Letterman has claimed he was upset that he wasn't let in on the gag, but that would have never worked. His discomfort is what makes it believable and entertaining to watch.
That's because no one was let in on the gag and his family didn't even know Andy went to his grave letting them think that Lawler tried to break his neck
Letterman is probably the most flummoxed he'd ever been in an interview segment, and he still manages to deliver the coffee line with perfect timing. He really is a genius.
There is a cool interview of David Letterman on Howard Stern from a year ago where he talks about Andy Kaufman and his pranks. Dave loved him a lot and was always in on it. He speaks so fondly of him.
Bro it was amazing. I have the theory that this whole rivalry was one of the key events that really elevated professional wrestling from a localized entertainment thing to a national-level interest. Think about it, in that era there was no Internet, no social media like what you have now, so bits like this were the closest thing to a 'viral' event. It was an amazing angle because to this day, there is still some discussion as to whether it was 100% staged or what.
Probably the most believable wrestling performance in history. Brilliant. Of course we now know they were great friends but you gotta give credit to Jerry for his performance here, he nailed it.
"The King" is one of the wrestling greats. His classic performances in the ring are only rivaled by his perfect performances as a commentator. Long live the King!
Jerry Lawler has said many times that it was a work and he was very good friends with Andy. Specifically that Andy asked him to slap him as hard as he could. Everyone knows this was staged.
The fact Lawler and Kaufman did this shows the genius of these two and put modern day wrestling on the map. The story in Lawler's book is amazing about this. They didn't know exactly what they would say before hand, but they played it out perfectly.
A lot of people don’t understand how monumental this moment was in television history. This segment took place in 1982 and this was more than a full decade before Jerry Springer Show and Maury Show. When Lawler slapped Kaufman you can hear the shock and horror from the crowd because they all thought this was real and never saw anything like this on tv before. Everyone, even Letterman, was not prepared for the scuffle between Lawler and Kaufman even it turned out to be just an act.
This was the most believable wrestling act I have ever seen. All the others with wrestlers hamming it up for the cameras are so laughably bad you know it's totally fake but good old Jerry and Andy really fooled everyone here.
Andy Kaufman was a genius but what gets overlooked was how good and natural Jerry Lawler was in his role as the heavy. He totally sold it, being somewhat charming, but also having a hair-trigger temper and very disdainful of Kaufman.
I wonder how much Jerry said was scripted & how much was off the cuff. I know "pro" wrestlers have outsize personalities & are natural born show people in a sense, but Andy must've coached him on a few things since he was in on the joke.
@@JoeVideoed Lawler says he wasn't coached but I believe him and Kaufman had to have a basic working script. I bought it at the time though. It looked real enough to me and Letterman and his staff thought it was real too.
It wouldn't surprise me if they just decided they would have a feud and then just ran with it and had fun seeing how far they could each push it. Let's not forget Jerry Lawler went on to be one of the biggest personalities in the WWE. When he feuded with Bret Hart he would insult Bret's parents without Bret being in on the joke. Bret thought he was going too far but Stu and Helen loved it.
Kaufman is obviously a legend but much respect to Jerry Lawler in this clip as well! Going toe to toe with the Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion is no small feat! Legendary performances by both 😂
@@christiancharles2866 Go and read the story. Both Andy and Lawler, have talked about it ad nauseam. As anything ir "pro wrestling" it was an agreed upon act. Simple as that. Lawler was one of Kaufmann's best and most trusted friends to the day Andy died.
This is where Dave is so brilliant - obviously he knows the “secret” of wrestling, but he doesn’t treat it like “oh, this is fake” or “oh, this beneath me.”
I mean, this was still the 80s. Kayfabe was alive and well. Of course, people knew something was up with wrestling, but it was the work of people like Kaufmann that had people doubting themselves.
I was 14 the year this happened and both a Letterman fan and an Andy fan. I watched Taxi religiously, but when this came on, I was perplexed. I didn't know it was fake, but knew there was something fishy about it. Only when Man on the Moon came out in '99 did I come to know the truth. But I have a hard time believing Dave wasn't in on it. It seems like something he'd do, as he's done with other guests before. But after my many decades of being a fan of Andy's, this is now easy to see Andy's genius is all over this.
I don't even have to watch this one to recall my favorite adlib from Dave: "I think you can say some of those words on television but what you can't do is throw coffee." All-time classic.
It is a damn shame Andy Kaufman never became, like, a full-time manager. His feud with Jerry showed that the man had the chops for the wrestling business. Could you imagine what a Cornette v. Kaufman promo would’ve been like?!
Lawler and Kaufman sold this interview to perfection. Everyone in the studio to the audience watching this go down on TV truly thought this was real....
I can still remember seeing this as a teenager and through it all wondering was this real or set up? Is it supposed to be funny or Not? But I did know it was Genius!
@@mrupert22 Nope - it was not real at all. Lawler and Kaufman discussed it thoroughly before going on-air. Lawler actually hedged slightly and told Andy he might get arrested for assault. Yes, I've watched Lawler's interview on the matter.
@@TFCFMINNISTRY12 Chris was already laughing. Will was laughing of embarrassment because he felt like he had to slap him but still felt uncomfortable doing it
@@chrisvswill4187 you do know will was just teaching the slap technique. I how do know he smiling out of embarrassment? You are assuming to know emotions of either person. Just assess the body language. They both kept the exact smile, no shift of expression on face. Keep rewinding will & Chris and you will see his fingers go by chris’ chin.
My dad told me about the buzz and all when this was Live. He said most ppl thought it was a fake wrestling storyline nearly the entire show etc until the slap, and then when Andy started hollering at Lawler threatening lawsuits, that's what sold it and got everyone hooked believing it was legit
This will hopefully get way more views soon I’ve watched this on TH-cam so many times but the quality of this upload is 1 million times better it just came up a month ago who knew hopefully it starts poppin the algorithm because it’s beautiful
Andy was such a great actor, we didn't know where he starts or begins. Which makes this the best show on Letterman. Opened a new schitck in Late Night Variety, open skit. Two great guys. Best Duo that will ever be next to Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, Fry and Laurie, and Farley and Spade. I wasn't born yet when this aired, but I bet this was fun to follow on TV.
It actually wasn’t entirely all planned. Jerry said on the Vice wrestling documentary that Andy had no idea he was really going to slap him. They also didn’t plan the part when they came back from the commercial and Andy cursed Jerry out.
Exactly. Now go check out the video of Will Smith teaching this technique. The Oscar slap was staged. How long was it before people knew this was planned on Letterman Show.
And now Jim Carrey (who plays Kaufman in man on the moon and revealed this was all a stunt 10 years after the fact) is in the news talking about how disgusted he is with Hollywood after the Will Smith smack.
because it is the WWE Hall of Fame...not wrestling. Cyndi Lauper deserves it more than Andy. Wrestlemania would not exist without Cyndi Lauper. And in turn, neither would the WWF/WWE.
@@FUGP72 F*ck your revisionist WWE BS propaganda, without Andy there's no 'Mania 1, Rock n' Wrestling Connection or any other celebrity/wrestling mashup afterwards. I hope Hunter realizes this instead of Vince Jr always believing he created 'sports entertainment' when Kaufman literally pretty much invented the term.
He will be now after “Tales from the territories” which goes in depth about the Lawler Kaufman feud and They also talk about him possibly going in the hall of fame next year since it’s in Hollywood and Triple H in now in charge who thought the world of Andy.
Living in England I only really knew Andy Kaufman from watching Taxi. I dont really get him but Jerry Lawler cracked me up - funny guy. Not heard of him either but will search Google .
Andy played it like a pro. He picked up the coffee cup and faked a throw which signaled to Lawler what was to come. Lawler got up and Andy threw the coffee in back of him at the empty chair. Jerry has revealed a lot in the years since Andy passed away and the story behind their feud is fascinating and has increased my respect for both men.
Credit to Kaufman for willingly taking a slap like that and credit to both of them for their mic skills. And after that whole circus in the midst of all the tension, Dave quickly says "I think you can say SOME of those words..." 😅😅😅 That's great television.
As with the original broadcast, they missed to bleep the final "F-You!" from Andy (9:05). That was quite amazing then. People still talked about it now!
Was it real or prank interview? I thought the end looked so real, too. Strange interview and the slap looked great but seemed like it was out of place at that point. They weren’t angry enough for that to happen, but all the commotion and coffee throwing seemed REAL! Yikes.
It was a bit between Kaufman and Lawler but nobody else, apparently. According to Lawler, the bit was supposed to end with them singing "What the World Needs Now Is Love" to each other, but Kaufman sort of surreptitiously suggested in a phone conversation before taping to "break the script."
Thing is he was not a heel here, Kaufman was the heel. The crowd was boo’ing because they just knew some random guy they never heard of was being mean to the funny guy from the show Taxi. This feud never aired on national TV until Comedy Central did a special on it in the early 1990’s otherwise unless you were in the Memphis territory or read wrestling magazines you had no clue what was going on here.
I remember watching this live. In the following days, people were about evenly split on whether this was "real" or not. Surprisingly, people who thought that all wrestling was fake frequently thought that this was "real".
Jerry Lawler's one-liners, and delivery are gold.
Couldn't warm up to this guy if we were cremated together 😂
No doubt
"His father wanted a boy, and his mother wanted a girl, and they were both satisfied".😂😂😂
'What kinda man are you?'
The man wore red pants.....look at those pants
Letterman has claimed he was upset that he wasn't let in on the gag, but that would have never worked. His discomfort is what makes it believable and entertaining to watch.
Just like Joaquin Phoenix with his beard on Letterman
That's because no one was let in on the gag and his family didn't even know Andy went to his grave letting them think that Lawler tried to break his neck
Then it wouldn't be....a gag.
What gag??
The Art Of Wrestling
Letterman is probably the most flummoxed he'd ever been in an interview segment, and he still manages to deliver the coffee line with perfect timing. He really is a genius.
Good point he always could circle back to something funny
There is a cool interview of David Letterman on Howard Stern from a year ago where he talks about Andy Kaufman and his pranks. Dave loved him a lot and was always in on it. He speaks so fondly of him.
Letterman new this was a bit, he was it on it. He wasn’t ‘flummoxed’ at all.
@@BAGAKOOS He was sort of in on it. Nobody knew the slap was going to happen, even Andy Kaufman.
As a wrestling fan who was only born in 1993 - this is the greatest wrestling angle of all time.
You’re not wrong. All before breaking kayfabe was a thing. It was so believable. Still is believable today, even tho it was a work.
Bro it was amazing. I have the theory that this whole rivalry was one of the key events that really elevated professional wrestling from a localized entertainment thing to a national-level interest.
Think about it, in that era there was no Internet, no social media like what you have now, so bits like this were the closest thing to a 'viral' event. It was an amazing angle because to this day, there is still some discussion as to whether it was 100% staged or what.
Your bragging about being a 30 year old? Ur 30 not 14.
@@John-ct9zs Meaning, that if they followed wrestling when they were younger, they knew Jerry Lawler in a very different context.
@@John-ct9zs relax man
Probably the most believable wrestling performance in history. Brilliant.
Of course we now know they were great friends but you gotta give credit to Jerry for his performance here, he nailed it.
"The King" is one of the wrestling greats. His classic performances in the ring are only rivaled by his perfect performances as a commentator. Long live the King!
This was not an act. The two totally despised each other and Jerry meant that slap.
@@markjwil wrong
@@LexFilm you have no idea what the hell you're talking about. Please stay on point.
Jerry Lawler has said many times that it was a work and he was very good friends with Andy. Specifically that Andy asked him to slap him as hard as he could. Everyone knows this was staged.
The fact Lawler and Kaufman did this shows the genius of these two and put modern day wrestling on the map. The story in Lawler's book is amazing about this. They didn't know exactly what they would say before hand, but they played it out perfectly.
What's the book?
Such a classic late night moment. Thank you for uploading these in high definition!
High definition? Hahaha
@@mariojijon Well, these official uploads look way better than old VHS copies uploaded by fans in 240p.
A lot of people don’t understand how monumental this moment was in television history. This segment took place in 1982 and this was more than a full decade before Jerry Springer Show and Maury Show. When Lawler slapped Kaufman you can hear the shock and horror from the crowd because they all thought this was real and never saw anything like this on tv before. Everyone, even Letterman, was not prepared for the scuffle between Lawler and Kaufman even it turned out to be just an act.
The whole thing was an act, but the slap was not. Guarantee Andy told Lawler not to hold back when he slapped him. Pain is temporary, film is forever.
Everybody knew it was an act or then maybe not.
This was the most believable wrestling act I have ever seen. All the others with wrestlers hamming it up for the cameras are so laughably bad you know it's totally fake but good old Jerry and Andy really fooled everyone here.
That's why memphis was the best
Agree! Better than any Wrestlemania main event.
Idk. Ppl still legit believe that Eddie Guerrero had a heart attack in his match with the Undertaker 😂😂
It's not fake
It's scripted
Injuries happen all the time
This segment probably the greatest moment both wrestling and late night show history.
Andy Kaufman was a genius but what gets overlooked was how good and natural Jerry Lawler was in his role as the heavy. He totally sold it, being somewhat charming, but also having a hair-trigger temper and very disdainful of Kaufman.
I wonder how much Jerry said was scripted & how much was off the cuff. I know "pro" wrestlers have outsize personalities & are natural born show people in a sense, but Andy must've coached him on a few things since he was in on the joke.
@@JoeVideoed Lawler says he wasn't coached but I believe him and Kaufman had to have a basic working script. I bought it at the time though. It looked real enough to me and Letterman and his staff thought it was real too.
It wouldn't surprise me if they just decided they would have a feud and then just ran with it and had fun seeing how far they could each push it. Let's not forget Jerry Lawler went on to be one of the biggest personalities in the WWE. When he feuded with Bret Hart he would insult Bret's parents without Bret being in on the joke. Bret thought he was going too far but Stu and Helen loved it.
Lawyer saying he wasn't a comedian but he was really. His humour has cracked me up over the years.
What's so genius about Andy Kaufman? I don't get it.
Kaufman is obviously a legend but much respect to Jerry Lawler in this clip as well! Going toe to toe with the Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion is no small feat! Legendary performances by both 😂
Letterman calls this the show that put him on the map
I watched this happen when I was 17, what a great time it was!!!! To be young, up late and watching this monumental show!!!! Anybody with me!?!?
Me!! Same age as you
100% could not wait for Letterman each night. Was the best show for years
Jerry Lawyer needs to show Will Smith how to properly slap someone
Great idea!
His name is the king
@@mattbeckley9483 Jerry the King Lawler, former AWA champion.
@@markedly1013 damn right
And Andy Kaufman needs to show Chris Rock how to sell it. 😂😂😂
Dave needs to interview Jerry Lawler on his Netflix show to talk about that feud and this moment.
Feud? It was staged. It was an act.
@@AB-80X A smart mark ay ?
@@johnny5805 Ya😀
@@AB-80Xhe still slapped him for real
@@christiancharles2866 Go and read the story. Both Andy and Lawler, have talked about it ad nauseam.
As anything ir "pro wrestling" it was an agreed upon act. Simple as that. Lawler was one of Kaufmann's best and most trusted friends to the day Andy died.
This was an AWESOME angle they worked together. And a helluva "work" on both there parts.
Maybe 20% 'worked' at most.
What a great work and promo by Andy. I love Dave's reaction.
This was mostly real & truthful.
@@jaymike3302 Kfabe is wonderful.
Andy was one of the funniest people I've ever seen. Rip Andy 🙏.
This is where Dave is so brilliant - obviously he knows the “secret” of wrestling, but he doesn’t treat it like “oh, this is fake” or “oh, this beneath me.”
I mean, this was still the 80s. Kayfabe was alive and well. Of course, people knew something was up with wrestling, but it was the work of people like Kaufmann that had people doubting themselves.
I was 14 the year this happened and both a Letterman fan and an Andy fan. I watched Taxi religiously, but when this came on, I was perplexed. I didn't know it was fake, but knew there was something fishy about it. Only when Man on the Moon came out in '99 did I come to know the truth. But I have a hard time believing Dave wasn't in on it. It seems like something he'd do, as he's done with other guests before. But after my many decades of being a fan of Andy's, this is now easy to see Andy's genius is all over this.
Ladies and gentlemen the genius of Andy Kaufman. RIP. Brother
Legend ! UK :)
I don't even have to watch this one to recall my favorite adlib from Dave: "I think you can say some of those words on television but what you can't do is throw coffee." All-time classic.
Worked to the zenith of believability!
Classic!!
It is a damn shame Andy Kaufman never became, like, a full-time manager. His feud with Jerry showed that the man had the chops for the wrestling business.
Could you imagine what a Cornette v. Kaufman promo would’ve been like?!
Lol, yeah, two heel managers. 😂
Well he didn't have time to become a full-time manager because he died 22 months after this clip aired.
Pure entertainment from start to finish
Lawler and Kaufman sold this interview to perfection. Everyone in the studio to the audience watching this go down on TV truly thought this was real....
Andy ,and Jerry were brilliant here!! 👏
Dave not knowing made it that much sweeter!
8:00
The slap heard around the world!
Thank you for uploading this!
That slap would've made Ike Turner jealous
@@josephnicolino8529 Or Will Smith 👋😝
I can still remember seeing this as a teenager and through it all wondering was this real or set up? Is it supposed to be funny or Not? But I did know it was Genius!
Was it set up? Or real?
It was not real.
@@joemontano71 it was kinda real…. It wasn’t actually planned. Watch an interview with Lawler about it. Funny story about how it played out.
@@joemontano71 It wasn’t planned and kinda real but they turned it into a work
@@mrupert22 Nope - it was not real at all. Lawler and Kaufman discussed it thoroughly before going on-air. Lawler actually hedged slightly and told Andy he might get arrested for assault.
Yes, I've watched Lawler's interview on the matter.
I loved Kaufmans reaction to Dave's"Hes better looking" at 1:45, Kaufman smirked because that was his kind of humor.
And that was the genius of Kaufman, he could play it straight and still get the room in an uproar of laughter.
Will Smith needs to give his Oscar to Jerry Lawler. Lawler sold this stunt much better than smiley Will Smith.
This looked more fake than a 3 dollar bill.
He and Chris did break character and smile the whole time.
@@TFCFMINNISTRY12 Chris was already laughing. Will was laughing of embarrassment because he felt like he had to slap him but still felt uncomfortable doing it
@@chrisvswill4187 you do know will was just teaching the slap technique. I how do know he smiling out of embarrassment? You are assuming to know emotions of either person. Just assess the body language. They both kept the exact smile, no shift of expression on face. Keep rewinding will & Chris and you will see his fingers go by chris’ chin.
@@TFCFMINNISTRY12 I don't know what he was thinking but i can say that this was as real as Jada's dome.
The joke was on the audience. Got to love Kaufman! Right now he's in comedy heaven with Norm McDonald. RIP
Great moment right there. Artfully done. Really put Memphis on the map. I would have like it if Jerry said something there at the end.
My dad told me about the buzz and all when this was Live. He said most ppl thought it was a fake wrestling storyline nearly the entire show etc until the slap, and then when Andy started hollering at Lawler threatening lawsuits, that's what sold it and got everyone hooked believing it was legit
Television history, legendary moment right there.
Andy Kaufman.... truly the weirdest genius and a man of his time
Greatest rivalry in the history of professional wrestling...EVER.
Usually, great rivalries actually draw money. The Kaufman-Lawler feud did well at first, but not very well after the initial angle.
One of the greatest moments in television history!
Oh come on. Give us the uncensored thing.
It is elsewhere, but this is by far the best video quality.
The opening 20 seconds of Dave would make a college campus explode today haha man these two were gold together
Jerry Lawler was actually a Super Nice Guy .....
Still is.
2:34 Jerry made that same joke about Bret Hart on commentary in WWE lol
This will hopefully get way more views soon I’ve watched this on TH-cam so many times but the quality of this upload is 1 million times better it just came up a month ago who knew hopefully it starts poppin the algorithm because it’s beautiful
Naw, the boomers are dying and their awful shows
"Couldn't warm up to this guy if we were cremated together" LMAO 😂
Andy Kaufman being a genius.
"This moment made the Late show famous forever" -David Letterman
Greatest work in the history of wrestling
Andy was such a great actor, we didn't know where he starts or begins. Which makes this the best show on Letterman. Opened a new schitck in Late Night Variety, open skit.
Two great guys. Best Duo that will ever be next to Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, Fry and Laurie, and Farley and Spade.
I wasn't born yet when this aired, but I bet this was fun to follow on TV.
This is so great, nothing like it before or after.
This is pure gold
Between you and me, it was all planned: And Andy Kaufman was a genius. I miss this kind of humour. R.I.P. , Andy. 😊
It actually wasn’t entirely all planned. Jerry said on the Vice wrestling documentary that Andy had no idea he was really going to slap him. They also didn’t plan the part when they came back from the commercial and Andy cursed Jerry out.
I remember seeing this live the night it aired and it's still funny to watch.😂😂
Genius. See how he threw the coffee to the left at the last second? What a genius.
This needs to be part of Dark Side of the Ring. Get Dave or Paul interviewed about the incident.
you do know it was planned right?
It is
Tales from the Territories just did a full episode on it! So good!
8:01-8:02 wow. This video is way better than Will Smith slap Chris Rock during the Oscars. LOL!!! 😅🤣😂
Looks like Will Smith, and Chris Rock have been watching old Letterman clips.
Yeah it is so nice to see where the inspiration comes from.
Here after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars.
Me, too. I say Kaufman and Lawler did it better.
Exactly. Now go check out the video of Will Smith teaching this technique. The Oscar slap was staged. How long was it before people knew this was planned on Letterman Show.
@@TFCFMINNISTRY12 People knew right away because of how not actor like they are.
@@chrisvswill4187 actually, they didn’t initially. They played it up in the media like this story.
And now Jim Carrey (who plays Kaufman in man on the moon and revealed this was all a stunt 10 years after the fact) is in the news talking about how disgusted he is with Hollywood after the Will Smith smack.
The birth of reality TV as we know it.
Jerry Lawlor was subsequently asked to resign from the Academy
Andy was just a natural heel manager could have taken over from jimmy hart when he went to ny. And been a LEGEND.
He would've been a top manager in the business if he wanted to and if he had lived longer.
Jerry..."What kind of a guy are you"! 😄😄😄😄😄
7:58 any 80's of early 90's child winced from that classic turn around slap 😏😅..... That slap brought me back to my childhood kitchen in 1993
Andy Kaufman was on a different plain. I suppose the man saw the entire world as his stage and oh how he performed.
Comedy Gold. Absolutely epic.
That was some of THE best t.v. I have ever seen ! Wow !!
We remember this live... GOD BLESS DAVID LETTERMAN
How is Andy not in the WWE Hall of Fame yet
because it is the WWE Hall of Fame...not wrestling.
Cyndi Lauper deserves it more than Andy. Wrestlemania would not exist without Cyndi Lauper. And in turn, neither would the WWF/WWE.
@@FUGP72 F*ck your revisionist WWE BS propaganda, without Andy there's no 'Mania 1, Rock n' Wrestling Connection or any other celebrity/wrestling mashup afterwards. I hope Hunter realizes this instead of Vince Jr always believing he created 'sports entertainment' when Kaufman literally pretty much invented the term.
He will be now after “Tales from the territories” which goes in depth about the Lawler Kaufman feud and They also talk about him possibly going in the hall of fame next year since it’s in Hollywood and Triple H in now in charge who thought the world of Andy.
It was announced today.
Jerry Lawler even said that it was a shame that Andy wasn’t in the Wrestling HoF because of the entertainment aspect he brought to it.
BRAVO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GREAT UPLOAD. When tv was dangerous to watch.
this episode of Letterman is still in 2023 TV Guide's top 50 greatest moments -
Living in England I only really knew Andy Kaufman from watching Taxi. I dont really get him but Jerry Lawler cracked me up - funny guy. Not heard of him either but will search Google .
This whole vibe is hilarious
Possibly the greatest wrestling angle ever.
That was great, I don’t know where to start with Memphis Wrestling but this is as damn good an introduction can get.
The band striking up as AK hits the deck 😂😂😂
Andy played it like a pro. He picked up the coffee cup and faked a throw which signaled to Lawler what was to come. Lawler got up and Andy threw the coffee in back of him at the empty chair. Jerry has revealed a lot in the years since Andy passed away and the story behind their feud is fascinating and has increased my respect for both men.
Credit to Kaufman for willingly taking a slap like that and credit to both of them for their mic skills. And after that whole circus in the midst of all the tension, Dave quickly says "I think you can say SOME of those words..." 😅😅😅 That's great television.
"Hey Jerry, it's your cousin Barry Springer. Change it to Letterman."
Masterpiece.
As with the original broadcast, they missed to bleep the final "F-You!" from Andy (9:05). That was quite amazing then. People still talked about it now!
Ladies and Gentlemen....THIS IS CLASSIC TELEVISION..REAL ENTERTAINMENT..
I love the fact that 1 second after the slap the band decides it a good time to play a little Funk Music!😆😆😆
This can never be recreated in wrestling greatest angle in wrestling history
They did recreate it in Man on the Moon
So why didn't it draw?
@@Rjensen2 it did draw 🤡
@@RIUUI007 I’m guessing you’re not wrestling fan by that reply… atleast I hope you’re not
@@thelastemperor6357 You obviously have never seen videos of it beyond the first match they had.
The original and best.
Absolutely brilliant to watch, Andy and Jerry were way ahead of their time😂
Was the guest platform built at an angle? Why does Andy's chair look like it's going to tip over?
It was part of the plan. That's why Andy keeps moving his chair; he wanted to be sure that he'd flip over during the slap. This is all well-known.
They should have gotten an Emmy for this.
Andy and Jerry both brilliant
Does anyone remember the name of the song the bands plays right after the slap???
“You’re a f’n a-hole!” And proceeds to weakly through a cup of water on the guy. Andy Kaufman was great
Who's the guy rushing up with the comb-over? I want to hear from him.
I remember that night - and thinking WTF
I know Dave says he knew but I really wish someone would interview him about this whole segment. Its just brilliant start to finish
Man...I love Dave, but I don't think he knew it was going to end this way. You take one look at him at 6:32 sec mark. He doesn't look comfortable.
Was it real or prank interview? I thought the end looked so real, too. Strange interview and the slap looked great but seemed like it was out of place at that point. They weren’t angry enough for that to happen, but all the commotion and coffee throwing seemed REAL! Yikes.
So was it a bit?
It was a bit between Kaufman and Lawler but nobody else, apparently. According to Lawler, the bit was supposed to end with them singing "What the World Needs Now Is Love" to each other, but Kaufman sort of surreptitiously suggested in a phone conversation before taping to "break the script."
@@pronkb000 Kaufman cut his promos for their rivalry in Lawler's back yard in Memphis.
Flea collar ! LOL
Love the king! Jerry was the best heal in pro wrestling love him or hate him but he was the greatest on what he does!!
Thing is he was not a heel here, Kaufman was the heel. The crowd was boo’ing because they just knew some random guy they never heard of was being mean to the funny guy from the show Taxi. This feud never aired on national TV until Comedy Central did a special on it in the early 1990’s otherwise unless you were in the Memphis territory or read wrestling magazines you had no clue what was going on here.
This is iconic
Without this, wrestling wouldn't be where it is today. This was the birth of "sports entertainment"
I remember watching this live. In the following days, people were about evenly split on whether this was "real" or not. Surprisingly, people who thought that all wrestling was fake frequently thought that this was "real".
What an honor to the people who saw this live on tv for the first time
8:00 That, my buddies is a *SLAP!!* that was heard around the world.