by MARIAH THOMPSON Section Editor
Comedian Joan Rivers died at the age of 81 on September 4 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City after complications during a throat surgery, which led her to fall into cardiac arrest.
Born as Joan Alexandra Molinsky in Brooklyn, New York on June 8, 1933, Rivers started her road to fame in a play called “Driftwood” where she played a lesbian alongside Barbara Streisand. During this time, Rivers performed in many comedy clubs and wrote material for different shows, including “Topo Gigio.”
The world started to take notice of Rivers when she appeared as a guest on “The Tonight Show”, hosted by Johnny Carson. Rivers showed the world her style of humor, which includes heckling celebrities and joking about herself, especially about her countless plastic surgeries. Carson made Rivers a regular guest host multiple times.
After her debut on Carson’s show, Rivers created her own spin-off of his show called “The Late Show starring Joan Rivers”, which earned her the title of first woman to have her own late night show. Due to the popularity, the show won her a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host.
An anonymous student said, “I actually am a big fan of Joan Rivers and have watched an episode of her night show on YouTube. She has been in the entertainment for years and it is so devastating to know she has passed.”
During the 2000s, Rivers promoted her jewelry line “The Joan Rivers Collection” by appearing on “The Shopping Channel” and “QVC” multiple times.
Rivers and her daughter Melissa Rivers debuted their new reality television show called “Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best?” in 2011. The show followed them around after Rivers moved in with her daughter. Their last episode aired in May 2014.
Rivers will be remembered for her hosting on “Fashion Police” where she commented on celebrities’ outfits at events or a normal day. Rarely were celebrities praised on their get-up from the comedian. She usually ended up slamming their outfit with very crude and sometimes offensive humor.
“I have watched ‘Fashion Police’ many times with Joan Rivers hosting it and I never knew what to expect to come out of her mouth. Sometimes I would laugh and sometimes I would just stare at my TV in shock wondering if she actually said what I just heard,” said sophomore Olivia Tucker.
Rivers’ funeral service was held at Temple Emanu-El in New York on Sunday, September 7. The jokester had written in one of her books “I Hate Everyone…Starting with Me” exactly how she wanted her funeral to be conducted:
“I want my funeral to be a huge showbiz affair with lights, camera, action…I want paparazzi and I want publicists making a scene…I want to look gorgeous, better dead than I do alive. I want to be buried in a Valentino gown…And I want a wind machine so that even in the casket my hair is blowing like Beyoncé’s.”
Rivers’ funeral did not include all the shenanigans, but did have a load of A-list celebrities in attendance, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael Kors, and Whoopi Goldberg.
Rivers’ cause of death is still being investigated.
What will you miss most about the legendary Joan Rivers?