Andy Kaufman Returns After 20 Years (WTF?!?!?!)

PRWeb via Yahoo ^ | 5.19.2004

[NYC GOP Chick]

Andy Kaufman Returns After 20 Years

Wed May 19, 9:00 AM ET

New York City, NY (PRWEB) May 19, 2004 -- Twenty years ago, on May 16, 1984, most of the world believed that we had lost a comedic legend forever. This has turned out to be what will inevitably be known as the greatest comic prank ever conceived. Andy Kaufman, by all accounts, is alive and well at age 55 and is now living in New York City on the upper west side. To his loyal supporters and fans, Andy says "sorry about faking my death," in a recent interview with ABC News at his apartment. In order to reach legendary comic status and seal his place in the history of performance art, he said it was "necessary to go away for twenty years."

Andy Kaufman's official site has been launched at:
http://andykaufmanreturns.blogspot.com/

Even though he has technically returned, Andy says that he plans to maintain his low key lifestyle that he has led for the past twenty years. He has resumed contact with friends and family. Fearing the possibility of this scenario and the potential for another hoax, Kaufman's family has contracted with independent auditors Ernst & Young to determine if this in fact the real Andy Kaufman. He has subjected himself to medical examination and submitted DNA, hair, blood and fingerprint samples to the auditors. Ernst & Young and the Kaufman family report that with a 99% probability, this is indeed the real Andy Kaufman. His mother says, "It's good to have Andy back."

In 1999, a new crop of Kaufman fans were born after Jim Carrey starred in the hit film Man on the Moon. "Andy's bizarre mix of comedy and performance art will inspire fans and comedians alike for generations, especially after this stunt," says Jim Carrey.

Andy says he will make only occasional public appearances, sometimes in disguise so that you won?t know if it?s really him or someone else. Kaufman was famous for pulling this stunt with the Tony Clifton character, sometimes played by good friend Bob Zmuda.

Andy says fans should tune into his website for ongoing updates to his adventures in life. As always, Andy's stage has been the world, testing the boundaries of our beliefs, our sources of information, and our perception of reality. "It's good to be back," Andy writes on his website.

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Andy Kaufman
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[lavrenti]

I like the idea of the mobster going to a MSW.

Historically, the most neurotic gangsters were Jersey's Longie Zwillman and Ernie the Boot. Alhtough he was living in The Bronx, Dutch Schultz was mainly Jersey (most of his business was there); my grandfather had tons of stories about what a weirdo he was.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Thanks for taking the time to share that with us!

[HitmanLV]

This, if legit, would blow my mind. WOW!

[NYC GOP Chick]

Oddly enough, so did my grandfather!

[mhking]

Bull.

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[Starve The Beast]

I'll tell you what's freaky about it: how totally and completely un-funny I found him.

Totally. His faking his death and getting out of the way of talented people was the best favor he could have done us.

Newsflash, Andy: Taxi was your high note, and it wasn't very funny.

[Will_Zurmacht]

He would show up as a waiter at the Friars Club.

A few entertainment biggies and comedians would recognize him...Then he'd disappear again.
That would be more his style if it were a hoax.
No way anything as tawdry as the internet.

[Starve The Beast]

Except for the Geico part, that sounds like one of the stories in the Twilight Zone movie -- John Lithgow played the passenger who saw the thingie on the wing!

Lithgow is good, but Shatner rules!

[TASMANIANRED]

I didn't notice that he was gone, of course I never noticed when he was here either.

[Orange1998]

I remember this guy a few years ago on Yahoo APA board say he is THE Tony Clifton. Who knows?


http://finance.messages.yahoo.com/bbs?.mm=FN&action=m&board=7080778&tid=apa&sid=7080778&mid=4882

[NYC GOP Chick]

I never saw the episode with Shatner.

[muleskinner]

He's dead, Jim

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Pure and utter BS.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Verrrry good! :D

[cincinnati65]

Bingo. I see a couple of those. Let the buzz build. Then, something HUGE. I had this thought. Andy shows up at the All-Star game as the behind the plate ump (hence the mask). First inning, a couple of bad calls. Progressively worse calls as the evening goes on. Calling a home-run hitter out because he stepped out of the batter's box. Throwing a "local" favorite out because his pants were too short, stuff like that. By the eighth inning, EVERY call is a BAD call. The fans are booing like crazy, to the point of throwing stuff on the field. Finally, after the game, Andy reveals it was him all along.

[Petronski]

The passenger in the original b/w version was Shatner.

[Freedom2specul8]

There is a psychiatrist in the kcmo area who swears he's been treating elvis. He says that he wrote a book about it, and even displayed a pic of a much thinner elvis (with thick white hair) on the local news. He was supposed to come out last year..we're still waiting. :)

[hummingbird]

What matters is the story; the story endures, and the myth has a life all its own.

True, true...its a "messing with your mind" kind of thing and after you've discussed it all night and the liquor's all gone, somebody finally says, "well screw it...I got to be at work in a couple of hours" and leaves.

Then, after he leaves, someone says, "you know, that dude that left a little while ago?" (crickets, crickets) "Kinda looked a little bit like Andy Kaufman..."

[Starve The Beast]

In the original 50's TZ series, he was the guy who saw the thing on the wing. Looked like a guy in a gorilla suit.

Ever see the first Third Rock episode with Shatner? Lithgow asks him how his flight was, Shatner replies, "Terrible! I kept seeing this awful thing on the wing!" Lithgow looks horrified, retorts "That happened to me!!"