Melissa Rivers Knows What Mom Joan Rivers Would Say About Today’s Political Climate (Exclusive)

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

During the recordings of November 8 Dead Funny – An all-star tribute to Joan Rivers, capitalizing on God’s love we deliver, set to air on NBS in early 2025, Melissa tells PEOPLE she knows exactly what her mother would say about the recent divisive election.

“Like she always said, ‘Oh, stop it. Just stop it. Everybody gets over themselves!'” Melissa says with a laugh, adding that her mother’s sense of humor appealed to everyone, and that she loved helping people to bring together. instead of dividing them. “She appealed across the aisles and across the street as well,” Rivers said.

“I think this is one of the things that we are missing as a country right now,” she continues. “Someone who can say, ‘We can all still laugh. Everyone take a deep breath. We’re still going to joke.’ She always said that making people laugh was like giving them a little holiday.”

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 RossAnd Rita Wilton.

“This has been a great labor of love over the last few months,” says Melissa, who produced the show. She says she’s especially proud that the money raised went to God’s Love, We Deliver, which provides free hot meals to people in need throughout New York. Joan served on the foundation’s board for 25 years.

“She loved giving back,” Melissa says of her mother. “Now we’re giving back, which is fantastic. And to be honored in this way by all these amazing comedians and the women who showed up to honor Joan, it’s pretty special.”

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

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

“She was shy,” Melissa told PEOPLE.

“She hated social situations, but she covered that up by being funny. The interesting thing is that a lot of artists 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 afraid that she would disappoint someone — that they would expect her to be ‘Joan Rivers’ instead of ‘Joan Rosenberg.'”

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

“It used to be that saying you were an actress implied you were a whore as far as my grandparents were concerned,” she says. “My grandmother’s fantasy was that my mother would become a rich housewife!”

Dead Funny will air on NBCUniversal in early 2025, with Melissa Rivers, Erich Bergen, David Jammy and Chris Convoy serving as executive producers and Whoopi Goldberg as co-chairman.