Margaret Cho on Joan Rivers: “Putting the fun back in funeral”

An excerpt from Margaret Cho’s experience at the memorial service for Joan Rivers, held Sunday in New York City:

The temple was huge and packed and silent and all her fancy friends were there, as well as many of us girl comics, because we had lost our dear leader (I do see her as my own personal Kim Jong Ill as she was tiny yet commanded an empire) and so it was our saddest day. Rosie O’Donnell and Kathy Griffin insisted we sit with them because I kept complaining that the funeral organizers had given me ‘lawn seating’ and I didn’t have a beach towel. Judy Gold wept – which is hard for me to watch  – my ebullient and sunny and tall friend who I have known for over a quarter of a century and have never, ever seen cry was overwhelmed by grief. Rachael Ray consoled her, and hugging they looked like a lower case letter ‘h’.

We all wept – like professional mourners. We should have gotten paid! Tears fell as we listened to the dulcet tones of the Gay Men’s Chorus with their rendition of “Hey Big Spender.” It was bittersweet and perfect.

Please read Cho’s entire essay, “Putting the fun back in funeral.”

Joan Rivers Funeral

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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