Jerry Lewis makes another anti-gay slur

[celeb_2006]

Jerry Lewis makes another anti-gay slur


(10-24) 18:40 PDT CANBERRA, Australia (AP) --
Jerry Lewis made an anti-gay slur on Australian television similar to one he apologized for using on his annual telethon a year ago.
Following a news conference in Sydney Friday, Lewis, 82, was asked by a Network Ten national TV reporter for his opinion on the Australian nation sport of cricket.
"Oh, cricket? It's a f-- game. What are you, nuts?" Lewis replied.
The network broadcast the comment in full on its Friday evening news bulletin along with footage of Lewis handling an imaginary cricket bat with an effeminate gesture.
Lewis apologized in September last year for using a similar anti-gay slur in Las Vegas during his annual Labor Day telethon that raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Lewis was still in Australia on Saturday and has performances booked there through Nov. 1. His Australian spokeswoman Julie Cavanagh said he did not intend to comment.
The comedian held Friday's news conference to promote his latest stage show that is touring Australia. It is a retrospective of his career that includes show tunes with a 24-piece band, excerpts from his scores of movies and television shows, and his trademark slapstick comedy.
U.S.-based Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation spokesman Damon Romine said his organization would examine Lewis' words before commenting.

[NicoleWasHere]

Asshole.

[Grimmlok]

*drives around and picks up a few of Jerry's Kids*

[msdeb]

^^^ Lol

[GaPeach]

he's 82 he gave up PC when he started pissing in his pants - cut the old fart some slack.

[Penny Lane]

He's still an asshole. I don't care how old he is.

[DitaPage*]

Ok i get the handling the bat bit but how was the comment anti-gay?

[Sojiita]

Ok i get the handling the bat bit but how was the comment anti-gay?

'a f.. game' ...is a FAG game..fag in America is short for faggot and is pretty much the same as calling a black person a nigger, according to the black and gay(as in they are both black and gay) people I have known-it is a slur against gay people.

[mrs.v]

Jerkoff.

[Grimmlok]

it's also a bundle of sticks

rather, that's what the word used to mean..

[Sojiita]

it's also a bundle of sticks

rather, that's what the word used to mean..

..or a British ciggie. But somehow I don't think that is what he meant...ya know?

[RevellingInSane]

If he meant fag as the slur for homosexual males, that is wrong.

But...

A fag can be a lame person, along the lines of chump. Growing up, if we said someone was a fag, it had nothing to do with being gay. It was like calling someone a douche now.

[buttmunch]

When was this guy ever funny? I can't believe the wonderful Dean Martin put up with his shit for ten years.

[katerpillar]

I'm probably showing my age here, but... um, who?

[AgentOrange]

It also used to mean a first year boy in an english public school (similar to 'frosh'), so techincally he's is correct; but he didn't know that.

I seem to have read some where (but I'm not sure about this info) that the public school connection was the source of he term's other meanings. Public school 'fags' were assigned as 'servants' to students in their final year - the seniors. So they had to do the chores - taught them about the pecking order which was so important to the English class system. As a result fag came to mean tired, as in 'as tired as a fag', or 'fagged'. Hence the transfer over to cigarettes, which were a 'pick me up' when 'fagged'. Of course other things went on with the boys at the public schools to, and so the word came to be associated with homosexuality.

Of course that being said Lewis has obviously lost it. I hear that years of vocodin addiction have left him mildly brain damaged. So who's gonna do the telethon next year?? I nominate Ed McMahon - he could used the work!

I'm probably showing my age here, but... um, who?

A Brief history of Dean Martin

Jerry Lewis claim to fame was as one half of the 50's comedy duo Lewis & Martin. They started out performing clubs in which Martin was the straight man and Lewis was the buffoon. Since Martin was big, handsome, and could sing, this added an extra hook to the act. As Lewis said years later "The 1st time we were on stage together I knew that we had lightning in a bottle!"

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuqKswMLJtw[/YOUTUBE]

For awhile they were popular on a 'pop star' level. Personal appearances at famous comedy clubs of the day - like Slapsy Maxie's - were sold out. They went on to do a series of very successful films to. Then egoism drove the act a part. Lewis couldn't take playing the fool next to Martin's "Mr Cool". He became increasingly more of an obnoxious jerk, until the partner ship finally busted up.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aONmJbPfX5w[/YOUTUBE]

When the partner ship busted up, people ere predicting that Martin wouldn't last. Even though he was the one with the looks and the talent, not to mention the personality; Lewis, as the evil clown, was seen as the basis of the act. Still, it proves to be Martin who had the more successful career in the long run; with a few more movies under his belt (Matt Helm), a popular TV series, and a bunch of 'easy listening' lounge type albums. His friendship with Sinatra and his Rat Packer status didn't hurt either. He was one of the original Ocean's 11 - in fact Brad Pitt played his role, against Clooney desperately trying to fill Sinatra's shoes.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-ApgblbT0A[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc_gtLFS-EM[/YOUTUBE]