Joan Rivers Passes Away

[actor61]

I wasn't as crazy about her as a lot of people but I still admired her versatility, tenacity and talent. I saw her play the mother in "Broadway Bound" on B'way (I think she was the last actress to do so) and she was superb. I had seen Linda Lavin play it previously (she won the Tony) and thought Rivers every bit as good. It's a shame she didn't do more "straight" acting. She was nominated for a Tony for the play about Sally Marr and I would love to have seen that performance. In the 1970s, she wrote a t.v. movie called "The Girl Most Likely" starring a very young Stockard Channing. It was very satirical, very dark, very funny and I thought it brilliant. I wish she had done more of those. Her movie "Rabbit Test" wasn't as awful as people thought it was; there were some very clever bits and she pulled them off effortlessly.

 

I bought a used car in the 1980s and was fiddling with the cassette player in the dashboard (remember those?!) and discovered that the previous owner had left a tape of one of Rivers's comedy albums, so I listened to it as I drove through downtown L.A. There was a whole routine about visiting the gynecologist that had me laughing so hard that I had to pull over. I can't quote it verbatim but the gist was that she went for her annual exam, got on the table, put her feet in the stirrups and looked down at the gynecologist. He was between her legs wearing a miner's helmet with the lamp turned on and whistling "Getting to Know You". I have always thought that was one of the funniest jokes I've ever heard.

 

May she rest in peace. May she reunite with the 2 men who caused her the most pain, Edgar and Johnny Carson, may she give them the tongue lashing they deserve and then may they all spend eternity in loving laughter together.

[Boink]

I wasn't as crazy about her as a lot of people but I still admired her versatility, tenacity and talent.

 

Same here. I liked a lot of her jokes, but I often found her delivery and whole manner to be tiring. But I have to say I'm loving to hear all the stories come out about how generous she was not only with charities, but with her working staff and their families, and even casual friends and fans. Sounds like she gave countless gifts and financial support to people who needed it. R.I.P.

[marylander1940]

Joking on her dead husband, she went through everything in life, fame and the fear of becoming unknown were some of the forces pushing her to work till the end.

[video=youtube;KI4y24Quvzo]

[bigvalboy]

I just don't understand anyone who says she wasn't funny in the later years. This was hilarious, her timing impeccable, and her humor was on the money. I remember seeing this during the many tributes. The always entertaining Joan Rivers. God bless that woman.

 

Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles will be a fitting final resting place.

 

https://celebrity.yahoo.com/blogs/celeb-news/joan-rivers-to-be-buried-with-red-carpet-171127037.html

 

Thanks for posting Marylander, I needed a good laugh today.

[marylander1940]

Joan Rivers on Lady Bunny.

 

[video=youtube;ZDuQgKSgsFI]

[+ purplekow]

Was laughing and offended, which is a nice trick. "your ass has had more Mexicans in it then the dishwashing station at the Waldorf Astoria." WOW

[Steven_Draker]

[video=youtube;41kJGsolqM8]

[bigvalboy]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/07/joan-rivers-funeral_n_5779866.html

 

I love this photograph of her, and apparently she got exactly the kind of funeral she wanted.

[marylander1940]

Was laughing and offended, which is a nice trick. "your ass has had more Mexicans in it then the dishwashing station at the Waldorf Astoria." WOW

 

Actually 99% of those "Mexicans" are Puerto Ricans who are not only legal but U.S. citizens from birth.

 

As an Irish-American raised in between MD and Pittsburgh, I remember the stories of my NYC cousins fighting with Italians, Poles, New Ricans and blacks, for the jobs "Whites" didn't want to do.

90% of Ricans opposed immigration reform, even more than rednecks, because they don't want to fight for those jobs in Philly and NY

West side story...

 

If we all knew more about history?

 

"Roasted more people than Hitler..." My Jewish friends are allowed to make that kind of jokes, I just can laugh a little bit.

 

Howard Stern thinks she's chasing Johnny Carson with a baseball bat in heaven.

 

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/nwitimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/dc/3dce2c92-00fb-5daa-bb2f-e2c6ce6d76e2/53dae48b80f69.preview-620.jpg

[JT Brooklyn]

R.I.P. to an Original!

[+ deej]

The NYC Gay Men's Chorus, which opened the funeral, was just on TV. Joan Rivers' funeral is probably the only time in the history of Temple Emanu-El that they'll hear gay men singing "There is nothing like a Dame".

 

They all had scarves from the Joan Rivers collection draped over their shoulders. She loved them (long before it was cool or trendy to support the gay) and they loved her right back.

 

As soon as I heard news reports that the Gay Men's Chorus opened the service I thought "Yep. They got it right."

[Steven_Draker]

[video=youtube;w0NNIk4KcFE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=w0NNIk4KcFE

[mmk123]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bigvalboy]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks mmk123, every time I see one of her monologues, I remember how incredibly funny she was. Lots of memories today. Thanks for the post.

[edjames]

Today's news reports that the doctor performing the endoscopy found an unusual growth on Joan's vocal cords and performed an unplanned biopsy. Joan's vocal cords ceased up and cut off her air flow. According to experts the biopsy should never have been performed outside of a hospital and therefore caused her death. Had she been in a hospital she probably would have survived. I see a big lawsuit coming...

http://www.tmz.com/2014/09/10/joan-rivers-unplanned-biopsy-death-dead-hospital-clinic-screw-up/

[Steven_Draker]

Melissa Rivers Already Contemplating Medical Malpractice Suit After Confirming That Joan Rivers Had Been Cleared For Endoscopic Procedure By Her Cardiologist

 

http://images.musictimes.com/data/images/full/8577/joan-and-melissa-rivers-getty-images.jpg?w=600

Joan and Melissa Rivers - Getty Images (Photo : Frederick M. Brown - Getty Images)

 

Melissa Rivers has always come across as her mothers' daughter and in the coming weeks she is likely going to prove it. When Joan Rivers checked into NYC's Yorkville Endoscopy Clinic for a simple procedure no one could have guessed that legal action would likely be the end game. According to sources close to Melissa, her mother did indeed consult her cardiologist in advance and had been medically cleared for the throat procedure that ultimately left her in full cardiac arrest.

 

Already there has been rumblings about a malpractice lawsuit and one thing is certain — the details have been sketchy from the start. Sources close to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where Rivers was transferred to after she stopped breathing, claimed that they were unclear on how long the comedienne's brain had been deprived of oxygen before she was put into a medically induced coma. Logic says that if Rivers had been monitored closely then those caring for her should have had a pretty clear handle on her real condition, minute-by-minute.

 

One possible scenario being readily discussed is whether or not the sedative used during the endoscopy was ultimately too strong for the legendary star. If something like Propofol was used then one of the side effects is slowed breathing which can lead to cardiac arrest. We aren't sure what Rivers was given at the Yorkville Clinic, but any of the approved anesthesias can be deadly if used improperly or without constant supervision of the patient.

 

Adding to the confusion is the fact that Rivers' autopsy was inconclusive and more test results are needed to figure out the true cause of her death. While Joan was 81 years old, it seems that right up until the night before her procedure she was actually in great health, making her death both shocking and untimely. It's a pretty fair bet that once Melissa Rivers struggles to get herself and her son Cooper through her mothers' funeral she will be demanding answers and not stop until she actually gets them.

 

Melissa has reportedly told friends that she wholeheartedly believes that if her mother's procedure had been done in a hospital she would still be cracking jokes today.

 

source: http://www.musictimes.com/articles/9724/20140906/melissa-rivers-contemplating-medical-malpractice-joan-rivers-endoscopic-hollywood-icon-comedienne-rip-death-autopsy.htm

[Guest]

Today's news reports that the doctor performing the endoscopy found an unusual growth on Joan's vocal cords and performed an unplanned biopsy. Joan's vocal cords ceased up and cut off her air flow. According to experts the biopsy should never have been performed outside of a hospital and therefore caused her death. Had she been in a hospital she probably would have survived.

 

The autopsy's still ongoing, and everyone seems to be a smart-ass already. What experts said she was treated inappropriately? Anonymous smart-asses? Who said that if she had been in a hospital she would have survived? On what basis would these "experts" (?) have made that statement? It sure is easy to be an armchair critic when the facts aren't even in.

[Guest]

Melissa Rivers Already Contemplating Medical Malpractice Suit After Confirming That Joan Rivers Had Been Cleared For Endoscopic Procedure By Her Cardiologist

 

Melissa Rivers has always come across as her mothers' daughter and in the coming weeks she is likely going to prove it. When Joan Rivers checked into NYC's Yorkville Endoscopy Clinic for a simple procedure no one could have guessed that legal action would likely be the end game. According to sources close to Melissa, her mother did indeed consult her cardiologist in advance and had been medically cleared for the throat procedure that ultimately left her in full cardiac arrest.

 

Adding to the confusion is the fact that Rivers' autopsy was inconclusive and more test results are needed to figure out the true cause of her death. While Joan was 81 years old, it seems that right up until the night before her procedure she was actually in great health, making her death both shocking and untimely.

 

Melissa has reportedly told friends that she wholeheartedly believes that if her mother's procedure had been done in a hospital she would still be cracking jokes today.

 

So which is it? She was actually in great health, or her cardiologist is such an idiot that even Melissa Rivers knows more about a pre-operative evaluation than he does (in retrospect, of course)? I guess that the "expert" who determined that Joan would still be alive had the procedure been done in the hospital was none other than Melissa Rivers herself. Where did she go through her anesthesia residency again? Well, I would certainly agree with the statement, however, that more test results are needed to figure out the true cause of her death. Until then, I wish that Melissa and other ignoramuses in the peanut gallery would stay silent instead of yapping like idiots about something they have inadequate education to comment on.

[+ WilliamM]

The New York Daily News printed an article yesterday close to what TMZ also reported.

 

http://pagesix.com/2014/09/10/unplanned-biopsy-led-to-joan-rivers-death/

[Guest]

The New York Daily News printed an article yesterday close to what TMZ also reported.

 

http://pagesix.com/2014/09/10/unplanned-biopsy-led-to-joan-rivers-death/

 

The article says “A biopsy is throat surgery, and at her age should have been done in the hospital,” not at an outpatient clinic like Yorkville Endoscopy, where the procedure went fatally awry, the source said.

“It was not planned, and doing it anyway was bad medicine,” the source said of the Aug. 28 procedure.

The center, meanwhile, denied through a spokeswoman that it performs any invasive procedures on patient vocal cords.

“There has never been any procedure at Yorkville where tissue was removed from vocal cords,” the spokeswoman said, stressing that the clinic is fully equipped with the same life-saving equipment as a hospital emergency room.

“If a patient should slow down or stop breathing, the anesthesiologist immediately assumes control of the airway and assists with a patient’s ventilation,” the center said in a statement.

“Yorkville Endoscopy has all necessary airway equipment, including a fiber optic scope available for emergency intubation,” the statement said.

 

Oooh. It's the mysterious "the source"!! That sells a lot of newspapers, I suppose. Well, if the vocal cords were cut into, that will show up on the autopsy, of which the results are still pending. If the Yorkville Center's statement is true that this procedure has never been done at that facility, it would certainly make me question the reliability of "the source".

[Steven_Draker]

Here’s The Hilarious Eulogy Melissa Rivers Read At Joan’s Funeral:

 

“Mom:

I received the note that you slipped under my bedroom door last night. I was very excited to read it, thinking that it would contain amazing, loving advice that you wanted to share with me. Imagine my surprise when I opened it and saw that it began with the salutation, ‘Dear Landlord.’ I have reviewed your complaints and address them below:

 

1. While I appreciate your desire to ‘upgrade’ your accommodations to a larger space, I cannot, in good conscience, move [my 13-year-old son] Cooper into the laundry room. I do agree that it will teach him a life lesson about fluffing and folding, but since I don’t foresee him having a future in dry cleaning, I must say no.

 

Also, I know you are a true creative genius (and I am in awe of the depth of your instincts), but breaking down a wall without my permission is not an appropriate way to express that creativity. It is not only a boundary violation but a building-code violation as well. Additionally, the repairman can’t get here until next week, so your expansion plan will have to be put on hold.

 

2. Re: Your fellow ‘tenant’ (your word), Cooper. While I trust you with him, it is not OK for you to undermine my rules. It is not OK that you let him have chips and ice cream for dinner. It is not OK that you let him skip school to go to the movies. And it is really not OK that the movie was Last Tango in Paris.

 

As for your taking his friends to a ‘gentlemen’s club,’ I accepted your rationale that it was an educational experience for the boys — and you are right, he is the most popular kid in school right now — but I’d prefer he not learn biology from those “gentlemen” and their ladies, Bambi, Trixie and Kitten. And just because I yelled at you, I do not appreciate your claim that I have created a hostile living environment.

 

3. While I’m glad to see you’re socializing, you must refill the hot tub after your parties. In fact, you need to tone down the parties altogether. Imagine my surprise when I saw the photos you posted on Facebook of your friends frolicking topless in the hot tub.

 

I think it’s great that you’re entertaining more often, but I can’t keep fielding complaints from the neighbors about your noisy party games like Ring Around the Walker or naked Duck, Duck Caregiver.

 

I’m more than happy to have you use the house for social gatherings, but you cannot rent it out, advertise as ‘party central’ or hand out T-shirts that say ‘F— Jimmy Buffett.’

 

In closing, I hope I have satisfactorily answered your complaints and queries. I love having you live with me, and I am grateful for every minute Cooper and I have with you. You are an inspiration. You are also 30 days late with the rent.

 

 

Much love,

Melissa”

 

— The eulogy Melissa Rivers read before a star-studded crowd during the funeral of her mother Joan in New York City on September 7, which will also be published in a forthcoming book titled A Letter to My Mom

[edjames]

http://hollywoodlife.com/2014/09/11/joan-rivers-left-150-million-fortune-to-melissa-rivers-dogs/

 

Joan Rivers made sure that her finances were completely in order before her untimely death, Sept. 4, making sure to leave it all to the ones she loved. The comedian, who passed away at the age of 81, after complications from a routine throat surgery, had a net worth of over $150 million. This includes a $35 million NYC apartment, that she left to her only child, Melissa Rivers and her $40 million per year, QVC fortune.

[Steven_Draker]

Joan Rivers’ Daughter Sues Clinic Over Star’s Death

 

January 27th 2015

 

http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/2015/article/joan-rivers-daughter-sues-medical-clinic-over-comedians-death-20150127/183423/medium_rect/1422369534/720x405-175109423.jpg

 

 

Joan Rivers’ daughter has filed a lawsuit against the New York medical clinic that treated her mother days before she died.

 

The BBC reports the legal claim alleges doctors were not adequately trained and performed unauthorised procedures on the star.

 

Rivers’ family is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

 

The controversial comedian died in September, aged 81, seven days after she stopped breathing during a routine operation on her vocal chords.

 

The legal claim alleges staff were not properly trained to detect Rivers’ deteriorating vital signs or deal with the type of emergency airway obstruction she suffered before going into cardiac arrest.

 

It also claims Ms Korovin left the room at this point because she knew she was not permitted to be there and “wanted to avoid getting caught”.

 

A report released by the New York Department of Health cited multiple errors, including failing to detect Rivers’ deteriorating vital signs during the procedure.

 

The medical examiner’s office ruled Rivers died of brain damage due to lack of oxygen.

 

The death was classified as a “therapeutic complication”, meaning it was a known risk.

 

But Melissa Rivers claims doctors mishandled the endoscopy and performed another procedure – carried out by specialist Gwen Korovin who was not cleared to work at the clinic – without consent.

 

During the second procedure, gastroenterologist Dr Lawrence Cohen and Ms Korovin took pictures on their mobile phones of themselves with the sedated comedian. Ms Korovin later said she thought Rivers would have wanted to see the images. Dr Cohen has since resigned.

 

In a statement, Melissa Rivers said: “The level of medical mismanagement, incompentency, disrespect and outrageous behavior is shocking and frankly, almost incomprehensible. Not only did my mother deserve better, every patient deserves better.”

 

“Joan Rivers needed to be treated as a patient by her doctors… instead they treated her as a groupie,” lawyer Jeffrey Bloom said. “If she was treated as a patient she’d be on ‘Fashion Police’ today, making people smile.”

 

GT (Gay Times) was one of the final publications to speak with Joan Rivers and named her among 30 ‘gay icons’ in October.

 

In the interview Rivers spoke of her plans for the future and defended joking about Michelle Obama resembling a “tranny”.

 

Despite her controversial nature, many in the LGBT community saw her as a staunch ally.

 

Rivers began her charitable work for the community in the eighties, delivering food parcels at Christmas to men dying from AIDS in New York City.

 

She also spoke up in supporting of legalizing same-sex marriage.

 

 

source: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/01/27/joan-rivers-daughter-sues-clinic-over-stars-death/

[Guest]

Wow. I guess getting a $100 million inheritance isn't enough. She also needs "unspecified compensatory and punitive damages." If she just wanted to get the doctors and/or health center investigated independently, she could have simply filed (for free) formal complaints with the medical board. Their investigations (at least here in California) are usually extremely thorough even in fairly simple cases, and I imagine in a case like Joan Rivers', the investigation would have been even more thorough. And the medical board has the power to dole out real sanctions such as license suspensions, restrictions, and other serious actions. What a money-hungry little bitch that daughter seems to be...

[+ azdr0710]

hmmm....with you on that, Uni.....as much as we lament her death, we all need to take responsibility for our own actions and I presume Joan knew full well the risks involved with her procedure at that clinic.....