Warning: Some language below may be inappropriate for younger readers.
Live television can bring out the worst in people...just ask Jerry Lewis.
The octogenarian comedian was in the midst of his annual Labor Day Telethon to raise money and awareness for muscular dystrophy, when he uttered a derogatory term for homosexuals live on the air.
In a comedy bit that quickly turned sour, Lewis was improvising with the camera, telling it that its "family has come to see you" while referencing other camera equipment on stage. After saying "You remember Bart, your oldest son," to the camera, the comedian pointed toward other equipment and said, "[and] Jesse, the illiterate fag," before biting his tongue too late. The "quip" was met with nervous laughter and a few groans from the studio audience.
As clips of Lewis uttering the slur spread across the Internet (including potential career killer TMZ.com), the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) sought an apology from the comedian. "Jerry Lewis' on-air use of this kind of antigay slur is simply unacceptable," said GLAAD president Neil G. Guiliano. "It also feeds a climate of hatred and intolerance that contributes to putting our community in harm's way."
Lewis wasted no time in apologizing for the apparent slip up, saying, "I obviously made a bad choice of words." In a statement, he continued, "Everyone who knows me understands that I hold no prejudices in this regard...I accept responsibility for what I said. There are no excuses. I am sorry."
GLAAD formally accepted the apology in a statement of its own, and applauded Lewis for his work with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Lewis, who helped establish the MDA, has hosted the Labor Day telethon since 1966.
Though Lewis' gaffe marred the 21-and-a-half-hour telethon, the event still managed to raise a record $63,759,478 for research, services, and information for "people with any of the neuromuscular diseases under [Muscular Dystrophy Association's] umbrella."
man what actor is not going to utter some slur it seams lately
Y'all must not be old enough to have seen or heard the "Rat Pack" in Vegas, back in the day. Nobody was offended, everybody thought they were hysterically funny. People today are too thin skinned, not every expletive is meant to hurt.
He apologized so lets let bygones be bygones ok!
I'm also one of those f*** and I really wish old Jer' hadn't used that word. I've been hearing it way to much lately in the media, but I'm not losing sleep over Mr. Lewis. He immediately realized he'd used an offensive word and immediately apologized for it. Besides, he wasn't intentionally being nasty like, say, Ann Coulter, so lets file the whole thing away and move on. Hey, Laaaaaaddddddyyyyy!
As bad as it sounds...yeah, you kinda have to give a free pass for this one, considering $63.7 million towards MD research. Heck, if an entire show full of racial slurs could raise $63 million for health research, I think it'd be pretty worth it.
at least he did apologize
Jerry has a tendency to use words he would later regret saying, when in a tired or "grouchy" mood. In an infamous "blooper", when he and Dean Martin were recording radio spots for "The Caddy" (1953), Dean made the mistake of saying "righteous" instead of "riotous" in one line. Jerry pounced on him and yelled, "'RIGHTEOUS'? Where the {expletive} do you see 'righteous'? That's 'RIOTOUS', you greaseball!!". That was Jerry then- he's still capable of saying "naughty" things today.
well, im a f** and im definitely not offended. I don't particulary like Jerry Lewis but come on, it was just a joke, which hadn't anything to do with ***phobia. It wasn't an anti gay joke. He was on live, he just talked like he talked in real life, i mean who has never said this word... For God's sake, we're still in a free country, we still have freedom of speech.
I tink it was appropriate for him to apologize and I'm happy that GLAAD took the high road and accepted his apology.
Legend or not, it is unacceptable.
Non-story. Who cares? Jerry Lewis is a legend, he can say whatever he wants.
OMG, who cares? He didn't string anyone up. He didn't try to incite a riot. An old man said f*** Hell, in England it's slang for a cigarette. I doubt that he meant anything really bad by it. I hope the people who were offended by it don't watch Mind of Mencia... They might have a stroke!