4 Comedians Influenced By Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers would be celebrating her 84th birthday today (June 8), and if we had to bet, we’d guess the festivities would include a party thrown by daughter Melissa that included plenty of celebrity trash-talking, raunchy humor, and top-notch food.
Though the comedian passed away in 2014, her influence lives on. Here are just a few of the popular comics who Rivers impacted:
Amy Schumer
Schumer has credited Rivers as a major influence in her comedy career. She once said, “She wasn’t just a woman or a person. She was a comic and wanted to be treated as such. She didn’t want to be given credit for inspiring women. She wanted to be known as a great comedian. And, she was.”
Chelsea Handler
Though the two had a known rivalry, it’s hard to argue that Rivers didn’t pave the way for Handler to enter the world of late-night talk.
Wanda Sykes
Known for her self-deprecating brand of humor, Sykes’s comedy is reminiscent of the jokes Rivers became famous for. In fact, Rivers once called herself an “ugly, flat-chested, little woman” and went on to quip her body was a temple that “needed redecorating.”
Kathy Griffin
Griffin has found herself in hot water lately over those President Trump photos, but she’s built a career on mocking celebrities. This style of humor was one favored by the late Rivers. In fact, on Fashion Police on E!, she and a roundtable of panelists tore apart everything A-listers wore to events and award shows, much to the delight of the viewers who tuned in each week.
In honor of Rivers’s birthday, we’ll be putting together our own worst dressed list and drinking some wine.
Lauren Levine is a freelance writer who has contributed to publications and websites including The Charlotte Observer, U.S. News & World Report, American Way magazine, The Huffington Post, Hello Giggles, Bustle, Thrillist, Thought Catalog, The Charlotte Observer, U.S. News & World Report, and others.
