Jerry Lewis apologizes for anti-gay slur

Jerry Lewis' Labor Day Telethon raised $64 million this year, $3 million more than last year - but that wasn't the big news. The big news was Lewis being the latest celebrity to stick his foot in his mouth on camera.

The telethon lasted 21 1/2 hours, so Lewis was likely tired - but that's no excuse. While mugging to the camera, and teasing a cameraman, Lewis said (and I listened to it):

"Oh, your family has come to see you. You remember Bart, your oldest son, Jesse, the illiterate fa ..."

At this point he caught himself and said "No ..." You could hear a few groans from the audience. In a media release, Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) addressed the issue.

"Jerry Lewis’ on-air use of this kind of anti-gay slur is simply unacceptable,” said Giuliano. "It also feeds a climate of hatred and intolerance that contributes to putting our community in harm's way. Our nation’s media have done an admirable job this year holding public figures accountable for their use of anti-gay slurs, and I hope they continue to do so with Mr. Lewis."

Oh, don't you worry, they will. In a statement released today, Lewis made clear that he was joking with his cameraman, and that:

"I apologize to anyone who was offended. Everyone who knows me understands that I hold no prejudices in this regard. In the family atmosphere of the telethon, I forget that not everyone knows me that well. That something like this would distract from the true purpose of the telethon pains me deeply. ... I accept responsibility for what I said. There are no excuses."