The 1970s and 1980s were a golden era for comedy. Comedians were kings, not just jesters. Every town beyond a certain size had a comedy club and it was packed every weekend. George Carlin, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, the Wayans brothers, SNL, Second City, Mad magazine, National Lampoon, were all hilarious and none shied away from subjects that might offend.

Joan Rivers, whose death was treated as if she'd been RBG, told jokes that incredibly mean-spirited and her attacks on Elizabeth Taylor, a great beauty who had the audacity to gain weight, were vicious in the extreme. Comedy pokes fun at sacred cows. It encourages people to stop taking everything that's wrong in the world so seriously.