For the second time in two years, ultra-famous comedian and recognized humanitarian Jerry Lewis has been called to task for apparently injudicious slur remarks about gays. In an interview on Australian television to promote his tour there, Lewis reportedly referred to Cricket as a homosexual or effeminate sport. The Gay and Lesbian Organizations have reserved comment until after they review exactly what Lewis said. Jokes that juxtapose macho sport and effeminacy are not uncommon in the milieu of the stage, even if such humor is hackneyed and outdated. In other words, the remarks may have been a feeble attempt at comedy by an aged clown, but not a truly malicious aspersion. That Jerry Lewis has a venerable record for opening doors in society for Blacks in Hollywood and for raising millions of dollars to support medical research may make it worthwhile to cut him a little slack. The fact that Lewis is 82 years old is another important consideration.
What causes us unease, however, are not so much the ill considered remarks of a famous comedian as the recognition that Lewis is slipping in his old age. For someone who has been in the public eye for over half a century, we would expect him to be practiced in knowing what to say and in what circumstances to say things. The tension is painfully evident between the “experience” factor and the onset of age-related dementia. That is not to say that Lewis is not still a talented and sometimes entertaining stagecraft veteran. But at this point, each time he takes the stage there is a sense of uncertainty as to whether he is in control of his faculties and capable of making the fine and balanced judgments about what is truly funny and what is simply in poor taste.
While many would cringe at the mention of the shadow that lurks in our minds, and perhaps consider it politically incorrect, the same concern sits at the back of our minds regarding John McCain. His erratic performance during the last few months of the campaign have given cause for concern about whether he is sufficiently in charge of his faculties to be entrusted with the responsibilities of the Presidency. McCain is 72 years old and has a significant health history that cannot be ignored. He himself has acknowledged his tendency to make “gut” decisions rather than carefully considered judgments. He does not regret those decisions, but the question is whether the citizens of the US will be placed in a position where they might have to regret such decisions. There is a huge difference in the impact of poor judgment by a stage comedian and poor judgment by the Commander in Chief of the largest military industrial complex in the world.
From the Rubiyat to common cliché we are constantly reminded that time is inexorable. The finger of fate writes and cannot unwrite; time waits for no man, etc. We shun and protest that age does not disqualify one from positions of responsibility. At the same time we cannot deny that each of us dances our way toward that final coda, be it a spritely jig or a somnolent dirge. And with each round, we all notice a slight lessening of coordination and a slowing of our steps. Each time I step out on the soccer pitch or the basketball court I am reminded that my physical resources often cannot deliver what my imagination might concoct and my mind would direct. Only self awareness and humility keep me from making foolish moves. These qualities of self-awareness and reflection seem in short supply in the Bush Administration and in the McCain camp.
So we hear about the indiscretion of the aged Jerry Lewis, consider the incredibly high stakes involved in placing a septuagenarian in the White House, and we look for signs in McCain’s behavior to assure us that our shadows of doubt are unwarranted. Unfortunately, such reassurance is very difficult to find.
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