What is that like?

The New York Times profiled Rivers in this capacity, so we now know:

Not very funny ("There's no humor when I'm there").

And not likely to change, as she's been the mostly uncontested president of the building's board for nine years (unless she sells her apartment, which has been on the market for three years, at $29.5M).

But she does apparently get that which needs to be done, done. Even if it means bringing in a Jewish voodoo priestess:

Ms. Rivers counts among her proudest board achievements sprucing up the lobby. When she moved in, she explained, its furniture consisted of a card table and an old desk chair. As a neighbor, she said, her most substantial contribution to the building came about 20 years ago, when she brought in a voodoo priestess named Sallie Ann Glassman to clear out a ghost. "God bless her," Ms. Rivers said. "A Jewish voodoo priestess."

Also, the Times had to issue one of the better corrections of late in this piece:

An earlier version of this article misspelled the given name of a voodoo priestess. She is Sallie Ann Glassman, not Sally Ann.

And now you know: Addressing building problems with Joan Rivers isn't quite the blast that Fashion Police is. But at least they get addressed.

For Comedian, Role on Condo Board Is a Serious Matter [NYT]

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek