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‘Andy Kaufman’s Midnight Special’

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I think the first time I saw Andy Kaufman on TV was on Saturday Night Live. He was lip syncing to a recording of the “Mighty Mouse” theme song. I called out to my girlfriend “you gotta see this!” and we both sat in front of the boob tube in a state of absolute disbelief and delight. What exactly was Kaufman up to? He was unlike any comic I’d experienced up until that point. It was pure dada.

As the years went by, Kaufman continued to perplex and provoke his audiences. He blurred the line between comedy and reality to the point that you couldn’t tell when he was being funny or dead serious. His shtick could get so extreme that people began to question his sanity. Was he so good at what he did or was he nuts? This was performance art before the term became a catch-all cliche to explain a kind of comedy that often was more painful than funny and at times even dangerous. He seemed to have no fear of embarrassment, ridicule, or physical harm. He’d push a comedic situation beyond the point of being hilarious into something that veered into the realm of sado-masochism. Sacha Baron Cohen would later take up Kaufman’s mantle and run with it - hardly the first or last to do so, but probably the best.

In addition to being a mad prankster, Kaufman was arguable the best Elvis impersonator who ever lived. Watching him transform from the dweebish “Latka Gravas” into The King transcended mere imitation or method acting gimmickry. Christian Bale is a comparative lightweight (sly Machinist reference) in contrast to Kaufman. Even De Niro’s blob morph in Raging Bull doesn’t compare to Andy’s optical flow. Kaufman was a shapeshifter of epic dimensions, a rare and remarkable creature that could bend his personae in Escher-like twists and turns - all the while concealing his true identity as deftly as Nosferatu cruising the hallways of a blood bank. .

On this anniversary of Andy Kaufman’s death (had he lived, he’d be 63 today), here’s Andy Kaufman’s Midnight Special from 1981.

Inexplicably, there’s very little of Kaufman’s work on DVD. This video was released years ago but is out-of-print now. I wonder when and if some enterprising company will put together the definitive Andy Kaufman boxset. Lord knows his legacy is worthy of it. Some call it genius.
 

Posted by Marc Campbell
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05.16.2012
12:46 am
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Andy Kaufman’s Midnight Special, from 1981

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Ah, this is delightful. Andy Kaufman’s Midnight Special an episode of Burt Sugarman’s Midnight Special, hosted by Wolfman Jack, which aired on January 23, 1981. If you ever wondered what the hell Kaufman was about, well, he tries to answer this here, as he discusses what is serious, what is comic, what is real and what is not. There are also performances from most of his best known characters, “The Foreign Guy,” Tony Clifton, “Ladies Wrestling,” the ventriloquist act, and of course, Elvis.

It’s brilliant, funny and (at its time) ground-breaking. Has anyone has come close since? No. Kaufman was a one-off, and this program highlights why he was so good. Enjoy.
 

 
Previously on DM

Dear Andy Kaufman I hate your guts


A Sit-Down with Mr. Tony Clifton


 

Posted by Paul Gallagher
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05.19.2011
06:12 pm
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