Maybe you want to love Jerry but you don't know how! I have decided to help out the Encore movie channel by supplementing
its day-long Jerry marathon and tonight's Jerry Lewis documentary with 50 "blog" "links" suited to various interests. Remember, these are JUST THE FIRST 50 WAYS TO LOVE JERRY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. They MAY NOT ALL BE RIGHT FOR YOU. Please feel free to browse among them, "clicking" away on your exciting search for YOUR OWN PERSONAL PATHWAY TO JERRY. 1.
Read the great Jerry monograph by Chris Fujiwara. 2. Do you like Philip K. Dick? Well, Jerry Lewis appears in his EXEGESIS - which is ONLY
HIS ECSTATIC VISION OF THE MEANING OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE! THAT'S ALL! 3. Speaking of authors, do you like authors? Maybe one of your fave authors has included Jerry Lewis in a book:
Tom Franklin has! So have
Don DeLillo,
Lynda Barry, Lorrie Moore, Frederick Barthelme and many others! Classy! 4. Let's keep going with this author thing. How is Edgar Allan Poe like Jerry Lewis?
"Click" here to find out! 5. Yeah, and
what would Kierkegaard say about Jerry Lewis? 6. Maybe you are from the "dance world." Did you know that
many highbrow choreographers turn to Jerry Lewis for inspiration? 7.
Jerry thought Dean Martin smelled great! That's a nice detail. 8.
Similarities between Jerry and the great Italian giallo director Mario Bava, if that's your thing. 9.
A trusted method of immersing yourself in Jerryness. 10. Don't believe me?
Take it from bestselling novelist Laura Lippman! 11. Don't believe Laura Lippman? Perhaps
famed method actor Edward Norton is more to your taste. 12.
Consider Jerry Lewis as the forefather of David Lynch. 13.
Jonathan Rosenbaum knows a lot about movies and he LOVES Jerry Lewis! 14. Tough-to-please
James Wolcott likewise! 15. When I was listing authors who have included Jerry in their work
I forgot John Hodgman. 16. And
Michael Kupperman! 17. For that matter, Jerry is in my novella
JUNGLE GERONIMO IN GAY PAREE. 18. Jerry
a hero to Michael Palin of the Monty Python comedy troupe. 19. Jerry an inspiration for
the British version of THE OFFICE that everyone loves so much. 20.
Jerry makes me think of the French painter Henri Rosseau. 21.
McNeil's Theory of Potential Energy. 22. Do you like Godard? Well, Godard based some of his scenes on Jerry Lewis scenes. Like
this and
that. 23. Some maintain that
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY would have been better with Jerry in it. 24.
Jerry's spectacular use of color. 25. How about
that prescient scene in THE BELLBOY that anticipates Scorsese's THE KING OF COMEDY? 26.
The Cinderfella dance! 27. Jerry
frequently appears in THE BELIEVER magazine. 28. I intuit
a connection between Jerry and J.D. Salinger. 29. And
supposedly Salinger considered Jerry to direct the movie version of CATCHER IN THE RYE, maybe! I said maybe! 30.
Jerry's influence on GOODFELLAS. You like GOODFELLAS! 31. Jon Stewart of the popular DAILY SHOW often does Jerry Lewis impressions, but if he is too hep for your taste,
crusty David Letterman also impersonates Jerry from time to time. 32. Speaking of which, maybe you should watch lots of Jerry Lewis so you can practice
the fun habit of saying things like Jerry Lewis. It's fun! 33.
Even nature itself aspires to sound like Jerry Lewis. 34. Do you like singing?
Jerry Lewis is a good singer! I guess he can do it all. 35. Maybe you identify with
Jerry's world-weary attitude. 36.
He hung out in a diner with Marilyn Monroe, so that's cool! 37.
Blair Hobbs detects an aesthetic kinship between Jerry and the photographer William Eggleston. 38.
Jerry inspired Bruce Springsteen. That's right, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN! 39.
Think of Jerry as a poet. 40. Need a dissertation topic? How about
"Medical Ethics in the Films of Jerry Lewis"? You're welcome! 41. In a hilarious practical joke,
Jerry ruined Dick van Dyke's meeting with the queen! 42.
Jerry was instrumental in getting the great Stan Laurel his honorary Oscar. 43.
Jerry is handsome! 44. Maybe you are a "conspiracy theory buff." Well, for real
the CIA tampered with one of Jerry's movies. Brood on that for a while! 45. Maybe you're an animal lover. Well,
Jerry bought a hearing aid for his dog! 46.
Jerry is subversive! 47.
Quentin Tarantino + Jerry Lewis = True Love 4ever. 48. When everybody was dumping on Arthur Penn's BONNIE AND CLYDE,
Jerry was one of the first to proclaim its greatness. 49. Does he irritate you and make you uncomfortable?
MAYBE THAT'S JUST WHAT JERRY WANTS! 50. For example,
he once stuck his nose in Frank Sinatra's eye.
