Sheriff dares George Lopez to a showdown

George Lopez says Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio has asked him to appear at a fundraiser, though the sheriff is upset with Lopez and has dared him to a face-to-face confrontation.

Here's the brouhaha: Lopez cursed the anti-illegal immigration sheriff in his new HBO special, "It's Not Me, It's You."

The sheriff issued a rebuttal challenge: "Get some guts, come down here, and meet me face to face. Let's see how you act then."

So I asked for a response from Lopez, who performs Friday and Saturday at The Mirage.

"That guy, listen, he's reached out to me a couple of times to get involved with a fundraiser" after the HBO row. "I don't think that's gonna happen," Lopez says with a little chuckle.

Lopez wants to make something clear: "I respect the law. I love police. I've done fundraisers for them. In no way was I trying to be disrespectful to the law enforcement people.

"That thing from HBO was set up because of his detaining people who were properly documented," Lopez says. (Arpaio is fighting a lawsuit based on such allegations.)

"It's not a feud," Lopez insists. "If I go to Arizona ... I'll go and sit down with him," he says. "I'm not afraid of that.

"Clearly, I would make sure I didn't have any outstanding warrants or unpaid (tickets)," he jokes, "because I think (he might take) any opportunity to put me away, or hold me for 72 hours."

Lopez has been helping President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. But Lopez was respectful of President George W. Bush. He has been to the White House under both presidents.

"I support whoever is president, whether they're my choice or not. There's so much negativity towards (any) president. I don't want to tell people how to think, but we have to stay productive and keep going."

He jokes in his stand-up that he stole a little table ornament at an Obama dinner. Is that true?

"Every time I go there, I can't help it. I mean, I can't help it!"

RIP PHYLLIS DILLER

I happened to be interviewing Whoopi Goldberg on Monday when news broke of the death of the great Phyllis Diller at age 95.

"A real original," she said of Diller. (Goldberg performs Aug. 31 at Treasure Island.)

"Nobody like her in the world. Nobody sounded like her. Nobody laughed like her. Nobody was as honest. She was a great woman, and so erudite."

Diller was super famous in the 1970s.

"That was during the days of the 'comedienne,' when you had Phyllis Diller, and Joan Rivers, and Totie Fields, and Moms Mabley," Goldberg said.

"To be a 'comedienne,' you could not be perceived as someone who was attractive," she said. "They always had to make fun of themselves, and they had to make fun of marriage.

"But when you listen to Phyllis' material, it's really smart, and talking about things that you didn't hear women say - when they talked about (men with erectile dysfunctions), but not even that blatantly. They were extraordinary."

Rest in peace, Phyllis. As Goldberg said, "95 is a good life."

COMEDY CLUB ON THE MOVE

You can't take excellence for granted. Empire Comedy club at Paris has staged many of today's funniest comedians, from Jim Jefferies to Greg Proops.

But the club ends its run with an Aug. 30-Sept. 1 gig by Bryan Callen.

The man responsible for bringing these comics to the Paris and Palms for years, comedian-producer Cort McCown, is in talks with other hotels. We'll keep you posted when a property jumps on the chance to snag McCown's comics.

Doug Elfman's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.