Acerbic, trailblazing comedian Joan Rivers dies at 81

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      With caustic comedian Joan Rivers, there were never any fence sitters in the audience because there was never any fence to begin with.

      With her defiant, foul-mouthed, and acid-tongued delivery, nothing was ever off-limits for Rivers, which prompted people to either revel in her fearlessness or despise her aggressive brand of humour.

      Unfortunately, the world lost the legendary performer when she died of complications from minor surgery in New York City on September 4. She was 81 years old.

      She had stopped breathing and slipped into cardiac arrest during a surgical procedure on her vocal chords on August 28.

      Riversborn Joan Molinsky made her mark as a trailblazer in a male-dominated world of comedy and is credited for opening up doors for women in standup.

      She first rose to fame as a guest on the Tonight Show in the 1960s and later became a guest host.

      Although she became the first woman to host a late-night talk show when The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers launched on Fox in October 1986, she was fired from the show in 1987 and her husband Edgar Rosenberg committed suicide a few months later.

      The woman behind the persona was revealed in the 2010 documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work.

      In the film, she talked about how she saw herself an actor who plays a comedian, because her lifelong dream was to be an actor. The documentary also revealed her workaholic drive, and how she feared having empty spots on her schedule.

      Comedians such as Kathy Griffin and Sarah Silverman revered her as a pioneer.

      Never one to shy away from anything, her intentionally politically incorrect remarks, including jokes about the Holocaust (she was Jewish herself), aroused controversy and criticism numerous times. 

      Even this past July, she called Michelle Obama a "tranny" and was the target of animal-rights activists for wearing fur.

      Her biting criticism found a suitable fit in her red-carpet commentaries and as host of Fashion Police

      As harsh as she was on others, she was equally self-effacing and made fun of herself. She was frank about her obsession with cosmetic surgery, even calling herself the "plastic surgery poster girl" and revealing that she had over 700 procedures done.

      Her daughter Melissa, whom she often cohosted and shared the spotlight with, issued a statement about her mother's death:

      "It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my mother, Joan Rivers. She passed peacefully at 1:17pm surrounded by family and close friends. My son and I would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of Mount Sinai Hospital for the amazing care they provided for my mother.

      Cooper and I have found ourselves humbled by the outpouring of love, support, and prayers we have received from around the world. They have been heard and appreciated.

      My mother's greatest joy in life was to make people laugh. Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon."

      Celebrities have taken to Twitter to express their reactions to Rivers' death:

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