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MDA: Jerry Lewis Out As Chairman, Telethon Host

Mr. Lewis' cantankerous disposition aside, this is simply a sign of the times. Twitter, facebook and the dwindling of the general publics attention span down to only a few minutes at a time contributed to the demise of the telethon. Gotta have it NOW, can't sit around for 21.5 hours, no matter the cause.

Secondly, whomever was responsible for booking never did catch up with the rest of the entertainment world. Yeah, I'm 52 and I recall my parents watching Norm Crosby and some of the acts that appeared when Frank Sinatra ran his Reprise Records label.

Times change. It seems after John Lennon rocked out, we never did quite get a modern feel to the music, with the execption of a few stars that would videotape their performances days in advance.

Hopefully, the $1 badges we see at conveinence stores and restaurants, and the corporate generosity of the firefighters, etc. will live on so these kids..and now adults...will get a fighting chance as they have for years, in very large part to Jerry Lewis.
 
Mark_Giardina said:
I don't know how the rest of you feel but doesn't it appear that someone is purposely trying to kill off the MDA telethon?
First Jerry Lewis is ousted as host with less than a month before the telethon is going to air. Then the hours of the telethon is drastically reduced from 21 to 6 hours.
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Probably some market reasearched indicated they only get donations during six hours or something like that, so they decided on that figure.
 
therealjm12 said:
Thru friends that I have known, over the years, I have learned about what apparently are two Jerry Lewis's. The people I have worked with that traveled to Vegas to meet with him for Telethon have always come back with stories of what a monster he is. Completely controlling, rude, and just nasty. Just an a$$hole.

Then I know people who have worked with him on his movies (I had a chance to grip once but had to turn it down). They said he was wonderful. Very generous and gracious to his crew. While he was demanding of the script (which he pretty much wrote) he was very open to the technical side. Always wanted to be state of the art -open to suggestions. People actually wanted to work with him on his movies. So maybe it's some down deep passion that drives him to be that way on the telethon, who knows?
Click to expand...
It's Buddy Love serum.
 
Mark said:
Mark_Giardina said:
I don't know how the rest of you feel but doesn't it appear that someone is purposely trying to kill off the MDA telethon?
First Jerry Lewis is ousted as host with less than a month before the telethon is going to air. Then the hours of the telethon is drastically reduced from 21 to 6 hours.
Click to expand...

Probably some market reasearched indicated they only get donations during six hours or something like that, so they decided on that figure.
Click to expand...

I don't know about that, but it always seemed to me that the tote board really became active after noon on Monday, and in good years Jerry would get his dollar more than the previous year perhaps an hour or more before he sang "You'll Never Walk Alone." I would suspect, though, that the donations haven't been what they were because of the economy and people not having the money to spare.
 
Just a thought. Time change and so do people's viewing habits. The percentage of viewers watching the MDA telethon I'm sure has declined from say 20 years ago to today which perhaps is the reason this year's telethon has been reduced from 21 to 6 hours.

Also take into account that Jerry Lewis is 85 years old and isn't that well known to a younger generation as some of the current show business acts on TV or in the movies today.

With that said I still believe that we are witnessing the end of the MDA telethon. With Lewis out of the picture and the current state of the economy, the MDA telethon will be lucky to make half the amount of money it did last year.

Just as an example of how the economy has affected some organizations. Recently St. Jude's Hospital has been advertising for donor. I don't remember such an intense media campaign from St. Jude's in years past.....do you?
 
^a reduced telethon is understandable.considering jerry lewis`s age its understandable he was not going to do it after this year like he said.

what is suspect is them last minuite announcing that jerry lewis wont do it this year in a short press announcement .one that barely acknowledges all jerry lewis has done for them .no announcement from jerry saying he decided to stop one telethon earlier then before is suspect.

the thing i dont like is the man who was responsible for raising so much money for MDA is being treated so shabbily.
 
Mark_Giardina said:
...we are witnessing the end of the MDA telethon. With Lewis out of the picture and the current state of the economy, the MDA telethon will be lucky to make half the amount of money it did last year.
Click to expand...

Personally, with the telethon being moved to weaker stations in some areas (due to network commitments) and being pulled from some markets altogether (such as WABI in Bangor), I say the MDA telethon will be lucky to make quarter the amount of money it did last year.
 
azumanga said:
The MDA had a change of heart, and decided that Jerry will host the telethon this year. Also, A-listers Céline Dion, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler will perform on the telethon.
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Live or taped? Was Jerry in charge of booking guests when he hosted?
 
RadioStarOne said:
Why would Jerry want to return to it anyway? After being kicked the way he was! Shame on the MDA!
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perhaps because his desire to help the kids is priority to him .
 
MarcB said:
Was listening to "Red Eye Radio" on WABC 770 last night and they had on a guest who says this whole thing with Jerry Lewis stepping down is a big publicity stunt. He also went on to say Lewis has sought out and gotten some big name acts and have begun rehersals.
Click to expand...

It is true that a few performers on this year's show will be big names -- Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith are those announced to appear:

http://www.lvrj.com/news/dion-lopez-offer-talent-for-telethon-128117418.html
 
I'd hate to think that MDA and Jerry would conspire "WWE" style, where they stage an arguement only to make up at the last minute...but then again with dollars so short this year more than most, publicity...any kind...gets viewers.
 
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