America's Got Talent comedian accused of an 'obvious Andy Kaufman rip-off' | But the judges love him anyway...

America's Got Talent comedian accused of an 'obvious Andy Kaufman rip-off'

But the judges love him anyway...

A comedian on America’s Got Talent has been rapped for ripping off Andy Kaufman.

Andy Rowell got ‘yeses’ from all four judges on this week’s show – but non apparently noticed that he was essentially performing Kaufman’s signature routine.

Rowell, 24, performed a karaoke act to the song Tequila by the Champs – which involved him standing motionless through the lengthy instrumental sections, to occasionally utter the title, deadpan, whenever it came up.

But the skit is remarkable to Kaufman’s Foreign Man routine which he performed in comedy clubs in the 1970s, in which he would  play a recording of the theme from the Mighty Mouse cartoon show,  lip-syncing the line: ‘Here I come to save the day’ now and again.

None of the America’s Got Talent judges, even comedian Howie Mandel, appeared to realise the ‘inspiration’

‘It was so stupid, I loved it, Simon Cowell said, with Mandel adding: ‘I want to see more.’

But home audiences were more alert, with viewers flocking to Twitter to point out the similarities.

Tyrone Mclin said: ‘So dude… just stole Andy Kaufman's whole bit (and probably his name) and they put him through anyway.’

And Joseph Stamper added: ‘Can’t believe #AGT just voted through an obvious rip off of an Andy Kaufman bit.’

Last year, the British version of the franchise was hit by controversy when Adam Keeler as accused of ‘blatantly copying’ circuit favourites The Raymond And Mr Timpkins Revue with his prop-based comedy.

Published: 21 Jun 2019

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