MovieChat Forums > Man on the Moon (1999) Discussion > Kaufman was an overrated self indulgent ...

Kaufman was an overrated self indulgent creep

posted 18 years ago by tgilpin427
43 replies | jump to latest

I have worked in sketch comedy for 20 years and do not profess to have kaufman's vocal talent or occasional burst of originality. The Latka characterization was funny so was his Mighty Mouse sketch which I saw live- But the reality is he was only one more egotistcal "performance artist" more interested in mocking an audience than actually deigning to entertain them. I saw the FRIDAY sequence live in college and it was the most painful, embarrasing and UNFUNNY moment I have seen live or on TV.
Like most of his work it was a delusional self indulgent exercise that amounted to Intellectual mastubation.
Dying is easy Comedy is hard. As Olivier Said " the highest form of drama"
requiring hard work and discipline
To truly look for innovation and *beep* funny comic performers check out
Bill Cosby
Steve Martin
Mort Sahl
Eddie Murphy
Bob Hope among others
Then try to imagine any of them sinking into the self-indulgent mire that Kaufman did

[–] Idris87 18 years ago

You say:
I saw the FRIDAY sequence live in college and it was the most painful, embarrasing and UNFUNNY moment I have seen live or on TV.

But that was fine with Andy. He didn't want you to think it's funny. He just wanted REAL emotions. And if you say it was painful, embarrasing and unfunny.
Well, that's fine with him.

You just don't understand. He wasn't a comedian.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] prettyh 15 years ago

You just don't understand. He wasn't a comedian.

Yes. I think a lot of people miss that point (even the ones who put Andy's likeness up at The Comedy Store in tribute). He never defined himself as a comedian; he was a "song and dance man" and a "performance artist," according to him and to the people who lived and worked closely with him.

I don't think we were all meant to find his brand of performance funny. Or, really, none of us were meant to take the same thing from what he did. As long as he provoked a reaction in the people who watched - whatever it was - he said he'd done his job. Which means, I guess, that annoying or outraging someone enough to drive him/her to post about it on IMDb = success for Mr. Kaufman!

~ http://prettyh.blogspot.com/ ~

[–] AutumnRed 18 years ago

I always thought Kaufman was an UNDERrated self indulgent creep.

[–] Jakobee 18 years ago

I think the 'comedians' you said where funny, are extremely un-funny. Especially Bob Hope.

Andy is the man!

[–] Little_Korean 17 years ago

I can't say I ever understood the appeal of Kaufman - why would anyone pay to watch a guy whose skit was either unfunny or simply not there (e.g. reading 'The Great Gatsby' out in its entirety). Or even, in the movie, why the TV studio put up with his b.s. - couldn't they find anyone else to hire?! Were they that desperate?

When darkness overcomes the heart, Lil' Slugger appears...

[–] RyanCarell 17 years ago

Those studios didn't look for anyone else to hire, they wanted Andy.

Andy Kaufman was Andy Kaufman. All the time without fail. This idea of "there is no real Andy" is because all those Andys are the real Andy. He simply did whatever the hell he wanted to do, because that's his idea. And it worked.

He managed to make us laugh, cry, scream, everything. He was a puppet master.
----
Oh my! I've lost an arm...

[–] liscarkat (19396) a year ago

I never thought Hope's standup routines were that funny, but his comedy movies from the '40s and '50s are funny and a lot of fun.

[–] ABrowncoat 17 years ago

I wonder if Andy knew that people would find out one day that he was doing all this on purpose, and so he knew that he would be much funnier to future gernerations. If people realized that he was just pulling pranks on people, it would have been "haha, funny..." but doing what he did, and not telling anyone, knowing that one day people would realize what you were really doing? That's HILARIOUS!

Man was a genious.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] the_lazlow 17 years ago

For one, you can't define comedy as funny or unfunny because that's just an opinion.

He did things out of perception to joke about life and society basically saying not to take things too seriously and just kick back to have some milk and cookies every now and then.

[–] thetrooper244 17 years ago

Of course your enitled to an opinion however Andy never professed to be a comedian so the fact your in sketch COMEDY isnt really important. he claimed to be nothing more than a "song and dance man" and all he wanted to do was stir emotions in people and judging from your quite long review of Kaufman its clear that he succeeded. Youfound FRIDAYS uncomfortable to watch so in effect Andy Kaufman succeeded. I will have to agree with you that Steve Martin is a legned but whose disagreeing? And for the record i think Andy was the hardest worker out of a lot of entertainers. it may not have strictly been what you consider "comedy" but damn it he was dedicated to it...whatever the hell it was

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Spycat 17 years ago

Yeah, Bob Hope was funny.
Sorry.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] mothmancold 17 years ago

As an improv and stage and (worst) film (ever) actor, i would like to point out that your rant is an obvious case of ass hurt that he had something and you didn't.

Actors like you kill me, someone finally does something original, and really has a cinderella story, and you decide to crap all over them.

Your one of the many understudy like individuals who cannot be happy unless its them in the spotlight. Do the acting comunity as a whole a favor and please remove yourself from it.