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5. Andy Kaufman and Jerry Lawler on Late Night with David Letterman, 1982



David Letterman seems to be a lightning rod for high-concept celebrity weirdness, and nothing exemplifies this phenomenon quite like this staged spat between Taxi star Andy Kaufman and Memphis wrestler Jerry Lawler. To summarize: Kaufman first goaded Lawler into the ring by grappling with large women. After several heated matches, Lawler pile-drove Latka into a neck brace. This long con came to a head in July 1982, when the two unleashed their faux fury with an unwitting Letterman stuck in the middle. Kaufman proved that great comedy doesn't need punch lines: all you need is a giant Tennessean with a penchant for the absurd. And some well-placed F-bombs. — C.L.
4. James Brown on Sonya Live! In L.A., 1987



James Brown is introduced here as the hardest-working man in show business. But he seems to be working hard mainly at melting his synapses with monumental amounts of cocaine. When questioned about allegedly assaulting his wife, he says, "Let's talk about some music! I'm concerned, because there's nothing wrong. The charges were dropped out of love. I'm single and I want to mingle! I smell good. I make love good." Then he moves on to the second coming of Christ. Sensing danger, the anchor tries to get out of the conversation, but James yells with the might of the last drunk to get kicked out of the bar: "But I just got here! And I love you!" The crazy thing? We think he meant it. — M.L.
3. Adam West and Jerry Lawler on Memphis Wrestling, 1977



When Adam West appeared on a Memphis TV station to promote a local car show in 1977, he arrived slurring his speech and wearing what can only be described as "homeless Bat-chic." Jerry "The Evil King of Memphis" Lawler then stopped by, prompting West to inexplicably lecture him on superhero sartorialism and traffic safety. Moments like this are why YouTube exists: the whole tableau is so wonderfully mystifying that it only gets better when watched out of context, particularly when West solemnly tells Lawler, "I've heard about your box." It's like you're watching his Family Guy audition tape. — C.L.
2. Tom Cruise on The Oprah Winfrey Show, 2005



Remember when Tom Cruise was just the really famous actor who managed to dupe us all into watching at least half of Cocktail? The guy who had enough star power to turn down Top Gun until he got to rework the script and take a flight with the Blue Angels on the company dime? Now, previous accomplishments notwithstanding, he's a couch-jumping maniac. It's strange to think that this — a manic middle-aged man running around a talk show set shouting unsettling platitudes about love — has replaced, say, the underwear dance-scene from Risky Business as the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the former most-famous-actor-in-the-world. — J.B.
1. Crispin Glover on Late Night with David Letterman, 1987



George McFly is more than just the poster child for bizarre talk-show guests. He is their reigning deity, the god at whose altar weird performance artists worship. Crispin Glover's Late Night appearance in July of 1987 is arguably the defining moment of this aspect of his career, a purported character experiment so convincing and odd that it actually chased David Letterman off his own stage. And as we've seen, it takes a lot to faze Dave. Of course, almost getting kicked in the face will send anyone running for the hills. — J.C.




              


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32 Comments

Too bad you didn't have room for one of my favorite Tom Snyder regulars - "Joey" the hit man.

rh commented on 02/26

how is it possible that i have never seen this tracy morgan clip before? how have i lived?!!

mee commented on 02/26

You missed the hilarious Oliver Reed interview on 'Aspel'...

KT commented on 02/26

You totally forgot Steve-O on the Too Late with Adam Carolla Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rafFvbCf4Y

poo commented on 02/26

You have #19 mislabeled. That was not "The Late Show with David Letterman." This clip is from 1986. Letterman did not move to "The Late Show" on CBS until 1993. The clip you showed is from "Late Night with David Letterman" on NBC (later "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," and now "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon").

JS commented on 02/26

The same goes for #5 and #1.

JS commented on 02/26

Thanks! Titles have been fixed. - Ed.

Ed commented on 02/27

I really don't think that the Iggy interview is as shocking or painful as you're making out. A gap-toothed junkie he might have been at the time, but this interview is pretty much par for the course for an Iggy interview from the 70s and 80s. I thought he was as eloquent and witty as ever, if obviously 'addled', and Snyder was taking it with good humour. For a real Snyder interviewee meltdown, his interview with Lydon and Wobble from PiL takes a bit of beating. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BZ2UoBZzEI

DM commented on 02/28

My mistake, I meant of course Lydon and LEVENE.

DM commented on 02/28

How could you leave out Joe Namath's drunken interview with Suzy Kolber? "I want to kiss you"! Classic! What an oversight!

DSE commented on 03/06

Re: Whitney Houston Interview -- this is not Barbara Walters doing the interview, it's Diane Sawyer.

CC commented on 06/04

Don't see what is funny about these. Painful to watch, cringe-worthy is not fun! Best forgotten.

MMM commented on 09/25

These are great. Cringe-worthy perhaps, but fascinating and a great lens on our often strange modern culture.

got commented on 09/25

Tracy Morgan should just be on everything, all the time. Loved him nodding like a crazy man at Taylor Swift during the VMAs. He's insane and awesome!

lala commented on 09/25

What about Artie Lange on "Joe Buck Live?" He hijacked a boring talk show and turned into a hilariously filthy piece of Borscht Belt performance art.

BF commented on 09/25

In many instances -particularly with Letterman - the odd behavior is obviously staged with the host feigning surprise. Let's not be naive here.

wp commented on 09/25

DSE.. I agree with you there!! That Namath interview was awwkkward!

RS commented on 09/26

I love the Sam Phillips interview.

Bell commented on 09/26

The Iggy interview was great. I think the Nietzsche reference (Apollonian and Dionysian) went over John Constantine's head. Constantine is the one fumbling for coherence.

bhny commented on 09/26

John Constantine, did you really listen to the Iggy Pop interview, because he was very coherent, smart, witty, earnest, and self revealing throughout. Tom Snyder seemed interested in everything he had to say. Wasn't a trainwreck at all!

jz commented on 09/26

What about Mary Lou Henner on The Tonight Show. That was screamingly funny and incredibly painful at the same time.

DW commented on 09/28

What about Grace Jones and her 8-ball on Letterman in 1986?

cb commented on 09/28

I'm sad Beck's first interview on 120 minutes wasn't there. The one where he doesn't say anything, but just tosses his boot at the set. That was amazing.

LL commented on 09/28

How about Carson with Zsa-zsa and her cat? I'd've thought it was a total setup, but she stormed off and didn't come back. Short, but classic!

ts commented on 09/28

Go look up "Molly meldrums interview with Iggy pop" on australias "countdown" music show from the 80s. Its completely hilarious. Iggy was so fucking high.

dmx commented on 09/28

I gotta call "too soon" on Farrah.

mjk commented on 09/29

a drunk Mitch Ryder interviewed by a German before a gig, this is on a Rockpalast dvd. Henry Rollins, when with Black Flag inverviewed by a punk kid. Can be found on youtube

ssk commented on 10/04

I agree with the Artie Lange interview on Joe Buck's boring show. Certainly strange to Buck, but HILARIOUS to me.

m2 commented on 10/06

No, Michael Jackson?!

SM commented on 11/07

Howard Stern's appearances on Arsenio or Snyder or Leno? C'mon!

KB commented on 11/28

Oliver Reed's interview on Aspel OR Letterman would have fit somewhere.

zcs commented on 12/10

Damn, part 1 of the norm mcdonald/conan interview is a little rough, but they both get funnier, and more irreverent as it goes along. part 3 is pretty brilliant actually.

KCG commented on 12/14
 

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