May 20, 2004
Andy Kaufman- Dead or Alive?
So the 20th anniversary of Andy Kaufman's death was on May 16th. Rumor had it that Kaufman told his pal and cohort in comedy crime, Bob Zmuda that he would "return from the dead" on the 20th anniversary of his "Death."
There have been various internet rumors going around that Andy is alive and well- there is even a blog out there supposedly authored by Kaufman himself. When you search for Andy Kaufman on Google news, the first return makes it seem like he is back from the dead...until you click on the link and see this message: We're sorry. This release has been placed on 'Dispute Hold'.
There has been enough out there for the past few days to make you wonder, or at least a bit curious. But finally today, my friends at Snopes.com put an end to the hype. Here is an excerpt from the latest from Snopes.
...The supposed recent photographs of Andy (appearing as Tony Clifton, his abusive lounge singer character) displayed in the blog were taken from a 17 May 2004 Andy Kaufman tribute event held at the Bunny Ranch in Nevada, during which Kaufman's friend and writing partner, Bob Zmuda, played Tony Clifton. Zmuda himself said, during a 1999 interview:"The hoax and the practical joke are lost art forms." But did Andy Kaufman pull one last stunt on his deathbed at age 35? No, says Zmuda. "Andy Kaufman is dead. He’s not in some truck stop with Elvis." While Kaufman tinkered with the idea, tells Zmuda, he never brought it up again.
If the real Andy Kaufman were back, his story would be picked up by every major news service in the U.S. and a good many abroad, not merely a single "anybody can submit a story" free publicity service. And if the real Andy Kaufman genuinely wanted to demonstrate he was still alive, just one public appearance would serve that purpose far more convincingly than an unverifiable DNA test. Most important, if the Andy Kaufman I remember — the brilliant, unpredictable, erratic, and unique comic genius — had finally emerged from hiding twenty years after faking his own death, I have no doubts that he'd find a much more imaginative way of revealing his return than a free press release and a rather ordinary blog.
For the record, Andy Kaufman is supposedly buried in the same cemetary in Long Island that my grandparents are buried at. I have had thoughts to look for his grave (more out of curiosity than anything) the next time I pay a "visit" to my grandparents, but I don't even care that much.
