Melissa Rivers Knows Exactly What Mom Joan Would Say About Current Political Climate (Exclusive)

At the taping of ‘Dead Funny – An All-Star Tribute to Joan Rivers, Benefitting God’s Love We Deliver,’ the comedian’s daughter says we need Joan’s sense of humor right now

If there was ever a time the world could use some of the late Joan Rivers’ blunt observational humor, the time is now, says her daughter Melissa Rivers.

At the Nov. 8 taping of Dead Funny – An All-Star Tribute to Joan Rivers, Benefitting God’s Love We Deliver, which will air on NBS in early 2025, Melissa tells PEOPLE she knows exactly what her mother would say regarding the recent divisive election.

“As she used to say, ‘Oh, stop it. Just stop it. Everyone get over themselves!'” Melissa says with a laugh, adding that her mom’s sense of humor appealed to everyone, and she loved being able to bring people together instead of dividing them. “She appealed across the aisles and to the far ends as well,” Rivers says.

“I think that’s one of the things that, as a country, we’re missing right now,” she continues. “Someone who can say, ‘We can all still laugh, Everyone take a deep breath. We’re still going to make jokes.’ She used to say making people laugh was like giving them a little vacation.”

Related: Melissa Rivers Announces Joan Rivers Comedy Tribute Show, Opens Up About Her Mom’s Secret Side (Exclusive)  

The sold-out tribute event, which was taped at the Apollo Theater, featured a powerhouse lineup of comedians and actors, including Chelsea Handler, Rachel Brosnahan, Michelle Buteau, Sandra Bernhard, Nikki Glaser, Tiffany Haddish, Matteo Lane, Joel McHale, Patton Oswalt, Aubrey Plaza, Jeff Ross, and Rita Wilton.

“This has been a major labor of love for the past couple of months,” says Melissa, who executive-produced the show. She says she’s especially proud that funds raised went to God’s Love, We Deliver, which donates hot free meals to those in need across New York. Joan sat on the board of the foundation for 25 years.

“She loved giving back,” Melissa says of her mom. “Now we’re giving back, which is fantastic. And to be honored like this by all these amazing comedians and the women that have shown up to honor Joan, It’s pretty special.”

Melissa adds, “She is still relevant. And I think that’s something that’s going to come through the show —her voice would still be as important as ever. All the things she’s talked about are the important topics today.”

Related: Melissa Rivers Opens Up About the Rift She Had With Mom Joan After Her Father’s Suicide (Exclusive)

In September, when the tribute show was announced, Melissa noted that there was a secret side to her mother, whose accidental death occurred during a routine endoscopy in Sept. 2014.

“She was shy,” Melissa told PEOPLE.

“She hated social situations, but she covered that up by being funny. What’s interesting is a lot of performers are very shy,” she explains. “But one of her biggest fears was being in social situations outside of her friend group because she was always concerned she was going to disappoint someone — that they were expecting her to be ‘Joan Rivers,’ rather than ‘Joan Rosenberg.'”

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Melissa noted that her grandparents were horrified by Joan’s stand-up comedy career.

“Back in their day, saying you were an actress implied you were a hooker as far as my grandparents were concerned,” she says. “My grandmother’s fantasy was for my mom to be a rich housewife!”

Dead Funny will air on NBCUniversal in early 2025, with Melissa Rivers, Erich Bergen, David Jammy, and Chris Convoy as Executive Producers and Whoopi Goldberg as Co-Chair.