Festival Blog: My Date With Joan Rivers by Billy Eichner

Published on Friday 15 August 2008 19:00

WHEN I was five years old and just a chubby, gay (yes, I already knew), Jewish kid in the Bronx, my father snuck me into a performance marked "For Adults Only".

It was a posh beach club where big-name performers came from time to time to entertain the grown-ups while the children played (and peed) in the pool. But even then my father knew I had a yen for showbiz and that I'd much rather check out the big name talent on stage rather than the D-List nobodies (aka "the children") in the pool. So he snuck me in and lifted me up on his shoulders so I could see.

This would turn out to be my very first stand-up comedy show. I didn't know what I was looking at or who she was exactly, but she was loud and she was making fun of Asian people. And French people. And other Jewish people. And Hindus. And Buddhists. And Elizabeth Taylor. She was, of course, Joan Rivers.

Who would ever think that 25 years later, this comedy icon would accept an invitation to be the special guest performer on my show Creation Nation, here in Edinburgh? I'm still in shock. My father would be so proud if he knew. But he doesn't know. He was taken in by the authorities for allowing a five-year-old child to see such a foul-mouthed comedian and I never saw him again. Joan, it was worth it. See you tonight.

Joan Rivers is special guest on Billy Eichner's comedy talk show Creation Nation, tonight, 10:15pm, Assembly@ George Street.