Joan Rivers: Don't Start with Me

This ribald Joan Rivers standup performance from Chicago aired on Showtime in November 2012. In her opening narration, the 78-year-old Rivers talks about the Second City, which she describes as "a really good test of America," since it lies between the Coasts. Wearing a black dress and a floor-sweeping jacket, Rivers is as sparkly and profane as ever, starting off with jokes about Michael Jackson and the Catholic Church that set the tone for the politically incorrect evening to come. A remark about Mexico's unattractive populace seems particularly mean-spirited, but she combines it with a crack about Jewish women, like herself, proving that everyone is fair game. Never one to deny an obsession with appearance, she also jokes about ugly babies and Chaz Bono, whom she considers unattractive in either gender. Other targets include the overweight, the blind, the deaf, and the aged, although it's clear from her phrasing that she also has compassion. Of course, Rivers can also be hypocritical: she and her daughter, Melissa, have benefited from reality television, but that doesn't stop her from taking jabs at similar beneficiaries like Snooki and the Kardashians, although Rivers has worked a lot harder—and a lot longer—for her fame and fortune. Rivers also dishes about celebrity friends and associates, including Barbra Streisand, Cher, and Kathy Griffin, and even serves up a little physical comedy as she mimes what she would do for a multi-million dollar inheritance. Those who enjoyed the entertaining biographical documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (VL-11/10) will surely appreciate this. Recommended. Aud: P. (K. Fennessy)