Joan Rivers

Uh, not really a big fan of hers.  Some things she said made me laugh.  Some things not so much so.  Some of her social positions turned me off, and I don’t have a fashion bone in my body, so I can’t speak to all that red carpet and fashion police stuff.  But her death today was very tragic.  81 is still kinda young, especially when you have the energy of someone thirty or forty years younger.

But my wife is a huge fan.  Huuuuuuuge.  Met and chatted with Joan once on the streets of New York.  Watched all her shows religiously, the reality shows, the E! shows, the QVC stuff.  My wife’s fantasy job – which she’d readily admit to – would be Joan’s personal assistant.  A strong second-place would be national VP of sales for her jewelry line.

Anyway, via my wife, I did see and hear a lot of her and I appreciated her guts.  A very, very, very rare public figue it is indeed, today, not to be intimidated by political correctness.  Her humor was an acquired taste, and (at least to me) failed more than it scored.  But when she did say something funny, often about someone in the public eye we’re not allowed to poke fun at, it was hilarious.  I also read somewhere that one recent year she donated six times more to stupid party candidates than evil party candidates, so that’s something.  But even more noteworthy was her business / work ethic – something tremendous and exceptional and should be taught to our children.  My wife plans on doing so.

Rest in peace.