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Leave Joan Rivers alone! Holocaust remark part of her lifelong comedic style (VIDEO)

By April MacIntyre Mar 1, 2013, 15:43 GMT

Joan Rivers - Comedy = Tragedy + Time London, UK © Landmark / PR Photos

A comic's job is to use humor to elevate, like wrapping delicious bacon around the medicine, a joke can make people laugh and think, and the education process begins.

Great comics do this. Ask critics and fans of the late Bill Hicks, George Carlin, Sam Kinison. Now female comic, Joan Rivers, whose recent Holocaust joke has caused a shitstorm in the media, is under fire to retract her commentary.

On the Feb 28 edition of HLN’s Showbiz Tonight Joan Rivers let host A.J. Hammer know that she won't apologize for Holocaust joke she made on Monday’s E!’s “Fashion Police”.

Joan was talking about Heidi Klum’s revealing Oscar dress when she joked: “The last time a German looked this hot was when they were pushing Jews into the ovens.” Showbiz Tonight’s A.J. Hammer asked Joan how she responds to the criticism and what she has to say to the people who think she should apologize.

Performer Penn Jillette went on CNN's Piers Morgan Show last night and defended Joan.

He tweeted: Went on @piersmorgan to defend the pope, and my @apprenticenbc folk @joan_rivers and @dennisrodman. Only the pope needs my help.(SIC)

Rough Transcript Follows:

Showbiz Tonight’s AJ HAMMER: Alright, gotta ask you about the controversy that’s been going on. (Joan: of course) You’re very well aware of it. About a particular joke you told on E!’s “Fashion Police” talking about Heidi Klum’s very revealing dress at the Oscars (take FS Heidi Klum dress) and your joke make reference to the Holocaust, there are some people including the anti defamation league who said your joke was offensive. How do you respond to that?

Joan Rivers: um (shaking head)… it’s a joke #1.  #2 is about the Holocaust… this is the way I remind people about the Holocaust. I do it through humor.  My husband lost his entire family in the Holocaust, so let’s just start with that. So people, your generation doesn’t even know what I’m talking about.  By my doing a joke, it get’s them talking and thinking, and it didn’t bother Heidi! Doesn’t bother me.

AJ Hammer: And there are people who say you should apologize (Joan: for what?!) what do you say to them?

Joan Rivers: why don’t you worry about Mel Gibson? Why don’t you worry about the anti-Semites out there? And not pick someone who doesn’t have a single, living relative, hmm? (visibly emotional)

AJ Hammer: Any subject that’s too serious that you wouldn’t take on in humor?

Joan Rivers: (shaking her head no) I think that’s how we get through life. That’s how I get… you make people laugh. Ya laugh,  you can deal with it. Done!