Jerry Lewis Drops F-Bomb During Telethon

[Jeana (DP)]

Your responses to me are confusing these days, my friend. I just made a joke about Nipple Gate. I said not one word about punishing Mr. Lewis.

No, I know you didn't. I was just off in my own little world, not necessarily responding to what you posted!! Sorry to confuse. I merely was wondering aloud if we could really "rehab" people for being racist, homophobic and/or generally stupid. I wish none of those existed, but unfortunately they do and we can't stick people in a 28-day program or make them apologize to the entire world simply for being who they are.

 

[reportertype]

I don't think 28 days of rehab is going to make someone who's bigoted any less so.

When I first saw this, my first thought was to wonder if he was suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's, mainly because he sorta appears to have gone nutso for a moment there, regardless of what words he uses.

I am a big advocate of free speech, but I do believe that if you are repeatedly subjected to hurtful language, it can leave a mark.

 

[Nova]

No, I know you didn't. I was just off in my own little world, not necessarily responding to what you posted!! Sorry to confuse. I merely was wondering aloud if we could really "rehab" people for being racist, homophobic and/or generally stupid. I wish none of those existed, but unfortunately they do and we can't stick people in a 28-day program or make them apologize to the entire world simply for being who they are.

As you can imagine, I'm not in favor of destroying people every time they misspeak. 'Cause if we did, I'd be a goner for sure.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

As you can imagine, I'm not in favor of destroying people every time they misspeak. 'Cause if we did, I'd be a goner for sure.

You and me both!!!:innocent: :innocent: :innocent:

Unfortunately, you cannot legislate tolerance. There are always going to be people who not only say the wrong things, but far worse, actually mean them! I'm not sure how to tell those people apart, but it seems to me that if people say some of these horrible things in public, they must say far worse in private.

 

[bnhall]

I stopped have much respect for him a few years ago when he said in an interview that there were no funny women comedians. He even specifically said, when asked, that he didn't think Lucille Ball was funny. He's a sexist and a biggot.

 

[MagicRose99]

I stopped have much respect for him a few years ago when he said in an interview that there were no funny women comedians. He even specifically said, when asked, that he didn't think Lucille Ball was funny. He's a sexist and a biggot.

Again, that's the generation he grew up in. Women were considered inferior back then. A "Woman's place" and all that.

 

[Paladin]

I stopped have much respect for him a few years ago when he said in an interview that there were no funny women comedians. He even specifically said, when asked, that he didn't think Lucille Ball was funny. He's a sexist and a biggot.

That's his opinion. He's not necessarily wrong.

I'm not saying I agree with him.

 

[Nova]

You and me both!!!:innocent: :innocent: :innocent:

Unfortunately, you cannot legislate tolerance. There are always going to be people who not only say the wrong things, but far worse, actually mean them! I'm not sure how to tell those people apart, but it seems to me that if people say some of these horrible things in public, they must say far worse in private.

I'm sure they do. I think the public furor is important. And it's only very lately that "" produces almost as much fuss as "" and its equivalents.

And then after the public fuss makes it clear such words aren't publicly acceptable, we accept the apologies and move on.

It isn't the perfect "solution" we Americans like, but it's the best we're going to get.

At least Lewis had the good sense (if not grace) to apologize, whether he meant it or not. What bothers me are the Mel Gibsons of the world who insist their right to hate speech is somehow more important than tolerance in a diverse society. Yeah, they have certain speech rights, but there is nothing honorable about the way they exercise those rights.

 

[Nova]

That's his opinion. He's not necessarily wrong.

I'm not saying I agree with him.

You and I will agree he is entitled to that opinion (though we'll also agree I have a right to my opinion that Jerry Lewis knows zip about funny).

But anytime someone opines about "all" people of a certain kind or "no" people of a certain kind, my value of his opinion plummets.

 

[Paladin]

You and I will agree he is entitled to that opinion (though we'll also agree I have a right to my opinion that Jerry Lewis knows zip about funny).

But anytime someone opines about "all" people of a certain kind or "no" people of a certain kind, my value of his opinion plummets.

No doubt. I was just being a smarmy jerk.

 

[Nova]

No doubt. I was just being a smarmy jerk.

Oh, I missed the smarmy part. I actually agree that Lewis has a right to that opinion.

It's a very old issue, actually, and there is quite a bit of academic theory on the subject of gender and comedy. The Ancient Greeks associated comedy with the phallus and comic actors (all male) actually wore grotesquely large penises attached to their costumes.

For thousands of years, comedy was basically a question of who "had the phallus" and, therefore, the ability to penetrate somebody else. Obviously, this put women at a disadvantage when it came to humor.

But modern comedy is far more complex and I don't buy the argument that women essentially have to "act male" to be funny.

As far as I'm concerned, Jerry Lewis was never half as funny as Paula Poundstone, Ellen Degeneres or Kathy Griffin. And that only counts a few stand-ups and doesn't begin to account for brilliant comic actresses such as Meryl Streep and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. (I'm deliberately avoiding Lucille Ball here because everyone except Lewis agrees she was a genius.)

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I'm sure they do. I think the public furor is important. And it's only very lately that "" produces almost as much fuss as "" and its equivalents.

And then after the public fuss makes it clear such words aren't publicly acceptable, we accept the apologies and move on.

It isn't the perfect "solution" we Americans like, but it's the best we're going to get.

At least Lewis had the good sense (if not grace) to apologize, whether he meant it or not. What bothers me are the Mel Gibsons of the world who insist their right to hate speech is somehow more important than tolerance in a diverse society. Yeah, they have certain speech rights, but there is nothing honorable about the way they exercise those rights.

Well I think its hard for some people to understand how we can claim to have free speech, but yet be unable to say those words that make people angry. Personally, I'd rather know who I'm dealing with, but that's just me. I'd rather not have an apology from someone who is just flapping their gums.

 

[Nova]

Well I think its hard for some people to understand how we can claim to have free speech, but yet be unable to say those words that make people angry. Personally, I'd rather know who I'm dealing with, but that's just me. I'd rather not have an apology from someone who is just flapping their gums.

I'm sure you're right, but as you know, nobody has suggested the government get involved and criminalize Mr. Lewis' remark. He's free to say something stupid and the culture at large is free to raise a ruckus over it. What could be freer than that?

I don't know whether he is sincerely sorry or not, and it doesn't really matter to me. What his apology demonstrates is that it is not "okay" to publicly demonize a group of people who have been the targets of not just slander, but considerable violence over the years.

Though it's nice to know one's enemies, the danger of allowing certain sorts of speech to be uttered without vehement response is that the ideas contained in that speech seems acceptable to others. And that is something we must combat.

 

[BeeBee]

You know, when I was a teenager the word *advertiser censored* meant a cigarette. You could always hear someone ask, "Hey, gotta *advertiser censored* on ya?" Strange how it went from cigarette to homosexual.

 

[dingo]

We still call cigarettes *advertiser censored* here.

 

[Nova]

You know, when I was a teenager the word *advertiser censored* meant a cigarette. You could always here someone ask, "Hey, gotta *advertiser censored* on ya?" Strange how it went from cigarette to homosexual.

It didn't go from one to the other, exactly. Both usages have co-existed for centuries.

"*advertiser censored*" meaning cigarette comes from the English "*advertiser censored*" (usually spelled with one "g," though it can be spelled with two), meaning a bundle of twigs, normally used for burning.

"" (usually two "g's") (and "*advertiser censored*" for short) meaning homosexual is thought to come from centuries past when "sodomites" were commonly burned at the stake, i.e., on bundles of "fagots." But this origin of the word can't be proved and may be a myth.

My sense is that in American usage, "*advertiser censored*" meaning cigarette is pretty much played out, as you suggest. But as dingo says, it's still a common usage in other English-speaking countries.

Maybe that's because "" meaning homosexual has become so dominant in American usage. My (not scientifically tested) understanding is that countries such as Britain and Australia use a number of epithets (ponce, poofter, etc.), where we're pretty much devoted to the "F word."

 

[BirdieBoo]

I have actually helped out with the telethons in the past, and did so this year as well with one of the "Angel networks" and we raised ~750k. One of the things about it, is.....it's a telethon. It's a VERY VERY LONG production. Everone is there to do the best they can, and people do mess up and do or say wrong things.

I have never been a big fan of Jerry's humor, but he really does do a lot to help MDA. And it's great for the kids. The kids get to come in and they are so wonderful and sweet spirited, and excited to be on TV. A lot of you avoid the telethon but I usually have it on all day in front of me, because I am usually helping in some capacity. I didn't even know this happened until I saw it here on WS.

 

[capps]

Of course BirdieBoo,that's the way it goes,isn't it? There can be 24 hours of nice,but 5 minutes of not so nice .... and that's what the media hangs on to. It's sad really.

 

[Nova]

Of course BirdieBoo,that's the way it goes,isn't it? There can be 24 hours of nice,but 5 minutes of not so nice .... and that's what the media hangs on to. It's sad really.

Lewis seems to have handled the situation well and I suspect it will blow over soon, if it hasn't already.

I seriously doubt this incident will much affect Jerry Lewis' legacy. Years after he passes, most people will still be trying to figure out why the French thought he was a genius.

 

[capps]

Lewis seems to have handled the situation well and I suspect it will blow over soon, if it hasn't already.

I seriously doubt this incident will much affect Jerry Lewis' legacy. Years after he passes, most people will still be trying to figure out why the French thought he was a genius.

So true Nova. Why DO the French think he is such a genius?