None of my heroes are perfect...

[Joe Fields]

And no one else that I've known, or known of have been perfect, either. Yeah, I've looked up to Jerry Lewis most of my life. In my opinion, he is one of the funniest people on the planet. As a comedic actor he is without peer. And as a human being, damned few people can claim to have devoted so much of their time, tirelessly, and with a resolute purpose, or to have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for a cause as worthy as M.S..

It saddened me to hear the remark Jerry made during the waning hours of the telethon. I didn't think it funny at all. But I can forgive Jerry for a number of reasons. He is from a different era, an era of political incorrectness, and it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Also, he is a comedian, and to a comedian everything is fair game. You could say that comedians are equal opportunity offenders. Some jokes are funny and some aren't Some jokes hurt. This one hurt many people. But I will not make the knee jerk reaction to say he's a bigot, because I don't believe so. I think his passion for people of all stripes has been proven over the course of fifty plus years.

For all of the people ready to hate Jerry Lewis for what he said, look around and then let me know if you see any perfect people. I wonder how many here have said things they wish they hadn't, just to get a chuckle?

The man apologized immediately. Give him a break. I think he's earned one.

[bridgit]

1. 20hrs into that telethon Jerry says allot of stupid stuff...

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

2. Awesome OP, And Very Well Said.

I think you're right on quite a few levels, and can relate completely to what you're saying.

I can also understand why some could choose to not forgive him or that they'd continue being angry at him. I think you would need to respect their personal decision to do so and they should respect others decisions to forgive him or continue respecting him. As long as that mutual 'to each their own' is there, then all is good.

But regardless of any of that, great OP anyway.

[BlooInBloo]

3. Cmon! What's a little "fag" here, a little "nigger" there, a little "chink" over there?

Nobody's perfect, after all.


EDIT: It's fucking sweet what people are willing to put up with when it doesn't affect THEM.

[Link93]

5. He's from a different era.

Cut him some slack. :sarcasm:

[BlooInBloo]

6. I heard he was just joking.

[Link93]

11. I heard he was a comedian.

And everyone offended should lighten up.

[BlooInBloo]

13. It's because they're oversensitive.

[Link93]

14. I think that was an old vaudeville act.

Back when minorities had to lighten up...or they were lightened up.

[BlooInBloo]

15. That's REALLY what this country needs - more blackface.

[Link93]

16. If f* is ok, then blackface has to be.

All is fair in the realm of comedy. Har dee har.

[BlooInBloo]

17. Well, I hear nobody's perfect, after all.

[Link93]

18. And really tired too.

He needs to say something to fill up all that airtime.

[BlooInBloo]

19. It's HARD WORK being so gosh-darned funny!

[wildhorses]

22. you should try it sometime

work, that is...

:rofl:

[BlooInBloo]

24. Hm. I always wondered where they got the 1/2 Hour News Hour writers - now I know.

[Joe Fields]

27. Well this IS my lucky day, indeed.

Here I've lived 51 years, and had never met a perfect human being, and wouldn't you know, I have run into two in the same night. Wow. Wowie wow wow wow!!!

[Link93]

29. Jerry Lewis.

And who?

[wildhorses]

61. actually. i believe i have met the trinity tonight --

you, jerry and bloo ;)

[wildhorses]

31. bob saget ---

the jokester's joke...you wouldn't understand. being all perfect and all...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_cKCK6Blv0

[wildhorses]

21. god?

is that you :scared:

[bridgit]

20. .......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x24w0dlO6k

[BlooInBloo]

23. To a certain sort of person, that would count as "the same thing".

[Link93]

25. Did they cut out the gay individual in the Jerry Lewis bit?

I didn't see anyone else.

[bridgit]

26. to quote you, "All is fair in the realm of comedy. Har dee har."

[Link93]

28. To quote me "That was sarcasm".

Har dee har.

[bridgit]

30. works for me...

[Joe Fields]

34. Hi, bridgit! loved the youtube link. Thanks!

:toast:

[bridgit]

35. evening Joe, i have one to Lenny Bruce but that would blow the roof off this dump...

Cheers & Peace On'ya :toast:

[Joe Fields]

39. I suppose I must now go to hell for finding that skit funny.

:toast:

[wildhorses]

8. i see you have removed the timber from your own eye --

Why do you notice the sliver in your friend’s eye, but overlook the timber in your own? How can you say to your friend, "Let me get the sliver out of your eye, when there is that timber in your own? You phony, first take the timber out of your own eye and then you’ll see well enough to remove the sliver from your friends eye.

see better now, do ya??

:applause:

[Link93]

12. Clearly.

Thanks for the advice.

[LittleClarkie]

40. That's what people said about Craig

That he was from another era, so cut him some slack.

Ironic, innit.

Is it still okay if my gay friends call me a fag hag, or should I make them apologize?

[wildhorses]

62. hey --

if the shoe fits :shrug:

[wildhorses]

7. you cast the first stone ---

oh hail all perfect one....

let me bow down and worship thee

[MuseRider]

10. Perfect response.

I could not have said it better. My hat is off to you, well done.

This makes me sick.

He was tired you know :eyes:.

[The Straight Story]

37. Well, you used those words in your post, when ya gonna apologize

or were you just joking? ;) (yeah, it was an ill attempt at humor....) :toast:

[BlooInBloo]

44. No, I didn't. I mentioned them.

[wildhorses]

63. mention/said

semantics:eyes:

[supernova]

4. He also hasn't been well

the past decade. People who don't feel good, say rotten things they usually wouldn't. Tact and diplomacy are the first things to leave you.

I don't know what he said, but I'm with you.

[wildhorses]

9. does this mean i can forgive imus, too?

:hide: just askin' :yoiks:

[The Straight Story]

32. We are free to forgive anyone, some people forgive, others just can't do it

As for me it hurts particularly bad right now as my wife's best friend is not doing well - he is gay, has HIV which has moved into aids and some nurses just left his house about 10 min ago. My wife has worked with many such sick people in her time at the clinic and saw them die or take their own lives.

But I can forgive, as I don't think it was intentionally mean spirited. Ignorant of the world today, perhaps - but I won't throw away years of respect for someone who has done millions of good things for others for a few bad things.

[wildhorses]

33. spoken like a true and humble man

unlike some other sanctimonious people in this thread.

i hope they never fall off their pedestal, the fall will kill them.

[Joe Fields]

36. A true voice of reason. Thank you.

[The Straight Story]

38. If we used such a gauge on our candidates, we would not ever vote for anyone

They have something negative about them - the war funding, not talking enough about X or Y (silence is a killer), and so on.

At the end of the day we bitch about those things here, but then we saddle up and ride with them to the polls and focus on what can be done and what good has been done by them and the party.

[bridgit]

43. please send your wife all my love, appreciation & kindness, i worked...

as an HIV/AIDS counselor in LA for some 4yrs, made many good friends that i later seen into their graves, too many graves; some dying/dead with their heads in my lap as we were crying after my having tried to get their parents to the phone to speak with their dying children it's a great sadness, and your wife is performing angel-work

[The Straight Story]

45. Wow - my wife has said similar things about parents, she even went to one home

where a guy had shot himself and helped get things in order because no one in the family wanted anything to do with him or his death. No one to claim the body, take care of anything at all.

totally fucked up.

[LittleClarkie]

42. Did Imus apologize?

I don't remember if he did.

[lonestarnot]

41. rifuckingdickulus! That you even had to ask.

[wildhorses]

64. hey. just trying to be politically correct around here --

like tiptoeing through a minefield :scared:

[BlooInBloo]

46. None of my heroes are bigots. But to each his or her own.

[Joe Fields]

47. I would be surprised if you have any heroes.

As for Jerry Lewis, I do not know the man personally, but I am familiar with the great amount of good works he has done in his lifetime. He doesn't appear to me to be bigoted.

[BlooInBloo]

48. I'm sure a lot of things surprise you - that's setting the bar low.

[Joe Fields]

49. Must be a heavy burden you carry, being so perfect.

[Bluebear]

50. "I think of her as a producing machine that brings babies in the world."

Lewis on women.

http://edition.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/News/02/18/showbuzz/

Well, he certainly is not perfect.

[Link93]

51. We must cut him some slack.

He's from another era.

[Control-Z]

52. Can someone tell me

what Jerry Lewis said?

[Bluebear]

53. "You remember Bart, your older son. Jesse, the illiterate fag."

[Tsiyu]

54. The other night he also said the country does not need a female president

because all those countries in the Middle East are a mess and they hate women.

Way to encourage all the young ladies out there. Way to totally blow off half the population, We should appeal to the Taliban and the Saudis when we choose our president.

We should make the misogynists happy.

Sorry, he may be the OP's hero. I think he's a sexist jerk. And probably a homophobe as well, even if he did apologize.

if this is a family show - raising money for kids, there is no reason to use a slur like that. Some of his "kids" are gay. How must that make them feel?

yeah, I'm sorry to whoever this offends but "what about the children, Jerry?'

[Bluebear]

55. And women are "baby producing machines"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1735169&mesg_id=1735665

[Control-Z]

58. ack n/t

[Tsiyu]

59. he's a real prize

hero material for all the kids out there :eyes:

[Control-Z]

57. This just makes me feel sick.

I'm sorry to hear this.

[Tsiyu]

65. Aww he only offended every woman and gay person

every girl child and gay child in the nation.

And they don't count.

But i've been thinking...according to his logic, we should only elect a Muslim to the highest office in the land. After all, the Middle East is mostly Islamic, and we sure don't want to offend any Muslims in our choice of Prez!!!!

:wtf:

[Control-Z]

56. Oh no. n/t

[Mythsaje]

60. I'm glad he bashed the shrub...

Not so happy about the other thing.

He's an old, sick fellow who'd been up too long who's spent years living in a world all his own. :shrug:

I won't hate him for it, but, then again, I guess that's my perogative. It wasn't MY ox he gored.