Talking Oscar with Melissa Rivers
It's one of the guiltiest of pleasures -- at least when it comes to TV. The E! Network's annual Joan and Melissa Rivers Academy Awards pre-show fashion fest wherein the mother-and-daughter team commandeers the red carpet to chat up celebs and dish on fashion.
In a sea of entertainment reporters vying for choice interviews, the Riverses -- particularly Mama Joan -- are infamous for their red-carpet presence. Critics have denounced Joan's style as rude, snotty and just plain mean. After all, this is a woman who allegedly once said that if "Titanic" star Kate Winslet had just lost five pounds "there would have been room for Leo (DiCaprio) on the raft."
Joan was too busy to talk, but Melissa, who also appears regularly as a fashion reporter for "E! News Live," called us from her L.A. home to chat about everything from prepping for the Oscars to her mother's bad reputation.
Q: So the big day is coming up fast -- how do you and your mother prepare?
A: Year after year you try and cram like it's an exam. We watch all the movies that are nominated, plus we have big binders of research material on all the presenters and nominees.
Q: Which is more fun for you -- working the pre-show or dishing about it afterward for the post-show reviews?
A: They're both totally different. It's like asking "Do you enjoy driving a car or riding a bicycle?" -- they've both got wheels. But live is very exciting and that's a bonus.
Q: It must get very hairy during the live show.
A: It does, but I love that! There are a million scary moments -- there are so many times when my mind goes blank.
Q: Who are your favorite celebrities to interview? Or your least favorites?
A: Any of the comedians or comic actors -- they play around -- are always good. What makes a good interview is somebody who enjoys being there. The bad interviews are the people for whom it's clearly painful to be there.
Q: It's rumored that there are some actors and actresses who refuse to talk to you and your mother on the red carpet. Do you know who these people are?
A: We hear that every year, but then every year (the celebrities) are lined up four and five deep to wait to be on our show. I think there are very few who actually avoid us -- that's just part of our legend and the bottom line is that it's very silly. Ninety percent of the A-list -- they don't avoid us. Who's avoiding us? It's not Tom Hanks, it's not Julia Roberts, it's not Gywneth Paltrow.
Q: Do you ever say something you regret -- that you wish you could just take back?
A: Oh, all day every day!
Q: What about your mother? She's pretty famous for her acerbic tongue -- does she ever say something you wish you could take back?
A: All the time!
Q: Do you find yourself trying to keep your mother in line?
A: Absolutely. I think it's a balancing act. My role is that of the straight man. I'm the voice of reason. I allow people to know that it's OK, that it's all said tongue-in-cheek and we're just having fun.
Q: Do you think people are too hard on her?
A: Definitely. Number one, let's not forget that my mother is a comedian. She gets accused of saying things that aren't true. If you go back and look at the tapes -- those remarks aren't there.
Q: Can you give me an example?
A: There's the rumor that (Joan) told Mariah Carey that she was fat. When you watch the tape, she actually says "People said you had gained weight, but I think you look great."
