Column: Late, great comedienne offers dilly of an interview, insight on comedy

When our new carpets were installed, I was telling people that it had been so long since we had cleaned behind some of our furniture, we found one of our son’s old diapers under his bed. (He just turned 25.)

I stole that joke from Phyllis Diller, who sadly passed away last month. If I had repeated that in one of my columns, it would have been downright theft. But when sitting with friends on your sofa sipping a wine cooler, you can get away with a little petty larceny.

I heard Ms. Diller use that line on the old “Jack Paar Show” some 50 years ago. Yes, I remember every zinger I hear. It’s a curse, really.

Of course, Ms. Diller told it with greater aplomb, and it didn’t hurt that she was dressed like Lady Gaga. By the way, Ms. Diller’s life and analyses of her work have been in all the media. You could Google her, but if you want to see something really googly, take a look at her eyes on a YouTube video.

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