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 Veteran comedian Jerry Lewis is under fire again for making an anti-gay slur on
Australian television similar to one he apologized for using on his annual U.S.
telethon a year ago. The 82-year-old King of Comedy dropped the
slur when he was asked by a Network Ten national TV reporter following a press...
conference in Sydney on Friday for his opinion on the Australian nation sport of
cricket.
"Oh, cricket? It's a f— game. What are you,
nuts?" Lewis replied.
The network broadcast the comment in full on
its Friday evening news bulletin along with footage of Lewis handling an
imaginary cricket bat with an effeminate gesture.
Lewis apologized in September last year for
using the term "illiterate f---" in Las Vegas during his annual Labor Day
telethon that raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
In a statement released a day later, he
described the slur as a "bad choice of words."
New York-based media discrimination watchdog
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, called for Lewis to
again apologize.
GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano said in a
statement that "in an effort to be humorous, he has once again managed to offend
and defame the gay community." "For someone so well-known for helping
others, Mr. Lewis shows an incredible lack of dignity and respect when he makes
comments that contribute to a climate of intolerance," Giuliano added.
The Australian Coalition for Equality, a gay
rights group, also called for an apology.
"Mr. Lewis is widely admired by many people
for his talent and his charity work, so his words carry great weight," coalition
spokesman Rodney Croome told The Associated Press on Saturday.
"He owes an apology to the gay community, to
cricketers and to comedians for debasing their trade with his cheap homophobia,"
Croome added.
The comedian's Australian spokeswoman, Julie
Cavanagh, said Saturday that Lewis did not intend to comment.
Lewis held Friday's press conference to
promote his latest stage show that is touring Australia. It is a retrospective
of his career that includes show tunes with a 24-piece band, excerpts from his
scores of movies and television shows, and his trademark slapstick comedy. Source: ap
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