June 20, 2025 • 52 mins
Remember those late nights when you'd stumble into the living room and find your mom watching Jerry Lewis on TV, his bow tie undone, sweat beading on his forehead as he urged America to donate just a little more? For Gen X kids, the annual Labor Day Telethon wasn't just a charity event—it was a cultural phenomenon that marked summer's end with celebrity appearances, tearful stories, and that magical tote board clicking toward another million dollars.
In this nostalgic deep dive, we explore how the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon evolved from its 1966 beginnings to become a 24-hour marathon that raised over $2 billion for muscular dystrophy research. We unpack the telethon's most memorable moments, from the emotional 1976 Dean Martin reunion orchestrated by Frank Sinatra to Ed McMahon's uncanny ability to predict final donation totals down to the thousands.
But beyond the confetti and celebrity cameos lies a more complicated story. Was the telethon truly helping "Jerry's kids," or was it exploiting disabled children as props while ignoring the 70% of MD patients who were adults? We examine how the telethon's focus on finding cures often overshadowed more immediate concerns like accessibility and rights, creating a divide between charitable intentions and actual impact.
The telethon's legacy remains contested—a perfect reflection of our complicated relationship with celebrity, charity, and how we portray disability in media. Whether you loved Jerry Lewis or found his approach problematic, the telethon shaped how an entire generation thinks about giving and representation.
Join us for this heartfelt conversation about a vanished piece of American culture. And don't go anywhere—we might just reveal which celebrity guest could be joining us on a future episode! Subscribe now and be part of our growing community of Gen X reminiscers who are still trying to figure out what the hell happened to our youth.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Two best friends.
We're talking the past, frommistakes to arcades.
We're having a blast.
Teenage dreams, neon screens,it was all rad and no one knew
me Like you know.
It's like whatever.
Together forever, we're neverthe best ever Laughing and
sharing our stories.
Clever, we'll take you back.
(00:25):
It's like whatever.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Welcome to Like Whatever a podcast for.
By and about Gen X, I'm Nicoleand this is my BFF, heather.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Konnichiwa, I'm gonna learn hello in every language.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yay, I love it.
Sign language.
I'll tell you when she doesthat one, because you won't see
it and I think I missed enoughin there.
But it definitely wasn't theone that stands for fuck.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
I promise you that no she never leaves the fuck out
of anywhere.
I do not.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
So how was your week?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
It was a week week.
I don't even remember what Idid, yeah, so all right, there's
that I mean it's uh.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Father's day was two days ago, so shout out to the
dads out there yes, I got totext with mine.
Oh, I'm having a phone callwith him tonight, oh nice yep,
yep, texting mine mostly becauseI told my mom to let him die
the other day.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
He didn't know that was his own fault.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
It is his own fault no one whatever, but a Gen X
memory I had of my dad onFather's Day was when I was
really little, so like five, mymom, I don't know, was at school
, maybe I don't know at school,maybe I don't know.
In the evenings it would justbe me and my dad.
I don't know where she was, um,I really don't, but we he would
(01:53):
let me stay up late and wewould play toss across for hours
.
You remember toss across?
No, I don't.
It was a big um plastic floor,tic-tac-toe board, and it had,
uh, you had three blue um beanbags, yes, and three red ones,
uh-huh, and you threw and triedto get, yeah, yeah, you know
(02:15):
what we did?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
we played poker.
Yep, we sure did, with pretzels, yeah, and saltines and um we
probably had cheese, my dad'sbig cheese.
I did used to eat sardinesandwiches with him too I know
but, he was my dad, so I waslike okay my dad used to wake my
(02:37):
sister up in the middle of thenight just to have a bowl of
cereal or bowl of ice cream withher.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Aww, yeah, he didn't do that with you though, right.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
No, I.
It's funny because I look.
No, I do look like my mom.
When I was a kid, I looked likemy dad, but my dad and I are
exactly the same person.
Well, kind of Like we fight thesame.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
You are very much alike.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Yes, very stubborn.
He is way more athletic than me.
And my sister is way moreathletic, so he and my sister
were close, but I was close withmy mom.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
You're a lot like your mom too.
I think you're both a prettygood combination of the two,
Combination of both yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
It's so weird because I think she looks like my dad
and I look exactly like my momand people call us twins all the
time.
I don't think we look anythingalike.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
No, and if you look at pictures of your mom young,
she looks like Jessica.
I know it's weird, right, it'sreally weird, I know.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
It's crazy.
And then yesterday I wasthinking about well, because
I've been listening to Datelinepodcast, Well, because I've been
listening to.
Dateline podcast and thepodcast I was listening to the
other day.
The person called their siblingand the sibling knew there was
something wrong by the wordingthat was used and I was like I
know exactly what wording Iwould use to my sister to get
(04:01):
her to pick it up.
And I know she'd pick it uplike as soon as I said it.
I know she would either If Icalled her sis, because you know
how I fucking hate this.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Or if I called her Jesse.
Oh yeah, yeah, nobody calls.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Me that I mean a lot of people.
She hates it, yeah, so if Iwere to call her that cause I
don't, even though hates it.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah, so if I were to call her that because I?
Speaker 3 (04:27):
don't, even though you know, for all the fighting
we've ever had, I don't evercall her that, so that's how I
would you know.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah well, you did name her, so you have to respect
the name exactly.
I mean, it's a good name, it'sa good name.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
What did you do?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
uh, I had a great like relaxing weekend.
I got some me time, excellent.
The third season of Ginny inGeorgia came out and I binged
the whole thing.
I can't even tell you the lasttime, like for as much as I talk
about TV shows that I watch,like the last time I really sat
for two solid days and watched.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
I mean they were an hour apiece and it's ten
episodes.
I have the next two days offand I don't.
I know I'm gonna clean mycarpet because it's pretty
fucking bad, but beyond that Idon't know what I'm gonna do
yeah, yeah, stare at the wall,yep.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
So I had some really good down time just relaxing.
Um, I don't think reallyanything else exciting no I
don't think I.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I feel like I did, but then I don't.
I should really start writingthese things down, you should,
yeah but I don't.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I do and I still don't know what I want to talk
about.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I text my dad on father's day, so he's clearly
still alive, because he didanswer okay, yeah, nice, he's
been sick.
That's I know, you know, butfor other people I'm not just
being a jackass.
He has been sick and refused togo to the emergency room.
Yep, and my mother was veryupset about it and I said just
(05:58):
let him die.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Then if he wants to die let him fucking die.
And then what did your sistersay?
The same, exact same so yeah,I'm not just being an ignorant
ass no, I also wanted to give aquick shout out to our friend
pat, because he is just sosupportive.
He is very supportive and he'sjust, and he just got back from
(06:20):
phoenix.
Uh, for book signing likeweekend with his people, or a
week it looks like you had areally great time, but we
appreciate you, pat, and we lovethat you put out there what
we're talking about yes, and uh,try to get people to listen you
.
You are definitely our numberone fan, so shout out to pat,
yay, pat, yay pat and his bookis really good, so she read it
(06:43):
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
He's getting a lot of goodreviews on it.
It is very good.
He keeps getting five starreviews.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
We need to get him on here and send me an email.
I figured out how to do yesvideo.
We did we did I learned how toedit.
Yes, yes, so yeah, email usyeah, anybody else who wants to
be on here and you want to emailus, you know yeah, we think we
figured it out.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Yeah, we did.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Now I got it we, and because I did, I might.
I'm just gonna put this outthere a because maybe it will
happen, but I have a line on acelebrity that I could get on.
I don't know if I could get himon here, but I could definitely
get a.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Probably, definitely, probably could get an interview
with Just saying just puttingit out there.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
There's a possibility that we could get a celebrity.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
That would be so exciting.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Oh my gosh, she knows who it is.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I do know who it is and I'm very excited for who it
is.
Yes, pretty fucking exciting.
Yeah, one of one of my favoritethings about gen x.
All right, so before we getgoing, if you could all please
like share rate review.
Um, you can find us whereveryou listen to podcast.
Follow us on all the socials,at like whatever pod um, we are
(08:05):
on youtube, and you can send usan email to like whatever pod at
gmailcom.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
We'll we'll start scheduling out.
We record on tuesdays most yeah, get your emails in soon,
because unless it's a holiday,and then we, yes, then we record
on the holiday and if somebodygen dies, then you get bumped,
you get bumped Unless you wantto talk about that person.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's true.
I guess that's true.
That's only on her week too.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
It's not my weeks.
We don't find out until likefive minutes before we record,
just book on Heather's weeks.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
You're safe, all right.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
So today, let's fuck around and find out about the
Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon.
I know we're just going to comestraight out the gate on this
one.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
This is a person that Nicole and I have always
disagreed on so growing up I wasa huge Jerry Lewis fan.
I just love slapstick physicalcomedy.
My dad's silly like that.
He's not necessarily physically, but he's goofy, silly, funny,
talks in funny voices, thingslike that.
(09:23):
So maybe that was my drawvoices like things like that.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
So I maybe that was my draw, but um so yeah, so I I
love the tell.
Did you watch the tell?
I did, well, I do I.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
You have memories of watching the tell us.
I do have memories of watchingthe tell okay, um, so firstly,
uh, my info comes from MentalFloss, an author named Dylan
Dalla, and I had to go wiki alittle bit this week.
Turns out not a lot of peoplereally have a lot of information
out there about the Jerry LewisTelethon, which is probably a
(09:57):
really bad idea for the podcastthis week.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
But here we are.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Here we are, but it was fun reading through this
stuff and actually getting anadult perspective on it as well,
because I didn't even know itwent into the 2000s, I think I
did, I don't know.
I guess I don't know that Ieven watched it anymore once.
I wasn't a kid, right, I mean Idon't think I ever watched it,
(10:28):
but well, I can remember it wasalways kind of neat because, um,
it's one of the good memoriesthat I have with my mom was I.
Every year, for whatever reason, I would wake up in the middle
of the night and go out, andshe'd be able to like two in the
morning sitting in the dark inthe living room watching the
Jerry Lewis telethon, and shewould always make me blueberry
waffles.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
I think the thing I remember most about the Jerry
Lewis telethon is him in histuxedo with his tie, his bow tie
, undone.
I don't know why that memorysticks out so much, but that's.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Yeah, and even as a little kid it blew my mind how
long they were long.
That they went on.
They were long but it was.
So it was kind of reallymagical to me, um, back then,
and I loved watching it andreading about it.
I'm like, oh yeah, I guess itwasn't really all that great and
uh, there is a littlecontroversy here and there
(11:16):
around it, jerry lewis,controversy stop yeah, that
hurts my feelings a little bit,but yeah, but yeah, but that's
okay.
Hey, he deserves it.
All right.
So the background of the jerrylewis telethon uh, tv's first
telethon took place in 1949.
(11:38):
Uh, it was new york's damonrunyon memorial cancer fund
telethon and it was hosted bymilton burrell, aka the snowman
in santa claus cummings town ifyou want to hear more about that
, we have an episode on that.
I don't remember what's thename the island of the misfit.
(11:59):
Something about the misfit toys, yep yep, the podcast of misfit
toys there we, so go back andlisten to that.
Yeah, that's my job here, I justgo back, I remember, because
you have the memory.
I remember what the thing is.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
And I name every one of them.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
All right.
So one of the guests on thatvery first telethon was a brash
young comedian who appeared withhis singing partner, dean
martin.
The young comic was, of course,jerry lewis.
At the time, martin and lewiswere the hottest act in all of
showbiz.
That's in the good old, good olddays oh yeah uh, the comedy
(12:36):
team later made an appearance atthe 1952 olympic fun telethon
hosted by bob hope and ben croscrosby.
Another good combo there.
Yeah, I don't think there's anycontroversy around either of
those gentlemen.
Not at all.
It's not at all bing crosby um,you know what, speaking of
(12:58):
which I, rod stewart is on in ontour right now and it just
grosses me out so bad.
Okay hold on Okay.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
How the hell.
Digest that Rod Stewart has tobe 147 years old, he's in big
stadiums.
Look so my first 45, becausethat's how old we are.
My first 45 was hot legs, Ofcourse I mean I know you all
(13:29):
know.
If you don't know how, myparents were.
You can check back on dragon'sdream to see how I was raised to
know that rod stewart's hotlegs would indeed be the first
45 I ever got, and I listen tothe lyrics now and I'm like wow.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
I mean he literally sang a song about a 15 year old.
Yes, and I don't want to hearit.
Was the time sociallyacceptable?
It has never been okay to havesex with children.
I don't care.
I don't care, I will stand onthat.
Back to the castles and allthat shit.
It's never been okay.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I don't care if they only live to be 30.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
It is not okay no, don't, don't, just don't, just
don't.
So yeah, so me seeing him likestill pulling a crowd, I'm like
yeah, he's not canceled, likegross I don't think any of them
were I mean if you think aboutit, they, they all had.
Well, that is true.
I bet it would be hard to findwhether they knowingly or not.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
A rock and roller who did not have sex, ted Nugent,
all day long, I mean.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
And you know, 15, 16 year olds were getting in his
groupies.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
Well, he has a song and they weren't IDing them.
He has a song I mean Ted Nugent.
But whatever, we won't go there.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Yeah, I think we're going to hit on a couple more
too as we go.
Well, here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Before we go any further.
Okay, I meant to say this upfront and I forgot Because I've
had fireball.
So last week's episode yes, didgarner a little bit of.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Hostility yeah bullshit.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
yes, did garner a little bit of hostility, yeah,
bullshit trolls we don't makeany money off of this podcast
nobody's paying anything tolisten.
Nobody, this is just us if youwant to listen to us go on about
shit, that's great.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
We appreciate you, but you know, if you don't, um,
let's fuck off if you don't wantto see a um pride flag in your
feed, if it hurts your littlepussy when you see that um, then
you can go into facebook andyou can actually like go to our
page and block us so that youcan make sure that you never see
(15:42):
anything else from us again sothere are ways around it without
giving your bigoted opinions onour feed, but you, you don't
need to listen if you want tohave a bigoted opinion and you
want to tell us all about it.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
I don't, I really don't care.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
We know you're out there.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
We don't have 47 million people listening.
So really your opinion?
Yeah, she's like an asshole.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Everybody's got one, okay okay, okay, moving on,
there is surviving footage ofthis appearance by martin and
lawrence and they areuninhibited, wild and electric.
Incredibly, when martin andlewis come to stage, ben crosby
rushes off in fear.
Crosby was terrified.
Lew Lewis would pull his toupeeoff, yep, and he never
(16:30):
reappeared when the boys were onstage.
Oh man, men are funny so.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
In the early 1950s, lewis was asked to host a
telethon for a little-knowndisease called muscular
dystrophy.
Lewis accepted and togetherwith Martin put on the very
first MD telethon.
The two hosted other telethonstogether until their split as a
team in 1956.
Martin went on to other things,but Lewis never stopped in 1956
(17:06):
.
Martin went on to other things,but Lewis never stopped.
Over the years he hostedseveral other four-hour muscular
dystrophy telethons sans Martin, much shorter than the almost
24-hour telethons to which weover Labor Day weekend, and it
(17:29):
broadcast from the AmericanaHotel in New York.
Some were skeptical about thesuccess of the undertaking as
many people were not home onLabor Day, but surprisingly the
telethon was a huge success,raising just over $1 million.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
You know, that is pretty crazy.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Like I don't know.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
It's the last weekend of summer.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Yeah, you'd think people would be out doing summer
shit, yeah.
But I'm also thinking back towhen my kids were little and you
did back then go to school theday after Labor Day, like that
was always, so maybe you werehome, you, you know it was put
it on get getting ready yeah,getting lunches packed, getting
back into a routine yeah,getting everybody to bed at a
(18:13):
decent time, like all that stuff.
So maybe I don't know.
I don't know, but yeah, um.
So jerry lewis's annual laborday telethons went on to raise
more than $2 billion indonations to fight muscular
dystrophy.
Lewis claimed his goal eachyear was to get $1 more and I
remember that, yes Than theprevious year.
(18:35):
The biggest single donationsover the years and I remember
this too have come from theFirefighters Association, who
have given more than $250,000 tothe cause.
I always remembered it was abig deal when the firefighters
came out to present their check.
Nothing has hurt Lewis morethan accusations that he has
(18:55):
pocketed some of the donatedmoney himself, which I don't
believe that.
But what do I know?
He vigorously denies this claimand he even swears he has given
seven million dollars out ofhis own pocket to the cause.
He has been accused includingby some who are stricken with md
of exploiting his quote-unquotekids, portraying them as
(19:17):
pitiable victims who just need abig charity to take care of or
cure them.
Lew Lewis has fought backagainst these charges too.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
I think the problem is is there's a such a fine line
of exploitation and education?
Speaker 2 (19:37):
That and I know from personal experience with my
career I I I have never had anyissue with disabled people, but
I didn't know disabled peopleand there are things that would
offend them that you wouldn'trealize.
Like it's very condescending tosay to them oh good for you,
(19:59):
yeah, like, oh great, yay, youdid it, like yeah.
So I think maybe the intentionswere good, but if you're going
to do something like this, youneed to educate yourself a
little bit more on what you'redealing with.
Yeah, and there are otherproblematic things we'll get to
(20:19):
as we go.
I'm shocked.
Many of the biggest celebritiesin show business have either
hosted or appeared on Lewis'stelethons over the years,
including Frank Sinatra, sammyDavis Jr and three of the
Beatles.
In John Lennon's appearancewith Waifu Okono, he stated
Jerry is one of our favoritecomedians.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
I feel like that's probably a lie.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
The ultra-reclusive, joe DiMaggio, came on to answer
phones one year and even a USpresident, ronald Reagan, made
an appearance.
He's an actor, of course he did.
Yeah, I was going to say.
He's a celebrity, but theall-time highlight of telethon
history was unequivocally thereunion of Jerry Lewis and his
(21:04):
former partner, dean Martin in1976, staged by their mutual
friend Frank Sinatra.
It was an incredible moment intelevision history, being Martin
and Lewis's first publicappearance together in 20 years.
The two tearfully hugged,kitted around and cracked a few
one-liners before Martin andSinatra sang, after which Martin
(21:26):
disappeared with a wave and afriendly ciao.
Lewis has always worn his hearton his sleeve regarding his
deep affection for his formerpartner.
I think it's so funny they keepcalling him his partner because
apparently Martin was reallybothered by it Because, while
Martin was always Mr Macho andrarely displayed any kind of
emotion in public.
But if you watch the video, youwill see Martin quickly sneak a
(21:49):
brief kiss on Louis's cheek asthey hug.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Well, okay, but that's probably a cultural thing
.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
I was going to say it was very commonplace.
I mean, that's what Italians do.
Yeah, a lot of Europeans do.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Italians will kiss you square in the lips, yeah
yeah, or both cheeks.
My mom Coming hot, like if youdon't kiss her on the lips,
she's pissed.
It's not just you kiss her onthe lips.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
She's so cute, she will All right.
And then one of my favorites,and I please tell me there
wasn't any controversy around EdMcMahon.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
I don't think so either.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
I think I've never, I've never, I've never.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Okay, good, because I always liked Ed McMahon.
My dad was a huge Johnny Carsonfan, so we watched a lot of
that.
And then, of course, ed McMahonwas on the telethon for a lot
of years.
So in early 1973, the year Iwas born, lewis asked Ed McMahon
to be his co-host for the show,and McMahon continued in that
role, similar to his regularposition as announcer and
(22:52):
sidekick of the Tonight Showstarring Johnny Carson.
Mcmahon was Lewis's announcer,voicing the intros and outros of
each segment, welcomingcorporate and charitable
sponsors with their donationsand calling for a roll of a
timpani drum for eachmillion-dollar mark passed on
the tote board.
Timpani drum for each milliondollar mark passed on the tote
(23:15):
board.
Johnny carson, himself alongtime friend of lewis,
surprised viewers by opening the1970 telethon with a tonight
show style monologue while lewisstood backstage, a role that
carson repeated in 1991 and 1971and 1972, until the telethon
moved to Vegas.
I want to go back to Vegas sobad I know We'll go soon.
(23:38):
We'll make it work.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Do you know what happened In Vegas?
No, it stayed there.
It stayed there, no.
So you know that app that Ijust between you and me.
You know that app that I gambleon, just between you and me.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
You know that app that I gamble on.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
They just added Texas Hold'em poker, I know, and
there's only a $2 buy-in whatyeah?
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Oh man, stop telling me things like that.
All right, mcmahon, borrowingfrom Carson's prognosticating
character, carmack theMagnificent, also made
predictions on what the finaltotal of funds raised would be,
and from 1970 through 1979, hewas spot on many years missing
by as little as thousands ofdollars.
(24:26):
Considering the final tallies,the practice was abandoned after
the 1982 telethon raised $2million less than the previous
year, which Lewis attributed tothe severe 1980-82 recession
that had gripped the US.
The trend of taking a breakduring the telethon was started
(24:47):
in 1985 by McMahon.
Much like his role with Carson,mcmahon would co-host only when
Lewis was hosting, with hisduties as co-host filled in by
others when Lewis was away.
Mcmahon died June 23rd 2009.
The 2009 edition of thetelethon paid tribute to McMahon
with a special video tribute,narrated by Lewis, which played
(25:11):
during the first hour of theshow I don't think I realized
that ed mcmahon died in thatlong ago yeah, it keeps
happening to me that I onlyrealize people died, yeah, and
sometimes I think of somebody.
I'm like did they?
Are they alive?
Are you alive?
Like how old?
Would they even be?
Let's see.
(25:34):
Following the tribute, lewisintroduced McMahon's wife,
pamela, who was in the audienceDuring the telethon for that
year.
Jan Carl assumed McMahon'sduties during Lewis's hours on
air, while Sean Parr billboardedthe start and end of each
(25:54):
segment.
So here's the crazy part whydid Jerry Lewis do it?
Why did Jerry Lewis do it?
You would assume, just withyour basic knowledge, he had his
sibling with muscular dystrophy.
He had a niece or nephew.
I don't know if he had any kidsof his own, but it's none of
(26:16):
that.
So anyway, it's none of that.
One of the biggest mysteries ofall regarding his unceasing
dedication to the MuscularDystrophy Association is why
does Jerry do it?
Association is why does Jerrydo it?
Oddly, lewis has never revealedto anyone the exact reason.
While no one may ever know thereal reason, a little known
(26:37):
story about Lewis is verytelling.
When he was two years old,lewis developed a strange and
potentially crippling disease.
According to Lewis, his belovedgrandmother nursed him and,
although a very strict Jew,cooked him bacon and crammed it
into his mouth to help fight offthe impending sickness.
What potential disease it was,we have no idea, but Lewis has
(26:59):
stated this story is true.
If so, the frightening memoryof a debilitating disease may
have had at least some impact onhis tireless work in the fight
against muscular dystrophy.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
I'm going to tell you that that's exactly why I eat
bacon.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
It's to stave off sickness.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
A piece of bacon a day, you cram it in there.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
A piece of bacon a day keeps the doctor away.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Oh yeah, yeah, apples have too many pesticides on
them.
Fuck apples.
They got worms the nationalmuscular dystrophy association
announced that in 2011, for thefirst time since 1966, jerry
lewis would not be headliningthe annual mda telethon for
(27:46):
jerry's kids, after earning morethan two billion dollars.
The show was going on withouthim and I do remember when they
took him off, but I don'tremember any of this controversy
.
I assumed it was because he wasvery heavyset and pale and
sweaty and looked awful in thislast couple years that he did it
Like by the end that's how helooked.
(28:09):
So I mean, you're just too oldfor that, yeah, but every Labor
Day, the annual Jerry Lewis MDAtelethon was a national ritual.
It marked the end of summer andthe start of fall.
The show and pledge drive waspainful to watch at times, but
also gave us many tear jerkingmoments At times.
(28:29):
The teleth was must-see TV mostof the duration, clocking in at
21 hours straight on livetelevision.
Lewis on stage puffing awayconstantly on a lit cigarette.
It was an endless parade ofD-list celebrities interspersed
with agonizing promo pieces thatcritics insisted made the
handicapped objects of pity.
(28:51):
At its height in 1976, whichwas watched, at least in part,
by 85 million people, the MDAtelethon was bigger than the
Tonight Show.
Yeah, I mean, it was.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
I remember it being a thing.
Yeah, I remember.
I remember when I'm sure Iwatched it.
I know Just like when they onlyhad three channels.
I remember when I'm sure Iwatched it.
I know Just like we only hadthree channels, so it was really
hard to not watch it.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Like the Wizard of Oz was always a thing that came on
once a year.
We always watched that, yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
You don't like the Wizard of Oz?
No, oh, you're such a weirdo Iknow.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Why it's a musical.
Oh, fair.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
For one, okay, I didn't think.
I love musicals, so I didn'tthink about that.
For two, I don't know, I justit's too much.
It's too, it's doing you, bro,you're doing too much.
It's just too much, um I don't,it is a lot yeah, it is a lot
um, I don't, I don't know Veryacid trippy.
It's not just that, it's justlike it's long.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
I don't know, just doesn't catch your attention.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
No, never liked it.
Yeah, the witch dies.
I don't think that's right.
They just murder.
They murder both witches.
Yeah, like she's just trying toget revenge on the fact that
you dropped the fucking house onher sister and then took her
sister's shoes.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
That's fucked up, man .
It does kind of take away fromit too, that not Liza Minnelli,
her mom?
Yeah, talk about problematicJudy Garland.
Yes, thank you so much.
Yes, I actually had to juststop thinking about it because I
knew it wasn't going to comeand I knew you'd get it, so I
just waited for you.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
I don't know, I never got into it.
I don't know why.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
I mean that's fair, I get it, I loved it though.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
But anyway.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Judy Garland was like 12 when she filmed that and she
lived on cigarettes and coffee.
Yes, yeah, yeah, it's prettyawful.
Speaker 3 (30:54):
Probably cocaine.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Oh, no doubt she has to stay awake with no food in
her.
That's true.
I didn't let her eat no, somuscular dystrophy is still with
us.
It hasn't been cured.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Great Jerry.
What did you do then?
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Perhaps the power of these charity events and
telethons, which is bringingspecial needs to the public's
attention, is good, but it'sbetter to be aware than ignorant
, which is what we were talkingabout, and it's not your fault
if you're ignorant to somethingyou just don't have any exposure
to it.
But don't, be like well, theyshouldn't say that.
(31:37):
Or why can't I say that, likeif they tell you, don't say it,
don't fucking say it, don'tfucking say it.
Yeah, that's all.
They don't have to explain toyou why.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
No.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
All right.
So what happened to all thatmoney?
Who got it and where did it go?
Where did it go?
Apparently, some of it went inJerry Lewis's pocket.
On average, mda telethonsraised about 60 million a year,
sometimes more dollar tote boardon stage that was constantly
upticking to a monetary goal andthen, once certain thresholds
were crossed, many new year'seve celebrations would break out
while the audience cheered andthe band played and confetti
flew um, at least until the next10 million dollar cycle was
(32:23):
reached.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
I I remember.
I think the thing I remembermost is when, like they would
bring him a piece of paper andhe would read like yeah, that's
what I remember uh, some livemoments were riveting and
cringeworthy all at the sametime.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Every few hours, it seemed, some local kid was
invited up on stage clutching apiggy bank, or a seven-year-old
forked over the entirety of her42.65 in quarters d and nickels
that she had raised for MDA byrunning a neighborhood lemonade
stand.
These instances wereheartwarming but also bizarre,
given the executive base salaryof MDA's president's earning of
(33:01):
half a million dollars a year.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
Get out.
No way, stop it.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Yeah, this really broke my heart.
I'll not look at the charitylist.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
You know and here's the thing like about charities.
Okay, I have certain charitiesthat I give to.
Those are the only chance, sodon't be bugging me about any
other charity I've already.
I'm 50 fucking years old, Iknow what charities I want to
give to.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
I don't want to round up.
I don't want to give a dollar.
I don't want to round up, Idon't want to give a dollar.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
I don't want to do any of those things I have
already chosen the two charitiesthat I like to give to yes, so
leave me alone about it.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Unfortunately.
Speaker 3 (33:35):
I know for a fact that the one charity I like to
give to is a little on the iffyside.
However, the one charity that Ilike to give to, I may, in fact
, someday need because of whereI live.
Okay, that's all I have to sayabout that.
That is why I might actuallyhave to use that charity at some
point Yep, yep, gotcha and theother charity I give to.
(33:59):
Oh, I was already a part of, Ididn't need them.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Yep Okay.
So many advocates for thedisabled, including some of
Jerry's kids, came to despisethe MDA telethon over time.
Despite its best intentions,they claim the telethon used
handicapped children as props.
Some critics even claim theportrayal of victim children
(34:26):
widened the divide betweenable-bodied people and the
disabled.
Some of the images that wereshown even triggered fear, which
is really weird.
Unless it was triggering fearin the disabled kids, then
that's different.
I don't know what imagesthey're talking about.
There was also intense debatewithin MDA about diverting the
(34:48):
public's attention to cures tonormalize people with
disabilities, which entirelyignored more urgent issues like
providing accessible buildings,transportation, employment
opportunities and other basicrights.
It also paid little attentionto adults, despite about 70% of
all people with MD being adults.
The telethon telethon solelypromoted children and did not
(35:12):
fully represent the real livesof people who lived with md.
got it yeah, that makes sense itdoes, and this is what I'm
talking about.
You.
You didn't get some people withmd in the room and say, hey,
how should we do this?
Speaker 3 (35:28):
um, it's kind of the same thing, I think, as the um
the cochlear implant push.
That was happening where somegranted some deaf people are all
for it.
Some deaf people are likethere's nothing wrong with me,
right, stop pushing it I agreewith that.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
It's like stop pushing it exactly.
I don't want to hear what youhave to say anyway.
Yeah, still, it's hard to arguewith the impact of the mda
telethon and its legacy as acultural force.
The telethon, the marathon of atelethon, had a bit of
everything, though it was oftena tedious mess.
(36:09):
We'd get the latest medicalresearch updates, akira is just
around the corner, stalecelebrity interviews, a parade
of public service announcements,guilt-inducing videos, off-key
musical performances and lots ofhas-been stand-up comedy skits.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
I do remember that it was glorious at the time to me
as a child how many comedianswere shoved on stage by their
agents to do decades-old actsand try to be funny.
At 9.35 am, just moments after,everyone watched a
gut-wrenching video of Jerry'skids pleading tearfully from
wheelchairs.
That made me laugh.
(36:52):
The first time too, most of theMDA telethons were held in Las
Vegas casinos, which I didn'trealize as they were going
through.
They were talking about whereit was held and it never
occurred to me that it was at acasino.
I don't know where I would havethought it would have been.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
I mean it makes sense because they usually have like
a convention.
Yeah, like I'm sure they're notdoing anything.
I don't remember, but maybe Ido remember and that's what my
gambling issue started.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Blame it on Jerry Lewis, I like it.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
I am going to guess.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
And it had nothing to do with the fact that my
parents took us to Atlantic Cityall the time.
Well, my dad, my dad andstepmom took us to Seaside
Heights in Jersey when we werelittle and there were slot
machines right on the boardwalk.
I mean just rows and rows androws of nickel machines and all
the fun things for kids to do,10, 11, 12 years old.
They'd set us free.
You know, it was like that backthen.
We'd go get rolls of nickelsand sit and play the slot
(37:56):
machines.
Yeah, we never had a chance.
We really didn't.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
We really didn't.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Lewis was sincere in his care, compassion, compassion
and commitment to mda and thechildren.
Unfortunately, he also made anumber of controversial
statements later in his life andwas accused of sexual
harassment by multiple women.
Shocker um that one nevershocks me, I don't care who the
person is.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
Um charges that severely tarnished his legacy
sometimes I think about that andI'm like what celebrity would I
just if I found out that theywere.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
That was like a sexual harassment issue
harassment or any sexual,because, kevin spacey's, that
one kicked me really.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
I mean, I could see it, I think because he's, but
like I think, if it were to comeout about like tomanks, I think
that would be very upsetting.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Like David Letterman.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
Didn't he have one come out about him?
Speaker 2 (38:57):
He had an affair.
He cheated on his wife.
That's what it was.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
That's his business.
Yeah, I don't know.
I feel like some celebrities.
It would just be devastating.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Yeah, definitely yeah .
And who has it been devastating?
Um, I don't know, I don't know,but I do that.
I don't know why this made methink of it, but eric kane is
that his name from grace anatomymcdreamy?
Yeah, I saw that last night yousaw that interview too yes I
(39:33):
knew he was sick.
I didn't know he was that sickalready.
No, it was so sad.
He doesn't even look the sameno, I wouldn't have recognized
that's what I told amy.
I was with her when I waswatching it and I was like, if,
if you wouldn't have told methat was him, I wouldn't have
known that if you haven'twatched gray's anatomy, here's
the spoiler alert.
His death is probably thesaddest thing you'll ever see
(39:54):
besides George's death.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
Yes, yeah that show was filled with sad deaths that
show was great for crying surethat show was great for that's a
good show.
I haven't.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
I know I've been thinking about going back.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
I have too, I just I don't know, I've tried to watch
I think I'm a couple seasonsbehind and I've tried to watch.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
I think I'm a couple seasons behind and I've tried to
go back and watch those, but itonce sandra o left I just I
think it lost it yeah, yeah,especially leaving it and trying
to come back to it now I thinkI would need to go back and
watch my og people.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
I think you have to start from.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
Yeah and then there's like 15 years of it, so it
would be yeah, and I don'tremember anything, so it would
be all brand new to me, allbrand new I remember that damn
plane crash.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
Yes, yes, and lex, I know okay, yeah I'm gonna start
crying all right.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
So on may 1st 2015, mda announced that the 2014 show
of strength would be thetelethon's last broadcast.
In announcing the end of thetelethon's 49 year run, mda
president and CEO Stephen Dirksnoted the move was influenced by
the realities of televisionviewing and philanthropic giving
(41:10):
.
By the realities of televisionviewing and philanthropic giving
.
Note the viral success of theIce Bucket Challenge that built
awareness and funds to combatALS.
Instead, mda will focus on new,creative and organic ways to
raise support for theorganization and its mission,
including mobile and digitalmedia.
I think I saw that they havelike a virtual telethon.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Well, I mean part of the.
So I think probably the problemnow is there's like so many
different causes to give yourmoney to, to and unless you are,
um, very familiar with aspecific disorder, or right
(42:01):
handicap or anything like that.
I mean, I just don't think youwould be able, not like you did
by a 24-hour telephone right tosympathize not so much
sympathize, but to really wrapyour head around to give your
money, yeah, um, so I thinkthat's probably plus nobody's
gonna watch it.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
I mean, nobody's gonna sit there and watch 24
hours no way, there's no way,yeah, so no, no one would
definitely watch that now Idon't have the patient.
I put on the Macy's Day Paradefor like 10 minutes and then I'm
like okay, good enough.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
Yeah, I just don't.
I think people On to the nextone.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
But like you said before, they had us cornered
Like what else were you going towatch?
Especially at two in themorning.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
And I think now, with everything being able to, I
think you probably could, if youcould find a way to go viral.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
I think that's the best way to do it at this point
Like the ALS Ice BucketChallenge.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
You know it was very effective.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Yeah, definitely, that was a fun challenge.
I did it I don't usually getinto things, I did it too.
Speaker 3 (43:02):
But Me and my little sister Elena.
Oh, that's right, I rememberthat yeah.
I let her dump bucket of ice onmy head.
No, I know.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
You would let her do anything.
Yeah.
So in 2016, lewis broke afive-year silence by appearing
in an online video endorsingMDA's redesigned website,
declaring that the work MDAstarted must go on.
Declaring that the work mdastarted must go on.
(43:34):
It would turn out to be hisfinal mda appearance, as he died
on august 20th, 19 or 2017, atthe age of 91.
I do remember when he died, see, and that's funny because, yeah
, but yeah, reading through thisand just really putting an
adult perspective on it, I don'tknow how adults watched it.
Speaker 3 (43:52):
Like I said, as a kid , with the tally board and the
confetti and the music, it wasentertaining to me right, but at
the time I mean we think thatbecause we are adults now, with
the 24-hour news and TikTok andeverything, I mean we have the
(44:14):
same issue.
Yes, we remember back to thosedays but we have the same issue
that the kids have now.
Absolutely, our attention spanonly lasts the two minutes,
three minutes.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
Yeah, I mean, there's so much to watch, We'll put a
show on and we'll watch 10minutes, look at each other and
be like meh, I mean we'veliterally not given it a chance,
I think.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
So you know, looking back, you know probably adults
at the time I mean, it was alsocelebrities that they probably
that is true, the crooners werereally big.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Yes, the crooners were yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:53):
And they were the brat pack.
So so you know, I think a lotof people always wanted to know
what they were doing and whatwas like the kardashians?
Speaker 2 (44:58):
yeah, it was like a a world that was foreign to most
people, but so glamorous yeahand I'm sure it was not, but no,
but the money and the clothesand the jewelry, the vegas
drinks and yeah, yeah, it waspretty fancy, I guess, yeah, I,
I guess I could see it beingentertaining back then.
(45:19):
I forget that everything wasreally cheesy back then well,
and that's just it.
Speaker 3 (45:24):
Yeah, like we've we have.
I know I've said it on here.
I don't know why we have theseweird channels that are just
like one show is the only thingon the channel, and it was
anyway.
We were watching Three'sCompany the other day.
And you know, watching it back.
Well, we, I remembered he didnot remember that there was a
spinoff that was Three's a crowd.
(45:44):
And watching it back you'relike I don't even know what was
going on.
I don't know, I just things weredifferent then.
Very so I think we're seeing itas a perspective of adults
today.
Fair enough, and we weren'tadults then.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
And what was the song you said that he?
Speaker 3 (46:09):
Oh, You'll Never Walk Alone.
Speaker 2 (46:12):
Yeah, you said, that's what Jerry Lewis sang at
the end of each one.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
I don't remember that part I, I kind of do, but well,
they probably ended it probablylike prime time sunday, I would
think um, that would make themost sense, although I don't
know.
Did you happen to say whatstation it was on?
Was it on?
Speaker 2 (46:31):
all of them.
I didn't put that in here, butyeah, it was on like 64 stations
and then a bunch of other likesmaller stations.
It was on everything oh.
Speaker 3 (46:42):
Was it a specific network?
Speaker 2 (46:43):
Oh, like ABC yeah yeah, yeah, I did not see
anything specific to that.
Anything that I read, I don'tremember.
Speaker 3 (46:52):
So I would imagine, because I know a lot of TV shows
.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
I wonder if it was on all the channels.
I don't know I mean there's oneway to find that out.
Speaker 3 (47:04):
Came on ABC.
We took a minute.
Speaker 2 (47:06):
We Googled it.
Speaker 3 (47:08):
It was on ABC and my guess.
I didn't look this part upbecause it is really hard to
find anything.
I'm going to go out on a limband guess that it ended right
before the wonderful world ofDisney started on a Sunday night
Sounds about right.
Yeah, that would be my guess,because also on ABC, which is
funny because they own ABC nowDisney.
Speaker 2 (47:28):
Oh yeah, it all comes full circle.
It really does.
Speaker 3 (47:35):
Oh, speaking of that, I need to start writing things
down.
Did you see that the Muppetthing ended at Disney?
Speaker 2 (47:44):
No, yes, no yes.
Speaker 3 (47:47):
It's gone.
Speaker 2 (47:47):
Why and I?
Speaker 3 (47:48):
think they said Jim Henson's daughter was the last
one to walk into.
Speaker 2 (47:52):
Yeah, yeah why would you take that out?
Speaker 3 (47:56):
they're putting something else up, I don't know
what something for the newstupidly children's the new
children's.
I don't know I, but I did seethat was ending and I I'm a huge
Muppets fan, like just Me too.
I don't know if he stilllistens, but our friend, we
walked like I don't know itseemed like 47 miles in our
(48:25):
docks, in the pouring ass, coldrain, to go watch the Muppet
Christmas Carol.
Oh goodness sakes, when we werein college Big Muppets.
I in college big Muppets.
I really loved the Muppets, metoo.
It was the first movie I eversaw.
Speaker 2 (48:36):
Yeah, I watched the show religiously.
I bet if I watched it now I'dknow most of the words to most
of the songs they have it on.
Speaker 3 (48:46):
I think Disney, I think Disney Plus has it.
I just I don't know Whatever.
Enough about the Muppets.
Speaker 2 (48:54):
Yes, that closed.
Speaker 3 (48:55):
If you're going to Disney World, it's not there
anymore, Don't even bother.
Yeah, so ABC, I remember.
I guess I guess I remember it.
I think more than that.
I remember Telephones were justa big thing then, See, I don I
remember it.
I think more than that Iremember.
Speaker 2 (49:13):
Telephones were just a big thing then.
See, I don't remember, oh, mpthad it.
Speaker 3 (49:18):
You all don't have the M in front of your.
Pt, but I did your publictelevision.
They always had telephones, ohyeah.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
Where you call and get this nice tote bag.
No, they still do that.
I know If you donate $25,.
Speaker 3 (49:34):
you too can have this nice tote bag, but the PBS does
that.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (49:39):
And NPR as well.
Speaker 3 (49:41):
Mine's MPT Maryland Public Television.
Oh excuse me, but I forget it'salso PBS.
Speaker 2 (49:49):
Yeah, I don't even think that NPR told me anything
good this week.
It's all just World War.
Speaker 3 (49:56):
III Good times yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:02):
Sorry, I tried not to go there.
Speaker 3 (50:04):
I know this one we decided figured was going to be
short because A it's verydifficult to find stuff and you
know, last couple ones have beenvery, very long yes, so we'll
give you a little break yeah, um, did you have anything else?
Uh, nope about, she does lovejerry lewis I, yeah, I think
(50:28):
he's funny.
Speaker 2 (50:28):
I love Lucille Ball.
She's into that, like I loveall that stuff.
Yeah, again, my dad watched alot of that stuff too.
Yeah, and if you want to seehow cute our dads were when they
were young, yeah, we have themup on the Facebook page.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
They were posted for Father's Day Me and my dad and
her and her dad.
Speaker 2 (50:48):
Yep, yep, yeah, hanging out you can definitely
see that I lived in a van andyou can see I was a little fancy
, always been fancy.
Speaker 3 (51:02):
I'm not going to lie.
Actually, if you look at thosepictures on the Facebook page,
you will definitely see I looklike a dirt ball and she is
fancy.
Speaker 2 (51:13):
I have pin, street clean hair, pretty dress I had.
Speaker 3 (51:17):
I was rocking my dorothy camel haircut and cut
off jeans and I was dirty so.
So, speaking of that, youshould check out our socials,
because that's where you willsee pictures of us as children,
um, and pictures of us as adults, probably.
(51:38):
I don't, I don't know, I don'treally get on the facebook page
much.
I shouldn't say that, butthat's her bag.
So, like share rate review,find us where you listen to
podcasts.
Follow us on all the socials,please.
Um, you can.
No, I gotta think of somethingI didn't.
(51:58):
If you would like to send us anemail about jerry's kids, you
can send it to like whatever podat gmailcom or don't Like
whatever.
Whatever, bye.
Speaker 2 (52:11):
Bye, bye.
Two best friends.
We're talking the past, frommistakes to arcades.
We're having a blast.
Teenage dreams, neon screens,it was all rad and no one knew
me Like you know.
It's like whatever.
Together forever, we're neverthe best ever Laughing and
sharing our stories.
Clever, we'll take you back.
(00:25):
It's like whatever.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Welcome to Like Whatever a podcast for.
By and about Gen X, I'm Nicoleand this is my BFF, heather.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Konnichiwa, I'm gonna learn hello in every language.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yay, I love it.
Sign language.
I'll tell you when she doesthat one, because you won't see
it and I think I missed enoughin there.
But it definitely wasn't theone that stands for fuck.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
I promise you that no she never leaves the fuck out
of anywhere.
I do not.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
So how was your week?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
It was a week week.
I don't even remember what Idid, yeah, so all right, there's
that I mean it's uh.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Father's day was two days ago, so shout out to the
dads out there yes, I got totext with mine.
Oh, I'm having a phone callwith him tonight, oh nice yep,
yep, texting mine mostly becauseI told my mom to let him die
the other day.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
He didn't know that was his own fault.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
It is his own fault no one whatever, but a Gen X
memory I had of my dad onFather's Day was when I was
really little, so like five, mymom, I don't know, was at school
, maybe I don't know at school,maybe I don't know.
In the evenings it would justbe me and my dad.
I don't know where she was, um,I really don't, but we he would
(01:53):
let me stay up late and wewould play toss across for hours
.
You remember toss across?
No, I don't.
It was a big um plastic floor,tic-tac-toe board, and it had,
uh, you had three blue um beanbags, yes, and three red ones,
uh-huh, and you threw and triedto get, yeah, yeah, you know
(02:15):
what we did?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
we played poker.
Yep, we sure did, with pretzels, yeah, and saltines and um we
probably had cheese, my dad'sbig cheese.
I did used to eat sardinesandwiches with him too I know
but, he was my dad, so I waslike okay my dad used to wake my
(02:37):
sister up in the middle of thenight just to have a bowl of
cereal or bowl of ice cream withher.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Aww, yeah, he didn't do that with you though, right.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
No, I.
It's funny because I look.
No, I do look like my mom.
When I was a kid, I looked likemy dad, but my dad and I are
exactly the same person.
Well, kind of Like we fight thesame.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
You are very much alike.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Yes, very stubborn.
He is way more athletic than me.
And my sister is way moreathletic, so he and my sister
were close, but I was close withmy mom.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
You're a lot like your mom too.
I think you're both a prettygood combination of the two,
Combination of both yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
It's so weird because I think she looks like my dad
and I look exactly like my momand people call us twins all the
time.
I don't think we look anythingalike.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
No, and if you look at pictures of your mom young,
she looks like Jessica.
I know it's weird, right, it'sreally weird, I know.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
It's crazy.
And then yesterday I wasthinking about well, because
I've been listening to Datelinepodcast, Well, because I've been
listening to.
Dateline podcast and thepodcast I was listening to the
other day.
The person called their siblingand the sibling knew there was
something wrong by the wordingthat was used and I was like I
know exactly what wording Iwould use to my sister to get
(04:01):
her to pick it up.
And I know she'd pick it uplike as soon as I said it.
I know she would either If Icalled her sis, because you know
how I fucking hate this.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Or if I called her Jesse.
Oh yeah, yeah, nobody calls.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Me that I mean a lot of people.
She hates it, yeah, so if Iwere to call her that cause I
don't, even though hates it.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah, so if I were to call her that because I?
Speaker 3 (04:27):
don't, even though you know, for all the fighting
we've ever had, I don't evercall her that, so that's how I
would you know.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah well, you did name her, so you have to respect
the name exactly.
I mean, it's a good name, it'sa good name.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
What did you do?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
uh, I had a great like relaxing weekend.
I got some me time, excellent.
The third season of Ginny inGeorgia came out and I binged
the whole thing.
I can't even tell you the lasttime, like for as much as I talk
about TV shows that I watch,like the last time I really sat
for two solid days and watched.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
I mean they were an hour apiece and it's ten
episodes.
I have the next two days offand I don't.
I know I'm gonna clean mycarpet because it's pretty
fucking bad, but beyond that Idon't know what I'm gonna do
yeah, yeah, stare at the wall,yep.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
So I had some really good down time just relaxing.
Um, I don't think reallyanything else exciting no I
don't think I.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I feel like I did, but then I don't.
I should really start writingthese things down, you should,
yeah but I don't.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I do and I still don't know what I want to talk
about.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I text my dad on father's day, so he's clearly
still alive, because he didanswer okay, yeah, nice, he's
been sick.
That's I know, you know, butfor other people I'm not just
being a jackass.
He has been sick and refused togo to the emergency room.
Yep, and my mother was veryupset about it and I said just
(05:58):
let him die.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Then if he wants to die let him fucking die.
And then what did your sistersay?
The same, exact same so yeah,I'm not just being an ignorant
ass no, I also wanted to give aquick shout out to our friend
pat, because he is just sosupportive.
He is very supportive and he'sjust, and he just got back from
(06:20):
phoenix.
Uh, for book signing likeweekend with his people, or a
week it looks like you had areally great time, but we
appreciate you, pat, and we lovethat you put out there what
we're talking about yes, and uh,try to get people to listen you
.
You are definitely our numberone fan, so shout out to pat,
yay, pat, yay pat and his bookis really good, so she read it
(06:43):
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
He's getting a lot of goodreviews on it.
It is very good.
He keeps getting five starreviews.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
We need to get him on here and send me an email.
I figured out how to do yesvideo.
We did we did I learned how toedit.
Yes, yes, so yeah, email usyeah, anybody else who wants to
be on here and you want to emailus, you know yeah, we think we
figured it out.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Yeah, we did.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Now I got it we, and because I did, I might.
I'm just gonna put this outthere a because maybe it will
happen, but I have a line on acelebrity that I could get on.
I don't know if I could get himon here, but I could definitely
get a.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Probably, definitely, probably could get an interview
with Just saying just puttingit out there.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
There's a possibility that we could get a celebrity.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
That would be so exciting.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Oh my gosh, she knows who it is.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I do know who it is and I'm very excited for who it
is.
Yes, pretty fucking exciting.
Yeah, one of one of my favoritethings about gen x.
All right, so before we getgoing, if you could all please
like share rate review.
Um, you can find us whereveryou listen to podcast.
Follow us on all the socials,at like whatever pod um, we are
(08:05):
on youtube, and you can send usan email to like whatever pod at
gmailcom.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
We'll we'll start scheduling out.
We record on tuesdays most yeah, get your emails in soon,
because unless it's a holiday,and then we, yes, then we record
on the holiday and if somebodygen dies, then you get bumped,
you get bumped Unless you wantto talk about that person.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's true.
I guess that's true.
That's only on her week too.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
It's not my weeks.
We don't find out until likefive minutes before we record,
just book on Heather's weeks.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
You're safe, all right.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
So today, let's fuck around and find out about the
Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon.
I know we're just going to comestraight out the gate on this
one.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
This is a person that Nicole and I have always
disagreed on so growing up I wasa huge Jerry Lewis fan.
I just love slapstick physicalcomedy.
My dad's silly like that.
He's not necessarily physically, but he's goofy, silly, funny,
talks in funny voices, thingslike that.
(09:23):
So maybe that was my drawvoices like things like that.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
So I maybe that was my draw, but um so yeah, so I I
love the tell.
Did you watch the tell?
I did, well, I do I.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
You have memories of watching the tell us.
I do have memories of watchingthe tell okay, um, so firstly,
uh, my info comes from MentalFloss, an author named Dylan
Dalla, and I had to go wiki alittle bit this week.
Turns out not a lot of peoplereally have a lot of information
out there about the Jerry LewisTelethon, which is probably a
(09:57):
really bad idea for the podcastthis week.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
But here we are.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Here we are, but it was fun reading through this
stuff and actually getting anadult perspective on it as well,
because I didn't even know itwent into the 2000s, I think I
did, I don't know.
I guess I don't know that Ieven watched it anymore once.
I wasn't a kid, right, I mean Idon't think I ever watched it,
(10:28):
but well, I can remember it wasalways kind of neat because, um,
it's one of the good memoriesthat I have with my mom was I.
Every year, for whatever reason, I would wake up in the middle
of the night and go out, andshe'd be able to like two in the
morning sitting in the dark inthe living room watching the
Jerry Lewis telethon, and shewould always make me blueberry
waffles.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
I think the thing I remember most about the Jerry
Lewis telethon is him in histuxedo with his tie, his bow tie
, undone.
I don't know why that memorysticks out so much, but that's.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Yeah, and even as a little kid it blew my mind how
long they were long.
That they went on.
They were long but it was.
So it was kind of reallymagical to me, um, back then,
and I loved watching it andreading about it.
I'm like, oh yeah, I guess itwasn't really all that great and
uh, there is a littlecontroversy here and there
(11:16):
around it, jerry lewis,controversy stop yeah, that
hurts my feelings a little bit,but yeah, but yeah, but that's
okay.
Hey, he deserves it.
All right.
So the background of the jerrylewis telethon uh, tv's first
telethon took place in 1949.
(11:38):
Uh, it was new york's damonrunyon memorial cancer fund
telethon and it was hosted bymilton burrell, aka the snowman
in santa claus cummings town ifyou want to hear more about that
, we have an episode on that.
I don't remember what's thename the island of the misfit.
(11:59):
Something about the misfit toys, yep yep, the podcast of misfit
toys there we, so go back andlisten to that.
Yeah, that's my job here, I justgo back, I remember, because
you have the memory.
I remember what the thing is.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
And I name every one of them.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
All right.
So one of the guests on thatvery first telethon was a brash
young comedian who appeared withhis singing partner, dean
martin.
The young comic was, of course,jerry lewis.
At the time, martin and lewiswere the hottest act in all of
showbiz.
That's in the good old, good olddays oh yeah uh, the comedy
(12:36):
team later made an appearance atthe 1952 olympic fun telethon
hosted by bob hope and ben croscrosby.
Another good combo there.
Yeah, I don't think there's anycontroversy around either of
those gentlemen.
Not at all.
It's not at all bing crosby um,you know what, speaking of
(12:58):
which I, rod stewart is on in ontour right now and it just
grosses me out so bad.
Okay hold on Okay.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
How the hell.
Digest that Rod Stewart has tobe 147 years old, he's in big
stadiums.
Look so my first 45, becausethat's how old we are.
My first 45 was hot legs, Ofcourse I mean I know you all
(13:29):
know.
If you don't know how, myparents were.
You can check back on dragon'sdream to see how I was raised to
know that rod stewart's hotlegs would indeed be the first
45 I ever got, and I listen tothe lyrics now and I'm like wow.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
I mean he literally sang a song about a 15 year old.
Yes, and I don't want to hearit.
Was the time sociallyacceptable?
It has never been okay to havesex with children.
I don't care.
I don't care, I will stand onthat.
Back to the castles and allthat shit.
It's never been okay.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I don't care if they only live to be 30.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
It is not okay no, don't, don't, just don't, just
don't.
So yeah, so me seeing him likestill pulling a crowd, I'm like
yeah, he's not canceled, likegross I don't think any of them
were I mean if you think aboutit, they, they all had.
Well, that is true.
I bet it would be hard to findwhether they knowingly or not.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
A rock and roller who did not have sex, ted Nugent,
all day long, I mean.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
And you know, 15, 16 year olds were getting in his
groupies.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
Well, he has a song and they weren't IDing them.
He has a song I mean Ted Nugent.
But whatever, we won't go there.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Yeah, I think we're going to hit on a couple more
too as we go.
Well, here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Before we go any further.
Okay, I meant to say this upfront and I forgot Because I've
had fireball.
So last week's episode yes, didgarner a little bit of.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Hostility yeah bullshit.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
yes, did garner a little bit of hostility, yeah,
bullshit trolls we don't makeany money off of this podcast
nobody's paying anything tolisten.
Nobody, this is just us if youwant to listen to us go on about
shit, that's great.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
We appreciate you, but you know, if you don't, um,
let's fuck off if you don't wantto see a um pride flag in your
feed, if it hurts your littlepussy when you see that um, then
you can go into facebook andyou can actually like go to our
page and block us so that youcan make sure that you never see
(15:42):
anything else from us again sothere are ways around it without
giving your bigoted opinions onour feed, but you, you don't
need to listen if you want tohave a bigoted opinion and you
want to tell us all about it.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
I don't, I really don't care.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
We know you're out there.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
We don't have 47 million people listening.
So really your opinion?
Yeah, she's like an asshole.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Everybody's got one, okay okay, okay, moving on,
there is surviving footage ofthis appearance by martin and
lawrence and they areuninhibited, wild and electric.
Incredibly, when martin andlewis come to stage, ben crosby
rushes off in fear.
Crosby was terrified.
Lew Lewis would pull his toupeeoff, yep, and he never
(16:30):
reappeared when the boys were onstage.
Oh man, men are funny so.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
In the early 1950s, lewis was asked to host a
telethon for a little-knowndisease called muscular
dystrophy.
Lewis accepted and togetherwith Martin put on the very
first MD telethon.
The two hosted other telethonstogether until their split as a
team in 1956.
Martin went on to other things,but Lewis never stopped in 1956
(17:06):
.
Martin went on to other things,but Lewis never stopped.
Over the years he hostedseveral other four-hour muscular
dystrophy telethons sans Martin, much shorter than the almost
24-hour telethons to which weover Labor Day weekend, and it
(17:29):
broadcast from the AmericanaHotel in New York.
Some were skeptical about thesuccess of the undertaking as
many people were not home onLabor Day, but surprisingly the
telethon was a huge success,raising just over $1 million.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
You know, that is pretty crazy.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Like I don't know.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
It's the last weekend of summer.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Yeah, you'd think people would be out doing summer
shit, yeah.
But I'm also thinking back towhen my kids were little and you
did back then go to school theday after Labor Day, like that
was always, so maybe you werehome, you, you know it was put
it on get getting ready yeah,getting lunches packed, getting
back into a routine yeah,getting everybody to bed at a
(18:13):
decent time, like all that stuff.
So maybe I don't know.
I don't know, but yeah, um.
So jerry lewis's annual laborday telethons went on to raise
more than $2 billion indonations to fight muscular
dystrophy.
Lewis claimed his goal eachyear was to get $1 more and I
remember that, yes Than theprevious year.
(18:35):
The biggest single donationsover the years and I remember
this too have come from theFirefighters Association, who
have given more than $250,000 tothe cause.
I always remembered it was abig deal when the firefighters
came out to present their check.
Nothing has hurt Lewis morethan accusations that he has
(18:55):
pocketed some of the donatedmoney himself, which I don't
believe that.
But what do I know?
He vigorously denies this claimand he even swears he has given
seven million dollars out ofhis own pocket to the cause.
He has been accused includingby some who are stricken with md
of exploiting his quote-unquotekids, portraying them as
(19:17):
pitiable victims who just need abig charity to take care of or
cure them.
Lew Lewis has fought backagainst these charges too.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
I think the problem is is there's a such a fine line
of exploitation and education?
Speaker 2 (19:37):
That and I know from personal experience with my
career I I I have never had anyissue with disabled people, but
I didn't know disabled peopleand there are things that would
offend them that you wouldn'trealize.
Like it's very condescending tosay to them oh good for you,
(19:59):
yeah, like, oh great, yay, youdid it, like yeah.
So I think maybe the intentionswere good, but if you're going
to do something like this, youneed to educate yourself a
little bit more on what you'redealing with.
Yeah, and there are otherproblematic things we'll get to
(20:19):
as we go.
I'm shocked.
Many of the biggest celebritiesin show business have either
hosted or appeared on Lewis'stelethons over the years,
including Frank Sinatra, sammyDavis Jr and three of the
Beatles.
In John Lennon's appearancewith Waifu Okono, he stated
Jerry is one of our favoritecomedians.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
I feel like that's probably a lie.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
The ultra-reclusive, joe DiMaggio, came on to answer
phones one year and even a USpresident, ronald Reagan, made
an appearance.
He's an actor, of course he did.
Yeah, I was going to say.
He's a celebrity, but theall-time highlight of telethon
history was unequivocally thereunion of Jerry Lewis and his
(21:04):
former partner, dean Martin in1976, staged by their mutual
friend Frank Sinatra.
It was an incredible moment intelevision history, being Martin
and Lewis's first publicappearance together in 20 years.
The two tearfully hugged,kitted around and cracked a few
one-liners before Martin andSinatra sang, after which Martin
(21:26):
disappeared with a wave and afriendly ciao.
Lewis has always worn his hearton his sleeve regarding his
deep affection for his formerpartner.
I think it's so funny they keepcalling him his partner because
apparently Martin was reallybothered by it Because, while
Martin was always Mr Macho andrarely displayed any kind of
emotion in public.
But if you watch the video, youwill see Martin quickly sneak a
(21:49):
brief kiss on Louis's cheek asthey hug.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Well, okay, but that's probably a cultural thing
.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
I was going to say it was very commonplace.
I mean, that's what Italians do.
Yeah, a lot of Europeans do.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Italians will kiss you square in the lips, yeah
yeah, or both cheeks.
My mom Coming hot, like if youdon't kiss her on the lips,
she's pissed.
It's not just you kiss her onthe lips.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
She's so cute, she will All right.
And then one of my favorites,and I please tell me there
wasn't any controversy around EdMcMahon.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
I don't think so either.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
I think I've never, I've never, I've never.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Okay, good, because I always liked Ed McMahon.
My dad was a huge Johnny Carsonfan, so we watched a lot of
that.
And then, of course, ed McMahonwas on the telethon for a lot
of years.
So in early 1973, the year Iwas born, lewis asked Ed McMahon
to be his co-host for the show,and McMahon continued in that
role, similar to his regularposition as announcer and
(22:52):
sidekick of the Tonight Showstarring Johnny Carson.
Mcmahon was Lewis's announcer,voicing the intros and outros of
each segment, welcomingcorporate and charitable
sponsors with their donationsand calling for a roll of a
timpani drum for eachmillion-dollar mark passed on
the tote board.
Timpani drum for each milliondollar mark passed on the tote
(23:15):
board.
Johnny carson, himself alongtime friend of lewis,
surprised viewers by opening the1970 telethon with a tonight
show style monologue while lewisstood backstage, a role that
carson repeated in 1991 and 1971and 1972, until the telethon
moved to Vegas.
I want to go back to Vegas sobad I know We'll go soon.
(23:38):
We'll make it work.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Do you know what happened In Vegas?
No, it stayed there.
It stayed there, no.
So you know that app that Ijust between you and me.
You know that app that I gambleon, just between you and me.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
You know that app that I gamble on.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
They just added Texas Hold'em poker, I know, and
there's only a $2 buy-in whatyeah?
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Oh man, stop telling me things like that.
All right, mcmahon, borrowingfrom Carson's prognosticating
character, carmack theMagnificent, also made
predictions on what the finaltotal of funds raised would be,
and from 1970 through 1979, hewas spot on many years missing
by as little as thousands ofdollars.
(24:26):
Considering the final tallies,the practice was abandoned after
the 1982 telethon raised $2million less than the previous
year, which Lewis attributed tothe severe 1980-82 recession
that had gripped the US.
The trend of taking a breakduring the telethon was started
(24:47):
in 1985 by McMahon.
Much like his role with Carson,mcmahon would co-host only when
Lewis was hosting, with hisduties as co-host filled in by
others when Lewis was away.
Mcmahon died June 23rd 2009.
The 2009 edition of thetelethon paid tribute to McMahon
with a special video tribute,narrated by Lewis, which played
(25:11):
during the first hour of theshow I don't think I realized
that ed mcmahon died in thatlong ago yeah, it keeps
happening to me that I onlyrealize people died, yeah, and
sometimes I think of somebody.
I'm like did they?
Are they alive?
Are you alive?
Like how old?
Would they even be?
Let's see.
(25:34):
Following the tribute, lewisintroduced McMahon's wife,
pamela, who was in the audienceDuring the telethon for that
year.
Jan Carl assumed McMahon'sduties during Lewis's hours on
air, while Sean Parr billboardedthe start and end of each
(25:54):
segment.
So here's the crazy part whydid Jerry Lewis do it?
Why did Jerry Lewis do it?
You would assume, just withyour basic knowledge, he had his
sibling with muscular dystrophy.
He had a niece or nephew.
I don't know if he had any kidsof his own, but it's none of
(26:16):
that.
So anyway, it's none of that.
One of the biggest mysteries ofall regarding his unceasing
dedication to the MuscularDystrophy Association is why
does Jerry do it?
Association is why does Jerrydo it?
Oddly, lewis has never revealedto anyone the exact reason.
While no one may ever know thereal reason, a little known
(26:37):
story about Lewis is verytelling.
When he was two years old,lewis developed a strange and
potentially crippling disease.
According to Lewis, his belovedgrandmother nursed him and,
although a very strict Jew,cooked him bacon and crammed it
into his mouth to help fight offthe impending sickness.
What potential disease it was,we have no idea, but Lewis has
(26:59):
stated this story is true.
If so, the frightening memoryof a debilitating disease may
have had at least some impact onhis tireless work in the fight
against muscular dystrophy.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
I'm going to tell you that that's exactly why I eat
bacon.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
It's to stave off sickness.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
A piece of bacon a day, you cram it in there.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
A piece of bacon a day keeps the doctor away.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Oh yeah, yeah, apples have too many pesticides on
them.
Fuck apples.
They got worms the nationalmuscular dystrophy association
announced that in 2011, for thefirst time since 1966, jerry
lewis would not be headliningthe annual mda telethon for
(27:46):
jerry's kids, after earning morethan two billion dollars.
The show was going on withouthim and I do remember when they
took him off, but I don'tremember any of this controversy
.
I assumed it was because he wasvery heavyset and pale and
sweaty and looked awful in thislast couple years that he did it
Like by the end that's how helooked.
(28:09):
So I mean, you're just too oldfor that, yeah, but every Labor
Day, the annual Jerry Lewis MDAtelethon was a national ritual.
It marked the end of summer andthe start of fall.
The show and pledge drive waspainful to watch at times, but
also gave us many tear jerkingmoments At times.
(28:29):
The teleth was must-see TV mostof the duration, clocking in at
21 hours straight on livetelevision.
Lewis on stage puffing awayconstantly on a lit cigarette.
It was an endless parade ofD-list celebrities interspersed
with agonizing promo pieces thatcritics insisted made the
handicapped objects of pity.
(28:51):
At its height in 1976, whichwas watched, at least in part,
by 85 million people, the MDAtelethon was bigger than the
Tonight Show.
Yeah, I mean, it was.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
I remember it being a thing.
Yeah, I remember.
I remember when I'm sure Iwatched it.
I know Just like when they onlyhad three channels.
I remember when I'm sure Iwatched it.
I know Just like we only hadthree channels, so it was really
hard to not watch it.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Like the Wizard of Oz was always a thing that came on
once a year.
We always watched that, yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
You don't like the Wizard of Oz?
No, oh, you're such a weirdo Iknow.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Why it's a musical.
Oh, fair.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
For one, okay, I didn't think.
I love musicals, so I didn'tthink about that.
For two, I don't know, I justit's too much.
It's too, it's doing you, bro,you're doing too much.
It's just too much, um I don't,it is a lot yeah, it is a lot
um, I don't, I don't know Veryacid trippy.
It's not just that, it's justlike it's long.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
I don't know, just doesn't catch your attention.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
No, never liked it.
Yeah, the witch dies.
I don't think that's right.
They just murder.
They murder both witches.
Yeah, like she's just trying toget revenge on the fact that
you dropped the fucking house onher sister and then took her
sister's shoes.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
That's fucked up, man .
It does kind of take away fromit too, that not Liza Minnelli,
her mom?
Yeah, talk about problematicJudy Garland.
Yes, thank you so much.
Yes, I actually had to juststop thinking about it because I
knew it wasn't going to comeand I knew you'd get it, so I
just waited for you.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
I don't know, I never got into it.
I don't know why.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
I mean that's fair, I get it, I loved it though.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
But anyway.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Judy Garland was like 12 when she filmed that and she
lived on cigarettes and coffee.
Yes, yeah, yeah, it's prettyawful.
Speaker 3 (30:54):
Probably cocaine.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Oh, no doubt she has to stay awake with no food in
her.
That's true.
I didn't let her eat no, somuscular dystrophy is still with
us.
It hasn't been cured.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Great Jerry.
What did you do then?
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Perhaps the power of these charity events and
telethons, which is bringingspecial needs to the public's
attention, is good, but it'sbetter to be aware than ignorant
, which is what we were talkingabout, and it's not your fault
if you're ignorant to somethingyou just don't have any exposure
to it.
But don't, be like well, theyshouldn't say that.
(31:37):
Or why can't I say that, likeif they tell you, don't say it,
don't fucking say it, don'tfucking say it.
Yeah, that's all.
They don't have to explain toyou why.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
No.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
All right.
So what happened to all thatmoney?
Who got it and where did it go?
Where did it go?
Apparently, some of it went inJerry Lewis's pocket.
On average, mda telethonsraised about 60 million a year,
sometimes more dollar tote boardon stage that was constantly
upticking to a monetary goal andthen, once certain thresholds
were crossed, many new year'seve celebrations would break out
while the audience cheered andthe band played and confetti
flew um, at least until the next10 million dollar cycle was
(32:23):
reached.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
I I remember.
I think the thing I remembermost is when, like they would
bring him a piece of paper andhe would read like yeah, that's
what I remember uh, some livemoments were riveting and
cringeworthy all at the sametime.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Every few hours, it seemed, some local kid was
invited up on stage clutching apiggy bank, or a seven-year-old
forked over the entirety of her42.65 in quarters d and nickels
that she had raised for MDA byrunning a neighborhood lemonade
stand.
These instances wereheartwarming but also bizarre,
given the executive base salaryof MDA's president's earning of
(33:01):
half a million dollars a year.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
Get out.
No way, stop it.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Yeah, this really broke my heart.
I'll not look at the charitylist.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
You know and here's the thing like about charities.
Okay, I have certain charitiesthat I give to.
Those are the only chance, sodon't be bugging me about any
other charity I've already.
I'm 50 fucking years old, Iknow what charities I want to
give to.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
I don't want to round up.
I don't want to give a dollar.
I don't want to round up, Idon't want to give a dollar.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
I don't want to do any of those things I have
already chosen the two charitiesthat I like to give to yes, so
leave me alone about it.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Unfortunately.
Speaker 3 (33:35):
I know for a fact that the one charity I like to
give to is a little on the iffyside.
However, the one charity that Ilike to give to, I may, in fact
, someday need because of whereI live.
Okay, that's all I have to sayabout that.
That is why I might actuallyhave to use that charity at some
point Yep, yep, gotcha and theother charity I give to.
(33:59):
Oh, I was already a part of, Ididn't need them.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Yep Okay.
So many advocates for thedisabled, including some of
Jerry's kids, came to despisethe MDA telethon over time.
Despite its best intentions,they claim the telethon used
handicapped children as props.
Some critics even claim theportrayal of victim children
(34:26):
widened the divide betweenable-bodied people and the
disabled.
Some of the images that wereshown even triggered fear, which
is really weird.
Unless it was triggering fearin the disabled kids, then
that's different.
I don't know what imagesthey're talking about.
There was also intense debatewithin MDA about diverting the
(34:48):
public's attention to cures tonormalize people with
disabilities, which entirelyignored more urgent issues like
providing accessible buildings,transportation, employment
opportunities and other basicrights.
It also paid little attentionto adults, despite about 70% of
all people with MD being adults.
The telethon telethon solelypromoted children and did not
(35:12):
fully represent the real livesof people who lived with md.
got it yeah, that makes sense itdoes, and this is what I'm
talking about.
You.
You didn't get some people withmd in the room and say, hey,
how should we do this?
Speaker 3 (35:28):
um, it's kind of the same thing, I think, as the um
the cochlear implant push.
That was happening where somegranted some deaf people are all
for it.
Some deaf people are likethere's nothing wrong with me,
right, stop pushing it I agreewith that.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
It's like stop pushing it exactly.
I don't want to hear what youhave to say anyway.
Yeah, still, it's hard to arguewith the impact of the mda
telethon and its legacy as acultural force.
The telethon, the marathon of atelethon, had a bit of
everything, though it was oftena tedious mess.
(36:09):
We'd get the latest medicalresearch updates, akira is just
around the corner, stalecelebrity interviews, a parade
of public service announcements,guilt-inducing videos, off-key
musical performances and lots ofhas-been stand-up comedy skits.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
I do remember that it was glorious at the time to me
as a child how many comedianswere shoved on stage by their
agents to do decades-old actsand try to be funny.
At 9.35 am, just moments after,everyone watched a
gut-wrenching video of Jerry'skids pleading tearfully from
wheelchairs.
That made me laugh.
(36:52):
The first time too, most of theMDA telethons were held in Las
Vegas casinos, which I didn'trealize as they were going
through.
They were talking about whereit was held and it never
occurred to me that it was at acasino.
I don't know where I would havethought it would have been.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
I mean it makes sense because they usually have like
a convention.
Yeah, like I'm sure they're notdoing anything.
I don't remember, but maybe Ido remember and that's what my
gambling issue started.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Blame it on Jerry Lewis, I like it.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
I am going to guess.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
And it had nothing to do with the fact that my
parents took us to Atlantic Cityall the time.
Well, my dad, my dad andstepmom took us to Seaside
Heights in Jersey when we werelittle and there were slot
machines right on the boardwalk.
I mean just rows and rows androws of nickel machines and all
the fun things for kids to do,10, 11, 12 years old.
They'd set us free.
You know, it was like that backthen.
We'd go get rolls of nickelsand sit and play the slot
(37:56):
machines.
Yeah, we never had a chance.
We really didn't.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
We really didn't.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Lewis was sincere in his care, compassion, compassion
and commitment to mda and thechildren.
Unfortunately, he also made anumber of controversial
statements later in his life andwas accused of sexual
harassment by multiple women.
Shocker um that one nevershocks me, I don't care who the
person is.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
Um charges that severely tarnished his legacy
sometimes I think about that andI'm like what celebrity would I
just if I found out that theywere.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
That was like a sexual harassment issue
harassment or any sexual,because, kevin spacey's, that
one kicked me really.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
I mean, I could see it, I think because he's, but
like I think, if it were to comeout about like tomanks, I think
that would be very upsetting.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Like David Letterman.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
Didn't he have one come out about him?
Speaker 2 (38:57):
He had an affair.
He cheated on his wife.
That's what it was.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
That's his business.
Yeah, I don't know.
I feel like some celebrities.
It would just be devastating.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Yeah, definitely yeah .
And who has it been devastating?
Um, I don't know, I don't know,but I do that.
I don't know why this made methink of it, but eric kane is
that his name from grace anatomymcdreamy?
Yeah, I saw that last night yousaw that interview too yes I
(39:33):
knew he was sick.
I didn't know he was that sickalready.
No, it was so sad.
He doesn't even look the sameno, I wouldn't have recognized
that's what I told amy.
I was with her when I waswatching it and I was like, if,
if you wouldn't have told methat was him, I wouldn't have
known that if you haven'twatched gray's anatomy, here's
the spoiler alert.
His death is probably thesaddest thing you'll ever see
(39:54):
besides George's death.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
Yes, yeah that show was filled with sad deaths that
show was great for crying surethat show was great for that's a
good show.
I haven't.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
I know I've been thinking about going back.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
I have too, I just I don't know, I've tried to watch
I think I'm a couple seasonsbehind and I've tried to watch.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
I think I'm a couple seasons behind and I've tried to
go back and watch those, but itonce sandra o left I just I
think it lost it yeah, yeah,especially leaving it and trying
to come back to it now I thinkI would need to go back and
watch my og people.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
I think you have to start from.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
Yeah and then there's like 15 years of it, so it
would be yeah, and I don'tremember anything, so it would
be all brand new to me, allbrand new I remember that damn
plane crash.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
Yes, yes, and lex, I know okay, yeah I'm gonna start
crying all right.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
So on may 1st 2015, mda announced that the 2014 show
of strength would be thetelethon's last broadcast.
In announcing the end of thetelethon's 49 year run, mda
president and CEO Stephen Dirksnoted the move was influenced by
the realities of televisionviewing and philanthropic giving
(41:10):
.
By the realities of televisionviewing and philanthropic giving
.
Note the viral success of theIce Bucket Challenge that built
awareness and funds to combatALS.
Instead, mda will focus on new,creative and organic ways to
raise support for theorganization and its mission,
including mobile and digitalmedia.
I think I saw that they havelike a virtual telethon.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Well, I mean part of the.
So I think probably the problemnow is there's like so many
different causes to give yourmoney to, to and unless you are,
um, very familiar with aspecific disorder, or right
(42:01):
handicap or anything like that.
I mean, I just don't think youwould be able, not like you did
by a 24-hour telephone right tosympathize not so much
sympathize, but to really wrapyour head around to give your
money, yeah, um, so I thinkthat's probably plus nobody's
gonna watch it.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
I mean, nobody's gonna sit there and watch 24
hours no way, there's no way,yeah, so no, no one would
definitely watch that now Idon't have the patient.
I put on the Macy's Day Paradefor like 10 minutes and then I'm
like okay, good enough.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
Yeah, I just don't.
I think people On to the nextone.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
But like you said before, they had us cornered
Like what else were you going towatch?
Especially at two in themorning.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
And I think now, with everything being able to, I
think you probably could, if youcould find a way to go viral.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
I think that's the best way to do it at this point
Like the ALS Ice BucketChallenge.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
You know it was very effective.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Yeah, definitely, that was a fun challenge.
I did it I don't usually getinto things, I did it too.
Speaker 3 (43:02):
But Me and my little sister Elena.
Oh, that's right, I rememberthat yeah.
I let her dump bucket of ice onmy head.
No, I know.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
You would let her do anything.
Yeah.
So in 2016, lewis broke afive-year silence by appearing
in an online video endorsingMDA's redesigned website,
declaring that the work MDAstarted must go on.
Declaring that the work mdastarted must go on.
(43:34):
It would turn out to be hisfinal mda appearance, as he died
on august 20th, 19 or 2017, atthe age of 91.
I do remember when he died, see, and that's funny because, yeah
, but yeah, reading through thisand just really putting an
adult perspective on it, I don'tknow how adults watched it.
Speaker 3 (43:52):
Like I said, as a kid , with the tally board and the
confetti and the music, it wasentertaining to me right, but at
the time I mean we think thatbecause we are adults now, with
the 24-hour news and TikTok andeverything, I mean we have the
(44:14):
same issue.
Yes, we remember back to thosedays but we have the same issue
that the kids have now.
Absolutely, our attention spanonly lasts the two minutes,
three minutes.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
Yeah, I mean, there's so much to watch, We'll put a
show on and we'll watch 10minutes, look at each other and
be like meh, I mean we'veliterally not given it a chance,
I think.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
So you know, looking back, you know probably adults
at the time I mean, it was alsocelebrities that they probably
that is true, the crooners werereally big.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Yes, the crooners were yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:53):
And they were the brat pack.
So so you know, I think a lotof people always wanted to know
what they were doing and whatwas like the kardashians?
Speaker 2 (44:58):
yeah, it was like a a world that was foreign to most
people, but so glamorous yeahand I'm sure it was not, but no,
but the money and the clothesand the jewelry, the vegas
drinks and yeah, yeah, it waspretty fancy, I guess, yeah, I,
I guess I could see it beingentertaining back then.
(45:19):
I forget that everything wasreally cheesy back then well,
and that's just it.
Speaker 3 (45:24):
Yeah, like we've we have.
I know I've said it on here.
I don't know why we have theseweird channels that are just
like one show is the only thingon the channel, and it was
anyway.
We were watching Three'sCompany the other day.
And you know, watching it back.
Well, we, I remembered he didnot remember that there was a
spinoff that was Three's a crowd.
(45:44):
And watching it back you'relike I don't even know what was
going on.
I don't know, I just things weredifferent then.
Very so I think we're seeing itas a perspective of adults
today.
Fair enough, and we weren'tadults then.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
And what was the song you said that he?
Speaker 3 (46:09):
Oh, You'll Never Walk Alone.
Speaker 2 (46:12):
Yeah, you said, that's what Jerry Lewis sang at
the end of each one.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
I don't remember that part I, I kind of do, but well,
they probably ended it probablylike prime time sunday, I would
think um, that would make themost sense, although I don't
know.
Did you happen to say whatstation it was on?
Was it on?
Speaker 2 (46:31):
all of them.
I didn't put that in here, butyeah, it was on like 64 stations
and then a bunch of other likesmaller stations.
It was on everything oh.
Speaker 3 (46:42):
Was it a specific network?
Speaker 2 (46:43):
Oh, like ABC yeah yeah, yeah, I did not see
anything specific to that.
Anything that I read, I don'tremember.
Speaker 3 (46:52):
So I would imagine, because I know a lot of TV shows
.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
I wonder if it was on all the channels.
I don't know I mean there's oneway to find that out.
Speaker 3 (47:04):
Came on ABC.
We took a minute.
Speaker 2 (47:06):
We Googled it.
Speaker 3 (47:08):
It was on ABC and my guess.
I didn't look this part upbecause it is really hard to
find anything.
I'm going to go out on a limband guess that it ended right
before the wonderful world ofDisney started on a Sunday night
Sounds about right.
Yeah, that would be my guess,because also on ABC, which is
funny because they own ABC nowDisney.
Speaker 2 (47:28):
Oh yeah, it all comes full circle.
It really does.
Speaker 3 (47:35):
Oh, speaking of that, I need to start writing things
down.
Did you see that the Muppetthing ended at Disney?
Speaker 2 (47:44):
No, yes, no yes.
Speaker 3 (47:47):
It's gone.
Speaker 2 (47:47):
Why and I?
Speaker 3 (47:48):
think they said Jim Henson's daughter was the last
one to walk into.
Speaker 2 (47:52):
Yeah, yeah why would you take that out?
Speaker 3 (47:56):
they're putting something else up, I don't know
what something for the newstupidly children's the new
children's.
I don't know I, but I did seethat was ending and I I'm a huge
Muppets fan, like just Me too.
I don't know if he stilllistens, but our friend, we
walked like I don't know itseemed like 47 miles in our
(48:25):
docks, in the pouring ass, coldrain, to go watch the Muppet
Christmas Carol.
Oh goodness sakes, when we werein college Big Muppets.
I in college big Muppets.
I really loved the Muppets, metoo.
It was the first movie I eversaw.
Speaker 2 (48:36):
Yeah, I watched the show religiously.
I bet if I watched it now I'dknow most of the words to most
of the songs they have it on.
Speaker 3 (48:46):
I think Disney, I think Disney Plus has it.
I just I don't know Whatever.
Enough about the Muppets.
Speaker 2 (48:54):
Yes, that closed.
Speaker 3 (48:55):
If you're going to Disney World, it's not there
anymore, Don't even bother.
Yeah, so ABC, I remember.
I guess I guess I remember it.
I think more than that.
I remember Telephones were justa big thing then, See, I don I
remember it.
I think more than that Iremember.
Speaker 2 (49:13):
Telephones were just a big thing then.
See, I don't remember, oh, mpthad it.
Speaker 3 (49:18):
You all don't have the M in front of your.
Pt, but I did your publictelevision.
They always had telephones, ohyeah.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
Where you call and get this nice tote bag.
No, they still do that.
I know If you donate $25,.
Speaker 3 (49:34):
you too can have this nice tote bag, but the PBS does
that.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (49:39):
And NPR as well.
Speaker 3 (49:41):
Mine's MPT Maryland Public Television.
Oh excuse me, but I forget it'salso PBS.
Speaker 2 (49:49):
Yeah, I don't even think that NPR told me anything
good this week.
It's all just World War.
Speaker 3 (49:56):
III Good times yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:02):
Sorry, I tried not to go there.
Speaker 3 (50:04):
I know this one we decided figured was going to be
short because A it's verydifficult to find stuff and you
know, last couple ones have beenvery, very long yes, so we'll
give you a little break yeah, um, did you have anything else?
Uh, nope about, she does lovejerry lewis I, yeah, I think
(50:28):
he's funny.
Speaker 2 (50:28):
I love Lucille Ball.
She's into that, like I loveall that stuff.
Yeah, again, my dad watched alot of that stuff too.
Yeah, and if you want to seehow cute our dads were when they
were young, yeah, we have themup on the Facebook page.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
They were posted for Father's Day Me and my dad and
her and her dad.
Speaker 2 (50:48):
Yep, yep, yeah, hanging out you can definitely
see that I lived in a van andyou can see I was a little fancy
, always been fancy.
Speaker 3 (51:02):
I'm not going to lie.
Actually, if you look at thosepictures on the Facebook page,
you will definitely see I looklike a dirt ball and she is
fancy.
Speaker 2 (51:13):
I have pin, street clean hair, pretty dress I had.
Speaker 3 (51:17):
I was rocking my dorothy camel haircut and cut
off jeans and I was dirty so.
So, speaking of that, youshould check out our socials,
because that's where you willsee pictures of us as children,
um, and pictures of us as adults, probably.
(51:38):
I don't, I don't know, I don'treally get on the facebook page
much.
I shouldn't say that, butthat's her bag.
So, like share rate review,find us where you listen to
podcasts.
Follow us on all the socials,please.
Um, you can.
No, I gotta think of somethingI didn't.
(51:58):
If you would like to send us anemail about jerry's kids, you
can send it to like whatever podat gmailcom or don't Like
whatever.
Whatever, bye.
Speaker 2 (52:11):
Bye, bye.
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