Earlier this month it was announced that Jerry Lewis would not be hosting the annual MDA Labor Day Telethon, something he has done every year since 1966, and people like me were upset.
So I wondered how they would replace him and if the show would go on. It will be televised but only for 6 hours instead of the usual 22 hours. And according to Norm Clarke the show will be hosted by Nigel Lythgoe, the man who made me give up his show So You Think You Can Dance because I can’t stand looking at huge capped teeth and listen to him hit on girls that are old enough to be his granddaughter and diss the other contestants because he loves to hear himself talk. He will not be alone because the fake Nancy O’Dell will be there too along with Alison Sweeney.
Nigel Lythgoe used his other job to get American Idol personalities Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Randy Jackson and Jordin Sparks to be part of the event. Besides the American Idol people other entertainers that will be there are Celine Dion, Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker, Martina McBride, Jon Secada, Richie Sambora, Jimmy Webb, Michael Feinstein, Maureen McGovern, and Greyson Chance.
Will you be watching the last televised MDA Labor Telethon when it airs on September 4th or will you dismiss the show like they dismissed Jerry Lewis? Seriously who thinks the show will be back next year after this year’s sh!tty line up?
UPDATE: Norm Clarke is reporting that Jerry Lewis will be part of this year’s MDA Telethon, but did not say how.
Part of me wonders if this whole thing was a PR stunt to get people to watch the telethon that losers viewers every year. Than the other part of me thinks that the networks that will be running the 6 hour telethon demanded that he back on the telecast. I think the latter is the scenario that happened. What do you think happened???
Whatever the reason, I will be at bar-be-que during the telethon because this whole thing left a bad taste in mouth and I want to fill it with something yummy.
UPDATE 2:Norm Clarke is saying today that Jerry Lewis was going to be asked to close the telethon sing You’ll Never Walk Again, but his rep says, “As far I know, there’s no involvement on his part.” Maybe it will be a surprise ending for the few people that might actually watch the telethon. Shame all this behind the scenes drama is ruining something that actually does good.
