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 His outdated attitudes and crude remarks are dehumanizing, not humanitarian.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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Felicia H
- City/State
- Philadelphia
- Organizational Affiliation
- Liberty Resources Inc.,
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Thomas H
- City/State
- Burton Michigan
- Organizational Affiliation
- MDRC
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Paulette J
- City/State
- Philadelphia , PA
- Organizational Affiliation
- Liberty Resources
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Lisa W
- City/State
- Allentown PA
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Terrie L
- City/State
- Rochester, NY
- Organizational Affiliation
- RCIL
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Robert L. Heim, J
- City/State
- Philadelphia, PA.
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Kate B
- City/State
- Washington, PA
- Comments
- Please reconsuider giving this award to Mr. Lewis. In his life, he has pertutuated the image of people with disabilities as incapable of living an independent and one of poor desperation who need constant skilled care. I lived with a disability. I work and enjoy earning a living and I live independently in the community and enjoy my family, friends and associates. I wholeheartedly disagree with awarding Mr Lewis this honor. Thank you for your time
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Jean Ann V
- City/State
- Philadelphia,pa
- Organizational Affiliation
- parent of multi-disabled visually impaired rockin kid
- Comments
- my son his a young man to be supported not pited for someone else
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Todd B
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Sofia M
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A. Denise H
- City/State
- Philadelphis
- Organizational Affiliation
- Center for Independent Living
- Comments
- I invite Mr. Lewis to visit Liberty Resources 714 Market Street in Phila. PA. to see the contribution and decision making abilities of persons with disabilities - live, up close and personal - if he can stand to be wrong.
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Martina C
- City/State
- Shutesbury, MA
- Organizational Affiliation
- Stavros Center for Independent Living
- Comments
- Stop the pity approach!
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Joel S
- City/State
- Oak Park
- Comments
- Advocate for Persons With Disabilities
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Paula K
- City/State
- Hickory, NC
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Richard F
- City/State
- Huntington Woods, Michigan
- Organizational Affiliation
- James and Grace Lee Boggs Center
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Adelaide M
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Mary Anne O
- City/State
- В
- Organizational Affiliation
- В
- Comments
- В
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Christine
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Dikah J
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Teresa T
- City/State
- Merrillville, Indiana
- Organizational Affiliation
- Everybody Counts, Inc.
- Comments
- As the parent of a young man with a disability, and one who has proudly been working with the disability community for nearly 30 years, I strongly oppose the the long-held mistaken public perception that Jerry Lewis is a humanitarian. This man has a long history of ridiculing and demeaning those about whom he has purported to care, describing them as 'not being fully human.' The MDA teltethon, together with Lewis' insulting attitude and patronizing actions has benefitted only a handful of MDA staff, while undermining the progress that has been made to encourage our community to recognize people with disabilities as valuable members of society. Most non-profit organizations working to improve any number of circumstances for people with disabilities long ago recognized the fact that telethons do morre harm than good, by promoting pitiable charity, not compassionate support. Jerry Lewis' only career is degrading and patronizing children and adults with disabilties. Please do not reward him for doing so.
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Mike M
- City/State
- Tampa, FL
- Comments
- How can anyone with so much hate in his heart win a humanitarian award?
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Angela B
- City/State
- Alton, IL
- Organizational Affiliation
- IMPACT CIL
- Comments
- Protest - no Humanitarian award to Jerry Lewis
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Jodi J
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Erin H. C
- City/State
- Ohio
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Donya S
- City/State
- Pennsylvania
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jennifer t
- City/State
- arlington heights, il
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Gordie H
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Tom H
- City/State
- Nashville, TN
- Organizational Affiliation
- CILMT
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Dawn E
- City/State
- Allentown, PA
- Organizational Affiliation
- Liberty Resources
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Esther S. K
- City/State
- Clinton, NY 13323
- Organizational Affiliation
- Hamilton College
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Julia D
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Valencia T
- City/State
- Atlanta/Georgia
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Vicki C
- City/State
- Philadelphia
- Organizational Affiliation
- Liberty Resources Inc.
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Dan R
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Sarah P
- City/State
- Washington, DC
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paul l
- City/State
- denton, tx
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Manuel B
- City/State
- Bensalem, Pa
- Organizational Affiliation
- Liberty Resources Inc
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Pamela L
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Amanda F
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Cindy M
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Esther K
- City/State
- Stoke-on-Trent, UK
- Comments
- Disabled people do not benefit from being patronized. Jerry Lewis may have good intentions, but he just makes things worse.
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Louise A
- City/State
- Denver, CO
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Kim B
- City/State
- Chicago, IL
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Jessica B
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melody b
- City/State
- ludlow, KY
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Gerard B
- City/State
- Springfield, IL 62701
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Gregory S
- City/State
- Wheeling WV 26003
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Jarine R
- City/State
- Alton, IL
- Organizational Affiliation
- IMPACT CIL
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Aaron W
- City/State
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Organizational Affiliation
- В
- Comments
- As a currently able-bodied person, I support this petition to NOT have Jerry Lewis honored for "humanitarian" work. I agree that it is dehumanizing they way he has encouraged pity for people with MD. I urge the Academy to make a humanitarian gesture and not only not give the award to Mr. Lewis, but to make a public statement affirming the rights of disabled people to live with dignity and respect.
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Cindy N
- City/State
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Organizational Affiliation
- The Arc of Greater Cleveland
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2894
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