09/04/2007
Jerry Lewis Points Out "Illiterate Faggot" in Telethon Audience?
Via TMZ comes video from the 18th hour of Jerry Lewis' telethon, which was broadcast last night. In it, Lewis appears to use a gay slur when identifying an audience member:
"In the midst of a typically Lewis-ian rant in the 18th hour of his Labor Day telethon, France's favorite comedian swayed, trying to dodge the cameraman, then introduced a 'family member' as 'the illiterate faggot,' then remembered, seemingly, that he was on live TV ... stopped himself and tried to move on."
Lewis may have been referring to a "fatty" in the audience. However, because of his own slurring, it's somewhat hard to say.
TMZ reports that the telethon raised $63 million for muscular dystrophy.
UPDATE: GLAAD has called on Lewis to apologize.
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 10:00 AM EST by Andy in Gay Slurs, Jerry Lewis, News | Permalink
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Is he drunk?
Posted by: Michael W. | Sep 4, 2007 10:11:08 AM
Is he drunk?
Posted by: Michael W. | Sep 4, 2007 10:13:09 AM
oops, sorry for the double post...
Posted by: Michael W. | Sep 4, 2007 10:13:46 AM
Isn't someone going to finally bury that bloated corpse?
Posted by: FizziekruntNT | Sep 4, 2007 10:25:32 AM
I hear "fatty" after several plays.
Lewis has done -- and continues to do -- great work on behalf of sick kids by hosting this telethon.
That said, had he uttered "faggot," I would have hoped this was the last time he ever hosted anything.
Stand down, folks -- I don't think he said "faggot."
Posted by: Becks07 | Sep 4, 2007 10:28:30 AM
The clip was played on the radio this AM & it sounded like "faggot." The DJs were in complete shock hearing it. They also said Jerry reminds them of that senile great uncle you have at Christmas that says just the most belligerent nonsensical crap at the dinner table.
Posted by: Allen | Sep 4, 2007 10:32:44 AM
I dunno, I'm pretty sure I heard "fag--" and a swallowing of the "-ot" sound -- really sounded like fag w/ a hard 'G' sound.
I'll cut him some slack and offer a smidgen of benefit of the doubt but I want to hear a response on this.
Has anyone in the audience talked w/ the press or the blogs?
Posted by: tjc | Sep 4, 2007 10:43:45 AM
It's hard to say if it's faggot or fatty, but if you know anything about Jerry Lewis and the Rat Pack -ish generation he's part of, you know it's unlikely to have been fatty he was going for.
Posted by: phil heffley | Sep 4, 2007 10:46:28 AM
Come ON, there is no doubt. Listen to the context. The joke is that you've got a son who is an illiterate fag-- and then he cuts himself off. It's not fatty. He's a pig anyway, regardless of good work he's done for kids.
Posted by: Matthew Rettenmund | Sep 4, 2007 10:50:10 AM
He's Jewish, anyway, so if he meant THAT he probably would have said "faygele."
Posted by: Joe T. | Sep 4, 2007 10:57:21 AM
let's not worry about Jerry Lewis...
Posted by: A.J | Sep 4, 2007 11:04:03 AM
He has never been funny.
Don't be fooled folks. The charity might get a lot of money from these telethons, but so to dose Jerry. He dosn't do it for free.
He lost any relevance a long time ago. It is way past time for a new host of that charity
Posted by: anon | Sep 4, 2007 11:08:21 AM
Is that thing still on the air, Jerry Lewis is has been. After all the money he raised and still no cure or close to one? PLease someone check his bank accounts. hey, just have another bottle of vodka Jerry.
Posted by: ousslander | Sep 4, 2007 11:09:08 AM
"Illiterate, fat one."
Wow, down boy; there's no fight here.
Posted by: justaguynatl | Sep 4, 2007 11:33:38 AM
These telethons are useless. The vast majority of research funding comes from the Federal Govt. Money raised should go to support people who have gaps in their insurance coverage.
Posted by: anon (gmail.com) | Sep 4, 2007 11:37:24 AM
Jerry Lewis will always been a king of comedy to me. From his Lewis and Martin days and solo movie career, fantastic. He was one of David Lettermans first guests when the show moved to CBS, and was electrifyingly hysterical that night.
As for the telethons, so don't contribute. I don't. I never did (or to the United Way during the annual corporate hand wringing, for that matter). Use the annual Labor Day telethon time to, oh, say TURN OFF THE TELEVISION and GO OUTSIDE.
Posted by: Rad | Sep 4, 2007 11:49:55 AM
I can't believe that thing is still on tv also. After ALL these years, and countless billions of dollars raised? With no cures or breakthroughs to speak of? You know the money is lining someone's pockets or not getting to the people it needs to.
And funny? Has he ever been? I can't imagine anyone who would think Jerry Lewis is funny. Maybe someone from another planet, or someone with severe mental problems...does that describe France? Oops, sorry. If the Louis Vuitton fits I guess.
Posted by: Jordan | Sep 4, 2007 12:02:47 PM
Jerry needs to be put down like a wild dog.
Posted by: nutso | Sep 4, 2007 12:05:12 PM
If he said it, he must be losing his mind. Over the years I've gotten the impression he's not homophobic, unlike a lot of his generation. He's also apparently referring to a family member this way, if I read this right? Which means he thought he was being funny, *if* he said it. You know, saying something outrageous and shocking, but not something he'd call an actual gay person.
If you want to hate some old people who really are homophobic, there's Mickey Rooney who's a born-again Christian. I remember him acting homophobic about speculation that Danny Kaye, or somebody, was gay. Rooney acted like it was the worst possible thing you could say about somebody. And then there's Ernest Borgnine, who whined about about Brokeback Mountain, saying it was a blasphemous travesty to do a western about gay cowboys, and called it disgusting or whatever.
Posted by: Johnny | Sep 4, 2007 12:29:53 PM
A couple things.
First, there is no cure for AIDS or cancer and billions of dollars have been raised by charities across the globe.
Second, he should stop because he can't even speak and his endless mugging and pulling of faces is verging on retarded.
Third, he lives near San Diego and we used to see him all the time yelling at fans for approaching him at restaurants and on the street. Very angry, bitter human each and every time we were in the same room.
Posted by: Br!on | Sep 4, 2007 12:30:48 PM
So since when is it news that someone (even a celebrity) who's over 80 years old -- whether it's Jerry Lewis, Mickey Rooney, Ernest Borgnine, Doris Day, or whoever -- is probably anti-gay, whether they reveal that fact in public or not? I'd actually be more surprised if it were the opposite. Not that this is an excuse for what Jerry Lewis said, if indeed he said it.
Posted by: Frank L | Sep 4, 2007 12:41:55 PM
I don't know how ANYONE hears "fatty" in this clip. And how calling someone "illiterate fag" is amusing is beyond me. You can even hear the tone of some of the audience members change from laughter to a groan in response. Whatever. Bury the corpse. Quit digging that bloated sack of shit up.
Posted by: FizziekruntNT | Sep 4, 2007 12:53:36 PM
I happened to be listening with headphones and the man was about to say "faggot" or some variation thereof. I think that should ring a loud warning bell that this man should be removed. Actually, I also believe that this telethon has been nothing but a huge ripoff. In all it's years of existence, not once have I heard of ANY medical progress being attributed to it. Are there any public records that prove otherwise? If not, then this cash cow needs to go away and take the bitter old dinosaur with it.
Posted by: soulbrotha | Sep 4, 2007 12:55:01 PM
Well, y'all sounded like he said, "faggot" to me. When does the bombardment of reprimands and insults against his ethnic group begin? When do we hear, "you Jews ought to know better"? Where's the punishment?
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Sep 4, 2007 1:13:23 PM
illiterate kite.
Posted by: sean | Sep 4, 2007 1:27:09 PM