Jerry Lewis Disses Female Comedians

"I can’t see women doing that. It bothers me. I cannot sit and watch a lady diminish her qualities to the lowest common denominator. I just can’t do that." - Jerry Lewis, telling an interviewer at Cannes that he doesn't have any favorite female comedians because they are an embarrassment to motherhood. Or something. Lewis' comments have ignited a firestorm of criticism on Twitter, where noted female comics are weighing in under the #FuckUJerryLewis hashtag among others.

Tweet Of The Day - Rosanne Barr

(Tipped by JMG reader Turtle)

Barr/Nelson 2012

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Rosanne Barr: I'm Running For President

Rosanne Barr's Blog Disappears After She Rips On Obama & Oprah

Rosanne Barr's blog is mysteriously "suspended" after the following quote appeared yesterday.

barak obama is an empty suit selling “hope” in lieu of Truth. Oprah Winfrey helped to elect Arnold Swartzenegger. I have no doubt that she voted her purse by doing this, as she is a large land owner in California, and that ilk fears Dems because they do not want to pay their “fair share” of Cali tax.

Oprah, you play the race card and the gender card too.

You are a closeted republican and chose Barak Obama because you do not like other women who actually stand for something to working American Women besides glamour, angels, hollywood and dieting.

When Americans find out that Obama backs right wing corporate racist anti worker bullshit, they will not vote for him, and the victory will go to the most racist right wing republican ever.... Mccain, who is a fascist!

Does Oprah have the power to get somebody's blog taken down? Spooky.

UPDATE: Barr explains: "Site crashed! it was picked up by perez and drudge and huffington and the huge number of hits blew it up! I always intended this site to remain under the radar, as it contains dangerous and inflammatory free speech (including spellling errors) on subjects ranging from politics, feminism, Goddess, zionism, Jesus Christ and his mother, the prophetess Miriam, kaballistic meditation, THE RUSH LIMBAUGH OF THE LEFT, JOHNNY ARGENT and some great fucking recipes! FREE THE REAL ESTATE BETWEEN YOUR EARS, AMERICA!"

Rosanne Steps In It

Rosanne Barr, for many years a staunch supporter of the gay community, made some rather surprising remarks on the radio yesterday. Sitting in as guest host, during an interview with black lesbian activist Jasmye Cannick, Rosanne said:

"Never once in my 54 years have I ever once heard a gay or lesbian person who’s politically active say one thing about anything that was not about them. They don’t care about minimum wage, they don’t care about any other group other than their own self because you know, some people say being gay and lesbian is a totally narcissistic thing and sometimes I wonder. I’ve never heard any of them say anything except for 'accept me cause I’m gay'.

It’s just, it’s screwed. It’s no different than the evangelicals, it’s the same mindset. They want you to accept Jesus and you guys want us to all believe it’s ok to be gay. And a lot of us, a lot of them, I do, I don’t give a damn who anybody has sex with, as long as they’re not underage and an animal. I don’t give a damn, it’s none of my damn business. I’m just sick of all the divisiveness, it’s not getting any of us anywhere."

The Human Right Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund were quick to condemn the remarks, with the Victory Fund calling for an apology. The Victory Fund works to get LGBT candidates elected.

I think Rosanne's condemnation of gay folks who suffer from single-issue-itis is valid, but ironically she clearly doesn't know that most major gay rights orgs have been heavily criticized by some gays because of the coalitions they've built with other progressive causes. I see gay rights groups regularly align themselves with environmentalists, immigration rights, unionists, etc, only to suffer bitter attacks from within the LGBT community who scream at them, "Stay on target! What do the working conditions of tomato pickers have to do with GAY RIGHTS?"

Rosanne is right that gay people should be part of the broader progressive coalition. She's right that we should see past our own gay noses and work for good causes that don't directly affect us. But she is dead wrong that we don't. And those gay people who get angry at gay rights organizations for supporting other progressive causes are even more wrong.
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