Joan Rivers cuffs herself to Costco shopping cart in protest

With a megaphone in hand, Joan Rivers staged the protest/publicity stunt at a Costco in Burbank, California, Tuesday.

The 79-year-old Fashion Police host claims the chain banned I Hate Everything … Starting With Me because of "several racy jokes on the back cover."

We're all sure Costco has never carried a book with racy jokes before (roll eyes here).

Rivers went on to bellow from the megaphone, while apparently handcuffed to a customer's shopping cart: "Costco should not be like Nazi Germany.

"Next thing they'll be burning the Bible."

By way of the Associated Press, Rivers went on a rant that only the sharp-tongued red carpet queen can deliver: "Costco, who sells condoms by the pallet, who sells Paula Deen books and -- which is not good for their customers' health -- they decided to ban my book. This is a First Amendment violation.

"This is a store that sells 300 rolls of toilet paper at the same time, and I say any customer that buys 300 rolls of toilet paper deserves a funny book to sit on the toilet and read."

ABC News took a decidedly more serious approach to the subject.

Apparently, Rivers is insisting Costco really did ban the books over two jokes in particular -- involving Marie Antoinette and Wilt Chamberlain.

She told its affiliate KABC-TV that the ban "is very frightening and it is truly about the First Amendment."

"This is America and I don’t want to see censorship," she said.

As of Wednesday morning, Costco had not issued a response.

While police were called to the store when Rivers refused to leave, no arrests were made, nor was the star and crew ticketed.

Image courtesy of Josiah True/WENN.com