andy kaufman

Right now I can only assume that the original AKA (Andy Kaufman's Army) was a code name for the wheat pasters who plastered up the promo posters. It's a guess. Of course it also stands for 'also known as', which applies mightily to Andy Kaufman. But it also seemed evident that Andy Kaufman's Army stood for us, the fans.

We're now recruiting. Not that we are trying to recreate the old Andy Lives, but it's a good idea to have a community to share memories with, ideas with, plans with, and to share information and media. Let's just call it the Andy Kaufman Alliance. Or make up your own. The Andy Kaufman Attitude. Whatever. One fan from Italy has made a Yahoo Group called the Andy Kaufman Archives. Trading collector-to-collector is fair game and good for the fan base. Today's secret pass phrase is "Share the Andy". Pass it around. No uniforms, though. Sorry.

The Andy Kaufman Ambassadors is another way to think of it. It could be as simple as sticking up for Andy in a conversation. If his name comes up, put in a good word for him. Many regular people still think Andy was crazy. Without getting nuts about it yourself, try to let them in on the secret. Maybe you could let them know that he wrote a novel at the age of sixteen or that he also sang on the Grand Ol' Opry or that he was only kidding, in fun. There are also a bunch of newcomers to Andy Kaufman's lore. At least 'Man On The Moon' has clued young people in on this cat. It might be cool to be inclusive and supportive all around.

Maybe someday in the future we can work toward getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Andy. Or maybe Tony Clifton. Until then, consider this: if you're upgrading your copy of "I'm From Hollywood" from vhs to dvd, why not donate your video to your public library? Instead of trying to sell some book, video or dvd on ebay, maybe the library or school would appreciate having it.

Share your ideas and share your admiration for Andy.

rexrude [at] gmail [dot] com

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