Cancel Humanitarian Award for Jerry Lewis

  • Author:
    n/a
  • Send To:
    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
  • Sponsored By:
    The Trouble with Jerry
  • More Info at:
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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 His outdated attitudes and crude remarks are dehumanizing, not humanitarian.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.

2894 Signatures

  • John B
    • City/State
    • Monroe, Michigan
    • Comments
    • Jerry Lewis has not changed or tried to change his horribly outdated views in over 40 years and I absolutely abhor his policies. The MDA and PWD's deserve better. (eg. Charities, if they function, that don't pity them)
  • Jody G
  • Officer Thomas A. Porter D.P.O. MED. RET. A.P.V. Retired National Outreach Chairperson The National Paralyzed & Disabled Police Officers A
    • City/State
    • West Virginia
    • Organizational Affiliation
    • The National Paralyzed & Disabled Police Officers Association
    • Comments
    • For the over 1 Million + Permanently Paralyzed & Disabled Law Enforcement Agents & Officers We Ask You Revoke The Humanitarian Award To Jerry Lewis For His Bigoted & Hatred & Bigoted Remarks Against The National Disabled Community
  • Rachel F
  • Mary Krane D
  • Jonathan D
  • Peggy V
    • City/State
    • madison, ohio
    • Comments
    • Jerry Lewis is an overpaid, loudmouthed bigot! Is he STUPID or just SENILE to make such bigotted remarks and also crude remarks.
  • chad
    • Comments
    • Bababooey!!!
  • Beverly B
    • City/State
    • Brighton/Ontario
    • Comments
    • A person with a disability just wants to be treated like you and I
  • Grace G
    • City/State
    • Eastsound,WA
  • Jacob G
    • City/State
    • Batesville, AR
    • Organizational Affiliation
    • Southside High School
    • Comments
    • We need to make sure the media and the autism organizations propagate the message that autism does not have to be unmitigated horror and tragedy. That by working with their autism instead of against it, more autistic children and adults are achieving better outcomes and better quality of life.
  • Epiphany O
    • Comments
    • I always loved Jerry's movies throughout my life, and liiked up to him. I was thoroughly shocked when I read the atrocious things that he said; especially the sexist comments.
  • Dee
    • City/State
    • Bath, UK
  • Debbie S
    • City/State
    • OH
  • Jillian M
    • City/State
    • Williamsburg/VA
    • Organizational Affiliation
    • SpinaBifidaConnection
  • Anthony M
    • City/State
    • Lansing, MI
  • Christah A
  • Lisa M
    • City/State
    • Middletown PA
  • Kayla M
    • City/State
    • Middletown PA
  • Kelly
  • Lincoln R
    • City/State
    • Seattle, WA
  • Amy M
  • J
  • Katrina H
  • Jack
    • Organizational Affiliation
    • none
    • Comments
    • What a slob he has turned out to be. Get him off the telethon..
  • Dara W
    • City/State
    • Pittsburgh
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  • George D
    • City/State
    • Rochester NY
  • richard h
    • Comments
    • I have worked in a theatre where Mr. Lewis was performing. He was rude to most people, but particularly hard on his musicians. At one point he commaned, "Give me something to sit on up here!" and someone threw a stool at him.
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