# Andy Kaufman and Tony Clifton
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [January 23, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095 "2007-01-23T15:07:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/1 "2007-01-23T15:07:52Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mandykaufman.htm](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mandykaufman.htm)
Nice job, **Bricker**. If anyone could penetrate the labyrinthine maze of Kaufman’s comedic world, it’s you. One suggestion: you referred to the Latka character on _Taxi_ as a cab driver. As I recall, he was a mechanic.
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### Author:  [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2007, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/2 "2007-01-23T15:42:40Z")
Gee, **Bricker** , your staff reports have all been very readable and full of information but this one is the best yet! I will never forget seeing Andy do the impressions including his perfect Elvis, and you really captured his kinky essence. (Maybe he meant he’d be back in 30 years? Can we still hope?)
Anyhow, Nice Job! Thanks.
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### Author:  [@WoodenTaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodenTaco)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/3 "2007-01-23T16:49:14Z")
One small nitpick: Andy Kaufman didn’t drop out of junior college in his first year, he graduated in 1971 after studying television at the Grahm Junior College in Boston.
Regardless, one of the best staff reports I’ve ever read. Thanks very much!
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/4 "2007-01-23T17:13:20Z")
Great report.
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### Author:  [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/5 "2007-01-23T17:14:29Z")
I hate drive-by posts as much as the next one, but very good **Bricker**.
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### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/6 "2007-01-23T17:14:48Z")
While Andy was a non-smoker, “Tony” did smoke.
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### Author:  [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/7 "2007-01-23T18:04:01Z")
Agreed. However, there is an element of the OP’s query that went unaddressed. The OP didn’t ask outright, but did imply a question with these observations.
> [@](#):
>
> Thinking all the while that Tony Clifton was a made-up role I was surprised to see him show up at the end of the movie and sing a song. Kaufman was supposed to be dead by this time.
In the movie, Jim Carrey played both characters, Kaufman & Clifton.
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### Author:  [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/8 "2007-01-23T18:55:56Z")
I seem to remember that the movie showed that Bob Zmuda occasionally played Clifton. At the end, when they showed Clifton on stage after Kaufman’s death, I at first assumed it was Zmuda. But then Zmuda was shown in the audience. The film makers seemed to be raising the question of Kaufman faking his death without coming right out and saying it.
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### Author:  [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/9 "2007-01-23T21:10:49Z")
Superb report, **Bricker**.
Enjoyed every minute of it.
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### Author:  [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/10 "2007-01-23T22:40:57Z")
Thank you to everyone for the feedback. I’ve been especially eager for this report to come out, because it’s a “dog walking on hinder legs” subject for me. (“Sir, a woman’s preaching is like a dog’s walking on his hinder legs. It is not done well; but you are surprized to find it done at all.” From Boswell’s _The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D._) I’ve tended to do legal subjects, for obvious reasons, and the recent foray into bullets was not too much of a departure; I am a hunter and gun enthusiast as well. Even Che Guevera, although a bit of a tangent, was in many ways a political commentary, and I’m certainly a political junkie.
This was simply a cast into new territory, and it was fun and informative for me to research and write… and I am very pleased that it’s come across well to the audience, since ultimately that’s the sine qua non of a writer’s success.
And lest I seem to be claiming ALL the credit (not a suck-up, I swear) the editorial support of Ed Zotti cannot be dismissed. It’s been great to get back edits where I knew my prose was weak and having it survive unscathed where I felt it was strong.
Anyway – thanks, everyone, for your kind words.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/11 "2007-01-23T22:42:52Z")
[QUOTE=h.sapiens]
The film makers seemed to be raising the question of Kaufman faking his death without coming right out and saying it.
[/QUOTE]
I think they were trying to play homage to the mind games that Kaufman loved to play.
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### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2007, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/12 "2007-01-23T23:52:23Z")
[QUOTE=Bricker]
Anyway – thanks, everyone, for your kind words.
[/QUOTE]
In your future posts will we have to discern whether you are posting as **Bricker** , or some other alter ego?
😃
(Yeah, great piece!)
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### Author:  [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/13 "2007-01-24T00:52:30Z")
Nice job, Rick. I especially enjoyed this one because it WASN’T a legal piece. 🙂
Doug
On second thought, I’ve sent you a PM to this regard! Forgot about that shiny new concept. 🙂
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### Author:  [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2007, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/14 "2007-01-24T07:30:07Z")
**Bricker**
As others have said, that was a well-written article.
I’m sure if the Andy Kaufman were here he’d say “Tank you very much” and then he imitate the Archie Bunker.
Good work Bricker.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2007, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/15 "2007-01-24T14:43:33Z")
Definitely agree – an excellent report.
I have to re-iterate, though, I _hated, hated, hated_ Andy Kaufman. I loathed it when he came out. Nothing else could make me hit the TV dial than the announcement that he was coming out to d a bit on SNL.
Yeah, yeah – he was a “performance artist” (although never billed as that, or claimed to be it). He was playing head games. He was infinitely sophisticated. Tell me about it. But did you _really_ like sitting through those interminable, pointless, numbing routines of listening to the Mighty Mouse record? Or did you just derive glee from the recollection of it afterwards, or maybe simply hearing it , and imagining the bewildered reaction of the incognescenti? I found Kaufman’s act a pointless waste of time, with no payoff – not in immediate laughter, or in redirected views, or any sort of insight.
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### Author:  [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/16 "2007-01-24T18:35:42Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham]
Yeah, yeah – he was a “performance artist” (although never billed as that, or claimed to be it). He was playing head games. He was infinitely sophisticated. Tell me about it. But did you _really_ like sitting through those interminable, pointless, numbing routines of listening to the Mighty Mouse record?
[/QUOTE]
I’d heard about the Mighty Mouse routine before, but had never actually seen it until I got the DVD box set of SNL’s first season for Christmas. I thought the Mighty Mouse bit was funny, and genuinely laughed. It’s in the expression on his face when he’s lip synching the refrain. I dunno, I can’t explain why it’s funny if you don’t get it. Different strokes for different folks, man.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2007, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/17 "2007-01-24T19:14:28Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Different strokes for different folks, man.
Indeed. Not one thing I saw during his SNL run (before I finally learned that there was, for me at least, no upside in watching his drawn-out performaces) drew even a hint of a smile. Although I was impressed the time I saw his Elvis impersonation.
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### Author:  [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/18 "2007-01-24T21:37:23Z")
I liked Andy Kaufmann about twice as much as **Cal**. I was indifferent to the movie but couldn’t escape without being rude to friends. In spite of all that, I _really_ liked the Staff Report. Thank you for another great piece **Bricker**. (I even liked your “hinder legs” comment in this thread. Haven’t heard that one before.)
Cheers!
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/19 "2007-01-28T23:24:47Z")
[QUOTE=Bricker]
… and I’m certainly a political junkie.
[/quote]
Huh. Who knew?
Excellent report.
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### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2007, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufman-and-tony-clifton/389095/20 "2007-01-30T14:05:46Z")
[QUOTE=Bricker]
This was simply a cast into new territory, and it was fun and informative for me to research and write… and I am very pleased that it’s come across well to the audience, since ultimately that’s the sine qua non of a writer’s success.
[/QUOTE]
Another great job, **Bricker**.
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