Joan Rivers

Biography: A Piece of Work

Joan Rivers was born as Joan Alexandra Molinsky in Brooklyn in 1933. (1)

Rivers grew up in a middle class Jewish family where her father practiced medicine and her mother constantly pushed him to make more money. This upbringing created fodder for future comedy- at one point, Rivers joked that her mother “wanted M.D. to stand for “Make Dollars.” (1)

While her mother wanted her to marry early to secure a place in high society, Joan had other plans. Rivers wanted to be an actress from an early age, and frequently worked with the drama and writing clubs during high school. She studied English Literature at Barnard College, which likely contributed to her success as a writer later in life. (1)

Hoping to find success in the world of theater, Rivers auditioned for on and off-Broadway plays during the early 1960’s. During this time she worked at various office jobs, but continued to focus on her acting and comedy career. She also performed stand up comedy at various clubs in New York, where she earned some attention as a comedian. She soon joined the Second City Comedy troupe in Chicago, where her skills as an improviser and a writer shone. (1)

“I wanted to be an actress. I was an office temp when one secretary said to me: “You’re very funny. You should go do stand-up, be a comedian. They make $6 a night some places.” And I said, “That’s more than I’m making as an office temp” — I made eight, but I had to also pay for my Correcto-Type because I was a lousy speller — so I thought, “Oh, I could do that and have days free to make the rounds.” And that’s why I became a comedian.” (4)

In 1965 Rivers broke into the world of television with her appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. She auditioned for the show seven times before her first appearance, eventually winning Carson over with her comedic talent.

 “Johnny was the one person who said, ‘Yes, she has talent; yes, she is funny.’ He was the first person in power who respected what I was doing and realized what I could become. He handed me my career.” (6)

Rivers’ comedic style is considered raunchy even today. Her frank discussion of sex was unheard of from female comedians during the 1960’s and her comedy frequently shocked audiences.

“When I started comedy I was very wild for the time. The last line of my original act was “This business, it’s all about casting couches. So I just want you to know that my name is Joan Rivers and I put out.” The audience- half of them laughed. Jack Lemon saw me and walked out. Said “that’s disgusting.”

Rivers’ comedy was famous for lampooning others, though Rivers often lampooned herself. She famously riffed on Elizabeth Taylor’s weight, once joking that “When she pierces her ears, gravy comes out.” (3) Later in the same act, she would go on to lampoon her own physical appearance.

“On our wedding night, my husband asked if he could help with the buttons. I was naked at the time.” (3)

During the 70’s, Rivers continued to perform comedy on the Tonight Show. She also continued her work on Broadway with the play Fun City, though she never achieved critical acclaim. In 1973 she wrote a TV movie called The Girl Most Likely To, which told the story of a woman seeking revenge after she was rejected for her looks.  The movie was quite successful and helped to influence women’s storytelling of the time. (1)

By 1983, Rivers had over 80 appearances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. That year she became the permanent guest host of the show. She continued with this position until 1986, when she was offered a late-night show with the Fox network. She decided to take the job to compete with Carson, as she knew NBC would never give her a spot as a full-time host. (6) Carson became angry with Rivers for this abandonment, and Rivers received a ban of nearly 30 years. She reappeared on the show to greet its most recent host, Jimmy Fallon. (7)

Fox’s attempt at The Late Show with Joan Rivers almost immediately fell apart. In her documentary A Piece of Work, Rivers described the show as a “nightmare even before it went on the air.” (5) Fox removed her as host only a year after the show started, replacing her with Arsenio Hall. (6)

Comedy wasn’t Rivers’ only business. She became famous for her red carpet interviews where she pioneered the phrase “Who are you wearing?” She worked with her daughter on the E! television network to report on fashion in the mid-90’s and even developed a line of products for QVC. She also appeared on and won The Celebrity Apprentice, which she considered to be a major comeback for her career. (1, 8)

Rivers preferred to keep a busy schedule even late into her career. During the documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, Rivers motioned to her packed scheduling book and exclaimed “That’s happiness.” Despite failing ratings on her Broadway shows and her lowered status as a performer in her later years, Rivers never wanted to retire. (5)

“If a young woman comedian walks up to me and says ‘You opened the doors for me,’ I would say, go fuck yourself. I’m still opening doors.” (5)

After the comedian’s death, David Letterman remembered her for her “guts.” In one interview after her death, Letterman went on to say “She would come out here and sit in this chair and say some things that were unbelievable, just where you would have to swallow pretty hard. But it was hilarious. The force of her comedy was overpowering.” (2)

“My comedy is about telling the truth. “My big thing originally was to say, ‘Can we talk?,’ meaning, can we tell the truth?”  (3)

Rivers’ Experience as a Woman in Comedy:

As a female comedian who frequently joked at the expense of both women and men, Rivers experienced a lot of hate throughout her career. She was often labeled as a “bitch” and other derogatory names, but kept a thick skin that allowed her to power through the negativity.

 “No, this is wrong,” people say: “See? She is a bitch. She is a c—.” If I were a man, they’d say: “So brilliant. He’s tough, but he’s right.” Nobody ever says to me, “You’re right.” (4)

While she was in the same cohort of comedians as George Carlin and Richard Pryor, Rivers found that she was isolated from her male counterparts and noticed that all of the men in her cohort made it to the big time before she did. She believes that this was because of her lower status as a woman. (4)

“My group was Woody and George and Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby. Rodney Dangerfield. Dick Cavett. All the ones who were coming up at the same time. But I never was one of the guys. I was never asked to go hang out; I never thought about it until later. They would all go to the Stage Delicatessen afterward and talk. I never got to go uptown and have a sandwich with them. So, even though I was with them, I wasn’t with them.” (4)

River’s status as a woman again affected her when she left the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. She left the show to pursue a hosting opportunity for the Fox network, and immediately called Carson to let him know of her departure. He hung up on her, never spoke to her again, and attacked her in the media. Rivers was initially confused by Carson’s actions, but now believes he saw her as his “property” that wasn’t allowed to leave. (4)

“I kept saying, “I don’t understand, why is he mad?” He was not angry at anybody else. I think he really felt because I was a woman that I just was his. That I wouldn’t leave him. I know this sounds very warped. But I don’t understand otherwise what was going on. For years, I thought that maybe he liked me better than the others. But I think it was a question of, “I found you, and you’re my property.” He didn’t like that as a woman, I went up against him.” (4)

In the same interview with the Hollywood Reporter that she discusses the Carson incident, Rivers goes on to discuss the trouble that men have given her during her career. She writes that male sound and lighting workers give her trouble when she “fucking knows” what her lighting should be- after all, she’d been in the business for 50 years. (4)

Impacts and Influences:

Joan Rivers pushed the envelope of what female comedians could say on stage, forever changing how women performed. Because of Rivers, topics like sex and abortion became significantly less taboo for female comedians to joke about. Her influence on specific performers is clear, as many modern female comedians cite Joan Rivers as a major influence on them, arguing that she paved the way for all future female comedians.

“What a full life. Every woman in comedy is indebted to her. She was there at the beginning to the end.” – Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live cast member and Parks and Recreation star (2)

“I went to see her live one time. The shit that came out of her mouth was so shocking and so funny. She was doing something that no other woman was doing. You know, I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for Joan.” – Kathy Griffin, comedian (5)

“She was this maternal figure in my life who was very warm and incredibly generous. She was a woman in a very male-dominated world. She made it in such harsh times that were so sexist and so difficult. It was a miracle that she was able to get to where she was. I am just so happy that I was able to know her. She was always there for us, for us female comics.” – Margaret Cho, comedian (9)

Joan Rivers and Feminism:

While Joan Rivers was a trailblazer for women in comedy, it is debatable as to whether or not she should be considered a feminist icon. Her discussion of taboo topics like abortion and female sexuality helped to normalize once restricted material. This can certainly be considered a feminist action because it normalizes taboos regarding women. However, Rivers often bullied women for their appearances- an act that tears down women rather than lifting them up. She also often claimed that looks were more important to women than education- a statement that is certainly against feminist principals. Though Time Magazine called Rivers a “feminist icon” after her death, her legacy is murky when it comes to the women’s rights movement.

Works Cited:

(1) “Joan Rivers.” Jewish Women’s Archive, jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/rivers-joan.

(2) “Joan Rivers Remembered by Stand-Up Comics, TV Legends.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 2014, http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/joan-rivers-death/joan-rivers-remembered-stand-up-comics-tv-legends-n196156.

(3) Langer, Emily. “Joan Rivers, Comedian Who Skewered Everyone, Including Herself, Dies.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 4 Sept. 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/celebrities/joan-rivers-comedian-who-skewered-everyone-including-herself-dies/2014/09/04/f033ed16-2ec8-11e4-9b98-848790384093_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.951873cfdd96.

(4) Rivers, Joan. “Joan Rivers: Why Johnny Carson ‘Never Ever Spoke to Me Again.’” The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sept. 2014, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/joan-rivers-why-johnny-carson-398088.

(5) Stern, Ricki, director. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work. IFC Independent Film , 2010.

(6) Heigl, Alex. “Joan Rivers, Johnny Carson & the Bumpy Road to Tonight.” PEOPLE.com, 2014, people.com/celebrity/joan-rivers-and-johnny-carsons-history-on-the-tonight-show/.

(7) Steinberg, Brian. “Joan Rivers Returns To ‘Tonight Show’ After Decades-Long Ban.” Variety, 18 Feb. 2014, variety.com/2014/tv/news/joan-rivers-returns-to-tonight-show-after-decades-long-ban-1201109889/.

(8) Sun, Rebecca, and Marisa Guthrie. “Joan Rivers’ Rise From Rags to TV Retail Riches.” The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sept. 2014, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/joan-rivers-rise-rags-tv-731620.

(9) Alderman, Melody. “Margaret Cho Opens Up About Her Addiction, Relapse, Childhood Sexual Abuse And The ‘King Of Offensive’ Donald Trump.” YourTango, 23 Sept. 2017, http://www.yourtango.com/2017306752/margaret-cho-interview-addiction-relapse-sexual-abuse-donald-trump-fresh-bloat.

(Photo One Credit: https://www.wsj.com/articles/joan-rivers-bulldozer-1483044652)

(Photo Two Credit: http://time.com/3267709/joan-rivers-dead-feminism-comedy/)

(Photo Three, Five, and Six Credit: https://www.cnn.com/2014/11/10/showbiz/joan-rivers-death/index.html)

(Photo Four Credit: https://www.eonline.com/news/576107/how-joan-rivers-changed-the-red-carpet-interview-forever-with-one-simple-question-watch-her-best-moments)