It is with a heavy heart I write this. Joan Rivers died on Thursday. A week ago she went to an outpatient clinic for a diagnostic procedure on her throat. In the midst of the procedure, she apparently stopped breathing and went into cardiac and respiratory arrest. She ended up in a medically-induced coma, and a week later, was taken off life support. She was 81.It's strange to say this about someone who is 81 years old, but she died too soon.
Joan Rivers was not sick. She was not on the decline. She was a busy body with her million engagements and projects. She had her stand-up gigs, her Melissa & Joan reality show, her Fashion Police show, her appearance on Celebrity Apprentice, her QVC line of clothes and jewelries. She was not about to stop anytime soon.
And what saddened me deeply is that she was a survivor. After watching the documentary "Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work," you would come to realize this woman did not have an easy life. There were many heartbreaks along the way - from Johnny Carson turning his back on her to her husband's suicide. Her career had certainly seen its ebbs and flows. But she survived it all. She was a tough cookie. Her best defense was her sense of humor. You gotta laugh at life, at other people, and most important at yourself. She was going to make it through the wilderness, come hell or high water. And here she was, at 81, better and busier than ever.
Yet, someone who is that strong, with that much life force, can be taken from this world with a stupid, nonsensical botched medical procedure. She didn't deserve that. She deserved a way better second act (or third or fourth or fifth act).
Yesterday night, I was listening to one of her comedy albums, borrowed from Hoopla. There was a bit in her routine about how she hated certain groups of people - including blind people. She hated blind people because they are so selfish. "When was the last time a blind person asked you how you were??? Or complimented you on how you look?" It was dark. I was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep. And I laughed out loud. It was so wrong, but somehow kinda true. She went on to make fun of Chinese people, fat people, old people, lesbians, ugly people, ugly children, Anne Frank, etc. I kinda loved it, not because I find humor in being mean-spirited. But I loved it because she went there, crossed the line, and just spat in the face of political correctness. Of course she didn't really dislike blind people and children and all that. But she was like, who the hell cares? She would bark, "Oh, grow up!" That's right, grow up and develop a tough skin. That's how you survive.
Another bit: She told of how she lost her family at Auschwitz. They were on the other tour bus and never showed up, and she was waiting for them at the gift shop.
Godspeed, Joan Rivers.
