Cancel Humanitarian Award for Jerry Lewis
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Author:
n/a -
Send To:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
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Sponsored By:
The Trouble with Jerry -
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This petition has been launched to object to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' announcement that it will give Jerry Lewis its Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscar Awards ceremony on February 22, 2009.
During his decades of hosting the Labor Day Telethon, Jerry Lewis has helped to perpetuate negative, stereotypical attitudes toward people with muscular dystrophy and other disabilities. Jerry Lewis and the Telethon actively promote pity as a fundraising strategy. Disabled people want RESPECT and RIGHTS, not pity and charity.
In 1990, Lewis wrote that if he had muscular dystrophy and had to use a wheelchair, he would "just have to learn to try to be good at being a half a person." During the 1992 Telethon, he said that people with MD, whom he always insists on calling "my kids," "cannot go into the workplace. There's nothing they can do." Comments like these have led disability activists and our allies to protest against Jerry Lewis. We've argued that he uses the Telethon to promote pity, a counterproductive emotion which undermines our social equality. Here's how Lewis responded to the Telethon protesters during a 2001 television interview: "Pity? You don't want to be pitied because you're a cripple in a wheelchair? Stay in your house!"
Jerry Lewis has also made derogatory comments about women and gay men. His outdated attitudes and crude remarks are dehumanizing, not humanitarian.
Therefore, we the undersigned support the actions and arguments of the coalition group The Trouble with Jerry. We protest the Academy's characterization of Jerry Lewis as a "humanitarian." And we ask that the Academy cancel its plans to give Lewis the Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
During his decades of hosting the Labor Day Telethon, Jerry Lewis has helped to perpetuate negative, stereotypical attitudes toward people with muscular dystrophy and other disabilities. Jerry Lewis and the Telethon actively promote pity as a fundraising strategy. Disabled people want RESPECT and RIGHTS, not pity and charity.
In 1990, Lewis wrote that if he had muscular dystrophy and had to use a wheelchair, he would "just have to learn to try to be good at being a half a person." During the 1992 Telethon, he said that people with MD, whom he always insists on calling "my kids," "cannot go into the workplace. There's nothing they can do." Comments like these have led disability activists and our allies to protest against Jerry Lewis. We've argued that he uses the Telethon to promote pity, a counterproductive emotion which undermines our social equality. Here's how Lewis responded to the Telethon protesters during a 2001 television interview: "Pity? You don't want to be pitied because you're a cripple in a wheelchair? Stay in your house!"
Jerry Lewis has also made derogatory comments about women and gay men. His outdated attitudes and crude remarks are dehumanizing, not humanitarian.
Therefore, we the undersigned support the actions and arguments of the coalition group The Trouble with Jerry. We protest the Academy's characterization of Jerry Lewis as a "humanitarian." And we ask that the Academy cancel its plans to give Lewis the Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
2894 Signatures
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Michael M
- City/State
- Alamogordo, NM
- Organizational Affiliation
- Independent Living Recource Center
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michael d y
- City/State
- Pennsylvania
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Shannon B
- City/State
- Morgantown, WV
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Jean F
- City/State
- Denver, Co
- Comments
- We don't need cures, we deserve respect *asis*
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Jennifer N. W
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Mrs. Sarah H. M
- City/State
- Columbus, Ohio 43221
- Comments
- What do you think you are doing?? Not really in support of our cause it seems. Good luck to you with your current health issues I hope you never need to use a wheelchair!!
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Ryan
- City/State
- Denver
- Organizational Affiliation
- В
- Comments
- В
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linda w
- City/State
- raleigh, nc
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Carlos G. G
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Elena S
- City/State
- В
- Organizational Affiliation
- В
- Comments
- В
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Inga T
- City/State
- London
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Jonathan L
- City/State
- Guildford, Surrey
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Michael S
- City/State
- Marshfield VT
- Organizational Affiliation
- Another Way
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theresa L. G
- City/State
- chapel hill, nc
- Organizational Affiliation
- occupational therapist
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Cory S
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Artie A
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E. L. K
- City/State
- Folsom/CA
- Organizational Affiliation
- Member of the Disabled Community
- Comments
- This man uses us and is particularly offensive toward us.
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Christopher W
- City/State
- Stoughton
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Kunda Pramila N
- City/State
- India, Mumbai
- Organizational Affiliation
- People's Media Initiative
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K.E.J. vd S
- Comments
- Something's very wrong when a guy like this receives a humanitarian award.
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Bob S
- City/State
- Berkeley
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Yi-Chun Tricia L
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Paula M
- City/State
- Indianapolis
- Organizational Affiliation
- Muscular Dystrophy Family Foundation
- Comments
- My son was considered for National Poster child - he knew Jerry Lewis, Bob Ross, Jerry Weinurg - when he passed away there was nothing from them- no acknowledgemnt at at.
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Adam P
- City/State
- NY, NY
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Nancy N
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Jane M
- City/State
- New York
- Organizational Affiliation
- В
- Comments
- В
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Dee W
- City/State
- Winfield, KS 67156
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Amy G
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Meghan W
- City/State
- Iowa City, IA
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Patricia W
- City/State
- San Pablo, California
- Organizational Affiliation
- The Hatlen Center for the Blind
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Amy T
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Jana O
- City/State
- Berkeley, CA
- Organizational Affiliation
- К
- Comments
- I still have to struggle every single day to try and counteract the "help" that Jerry Lewis gave me as a newly disabled wheelchair using 9 year old. The disabled activists I met gave me back my humanity & they deserve awards. Not this man that told me I was a hopeless wheelchair using cripple!
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Elizabeth L
- City/State
- Seattle, WA
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Daryl S
- City/State
- Berkeley, California
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Susan B
- City/State
- West Virginia
- Comments
- I'm disgusted that Lewis made these comments about people he felt he was helping. He should be ashamed of himself for using pity to raise money. Please respect those he doesn't and cancel this award!
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Gil H
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Novice L
- City/State
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Organizational Affiliation
- n/a
- Comments
- This is not cool. He needs to apploigize for his remarks and he should not be allowed to raise money for MDA again.
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Sally M
- City/State
- Encino
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william P
- City/State
- NY
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Kathleen F
- City/State
- Angleton, Texas
- Comments
- diagnosed with MS in 1986, unable to walk for 6 years, and runs around in town in a powerchair. I am fully involved in life, just like a " real person".
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Mary Beth L
- City/State
- Seattle,WA
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Treva M
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Greg M
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Christine K
- City/State
- Ottawa, ON
- Organizational Affiliation
- Carleton University
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Leo Arthur C
- City/State
- Essex, UK
- Comments
- If the Academy gives this award to Mr Lewis it would be doing a massive disservice to disabled people in the US and worldwide by validating a damaging technique that while it may raise raise massive amounts of funds causes pricless damage by reinforcing stereotypes of disabled people. We don't want pity that ultimatly hinders our lives, we need respect in order to get on with living our lives.
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Magdalene S
- City/State
- Melbourne Victoria
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Catherine P
- City/State
- London UK
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Antonia L
- City/State
- Melbourne, Australia
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Sue D
- Comments
- Let him get his act together re: promoting independence for disabled people and a better attitude among non-disabled - THEN offer the award
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Babs J
- City/State
- Denver, CO
- Organizational Affiliation
- ADAPT
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2894
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