Andy Kaufman punks the dating game 1978

Elias Graves

Elias Graves

Common misfit
I was talking to one of the boys tonight about why some entertainers make it big and others don't. He's at an age where he believes talent is what takes one to the top.
Trying to explain how marketing, timing and a good hook often trump talent. Sometimes they go together. When somebody comes along with talent AND a great schtick, look out.
So, I started showing him a bunch of videos of great entertainers who made it thanks in large part to their gag, Andy Kaufman naturally came up.
My first glimpse of Andy was on the Dating Game. We watched it when it aired originally and I was stunned by this dude. Nobody knew this was a gag and I'm not sure the Dating Game even knew what was going on.

 
Andy's thing wasn't to get laughs, it was to get a reaction...I think there were times where even he was surprised he was considered a comedian...performance artist was more to the point...
 
jelloman said:
Andy's thing wasn't to get laughs, it was to get a reaction...I think there were times where even he was surprised he was considered a comedian...performance artist was more to the point...
Click to expand...

I think "comedian" was the only word anyone could think of at the time that you could use in polite company.
 
As time went on and he became known he had to keep pushing the envelope and get stranger. It was just a bad situation and he got lost in it. At least that is how I saw it at the time. I was yound but felt I understood this, maybe somebody said something around me.

I think this stuff her was genius and absolutely a greatly timed on a society that was so ripe for someone to exploit.
 
Mott the Hoople and the game if Life, yeah yeah yeah yeah

That was awesome as was just about everything Andy did.


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I believe the cancer he had was curdling his brain a bit which corrupted and mutated his talent some. He wanted to push things as far as they could go. He went too far sometimes.
 
I grew up in the UK so only ever knew of him from watching 'Taxi' when I was a kid. Even then he was sort of funny but also a little too weird somehow.

Oh and the woman in the clip? Niiiiiice.

She looks modern too.
 
I never did get Kaufman. Once he started on Taxi I found myself not watching as often. Carol Kane was annoying, too.
 
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