Jerry Lewis Telethon in 42nd year …
September 2nd, 2007… which makes it “unstoppable,” says the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The annual Labor Day event, which started on one television station in 1966, raised $61 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association last year.
All that money doesn’t innoculate the 81-year-old Lewis against controversy, however. Over the years, the event has garnered regular criticism from disability activists, who argue that Lewis trades on pity and has shown a lack of respect and understanding toward people with disabilities. Here’s a critique from mjohnson on the blog www.dailykos.com, and a protest manual from attorney Harriet McBryde Johnson.
The telethon airs from 9 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 2, to 6:30 p.m. ET Monday, Sept. 3. Broadcast times vary; check local listings.
Related story here.

