Joan Rivers RIP

[poliphilo]

Joan Rivers died (or had her death announced) on the day they were unveiling a statue of Spike Milligan in London. Michael Aspel (I think it was) said the problem with booking Spike was you never knew who was going to turn up. Joan was like that too

She wasn't safe or predictable. She couldn't be trusted to play the game.

Great comedians are full of surprises. Like gelignite that's been left to simmer over a low heat.

They invited Joan onto the supposedly edgy TV show Loose Women and she shared her opinion of Russell Crowe with the nation. After the commercial break Joan was no longer anywhere to be seen. Afterwards she apologized. She said, "I'm sorry I fucking swore."

Kit Hesketh-Harvey's tribute demands to be read- not least for its reminder of Joan's insanely brave, heroically righteous response to the 9/11 attacks.

Comments

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting this. Joan Rivers was one of a kind, it's true she had many imitators but the original was still the best.

One line above all else "If we don't laugh, they won." I wish people would remember this. We need more laughter in this world.

We lost Joan, we lost Robin Williams. The world is a less bright place.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

She was one of the greats. I didn't always like her, but that's not the point; she didn't set out to be liked but to tell the truth as she saw it- and, of course, to make us laugh.

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

Joan Rivers was amazing. She said things no-one else dared, but thought.

As for Loose Women - I caught ten minutes of it once, and found it embarrassing. A load of squawking, shrieking harridans talking about nothing important. And they get upset when someone like Rivers - who had intelligence and wit - says something funny. Pathetic.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Loose Women is afternoon TV. The whole point is to dance around taboos without ever quite touching them. Joan was too big for that kind of silliness.

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

I think the whole point is to make women look even stupider than TV generally does. It certainly succeeds with that squawking bunch.

[athenais.livejournal.com]

I must say, I am changing my mind about Joan Rivers in the wake of her passing. I never liked her sense of humor, I never valued "saying what no one else will say" or appreciated that she was not just who she seemed to be as a comedian. But this article really moved me.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've not always admired her either, but...

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

She was an original. Not my favourite as i guess i found her too abrasive.