Thought you might enjoy this if you haven't seen it already:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/07/us/kaufman-lawler-wrestling-match/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
It was definitely a different time. Unfortunately they kept going back to the well to diminishing returns each time, but Kaufman was definitely the one celebrity who truly "got" wrestling and was the right guy in the right place at the right time to make money off it.
There's a documentary about Kaufman as a wrestler on Netflix, I don't know if its the same thing Comedy Central always used to air. Kaufman was so far ahead of his time. Some of his stuff on talk shows and the variety shows he did would be edgy even today.
ReplyDeleteI was just coming here to post this.
ReplyDeleteGreat minds obviously think like me, since I'm a great mind.
I still think my favorite things from the movie is how they portrayed the wrestling as "real" up to a point. After Kaufman is voted off Saturday Night Live, you think Shapiro is telling both Kaufman and Zmuda that they shouldn't work together anymore for the sake of Andy's career, but in fact he's talking to Kaufman and Lawler.
ReplyDeleteI just caught "Man On The Man" on HBO again on Friday, and it made me go back to YouTube and various other video sites to look at the original footage I hadn't seen in a long time.
ReplyDeleteDAMN! If that wasn't great stuff. As much as I loved the worked-shoot stuff from Punk last year, Kaufman and Lawler set a bar that I don't think has ever been reached. Just fantastic stuff, and it's a shame that this isn't the type of celebrity involvement we ger nowadays.
Yeah, but the real commentator (Lance Russell) was playing the ring announcer! I guess they wanted to cash in on JR's celebrity, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteThe article says that the WWE HoF won't let Kaufman in. That's the 1st I've heard of that. Anyone have any info on this? It could just be the reported not really having his facts straight.
ReplyDeleteI find it really strange that Lawler declined to comment in that article. Usually WWE will take all the mainstream media exposure they can get. Unless he's doing it to maintain kayfabe. But Lawler DID do "Man on the Moon," so I doubt that's it.
ReplyDeleteDavid Arquette would be perfect for something like this.
ReplyDeleteThe thing on netflix is more just a highlight of random footage from him wrestling in various venues around the country. It isn't very good, but there's some fun stuff in there.
ReplyDeleteThe old special you might be thinking of is "I'm from Hollywood" and indeed is pretty awesome.
I find it funny that this story had Jerry Lawler of all people opposing a sexist.
ReplyDelete