The spectacle of 84-year-old Jerry Lewis losing his composure during the finale of his 45th national Labor Day Telethon was the kind of reality television that cut right through the canned, faked standard TV fare. It was uncomfortable and unpredictable-- in its own way like Jerry during his sweaty, gassed-back Percodan jag heights of the Sixties and made even more urgent when producers in Los Angeles decided to cut away from the live moment, only to play the historic scene ninety minutes after it occurred.
The question is whether this will turn out to be Jerry Lewis' final telethon. Will Jerry Lewis be back in 2011? In his first-person backstage account for the Las Vegas Sun, John Katsilometes has a poignant and haunting answer from Jerry's wife, Sam:
“Oh, of course. Unless we are...“ She pauses, then says, “...putting him in the ground, he’ll be here.”
I am alittle perturbed that anyone would suggest such a thing, why because he showed emotion, this man has been trying so very hard for so very many years to find a cure, to heal these kids, he has watched in vain as thousands upon thousands have lost their lives, and still he carries on, he gives so so much of himself,not just this telethon that we see, how the bleepers would you feel if you were in his place, and how dare you mention some stupid rumour unfounded at that from years ago about some dang pills,that man is in agony but he still does this work on a daily basis, and for you folks to have the gall to ask if its his last, how do you think you made his wife feel, I know I just lost my husband on Dec3rd to leukemia, if you had been there I'd have punched you right square in the nose, perhaps you'd have found some manners, someone should! God Bless You Jerry Lewis a finer man we'll not find! I'll be watching you next year and rooting for your tote board, I only wish I could be there in person!xo
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