RIP Jerry Lewis

[Dom Heffner]

Look up what female comedians say about Louis CK. Research the personal life of John Lennon. Check out stories about Johnny Bench. Pretty hard to find any famous people, especially comedians, without serious skeletons in their closets. As the saying goes, don't meet your heroes.

I don't think you'll find as many with such disregard for those people as Jerry Lewis.

He is a special kind of turd.

[Larry Schuler]

I'm with Dom.

It's good that he leveraged his face/brand to raise a lot of money but there is a reason why his personality and attitude are a part of his legacy in spite of his good works. It was rotten. He treated people horribly and didn't mind doing it on camera or in recorded interviews. I don't think it negates his good work but it's part of who he was and shouldn't be negated either.

[GAC]

I don't think it negates his good work but it's part of who he was and shouldn't be negated either.

I don't think those who are "defending" Lewis are trying to negate the bad. Been acknowledged. It's when one puts forth a portrayal that completely attempts to negate the good, that there wasn't any. Pretty imbalanced IMO.

[Dom Heffner]

I don't think those who are "defending" Lewis are trying to negate the bad. Been acknowledged. It's when one puts forth a portrayal that completely attempts to negate the good, that there wasn't any. Pretty imbalanced IMO.

When you're a butt hole, that is sort of what you are.

That's taking into account both sides...and when you look at it, that's what he was.

For me, it's baked in. So sure I'm sure he did something good at some point, lots of people do good without resorting to being a jerk.

[757690]

I don't think you'll find as many with such disregard for those people as Jerry Lewis.

He is a special kind of turd.

Not really. He was just lousy at hiding it. Look at what we finally learned about Cosby.

[Dom Heffner]

Not really. He was just lousy at hiding it. Look at what we finally learned about Cosby.

You have to earn people respecting you when you pass.

It's earned.

He didn't earn it.

[Larry Schuler]

I don't think those who are "defending" Lewis are trying to negate the bad. Been acknowledged. It's when one puts forth a portrayal that completely attempts to negate the good, that there wasn't any. Pretty imbalanced IMO.

"Hey, there are many bad folks in the entertainment fields" feels like a dismissal. It's removing the culpability for his awful personality from him, the individual, and ascribing it to a natural occurring phenomenon. But, in the end, it doesn't make much difference. People can personally highlight what they want and the overall reputation will still be what it is.

[Sea Ray]

You have to earn people respecting you when you pass.

It's earned.

He didn't earn it.

I respect his comedic talent and how he raised millions for charity. I don't consider his a nice guy. Towards the end of his life he was a miserable man.

[GAC]

I respect his comedic talent and how he raised millions for charity. I don't consider his a nice guy. Towards the end of his life he was a miserable man.

Yep. When I look back at all the "famous" people I have admired/idolized .... movie stars, sports figures, musicians, etc .... I've come to find that a vast majority of them not only had their huge faults; but some were, from a character/personality standpoint, real A-holes (LOL). They all had "two-sides" to them. Lewis was no different IMO.

[cumberlandreds]

Yep. When I look back at all the "famous" people I have admired/idolized .... movie stars, sports figures, musicians, etc .... I've come to find that a vast majority of them not only had their huge faults; but some were, from a character/personality standpoint, real A-holes (LOL). They all had "two-sides" to them. Lewis was no different IMO.

I learned that a long time ago with Pete Rose. Most of these celebrities have huge faults or are just very bad human beings. Jerry Lewis was no different. He at least used his fame do some good.

[Dom Heffner]

I respect his comedic talent and how he raised millions for charity. I don't consider his a nice guy. Towards the end of his life he was a miserable man.

Right, he was a jerk who raised money for cripples and mugged for the camera.

[GAC]

I learned that a long time ago with Pete Rose.

He'd be my #1 example. Growing up in the 60s playing baseball as a kid he was da' man for me. As far as the game of baseball goes - Rose taught me a lot. I idolized, and mimicked, his tough-as-nails determination and drive to succeed. If someone had to lose, it was going be the other guy (LOL).

Unfortunately, he also carried that "persona" off the field and in his personal life, and it didn't make him many friends. The arrogance that gave him success on the playing field, was his downfall in his personal life.