Bloggers Protesting Pity

Last updated 18 January 2009, 5 pm UTC
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A growing number of bloggers have been joining the protest against Jerry Lewis’ humanitarian award. If you didn’t already know, Jerry is receiving a humanitarian award for his work in fueling pity against people with disabilities–pity that has undermined progress toward social equity and human rights. (Of course, what they say is that the award is for his work in raising money for charity; apparently they think the end justifies the means.) Jerry also has insulted people with disabilities, GLBT people, and women in some of his public statements.

Read and sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/jlno2009/petition.html, and join the Facebook Group coordinating protests against his undeserved award at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4053839. Also write your own letter of complaint directly to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at: http://www.oscars.org/contact/general.html. Polite, tactful letters usually work best.

Follow the various links below to see what other bloggers have said about Jerry’s award.

The oldest links are at the bottom. The newest are at the top. Have I missed your blog post or web page? Please leave a comment with the correct URL link.

The Trouble with Jerry
http://www.coloradodncdelegate.com/?p=29
Carrie Ann Lucas in Colorado adds her voice to the multitude asking that the “humanitarian” award to Jerry Lewis be rescinded.

Jerry Lewis Sucks — Sign Petition
http://tigrlily61.wordpress.com/2009/01/22/jerry-lewis-sucks-sign-petition/
This blog post includes the following quote: “The telethon is, in short, a big racket, which lines the pockets of administrators and researchers, while perpetuating stereotypes of people with disabilities as less than human, and needing to be saved from themselves.”

WTF? Jerry Lewis, Humanitarian

WTF?: Jerry Lewis, Humanitarian

Tera at Sweet Perdition shares this letter that she wrote directly to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to protest their decision to give the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Jerry Lewis.

Protest Pity
http://aspergersquare8.blogspot.com/2009/01/protest-pity.html
Bev at Asperger Square 8 has once again lent her visual talents by combining pictures of Jerry with some of his more insidious quotes about people with disabilities.

Petition Against Humanitarian Award for Jerry Lewis
http://jfactivist.typepad.com/jfactivist/2009/01/petition-against-humanitarian-award-for-jerry-lewis.html
This major disability politics-oriented blog site quotes and links to the petition, then encourages readers to comment on whether they agree or disagree with the protests.

Petition regarding disabilities and their perceptions…
http://specialparents-exceptionalchildren.blogspot.com/2009/01/petition-regarding-disabilities-and.html
Has a few links to web pages and blog posts that explain why some people with disabilities dislike Jerry’s annual telethon and quotes some of the negative things Jerry has said (such as referring to wheelchair users as “half a person,” etc.)

Jerry Lewis the Humanitarian?
http://www.philosophercrip.com/2009/01/12/jerry-lewis-the-humanitarian/
Includes the full text of the petition (and a link to it). The introductory blurb, among other things, says: “How many of us cringe when someone feels “terrible” that we are LPs/deaf/chair users/learning disabled/autistic/etc? That cringe is what this petition is giving voice to.”

Jerry Lewis to be Presented with Humanitarian Award
http://thecurvature.com/2009/01/12/jerry-lewis-to-be-presented-with-humanitarian-award/
Encourages people to sign the petition, saying “… [I]t seems kind of strange and wildly offensive that someone might receive a humanitarian award after having referred to the people he “helps” as not fully human ….”

Petition to cancel humanitarian award for Jerry Lewis
http://whatsortsofpeople.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/petition-to-cancel-humanitarian-award-for-jerry-lewis/
In addition to presenting the text of the petition, this author also recommends a book to read analyzing how telethons promote discrimination and negative images of people with disabilities.

People with Muscular Dystrophy Protesting Pity
https://reunifygally.wordpress.com/2009/01/11/people-with-muscular-dystrophy-protesting-pity/
Some people wonder what people with muscular dystrophy themselves say about the protests against Jerry Lewis’ annual telethon. They don’t realize that, sometimes, people with muscular dystrophy are among the most outspoken leaders of these protests. Read their own words to learn why.

Protest Pity! Sign the Petition
https://reunifygally.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/protest-pity-sign-the-petition/
Here at ReunifyGally, this text briefly explains the petition and the Facebook Group, and encourages people to join both. People can feel free to copy/paste, modify, and circulate this text further.

Petition: Announcement
http://wheeliecatholic.blogspot.com/2009/01/petition-announcement.html
Wheelie Catholic briefly announces the petition and links to the Facebook group.

Protest Pity!
https://reunifygally.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/protest-pity/
Here at ReunifyGally, I discuss the difference between “pity” and “empathy” and why pity is always harmful whereas empathy is not. Links to the petition campaign.

Petition available to protest Jerry Lewis’ Humanitarian Award at Oscars
http://media-dis-n-dat.blogspot.com/2009/01/petition-available-to-protest-jerry.html
The Media dis&dat blog has come out in support of the petition. Explains how Jerry has been consistently derogatory, not only toward people with disabilities, but also gay people and women.

Petition to Protest Hersholt Award Choice
http://autism.change.org/blog/view/petition_to_protest_hersholt_award_choice
Author Dora Raymaker appeals to people on the Autism spectrum to support the petition campaign also.

Jerry’s “Kids” or Jerry’s “Orphans”?
http://dawgoregon.blogspot.com/2008/12/jerrys-kids-or-jerrys-orphans.html
Written before the petition was available, DAWG Oregon protests Jerry’s award.

Jerry Lewis Should Not Get a Humanitarian Award
http://godlessliberalhomo.blogspot.com/2008/12/jerry-lewis-should-not-get-humanitarian.html
This “Godless Liberal Homo” explains his opinion why Jerry Lewis should not be receiving a humanitarian award. The first part of this blog post repeats the familiar text from the Facebook group, but then goes on to include more text from an old press release explaining why people in the disability community have been protesting against Jerry’s telethon for years. Explains the linkage among different forms of oppression.

Jerry Lewis’ Humanitarian Gay Slur Controversy
http://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/jerry-lewis-gay-slur-controversy/
It’s not only people with disabilities who are offended by the idea of Jerry receiving a humanitarian award. GLBT people object to the idea because Jerry has made homophobic slurs.

Protest Jerry Lewis
http://badcripple.blogspot.com/2008/12/protest-jerry-lewis.html
“Bad Cripple” writes about how Jerry’s pity undermines the search for social equality.

Jerry Lewis to get humanitarian Oscar
http://www.patriciaebauer.com/2008/12/11/jerry-lewis-oscar/
It’s worth checking Patricia E Bauer’s post for its multiple links to more articles on why people with disabilities have been so consistently enraged toward Jerry and the manner in which he fuels pitying attitudes toward people with disabilities.

Jerry Lewis, Oscar-sanctioned “humanitarian”
http://www.laurahershey.com/?p=53
This is the earliest blog post I could find on this topic. Not surprisingly, its author, Laura Hershey, is the woman who created the Facebook group dedicated to protesting Jerry’s award.




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Remember to read and sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/jlno2009/petition.html. You can significantly strengthen the impact of your petition signature by using the comments area to write your own explanation of why you support the petition (it’s a tiny comments box, but you can fit several entire sentences, I swear!)

Please also join the Facebook Group coordinating protests against his award at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4053839. Also consider writing your own letter of complaint to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences regarding their decision to give Jerry Lewis the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at http://www.oscars.org/contact/general.html