Joan Rivers and David Letterman. She is considered by many critics and journalists a pioneer of women in comedy. All authored and read by Joan Rivers, except where noted. Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and television host. She was noted for her often controversial comedic persona—heavily self-deprecating or sharply acerbic, especially toward celebrities and politicians. Rivers rose to prominence in 1965 as a guest on "The Tonight Show". Hosted by her mentor, Johnny Carson, the show established Rivers' comedic style. In 1986, with
Joan of Arc (Madonna song) her admiration for Joan, her conviction as well as her commitment. She also confessed that the lyrics elaborated how the singer is still hurt by any negative words. The song received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Joey Lynch of "Billboard" compared the song's demo to the studio versions, claiming that "The studio version of 'Joan of Arc' is a massive improvement on the illegally leaked demo that preceded news of the album itself. [...] Nowhere is this more apparent than on 'Joan of Arc,' a solid album track that sounds 10 times better than the leaked version." While reviewing