Joan Rivers calls Pres. Obama, Romney ‘idiots;’ chokes up over how ‘terribly sad’ life can be
Comedian and author Joan Rivers sits down with CNN anchor Zoraida Sambolin to talk politics, humor, self image, love for NYC and new book I Hate Everyone… Starting with Me.
On her racy humor, Rivers says, “Sometimes, I’ll go too far. I’ll turn to [the audience] and go, too soon? Too soon? And then, we all laugh together. I did jokes on Whitney Houston’s death immediately, but that’s how I cope. And I think two days after she died, I said she was the best one at the Grammys. Best dressed because she was in mahogany from head to toe, and the audience went — I said, too soon! Too soon! But I try everything. I think you must laugh at everything. Life is so terribly sad. Cooper just had a friend that’s got cancer. He’s an 11-year-old boy. Right below the surface, life is so sad that if we don’t laugh — look at me. We just die. Laugh at everything. I don’t care. If you’re alive, you better start laughing.”
On the presidential race, Rivers says, “How dare you spend two years campaigning? This country’s in trouble. They should do what England does. Six weeks – to find out what everyone thinks before they vote for them for Parliament. That makes sense. Two years? First of all, the President – get into the White House and do your God-damned duty. And Mitt Romney. Two years, you all hate each other and now they’re all going to come together and say, ‘but we really love him.’ I find it disgusting. The money spent? The money spent? Outrageous. Obama went to a dinner party for Democrats? $40,000 a plate. You’re not Democrats. You’re not Democrats. You’re very strong Republicans. I find the whole thing disgusting. Both sides disgusting.”
When Sambolin asks Rivers about being in the one percent of the population, Rivers answers, “I work 18 hours a day. I love my job. I think I work harder than anyone on my staff. That’s my choice. And I make money, yes and I earn my money. I had nothing when I started. I slept in my car. And you want to know something? I think China is right. I don’t want to take care of people with 12 children that don’t even know who the fathers are. Not interested. I think, get a job. I will help subsidize anybody that is working and gainfully employed. I will not subsidize someone like got 92 children and is sitting around all day long, third generation on welfare, not interested.”
Early Start with Ashleigh Banfield & Zoraida Sambolin airs weekday mornings from 5-7am and Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien airs weekday mornings from 7-9am ET on CNN.