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.