Photo: Getty|Truman Moore
Six years ago, I had the extreme pleasure of commissioning Joan Rivers for Out's Girlfriend page, a recurring section in the magazine in which funny women in entertainment sounded off on their relationship with the gays. After being given some brief talking points, these fabulous ladies (some might call them "gay icons") would offer up pithy praise, criticism, tips, and zingers about their gay pals, the men who, despite all their quirks, they couldn't live without. As you can imagine, Joan's wisecracks and observations were comic gold. I oversaw this page--which ran almost monthly and carried the regular headline "Can I Be Blunt?"--for four years, and no "Girlfriend" made me laugh harder than Joan.
But is that at all surprising? Being blunt was not only Joan's greatest strength as a comedian and pop-culture commentator--it was the only way she knew how to live. These 10 little punchy gems she sent to Out for publication are as insightful and spot-on as they are offensive (and I say "offensive" in the most complimentary way possible). They stand as everlasting proof that no Girlfriend understood and appreciated her gay fans and confidantes quite like Joan.
Also, on a side note: The image by Truman Moore that we used for this story (in our March 2008 issue) is probably the best photo I've ever seen of Joan. When our photo team dug it up and we sent it to Joan's publicist (the inimitable Judy Katz) to see if we could use it, both she and Joan were delighted that we'd stumbled upon it and wanted to run it with the piece. It was obvious that this shot brought back some very fond memories for Joan. Also, please note the tiny heart on the bottom of Joan's high heel. I've always liked to pretend that was her clever little way of letting us know that, beneath all the glamor, vanity, craziness, and caustic, often brutal one-liners was our biggest fan, someone who really, truly loved us.
We love you too, Joan. And we miss you dearly. You've left an indelible impression on your gays--one that will outlive us all.
Also, thanks to you, Joan, I'll never look at a charm bracelet the same way again. (Reader, click below and you won't either.)
