“I wanted to surprise (my husband) ‘Fang,’
so I went out and got a Peek-A-Boo gown.
The entertainment world is mourning the lost of a true comedic legend, Phyllis Diller, who passed away yesterday at the age of 95.
Known for her “electric shock” hair, long cigarette holder and a boa with her self-deprecating humor, Diller used her average looks and sexual frustrations to her advantage. Her first husband was often used as comedic fodder, referring to him as a fictitious character named “Fang.” She roasted Fang’s drinking habits, sexual shortcomings and professional failures with an unmatched comedic timing. She once said, “His finest hour lasted a minute and a half.”
Diller also jokingly complained about having “Fang” as both her husband and manager, saying that he “couldn’t sell Windex to a Peeping Tom.” She also turned the humor onto herself, saying “You know you’re old if they have discontinued your blood type.”
Diller got a late start on her career as a stand-up comic, which she started at age 37. But it quickly skyrocketed in the 1960s, partly because of her many appearances with Bob Hope on his television specials, USO tours and three movies.
“She was a true pioneer,” said talent agent Fred Wostbrock. “She was the first lady of stand-up comedy. She paved the way for everybody. She paved the way for Joan Rivers, Chelsea Handler, Roseanne Barr, Ellen Degeneres, and all the women stand-up comics. She was the first and the best.”
