I was talking to my makeup-lady, Adele Fass, and trying to get from her the names of celebrities that have been rude in her makeup chair. Instead, Adele suggested that we make a list of etiquette rules that celebrities should follow.
#1: If you are a female celebrity, make sure that you eat only organic fruits and vegetables so that when you are throwing them up in the bathroom, people will think you’re a gourmet.
#2: Let your fans see you as a green person. For example, Amy Winehouse the great environmentalist's car runs solely on leftover alcohol. (By the way, the last time I saw Amy she was in the middle of Park Avenue on her hands and knees trying to sniff up the white line.)
#3: Here’s a rule that Tom Cruise follows: Always be nice to strangers—like Katie Holmes.
#4: Learn how to speak to the press. For example, when John Travolta says in an interview, “I like to keep my private life private,” he’s really saying, “I’m a pillow-biter.”
#5: In this age of media scrutiny—the internet, You Tube, paparazzi—always remember that everything you do will be noticed. So, make sure your answering machine messages are not any of the following:
“Hi, this is Paris Hilton—please leave me a message at the sound of the moan.”
“You’ve reached Monica Lewinski—please leave me a MRRGGHH URGH ARGH UMNNF.”
“George Carlin can’t come to the phone, and never will again.”
“Hi, this is Kathy Bates. I can’t come to the phone because I’m having a light snack. I’ll call you back in a month.”
“Michael Jackson can’t come to the phone at the moment because he’s outside meeting a school bus.”
“Hi, this is Stevie Wonder. I can’t come to the phone because I can’t fucking find it! Keep calling back! And let it ring!”
And after my appearance on Loose Women, this is what my answering machine will say:
“Hi, this is Joan Rivers. Don’t say anything.”