This utterly cringe inducing "interview" was apparently the last one Jerry Lewis ever gave. In it, he completely destroys Andy Lewis (no relation), a "journalist" from the Hollywood Reporter, who keeps obsessively asking annoying questions about Jerry Lewis' age (in fairness, Hollywood Reporter was doing a series on 90-year-old performers). Jerry Lewis gives one-word answers while pointedly glaring at the interviewer in contempt. Yet Andy Lewis forges on, digging himself ever deeper.
Who is Andy Lewis? His Twitter feed shows him to be an SJW cliche. Though he is associated with the Hollywood Reporter, there's almost nothing about Hollywood or film on the feed. Instead, 95% of his tweets are comprised of political hate - attack after attack on Donald Trump, his family, Christians, "Nazis" (anyone who disagrees with Andy Lewis's cliches), and so on and so forth. Many of his tweets and retweets feature obscenities. Then there's that ubiquitous "punch a Nazi" meme, which has of course been used to legitimize violence and censorship.
Based on the sound of his voice, I'm sure Andy Lewis couldn't punch himself out of a wet paper bag.
The video quickly went viral. And now, after Jerry Lewis' death, it appears to be going viral again.
True to form, Andy Lewis seems to think it's all about him, and even appears to be proud of his effort, especially as it was the Hollywood Reporter's most watched video up to that time. So, yesterday, he exploited Jerry Lewis's death to reveal the "inside story" of the embarrassing segment. "I did Jerry Lewis' last interview," he bragged. It is impossible to know whether anything he says about it is true. Jerry Lewis was tired, etc. And he's such a "tough interview," anyway, etc, etc.
That's odd, Jerry Lewis wasn't a tough interview here.
On the contrary, I think Jerry Lewis sensed that Andy Lewis was (apologies) a snotty little wuss, and reacted accordingly.
After someone else from the interview team finally gets Andy Lewis to stop - whispering, "okay we're finished" - Jerry Lewis stands up from his chair and says:
"Alright, clean it outta here."
I transcribed the interview, which picks up some of the tone. But I also recommend watching the video. It's probably the most awkward interview you will ever see.
But for those of us, middle-aged or older, who have always wanted to metaphorically punch a smirky millennial, it's damn righteous.
Jerry Lewis: Why?
AL: Was there never a moment that you thought it might be time to retire, or that you would want...
JL: Why?
AL: You come from, um, you come from a generation a little older, and I think of Bob Hope, George Burns, Sinatra, people you knew, many of whom didn't want to, uh, or never retired either, um, do you see similarities with them?
JL: None.
AL: None? What do you think drives people like you and them to want to keep working?
JL: Because we do it well.
AL: And how about, um, what, um, what's different about performing now for you than say 20 years ago how is it, how is it different for you?
JL: It isn't.
AL: Not not at all?
JL: Not at all.
AL: Have you made any, do you have to make any concessions to being, you know, older in your performing, or does it...how do you keep the material fresh for yourself?
JL: By working at it.
AL: You've had a number of health issues over the last few years as people of your age do...
JL: Anyone that's 90 does.
AL: Anyone that's 90. Does continuing to work, does that, does that actually help you get healthier, you know, does being sort of busy and engaged, do you think that's actually, helps you get, get healthier?
JL: No.
AL: Do you think it hurts, like do you think...
JL: No.
[Long pause]
AL: You've been been coming to Vegas for, uh, you lived here for a while, you've been coming here for a long time, how is Vegas different for you than when you first came here, what was the first time you, you performed in Vegas?
JL: 1947.
AL: What, can you tell me what, what Vegas was like when you first showed up?
JL: It's not, it's the same.
AL: It's, it's the same?
JL: Exactly the same.
AL: Like what, what is it about Vegas that you like, or what is it about, like how would you describe the place, like when you show up in 1947 what was it, it wasn't it a little bit of a dusty cow town, it was, what was it, what was it like?
JL: A dusty cow town.
AL: And you still think of it as a sort of dusty cow town?
JL: No.
AL: And how about, uh, is performing in Vegas now for you different than it was then, like, just either the mechanics or the size of it...
JL: Nope.
AL: Not at all? And how about, um, what's your audience like, you know, now, you're still performing, you're 90, what, what's your, what's your audience like, who are your, who are your fans, are they different than they, than they used to be?
JL: No. They're still the same.
AL: Even, but you must have younger fans, who...
JL: Some are younger.
AL: What do you think it is, you have in, that, that attracts you to younger fans, like, like how have you sort of maintained your, your audience over the years?
JL: You tell them you're playing there and they show up.
AL: And you, nothing different than that?
JL: No.
AL: How about you have a, you've had a long and distinguished career, do you have a favorite period of your career a, a part of your career you look back on as, as a moment when you were, um, a favorite, happiest or your most creative?
JL: What do you mean?
AL: Like is there a period in your career you look back on where you, that was your, your happiest time or your favorite time?
JL: When my partner was alive.
AL: When your partner was alive. So working with, with Dean Martin was that your favorite...
JL: Yup.
AL: Uh, part of your your career?
JL: Yup.
AL: What, what made that partnership work for you, like what was...
JL: I'll show you some material - you'll know.
AL: But if I'm not looking at the material, can you give me, like, a sense of, like, what, how it worked for you?
JL: It was terrific.
AL: And how about, you have any advice for young, young 80-year-olds about staying active at 90, just sort of...
JL: Get a day job.
AL: Get a day job. But you've never had a, you've never actually had a, quote, day job, you've been a performer your, your whole life, isn't that right?
JL: Mm-hmm.
AL: And you just, you just, um, did a movie a couple years ago, just is coming out, Max Rose, what was it like to step behind...
JL: What movie?
AL: Ah, Max Rose, right?
JL: Yeah, I'm glad you remembered it.
AL: Uh, what was it like performing again after not having done it for for more than a decade?
JL: It's great.
AL: But was it, is it like riding a horse, you never forget, what was it...
JL: You never forget.
AL: Was it, was it at all scary or intimidating to come to...
JL: Not at all.
AL: Not at all. And you enjoyed it. Would you do another movie?
JL: Absolutely. We're planning one now.
AL: For you to star in?
JL: Mm-hmm.
AL: And, are you also, I think I read that you're, you're also still writing some screenplays or doing work...
JL: Right.
AL: Is that right?
JL: Yup
AL: Is it, is it easier now to write a screenplay...
JL: No, just as hard.
AL: Just as hard. And how about, do you take some time you say to write, or how do you, you do it, in a dictaphone, how do you do...
JL: if I tell you, you'll be doing it.
AL: Heh heh heh.
JL: Heh heh heh [Imitates his laugh].
AL: Well I meant the sort of mechanics of it, do you actually, like, you write by hand or do you, you type it, how do you do it, you type it on the computer...
JL: Mm-hmm..
AL: And so what are your, you're on tour now, what else do you have, um, planned for, for this year, 90th year?
JL: Mm-hmm.
AL: You have anything else like...
JL: Yeah, but nothing we want to talk about.
AL: And so you've worked with a lot of, a lot of people over the years, what, you have a favorite story about, like, Dean or, or Frank Sinatra or somebody that you, that you worked with but you know, over the years that you like to share?
JL: No.
AL: Not at all?
JL: None.
AL: How would you, do you have an unfavorite story you'd like...
JL: Nope. Not, for this.
Voice off Camera: So I guess we're finished.
AL: Sure. Anything else you want to...
JL: No.
Voice off Camera: So we're finished.
AL: Sure.
Voice off Camera: Thank you.
JL: [Getting up from chair] Alright, clean it outta here.
