Joan Rivers gives GoldDerby — pssst! — CMA scoop
"Everybody's worried about Joan Rivers," admits Peter Cooper, music writer for The Tennessean, referring to the caustic joker's debut with daughter Melissa on the red carpet at the Country Music Association awards on Nov. 15. The country kudos are coming to New York City for the first time ever. That's nerve-racking enough for music artists worried about being perceived as yokels in snooty Manhattan. What will Joan Rivers say to them?
"I can't imagine that Joan is really tuned in to country music," Cooper says.
That's true — and Joan freely admits it. At least she did when I saw her and Melissa during our Emmys coverage for TV Guide Channel. "I don't have a clue about any of it!" Joan confessed. It's different for Melissa. She's familiar with the top country tunes — and even recently dated a notable country music artist — but no one's worried about how she'll behave out in front of Madison Square Garden. Melissa always acts like a lady.
It's that JOAN!
"What the country industry does not want to do is to go up to New York and be hay baled with every stereotype," Cooper says. "It'll be interesting to see if Joan Rivers takes the high road."
JOAN RIVERS? THE HIGH ROAD?
Photo: Joan Rivers and Tom O'Neil
(Tom O'Neil)
Although I'm not involved with this TV Guide Channel kudocast, I've been covering most other award shows with those rascally Rivers gals for 10 years and I can promise Cooper this: Joan will not miss a chance to crack hayseeds.
So I asked Joan to give GoldDerby a preview of what she does plan to say. Will she ask country crooners questions like, "What country on are you from?"
Of course not! That's not funny enough. Instead, here are some of the things Joan is planning to say on the red carpet:
"Who is your lovely wife? Or cousin? Same thing!"
"I hear that the CMA goody bag contains a cookbook with 200 recipes for moonshine!"
"I have a 10-gallon hat and 25-gallon saddlebags."
"I love country line dancing. My favorite is Achy Breaky Hip."
Actually, the line-dancing bit is no joke. TV Guide Channel producer Eddie Delbridge tells GoldDerby that Joan and Melissa have been practicing line dancing "and a 'Tush Push.'"
Don't ask!
Joan is rude and I'd be proud of any of the country stars that chose not to speak with her at all. They wuld be well served not to stoop to her level. The woman is a know-nothing pig who only has criticism for anything or anyone that she's too unintelligent to understand.
Posted by: berd | November 21, 2005 at 12:18 PM
i am actually glad to see Joan Rivers and Melissa back hosting the red carpet. although it is not for E! but hey, seeing them at TV Guide channel is equally good.
Posted by: Gladys | November 14, 2005 at 06:23 PM