Joan and the N-Word

Joan and her potty mouth.

Last week I went to see Joan Rivers do her thing in downtown Portland. The 80-year-old comic sashayed out in a flashy magenta sequined coat accented with white feathers, which nicely set off her bleached blonde hair and Hollywood makeup that had been liberally applied to the lovely smooth skin pulled taut from so many facelifts. She looked, in a word, absolutely fabulous. (I know, that's two words.) The audience freaked out, and greeted her with a standing ovation.

Running around the stage like a gymnast far younger, Joan clearly had lost none of her energy, or, it turned out, her acerbic wit. To get things going, or as she said, "before I forget," she strutted back and forth yelling, "Nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger! Kike, kike, kike, kike, kike, wop, wop, wop, wop, spic spic spic!" The audience howled. That Joan, what a hoot -- she sure showed us how silly we are with all those forbidden words we can't say but she can! Plus she gets paid to say them, and nobody is horrified.

Now imagine if you were at a dinner party at a friend's house, and somebody had the bright idea of doing that. All Hell would break loose. There might be punches thrown. In fact, somebody reading this right here and now might even be offended that I put "nigger" in print. As for me, I think saying "N-word" is far worse, implying that people are so duped by the substitute slur that no offense will be taken. 

Anyway, leave it to Joan to shine the light in all our darkest corners, making us laugh all the while. The only down side was my face hurt when the show was over. (From all the laughing.)