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Thread: Andy Kaufman

  1. #151
    Layla331 Guest
    i didnt find him funny...and i get most humor and like comedy..i think maybe this was one i didnt get..i did like him in taxi tho..

  2. #152
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    On the remotest chance that Kaufman might actually be alive---and I'm not sure how he could have gotten his entire family and friends on the same page about this scale of a hoax, if this is so, unless they, too, are profiteering attention grabbers like he was, milking the memories, such as they were, of someone whose talents were rather specialized, to be tactful.
    As a parent or sibling I'd be outraged at my son or brother for putting me through a horrible charade like that.... I would hope that even his former fans would turn their backs on him, because that's one Hell of an abuse of trust, loyalty, grief--- you name it. And IMHO, his brand of performance art wasn't worth the anguish such a scheme would have caused.
    So I tend to think Andy Kaufman is---
    "Is morally, ethically
    Spiritually, physically
    Positively, absolutely
    Undeniably and reliably Dead
    Not only merely dead,
    But really most sincerely dead."
    Last edited by Linnie; 03-23-2009 at 10:46 AM.

  3. #153
    MmmRavioli Guest
    What people "don't get" is that he wasn't trying to be a comedian. He was just an artist. He just wanted to know how people deal with reality. When an audience reacts... think about it: how are they usually going to react if they like your performance? Either they'll clap or they'll laugh, usually. If he wasn't singing (which he did sometimes, and got applause for), but instead doing a performance piece... doing a character, or trying to elicit some reaction..... what are people going to do? They're not going to applaud a speech or a skit.. they're going to laugh. Or boo, or whatever. lol

    He was absolutely brilliant, and ahead of his time. If he was a little unsure of himself toward the end of his life, it was only because he was concerned that so many people were really hating him. That bothered him more than he let on.

    As far as these people who honestly believe he's alive... sorry. I just don't have a great deal of patience for those people. lol That's all I'm going to say. No offense to any of them personally, but they just wear me out with their crazy theories.
    Last edited by MmmRavioli; 03-24-2009 at 03:45 AM.

  4. #154
    MmmRavioli Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by burgtwngrl View Post
    Found this on Wiki.

    Kaufman was survived by his daughter, Maria Colonna, who was born in 1969 and put up for adoption shortly thereafter. Colonna never knew she was the daughter of Andy Kaufman until 1992, when she traced her biological parentage.[26]

    Does anyone think he may still be alive or faked his death but has since died from something else?
    Here's the full story, detailing Maria's search for her biological parents:
    http://www.people.com/people/archive...105429,00.html
    I used to have this issue of "People"... I must've threw it away. It had some great pics, including a great pic of of Maria and Andy's father Stanley.




    Then here's a second picture... she's with her husband and the Kaufmans (Andy's siblings):
    http://andykaufman.jvlnet.com/kaufmans.htm
    You need to scroll down a bit to see it.


    She was born July 19, 1969 (she'll be 40 this year! wow!). She went to school to be a radiation therapist and was born and raised in Roslyn, New York, only minutes from Andy's hometown Great Neck, New York.

    Sadly her adoptive mother died when she was 12. So maybe it's just as well that she never met Andy, in a sense.. especially as a child! It would've been like losing two parents.

    If you watch the movie Man On The Moon, the little girl on the tricycle at the beginning of the movie, who plays Andy's little sister, is actually Maria's little girl Brittany... who was absolutely adorable in that part. And it was precious that she was singing her Grandpa Andy's "The Cow Goes Moo" song.
    Yeah.. for the most part I didn't like that movie, but that scene made it worth seeing.

    Andy never met Maria, but would talk about her periodically to people over the years... just basically hoping she was okay and happy. He said maybe when he was rich and famous enough he'd try and find her... In the early '80s he even did a performance onstage where he claimed to have found his long-lost daughter through "Children Anonymous." He did the routine with his friend, "Little" Wendy Polland. He held this grown woman on his knee and sang songs.... weird.

    But he obviously never forgot her.
    Last edited by MmmRavioli; 03-25-2009 at 12:55 AM.

  5. #155
    Boxofpandoraz Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by MmmRavioli View Post
    As far as these people who honestly believe he's alive... sorry. I just don't have a great deal of patience for those people. lol That's all I'm going to say. No offense to any of them personally, but they just wear me out with their crazy theories.
    Ravioli, again, you've said some excellent stuff here.

    It's common to find one of two extremes when it comes to Andy Kaufman.

    Those who either absolutely without question HATED his work, or those who 100% cry "GENIUS" whenever his name is mentioned, these are also the people who will tell you a highly detailed story about how Andy is working at a Truck Stop in New Mexico that's run by Jim Morrison.

    I am, as you are, it would seem, more in the grey area. He was indeed a genius, I believe that. But the subtlety and intricate details of his work are what made him so. That style is not going to be for everyone. In fact, most people are going to take one look at most of his work and believe that Andy had very little talent at all. Seriously, put on a showing of "Breakfast with Blassie" and ask your average person to tell you if and why it was entertaining.

    What confuses me, is a lot of people condemn Andy for two of his most "ahead of their time" performances, namely, the whole deal with Jerry Lawler on Letterman. Or the Fridays incident that they did such a great job recreating in Man on the Moon. How is that different than any of this crappy-ass "reality" TV stuff that people try to press on us these days? Andy Kaufman was doing his own version of "Punk'd" before Ashton freakin' Kutcher was five years old!

    As for him being alive. He most certainly is. Though I don't think he's drawing breath, or collecting paychecks from Jim Morrison every other Friday. I believe that the spirit of his work, the lesson to laugh at ourselves, and whatever little idiosyncracies we might have, as well as the one that not every joke you open is going to leave them rollin' in the aisles, is the part of Andy that survives. As far as I'm concerned, that's what makes him immortal.

  6. #156
    Couldn't stand him. Could. Not. Stand. Him.

    I worked with a guy who reminded me of him -- he wasn't the least bit funny, or even likeable, but he sorta had this "hipper than thou" vibe that snowed a lot of people in the office into thinking he was all that.

  7. #157
    MmmRavioli Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Boxofpandoraz View Post
    Ravioli, again, you've said some excellent stuff here.

    It's common to find one of two extremes when it comes to Andy Kaufman.

    Those who either absolutely without question HATED his work, or those who 100% cry "GENIUS" whenever his name is mentioned, these are also the people who will tell you a highly detailed story about how Andy is working at a Truck Stop in New Mexico that's run by Jim Morrison.

    I am, as you are, it would seem, more in the grey area. He was indeed a genius, I believe that. But the subtlety and intricate details of his work are what made him so. That style is not going to be for everyone. In fact, most people are going to take one look at most of his work and believe that Andy had very little talent at all. Seriously, put on a showing of "Breakfast with Blassie" and ask your average person to tell you if and why it was entertaining.

    What confuses me, is a lot of people condemn Andy for two of his most "ahead of their time" performances, namely, the whole deal with Jerry Lawler on Letterman. Or the Fridays incident that they did such a great job recreating in Man on the Moon. How is that different than any of this crappy-ass "reality" TV stuff that people try to press on us these days? Andy Kaufman was doing his own version of "Punk'd" before Ashton freakin' Kutcher was five years old!


    I like being called Ravioli...
    That wasn't my motivation when choosing this name, honest.

    I agree with everything you've said. We're pretty much on the same page about Andy. He's definitely dead, definitely brilliant (he wasn't God, but definitely had a genius-level intelligence that I think he had a hell of a time expressing in his lifetime), and was very misunderstood. He brought a kind of performance art to the table that nobody had ever really seen.

    I like your reality TV/punk'd comparison too. It's ironic. Back in the day, people hated Andy and wanted him completely off television. Now that is extreme. These days people either change the channel, or more often than not, decide they "love to hate" people like that and make stars out of them. (This is why I hate reality TV and I don't watch it... that to me is a great deal more offensive and dumb than someone like Andy who is merely mocking the assholes of the world, haha!) The public will actually rush home to watch these hillbilly losers... real-life losers who are not acting! LOL! Go figure. And yet they treat Andy, who was clearly only putting on a show, like some sort of pig from Mars who should go crawl back under a rock. I think it's basically just a testement to what a great actor he was!

    "Breakfast With Blassie" had him getting into a heated arguement with a woman... and at the time I saw it for the first time, at age 15, I thought the whole thing was real. I was really into Andy as Latka from Taxi at the time, and I thought this was a real documentary-style piece, and had no idea the woman was a plant and actually a friend of his.
    He was being quite a jerk to her... and SHE was actually playing along really well too. She looked and sounded like she couldn't stand him. That's a great movie. You make me want to go watch it again.


    As for him being alive. He most certainly is. Though I don't think he's drawing breath, or collecting paychecks from Jim Morrison every other Friday. I believe that the spirit of his work, the lesson to laugh at ourselves, and whatever little idiosyncracies we might have, as well as the one that not every joke you open is going to leave them rollin' in the aisles, is the part of Andy that survives. As far as I'm concerned, that's what makes him immortal.
    WELL SAID.

  8. #158
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    Eh..I never got Kaufman either. I never liked Taxi anyway, but I really found his character to be especially annoying. I never get people who merely exist to push other people's buttons (if that was in fact his schtick). There's enough bullshit in the world, why does someone need to intentionally antagonize others for "entertainment"? Where I come from, that's called being an ass.
    "You live alone, creating your life as you go." - Edie Sedgwick

  9. #159
    alicat68 Guest
    Just got done reading all the posts and had something to add. There is a publication called "Weird NJ" (heard of it?) which just came out with a new issue. In it, there is an article about the bizarre press conference held in New Brunswick, NJ regarding Andy "returning" back in November of last year. Several people have already posted about "Stephen Maddox" and and this article totally ties in with both things. If you truly love Andy and hold any hope that he did fake his own death -- you need to read this article. Additionally, the 20-minute press conference the article is about is also posted on YouTube -- I was able to watch it linked through the AKL website. I, personally, was not a fan of his performance art, but I do find the topic of his "faked" death interesting and I think this event (and Bob Zmuda's response to it -- also on the AKL website) definitely fan the flames of "did he or didn't he"
    Last edited by Mrs. James Dean; 04-17-2009 at 08:29 PM.

  10. 04-17-2009, 07:53 PM

  11. #160
    MmmRavioli Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by alicat68 View Post
    Just got done reading all the posts and had something to add. There is a publication called "Weird NJ" (heard of it?) which just came out with a new issue. In it, there is an article about the bizarre press conference held in New Brunswick, NJ regarding Andy "returning" back in November of last year. Several people have already posted about "Stephen Maddox" and and this article totally ties in with both things. If you truly love Andy and hold any hope that he did fake his own death -- you need to read this article. Additionally, the 20-minute press conference the article is about is also posted on YouTube -- I was able to watch it linked through the AKL website. I, personally, was not a fan of his performance art, but I do find the topic of his "faked" death interesting and I think this event (and Bob Zmuda's response to it -- also on the AKL website) definitely fan the flames of "did he or didn't he"
    Bologna. There was this guy on another site who recently gave me a little insight into the point of view of people who think he's alive: He said, "It's just too sad to believe he's really gone."

    It's just a bunch of people who can't deal with reality.

    Quote Originally Posted by MagneticElectric
    There's enough bullshit in the world, why does someone need to intentionally antagonize others for "entertainment"? Where I come from, that's called being an ass.
    Hehe!! See, that's the thing.
    I never thought that anything Andy ever did was worth getting that upset about....

    His wresting thing was the one thing I reallyfell for, and even then I wasn't so much upset as much as worried about his mental state. The making fun of southerners.... even as a southerner (which I'm not), I would've been able to tell he was kidding. Anyone who got extremely angry was clearly an angry person anyway. When the whole thing came out as a prank, and I learned Jerry Lawler and him were friends... I never laughed so hard. And being someone who is not generally a fan of wrestling, I also didn't understand these "good guy, bad guy" roles that wrestlers play. He was deliberately setting it up so that the audience would understand they were supposed to hate him.
    (Only he overestimated their intelligence, and didn't realize they would still hate him outside the ring.... )

    He sort of explains it here:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGCPCygTgrw


    "What's real?, What's not?, That's what I do in my act, test how other people deal with reality." - Andy Kaufman

    "... or more simply put: who can laugh at themselves, and who can't." - Ravioli
    Last edited by Mrs. James Dean; 04-17-2009 at 08:29 PM. Reason: added a link

  12. #161
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    I met him in 1982 when I rented a car to him when he came off a flight. I didn't put two and two together until he turned (in his best Latka voice) and said "Tank you veddy much!" and left to go find his rental car. It was THEN that I realized what I had done and ran and asked for his autograph. After razzing me a bit, he fraciously gave me his autograph and a hug. I will never forget him for that.
    Wanna see my grandkids?

  13. #162
    Sam Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by MmmRavioli View Post
    What people "don't get" is that he wasn't trying to be a comedian.
    He suceeded!

    Quote Originally Posted by MissieMaam View Post
    Couldn't stand him. Could. Not. Stand. Him
    Ditto!

  14. #163
    MmmRavioli Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Sam View Post
    He suceeded!



    Ditto!
    Well, one way or another, people care. And that's a huge compliment to him.

  15. #164
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    I liked Andy a lot, funny as hell, IMO.

  16. #165
    MmmRavioli Guest

    Thumbs up

    It was 25 years ago today, May 16, 1984, that Andy pulled off his greatest put-on ever... making people believe he is alive. (ha ha ha ha)

    Wherever you are in the Universe Andy, we love you veddy much.

    My thoughts are also with Andy's dad, Mr. Stanley Kaufman, age 86. He's been through a lot. That dawns on me every so often.

    A great fan-made tribute to Andy on YouTube:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ti-MC_zH7E

    Andy interviews Howdy Doody:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbdMWNTYRLY








    Last edited by MmmRavioli; 05-16-2009 at 03:37 AM.

  17. #166
    MmmRavioli Guest
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4JyUSxucvA


    A little something to cheer people up and make them laugh today.
    Esp. for those of us that really need it.

    Andy took a lot of unnecessary/uncalled for crap in his lifetime too.

  18. #167
    sablegsd Guest
    Could not stand him. At all.

  19. #168
    I♥TinyTim Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by MmmRavioli View Post
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4JyUSxucvA


    A little something to cheer people up and make them laugh today.
    Esp. for those of us that really need it.

    Andy took a lot of unnecessary/uncalled for crap in his lifetime too.

    More cow bell!

    Go, Andy! He could really beat those drums, huh? Never knew that! Thanks for the laugh!

  20. #169
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    I met him in 1983. I worked for Hertz and he rented a car from me. He was funny and polite and I even got an autograph. It was an experience I will never forget.
    Wanna see my grandkids?

  21. #170
    MmmRavioli Guest
    Thanks to a jerk on this message board, I had a rather bad late afternoon, I was even choking back a few tears on the way to work.

    But you CAN shift your energy with effort, and have a great day, which I ended up doing.

    It makes me that much more grateful for the true "mirth providers" like Andy. Entertainers that create strange wonderful things to help us take a break from the negativity of the world for a few minutes, or hours.

    Earlier today he helped to put a smile back on my face, and then I took it from there. Did a few meditative breathing exercises... and got my energy shifted back to where it needed to be. And I had a very pleasant evening at work.

    Don't let the bastards get you down.
    Piss them off and have a great day... and life!


    Quote Originally Posted by I♥TinyTim View Post
    More cow bell!

    Go, Andy! He could really beat those drums, huh? Never knew that! Thanks for the laugh!
    A fan told me a while ago that Andy had instructed the conga band to look pissed off to make it even more funny. LOL!
    Last edited by MmmRavioli; 05-17-2009 at 12:05 AM.

  22. 05-17-2009, 12:02 AM
    Reason
    double post

  23. #171
    seberly Guest
    I didn't find Andy Kaufman funny at all, and I couldn't stand him on Taxi which I watched because nothing else was on.

    I did read the book on Andy which was written by his friend and cohort. The book was really good. Still, I just didn't find ANY of his routines funny. I liked his wrestling angle though.

  24. #172
    MmmRavioli Guest
    Seberly, don't rely on Bob Zmuda's book. I mean the cover of it looks like an Enquirer cover and if I'm not mistaken I think it shows Andy sitting on a toilet or something. (Classay.) haha At least that's what the cover looks like online.

    It's a lot of exaggerations and untruths. The Kaufman family did not endorse that book. It may be an enjoyable read, but fiction often is.

    Best books are "Lost In The Funhouse" by Bill Zehme (endorsed by the Kaufmans) and "Was This Man A Genius?" by Julie Hecht (a woman who followed him around and interviewed him for a year).

  25. #173
    MmmRavioli Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by seberly View Post
    I didn't find Andy Kaufman funny at all, and I couldn't stand him on Taxi which I watched because nothing else was on.
    Taxi's the BEST! Even the episodes without Kaufman (and in later seasons his appearances did grow more scarce), are still hilarious. That show has one of my favorite ensemble casts ever.

    I thought it'd be a bit funny to mention that I had to "console" a fellow fan earlier. She/he said (didn't catch the sex! that happens online...), he/she has never met anyone who has liked him, until finding us online.

    I said, "We've got each other."

  26. #174
    TheLazenby Guest
    Anyone else follow "Andy" on Twitter?

    I was reluctant at first, because I thought this impostor was pretty tasteless; but as time goes on, I've started to wonder. REALLY started to wonder. I've corresponded with this guy, and I've followed his posts, and this nagging feeling in the back of my mind keeps telling me that anyone who thought he died has been had in a BIG way. I don't know. *shrug*

    On the other hand... "Andy" updated his website (AndyKaufmanLives.com) on the 25th anniversary of his death with a special message - "Fuck every last one of you." Now I don't know what to think. If you read his explanation for saying that, though, it does sort of make sense. When he 'died', the world had abandoned him.
    Last edited by TheLazenby; 05-21-2009 at 11:48 PM.

  27. #175
    Long Gone Day Guest
    I thought he was the funniest with Carol Kane on Taxi. They were hysterical together.

  28. #176
    MmmRavioli Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by TheLazenby View Post

    On the other hand... "Andy" updated his website (AndyKaufmanLives.com) on the 25th anniversary of his death with a special message - "Fuck every last one of you."
    Big slip up there...

    He really didn't swear.

  29. #177
    MmmRavioli Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Long Gone Day View Post
    I thought he was the funniest with Carol Kane on Taxi. They were hysterical together.
    They had a really natural rapport, because when she got the job on "Taxi" he invited her to his house, so that he could teach her Latka's language. He had the idea that they should just go out to a restaurant and speak only that language with each other. And they did. They went out for Chinese and spoke only gibberish the whole time. (He initially tried to get her to wrestle, but she said no... lol. He thought it would break down inhibitions, which I suppose sweating and rolling around on the floor would....)

    I think Carol Kane took his passing hard. If you look at her in all the "Taxi" reinactment scenes in "Man On The Moon" she looks emotional in every one. I suppose playing someone's husband or wife for a year or two creates a different kind of bond, beyond just your average co-star bond.

    Here's one of my all-time favorite Latka/Simka scenes on "Taxi." In this scene, Latka invites Simka over for dinner, but Latka's other personality "Vic Ferrari" takes over.... and doesn't leave until the next morning.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5iWg80iyAM
    Last edited by MmmRavioli; 05-22-2009 at 01:56 AM.

  30. #178
    TheLazenby Guest
    He really didn't swear.
    Oh, I've heard some zingers from Andy before... have you ever seen the infamous Letterman where he was slapped by Jerry Lawler? Kaufman could cuss like the rest of us. :-P

  31. #179
    MmmRavioli Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by TheLazenby View Post
    Oh, I've heard some zingers from Andy before... have you ever seen the infamous Letterman where he was slapped by Jerry Lawler? Kaufman could cuss like the rest of us. :-P
    He was acting....
    See, this is why a lot of people don't like him or "couldn't stand him." They think all these characters are the real him.

    Wrestling Guy can swear like the rest of us. Andy preferred not to, in his daily life.

    Jerry and Andy were friends, and according to Jerry Lawler, Andy was shy and respectful. If you look at the old footage of Andy and Jerry wrestling in Memphis, you see them pause right before Jerry flips Andy upside down and drives his head into the mat (I guess that's called a piledrive?)..... what Jerry is doing is whispering into his ear, "This won't hurt, okay?" or something like that. But Andy, due to his inexperience didn't land quite right. lol

    See I don't think Andy is very difficult to understand in that basic regard. He played characters all the time. The fact that people, 25 years later, still don't get it.... well, IMO, that's just proof of how good an actor he was.
    Last edited by MmmRavioli; 05-22-2009 at 02:32 PM.

  32. #180
    MmmRavioli Guest
    My YouTube friend's 25th anniversary tribute to Andrew Geoffrey Kaufma!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1E8EVWpiqE

    She's a big fan really, she just forgot his name had an 'n.'
    I love her second choice of song. I've never heard it, but I have to download it sometime. "Dreamer" by Europe. So fitting it could've been written about him.

  33. #181
    Jack'sGirl Guest
    I haven't had a chance to read this whole thread, but I wanted to post my thoughts.

    Gosh, I remember the first time I saw him. I can't remember what show he was on, but he came out to do his impressions. I always loved impressions, and so did my sister, so we were waiting for something good. When he did his first few, at the time we thought they were horrible. It was interesting hearing Archie Bunker done in a timid, Latka type of voice. My sister said, "Whoa. This guy sucks. Someone get him off the stage."

    Then he started in with Elvis. We figured he was going to do the same tired routine, and we were ready for him to be done. But when he did Elvis, holy cow! Our jaws dropped to the floor, he'd done one of the best Elvis impressions we'd ever seen, and we were a family of Elvis fans. Incredible.

    Loved him on Taxi, and thought he was perfectly paired with Carol Kane as Simka. That show was great anyhow, but it was even better because of the two of them.

    I wasn't as keen on his later stuff, but then again, I didn't get the humor of it back then. But I still think he was very talented.

    I know some of you aren't thrilled with Man on the Moon, but I was surprised at how Carrey played him, he seemed to do a good job. But here's something interesting: my son is 14, and he's a huge Jim Carrey fan. I was watching Man on the Moon one afternoon on HBO, and he sat down and watched it with me, simply because he loved Carrey. He had no idea who Kaufman was, so when the movie was over, I told him about Andy, and we pulled up some videos of him on YouTube.

    Son said, "Wow, mom, Andy was funny!"

    And now another generation knows who Andy Kaufman was!

  34. #182
    MmmRavioli Guest
    Hey, bitches, inspired by you!
    http://www.amazon.com/Dear-Andy-Kauf...6828950&sr=1-4
    "Dear Andy Kaufman, I Hate Your Guts" by Lynne Margulies (girlfriend) and Bob Zmuda (former best friend).

    Coming Oct 2009!

    I'm pretty sure it's that book of hate mail Andy wanted to write.

  35. #183
    rockymccahan Guest
    I love Andy Kaufman! Wish he could have lived long enough to see pro wrestling explode the way it did.

  36. #184
    TheLazenby Guest
    For the 25th anniversary of Bob Zmuda's Comic Relief, they're having four Tony Clifton shows in L.A. Each night will have a different Tony - Zmuda, Jim Carrey, (I'm assuming) Michael Kaufman, and...

    Andy will be Tony for the May 16th show.

    The online "Andy" has claimed this, and Tony Clifton's official Twitter page seems to confirm it. We'll see next week, I suppose.

    EDIT: Just noticed that the code to get $5 off of Clifton tickets is 'andy'.
    Last edited by TheLazenby; 05-11-2010 at 02:21 PM.

  37. #185
    pixiedust Guest
    Andy was just before my time - I was born in 1983. But growing up I spent tons of time with my uncle, who introduced me to a lot of awesome things such as Elvis Presley, oldies music, The Little Rascals and Andy Kaufman. I wasn't really sure what to make of Andy until I saw what I consider one of my favorite movies, Man On The Moon.

    Jim Carrey was spot on. It was through his portrayal that I begin to "get" Andy a bit more. I really liked how he became the character. The whole thing with Tony Clifton is funny as well.

    I just youtubed Andy's Elvis impersonation - wow. He does Elvis like Elvis did Elvis. Very impressive.
    Last edited by pixiedust; 08-13-2010 at 07:32 AM.

  38. #186
    hutter Guest
    My first exposure to Andy was during his Memphis Rasslin' days. My dad was a big wrestling fan (Indiana Wrestling with Dick the Bruiser trumped any cartoons I wanted to watch on saturdays, sadly) and we were the first family in our neighborhood to get a satellite dish, the only reason being was that dad had heard about WTBS' wrestling show. Thanks to that satellite dish we also picked up WAVE-TV from Louisville which had the hour long version of the Memphis promotion. So a great part of my childhood was deprived of saturday morning cartoon stars like Captain Caveman, Richie Rich and Scooby Doo. Instead I got Bobo Brazil, Gordon Solie and Jerry Lawler.

    My dad HATED ASndy Kaufman. He was one of those "true believers" who kind of knew it was a put on but convinced himself it really wasn't. Seeing someone like the scrawny unathletic Kaufman show up every week on the Memphis show to challenge Jerry Lawler would get my dad worked up. He couldn't figure out why they would let that scrawny comedian take over the wrestling show.

    Even at a very young age of eight, I got it. It wasn't so much about what Kaufman was doing but how his actions and presence would enrage the wrestling fans. There was your real show. The fans HATED him. My dad hated him. But I couldn't get enough. The fans negative reactions made all the follishness Andy would pull worth it. I didn't understand the signifigance of Andy being such a presence on a regional wrestling show back then. All I knew was that crazy things happened when he would show up to give Lance Russell and Jerry Lawler holy hell. Great wrestling villain, maybe one of the very best.

    It wasn't until years later that I learned more about Andy's "other" claims to fame (SNL, Taxi, his insane tv spoofs of talk shows, etc.) but those were consistent with what he was doing with wrestling. With his "comedy" he was showcasing the viewers reactions and getting them to act exactly as he wanted them to by any means at his disposal.

    I have nothing but admiration for what he did, and it was a very unusual and brave career path to take. Understand that this was when you had "true believers" in the wrestling audience who would have no problem bringing a knife to the arenas to attack the bad guys.

  39. #187
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    Quote Originally Posted by MmmRavioli View Post
    Thanks to a jerk on this message board, I had a rather bad late afternoon, I was even choking back a few tears on the way to work.

    But you CAN shift your energy with effort, and have a great day, which I ended up doing.

    It makes me that much more grateful for the true "mirth providers" like Andy. Entertainers that create strange wonderful things to help us take a break from the negativity of the world for a few minutes, or hours.

    Earlier today he helped to put a smile back on my face, and then I took it from there. Did a few meditative breathing exercises... and got my energy shifted back to where it needed to be. And I had a very pleasant evening at work.

    Don't let the bastards get you down.
    Piss them off and have a great day... and life!




    A fan told me a while ago that Andy had instructed the conga band to look pissed off to make it even more funny. LOL!
    "Shift your energy"... THAT was perfect, and something ALL of us need to remind ourselves to do each and every day! It was what I needed to hear, going through a break-up after 7 years, couldn't have come at a better time!

    I was one of those folks that didn't quite get Kaufman's humor, but when I saw him do Elvis, I thought he was genius. "Man on the Moon" only solidified what he was trying to accomplish, and I for one appreciate his contributions, obviously he was ahead of his time...
    By my troth, I care not; a man can die but once; we owe God a death.... He that dies this year is quit for the next.
    --William Shakespeare!

  40. #188
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    Kind of nice to see this old thread come back around.

    I enjoyed Andy's work; I also understand why many people didn't.

    RIP, Mr. Kaufman; thanks for the entertainment.
    A faulty hypothesis forming:
    A German scientist using Iranian physics and French mathematics.



  41. #189
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    Andy Kaufman still alive as per his brother

    http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...omedian-655760

  42. #190
    MissZoot Guest
    If anyone could effectively pull this off, it's Andy. I'm not saying I believe it, mind you, but I wouldn't put it past the guy. I also wouldn't put it past him to have concocted this entire elaborate scheme on his deathbed, enlisting the help of a few close friends to see that it was put into effect years later. He was that kind of person, and his brother is, after all, his brother, so it isn't that hard to believe that he would do this for Andy, knowing that Andy would find it hysterical.

  43. #191
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    Just watched the video with his supposed daughter... Although the girl looks a lot like Andy, she looks nothing like his real daughter Maria Colonna. This will be easy to be solved if they get a DNA sample.

    Also, wasn't there a video showing a man resembling Andy walking around Albuquerque recently? Although blurred, his facial features can be seen and he looks a lot like an old Andy.

    I will be delighted if this all proves he's alive. The biggest prank of all time.

  44. #192
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    Parinello, who met Kaufman when they were undergrads at Grahm Junior College in Boston, says he is convinced of the story's veracity, even though he attended Kaufman's funeral and saw his body with his own eyes.
    STORY: Tony Clifton Returning for Comic Relief Shows at The Comedy Store
    "It was a closed casket," he recalls. "Only the family [and myself] actually saw the body." How then does he reconcile Monday's events? "Andy was an aficionado of meditation," he explains. "One of the things Andy was taught at the highest level was a process where one could slow down his breath to a point where you can literally fool anyone that you may be dead when in fact you are alive. So that's the one thing that Michael checked for."
    Adds Parinello: "It was a very formal affair -- it wasn't as though they could prod or anything else. They were simply in the room and saw Andy laying in a coffin."
    Contacted by THR, Michael Kaufman said that the woman claiming to be Kaufman's daughter was impossible to reach, for reasons he would explain later. He then excused himself, saying he had a dinner date with his wife.


    Hummmmm, this is DEFINITELY juicy. The brother clearly knows something and is excusing himself from the press. How come this girl cannot be reached in internet times?

  45. #193
    lisalouver Guest
    I never "got" Andy Kaufman, but I know that millions adore him.

    I have no doubt that he is dead, and as someone else mentioned, if this person really is his daughter, a DNA test will tell immediately. Anyone who wont get one done is obviously a fake.

    RIP Andy

  46. #194
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    Alexandra Tatarsky is suppose to be the person who says she is his daughter. Looks like it is just a prank. Oh well. Miss you Andy!

  47. #195
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    Quote Originally Posted by lisalouver View Post
    I never "got" Andy Kaufman, but I know that millions adore him.

    I have no doubt that he is dead, and as someone else mentioned, if this person really is his daughter, a DNA test will tell immediately. Anyone who wont get one done is obviously a fake.

    RIP Andy
    I never got him either. I liked him, at first, when he first started rising to fame, but later on, when he got all nutty he turned me way off.

    It wouldn't surprise me if Andy put this stunt in his will or his final wishes "After I've been gone for 20 years pull a prank saying I'm alive."
    Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.

  48. #196
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    I would imagine it would still be a legal nightmare if Andy Kaufman or anyone else for that matter if he/she had faked their own death even though some things such as one's social security number aren't reassigned after the person dies.

  49. #197
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    He better be dead. He wasn't funny. Egocentric Assholes aren't. I should know.
    Stay in Drugs. Eat your School. Don't do Vegetables.

  50. #198
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    My guess there is a new Andy Kaufman related product coming along soon. Re-ignite the hoax debate to get him back in the news, and bingo! watch the money roll in.
    I am a sick puppy....woof woof!!!
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Carping the living shit out of the Diem. - Me!!
    http://www.pinterest.com/neilmpenny

  51. #199
    Boxofpandoraz Guest
    I've loved Andy for a long time...but, quite honestly, I was relieved to read about the actress they tracked down who appears to be the "daughter" that showed up at the awards ceremony. Not to say that I'm relieved that he's dead, but I'm relieved to know that somebody I've always admired wouldn't do something as...callous...as faking lung cancer, and the affects thereof.

    My bet is that either Neil is right, and there's something Kaufman-related in the works...Or, this was an "Andyesque" stunt put together by his brother, Michael, and quite possibly Bob Zmuda.

  52. #200
    Bidmor Guest
    Jerry Lawler hasn't wasted any time weighing in on the rumor...if Andy's alive, Jerry wants a re-match!

    The Lawler-Kaufman feud is still by far the most successful in pro wrestling history.

    http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/11/15/J...5671384524068/

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