jinx




sorry, I didn't see that you'd posted that already.

Andy's mom and Lynne look an awful lot alike, huh?

Yup. I wonder who is under that last piece?

Andy Kaufman

"I would like to apologize to the public in general if I have offended anybody, I'm sorry and, you know, I'll just, I just, all I can say is I'm sorry and I hope that you'll forgive me".

How sweet.

That "apology" seems to be lifted from Andy's SNL appearance (Danny DeVito was the host, with others from "Taxi" there) where Brian Doyle-Murray sat with him to discuss his match with Jerry Lawler. I transcribed that segment a while back and posted it on Claire's board... here it is again if anyone's interested (and hey, we just passed the 23rd anniversary of this!). The apology appears at the end.

Brian Doyle-Murray and Andy Kaufman, Saturday Night Live, 5-15-82

Both are seated, Brian on the left, Andy on the right, wearing his “injury” neck collar. Brian addresses the camera:

BRIAN

Andy Kaufman has been a frequent guest on Saturday Night Live. It was on this show in 1979, that Andy first wrestled a woman on national television. Since then, he has wrestled and defeated over 400 women. However last month, in Memphis, Andy first wrestled a man for the first time. Not just any man, but Southern heavyweight wrestling champion, Jerry Lawler. Good evening Andy. How did this match come about?

ANDY

Well, um, as you said, I was wrestling women, and I went down to Memphis and I wrestled a lot of women down there. And, uh, in doing so, I made fun of Memphis, and said a lot of things against Memphis, and against a lot of the people down there, so I was challenged by this man, Jerry Lawler.

BRIAN

Well, what made you decide to accept this challenge?

ANDY

Well, being that after having 400 wrestling matches with women and winning every one of them, and some of them being bigger than Jerry Lawler, I was stupid enough to think I would, you know, have a chance against him.

BRIAN

Jerry Lawler was quite serious about this match. Let’s take a look at his challenge to Andy.

JERRY LAWLER ON VIDEOTAPE

I make my living, I put my food on the table, by wrestling. And it’s a very serious sport to me. And I don’t like anybody like you comin’ around and makin’ fun of it or thinkin’ they can do it, just come walkin’ in off the street. So I’m gonna show you just how serious it is, so don’t expect any mercy from me, Andy Kaufman. Because when you climb in that ring, I’m gonna consider you a professional wrestler. And I’m gonna burst your bubble about bein’ a wrestler. And it’ll be the last time you ever wanna wrestle, it’ll be the last time you’ll ever wanna step in the ring, and it’ll be the last time that you fantasize about bein’ a wrestler. Andy Kaufman, you’re gonna get hurt, son.

BRIAN

That particular match took place last month at the Mid South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee. Let’s take a look at some of the action, with ringside commentary by Lance Russell.

LANCE RUSSELL (voiceover)

Heeeere we go, and the bell time has sounded. Referee Jerry Caulhoun. As Kaufman at 160, is giving away better than 70 pounds to the king. Kaufman using the ropes as Lawler just stands and waits. Right now, making fun of Lawler; not a good idea. Again he’s going into his monkey routine. Lawler looking mammoth in comparison with Andy Kaufman. Andy Kaufman just may have overstepped his fantasy by stepping in with one of the toughest wrestlers in the world. Lawler, ready for a little contact… Kaufman, on the outside, on the apron. Referee Jerry Calhoun… and Kaufman gets right back out. He broke the count… and he’s showing everybody just how smart he was, and I would have to agree with him. The smartest thing he could do is stay away from Lawler all night long. Now Lawler’s getting tired. He gets out of the ring. (Lawler picks up a microphone: “Let me ask you something… did you come down here to wrestle, or act like an ass?” The crowd cheers) Lawler, confronting Kaufman verbally, as he hadn’t been able to lay a hand… and the crowd reacting to it… Jerry said, ‘did you come down here to wrestle, or to act like… so and so…’ Lawler, saying ‘I’ll stand in the middle of the ring and let you put a headlock on me… he said, I’ll give you the first shot, now come on, let’s wrestle’…Lawler still waiting as Kaufman, reluctant to even take a free headlock… oh now he goes; Lawler hasn’t done anything, Kaufman, very, very tentative… Lawler lifted up a finger as if to say, ‘are you ready? Wait one minute,” and now Kaufman’s got ‘im… Bob Zmuda, his ring manager, sayin’ squeeze down on ‘im… Lawler grabs him… straight up! (Lawler grabs Andy around the waist and lifts him up onto his shoulder, then falls backward) And he slams Kaufman! Kaufman is down, and maybe out. Naw, his leg’s twitching… (Andy is writhing and clutching his neck; Lawler grabs him by the head, twisting him around, picking him up again upside down) Lawler, with a piledriver, only the second… whoa. (Andy falls limp, after the second slam; one leg dangling over the rope) It’s gonna be a disqualification. Danny Dennis (?), his manager, not believing it… Jerry Lawler, six minutes and fifty seconds with a piledriver, has been disqualified. The winner, by disqualification, Andy Kaufman. Lawler… he’s gonna give it to ‘im again, he figures he’s already lost it… (Lawler grabs Andy by the head and drags him to the center of the ring; Andy gets to his knees and does the same thing he did before the second slam; he puts his arms around Lawler’s legs behind the knees and puts his head between Lawler’s thighs; Lawler grabs Andy by the waist and pulls him up, upside down, and Andy’s legs go straight up in the air as Lawler still holds him by the waist; Andy wiggles his legs in the air and Lawler drops to his butt, slamming Andy’s head against the mat in another piledriver; Andy falls backward onto the mat, limp.) …and Kaufman is out cold.

BRIAN

Ooh. Let’s take a look at the drop again in slow motion. Andy, what was going through your mind at the time there?

ANDY

Well, actually, I don’t really remember too much; I just remember a lot of pain and dizzyness, and I don’t remember much what it felt like, actually.

BRIAN

Uh huh. Well, they had to carry you out of the ring, Andy… that was your exit from this match. How do you feel now?

ANDY

Well, um, I just feel… I… I would just like to apologize to… I’m probably never gonna wrestle again. I don’t plan on ever wrestling again. (Applause from audience) I would just… what happened to me, it probably serves me right and I deserved it, and I want to apologize to all the wrestling people, the promoters and the wrestlers who I’ve caused any discomfort to for making a mockery of the sport these past few years, and I‘d also like to apologize to all the women that I’ve wrestled and all the women who I’ve said, you know, who I’ve offended by saying those nasty things that I’ve been saying, and I’d like to apologize to the public in general. If I’ve offended anybody, I’m sorry, and you know, I just… all I can say is, I’m sorry, and I hope that you’ll forgive me.

BRIAN

Thank you, Andy.

Maddox is the last, I would think....

What no Winston?

I think that's the idea for sure. An Andy look-a-like or the other guy is the look-a-like. Could all be fake-o-shopped too though, right.

I'll go with that Andy-look-a-like theory.

now why-oh-why would Andy's look-a-like take a proof positive photo with the individual who he would be impersonating in death?

I don't know, I would want one. I wonder who took the photo?

Why would you want one, especially if it could come back to haunt you and jeopardize you're status as legend?

It's like a smoking gun.

If it was me, I would want one. It's more than evidence, it's a "gotcha!". If the photo really is what we think it is, its existence suggests to me that he is not planning on returning.