Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse

Phyllis Diller & Richard Buskin

Language: English

Published: Feb 16, 2006

Description:

You think I’m overdressed? This is my slip!
No, I’m going to tell you the truth about what I’m wearing.
I used to work as a lampshade in a whorehouse.
I couldn’t get one of the good jobs.
 From housewife to humorist, Phyllis Diller made millions laugh for over five decades with her groundbreaking comedy. Boasting unique material, a raucous laugh, wild hair, the trademark cigarette holder, and garish clothes, this pioneer blazed a trail for comediennes during the fifties and sixties, leading them out of small dives into the kinds of top venues that had previously played host only to their male counterparts. While her routine broke new ground and opened doors to subsequent generations of female standups, it also served as a form of self-therapy amid a life steeped in tragedy and turmoil.
                Like...