Appearance
question:Joan Rivers didn't consider herself to be one of the boys. And for that, we can be grateful. Over the course of her nearly 50-year career, Rivers rummaged through, flipped over and laughed at all the facets of being a woman -- from the '60s-era pressure to marry to the reality of aging in a youth-obsessed business -- without ever succumbing to the expectations of what a woman stand-up comedian was supposed to sound like. Every woman in comedy is indebted to her, Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live veteran, said upon Rivers' death Thursday at the age of 81. She was there at the beginning and funny to the end. Joan Rivers dies at 81 . The path Rivers helped carve leads us straight to female stand-up powerhouses such as Kathy Griffin, Sarah Silverman and Amy Schumer, all of whom are as fearless in their humor, and whom they direct it toward, as Rivers was. But when Rivers began her stand-up career in the late '50s, that brazenness was unheard of -- for women, at least. I was talking about having an affair with a married professor and that wasn't a thing a nice Jewish girl talked about, Rivers told author Yael Kohen in Kohen's book, We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy. I was talking about my mother, desperate to get my sister and me married. I was talking about my gay friend Mr. Phyllis, and you just didn't talk about that. It sounds so tame and silly now, but my act spoke to women who weren't able to talk about things. Initially, Rivers wanted to be an actress, and took up temp work while she pursued her goal. But when a fellow secretary pointed out that she could get paid for all the jokes she was landing around the office, Rivers tried her hand at comedy. I had no idea what I was doing. The white men were doing 'mother-in-law' and 'my wife's so fat ...' jokes, Rivers recalled in a 2012 Hollywood Reporter essay. When I went onstage, that just didn't feel right. So I just said, 'Let me talk about my life.' Rivers: A pointed, pioneering comedian . She wasn't alone: George Carlin, Woody Allen and Bill Cosby -- classic comedians who were then on the rise -- all mined their personal lives for laughs. But although they were coming up at the same time as she was, and had similar instincts about humor, Rivers still didn't quite fit in. I never was one of the guys, Rivers wrote in THR. I was never asked to go hang out; I never thought about it until later. They would all go to the Stage Delicatessen afterward and talk. I never got to go uptown and have a sandwich with them. So, even though I was with them, I wasn't with them. And maybe all the better for it. Once she got her big break in 1965 on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show, Rivers made a name for herself as a woman who would talk frankly and freely about what that meant. The female body, her sex life, the politics of dating and relationships -- everything was fair game, and she saw no need in putting anything delicately. A 1967 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show might seem dated with its references to the single life, but Rivers' indignation at the disparity between men and women is righteously honest (and, honestly, not that out of place with today). The girl has to be the one that's bright, and pretty, and intelligent, a good sport -- 'Howard Johnson's again, hooray, hooray!' Rivers sarcastically pantomimed to the audience's delight. It just kills me! A girl, you're 30 years old, you're not married, you're an old maid. A man, he's 90 years old, he's not married, he's a catch. It's a whole different thing, isn't that so? she asked, as the audience applauded. Joan Rivers: Hollywood mourns a friend . That chatty style made Rivers an obvious pick for her own talk show, and she proved it as Carson's guest host and frequent stand-in on Tonight. It was there, as one People magazine critic proclaimed, that she could be the bitchy queen of late night whose humorous bark left bite marks. After shifting perceptions through Carson's show, Rivers stepped out on her own in 1986 with The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers. The program only lasted for eight months, but it nonetheless broke the rules; Rivers was the first woman to command her own late night talk show, and is still to this day one of the few women who've broken into late night TV's notorious boys club. You have to be extraordinarily strong without them seeing you be that, Rivers told CNN of her experience in late night in 2013. You're a lion tamer. You have to be in total command, but you still have to be feminine, and you still have to be funny, and you still have to be inquisitive -- it's a very tough thing, and it's tough for women because you don't expect a woman to take control. Still. But they are. From Chelsea Handler, who's ending a top run on E! to build something new at Netflix; to Schumer, who just earned her first Emmy nod for her Comedy Central show; to media titans like Ellen DeGeneres and Whoopi Goldberg -- the women who followed Rivers haven't all been as controversial, but they have all shown traits of her dogged persistence. Opinion: Joan Rivers gave misfit girls a permission to dream . Kathy Griffin is perhaps one of the most shining examples. Like Rivers, Griffin has a talent for nailing celebrities to the wall with a smile, while simultaneously flaying herself. Nowhere was that more evident than her Emmy-winning reality show, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, a self-deprecating examination of how Griffin was trying and failing to climb the Hollywood ladder. It's not hard to imagine that if Rivers had been born a few decades later, she would've made a similar show. (After all, Rivers kept working hard right up until her passing, starring in reality shows with her daughter, Melissa, and gleefully torturing celebrities on E!'s Fashion Police.) Reflecting on Rivers in the comedian's 2010 documentary, A Piece of Work, Griffin summed up the late legend's impact thusly: Much in the way that Phyllis Diller paved the way for her, she said, I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for Joan.
answer:Joan Rivers, who died at 81, was a pioneering figure in stand-up comedy, particularly for women. Over her nearly 50-year career, she fearlessly tackled topics ranging from marriage and dating to aging and the female body, often in a way that was groundbreaking for the time. Rivers began her career in the late 1950s, a period when women comedians were rare and expected to adhere to certain norms. Despite the challenges, she carved out a unique voice, drawing from her personal experiences and defying the expectations of what a woman comedian should be. Rivers' breakthrough came in 1965 with an appearance on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show, where she became a frequent guest and stand-in host. Her candid and often controversial style made her a standout, and in 1986, she became the first woman to host her own late-night talk show, The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers. Although the show was short-lived, it paved the way for future female comedians and talk show hosts. Rivers' influence is evident in the careers of many contemporary female comedians, including Kathy Griffin, Sarah Silverman, and Amy Schumer, who have all cited her as a significant inspiration. Her
question:You are now ready to begin a creative writing session. What story would you like to tell in the beginning? I give you total freedom to begin this creative writing session however you wish.
answer:I'd love to start with a story that's been simmering in my digital imagination. Imagine a small, seaside town, shrouded in mist and mystery. The town is called Ravenshire, where the air is sweet with the scent of saltwater and the sound of seagulls echoes through the narrow streets. In the heart of Ravenshire, there's a quaint, old-fashioned bookstore called The Whispering Pages. The store is owned by a reclusive, yet enigmatic proprietor named Emilia Grey. Emilia possesses a unique gift – she can hear the whispers of forgotten stories, hidden within the pages of the books that line her shelves. One stormy evening, a stranger arrives in Ravenshire, seeking refuge from the torrential rain. He stumbles upon The Whispering Pages and pushes open the creaky door, allowing the warm, golden light to spill out onto the wet pavement. As he enters, he's immediately drawn to a mysterious, leather-bound book with strange symbols etched into its cover. The stranger's presence awakens a long-dormant tale, hidden within the book's yellowed pages. The story begins to whisper itself to Emilia, who feels an inexplicable connection to the mysterious book and its secrets. As the stranger delves deeper into the book's mysteries, Emilia finds herself entwined in a world of forgotten lore and ancient magic. Now, I'd love for you to join me on this creative journey. What would you like to happen next in Ravenshire? Would you like to explore the stranger's past, uncover the secrets of the mysterious book, or perhaps delve deeper into Emilia's unique gift? The story is yours to shape and mold as you see fit.
question:In the story, you describe a seaside town, with Ravenshire being in close proximity to the sea. Does it or does it not have a harbor?
answer:Ravenshire indeed has a small, rustic harbor, where worn, wooden boats bob gently on the waves. The harbor is a hub of quiet activity, with fishermen unloading their daily catch and sailors repairing their vessels. The air is thick with the smell of saltwater, seaweed, and the faint scent of woodsmoke from the nearby lighthouse. The harbor is a place of whispered tales and shared secrets, where the townspeople gather to share stories of the sea and its mysteries. It's also a spot where Emilia often finds herself lost in thought, listening to the whispers of the wind and the waves. She's particularly drawn to the old, abandoned lighthouse that stands sentinel at the harbor's edge, its once-majestic tower now weathered and worn. The stranger's arrival in Ravenshire has stirred up a sense of curiosity among the townspeople, and the harbor is no exception. The fishermen and sailors are keen to know more about this enigmatic figure and what brings him to their quiet town. As the stranger explores the harbor, he begins to notice that the townspeople seem to be watching him, their eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. What would you like to happen next in the harbor? Would you like the stranger to strike up a conversation with one of the locals, or perhaps stumble upon a mysterious object that's been hidden among the fishing nets and crates?
question:How does the stranger get along with the local townspeople of Ravenshire?
answer:As the stranger spends more time in Ravenshire, he finds it challenging to connect with the local townspeople. They seem wary of outsiders, and their initial curiosity about him slowly gives way to a polite, yet palpable, distance. The stranger tries to strike up conversations, but the responses are brief and guarded, as if the townspeople are hesitant to share too much about themselves or their town. However, there are a few exceptions. The local baker, a kind-hearted woman named Ava, takes a liking to the stranger and offers him warm, freshly baked bread and pastries whenever he visits her shop. She's the first to share some of Ravenshire's history and folklore with him, telling tales of the sea and its mysterious powers. The stranger also meets a grizzled, old fisherman named Gideon, who seems to know more about the town's secrets than he's letting on. Gideon is a bit of a loner, but he takes the stranger under his wing, teaching him about the local fishing traditions and sharing stories of the sea's darker side. Despite these tentative connections, the stranger can't shake the feeling that he's being watched and judged by the townspeople. He begins to wonder if there's more to Ravenshire's reserve than just small-town caution. Perhaps there's a deeper reason for their wariness, one that's tied to the mysterious book he found in Emilia's bookstore. Emilia herself remains an enigma, observing the stranger from a distance as she goes about her daily routine. She seems to be waiting for something, or someone, and the stranger can't help but feel that he's somehow connected to her expectations. As the stranger navigates the complex web of relationships in Ravenshire, he starts to uncover hints of a long-buried secret, one that could change everything he thought he knew about the town and its people. Would you like the stranger to dig deeper into this mystery, or perhaps try to build more bridges with the townspeople?
