30,175
The fashion, it was
what she liked.
853
00:35:30,175 --> 00:35:32,177
[Sputtering]
854
00:35:32,177 --> 00:35:35,597
She was able to merge a
professional and a
855
00:35:35,597 --> 00:35:38,433
personal affection
into a third act.
856
00:35:38,433 --> 00:35:41,061
And who the hell are you?
What do you want me to say?
857
00:35:41,061 --> 00:35:42,687
Get away, you SOB!
858
00:35:42,687 --> 00:35:43,980
We went subtle
on the jewelry,
859
00:35:43,980 --> 00:35:45,815
which I know you're
opposed to sometimes.
860
00:35:45,815 --> 00:35:47,275
You call those subtle?
861
00:35:47,275 --> 00:35:49,486
You bitch, you're very
spoiled now.
862
00:35:49,486 --> 00:35:51,154
But in the twilight
of Joan's career,
863
00:35:51,154 --> 00:35:53,990
she becomes even
more vicious.
864
00:35:53,990 --> 00:35:56,743
She would be mean as hell.
865
00:35:56,743 --> 00:35:59,120
Rate! That! Face!
866
00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:02,832
Ugh! I, I, I, I
could- she-
867
00:36:02,832 --> 00:36:06,544
that is probably the ugliest
plastic surgery I've seen.
868
00:36:06,544 --> 00:36:08,797
You almost wish that
Chris Brown would punch her
869
00:36:08,797 --> 00:36:10,215
in the face, she could
do it again.
870
00:36:10,215 --> 00:36:11,466
Oh, my god!
871
00:36:11,466 --> 00:36:15,512
She fat shamed Liz Taylor,
and Adele later on.
872
00:36:15,512 --> 00:36:17,639
She just plugged
somebody else in
873
00:36:17,639 --> 00:36:20,016
as the years went on...
874
00:36:20,016 --> 00:36:23,978
probably as a way of
deflecting her own
875
00:36:23,978 --> 00:36:26,106
body dysmorphia.
876
00:36:26,106 --> 00:36:28,775
Three things you could see
from, from outer space.
877
00:36:28,775 --> 00:36:30,360
You could see the
Great Wall of China.
878
00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:32,737
You could see
the Grand Canyon,
879
00:36:32,737 --> 00:36:35,073
you could see Oprah Winfrey's
ass, those are the three...
880
00:36:35,073 --> 00:36:36,199
-[Laughing]
-Ah!
881
00:36:36,199 --> 00:36:39,744
I really relate to having a
lot of shame about my looks,
882
00:36:39,744 --> 00:36:41,496
not being as pretty
as I want to be.
883
00:36:41,496 --> 00:36:43,289
But in the end, ah,
884
00:36:43,289 --> 00:36:44,666
you can't really
control it and
885
00:36:44,666 --> 00:36:46,042
you're mad about it,
and so
886
00:36:46,042 --> 00:36:47,544
you want to call it
out in others.
887
00:36:47,544 --> 00:36:49,546
When people do fat,
Oprah Winfrey fat jokes,
888
00:36:49,546 --> 00:36:52,632
every time, even now
still, it hurts.
889
00:36:52,632 --> 00:36:55,593
My way of being...
890
00:36:55,593 --> 00:36:58,263
on the defensive,
I guess, and like,
891
00:36:58,263 --> 00:37:00,765
I'll be damned if you're
going to hurt me,
892
00:37:00,765 --> 00:37:02,392
so up yours.
893
00:37:02,392 --> 00:37:04,686
You're not hurting me.
894
00:37:04,686 --> 00:37:08,565
I'm not gonna let you
see you're hurting me.
895
00:37:08,565 --> 00:37:11,860
I'm not gonna let you know
that you're killing me.
896
00:37:11,860 --> 00:37:14,112
Joan is about to face some
897
00:37:14,112 --> 00:37:16,114
of what she's
been dishing out.
898
00:37:16,114 --> 00:37:19,784
This is the Comedy Central
Roast of Joan Rivers!
899
00:37:19,784 --> 00:37:22,579
Joan doing that roast...
900
00:37:22,579 --> 00:37:25,790
That feels like it
was just abusive.
901
00:37:25,790 --> 00:37:27,584
We have a very
special treat tonight.
902
00:37:27,584 --> 00:37:29,878
Joan's plastic
surgeon is here.
903
00:37:29,878 --> 00:37:31,713
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dexter.
904
00:37:31,713 --> 00:37:33,840
That really breaks my heart
that she had to
905
00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:35,550
endure those jokes.
906
00:37:35,550 --> 00:37:38,261
Your face is like
the war in Iraq-
907
00:37:38,261 --> 00:37:40,221
an expensive
bloody mess that
908
00:37:40,221 --> 00:37:43,016
everybody's tired of
seeing on TV.
909
00:37:43,016 --> 00:37:44,726
Self-esteem is like a
whack-a-mole game
910
00:37:44,726 --> 00:37:48,438
in that you feel good
about one thing.
911
00:37:48,438 --> 00:37:51,608
You, you know,
I'm gonna lose 5 pounds.
912
00:37:51,608 --> 00:37:53,776
And then another
head pops up.
913
00:37:53,776 --> 00:37:55,320
Yeah, what are you gonna
do about that nose?
914
00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:58,031
Bam! Oh, yeah, you think
you look cute now?
915
00:37:58,031 --> 00:37:59,491
Whack! And it's the-
916
00:37:59,491 --> 00:38:01,993
what I call the
beauty industrial complex...
917
00:38:01,993 --> 00:38:04,662
can't wait to let you
know what sucks about you.
918
00:38:04,662 --> 00:38:05,955
Her face looked like
that because
919
00:38:05,955 --> 00:38:07,832
she wanted people
to like her.
920
00:38:07,832 --> 00:38:11,252
It's the sad that the
business supported that too.
921
00:38:11,252 --> 00:38:14,547
That they kind of
made her feel like
922
00:38:14,547 --> 00:38:16,549
you have to be...
923
00:38:16,549 --> 00:38:19,469
you have to look a certain
way in order to win.
924
00:38:19,469 --> 00:38:21,346
You ----ing can't win!
925
00:38:21,346 --> 00:38:24,349
Ah, God, what a [beep]
business this is.
926
00:38:24,349 --> 00:38:26,476
You have to look good.
927
00:38:26,476 --> 00:38:29,187
This business does
not like old people.
928
00:38:29,187 --> 00:38:31,189
And so she was an
aging woman
929
00:38:31,189 --> 00:38:35,360
in a predominantly
man's profession.
930
00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:38,571
On one hand,
Joan Rivers was...
931
00:38:38,571 --> 00:38:40,240
a ground breaker.
932
00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:42,825
A feminist icon.
933
00:38:42,825 --> 00:38:44,494
On the other hand,
she was also
934
00:38:44,494 --> 00:38:46,412
a human being
and insecure.
935
00:38:46,412 --> 00:38:48,748
If anything happens,
Melissa.
936
00:38:48,748 --> 00:38:51,876
No, but I'm no chicken.
I've had a great life.
937
00:38:51,876 --> 00:38:53,419
She was being spoofed.
She was-
938
00:38:53,419 --> 00:38:55,296
she turned into a
caricature of herself.
939
00:38:55,296 --> 00:38:57,173
She was not taken seriously.
940
00:38:57,173 --> 00:39:00,510
Had an amazing life.
If I died this morning,
941
00:39:00,510 --> 00:39:02,512
nobody would say,
"So young."
942
00:39:02,512 --> 00:39:04,138
People were really
mean about her.
943
00:39:04,138 --> 00:39:05,473
"Get her off
the red carpet.
944
00:39:05,473 --> 00:39:07,350
She sucks on her
E show, she's old,
945
00:39:07,350 --> 00:39:08,560
her voice is annoying.
946
00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:10,603
She's so annoying,
she's so offensive."
947
00:39:10,603 --> 00:39:13,147
I've had an amazing life.
948
00:39:13,147 --> 00:39:16,067
If it ended right now...
949
00:39:16,067 --> 00:39:17,652
Amazing life.
950
00:39:17,652 --> 00:39:20,780
Women in entertainment
go away as they age.
951
00:39:20,780 --> 00:39:22,824
♪
952
00:39:22,824 --> 00:39:23,866
The only reason we
leave is 'cause
953
00:39:23,866 --> 00:39:25,493
no one wants
us anymore.
954
00:39:36,921 --> 00:39:39,716
In 2014, 81-year-old
Joan Rivers
955
00:39:39,716 --> 00:39:41,718
goes under general
anaesthetic as she's
956
00:39:41,718 --> 00:39:44,679
done hundreds of
times before.
957
00:39:44,679 --> 00:39:47,098
But this time, it's a
medical procedure,
958
00:39:47,098 --> 00:39:50,226
considered minor
and routine.
959
00:39:50,226 --> 00:39:53,271
Instead of doing it in a
hospital setting where
960
00:39:53,271 --> 00:39:56,274
she had, you know,
her celebrity doctor to
961
00:39:56,274 --> 00:40:00,153
oversee the procedure,
she did it at a clinic.
962
00:40:00,153 --> 00:40:03,740
That was her fatal mistake.
963
00:40:03,740 --> 00:40:05,783
Joan stops breathing
during the procedure,
964
00:40:05,783 --> 00:40:09,329
and is rushed to hospital
for resuscitation.
965
00:40:09,329 --> 00:40:11,956
From the day that the
procedure happened,
966
00:40:11,956 --> 00:40:14,500
it was hopeless.
967
00:40:14,500 --> 00:40:18,004
The family elects to keep
Joan on life support.
968
00:40:18,004 --> 00:40:20,840
Melissa decided to handle it
in the way that
969
00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:23,426
she thought that Joan
would have liked.
970
00:40:23,426 --> 00:40:25,553
They had her hair done
and her makeup,
971
00:40:25,553 --> 00:40:27,555
and people would come
in and, you know,
972
00:40:27,555 --> 00:40:30,391
say goodbye at
the bedside.
973
00:40:30,391 --> 00:40:34,896
So, they tried to have
a meaningful and
974
00:40:34,896 --> 00:40:38,900
sort of civilized goodbye.
975
00:40:38,900 --> 00:40:41,903
But, she was brain dead.
976
00:40:41,903 --> 00:40:44,697
On September 4th, 2014,
977
00:40:44,697 --> 00:40:48,826
Joan Rivers is officially
pronounced dead.
978
00:40:48,826 --> 00:40:52,246
Joan Rivers, the famous,
famous comedienne
979
00:40:52,246 --> 00:40:53,665
has passed away.
980
00:40:53,665 --> 00:40:56,751
81-year-old comedian had been
on life support for a week
981
00:40:56,751 --> 00:40:58,586
since something went
wrong during an
982
00:40:58,586 --> 00:41:00,838
outpatient
medical procedure.
983
00:41:00,838 --> 00:41:04,467
Here's a woman, ah,
I don't know- a real-
984
00:41:04,467 --> 00:41:07,762
a pioneer for other women
looking for careers in
985
00:41:07,762 --> 00:41:11,015
stand-up comedy, and,
and this woman,
986
00:41:11,015 --> 00:41:13,017
talk about guts.
987
00:41:13,017 --> 00:41:15,436
And by the way,
she was indefatigable.
988
00:41:15,436 --> 00:41:17,105
She would be
on this show,
989
00:41:17,105 --> 00:41:18,940
she would be on
all of the shows,
990
00:41:18,940 --> 00:41:21,734
and she would work
about 300 dates a year.
991
00:41:21,734 --> 00:41:22,985
That's a lot of work.
992
00:41:22,985 --> 00:41:24,987
She would come out here
and sit in this chair,
993
00:41:24,987 --> 00:41:28,950
and say some things
that were unbelievable.
994
00:41:28,950 --> 00:41:31,661
My vagina!
[Laughing]
995
00:41:31,661 --> 00:41:34,205
-Is like Newark.
-[Laughing]
996
00:41:34,205 --> 00:41:36,916
Men know it's there,
but they don't want to visit.
997
00:41:36,916 --> 00:41:40,545
[Laughing &
applauding]
998
00:41:40,545 --> 00:41:42,714
I still, to this day, cannot
believe that Joan Rivers is
999
00:41:42,714 --> 00:41:46,801
gone because a part of me
just feels cheated that
1000
00:41:46,801 --> 00:41:49,721
I'm not gonna be able to
prepare for her death.
1001
00:41:49,721 --> 00:41:51,305
I was devastated.
1002
00:41:51,305 --> 00:41:54,058
Joan Rivers, um...
1003
00:41:54,058 --> 00:41:56,436
was a woman you never
thought would leave.
1004
00:41:56,436 --> 00:41:59,397
I always thought I would
hear that mouth.
1005
00:41:59,397 --> 00:42:02,817
I always thought that she
would be around to
1006
00:42:02,817 --> 00:42:04,193
make people laugh.
1007
00:42:04,193 --> 00:42:06,738
Alright, so the memorial
for Joan Rivers yesterday.
1008
00:42:06,738 --> 00:42:08,990
I heard words like, well,
it rhymes with "rich".
1009
00:42:08,990 --> 00:42:10,742
I heard the 'F' word
several times.
1010
00:42:10,742 --> 00:42:12,952
But it was so funny,
they kept apologizing to
1011
00:42:12,952 --> 00:42:16,122
the rabbi there,
but they still let it fly.
1012
00:42:16,122 --> 00:42:18,040
And if it sounds
outrageous, it wasn't,
1013
00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:19,500
or it was perfectly
outrageous.
1014
00:42:19,500 --> 00:42:21,335
It was just a
beautiful event.
1015
00:42:21,335 --> 00:42:23,337
Her friends saying
goodbye to Joan Rivers.
1016
00:42:23,337 --> 00:42:25,590
-There's Howard Stern.
-Oh, yeah, he started it off.
1017
00:42:25,590 --> 00:42:27,467
He was magnificent,
magnificent.
1018
00:42:27,467 --> 00:42:29,135
He was a genius because
he started off
1019
00:42:29,135 --> 00:42:30,762
with something
really irreverent.
1020
00:42:30,762 --> 00:42:32,847
He talked about one
of her body parts.
1021
00:42:32,847 --> 00:42:34,849
-And then...
-In temple!
1022
00:42:34,849 --> 00:42:37,018
Joan made sure she'd
leave her mark,
1023
00:42:37,018 --> 00:42:38,561
even after death.
1024
00:42:38,561 --> 00:42:43,399
Joan had left very explicit
and elaborate instructions
1025
00:42:43,399 --> 00:42:46,778
for this extravaganza
of a funeral.
1026
00:42:46,778 --> 00:42:51,073
The sanctuary is filled with
white phalaenopsis orchids.
1027
00:42:51,073 --> 00:42:53,993
You can't see the altar
because there are
1028
00:42:53,993 --> 00:42:56,162
so many flowers.
1029
00:42:56,162 --> 00:42:58,080
If there's a god,
I hope he or she
1030
00:42:58,080 --> 00:42:59,999
is very well
dressed today.
1031
00:42:59,999 --> 00:43:03,544
She created a generation of
women who grew up saying,
1032
00:43:03,544 --> 00:43:05,421
"That's what a
funny woman is.
1033
00:43:05,421 --> 00:43:07,006
Maybe I can do that."
1034
00:43:07,006 --> 00:43:10,134
One of the things
that Joan taught me,
1035
00:43:10,134 --> 00:43:12,345
and something that I've
learned in my own career,
1036
00:43:12,345 --> 00:43:14,722
is stay in there.
1037
00:43:14,722 --> 00:43:16,974
Don't give up,
don't run away.
1038
00:43:16,974 --> 00:43:20,937
Joan Rivers leaves
an amazing legacy.
1039
00:43:20,937 --> 00:43:23,022
She took all those knocks,
1040
00:43:23,022 --> 00:43:27,026
and she turned it into
this beautiful career.
1041
00:43:27,026 --> 00:43:31,405
She was able to
stay relevant...
1042
00:43:31,405 --> 00:43:33,115
constantly.
1043
00:43:33,115 --> 00:43:34,617
Before Joan's
death at 81,
1044
00:43:34,617 --> 00:43:37,912
she was worth an
estimated $150 million,
1045
00:43:37,912 --> 00:43:40,039
and as popular as
she'd ever been.
1046
00:43:40,039 --> 00:43:42,458
I always use the same joke
that Joan Rivers would say.
1047
00:43:42,458 --> 00:43:45,169
Stuff like, "Next time in
life I want to be born rich
1048
00:43:45,169 --> 00:43:46,170
instead of beautiful."
1049
00:43:46,170 --> 00:43:48,673
Hers was the opposite
though. She would say-
1050
00:43:48,673 --> 00:43:50,550
"If I could choose between
funny and beautiful,
1051
00:43:50,550 --> 00:43:52,176
I'd pick beautiful
every time."
1052
00:43:52,176 --> 00:43:53,719
I went for x-rays, right.
1053
00:43:53,719 --> 00:43:55,847
They made me take
off my blouse.
1054
00:43:55,847 --> 00:43:57,014
Edgar went crazy.
1055
00:43:57,014 --> 00:43:59,684
He took that dentist,
he slammed him!
1056
00:43:59,684 --> 00:44:01,853
What would I say to Joan?
1057
00:44:01,853 --> 00:44:04,522
Thank you.
1058
00:44:04,522 --> 00:44:05,815
And you're beautiful.