Post by doc on Aug 21, 2017 13:16:46 GMT
My first job in fundraising was with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I worked for MDA for 8 years and had 8 beautiful Labor Day weekends ruined because I had to 'stay up with Jerry and watch the stars come out!' We basically didn't sleep for 48 hours because we had to work the telethon and then make sure all the mail got out the next morning.
Anyway, we always had national conferences in Las Vegas, Los Angeles (and later in Tucson where MDA moved its headquarters) and they'd always end with Jerry Lewis coming in and giving a speech to fire up everyone. We were in Vegas one year and Jerry had just given his speech which ended the conference. We always had an extra day in town so we were heading out to have some fun. There was a limo parked in front of the entrance to Caesars Palace and all the sudden the door flew open - it was Jerry Lewis who yelled to the doorman...."Tell that c#nt to hurry the f#ck up or we're leaving her a$$ behind!" The inspirational speech kind of took a back seat after hearing that.
The second incident was in early November of 1991. Our national conference was in Tucson and just a couple weeks earlier the Clarence Thomas hearings had taken place. The staff of MDA had a make-up of approximately 75% female/25% male. We were in the final general assembly and they introduce Jerry Lewis, he comes out to a standing ovation. He opens by saying, "Try and guess who I am (and proceeded to say)...nice to meet you, nice to meet you, nice to meet you, nice to meet you, nice to meet you, nice to meet you, nice to meet you, nice ass, nice to meet you....I'm Clarence Thomas on his first day on the Supreme Court!!" The entire room gasped, some of the female staff members got up and left - instead of firing every one up it turned into a true buzzkill. There was no standing ovation following that speech. But Jerry didn't care - he marched to his own drum. He did great things for MDA but at least on that occasion he should have told a different joke!
Anyway, we always had national conferences in Las Vegas, Los Angeles (and later in Tucson where MDA moved its headquarters) and they'd always end with Jerry Lewis coming in and giving a speech to fire up everyone. We were in Vegas one year and Jerry had just given his speech which ended the conference. We always had an extra day in town so we were heading out to have some fun. There was a limo parked in front of the entrance to Caesars Palace and all the sudden the door flew open - it was Jerry Lewis who yelled to the doorman...."Tell that c#nt to hurry the f#ck up or we're leaving her a$$ behind!" The inspirational speech kind of took a back seat after hearing that.
The second incident was in early November of 1991. Our national conference was in Tucson and just a couple weeks earlier the Clarence Thomas hearings had taken place. The staff of MDA had a make-up of approximately 75% female/25% male. We were in the final general assembly and they introduce Jerry Lewis, he comes out to a standing ovation. He opens by saying, "Try and guess who I am (and proceeded to say)...nice to meet you, nice to meet you, nice to meet you, nice to meet you, nice to meet you, nice to meet you, nice to meet you, nice ass, nice to meet you....I'm Clarence Thomas on his first day on the Supreme Court!!" The entire room gasped, some of the female staff members got up and left - instead of firing every one up it turned into a true buzzkill. There was no standing ovation following that speech. But Jerry didn't care - he marched to his own drum. He did great things for MDA but at least on that occasion he should have told a different joke!
