Joan Rivers

And yet again, another horrible loss. Although she hated being called it, but she was indeed a pioneer. Joan Rivers was the last of the real greats to pave the way for comedians in our culture. However, she also took a trade a made it her own and her work ethic was flawless. A true master of our time, she was the product of such a great caliber. I really don't feel she had to go.

It all started with Lucy. Lucy was the first and remains to be the best of women in comedy. If there was no Lucy there would be no Bea Arthur, no Betty White, no Carol Burnett, no Phyllis Diller, and no Fran Drescher. But there'dalso be no Joan Rivers. Joan has learned from all of these women, but she had a flare and taste that went beyond limits even these ladies would never cross.

Without Joan Rivers there'd be no Tina Fey, no Kathy Griffin, no Jenny Slate, no Sandra Bernhard, no Joy Behar, no Ellen DeGeneres, no Amy Poehler, and no Wanda Sykes. Rivers pushed the boundaries up to the day she died. No topic was off limits, she didn't mind using fowl language, she kept up with the famous men comedians, and some of the men couldn't even keep up with her!

I watched her roast a few years ago, and I watched the Documentary about her Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work. watching and learning about her work was absolutely amazing. I love seeing a true master at work. She was open about her plastic surgeries, famous for her Fashion Police critiques, her red carpet interviews, her stand ups being absolutely hilarious, and even offered comedy in her darkest times in life, like when her husband committed suicide. I remember her saying in an interview "I'm still angry with him. That son of a b*tch! If I see him in heaven, I'll kill him!"

Some people thought her humor was off color or mean, but she always said that she told the truth and only said what everyone else was, which is what made it so funny. But she also had the view that if you were being made fun of and insulted by her, that you were worthy of something great enough to be recognized in such a way. When Joan Rivers was making fun of you, you knew you made it in showbiz!

But I also think of her big break when the great Johnny Carson really was the one to discover her and give her a chance. She was denied seven auditions to be on the Carson show and finally one day she made it on the show and Carson told her that she was going to be a star, and it changed her life. She was the ONLY permanent guest host for several years, and she always attributed a great deal of her success to Carson. But what also hits me is when she was given an opportunity to start her own show and she told him, he hung up on her and NEVER spoke to him again. It hurt her for many years not to have her mentor speak to her or be happy for her.

She did later win an Emmy for her show and in her teary acceptance speech remembers when there was a time she couldn't get a job at all in the business. I love the laughs she had made about herself like "My face has been tucked in more than a motel bed sheet" or when Lucille Ball asked her what it was like to be a sex symbol and she answered "It's difficult," and went on with a story about how she had bed curlers and fluffy slippers and told her husband Edgar "I'm ready" and he'd hold up a cross, or when asked what she wanted her grandson to be when he grew up she answered gay because who else is gonna care that she knew Judy Garland. LMAOOOO!!!

Laughter is a treasure beyond measure. There are people in our culture who have brought great laughter and the ones in our every day lives who make us laugh have a special gift. Always share that gift. That's what Joan Rivers did for so many others as well. I really feel like she didn't have to go so soon. But I'm sure she is having sold out performances in heaven already! (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO