Remembering Eccentric Comedian Phyllis Diller

Phyllis Diller’s stand up was a staple of nightclubs and television during the 1950s and early 1960s, a time when female comics were extremely rare. She passed away yesterday in her home in Los Angeles, at the age of 95. In adjective-packed obits, journalists described her as “sassy,” “outlandish,” and “tart-tongued.” Diller’s image certainly contrasted with other female television stars of her generation. Wearing lavish costumes of her own design, she belted out jokes punctuated by her own cackles. Emily Rems, the managing editor of Bust Magazine, remembers Diller.