Thought Spiral: Andy Kindler, J Elvis Weinstein discuss Jerry Lewis

 
Listened on YouTube to episode 24 of Thought Spiral, the podcast featuring Josh "Elvis" Weinstein and Andy Kindler. Their discussion turned to Jerry Lewis.

Andy mentions that it used to be that, in comedy teams, the straight man was considered the more important performer. That's why it was Abbott and Costello and not Costello and Abbott. The straight man got paid more.

This brought them to Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

Here's what I managed to transcribe. Kindler's comments are in bold.

Listen to the whole thing here.

Did you know----were you annoyed when you first found out---or did you doze off to sleep when you first found out the straight men were paid more in comedy. Or did you not even buy that as a truth?

I never really----I never really worked through it. It's never been an issue for me.

I am fascinated with it. Because the straight men, they go, Oh, yeah, the straight man used to get paid more. I don't understand it. Why?

Well--

Could Bud Abbott go [makes Lou Costello-like noises].

I saw a self-serving interview with Jerry Lewis---

(Laughter) Or should you just say, "an interview".

--talking about he and Dean breaking up. You know. And he would go We had to break up because every article was about Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. And Dean was there, too. But every single one---how could he take it? How could he take it? Every single article was Jerry Jerry---

I would bet that even in his later life, Dean Martin--that would make Dean Martin turn red.

I'm sure.

...

You heard that in that interview---I heard the interviews, it's almost every interview, he's talking about, I knew how funny Dean was. I knew how funny Dean was. Nobody knew! They all loved me. I mean, even like, who got more babes? Interestingly enough, I did.

Right--You'd think because---

Whose singing did they enjoy more? Mine!

Right--

But he's---what an asshole he must have been---I don't know---may he---and I don't really care whether he rests in peace. I don't care if he rests in peace or if he's agitated and rests for eternity saying LAAADYYY! You knew something was coming like that.

I was hoping.

Jerry Lewis is somebody that, if you love him, you love him.

Right.

And I love him for King of Comedy.

Yeah. That's the only thing you love him for. That's the only thing you'll ever cite.

No, I think that the kitchen sink comedy that he did--

Yeah

--did make me laugh sometimes. And also, laughing AT him is one of the greatest things of all time.

Right.

'Cause, like, when he had that variety show and he had Charlie Callas as his co-host and he built up the bit that Callas was going to do and then it bombed.

…

Well, I mean what's weird--I mean is, his legacy as showbiz asshole is so much longer than his period of being a star. It's like 40 plus years of him being known in the public consciousness as this fucking blowhard asshole, based on his thirty years of success.

Yeah and also I think nothing gave him more pleasure--and to everyone else's chagrin--when he would turn on an interview. I mean, I would like to listen to it, but----"So where did you live while you were doing that movie?" DOES THAT MATTER?

Right. Maybe you could do your homework.

So----his passing---- [hesitates]

Come on.

His passing did nothing for me. ---no, I feel sad in a way.

It makes me feel better for writing all that stuff  I did about Jerry Lewis. I was right to focus on the child abuse, though.