The best award at the 81st Academy Awards

On Sunday, the 81st Academy Awards took place. The buzz has been huge about which films won, which actors took what prize, and what all the ladies were wearing. Which meant really nothing to me.

But there was one thing that occurred at this Oscar Awards that did make an impact. It had nothing to do with the movies and actors nominated. And it is something far bigger than any awards show.

Joseph Levitch, a man best known to the world as Jerry Lewis, received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his work to help those with Muscular Dystrophy. He has been an advocate of those suffering with MS and similar diseases since the 1950’s, and has run a MDA Labor Day Telethon since 1966, raising more than $2 billion over the decades.

Jerry Lewis has never received an award form his peers for the lifetime of work he has done. It is his innovation that has led to several advancements in television and movies that we see today. His career is an example of prolific performance on television, stage and movies. A great number of his films are considered classics.



But it is his work with the telethon that is what makes me so interested. No one has ever been able to find out why he had dedicated so much of his life to this cause. And there is no question that he is dedicated. Even if some dispute the manner or apparent reasons he may have. I have even heard in the past that the answer to why he is so obsessed (for lack of a better term) with this cause is sealed in a vault that his attorney is meant to open upon his death, during a telethon – so that it can be used to raise funds, as is the wish of Lewis.

Jerry Lewis is a human being. Born in 1926, I am not surprised by the occasional gaffes and seeming insensitivity he has on various issues that those far younger are appalled about today. Not surprised does not mean I approve. But I do not allow that to take away from what he has done.

This is inspirational I think. Or at least I hope it is. So few actors and entertainers today are truly involved with any cause. Yes many give lip-service to the popular buzz of the day. But few are dedicated, true believers. Which is sad, because their fame can be used to help so many.

Jerry Lewis is an icon. But far more than that he is a driven advocate that will do anything to help the causes that he believes in. So don’t be surprised if you hear in the next Telethon this year that he places his award up for sale to the highest bidder – the proceeds to go to those he most directly wishes to help. I’d expect that it’s something he would do, and I can respect that.

Of all the entertainers alive today, I can barely think of any that deserve such an accolade as much as Jerry Lewis. And it’s more than about time.

The real charity and freedom of motorcycle riding

In the past the image of a motorcycle rider was an image of a Hell’s Angel – long beards, and wild hair on an imposing frame as wild as their chopper bikes. It’s an image immortalized in movies and television. But that is a past image and it doesn’t tell the full story.

That 1970’s image of a biker changed as did the bikes, with the growth of Harley Davidson and hordes of baby boomers hitting the roads in the late 80’s and 90’s. By the mid-90’s teens and young adults took up the 2-wheel freedom of biking, and as social networking sites became popular so did the dumb (but difficult) tricks these kids would perform. And that is really not the full story.

Now with the cost of crude oil pushing gasoline prices to levels never imagined during the Oil Embargo Crisis, sales of motorcycles are racing higher and women (who look great on a bike) are gaining licenses faster than ever before. The concept of motorcycles is at a level never before seen in this nation. And almost all of these new or young riders fail to really understand what it’s all about.

One of the things I’ve always been upset with are reports on bike clubs (or gangs if you prefer) and stupid people tricks in the major media. Its a fact that the news rarely discusses the positives of the culture in motorcycle riding that is as important as the road itself. When was the last time you heard a national news organization discuss a positive about motorcycles besides the fact they save gas?

As an example there is this item from Southington about the eighth annual Multiple Sclerosis Motorcycle Ride provided by Myrecordjournal.com. Roughly 900 motorcycle enthusiasts got together and rode 50 miles in an effort to raise money for MS research and aid. Think about that and consider this, many of those riders don’t even know anyone with MS.

And that isn’t a fluke. This is the 8th time that the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has done this run, hopefully raising some $50,000 this year. And the bikers did it just because it might help someone. Which is hardly uncommon.

Of course many have heard of the Love Ride. This is the 25th year of the Love Ride and it will include performances by the Foo Fighters and ZZ-Top and Jay Leno as it’s Grand Marshall. The Love Ride has over 25,000 riders that come to help raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Yet that is not the only charitable event bikers are involved with. There is Bikers Against Drunk Driving, Bikers 4 Kids (missing children), Bikers Against Diabetes, Bikers Against Child Abuse, and the list goes on. And that’s just a few of the well known events.

All of that says nothing of the local or statewide events held for children, the disabled, the sick, and other causes. And that is really the big story.

I was told a long time ago, when I was first riding, that being on a motorcycle was not about how fast you can go, or trying to look cool. I’ve never had the need to speed and show off since. I’ve been reminded many times about how bikers will gather to donate blood in a heartbeat if another biker, that they’ve never met, is in an accident. I’ve lived through bikers I’ve never seen since or before coming to my aid because my bike broke down and I was on the side of the road.

That’s what being on a motorcycle is about. Anything else, everything else is crap and ruins what the culture is about. It’s about freedom and enjoying life, and having the charity to help others enjoy their lives as well.

So if you are getting on a bike to save a few dollars, or to try to do some trick, remember this. When you are on the side of the road, with a broken down bike or body, the people who will stop to help you out really understand what it is to be a motorcycle rider. If you can’t have respect for that, or to be that as well, ride a bicycle or just get a smaller car.

That’s my 2 cents on it.