Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon

Totally forgot this was on. Got so hung up on politics and the hurricane and football. Seems like it used to be a bigger deal back in the day. Now instead of Caesar's or the Sahara, it's broadcast from the South Point Casino and hosted (at least right now) by Jann Carl and Ace Young instead of Jerry and Ed.
The local broadcast was usually a big deal too, with radio stations and local TV personalities hyping it. And there used to be a big concert in Portland held on Labor Day weekend.
And I gather Jerry was on the cover of Parade today, though I don't read the hard copy news anymore.

 

I remember as a kid watching as many hours as I could. The main problem, of course, is that Jerry Lewis no longer has the energy and health to carry it off with his sheer force of will. Also, back in the day, seeing cheezy entertainment like Joey Heatherton and Lola Falana was a tasty rarity. Now it's on every network and cable channel and network in reality shows every night. The novelty is long gone.

 

Jerry looked like he was struggling to breathe at the beginning.

 

Hasn't he looked that way for years?

I always hated the Labor Day telethon (before I was old enough to know better about the good causes) b/c a.) it monopolized the channels at home on the last day of summer and b.) well, it was the last thing to happen before we went back to school. And it always seemed to me, even as a kid, that Lewis was just a little too...polished at turning the tears on. I could be wrong, of course.

 

I always loved it when he'd undo the bowtie, he'd go off on one of his diatribes/appeals and do a quasi-offensive impression to make some kid in a wheel chair laugh uncomfortably.
Did I miss Charo? Carrot Top? Maureen McGovern?

 

Jerry got in a little trouble with the three-letter f-bomb a year ago, didn't he?

 

Count me among those who didn't know it was still on. One of the Buffalo affiliates and a Toronto station would show it, each breaking in with their own local stuff. No idea if anyone is showing it now.

Stay up with Jerry and watch the stars come out....

 

Jerry's people will hound you for the pledge money. I made a pledge one year and they were on me like the IRS to make good. Never again.
This telethon has raised so much money over the years. I wonder why, at least to me, that they still haven't found a cure.

 

Wait, you made a pledge and then you got mad because they wanted you to follow through on it?

Why the fuck make a pledge if you don't plan on providing the money?

 

First off, the cursing is not necessary.
Secondly, we made the pledge and I got a phone call hounding me for the money less than two hours later. And it wasn't just one phone call, it was several phone calls. People give from the heart. They don't expect to be hounded for their generosity.

 

Thanks. I'm glad I you are here to be my moral barometer.

Oh, and I call bullshit on them "hounding you" two hours later. They may have called, but I'm going to guess they weren't hounding you.

 

I called it bullshit too when they called. Again, it wasn't just one call, it was several calls if my memory is correct. It was definitely one too many and I haven't given to Jerry or his kids since.