Jay Leno Makes Crass Joke About Motorcycle Accident Before Tragedy Kills Two
Credit: Kevin Winter/Tonight Show/Getty
Not Jay Leno's finest hour.
At the annual Love Ride for charity motorcycle rally in Glendale, California on Sunday, the talk show host and comedian, 61, made some distasteful jokes that tragically became true.
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The Los Angeles Times reports that prior to the rally Leno jokingly complained about safety measures taken during the rally . "Every year, [the organizer] says, 'Drive safe." "I'm gonna say, 'Don't drive safe.' I wanna see somebody go down. So it'll be fun. I want it to be in front or behind me and see a whole row of bikes go down. Get drunk, fall off the road. We've all become too damn polite…we haven't had one incident."
Sadly, the funny man's Tongue-in-cheek wishes came true. Two riders died after crashing into a truck during their rides. The Los Angeles Times reports Romarino Zeri, 51, and Julie Cameron, 38 both riding for the Autism awareness charity Autism Speaks, died instantly after their collision on the Golden State 5 Freeway in Pacoima, California.
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Leno's reps have denied comments on his ominous words. However, Leno did escort another injured driver who crashed during Sunday's rally to the hospital. But that gesture hasn't saved his reputation on the motorcycle blogs. A fellow rider said, "[Leno] is going to feel really bad for his comments".
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25For everyone saying "Jay probably feels bad" or "Jay didn't cause it", etc...So what! Him saying ''Don't ride safe. I wanna see someone go down" and "...see a whole row of bikes go down. Get drunk, fall off the road." is NOT funny and completely inappropriate. Simply, Jay Leno's not the "nice guy" many believe him to be. He manipulated Carson into retiring earlier than Johnny had planned, back-stabbed his "old friend" Dave Letterman, and thew is "good friend" Conan O'Brien under the bus (Meanwhile trying to play the victim). A good comedic talk show host has the ability to be self-deprecating...Leno has never and will never do that. He prefers to point out how stupid other people are. Strange because Jay's about as sharp as a marble. He constantly steals jokes and bits from others. What I'm getting at is he's immoral. Besides that, he hasn't been funny since the mid-eighties. I
Let's hope he doesn't make any comments about flying.
By the way people, if someone tells you to go jump off a bridge...do you do it?? If you are not a swimmer you certainly wouldn;t!. You do what YOU want to do if you have common sense...not what others tell you.
I'm sure Jay feels very badly about this...but he is not God, he didn;t actually cause the accident and people should not blame him. . Who knows what a day will bring??
Joking or not Leno rides too! Maybe someone in L.A. should look for him next time on the streets of L.A. and see if he would like to play pinball wizard!!! TONY g.
Let's get real. Leno had nothing to do with the accident. He is a comedian and was making a sarcastic remark. He is a standup guy (no pun intended) and does more for charity than most. So all you little haters just run along...
Let's get real. Leno had nothing to do with the accident. He is a comedian and was making a sarcastic remark. He is a standup guy (no pun intended) and does more for charity than most. So all you little haters just run along...
Come on. My husband is an avid rider and Jay should have known better than to tell a bunch of riders to "get drunk and fall off the road." Stupid and tasteless.
I am however very sorry to hear any Bikers dieing on a ride for charity or just for fun.
I don't like leno any waqy ,I wish tyhat he would die on one of he rich ass bikes. I sure they don't have a helment that would fit his chin or ego!
hurt
i dont think leno meant it the way some people see it its like going to the nascar races your there to see some wrecks but you dont want nobody getting heart
What a sad thing to happen.
I do nothing but ride, I don't even own a cage, and I don't blame Leno in the least. Was his joke somewhat distasteful? Maybe, but it's a joke, he's a comedian, they do that. It's not like he would truly mean it considering he participates in the ride as well. Then he would be including himself in his wishful thinking if he was serious. The writer of this article is just a stereo typical "reporter" sensationalizing something that was said by a popular and public figure and exaggerating the implications of the situation. I highly doubt something like that wasn't said under breath or among friends somewhere in the group of riders at least once more, before or after Leno did. As well as I'm sure something along that nature doesn't get said at every ride every single time. It's all in good fun but no harm is ever really intended. Only rival biker gangs ever wish true ill will on another biker. The rest of us would rather just enjoy the ride and keep our knees in the breeze.
Well I think that anyone should not wish anything bad on anyone or the same thing could come back on you in one way or another. So I think everyone should watch what you wish on others. I also think Jay should explayn just what he ment by wahat he said, too.
Well we all like to watch a good crash on tv but we dont wish harm to anyone.You that dont think watching bloopers or some of the stuff they do on the jackass movies isnt entertaining i think you have no sense of humor! Jay didnt cause 2 people to die.that choice is ours to take chances getting on a bike knowing there dangerous.We all seem to like to blame someone when theres a tragedy happens. my prayers go out to the families for there loss!! lets give Jay a break people !!
do any of you ride???,,no dont blame leno,,as a rider ill say,,it really was in poor tast to even make such a joke,,he rides him self,,and knows how MOST people in cars have no clue to any thing going on around them,,and that fxxxing cell phones,,im trained to scan the roads as i drive, and expect the unexpected,,if MOST of the drivers on the roads now put the cell's down and watched what goes around them ,,there would be less wrecks,,cars and bikes,,
He made jokes, it's the same when someone goes on stage and you say "Break a leg" well it's not SERIOUS... obviously you don't want anyone to break a leg. It's obviously a joke, there was no harmful intent. And let's be honest. EVERYONE watches racing shows for the crashes.
yes it was a tragic thing that happened. But how can you blame Leno. he is a comedian and says things for laughs. After the remarks he did say to seriously RIDE SAFE. This politically correct crap has to stop. My prayers go out to the families.
Seriously people, Leno's joke however one takes it makes no difference, IT WAS A JOKE, made PRIOR to the ride for which he participates in and contributes yearly, do you really think he wished ill will on anyone, really? It's true common sense isn't so common blatantly exhibited by the moranic post thinking that the joke was after the accident or in some way shaped the days events.