Joan Rivers and Lynne Koplitz
“I blame my mother for my poor sex life. All she told me was ‘the man goes on top and the woman underneath.’ For three years my husband and I slept in bunk beds.”
There you have it, classic Joan Rivers.
You read KC Confidential because we go deep, right? To that end, let the record show that Rivers broke into show biz playing a lesbian who had a crush on Barbra Streisand.
True story.
Rivers pyramided that inauspicious beginning into multiple appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and Tonight Show and later Paul Wilson fave, The Carol Burnett Show, Hollywood Squares and the Mike Douglas Show.
Here’s where I embarrassingly tell you that I kinda remember thinking Rivers was hot back then – for a fleeting moment. Blame it on adolescence.
I mean, what else could it have been?
Similar to the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Game what you now undoubtedly expect, is how Rivers career trajectory inter-spliced with that of local hero Craig Glazer of Stanford and Sons comedy club fame.
Did their paths cross?
“Yes, twice,” Glazer says.
“I first met Joan in Las Vegas when she was opening for Frank Sinatra in the early 1980s. I think I’d just moved to LA and I was impressed. You always hear that women comics are not that funny, but Joan Rivers was very funny.”
How the big meet and greet went down?
“I had gotten comp tickets because my dad knew the manager of the show room. So I was brought backstage and I met her and Don Rickles. I was a big Don Rickles fan from his appearances on the Tonight Show, but in person, Joan was much funnier..
“Years later in 2007, when I was writing my book, The King of Sting, I was in Las Vegas staying at the Hooters Casino & Hotel – and Jimmie Walker lives there – and he and I ran into Joan at the MGM hotel – and she and Jimmie were hugging and smiling and she was very gracious. You know, a lot of celebrities just don’t want to be cornered, but she went out of her way to talk to people and sign autographs. And she wasn’t even doing a show.”
A few years later Glazer’s and River’s paths crossed again, when she was doing the syndicated sitcom, Joan Knows Best.
“It was a sitcom with her daughter and she had a friend of mine, Lynne Koplitz – a comic that appears regularly at Stanford’s -on the show playing her best friend,” Glazer says. “And Joan really gave Lynne a break – it was on for like three years and Lynne told me that Joan was big on chotchkies. Like she had 50 pair of sunglasses and 50 pair of earrings and tons of accessories because she was given free stuff all the time. And she’d give stuff to Lynne, stuff like Prada sunglasses, expensive stuff.
“And Lynne just loved Joan. She said she had sort of become her mother and she said, everybody thinks Joan’s a tough cookie, but she’s really got a heart as big as New York. Whenever Lynne was in trouble – financially or or had lost a boyfriend, Joan would say, ‘What can I do?’ – Joan rook care of Lynne.
“And she loved doing standup. Joan could not sit at home. She had to work seven days a week. And on off nights she’d go with Lynne and they’d find places to do standup in New York.”
As for Rivers never-ending succession of facelifts – the last of which may have been her undoing – “Well, let’s put it like this,” Glazer says diplomatically. “Joan was never a cover girl. I’ll just say this; she was a person who benefitted from the facelifts. You know who notified me about Joan’s situation – before even the media knew anything about it – Jimmie Walker.”
you act like you know these people personally….I’ve met more important people
than you’ve ever met…more prestigious…more money…more power…more
notoriety….and I would never make people;e think we were “close”…..
I knew this girl who knew this lady who knew this person….
Harley, you misanthropic reprobate. A climber like you never really has friends, he has people he uses in search of self aggrandizing schemes to aquire money and wealth that will hide his personal and business failures. Then while counting his pittance and proclaiming his new found status as the most popular Captain of Industry in the room, he sees the room empty.
I met your wife before I died, her azz is swelling up as bad as your ego. It reminds me of Stalone’s eye in a “Rocky” movie…, it’s screaming, “CUT ME!!!! CUT ME!!!”
WTF is wrong with you son. Why would you say something so stupid. This isn’t a contest. I am in the comedy biz, have been for years, have met almost everyone in it…hello, its what I do. Same with film, I have made a few and met most film stars etc..over the years, doesn’t make them all my best friends. Some of them are friends though…simple as that. I have no clue who you know or don’t know.
Dear Harley,
Love your participation on the site, but get real.
Craig has a public track record of knowing and meeting people like Robin Williams and Joan Rivers.
Your track record, on the other hand, extends not much further than that of being an anonymous dude who likes to bag on Craig, Paul Wilson, Chuck, me – anybody and everybody.
I’m not trying to be critical.
That’s your role in life.
Keep up the good work!
Oh hearny, we never accuse you of going deep, stay shallow.
She died as she lived… having surgery.
Well said, dude…
You practically took the words right out of my mouth!
Not to speak ill of the dead (that’s Hearnes gig) however, I never found Rivers to be particularly funny. Rickles on the other hand ,is in my opinion, one of the funniest comics ever. The only thing unique about Joan’s shtick was her sex. She basically took a little Henny Youngman type one liners, a little Don Rickles insult comedy, a little self debasing Rodney Dangerfield and put a dress on it. Her face looks like a house cat with the mumps.
So what you are saying is she ripped from Rickles and Diller.
Interesting take, Mark
Guess you’ve got me pegged on speaking ill of the dead as well.
So few people do it – they tend to wait however many years or decades – when it’s more tasteful to tell it like it is.
I think history suffers as a consequence
Glazer, why have both Rivers and Louis C.K. said they hate KC? Are there other comedians who think the same?
Easy fodder, not the most exciting town on earth, cornfed, stupid rubes.
The jokes write themselves folks!!
Yes many comics who draw well in other large cities, don’t here. Example, Louie CK loved Stanfords. He performed there a few times in the 90’s/2000’s…did fairly well but in the big rooms like Midand, no. So he hated KC for that. Made fun of us on Tonight Show, his show etc…but did a funny bit on Stanfords on his own TV show…Dave Attell did not do we well in big rooms here, doesn’t come back. It’s all about how they draw. If they don’t and do in most cities, we are the bad guys. Simple as that. Plus KC is not exactly Vegas.
ON the other hand Damon Wayons loves KC and thinks its fun as did Chris Tucker, but both guys sold us out and sold out their theater shows.
Well, I think if you’re implying it’s because of the Glazers, that’s a pretty huge stretch, Steely
Very early in her career JR used to do standup in my father’s strip club. The pay was a pittance, and she was shocking. When she hit the big time (Carson) she never forgot those early days in the strip club and remembered them with fondness. (That’s not how I remember it).
She was a pioneer. Most importantly, she was genuine.
Lots of worthwhile takes, guys…
That’s one thing I like about the KCC comments section.
We get a nice mix of views – many from a finite number of outspoken locals since most people keep it in their pants when it comes to calling talk shows and leaving Internet comments – which makes for an easily digestible cross section of local views.
When I look at the odd Star story that gets lots of comments or a couple other local websites that specialize in “anonymous,” it loses me.
Because I really don’t care what a billion anonymous people have to say or even a billion people in general.
I like that we have regulars and an influx for new names here and there. Keeps it real and in a manageable volume.
Who really has time to read hundreds of comments by gosh knows who, anyway?