Joyce Brothers was a well-known American psychologist and television personality who was the only woman to ever win ‘The $64,000 Question’. She also had a television program in which she provided psychological guidance. In addition to hosting her own show, she published numerous essays on sex, relationships, and parenthood for the magazine ‘Good Housekeeping’ and was a frequent columnist for the publication. She graduated from Cornell University with degrees in home economics and psychology and from Columbia University with a doctorate. She was the first woman to commentate on a boxing bout, a career she began very early in her life. Her first engagement with the media was conducting interviews with professional boxers for national radio broadcasts. Her popularity skyrocketed towards the end of the 20th century, and she faced a great deal of criticism for giving a great deal of advice over the phone without comprehending her callers’ backgrounds.
Youth and Early Life
In Brooklyn, Joyce Diane Bauer was born to Jewish parents Estelle and Morris K. Bauer. She attended Far Rockaway High School, from which she graduated in 1944.
She then enrolled at Cornell University as a psychology and home economics student. During this period, she joined the Sigma Delta Tau fraternity. She obtained her Ph.D. in psychology from the prestigious Columbia University after receiving two undergraduate degrees.
In 1952, she won a Ph.D. fellowship from ‘The American Association of University Women due to her limited financial resources.
Joyce Brothers’ Career
She rose to prominence in 1955 when she became the first woman to win the game program ‘The $64,000 Question,’ on which she appeared as a boxing expert. Sponsors advised her to choose boxing as her theme for the show, despite her lack of interest in the sport. As an ardent reader, she devoured every book she could find on the subject.
At the end of the 1950s, there was much discussion regarding the rigging of the program, but the Brothers disputed all the rumors.
She is believed to be the first woman to commentate on a boxing event for CBS, after her success on “The $64,000 Question.”
She hosted her own television show in August 1958. During the presentation, she offered dating advice and even took questions from the audience. She was officially the first television psychologist, and although the concept was initially met with skepticism, she quickly achieved widespread appeal.
Throughout the years, the name of her show changed several times, from “The Dr. Joyce Brothers Show” to “Consult Dr. Brothers” and “Tell Me, Dr. Brothers.” Following her popularity on the show, she began penning a monthly piece for the magazine ‘Good Housekeeping.’
In 1964, she published the instruction book ‘Ten Days to a Successful Memory,’ which received mixed reviews from critics and readers.
In the 1970s, she also began writing for a syndicated newspaper column that became extremely successful. During her lifetime, she published various books, but the 1981 publication of “What Every Woman Should Know About Men” became a best-seller. Following the untimely loss of her spouse in 1991, she wrote the book ‘Widowed’.
Later, Joyce Brothers expanded into film, starring in almost a half-dozen films, including ‘Lover’s Knot,’ ‘Dear God,’ ‘Beethoven’s 4th,’ and ‘Analyze That.’
Joyce’s Major Opera
In 1981, she published “What Every Woman Should Know About Men.” This explicit and educational handbook to knowing the opposite sex sold over 11,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States.
Personal History and Legacy
She married internist Dr. Milton Brothers in 1949. The couple had a daughter named Lisa Brothers. In 1989, Dr. Milton passed away from cancer.
Dr. Joyce Brothers passed away at the age of 85 in Fort Lee, New Jersey, where she remained after the death of her husband. Elaine, her sibling, is her surviving relative
Estimated Net Worth
Dr is one of the wealthiest and most well-known doctors. According to our investigation, Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider, Dr. Joyce Brothers has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million.
Trivia
This well-known television personality has portrayed herself in prominent American sitcoms such as ‘Frasier,’ ‘Saturday Night Live,’ ‘The Nanny,’ and ‘The Simpsons.’