Joan Rivers Costco Book Ban: Free Publicity?

Joan Rivers' Costco protest is being touted as "the best book publicity stunt of 2012."

The funny woman was livid -- or at least pretended to be -- after the discount chain refused to stock her newest book, "I Hate Everyone...Starting With Me and protested the decision on Tuesday.

Carolyn Kellog of the Los Angeles Times believes that the Costco visit brought some such needed attention to the book.

"News of her protest has been on Fox News, ABC, KCAL, E! Online, the Huffington Post, TMZ -- just about every media outlet you can think of, not to mention the lips of just about everyone who has heard of Joan Rivers," wrote Kellogg.

"On Tuesday, did you know Joan Rivers had a new book? Probably not. I devote about 99% of my waking hours to keeping track of new books, and I didn't know Joan Rivers had one. But now, we all do."

Video obtained by TMZ shows the 79-year-old entering Costco in Burbank, Calif., and screaming into a bullhorn. Rivers then chains herself to a woman's shopping chart and shouts; "I'm not leaving!"

After 30 minutes, Rivers was escorted from the premises by police. From the video, it looks like police found the entire incident amusing -- they couldn't help but crack a smile.

"It's about First Amendment rights," Rivers told KTLA. "Costco banned my book because of one word on the back cover. I feel like this is a country where the people should have the right to have the literature they want. This is the beginning of Nazi Germany."

According to FOX News, the book was banned for its back cover, which features words deemed inappropriate by Costco. Faux reviews by Marie Antoinette read "Let her eat [expletive]," and Wilt Chamberlain concluding, "I wouldn't even [expletive] her."

The Daily News is hinting that Rivers may storm other Costco stores with what they call a staged "One woman show."

Aside from the book ban, Rivers has been part of a string of recent controversies. Last January she publicly blamed governor Sarah Palin for the shooting in Tucson, Ariz., that left 6 dead and 18 injured.

When FOX canceled her upcoming talk show appearance, Rivers told network execs to "go [expletive] themselves," claiming that the decision was made as a result of their allegiance to Palin. FOX denied that the decision was linked to her comments.

The comedienne has also scrutinized been for a segment on her show "Fashion Police," "Starlet or Streetwalker," in which her panel guesses whether an anonymous woman is Hollywood star or prostitute.

Last year, Rachel Lloyd, the founder of Girls Education and Mentoring Services started an online petition to ban the segment.

"I watched with growing discomfort as I realized that these women - poor women, desperate women, drug-addicted women, women under the control of a pimp, women who are victims of violence and exploitation - were being used to highlight wealthy celebrities' poor fashion choices," Lloyd told the Daily Telegraph.

Rivers has also come under fire for jokes about Whitney Houston in "I Hate Everyone..." Reports surfaced in May that the book made light of the singer's death in February.

"I hate Houston. It's crawling with bugs. Oh, wait, that's Whitney Houston; I'm sorry, my bad. (Can I just mention that Whitney looked fabulous at the Grammys? She was in mahogany from head to toe.)"

"I Hate Everyone..." is an illustration of those people that Rivers just can't stand. This includes overexposed reality stars and over recognized historical figures.