The year is 1968 and Joan Rivers is on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” joking about the sex appeal of male nurses to an audience that roars with laughter, shocked and delighted at her unapologetic brashness.

That was the start to a lifelong career in comedy for Rivers, who passed away on Sept. 4 at age 81. She moved from guest starring on “The Tonight Show” in the late ‘60s to co-hosting by the early ‘80s, to hosting her own shows like the Emmy winning “The Joan Rivers Show.”

Up until her unexpected death, she was cracking jokes on her celebrity fashion commentary show “Fashion Police.”

Close friend and fellow comedian Kathy Griffin called Rivers a trailblazer for women in comedy, inspiring the likes of Sarah Silverman and Chelsea Handler with her unfiltered brand of humor, according to an article published by E!

This inspiration reached farther than the gates of Hollywood, even inspiring those in Eau Claire.

Sarah Jayne Johnson, a local comedy blogger, said Rivers helped empower women to be comediennes.

“She, along with other people like Tina Fey and Gilda Ratner, allow themselves to be funny but didn’t base their funniness around the fact that they are women,” Johnson, a senior, said. “I think it’s a huge empowering movement to women. She didn’t really care about how she was perceived.”

Johnson jokes on her blog about the everyday things in life, asking readers to “please laugh at my human experience.”

This, too, is what Rivers did during the second wave of feminism and the women’s liberation movement. The same year she appeared on “The Tonight Show,” the first  women’s liberation activists held their first gathering in Lake Villa, Illinois.

Rivers joined ranks with modern feminists by being unladylike in the public eye, something previously unaccepted.

“I think that it (being a comedienne) allows people to see humor in everyday things,” Johnson said. “Being a woman in comedy is unspoken-ly great. It’s a great platform.”

Rivers’ comedy was known for its self-deprecation and tendency to jab at other celebrities. Her most recent show, E! network’s “Fashion Police” made a name for itself poking fun at celebrities’ outfits.

Mark Hayes, junior, remembers Rivers for coining the phrase, “Who are you wearing?” The question is now commonplace on red carpet coverage.

“I found it interesting that when she first started saying (the phrase), people ridiculed for using incorrect grammar,” Hayes said. “But now the same question is the first thing asked on any red carpet interview. She eventually turned the whole concept of the question into a show.”

Though the fate of “Fashion Police” is unknown, the comedians Rivers inspired will continue to crack jokes. The legacy she created will live on stand-up stages and in red carpet coverage nationwide.