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Andy Kaufman - Saturday Night Live 1975 - Best Comedic Performance Ever Made By Human Being

Barnabot

Member
If you haven't seen it, watch it from 0:00 to the end and tell me that thesis in the title isn't true.

I guess Youtube disagrees with you wholeheartedly.

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No fun allowed.
 

cr0w

Old Member
He truly made fucking with people an art form. I love how long it took for Lawler to admit he was in on the whole thing when he and Kaufman had their feud going on. People in Memphis and the surrounding territories were straight up out for Kaufman's blood, he was SO GOOD at antagonizing people.

It's doubly funny because even Carrey didn't know that when he was filming the movie, so he pushed Lawler to the point where Lawler almost broke his fucking neck.
 
Kaufman is the best and his ability to keep a straight face during all his shenanigans is so impressive. He never broke character.

Also, if you haven't watched the new the Kanye episode on the Netflix Letterman series, they start talking about Andy. David said at the end of his appearances when they were on the couch, Andy would lean in and tell Dave "send me all the hate mail". What a legend.
 

pramod

Banned
Was going to coincidentally make another thread about Saturday Night Live, but I think I'll just post my thoughts here.

Yeah, Kaufman was a legend. In fact the entire SNL run from the 70's to 1998 (the death of Phil Hartman), is probably the greatest run of sketch comedy in history. I've never seen or experienced anything else like it and I don't know if we ever will again. I mean I used to stay up every Saturday night for SNL, it was the weekly highlight of TV viewing, and there were always at least a couple of of sketches that would make me laugh so hard I would cry.

Seems like SNL died along with good sitcoms, and mainstream TV in general.....but I'll never forget the legends.
 
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cryptoadam

Banned
Was going to coincidentally make another thread about Saturday Night Live, but I think I'll just post my thoughts here.

Yeah, Kaufman was a legend. In fact the entire SNL run from the 70's to 1998 (the death of Phil Hartman), is probably the greatest run of sketch comedy in history. I've never seen or experienced anything else like it and I don't know if we ever will again. I mean I used to stay up every Saturday night for SNL, it was the weekly highlight of TV viewing, and there were always at least a couple of of sketches that would make me laugh so hard I would cry.

Seems like SNL died along with good sitcoms, and mainstream TV in general.....but I'll never forget the legends.

So true.

Lets see how many sketches we can remember LOL

Church Lady
Caveman Lawyer
Making Copies
waynes world
Adam Sandlers call in show (can't remember the name)
its Pat
Down by the River
3 retail clothing store workers

Man my memory is fading but there has to be more reoccuring characters.
 

pramod

Banned
So true.

Lets see how many sketches we can remember LOL

Church Lady
Caveman Lawyer
Making Copies
waynes world
Adam Sandlers call in show (can't remember the name)
its Pat
Down by the River
3 retail clothing store workers

Man my memory is fading but there has to be more reoccuring characters.

The Roxbury Guys
Hans and Franz
Sabra Shopping Network
The McLaughlin Group
Massive Headwound Harry
The Ladie's Man
Perspectives (I love Tim Meadows)
The Continental

Most of these can't be found on Youtube anymore, you need to buy the DVDs.
 
Kaufman is influential and a madman genius. I recall renting some bootleg fan VHS tape where Andy was sick and let people come up and touch his cyst during one of his performances.
 

highrider

Banned
I liked him, he was creative and could really sell his bits. But if I’m being completely honest, not my kind of comedy. My baseline is more stupid, Farley, Nacho Libre, Airplane, Blazing Saddles etc.
 
I will be the first to admit I don't understand Andy Kaufman's comedy. I sorta get the idea it's sorta meta "I'm playing a character and walking the line between actually being it and playing it" kinda thing but I just don't get why it's funny. he's definitely ahead of his time thou, that much I know.
 
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greyshark

Member
I will be the first to admit I don't understand Andy Kaufman's comedy. I sorta get the idea it's sorta meta "I'm playing a character and walking the line between actually being it and playing it" kinda thing but I just don't get why it's funny. he's definitely ahead of his time thou, that much I know.

I think that’s attributable to the fact that we’re all “in” on it now - we know it’s all a gag. Things like his feud with Lawler were thought to be completely real at the time, which might alter how you experience his act.
 
I was watching some random you tube videos the other day, and I came across this, which is easily the most shocking interview I've ever seen him do. If you're familiar with his interviews, it's not hard to see why.

 
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#Phonepunk#

Banned
Jim Carrey is a good actor but he is also entirely full of himself and hasn't done anything that great in 20 or so years.

i watched that documentary and he was trying to get that wrestler to punch him, just being a giant dickhead. im thinking "This guy is paid millions of dollars to act like a toddler". good doc, and Jim is great in it, but if i ever had to work for him, i would probably hate him for life.

Andy had some funny stuff tho. hahah ethnic people talk funny! brilliant stuff, Andy.
 
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Quasicat

Member
They let Jim Carrey ruin the man’s legacy, unfortunately.
It was the Jim Carrey movie that explained his humor to me. I only saw bits and pieces of Taxi when I was growing up and thought that was really him, then I thought nothing of him until the movie came out and I went with a friend to see it.

I get him now that I’m older and realize what he was trying to do, but without Man on the Moon, I would have missed out on him completely.
 

Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
He's got balls, but is he funny?

I don't know...most humor ages poorly. I don't think his brand really holds up.
 

Rockman

Member
It was the Jim Carrey movie that explained his humor to me. I only saw bits and pieces of Taxi when I was growing up and thought that was really him, then I thought nothing of him until the movie came out and I went with a friend to see it.

I get him now that I’m older and realize what he was trying to do, but without Man on the Moon, I would have missed out on him completely.

This is exactly what happened with me. I remember Comedy Central running his material and didn't really care for it. Went to see the movie with a friend and it was a memorable experience. The theater served everyone milk and cookies and once it was explained I appreciated it. Definitely one of a kind. I didn't think Jim's portrayal of him was bad.
 

teezzy

Banned
I saw Man on the Moon on DVD before I even knew who Andy Kaufman was. The movie came out in 1999, so I was only 8 when it was in theaters.

I'd have never been exposed to Andy whatsoever if it weren't for that movie

It's an awesome flick. I think I wore my DVD out I watched it so often
 

teezzy

Banned
Remember in Man on the Moon when Courtney Love played his romantic interest and actually put forth a decent performance?

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#Phonepunk#

Banned
Gotta admit it took balls at the height of 70s feminism to announce that you are going into wrestling but you are only going to wrestle women haha
 
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