After calling Jerry Lewis' use of the slur “fag” during the comedian's annual Labor Day muscular dystrophy telethon “derogatory,” 630 KHOW-AM's Dan Caplis on his September 5 broadcast went on to say that he would not “judge” a “buddy” for making “some sort of derogatory comment for a gay person” if “some guy comes up ... making a sloppy pass” at him in a bar. Continuing the discussion about “gay pass[es]” later in the broadcast, Caplis asked his producer to play the theme from Deliverance, a 1972 movie that depicts a male character being violently sodomized.

As CNN reported on September 4, “Comedian Jerry Lewis on Tuesday apologized for using the word ”fag" as he broadcast his annual Labor Day Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy." CNN further reported:

In the 18th hour of the telethon Monday, Lewis, with his bow-tie undone and his shirt collar open, stumbled around the set at the South Coast Hotel, Casino and Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada, marveling at the cameraman's ability to keep up with him.

“Look how good he moves that camera, you son of a gun. Wherever I go, he goes,” said Lewis, 81.

“Let's see what you do with this over here,” said the comedian and actor, who became famous as Dean Martin's slapstick partner on stage and in several films in the 1950s.

Lewis then gestured toward two other cameras on the set.

“Oh, your family has come to see you. You remember Bart, your oldest son,” he said, pointing to one camera.

“Jessie, the illiterate fag,” Lewis said, pointing to the other.

“No,” he said then, as some audience members laughed.

In Tuesday's statement, Lewis said, “I apologize to anyone who was offended.”

After saying that Lewis has “done a lot of good work certainly with the telethon, raising money, you know, for these kids,” Caplis added, “And ... yet he makes this comment the other day ... does it -- using this derogatory reference for our gay brothers and sisters. Does that tell you that he's a bigot?”

Later in the broadcast, co-host Craig Silverman asked Caplis, “And so you've never used a word like that yourself?” After indicating that he had not, Caplis stated, “I don't think we should be that quick to judge somebody because, you know, of a word that slips out of their mouth.” Caplis then added:

Because you had to have been in this situation, Craig ... I'm in a bar with a buddy ... we're out there to meet women; we're not out there to meet guys. And you're sitting in a bar and ... some guy comes up and he's ... making a sloppy pass at you. You know, a buddy of mine makes some sort of derogatory comment for a gay person at that point, I'm not going to judge that buddy for the rest of my life.

Responding to Caplis' bar scenario, Silverman remarked, "[C]an I honestly say that's never happened to me. Maybe that's 'cause I'm not pretty," and shortly afterward asked a caller, "[A]re you pretty?" Caplis then asked the show's producer, Brad Lopez, “Do you have the theme from Deliverance there, Brad?” After the theme song, Dueling Banjos, started playing, Caplis asked, "[W]hen you start by asking a male caller if he's pretty, what do you expect?"

From the September 5 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Caplis & Silverman Show:

CAPLIS: Hey, what, what about Jerry Lewis? Now 81, and he's done a lot of good work certainly with the telethon, raising money, you know, for these kids. And, and yet he makes this comment the other day, does, does it -- using this derogatory reference for our gay brothers and sisters. Does that tell you that he's a bigot? Does, does it make you less interested in supporting the cause? Do you think they should take him off the show? We'll fire the sound for you -- love your take. 303-713-8255.

LEWIS [audio clip]: We're into hour 18 -- look how good he moves that camera -- son of a gun -- wherever I go, he goes. Let's see what you do with this over here. Oh, your family has come to see you. You remember Bart, your oldest son; Jesse, the illiterate fag. No.

CAPLIS: Hmm, that's rough.

[...]

SILVERMAN: Well, I didn't know we were going to talk about gay marriage. I'd just as soon stay on Jerry Lewis, who has been forgiven by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. They said they appreciated his swift and sincere apology. So the bottom line is, if anybody used a racially offensive word around you, wouldn't you say something about it -- wouldn't you stand up to them?

CAPLIS: Sure. Sure.

SILVERMAN: What if somebody used the word “fag” in front of you? Would you say, “Oh, come on.”

CAPLIS: Yeah, and I've done that before. I mean, because --

SILVERMAN: You have?

CAPLIS: Sure, because I've had gay roommates; I hire gays; I represent gays. I, I'm not going to sit back idly and let that go by.

SILVERMAN: And so you've never used a word like that yourself?

CAPLIS: No, never, never, never. And I've done a lot of bad things, said a lot of bad things, but no, I've never, I've never used a racially derogatory term. I've, I've never used a term derogatory to gays. No. It's, you know. But, let's say that -- I know some friends who have, either in the course of a joke or -- I honestly can't think of anybody who's made a racial comment, but a friend who's, who's, you know, made some passing comment about, you know, some gay person. I say, “Man, that ain't cool.” You know. But do I think that person is then, you know, some sort of rotten person or some kind of bigot to the core? No, and I don't think we should be that quick to judge somebody because, you know, of a word that slips out of their mouth. I'd, I'd prefer to look at how they've lived their life and how they treat other people.

SILVERMAN: Good point. Well, yeah.

CAPLIS: Because you had to have been in this situation, Craig. I'm -- OK, I'm in a bar with a buddy, all right?

SILVERMAN: Mm-hmm.

CAPLIS: We're single.

SILVERMAN: Right.

CAPLIS: We're, we're, we're out there to meet women; we're not out there to meet guys. And you're sitting in a bar and, and some guy comes up and he's, he's making a sloppy pass at you. You know, a buddy of mine makes some sort of derogatory comment for a gay person at that point, I'm not going to judge that buddy for the rest of my life.

SILVERMAN: Can, can I honestly say that's never happened to me. Maybe that's 'cause I'm not pretty.

CAPLIS: Oh, I think you're pretty.

SILVERMAN: I mean, I'm just, I'm -- no. I don't think that anybody would call me “pretty.” But honestly, I've been in a lot of bars and clubs, and I've never had that happen.

CAPLIS: You've never had a gay pass?

SILVERMAN: Never.

CAPLIS: How about you, Brad? Brad Lopez. Never? Now that I find hard to believe.

SILVERMAN: Well, Brad's handsome, but he, he, he would not be described as “pretty,” I think.

CAPLIS: I don't know, I don't know -- he's Brad Pitt-like, I think. But, [caller], you're with Dan and Craig, 630 KHOW. Welcome.

SILVERMAN: Hey, [caller], are you pretty?

CALLER: Ha. No, I'm not, but thanks for asking that loaded question anyway.

CAPLIS: Do you have the theme from Deliverance there, Brad?

SILVERMAN: No, get the song from My Fair Lady, “I Feel Pretty.” I'm not going to sing it.

CALLER: I don't sing that one.

[“Dueling Banjos,” the theme song from Deliverance, plays]

CAPLIS: Yeah.

SILVERMAN: Deliverance; there we go.

CAPLIS: Yeah, well, when you start by asking a male caller if he's pretty, what do you expect?

SILVERMAN: [Caller], how would you describe yourself?

CAPLIS: Do you want me to leave?