Today on Howard Stern's radio show, Joan Rivers pulled no punches when asked to respond to some mean comments made about her by Chelsea Handler. Watch the video below, and tell us, who of these two successful female comics do you side with in this fight? ("Neither" is a perfectly good response.)
But that's really just a lead-in to the real question on our minds today: What are your feelings on Chelsea Handler in general? Are you a devoted fan of Chelsea Lately, her late-night show on E!, and After Lately, its workplace comedy counterpart? Are you enjoying her autobiographical NBC sitcom, Are You There, Chelsea? (Watch a full episode here.) Or do you think Handler is abrasive, and find yourself confused over how she became such a big comedy force in Hollywood? Or, maybe you have some other take on the Chelsea Handler phenomenon. Go ahead: Tell us how you feel.
I'm surprised by all the Chelsea hate. To be honest I think it's because she's a woman. Male late night talk show hosts, comedians and even Seth MacFarlen, have been making raunchy, borderline Offensive jokes for years, but when Chelsea does it, she's a "disgusting person" with a "busted face" I think, just like my argument for the multi cam in a previous story, Chelsea may not be as funny as others, but if she was as bad as your making her out to be, she wouldn't have millions of dollars, millions of viewers/fans, 4 books and 3 tv shows.
the two have the same "type" of comedy. They can throw a direct jeer without even as much as a second of thought. Joan is priceless, Chelsea says it like she sees it. Chelsea a little "rough" around the edges but when she hosted the mtv awards, and walked out with that house on her head: I lost it!! That was friggin hilarious! Everyone thought it was Gaga, and there's Chelsea's head, in the garage!! She is a riot!!
Her face is busted and she's not funny - she mirrors Whitney except with Whitney it's her voice that annoys the hell out of me. Joan is an icon, Chelsea will never sniff that.
Chelsea doesn't mirror Whitney, she's been a comedian a lot longer than Whitney. If you want to hate Chelsea for something, hate her for making Whitney 'famous'.
Chelsea = meh
Ironically, Are You There, Chelsea? would be so much better without Chelsea H in it. Her character is boring and self righteous. Never seen her other shows but got interested in AYTC because of the lovely Laura Prepon. Missed her since That 70's Show a few years ago.
So Chelsea literally just tore into her for no reason? My God. I don't like Joan a lot, mostly because I don't know her that well, but Chelsea strikes me as the type to pick out who she does and doesn't like. She seems like a b*** to a lot of female guests on her show, she's loud, she clearly has some issues if she feels the need to have three different shows on all at once, and I honestly think calling Joan Rivers out for no reason is a bit much. Why can't people do comedy in a mockingly childish way like they used to? Chelsea wasn't being funny there, she turned what could have been a joke into a b***ing session. Why? THAT'S the problem. There's no place for comedians who set their lazers to bludgeon with bulls***. Because that's all she did.moreless
Well Joan isn't much better. She said Chelsea got her show on her back for the head of the network, but that's not true. Chelsea had the job about a year or two before she started dating the head of the E network.
But from what I see, it was in respoonse to what Chelsea said?
For the record, I think both are a but crazy to be having such a public bitch fight, I'm not necessarily taking sides, I just think what Chelsea said seems a bit out of the blue, if you get what I'm saying.
I haven't seen so much of Joan Rivers, but i kinda like Are You There, Chelsea? But if that is a Autobiograph, isn't Joan Rivers right about her comment then? :-)
I used to like Joan Rivers, about 30 or 40 years ago when she still looked human and would appear on or guest host the tonight show, but not so much lately. I don't know anything about Chelsea Handler since I've never watched her, but somehow I don't feel like I'm missing anything.
If Fashion Police on E doesnt crack you up*** you need to laugh again, I swear! She (Joan) with Kelly, the thin girl and the gay guy are histerical, each giving their own "personal" opionion re: stars and best and worst apparel. Joan looks fantastic and her sense of humor couldnt ever be scripted. She is an Icon, for sure!
ps Looks like Abramovitch chose his side. Mentioned all 3 of Chandlers shows (even had a link) but failed to mention Rivers new season of her reality show which aired last night.
I'm a big Joan fan (see my comment below) but that reality show is hard to take. Melissa's life? No thanks!
Like I said below I'm no fan of Melissa (or any tag-alongs) either but the show is like Melissa Punked. JR getting rid her furniture and replacing it with something "fashionable" or busting in on MR and snapping her picture in the shower so she can convince the porn guy to put her in a mag are priceless.
Frankly I prefer Ross Mathews to either of them but do I find comedy in both even though I feel they go over the line much too often. I'll give the edge to Chandler because Rivers gets away with her nastiness because she is an icon and Chandler because she knows how to straddle the line enough not to get slapped.
It's too bad they don't join together to become the snark twins but it's unlikely since they are the same tune a generation apart. Handler screwed her way to the top and carries her no talent brother and Rivers sucked her way to the top and carries her no talent kid. They will both gain by this feud.
I don't really have an oppinion either way with regards to Joan Rivers, but she wins it for me.
I've seen Chelsea Lately twice, both times because I wanted to see the guest. I don't get the first two thirds/three quarters of the show where Chelsea and 3 others talk over each other. I've no idea what they are talking about and find that I really don't care. She comes across as being bitchy for the sake of it, condescending and judgemental - and constantly drunk. Serious question: Does she present her show drunk?
I've seen her on other shows and seen clips of her on other shows too, but I've never once seen her as a comedian. I don't know why anyone would give her a show in the first place - let alone three of them.moreless
Chelsea Handler is the embodiment of this generation's snarky attitude. She always looks like she just smelled a fart. There are so many funny people on late-night TV, and they're all so different - Ferguson, Kimmel, Letterman and Colbert all have SUCH different styles, such different types of humor. I sometimes wonder if Handler is popular because she's the ONLY woman on late-night TV. I wonder if they had moved Wanda Sykes's show to weeknights, or gave a show to a really funny female comic like (Parks and Rec writer) Chelsea Peretti or Lisa Lampanelli, maybe they would be even more popular.
OMG!! She DOES!! She has that peculiar look on her face all the time, like, "why do I constantly hang with morons??" , look. It has the exact resemblence of "just smelled a fart"!!! Brilliant!
Neither. They both are known for a bitchy style of comedy, which is a razor's edge because sometimes you come off as just a bitch. Joan IS right about how Chelsea got there (with her coslopus), but she's made the most of that opportunity. Having said that, I agree with another commenter that Chelsea has become less funny and more hateful as time goes by. Hopefully she can find a better balance. But I still occasionally watch her shows on E!. Her acting on NBC, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired.
Can't stand Chelsea Handler. Not that fond of Joan Rivers either but I will always go against Chelsea. She is so damn annoying!
I love them both. Any woman in her 70's her still swears like that has got my affection. And Chelsea Lately is hilarious. Bring on the female comedy!
LOOOOVE Chelsea handler!!!!......LOOOOVE HERRRRRRRRRRR!!!
I find some of Chelsea's material on Chelsea Lately and in her stand-up performances funny. And I respect the fact that she is pushing boundaries for comedy made by women. Far too long has comedy been ruled completely by men, and it still is to a large extent. I read somewhere that out of the comedy movies made last year, over 90% were written and directed by men. We need women like Chelsea, Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Amy Poehler and - I can't believe I'm saying this - even Whitney Cummings. They have different styles, everyone might not like all of them or even put them in the same league. But they are all important in breaking barriers.
Having said this, I do still have a problem with Chelsea. I think her comedy is quickly becoming very limited. Sure, all comedians have their own distinctive style which they are recognized for. But I think Chelsea's jokes revolve so heavily around the same subjects, that most of the time you can guess what she is going to say. Other comedians, while having a unique and personal style and delivery, still come up with fresh jokes. Chelsea's jokes always revolve around the same things: alcohol, prescription drugs, vaginas, (black) penises, Cabo, her stupid family and staff and sleeping around. It can even be seen in the new "Are You There, Chelsea?" Most of the material is the same that Chelsea has talked about on Chelsea Lately for years now! Granted, AYTC is based on a book of her life, and she talks about her life on Chelsea Lately. But I wish she would come up with more fresh material for AYTC. So many of the jokes are familiar to someone who has seen her talk show, or read her books (which I haven't). I also think that Chelsea sometimes takes the easy way out in her jokes. This applies to many other comedians too. Using raunchy material doesn't necessarily make a joke funny. Simply including words like "penis", "vagina" or "fuck" in a sentence doesn't make it a joke. But that's the style Chelsea is often going with. Personally, I expect humour to elevate to a higher level than that.moreless
I don't give a rat's ass to what happened between them, but Chelsea it's ridiculously funny - it's like, you don't believe when she speaks, that those words come out of her mouth
Chelsea seems like a Bitch.
Thats exactly why I can't even sit through her show, she just puts off this aurora of bitchyness that overshadows anything she says!
I'm gonna have to go with "neither" - what was supposed to be funny there anyway? Those two blondes trash-talking each other only reminded me of bad teen/high school movies. And was anyone else staring at Joan Rivers' fake nose and absent facial expression? I kept thinking it's a miracle she can talk with so much botox in her face.
I can't stand Chelsea Handler... or Joan Rivers. They're both obnoxious, unfunny, and I just can't tolerate either one of them. I don't see the appeal people have for Chelsea at all, and Joan Rivers needs to just shut up about things. The entertainment world is better off without either.
Amen to that brother (or sister)
Well, Joan kinda had a point. Im not sure Chelsea wouldve had her own show if she hadn't hooked up with the President of Comcast who owns the channel her show is on. Although they were in a committed relationship I believe. Im even more surprised she got to keep her show after they broke up!
But this beef is hardly worth paying attention to. Or worth a mention.
Hands down to Chelsea every time. She isn't too abrasive she just tells it like it is. Joan RIvers is only funny when she's making fun of herself which everyone INCLUDING Chelsea has the right to do. I mean look at Joan RIvers, if she isn't a walking punch line I don't know who is.
Also Chelsea worked her way up. Yeah she was with the president of E! but she started off as a comedian too. Joan had her time in the spotlight and now long after it went out it's Chelsea's turn and she's been doing a damn good job so far.
chelsea handler is an unfunny bully who gets her laughs be being hateful, and only hicks thinks her "comedy" is funny
Chelsea only wishes she was quasi as funny as The Legend Joan Rivers. For you non historians, Joan Rivers has been hilarious for a while now. It is interesting because people are saying they don't like Chelsea because she is abrasive, yet Joan has been accused of being abrasive at best. The difference is, Joan Rivers has style and eloquence, intelligence so it doesn't seem as off-putting as Chelsea's mindless garbage. They are the same fountain. Chelsea spews cold, harsh water, Joan sprinkles and softly squirts out warm water that makes you happy and smile.
Haha, I loved the way you worded that. Fountain metaphors for the win.
As for Joan, I will say this. I've always been an admirer, but last year, I saw her play the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. She had 5,000 people eating out of the palm of her hand for a high-energy, 90-minute set that was downright hysterical. It was only then that I realized what a rare pro she is. Huge respect for Joan.
i love them both. but chelsea wins!
I don't dislike Chelsea Handler, but I don't mind her either. I only watch Lately if I like the celebrity guest and I have yet to see an episode of After Lately, but her NBC show is alright. I never liked Joan Rivers.
I find Chelsea funny, though more for her books than for her show. Chelsea Lately is ok. The "comedy" section of the round table rarely is funny but I'll give it to Chelsea for getting some of the most unique and entertaining interviews from her guests.
I feel the same way Ralph Garmen does.
I can't stand her she seems like such a B***h, she never seems funny and she is just all around an awful person. But that is just my humble opinion, I also don't understand why she deserves all of this attention and a show based on her life too!
Have to side with Chelsea on this one. Joan Rivers is just not funny. And she's one to talk about being a whore. Joan Rivers will do any crappy show E! gives her. Have you seen How did you get so Rich? Its a load of crap. Chelsea puts way more into her shows and is just making the point that Joan Rivers is annoying, which she is.
Also, Joan took it too far. Chelsea just said to go away. Joan called her an untalented whore and called her all sorts of names. That's worse than what Chelsea did.
Besides, if Joan Rivers tried to compare me to her, I'd get pissed off too. Chelsea all the way.
Who the heck is Chelsea? I'll side with Joan on this. It seemed like Chelsea wanted to pick a fight, and she got one. Despite the crazy obsession with plastic surgery, Joan's a veteran in the comedy business so at the very least Chelsea should show some respect.
I don't like her. She seems a bit too pleased with herself.
Now Sarah Silverman...she is funny.
As far as Chelsea's show? It's not funny, just like Witney.
Neither.
Chelsea is WAY abrasive.
I was not aware Joan intentionally worked as a comic. (Unless mocking other people's outfits counts??)
Chelsea isn't funny and how Joan can still talk after umpteen facelifts is a wonder!!
Give it to her, Joan!
Handler's books: Hilarious
Everything else she does: Awful
Rivers: Isn't she like a plastic surgery guru or something? Seriously, when was she ever a comedian?
Chelsea Who?