Melissa Rivers particulars why mother Joan would have hated cancel tradition

This month marked the tenth anniversary of trailblazing comedian Joan Rivers’ untimely death, but even after all of these years, her legacy is still as strong as ever, especially in the world of celebrity fashion. 

However, her daughter, Melissa Rivers, believes that her iconic mom wouldn’t have been a fan of today’s climate of cancel culture in fashion commentary and beyond – and would have wanted nothing more than to make light of it all. 

Rivers, who tragically passed away after undergoing a routine endoscopy in 2014, was not only famous for her jaw-dropping and hysterical comedy, but also her role on E!’s hit show, Fashion Police, as well as legendary red carpet commentary and interviews. 

The famed comedienne had people roaring with laughter as she spoke about the red carpet looks of A-listers like Kim Kardashian, Heidi Klum, and Nicole Kidman – just to name a few. 

But given how much things have changed today, Joan definitely would have had some strong thoughts about it all, according to her daughter. 

‘I said her act would be making fun of it, making fun about that we’re not allowed to have fun or joke,’ Melissa said during an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com this week, where she also announced Dead Funny: A Living Tribute to Joan Rivers Benefiting God’s Love We Deliver at New York’s Apollo Theatre.

The tribute will be performed during opening night of the 20th Annual New York Comedy Festival on November 7. 

And, while Melissa herself is a fan of the inclusive nature in fashion these days, she still wants people to remember that at the end of the day, it’s something that is supposed to be ‘fun.’

‘Again, it’s fashion – and I love the inclusivity and I love the body acceptance and I love that you can look at something and you can find yourself, I think that has been such a huge step forward. But it’s fashion,’ she said.

‘It’s supposed to be joyful, it’s supposed to be fun, it’s supposed to be aspirational, it’s supposed to make you feel good, and when everyone starts taking everything so seriously, you then add in worry, and insecurities, and I just think the pendulum has swung too far,’ her daughter continued.

During the interview, Melissa also reflected on what a ‘huge’ legacy her beloved mom left on the fashion world. 

For years, Joan and her daughter pioneered the red carpet, turning it into something so entertaining that many would argue was it even more interesting than the actual awards shows themselves. 

Joan first hosted the 1994 Golden Globes red carpet for E! network by herself, and then had her daughter the following year for the Oscars. 

‘You know, with the red carpet, we made fashion magazines come to life more than just on their runways, and I like to think – and not just because I’m one of the producers and creators of it – that we really changed red carpet fashion and celebrity dressing,’ Melissa explained to DailyMail.com. 

Melissa also added that they were ‘lucky,’ as many of those who they were talking about on the red carpet were starting to become these big A-listers and ‘fashion girls.’ 

‘It was one of those things that was just lightening in a bottle, that you had these women that loved and understood fashion, and it was just a great wave to ride,’ the Melissa Rivers’ Group Text podcast host shared. 

‘We had the rise of the stylist, and then you had all of these collaborations, and people aligning themselves with one designer, and it’s really fun,’ Melissa continued. 

‘It’s fun to look back on that and say part of her legacy, and I like to think, part of our legacy.’ 

Of course, part of that legacy was ‘Fashion Police,’ an iconic show that ran on E! for over two decades, from 1995 to 2017, co-created by Joan and produced by Melissa. 

The show, which provided hilarious commentary on celebrity fashion, was a true hit among both pop culture fans and non-pop culture fans alike.

After her mother’s passing, Melissa served as a co-host of the show alongside Giuliana Rancic and Brad Goreski. 

However, when asked about a potential reboot of the influential show, Melissa admitted that she thinks those days are ‘long gone’ – although people still come up to her every day asking to bring it back, she says. 

‘It would never work. You just can’t,’ she said. 

‘I mean, I hope that in my lifetime we’ll get back to a place where people can have a sense of humor about themselves, but I think those days are long gone, and it makes me sad.’ 

The New York Times bestselling author admitted that she’s ‘spun it around a thousand different ways’ in her head, but doesn’t have anything up her sleeve as of yet.

‘I just haven’t figured out a way to thread the needle yet,’ Melissa admitted. ‘I’m hoping I will, but I also hope we also start laughing again.’

‘My mom always used to say, when you make someone laugh, you give them a mini vacation, and God knows we all need these mini vacations.’ 

In addition to Dead Funny: A Living Tribute to Joan Rivers, which will feature ‘three of the biggest women comics working right now,’ amongst others, fans can also remember Joan in a few more ways this year. 

A play called ‘Joan’ about the comedienne’s extraordinary life, directed by David Ivers, will run from October 27 to November 24 at the South Coast Repertory Theater in Costa Mesa, California.

And, this spring, The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York, will be launching an exhibition featuring all of Joan’s archives.