I must admit I am nervous about getting Alzheimer's. Once it hits, I might tell my best joke and never know it.
Interpretation
The quote humorously expresses the fear of losing memory while also highlighting the irony of forgetting one's own jokes.
Joan Rivers uses humor to address the serious and often frightening possibility of developing Alzheimer's disease. By stating that she might tell her best joke and not remember it, she emphasizes the deep loss of identity and connection that can accompany memory loss, cleverly mixing a light-hearted approach with a poignant reflection on the implications of such a condition.
In practice
Use this quote in a speech about the importance of mental health.
"I've learned what's funny verbally ain't so funny on e-mail: They don't hear your intonations. Melissa broke up with somebody over that. She tried to tell him: "That was a joke!" But he just didn't get it. Mick Jagger said, "F- 'em if they don't get the joke." And I love him. That comes with age: Knowing it's their problem, not mine."
I enjoy life when things are happening. I don't care if it's good things or bad things. That means you're alive.
Life goes by fast. Enjoy it. Calm down. It's all funny.
Life is so tough. I don't know how old you are, but I've seen so much in a wink. One phone call and your life is changed forever. We all know that. You better laugh at everything.
I walk on a stage, and I know if it's been a good show or not. You know when it's been a good interview. No one has to tell you. You know it. You feel it. You can feel the air. You can feel everything about it when it's a good show. And you know when you've messed up.
I would not want to live if I could not perform. It's in my will. I am not to be revived unless I can do an hour of stand-up.
As long as I can make them laugh, it doesn’t matter how, I’ll be alright. If I succeed in that, the human beings probably won’t mind it too much if I remain outside their lives. The one thing I must avoid is becoming offensive in their eyes: I shall be nothing, the wind, the sky.
A dirty joke is a sort of mental rebellion.
I felt like there was something wrong with me in my twenties but, when I started doing stand up comedy, I learnt that if you tell the truth it's really funny and people connect to it. So I think if I keep doing that then I'll be happy.
Here I am paying big money to you writers and what for? All you do is change the words.
I’m so tired... I was up all night trying to round off infinity.
Why, dear boy, we don't send wizards to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts.
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