Joan Rivers on Her Controversial Heidi Klum Joke

During a February appearance on the television program "Fashion Police," comedienne Joan Rivers made a joke about model Heidi Klum that some deemed highly offensive. In this clip from a longer interview, Ms. Rivers tells her side of the story to WSJ's Lee Hawkins, as well as the importance of humor.

More from the Wall Street Journal:

[diamondgirl]

How could she have been anti-Semitic when she was Jewish herself. In the words of Joan Rivers, oh just grow up!

[JohnHarbinger]

 
This quote is from Joan:
Life is very tough, and if you can make a joke, make something easier, and funny, do it. Maybe, take the worst thing in the world and make it funny, it is a vacation, for a minute, from a horror.

[sailasimone]

She made the whole country laugh for so many years! She was a big risk taker. She will be greatly missed by so many who adored her!

[eleonoradeane]

She would hate the state of today's PC comedy. RIP, Joan.

[elsplace]

She's taken millions away from their sadness, miss her so much.

[Kiwibloke]

She was too clever and witty for the mass public, intelligent humour, I miss her wit

[michaelosullivan]

she said out loud what many people thought, respect to Joan for being honest and not giving a fuck

[whosthatgirl]

It's gonna be a boring PC world without her! 

[chotzrary]

RIP, a real legend. She got it, totally wish others would too. Comedy is to make people laugh.

[bcbrooksaccnt]

People take shit so seriously and it is so god damn annoying.

[joebrentar]

WELL she was Jewish and if she wanted to make a "joke" about that then that's her "right"? No one else could get away with it.
Black Rappers are always using the N word and that's supposed to be OK?

[robinmiller]

I'm Jewish and had a lot of family whacked by the Nazis. That was then. By the 1970s I was working on German cars.

[GodsndFavoriteBassPlyr]

Joan Rivers can do no wrong.  She's the essence of comedy.  If you are offended by this you should seriously think about moving to a place where thoughts and self-expression are censored by force to meet only ONE criteria.
This is the price we pay for living in a country where we are free to speak our mind.  We are also free to tune out if we don't like it.

[tinnnn]

I miss Joan Rivers. The world needs her humour. She was unique and lives on through our memories and through these fabulous videos on YouTube

[theblueangel]

i love her mentioning the Dick Cavett response. he is just the number 1 class act of all time

[operathenandnow]

People getting angry and calling that joke anti-semitic just proves that the vast majority of the population is stupid.

[maryanng]

Joan Rivers was the quintessential New Yorker. Very quick witted. Rest in Peace Ms. Rivers. You are missed!

[TinaMariaJeanette]

Some people need to grow up and get a life...live in the moment...and stop being so bloody " politically correct" and boring!!
Joan Rivers was a brilliant and funny comedian, no bullshit with her - love her for it:-) 

[ButterySkater]

PC culture got worse. Smh. I wish she was here today.

[ddkrauss]

“It was The Nazi’s who should’ve said ‘Hold it!’”. Hilarious. She’s so smart & witty. As if a Nazi would identify themselves to take offense which IS the joke. You can see the interviewer putting it together and then having a delayed laugh lol I did the same thing.