Andy Kaufman Returns After 20 Years (WTF?!?!?!)

PRWeb via Yahoo ^ | 5.19.2004

[NYC GOP Chick]

Andy Kaufman Returns After 20 Years

Wed May 19, 9:00 AM ET

New York City, NY (PRWEB) May 19, 2004 -- Twenty years ago, on May 16, 1984, most of the world believed that we had lost a comedic legend forever. This has turned out to be what will inevitably be known as the greatest comic prank ever conceived. Andy Kaufman, by all accounts, is alive and well at age 55 and is now living in New York City on the upper west side. To his loyal supporters and fans, Andy says "sorry about faking my death," in a recent interview with ABC News at his apartment. In order to reach legendary comic status and seal his place in the history of performance art, he said it was "necessary to go away for twenty years."

Andy Kaufman's official site has been launched at:
http://andykaufmanreturns.blogspot.com/

Even though he has technically returned, Andy says that he plans to maintain his low key lifestyle that he has led for the past twenty years. He has resumed contact with friends and family. Fearing the possibility of this scenario and the potential for another hoax, Kaufman's family has contracted with independent auditors Ernst & Young to determine if this in fact the real Andy Kaufman. He has subjected himself to medical examination and submitted DNA, hair, blood and fingerprint samples to the auditors. Ernst & Young and the Kaufman family report that with a 99% probability, this is indeed the real Andy Kaufman. His mother says, "It's good to have Andy back."

In 1999, a new crop of Kaufman fans were born after Jim Carrey starred in the hit film Man on the Moon. "Andy's bizarre mix of comedy and performance art will inspire fans and comedians alike for generations, especially after this stunt," says Jim Carrey.

Andy says he will make only occasional public appearances, sometimes in disguise so that you won?t know if it?s really him or someone else. Kaufman was famous for pulling this stunt with the Tony Clifton character, sometimes played by good friend Bob Zmuda.

Andy says fans should tune into his website for ongoing updates to his adventures in life. As always, Andy's stage has been the world, testing the boundaries of our beliefs, our sources of information, and our perception of reality. "It's good to be back," Andy writes on his website.

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Andy Kaufman
E-mail Information

This news release was issued on behalf of the above organization by the eMediawire Newswire, a service of PRWeb™. http://www.prweb.com

[Protagoras]

Yes, I'm Rod Serling. I'm hiding out on FR, disguised a woman in her late 30s who lives in NYC.

If you are going to pretend to be a woman, pretend to be a young one.

[COBOL2Java]

I think you mean "skanky". Sort of suits this gag.

[Xenalyte]

Steve Buscemi is a remote-control stopper in my house. Whenever we're channel-surfing and we run across Buscemi, we instantly stop and watch whatever it is, because we know it's gonna be good. I love the guy.

[Xenalyte]

Puzzled ping to my comedy-minded buds!

[najida]

I'll tell you what's freaky about it: how totally and completely un-funny I found him.

Me too.

Add me to the list (I would turn off Taxi when he was on as Latte' or whatever he was)

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Yup, just give me a good Three Stooges short and I'm happy. Now those guys were funny.

[SoothingDave]

Whenever we're channel-surfing and we run across Buscemi, we instantly stop and watch whatever it is, because we know it's gonna be good. I love the guy.

The wife and I call him "the funny looking guy," from the scene in "Fargo."

SD

[Bacon Man]

I'm not buying it.

[Xenalyte]

99% of my brain says hoax, but there's that recalcitrant 1% that reminds me Kaufman planned and pulled some freaky shiznit.

[Xenalyte]

You know, just, I don't know, funny-lookin'!

[Lunatic Fringe]

Hey! I ain't no Yankees fan!

Good. Hope you are volunteering for the convention!

[chs68]

Thanks for the picture.

I have looked the picture over very carefully, ant it appears to me that the only person that could possibly be Andy Kaufman is the tall, blond-headed person standing slightly right-of-center in the picture. (The person is wearing a fetching white ensemble).

I may be wrong, but I never thought that the taste that Kaufman exhibited was as high as that exhibited by the person in white.

[SF Republican]

completely un-funny beauty is in the eye of the beholder; personally I thought he was original - nothing was so funny as him lip sync-hing that Mighty Mouse "here he comes to save the day" and the character on Taxi was very well done.

[Bacon Man]

99% of my brain says hoax, but there's that recalcitrant 1% that reminds me Kaufman planned and pulled some freaky shiznit.

True but I don't think so simply because this is the only coverage I've seen of it. The story mentions an interview by ABC News but a search of their web site turns up no such animal. Plus I ended up watching ALOT of Fox News Sunday and Monday while taking care of Heather and there wasn't word one of it outside of the story that his friends were awaiting his return. Finally I'd think if this had really happened, Drudge would have somthing on it.

[ThomasMore]

I'm not buying this either.

[Redcloak]

Friends of his speculated that he might attempt a 20-year long joke. I hope that it's true. I'll laugh myself sick at this one.

[Tribune7]

It's on the Internet. It must be true.

[steve-b]

Wouldn't it have been weird if he faked his death, planning to return in 20 years and then died some quiet, anonymous death in the meantime?

It would be even weirder if he keeled over just before making his first public appearance.

[Shooter 2.5]

Kaufman's family has contracted with independent auditors Ernst & Young to determine if this in fact the real Andy Kaufman.

If anyone wants to check, all they have to do is contact the auditors.

[stevio]

I have to agree with you.