Phyllis Diller: Funny is Funny

They say in every joke, there is a victim. That is to say, whether it is the idiot at Walmart, the spouse who doesn't understand you, or the "system", we like to laugh at people or things when life goes ..."wrong". Phyllis Diller knew this and made herself the 'victim' of her jokes. Whether she was talking about her looks, her cooking, or the frustrations she had with her imaginary husband "Fang", she made herself the object of the joke.

Much may be made about the fact that she was one of very few women who succeeded as a comic, and women in comedy everywhere can certainly do well by studying Diller. But what they would be studying is not how a woman does comedy, but what 'funny' is. Phyllis Diller was successful in comedy because she knew how to make people laugh. Likable, vulnerable and accessible, she was a giant and a master and part of an old guard in comedy that is nearly gone now. She will be missed.

A Giant of Comedy, Comedian Phyllis Diller Died in 2012.