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Once again, the Straight Dope examines another inexplicable phenomenon -- the unaccountable popularity of Jerry Lewis in France. During the 1950s, French critics began writing favorable reviews of Lewis' work, but his star really rose in 1965. That year, the French voted "The Nutty Professor" film of the year, Lewis paid a visit to France where he was mobbed by adoring fans, and the country held a three-week festival in his honor. As for why he initially gained popularity with the French, we can only speculate. U.S. critic Gerard Mast wrote that Lewis' brash, overzealous act was a spot-on take of American excess, and therefore appealed to the
Gallic sense of humor. In her book "Why the French love Jerry Lewis," Rae Beth Gordon says Lewis' physical humor was much like a French comedy style that began in the 1880s and flourished in stage and film. And Lewis biographer Shawn Levy postulates that while the French love high art, they're also suckers for low-brow humor. Whatever the reasons, it's safe to assume what people find entertaining changes by era, location, and generation. While Jack Benny was a riot in his time, he doesn't have quite the same audience today, and "Seinfeld" was a hit in the States but tanked
in Germany.
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