Jerry Rigged: A Jerry Lewis hoax fools French President Chirac.

Entertainment Weekly ^ | 03/19/03 | Liane Bonin

[aculeus]

President Bush and French President Jacques Chirac may not be phone pals anymore, but that didn't stop Chirac from discussing Saddam Hussein, the war in Iraq, and other serious issues with another famous American: Jerry Lewis.

Except it turns out that the man who had a five-minute phone conversation with Chirac last week wasn't Lewis, but rather a Los Angeles DJ impersonating the comedian. A source at KROQ 106.7 confirms that ''Kevin and Bean Show'' entertainment reporter Ralph Garman got through to Chirac by claiming to be France's most loved American funnyman -- a prank that has the real Lewis considering legal action. ''Jerry is outraged that this impersonation occurred, especially at this critical time in the conduct of foreign policy,'' Alan Isaacman, Lewis' attorney, tells EW.com. ''These are life and death matters, and the last thing that's needed is someone getting involved in this situation in a false manner. It's reprehensible and irresponsible, and we intend to pursue the appropriate remedies.'' (KROQ declined to comment on the hoax.)

EW.com procured a tape of the phone call, during which Chirac assured Garman, ''I recognize your voice, no doubt about that'' and talked freely about why he isn't supporting an attack on Iraq, noting, ''The resolution [Bush] wanted to send [to the United Nations] a few days ago says [Iraq] has one week before the attack, and that is not reasonable, you know... In fact, the United States has already won the war, because Saddam now accepts [sic] to be disarmed from the inspectors. They've won.''

Chirac also expressed appreciation for at least one of Bush's prewar tactics: ''Without the boys [the military] sent over there, we would not have had the result of Saddam accepting to disarm. But now that we've achieved that, we can avoid war. The United States has to be very careful, because if people hold this against them, it's not good for the equilibrium of the world.''

Chirac then invited the faux Lewis to visit him in Paris, noting, ''Understand one thing: France and I will always be friends with America, even if we have two different views of this problem.''

Although the phone call got Lewis an invite to the French presidential palace, it violates FCC regulations, which mandate that the caller must notify the other party if a phone conversation is to be broadcast. ''We can't speak about a case directly, but the violation of this rule has caused us to take action against other radio stations in the past,'' an FCC spokesman tells EW.com.

This isn't the first time ''The Kevin and Bean Show'' has pulled off a prank, according to the Los Angeles Times. On June 13, 1990, Ryder and Baxter asked Arizona DJ Doug Roberts to call the station with a phony murder confession. The hoax attracted national media attention when the producers of ''Unsolved Mysteries'' broadcast the call on the show and local authorities were inundated with leads. After 10 months, the call was revealed to be a hoax. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department presented the DJs with a bill for $12,170 for wasted man hours, and they were ordered to serve 149 hours of community service by their employer.

[aculeus]

Howard Stern, eat your heart out.

[Thane_Banquo]

Bwahahahahhaha!

[Seeking the truth]

Why would any national leader, even from France, take a call from Jerry Lewis?

Screw La France

[Nucluside]

LOLOMFA!!!

[MizSterious]

(giggle) I'm (smirk) SHOCKED (chuckle) at such vile (guffaw) behavior! (bwahahahahahahahahaha)

OK, so I'm not very good at keeping a straight face.

[Crowcreek]

"I recognise your voice"

Takes one to know one -- Imposters, that is . . .

[Kozak]

Because you big silly American Cowboy, Jerry Lewis is un "Genius Comique!"
Besides I bet Chirac isn't getting a lot of calls from anyone who is REALLY important these days. It's Jerry or the Supreme Leader of Botswana Land....

[isthisnickcool]

Although the phone call got Lewis an invite to the French presidential palace, it violates FCC regulations, which mandate that the caller must notify the other party if a phone conversation is to be broadcast.

So, the FCC has jurisdiction over French telephones and the FCC "rule" applies to French nationals on the other end of the conversation? Yea, sure.

More info. on FCC rule: Here.

[Chad Fairbanks]

"I am troubled. Saddened, and deeply troubled."

[Physicist]

a prank that has the real Lewis considering legal action. ''Jerry is outraged that this impersonation occurred, especially at this critical time in the conduct of foreign policy,''

Will the real Jerry Lewis PLEASE SIT DOWN!!!

[1Old Pro]

Reminds me of the time a Howard Sern guy got on live with Peter Jennings during the O.J. thing saying he lived next door and then after few minutes with Jennings he gave the babba booey thing.

[Seeking the truth]

I've never understood the French obsession with Jerry Lewis. OTOH, I do. I had too many bad experiences dealing with them when I lived & worked in Germany.

[headsonpikes]

Jerry probably represents a stereotypical Yank in French eyes. Except they're worried that a tipsy Dean Martin is running the country. ;^)

Note to M. Chirac: A serious leader does not take calls from comedians during a world crisis.

[Cyber Ninja]

It is easy to fool a fool, and those two (Kevin & Bean) do it all the time. ~{8^(|)

[aculeus]

I've never understood the French obsession with Jerry Lewis.

... or Mickey Rourke, Mickey Mouse (no relation) and Charlie Chaplin.

(Lived in France in the '60s.)

[anymouse]

Caption this:

Jaques: Is that really you, Jerry?

[Kozak]

Hey how do we know ift wasn't a Chirac impersonator huh???

[jt8d]

Well, the only other phone call Chit-raq might get from "Jerry" is the one from Jerry Springer:

"So, Jacques, what is this about you sleeping with sheep? Is that how you make French Brie?--Or is this sort of fratenization what all little frenchy boys like to dooooo?"

"Ahh... unhonh-hon-hon, Oui-Oui, Monsuier, Wee lie-kuh tu mayeek de cheeeese, no? C'est ci bon!"

[steve-b]

A source at KROQ 106.7 confirms that "Kevin and Bean Show" entertainment reporter Ralph Garman got through to Chirac by claiming to be France's most loved American funnyman -- a prank that has the real Lewis considering legal action. "Jerry is outraged that this impersonation occurred, especially at this critical time in the conduct of foreign policy," Alan Isaacman, Lewis' attorney, tells EW.com. "These are life and death matters, and the last thing that's needed is someone getting involved in this situation in a false manner. It's reprehensible and irresponsible, and we intend to pursue the appropriate remedies."

This guy seems to believe that the real Jerry Lewis might have somehow defused the crisis, but the fake Jerry Lewis threw away that hope.

[steve-b]

Reminds me of the time a Howard Stern guy got on live with Peter Jennings during the O.J. thing saying he lived next door

I remember that. The guy was talking in an outrageous stereotype accent that would make Amos n' Andy sound like Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King Jr, and dopey Jennings never caught on.