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Post by joeman on Nov 19, 2007 16:26:24 GMT -5
Lets say he was alive in today's world and is doing his whole gimmick in the WWE. Would it have worked? And who would play Jerry Lawler of back then(I want to say Lashley, since the WWE wants him over so much)?
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Post by plushtar on Nov 19, 2007 16:33:40 GMT -5
Kayfabe is dead and so would Kaufman's act unfortunately. I don't know much about Lawler's pre-WWF career, so I can't really name a good opponent for him.
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Joekishi
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Post by Joekishi on Nov 19, 2007 18:38:20 GMT -5
Blah they closest they could get to an Andy Kaufman would be K-fed.
And I'm serious, no comedian or failed celebrity is really all that relevant.
Like I hate Danny Bonaduche so much, but he wouldn't be a good on screen character.
k-fed is.
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ASYLUMHAUSEN
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Post by ASYLUMHAUSEN on Nov 19, 2007 18:41:45 GMT -5
Andy Kaufman is the Greatest Heel Character that ever lived.
And, yes, i'm 100% serious.
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Tapout
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Post by Tapout on Nov 19, 2007 18:42:32 GMT -5
Kayfabe is dead and so would Kaufman's act unfortunately. I don't know much about Lawler's pre-WWF career, so I can't really name a good opponent for him. Yeah, back in the 1970s, I don't think it was really common knowledge that wrestling is a work. I also don't think Vinnie Mac should try to pull off any kind of kayfabe stunt on that kind of order of magnitude these days. The company would botch it, and it's so buried in scandal that they don't need any more bad press. Maybe give it a year or so with few to no incidents/deaths, some donations to some scholarship funds, possibly some more kid-friendly midget dumbassery, and the company would be in a better place to experiment. |
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Post by darthpipes on Nov 19, 2007 18:50:15 GMT -5
Kaufman was a solid heel in the kayfabe era. I've heard that he originally pitched his idea to Vince Sr. and Vince Jr. but was turned down. That had to be Vince Sr. who did that because there's no way in hell Vince Jr. would ever turn down a major television star who wanted to work an angle with his company.
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Post by mrwednesdaynight on Nov 19, 2007 18:51:10 GMT -5
I think it would work. If they set everything up the way they did in memphis, i see no reason it couldnt get over huge. Remember, Kaufman was not a washed up celebrity. He was a star on network televion in the days when you only got three channels, also he was a regular on Saturday Night Live. He was not in the same league with K-Fed. The thing that worked with K-Fed was that he is was so unlikable that even against Cena, who half the crowd hates, there was no way K-Fed could get over. Kaufman got pretty deep into the whole wrestling thing. It wasnt just one performance and out he went. He cut promos against Lawler. He added wrestling fat women to part of his comedy shows. After getting piledriven, he went out of his way to convince the world that he really got injured. The mans dedication was better than some actual wrestlers now days. So absolutely, if you could get a big hollywood comedian to come in and insult wrestling fans and their champion then he gets put in his place, i think that would work anytime. then or now
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Crappler El 0 M
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Post by Crappler El 0 M on Nov 19, 2007 18:56:00 GMT -5
I think it would have possibly worked during the Attitude years during Russo's height of influence.
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Post by acressl on Nov 19, 2007 19:01:16 GMT -5
I used to hate that so much and wasn't even alive to see it. Now, I tolerate it. For me, it's one of those things like Arquette's run as WCW champion. Unecessary crossover bs. But man did Kauffman play his part so beautifully. I wish they'd bring someone in to harass Lawler like that now.
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Kyle
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Post by Kyle on Nov 19, 2007 19:01:59 GMT -5
Being probably the biggest Andy Kaufman fan on this board (stretching far... farther (?) than just his brief wrestling stint) I can honestly say no, it wouldn't work today. The main reason is because of the fact that it was Andy who was doing it. Nobody else could possibly pull off a stunt like that.
You have to realize that Andy didn't see himself as a comedian. He thought of himself as a performer, a performer who loved to screw with people and see what kind of reactions he could get out of it. More or less to amuse himself. Andy was 100% believable in everything he did. Honestly... you had no way of knowing if the man was being serious, or if he honestly believed in what he was saying.
Long story short, it was Andy that made that entire thing work. Without him it's nothing. It couldn't work today simply because there is nobody alive whose even in remotely the same league as he was (in terms of being just believable). The closest I could think of would be the guy who played in the "Borat" film. And even then.... you're going to know its fake. We're (the internet fan) are going to know its fake... he'll, we'd know about it six months before it'd ever happen on TV.
~Kyle
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ASYLUMHAUSEN
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Post by ASYLUMHAUSEN on Nov 19, 2007 19:21:52 GMT -5
Being probably the biggest Andy Kaufman fan on this board (stretching far... farther (?) than just his brief wrestling stint) I can honestly say no, it wouldn't work today. The main reason is because of the fact that it was Andy who was doing it. Nobody else could possibly pull off a stunt like that. You have to realize that Andy didn't see himself as a comedian. He thought of himself as a performer, a performer who loved to screw with people and see what kind of reactions he could get out of it. More or less to amuse himself. Andy was 100% believable in everything he did. Honestly... you had no way of knowing if the man was being serious, or if he honestly believed in what he was saying. Long story short, it was Andy that made that entire thing work. Without him it's nothing. It couldn't work today simply because there is nobody alive whose even in remotely the same league as he was (in terms of being just believable). The closest I could think of would be the guy who played in the "Borat" film. And even then.... you're going to know its fake. We're (the internet fan) are going to know its fake... he'll, we'd know about it six months before it'd ever happen on TV. ~Kyle As a huge Andy Kaufman fan I will agree that the stuff wouldn't work in today's wrestling world. Mostly because a guy like Andy Kaufman wouldn't exist in todays world...just impossible. But, anyway...i'd just like to say again; Andy Kaufman is the Greatest Heel Character that ever lived. I really do believe that. |
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Post by Sumbody Gon' Get Dey Kneelift on Nov 19, 2007 19:53:01 GMT -5
This is presupposing a huge amount of things. One of them being that Kaufman lived in Modern Day, which means we'd get a Modern WWE version of Kaufman's genius.
Which means...You know, ultimate win.
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ASYLUMHAUSEN
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Post by ASYLUMHAUSEN on Nov 19, 2007 20:05:00 GMT -5
This is presupposing a huge amount of things. One of them being that Kaufman lived in Modern Day, which means we'd get a Modern WWE version of Kaufman's genius. Which means...You know, ultimate win. hadn't thought of it that way...but....you're right. ultimate win, indeed. |
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Post by vampyur on Nov 19, 2007 20:16:44 GMT -5
As long as I live, I don't think I'll ever forget Andy saying (in a stereotypical southern accent) "You wanna wrassle me Memphis style?!" and "You don't have brains, you're frrm Memphis TN and all you do is farm and plow the fields and ooohaooohaoooh! Is that the way you talk in Memphis TN Mr. Lawler, doooah! You don't have any brains, but I'm from Hollywood, I have brains."
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Kyle
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Post by Kyle on Nov 19, 2007 20:33:24 GMT -5
As long as I live, I don't think I'll ever forget Andy saying (in a stereotypical southern accent) "You wanna wrassle me Memphis style?!" and "You don't have brains, you're frrm Memphis TN and all you do is farm and plow the fields and ooohaooohaoooh! Is that the way you talk in Memphis TN Mr. Lawler, doooah! You don't have any brains, but I'm from Hollywood, I have brains." Hell... I can't NOT say Memphis Tennessee without doing an impersonation of Andy Kaufman. ~Kyle |
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Post by Rocky Van Heineken on Nov 19, 2007 21:00:12 GMT -5
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