When Joan Rivers Was a 'Dick' to Some NYC Gender Benders

While I'm sure Joan Rivers wouldn't be receiving any GLAAD Media Awards in 2023 for asking men who perform as women if they still have their penises, I think it's easy to forget how subversive her syndicated daytime(!) talk show was at times back in the day. From 1989 to 1993, Mrs. Rosenberg featured numerous LGBT notables, everyone from Michael Alig, his Club Kid friends and Martina Navratilova to Lily Tomlin, Tab Hunter and the children of Billy Tipton.

Perhaps the finest moment was when she did a show about "Men Who Became Superstars as Women," featuring a fashion show with gender benders Joey Arias, Miss Guy and Paris emceed by Lady Bunny, as well as performances by Lypsinka and RuPaul and a hilarious interview with Holly Woodlawn, there promoting her memoir, "A Low Life in High Heels." 

Although it was a hoot hearing Holly discuss how Madonna wanted to adapt her book into a film -- and play fellow Warhol trans-Superstar Candy Darling -- the high point of it all had to be when Miss Guy (of Toilet Boys fame) responded to Joan's unseemly question by asking her if she has hers. (Michael Musto wrote it up, above.)

Joan was adorable throughout the show and truly seemed to have affection for her guests. But that moment, the genesis of which Miss Guy explains above, was a rare time that even Joan wasn't sure what had just slapped her in the face!

Page 1 Roundup (11/27)

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A post shared by Cats of Instagram (@cats_of_instagram) on Nov 2, 2017 at 9:11pm PDT

Kitties of the Day: I couldn't stop smiling watching this in bed last night ... I miss my mom!

Page 1 Roundup (11/02)

The Daily News: In 2001, I wanted to know everything I could about the man who murdered my friend David. Sixteen years later, I couldn't care less about this latest monster

Yawn.

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The New York Times: The Last of Joan Rivers

A new book is a behind-the-stage-door dive into the ephemera of a woman who ritualistically kept virtually everything — every ticket stub, every dry cleaning receipt, every Polaroid from a wardrobe fitting — from her half-century-long career

Order HERE.

The Wall Street Journal: Tiger moms, European style

The Truth About Kathy Griffin's 'Fashion Police' Exit

Kathy Griffin: I QUIT 'FASHION POLICE' Because It's Too Mean 

The only thing worse than Joan Rivers' unnecessary death is having to agree with Piers Morgan about something -- but come on, people. 

In addition to the hypocrisy of it all, what Kathy also isn't copping to is the fact that her age-old "Mean Girls" vendetta against former best pal Tony Tripoli -- who was Rivers' right-hand man and the show's hilarious head writer -- led her to get him SHITCANNED the second she joined the fold. (You may recall Tripoli and Dennis Hensley as Griffin's gay BFFs and joke writers she used to hang out with at Chevys Fresh Mex in the Valley on season one of "My Life on the D-List.") With Tripoli ousted, Griffin then reportedly refused to put in any work on the show. While Rivers is said to have had about 20 jokes written and at the ready for every situation, Griffin apparently thought she could waltz in and "wing it" and she simply BOMBED. (It's not about being mean, it's about being funny.) Tired of looking like a hack on a high-profile weekly show and left with no one to bail her out -- a product of her own making -- she decided to walk. That's the real reason she's leaving, not because of some sudden desire to help "women, gay kids, people of color and anyone who feels underrepresented." In her own way, she was already doing that.

Fashion backward


WATCH: Tony Tripoli (and Dennis Hensley) helped write jokes for Kathy's Oscars red carpet gig on E! -- they were by far the funniest ones of the night -- and exactly the kind of "well-timed barbs" Kathy described in her resignation. (Skip to 16:00.)

Maybe if she hadn't been so petty, they could have made it work. Few people know Kathy's style better than Tripoli, so he might have been the perfect person to adapt the show to her voice. But why actually stop being mean when it's so much easier to pat yourself on the back for wanting to not be mean instead?

The fact that Griffin is now soliciting praise from other celebrities doesn't speak well of her motives, either. And that Chelsea Handler -- whom I adore but who makes fun of people's bodies all the time -- and Kelly Osbourne -- who has benefited from the show's success as much as anyone -- are two of the people voicing their support for her is borderline ridiculous.

UPDATE: TMZ is reporting a source says she was about to be fired and resigned to save face, which supports my "she was a disaster" hypothesis, not that she wants to be the new Perez Hilton as she claims.

UPDATE 2: Kathy discusses the fallout of her leaving and I commend her for saying THIS.

UPDATE 3: I think Andy Cohen just summed it up best, after saying it was the "pot calling the kettle black": 

 "I just think if it wasn't working, say it wasn't working but don't make it about body shaming. ... I think she's hilarious when she makes fun of Renee Zellweger and Oprah and my crossed eyes."

Page 1 Consider (10/17)

Kathy Griffin to Fill Joan Rivers' Stylish Shoes on 'Fashion Police'

Kathy Griffin -- whose only entree into celebrity tabloids used to be her inclusion in Us Weekly's worst dressed issue -- will reportedly succeed the late Joan Rivers as the head bitch on "Fashion Police." Do we approve? Let's hope she doesn't start trying to push that goddamn Mag-Let again. Read HERE.

UPDATE: E! denies that anything has been decided. Read HERE.

Page 1 Consider (09/10)

Dimwits

After initially saying no, the Broadway League honored Joan Rivers by dimming the lights on Broadway for 60 seconds at 6:45 tonight.