Andy Kaufman: A Screwtube Crapilation

This video is crap. Watch it anyway.

Cliff Notes from a Death Diary

From Andy Kaufman Revealed! by Bob Zmuda:

"Kaufman continues to shake his head in disgust and disbelief that such a thing can be happening. I escort him around like a frail grandma. Lynne pointed out that he had gotten just like this when his parents were in town (L.A.) and perhaps it was some sort of an act for us. I had wondered the same thought and took note of the coincidences."

Why would a dying person need to put on an "act" if they were really sick? And what "coincidences" is Bob alluding to?

*There are several instances in which Andy's condition seemed to magically improve or deteriorate unbelievably, each eliciting befuddlement or doubt among his closest friends. Is this the natural course of terminal cancer that never goes into remission, or part of the roller coaster of emotions Kaufman used to make his death seem more legit?

For Skilled Mathematicians Only

Update:

It's just been brought to my attention by one PastyWhite81 that the area code for Great Neck, Long Island--Andy's place of birth and childhood home--is "516". After a little fact-checking, this appears to be correct.

Andy Kaufman died of large cell carcinoma on May 16, 1984.

May 16 = 5/16.

Five. Sixteen.

Num3r0l09y at 1ts m0st p3rpl3x1ng.

Party at Labo's Place!

Maybe it's just me, but it looks like they're having way too much fun in this photo given the circumstances. Just sayin'.

Will the Real Faith Healer Please Stand Up?

Dear Blogspot;

In Lost in the Funhouse: The Life and Mind of Andy Kaufman by Bill Zehme, Andy's psychic surgeon is referred to as "Jun Labo".

In Andy Kaufman Revealed! by Bob Zmuda, Andy's psychic surgeon is named "Jun Roxas".

On the Andy Kaufman homepage, at andykaufman.jvlnet.com, Andy's psychic surgeon is called "Ramon Labo."

...seems this guy has as many different identities as Kaufman himself.

Andy Kaufman's Arm(y)

By the time Andy made his last TV appearance on the ill-fated show, "The Top", his cancer had supposedly eaten through his left arm, making it so fragile it could break if anyone so much as touched it according to a number of sources.

So why is he able to use the arm without any problems on the show? During the course of the program, he uses it to wave, make gestures as he talks, and even do the famous ZZ Top "arm twirl" when introducing their video. If the arm was really so fragile, is it plausible that he could do anything but leave it motionless at his side...much less twirl it around? And why is he so twitchy?

See for yourself:


Part I (Waving, gestures, etc.)


Part II (Arm twirl, gestures, etc.)

Defying Jewish Law in a Jewish Temple Full of Jews

Andy Kaufman had an open casket funeral. This is unheard of in the Jewish religion. Both of his parents, as well as Andy himself, were Jewish. The funeral was at a Jewish temple; the service performed by a Rabbi.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say on the matter:

Jewish funerals are held soon after death, and the corpse is never displayed. As well, Jewish law forbids anyone to embalm the body of the deceased. Traditionally flowers (and music) are not sent to a grieving Jewish family as it is a reminder of the life that is now lost. (See also Jewish bereavement.)

Draw yr. own conclusions.

Cruel Coincidence or Brilliant Foreshadowing?

In one of his last bonafide performances for the "Rodney Dangerfield TV Special: I Can't Take It No More" on November 29, 1983, Andy played a doctor by the name of Dr. Vinnie Boombatz, a heavy smoker who often kills his patients. Upon closer inspection, one can see that there's some more-than-coincidental symbolism in this suspicious skit. Here's the abridged version:

*THE SMOKING
In this skit, Andy puffs on cigarette after cigarette, something he rarely did...even in jest. The only other time he uses this prop is during his Tony Clifton act. Smoking causes lung cancer, which Andy would die of in less than 6 months despite being a non-smoker. What was he trying to tell us?

*THE "DOCTOR" FACADE
This was the only time Andy played a doctor or anyone in the medical profession during his entire career--doesn't it seem a bit strange that he did it less than one month before being diagnosed with cancer? More foreshadowing.

*PORTRAYAL OF THE DOCTOR
As we would find out soon after this show aired, Andy had an aversion to traditional medicine (hence his Psychic Surgery in the Philippines). In this skit, Andy portrays the doctor as a harsh, cruel "doctor of death" type, which was likely how he really felt about these so-called professionals. Again, his obsession with disease, death and medicine is hard to overlook.

*DEATH OF A PATIENT
Dr. Boombatz stands over a casket with one of his former patients as loved ones mourn. A congregation then swoops in and carries off the casket, BUT LEAVES THE BODY BEHIND. The depth of the symbolism here could fill a book, so I'll leave it up to you to interpret.

A Hairy Situation

Most of us are in on the "secret" that Lynne shaved Andy's head prior to heading to the Philippines, but why? According to her, Andy's hair was falling out from his radiation treatments, so she shaved it into a mohawk and then took off the rest shortly thereafter.

But wait! If Andy was losing his hair from radiation treatments, why oh WHY does he still have his thick chest hair and trademark unibrow?! As someone who knows a fair amount about cancer, I can attest that chemo and radiation don't discriminate in which hair they cause a person to lose--be it facial hair, head hair, pubic hair, or any other kind.

What's more, hair loss from radiation is usually limited to the area that receives the treatment. If Andy had lung cancer, why would he receive radiation treatments to the head and not the chest? If the hair loss was caused by chemo, why didn't he lose any of his OTHER hair?

(Here's a link to the Wikipedia page where this is discussed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_therapy)

The Andy Kaufman Show: Blueprint for an Illusion

Andy's PBS special in July 1983 entitled "The Andy Kaufman Show" is unique in a number of ways. First, it was his final TV special before his death. Secondly, the show had little to no budget, allowing him to do virtually anything he wanted with the time allotted. While the show is definitely entertaining in parts, it's mostly a long, drawn out display of Andy's many fascinations--Elvis, wrestling, Tony Clifton and all the rest--that come across as slow and largely unfunny. It's clear that Andy's purpose wasn't to blow any minds, win over any new fans, or elicit unstoppable belly laffs, so what exactly WAS his purpose with this generic, low-budget special for a network that's not considered one of the majors?

The answer is clear: to speak to his diehard fans about his latest obsession--his upcoming demise, in hopes that some of them will understand his plan after the fact.

Farfetched as it may seem, Andy was a person who put a lot of thought into his act, giving everything special meaning and doing nothing without purpose. Everything was calculated, so to speak, and he put much planning into every word he spoke and every gesture he made so as to achieve the desired effect.

The following is a list of subliminal "clues" from The Andy Kaufman Show that point to the fact that Andy faked his death:

1. In his interview with Elayne Boosler, he repeats the phrase "dead comedians" and "death is a no-no in comedy" many times. He even stops her to say, "So a comedian did (material) about death?" Kaufman was a "comedian", who would face his own "death" not a year later. Elayne then drops a numerical hint with the phrase, "You brought up the Catskills 16 times!" Why mention that specific number unless it's scripted for you to do so? Why not "15 times" or "10 times"--a nice, round number? As we all know, Andy died on May 16, 1984.

2. Andy mentions that his hair is "thinning" and "is getting thinner and thinner as time goes on" in his segment with Dr. Alex Shorr, which is the understatement of the century considering his total baldness in the coming year. Losing his hair was a major part of the illusion that made people believe he was really sick, hence the repeated mention of it.

3. In the "Has Been Corner", Jim Brandy shows a picture in which he's wearing a shirt that says, "Earth Angel" with a number underneath the text. Unfortunately, all we can see is the number "1". Could it say "Earth Angel May 16?" Even if it doesn't, the whole "Earth Angel" thing is a little strange considering Andy's status as a "living legend" after his death. Angels imply death, while Earth signifies life--a contradiction as grand as Andy Kaufman himself.

4. After going "too far", Andy is kicked off television. He argues with a judge and the screen goes black. This is eerily similar to what happened in his real life--his tyrades caused him to lose gigs and fans, forcing him to have to disappear (die) in order to salvage his career. He's banished to a remote island, and it's only then that he feels guilt over what he's done. He repeats the phrase "connect the dots", which most people wouldn't think twice about, unless...Is Andy asking us to connect the dots regarding what this particular segment symbolizes? As in, "connect the dots, you obtuse fools?" Food for thought.

5. When introducing Martin Harvey Friedburg, Andy says "midnight on Tuesday nights" more than once. Considering he died on a Wednesday, and midnight on Tuesday is technically Wednesday...well, you do the math.

6. Later in the same skit, Martin Harvey Friedburg screams out "It's GROWING! GROWING...and it's finally OVER!" Meanwhile, Andy's in stitches in the background. The viewer is left stumped as to what's so funny, as the punchline is purposely omitted. Is it just me, or is this a perfectly orchestrated scene symbolizing Andy's cancer diagnosis ("growing and growing"), untimely death ("it's finally over"), leaving the public in the dark about his plan (omitting the punchline), and his dark sense of humor about the whole thing (the incessant laughing)?

7. AND NOW FOR THE GOOD STUFF. The lyrics to Andy's farewell song have stuck out as startlingly obvious since the beginning. Anyone with any sense of perception should pick up on this, yet it's never been mentioned once. The lyrics are as follows:

"Well it's time to say goodbye

It's been good having you so near

Although I've got to leave, it's the end,

I'll always be stayin' right here

So, my friends, goodbye

it's just about that time

Wish that I could do just one more song for you"

In these 7 little lines, Kaufman thanks his fans for their devotion, warns of his upcoming "exit", and tells them he hasn't really died all in one fell swoop. Here the song is with a line-by-line explanation for those that really need it:

Well, it's time to say goodbye ("goodbye, adoring fans")

It's been good having you so near ("thanks for your love and support")

Although I've got to leave; it's the end ("I'm leaving the limelight")

I'll always be stayin' right here ("but I'm still here, alive and well")

So, my friends, goodbye

It's just about that time ("Only 10 more months to go!")

Wish that I could do just one more song for you

This is followed by a monologue in which Kaufman calls the viewers "sheep" who "believe anything the media tells them". Is he referring to us buying the stories of his cancer diagnosis and death? Is he challenging his true fans to suspend their disbelief for one final, earth-shattering act--his death and dramatic reappearance?

That is up to you--the people at home and in the peanut gallery--to decide.