What’s behind Joan Rivers‘ comedy catchphrase “Can we talk?” The late celebrity and talk show host, who died Thursday, had explained in an interview the roots of her three magic words — which actually aren’t rooted in much of her doing.
“I always try to be very honest — my humor is truly stripping everything. Bam!” she explained. Her approach to her comedy: “Let’s stop this nonsense!”
She soon found herself participating in call-and-response rituals onstage at standup gigs.
“I didn’t realize I was saying it to the audience, and then they began repeating it back to me, so I don’t say it anymore. Totally spontaneous.”
Other comics noticed as well. “Rodney Dangerfield figured out, ‘I don’t get no respect,’ and he said to me, ‘Can we talk?’ And I was like, ‘What? Can we talk?’ And he said, ‘Oh, you use that phrase!’ “
Watch her explanation in the clip below.
Email: Ashley.Lee@THR.com
Twitter: @cashleelee
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