Tony Clifton - Got info?

Subject: RE: Tony Clifton - Got info?
From: M.Ted
Date: 09 May 02 - 11:41 PM

His "Elvis" was Elvis's favorite--as far as the rest of it, I loved that too! The wrestling stuff was amazing, and I never get tired of watching the Letterman episode--compare the real version with the Jim Carrey version if you want to understand how great he really was--

According to Bob Zmuda, he always wanted to be a wrestling villain--and, given the fact that audiences had gotten to know what to expect from his stage act, it was a great career move--

Subject: RE: Tony Clifton - Got info?
From: Bill D
Date: 09 May 02 - 09:26 AM

if he never did anything else, his "Elvis" leaves one in awe. He was Elvis....I was saddened as his 'career' took him down many roads that were embarrassing to watch, but early on, he had ideas to rival Ernie Kovacs. Too bad his grasp of reality slipped...(or maybe reality fell on him and broke something)....he sure gave us matter for debate!

Subject: RE: Tony Clifton - Got info?
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 09 May 02 - 01:59 AM

Even though Spaw is a low-life shit-kicking huckleberry, I've got to go with him on this one. Andy had one funny bit and one hundred ones that just weren't. He got a lot of giggles for himself by putting people on, but so did Nixon, who was marginally more humorous.

Subject: RE: Tony Clifton - Got info?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 May 02 - 12:00 AM

Har! Har! Har! LOL!!! Spaw, I truly admire your gift for expressing yourself, specially when it comes to subjects like this one...

I saw the movie "Man On The Moon", and really found it very interesting. I can't quite decide whether Andy Kaufman was a comedic genius...or a lunatic...but he sure came up with some memorable skits and characters.

I was astounded by the Tony Clifton character when I first saw the movie, never having heard of him before then, but I'm sure I was not nearly AS astounded as his actual Las Vegas audiences must have been at the time. The first few minutes of seeing him live must have been absolutely paralyzing for most people...that feeling slowly changing to a sick sense of fascinated anticipation (what will this perverted maniac do next?)...then imagine getting a second and a third chance to see him! It would become hard to resist, I should think...like not looking at the aftermath of a car crash as you pass by.

Kaufman did some utterly remarkable stuff, possibly because he was quite emotionally disturbed, possibly because he had a huge ego and a desire for attention, possibly because he had a real artistic ideal in mind. Darned if I know.

The Elvis scene in the movie was GREAT! And "Mighty Mouse" was pretty darn funny too. And I always did rather like Latka, although it seems that Andy Kaufman HATED him.

The wrestling women shtick has to stand as the weirdest single thing anyone in Kaufman's public position has EVER done, drawing all that hatred on himself. That's what interesting about it. Why did he do it? Was it a desire to see just how far he could stretch reality and have people still do the typical thing and react as expected? Or maybe they would wake up (for once) and NOT react as expected! Was that what he was aiming for?

If so, that's pretty intriguing.

- LH

Subject: RE: Tony Clifton - Got info?
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 May 02 - 09:36 PM

Sorry Bill....I know I'm an ignorant, low-life, shitkicker, with an IQ less than a huckleberry bush, but I read the book, saw the movie, watched several TV specials, and was watching back then...... all through his career from the days of SNL and Friday's.....and it is my lowly opinion that Kaufman was a complete shit-for-brains with the comedic genius of a rutabaga which is even farther down the evolutionary ladder than the aforementioned huckleberry.

I have met and know some folks who have gone to great pains to explain the error of my ways and to point out that I just didn't get it. I got it. I got it then, I get it now..........I don't want it. However, on the plus side, he gave new meaning to the word dickhead and Funk&Wagnall's now have his picture under that listing as both a lasting tribute and harsh reminder.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Tony Clifton - Got info?
From: BH
Date: 08 May 02 - 08:27 PM

Tony Clifton---the alter ego, as said, of the comic genius Andy Kaufman.

The Clifton character was a creation of Kaufman's great imagination and there were 2 custom made masks made--one for him and one for his friend/mgr Bob Zmusa. You never knew which one was Clifton---then there were those that believed there was a Tony Clifton.

The sad part is that so many people thought that his period of dying was a put-on as was so much of his material. He is gone---and no more milk and cookies after the concert at his house---all those chartered buses taking people there after his Carnegie Hall gig.

A comic genius!!!

Try to read the bio by Zmusa---it really captures the comic genius of Kaufman--better than the film (which I thought was good).

Bill H

Subject: RE: Tony Clifton - Got info?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 May 02 - 08:20 PM

Visit his VERY classy website at:

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Picture/2931/

Sorry, I don't have the blue clicky thing mastered yet.

- LH

Subject: RE: Tony Clifton - Got info?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 May 02 - 08:18 PM

Well, my goodness...

Who pushed your airhorn, flipface? Tony is a legend. An Artiste. He is the ne plus ultra. He could make a brass monkey break out in a cold sweat and bite its own tail off in sheer gobsmacked admiration.

- LH

Subject: RE: Tony Clifton - Got info?
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 May 02 - 08:09 PM

No, but you can now see him dead of course as the alter ego of the world's biggest assholistic fruitcake........a dumber fuck never drew breath.

Spaw

Subject: Tony Clifton - Got info?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 May 02 - 07:55 PM

I only recently became aware of this extraordinary entertainer. Has anyone had the good fortune to see him live? Anyone got his albums? Has he ever done any folk tunes?

- LH