# How in the world did the movie "Man on the Moon" about Andy Kaufmans's life cost 82 million dollars?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-did-the-movie-man-on-the-moon-about-andy-kaufmanss-life-cost-82-million-dollars/644796>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 21, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-did-the-movie-man-on-the-moon-about-andy-kaufmanss-life-cost-82-million-dollars/644796 "2012-12-21T23:16:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-did-the-movie-man-on-the-moon-about-andy-kaufmanss-life-cost-82-million-dollars/644796/21 "2012-12-24T02:44:48Z")

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> [@astro](#):
>
> Re “My point was Kaufman was doing comedy that would not even come close to mainstream for decades” is where my main argument with your thesis is. Kaufman was an absurdist. The “funny” in his more transgressional performances was mainly accessible at a distance once the stunt was completed and the riling of the yokels was complete.
> 
> This behavior or comedy style is NOT accepted or celebrated today as mainstream comedy. People who would try to pull similar stunts today are not celebrated or embraced as comedy stars. Kaufman was unique, but his extremely transgressional comedy style is not embraced any more today than it was then.

In thinking about it I’m going to take part of that last statement I made back. The “Jackass” troupe has some elements of their performances/stunts that are just as transgressional and absurdist as anything Kaufman did, and they are celebrated (in certain quarters) as comedy superstars. Whether Kaufman paved the way for them is something I can’t really speak to.

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**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-did-the-movie-man-on-the-moon-about-andy-kaufmanss-life-cost-82-million-dollars/644796/22 "2012-12-24T04:27:07Z")

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> [@astro](#):
>
> In thinking about it I’m going to take part of that last statement I made back. The “Jackass” troupe has some elements of their performances/stunts that are just as transgressional and absurdist as anything Kaufman did, and they are celebrated (in certain quarters) as comedy superstars. Whether Kaufman paved the way for them is something I can’t really speak to.

Borat style comedy would be also Andy Kaufmanesque.

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**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-did-the-movie-man-on-the-moon-about-andy-kaufmanss-life-cost-82-million-dollars/644796/23 "2012-12-24T16:09:05Z")

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> [@zombywoof](#):
>
> [Hollywood accounting](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_accounting)?

That is some weapons grade bull shit, how is that legal?

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**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-did-the-movie-man-on-the-moon-about-andy-kaufmanss-life-cost-82-million-dollars/644796/24 "2012-12-24T16:32:20Z")

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> [@tomcar](#):
>
> Borat style comedy would be also Andy Kaufmanesque.

And it has a finite life span. Borat was a once off insofar as most people won’t fall for it again. Kaufman was an interesting guy but his “genius” was way overstated IMHO.

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