Editing Jerry Lewis (section)

== Charity and activism with MDA==
[[File:President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan and Nancy Reagan meeting with Jerry Lewis and the Muscular Dystrophy poster child Christi Bartlett in the Oval Office.jpg|thumb|left|Lewis with President [[Ronald Reagan]] and First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]] meeting with MDA poster child Christi Bartlett in [[The Oval Office]], March 1981]]
After meeting with Paul Cohen, founder of the [[Muscular Dystrophy Association]] (MDA), Lewis and Martin made their first appeal in early December 1951 on the finale of ''The Colgate Comedy Hour,'' followed by another in 1952. Lewis fought [[Rocky Marciano]] in a boxing bout for MDA's fund drive in 1954.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.wpafilmlibrary.com/videos/134926|title= Jerry Lewis Fights Rocky Marciano, Dean Martin Refs|website= WPA Film Library|accessdate= January 31, 2024|archive-date= January 31, 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240131172436/https://www.wpafilmlibrary.com/videos/134926|url-status= live}}</ref> In 1956, the duo hosted MDA's first telethon from June 29 to June 30, before the end of their comedy act on July 25.<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Jerrylewis1967.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Lewis and MDA's [[The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon|annual telethon]] aired from 1966 to 2010, each Labor Day weekend and raised over $2.6&nbsp;billion.]] --> Right after the association named Lewis national chairman, two [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] specials were helmed in 1957 and 1959.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna44013800|title=Jerry Lewis no longer MDA's national chairman|publisher=MSNBC|date=August 4, 2011}}</ref>

''[[The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon]]'' would make its debut premiere in late 1966. Since its first broadcast on one station that year, the annual telethon aired live every [[Labor Day]] weekend for 44 years over five decades. [[Johnny Olson]] served as announcer for the first seven years, then [[Ed McMahon]] for the latter thirty-six years and Shawn Parr for Lewis's final two shows. It originated from different locations including New York, Las Vegas, Hollywood and Chicago, becoming the most watched and most successful fundraising event in the history of television.<ref>{{Cite press release|publisher=Muscular Dystrophy Association|title=MDA Telethon Ends Historic Run, Urgent Fight for Families Continues|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mda-telethon-ends-historic-run-urgent-fight-for-families-continues-300076002.html|access-date=August 25, 2020|website=www.prnewswire.com|archive-date=February 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205154352/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mda-telethon-ends-historic-run-urgent-fight-for-families-continues-300076002.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The event {{clarify|date=April 2024}} was the first to: raise over $1&nbsp;million, in 1966;<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Brief History of the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon|url=https://www.ktre.com/story/1422451/a-brief-history-of-the-jerry-lewis-mda-labor-day-telethon|access-date=August 25, 2020|website=ktre|date=August 29, 2003|archive-date=June 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617235339/https://www.ktre.com/story/1422451/a-brief-history-of-the-jerry-lewis-mda-labor-day-telethon/|url-status=live}}</ref> be shown entirely in color, in 1967; become a networked telethon, in 1968; go coast-to-coast, in 1970; be seen outside the continental U.S., in 1972. It: raised the largest sum ever in a single event for humanitarian purposes, in 1974; had the greatest amount ever pledged to a televised charitable event, in 1980 (from the [[Guinness World Records|''Guinness Book of World Records'']]); was the first to be seen by 100 million people, in 1985; celebrated its 25th anniversary, in 1990; saw its highest pledge in history, in 1992; and was the first seen worldwide via internet simulcast, in 1998.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

By 1990, societal views of disabled individuals and the telethon format had shifted. Lewis's and the telethon's methods were criticized by disabled-rights activists who believed the show was "designed to evoke pity rather than empower the disabled."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2006/09/03/telethon-raises-criticism/|first=E.A.|last=Torriero|title=Telethon Raises Criticism|date=September 3, 2006|newspaper=Baltimore Sun|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=July 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706022858/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2006-09-03/news/0609030039_1_muscular-dystrophy-jerry-lewis-telethon|url-status=live}}</ref> The activists said the telethon perpetuated prejudices and stereotypes, that Lewis treated those he claimed to be helping with little respect, and that he used offensive language when describing them.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/21/jerry-lewis-telethons-raised-billions-for-muscular-dystrophy-many-cheered-when-he-went-off-the-air/|first=Travis|last=Andrews|title=Jerry Lewis Telethons Raised Billion For Muscular Dystrophy Many Cheered When He Went Off The Air|date=August 21, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=August 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806085243/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/21/jerry-lewis-telethons-raised-billions-for-muscular-dystrophy-many-cheered-when-he-went-off-the-air/|url-status=live}}</ref> Lewis rebutted the criticism and defended his methods saying, "If you don't tug at their heartstrings, then you're on the air for nothing."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webhost.bridgew.edu/jhuber/readings/mda_telethon.html|title=The MDA Telethon Pity Or Compassion|first=Joseph|last=Hubber|publisher=bridgew.edu|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802044932/http://webhost.bridgew.edu/jhuber/readings/mda_telethon.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

During Lewis's lifetime, MDA-funded scientists discovered the causes of most of the diseases in the Muscular Dystrophy Association's program, developing treatments, therapies and standards of care that have allowed many people living with these diseases to live longer and grow stronger.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://strongly.mda.org/in-loving-memory-of-jerry-lewis/|title=In Loving Memory of Jerry Lewis-MDA|date=August 20, 2017|publisher=MDA.org|access-date=March 12, 2018|archive-date=March 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312083417/https://strongly.mda.org/in-loving-memory-of-jerry-lewis/|url-status=live}}</ref> Lewis received a [[Nobel Peace Prize]] nomination, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the [[American Medical Association]], a Governors Award and the [[Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.mda.org/jerry-lewis/biography.html|title= Jerry's Life and Legacy|website= Muscular Dystrophy Association|accessdate= January 31, 2024|archive-date= December 13, 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231213085209/https://www.mda.org/jerry-lewis/biography.html|url-status= live}}</ref>

On August 3, 2011, MDA announced that Lewis would no longer host its telethons<ref>{{cite news|title=Jerry Lewis Dropped from Labor Day Telethon|first=Brian|last=Stelter|date=August 4, 2011|url=https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/jerry-lewis-dropped-from-labor-day-telethon/|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=March 16, 2019|archive-date=April 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402182731/https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/jerry-lewis-dropped-from-labor-day-telethon/|url-status=live}}</ref> and that he was no longer associated with MDA. The 2011 telethon (which originally was to be Lewis's 46th and final show with MDA) featured a tribute to Lewis. In May 2015, MDA said it was discontinuing its telethon in view of "the new realities of television viewing and philanthropic giving."<ref>{{cite web|agency=Associated Press|magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/labor-day-telethon-jerry-lewis-792831|title=Labor Day Telethon That Jerry Lewis Memorably Ran Pulls Plug|date=May 1, 2015|issn=0018-3660|access-date=April 16, 2020|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802151512/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/labor-day-telethon-jerry-lewis-792831|url-status=live}}</ref>

In early 2016, at MDA's brand relaunch event at [[Carnegie Hall]] in New York City, Lewis broke a five-year silence during a special taped message, marking his first (and as it turned out, his final) appearance in support of MDA since his final telethon in 2010 and the end of his tenure as national chairman in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Katsilometes|first=John|date=January 28, 2016|title=Jerry Lewis returns—briefly—as MDA spokesman – Las Vegas Sun Newspaper|url=https://lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-report/2016/jan/28/jerry-lewis-returns-briefly-as-mda-spokesman/|access-date=August 25, 2020|website=lasvegassun.com|archive-date=November 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110095843/http://lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-report/2016/jan/28/jerry-lewis-returns-briefly-as-mda-spokesman//|url-status=live}}</ref>