# Re: Do the French really love Jerry Lewis? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 31, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-do-the-french-really-love-jerry-lewis/342352 "2006-01-31T15:31:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tlegall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@tlegall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tlegall)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-do-the-french-really-love-jerry-lewis/342352/1 "2006-01-31T15:31:36Z")
I found this article on here ([http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a991001.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a991001.html)) through a link on the Ask Yahoo website, and I was absolutily horrified by what I read. It is a total myth that French people like Jerry Lee Lewis. 50% of the french population does not have a clue who Jerry Lee Lewis is and 49.9% of the rest only know him because of the song “great balls of fire”. The fact that some french critics gave Lewis some kind of credit in the 60’s cannot be generalized as “french people like Jerry Lewis”. The person asking the question is totally right, I have NEVER EVER met a Jerry Lewis fan, and I lived in France most of my life. I can assure you that many artist were more popular that Jerry Lee Lewis in the 50/60’s. The argument that Lewis has now been forgotten simply doesn’t hold. I have talked to many french people of all ages and nobody that I know can name one of his movies. Once again this is just an american myth and this article is only spreading a totally false idea that French people like Jerris Lewis. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-do-the-french-really-love-jerry-lewis/342352/2 "2006-01-31T16:33:08Z")
Jerry Lewis the comedian and Jerry Lee Lewis the rockabilly singer are two entirely different people. Apart from that, Cecil gives positive facts, and you give only anecdotal negatives. Cecil wins. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-do-the-french-really-love-jerry-lewis/342352/3 "2006-01-31T16:42:07Z")
F.Y.I, the comedian and actor [Jerry Lewis](http://www.postershop-espana.com/Lewis-Jerry/Lewis-Jerry-Photo-Jerry-Lewis-6204842.html) and the musician and singer [Jerry Lee Lewis](http://www.answers.com/topic/jerry-lee-lewis) are two different people. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-do-the-french-really-love-jerry-lewis/342352/4 "2006-01-31T16:44:58Z")
Oh. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-do-the-french-really-love-jerry-lewis/342352/5 "2006-01-31T18:28:04Z")
HEY! Have you heard the rumor that the comedian and actor Jerry Lewis and the musician and singer Jerry Lee Lewis are two different people? ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-do-the-french-really-love-jerry-lewis/342352/6 "2006-02-01T03:41:49Z")
Here’s a list of members of the French Legion of Honor: [http://www.nndb.com/honors/139/000048992](http://www.nndb.com/honors/139/000048992) I’m ambivalent about Jerry Lewis, but seeing they’ve inducted Jeff Koons, fuck 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-do-the-french-really-love-jerry-lewis/342352/7 "2006-02-01T13:31:21Z")
I heard they were two different people. Once. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-do-the-french-really-love-jerry-lewis/342352/8 "2006-02-01T14:30:54Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I heard they were two different people. Once. In 1960. For 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-do-the-french-really-love-jerry-lewis/342352/9 "2006-02-01T14:38:47Z")
> [@tlegall](#): > > It is a total myth that French people like Jerry Lee Lewis. It is a total myth that French people like Jerry Lee Lewis… > > The argument that Lewis has now been forgotten simply doesn’t hold. (Assuming that the OP means Jerry Lewis (the actor) when he says ‘Jerry Lee Lewis’ (the singer)) So… 50% of French people have never heard of Jerry Lewis (or confuse him with Jerry Lee Lewis), but the argument that he has been forgotten doesn’t hold? These statements seem contradictory. (But then, many things seem contradictory to me before coffee. 😉 ) Anyway, it seems to me that Jerry Lewis _was_ popular in his day (see the accolades mentioned in the article), but now he isn’t.