# Did Joan Rivers ever acknowledge how she was influenced by Phyllis Diller?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joan-rivers-ever-acknowledge-how-she-was-influenced-by-phyllis-diller/697524>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 4, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joan-rivers-ever-acknowledge-how-she-was-influenced-by-phyllis-diller/697524 "2014-09-04T21:22:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joan-rivers-ever-acknowledge-how-she-was-influenced-by-phyllis-diller/697524/1 "2014-09-04T21:22:46Z")

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I saw Phyllis Diller when I was a young kid. She specialized in the comic put down. Usually of herself. Her hair, her face, voice were all part of her schtick.

She was a star at least a decade before Joan Rivers started. Joan had a similar act and I always wondered if she ever acknowledged Phyllis Diller’s influence.

Phyllis Diller in her prime.

[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpEdiu1sDPc)

Anyone else see the similarities in material?

Great line by Phyllis Diller.  
_If I was put together by mother nature, God is a litterbug._

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joan-rivers-ever-acknowledge-how-she-was-influenced-by-phyllis-diller/697524/2 "2014-09-04T21:36:54Z")

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Yes - [http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/joan-rivers-on-how-phyllis-diller-paved-the-way-for-women-in-comedy/2012/08/24/12e15348-ebbf-11e1-b811-09036bcb182b\_story.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/joan-rivers-on-how-phyllis-diller-paved-the-way-for-women-in-comedy/2012/08/24/12e15348-ebbf-11e1-b811-09036bcb182b_story.html)

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joan-rivers-ever-acknowledge-how-she-was-influenced-by-phyllis-diller/697524/3 "2014-09-04T23:28:11Z")

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I didn’t realize Joan had been a writer for Phyllis. That article is quite interesting. Phyllis died in Aug 2012. Joan in Sept 2014. Two great legends that will never be replaced.

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**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joan-rivers-ever-acknowledge-how-she-was-influenced-by-phyllis-diller/697524/4 "2014-09-04T23:35:49Z")

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Phyllis Diller’s father was born during the Civil War? I did not know that!

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**Author:** ![BaldDudePeekskill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@BaldDudePeekskill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaldDudePeekskill)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joan-rivers-ever-acknowledge-how-she-was-influenced-by-phyllis-diller/697524/5 "2014-09-05T22:31:42Z")

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I recently read Phyllis Diller’s autobiography, “like a Lampshade In a Whorehouse”.

Pretty intense