Comedian Joan Rivers dies aged 81

[Yahooka]

A true legend

RIP

[Kooweerup]

I always thought she was great, and I am not gay.

Peggy Noonan wrote a good article on her in the WSJ.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sep 5, 2014

Joan Rivers: The Entertainer

There was nobody like her. Some people are knockoffs or imitations of other, stronger, more vivid figures, but there was never another Joan Rivers before her or while she lived. She was a seriously wonderful, self-invented woman.

She was completely open and immediately accessible. She had the warmth of a person who found others keenly and genuinely interesting. It was also the warmth of a person with no boundaries: She wanted to know everything about you and would tell you a great deal about herself, right away. She had no edit function, which in part allowed her gift. She would tell you what she thought. She loved to shock, not only an audience but a friend. I think from the beginning life startled her, and she enjoyed startling you. You only asked her advice or opinion if you wanted an honest reply.

Read more here: http://blogs.wsj.com/peggynoonan/2014/09/05/joan-rivers-the-entertainer/

unheard of in Australia. Probably just known in the U.S

[Jingthing]

Pretty sure she was quite "heard of" in the UK though ... Brits please confirm.

[chuckd]

I always thought she was great, and I am not gay.

Peggy Noonan wrote a good article on her in the WSJ.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sep 5, 2014

Joan Rivers: The Entertainer

There was nobody like her. Some people are knockoffs or imitations of other, stronger, more vivid figures, but there was never another Joan Rivers before her or while she lived. She was a seriously wonderful, self-invented woman.

She was completely open and immediately accessible. She had the warmth of a person who found others keenly and genuinely interesting. It was also the warmth of a person with no boundaries: She wanted to know everything about you and would tell you a great deal about herself, right away. She had no edit function, which in part allowed her gift. She would tell you what she thought. She loved to shock, not only an audience but a friend. I think from the beginning life startled her, and she enjoyed startling you. You only asked her advice or opinion if you wanted an honest reply.

Read more here: http://blogs.wsj.com/peggynoonan/2014/09/05/joan-rivers-the-entertainer/

unheard of in Australia. Probably just known in the U.S

That's probably why this thread is in the World News and not a sub-forum relating to Australian lore.

[Scott]

I think it's been noted earlier in the thread, but humor really doesn't travel well. What is funny in one country is simply baffling in another country. Unlike musicians, you don't usually see a comedienne on a world tour.

[chiang mai]

I loved your humor from an early age, RIP Joan and condolences to your family.

[uptheos]

Pretty sure she was quite "heard of" in the UK though ... Brits please confirm.

I thought she was a terrific comedienne, nothing was off limits and she was sharp as a razor.

She is quite well known in UK, probably more among the older crowd.

[Jingthing]

She toured the UK a lot I think. Had a hit tv show there in the 80's but then it flopped. Her career was very choppy in the US as well.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Chicog]

Pretty sure she was quite "heard of" in the UK though ... Brits please confirm.

Mostly chat shows as a second or third chair.

[Jingthing]

In any case, I don't think it's true that comedic talent can't travel between English speaking countries.

On the Fawlty Towers comment before, well, when I was growing up and Fawlty Towers was current pretty much everyone I knew watched it and loved it. I actually never met anyone who said they watched it and didn't like it!

Of course some things just defy explanation. Like the French thing with Jerry Lewis.

Edited September 7, 2014 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Joan Rivers talking about the documentary made about how she works worked.

JOAN RIVERS-A PIECE OF WORK.

Interesting that she mentions the female comics she is "passing the mantle to" ...

Edited September 7, 2014 by Jingthing

[connda]

I never meant to suggest that the majority of her fans were gay. Gays are a small minority group. It would be very hard to be so generally famous and successful with only one fan base like that.

Bett Midler? Liza May Minnelli?

[Jingthing]

I never meant to suggest that the majority of her fans were gay. Gays are a small minority group. It would be very hard to be so generally famous and successful with only one fan base like that.

Bett Midler? Liza May Minnelli?

Both strong gay fan bases, but hardly followed only by gay people.

Joan Rivers fan base was definitely not mostly gay people, I'm sure of that.

Consider Kathy Griffin.

Are you a fan?

I am guessing, if not gay and American, you probably haven't even heard of her.

She is an example of a comedian whose fan base is mostly gay, which limits her wider success.

Another example, Margaret Cho, although she also has a lot of Korean American fans.

BTW, for people who missed it, you've just got to see the Margaret Cho piece about her mother working in a gay porno store ...

Edited September 9, 2014 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Joan River's daughter Melissa's eulogy:

I think it's great that you're entertaining more often, but I can't keep fielding complaints from the neighbors about your noisy party games like Ring Around the Walker or naked Duck, Duck Caregiver

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/joan-rivers-remembered-read-daughter-731382