I really was going to move onto another female comic this week. But this brilliant Joan Rivers appearance on Johnny Carson from 1979 was calling me from my YouTube offerings this morning and there was simply no way I was not going to share it. I’ve never seen Carson laugh so hard–it’s difficult to remember, in light of all the crappy things we know about him now, what a gracious host he could be and how truly appreciative of others talents he was. Toward the end, Joan makes an abortion joke (imagine?) that literally almost sends him off his chair. (Me as well). This is from 1979 and is rooted in its period in some intriguing ways; joking references are made to the pretentiousness of drinking Perrier. Is is possible we really all once only drank tap water? (Answer: yes). The ‘pooper-scooper’ laws had just gone into effect, which also somehow provoked amused disbelief–was there really dog shit all over the city streets and nobody cared? (Answer: yes). Joan talks about how she’d never live in New York City again because of how wild and violent it is (the city currently with the lowest homicide rate in the country). The fact that things ended badly between Rivers and Carson is sad beyond belief. So let’s not go there. Enjoy the ride. And I promise to move onto another comic tomorrow. Unless YouTube has other plans for me…