Taxi - did anyone actually like the Latka character?

[McNutt]

Andy Kaufman was certainly different. His comedy was more about making the audience the butt of the jokes and I feel like Latka was another case of Kaufman subjecting me to a terrible character for his own amusement.

The other characters on the show were pretty solid (except for John Burns) and the Latka stories were just the worst.

[TheMix]

I was pretty young when I watched it, but I don't remember liking his character very much. Though I don't know if I understood why. He just always felt a bit "off".

[dbt1949]

Nor did I care for his comedy routines.

[Pyperkub]

I didn't like him most of the time, but I do seem to recall there were a few good episodes with him.

I also get the feeling that the character inspired Robin Williams some. I can see similarities in some of Williams' characters/impersonations.

[Jaymann]

I for one enjoyed Latka and the Kaufman schtick.

[Zarathud]

Latka was funny, Kaufman went too far with the wrestling and Tony skits.

[LordMortis]

I was young but I remember liking Latka.

[hepcat]

Latka was funny, Kaufman went too far with the wrestling and Tony skits.

I think that was the point. His comedy depended on taking the joke so far that it stopped being funny…then taking it even further until it became funny again (obviously not to everyone).

I liked Kaufman because he dared to do something completely different. He rarely took the safe road.

As for Latka, I liked the character. Especially after Simka (the great Carol Kane) joined the cast as his wife.

Spoiler:

[Carpet_pissr]

Taxi was one of those very few afternoon comedy re-runs that I always skipped. Probably too young at the time to appreciate the humor, or got it but didn’t think it was funny.

Loved:
The Jeffersons
Happy Days
Laverne and Shirley
Good Times
Mork and Mindy
Three’s Company

[hepcat]

Taxi was one of those very few afternoon comedy re-runs that I always skipped. Probably too young at the time to appreciate the humor, or got it but didn’t think it was funny.

Taxi is a comedy classic that everyone should watch. It may have just gone over your head because you were too young, but I bet if you go back and watch it now, you’ll love it. It is, without a doubt, one of the funniest, best written shows to ever air on any media. It also didn’t shy away from tackling numerous real life problems like addiction and sexual violence. It won dozens of Emmys over the course of its 5 seasons for that reason.

[YellowKing]

I never watched it as well because I was too young (same with Barney Miller), but I remember loving the theme song. I just picked up Bob James' Touchdown the other day because of that track.

[GreenGoo]

I was young but I remember liking Latka.

I was also young but I don't remember disliking him. What I do remember is him being the lovable foreigner misfit, not completely different from Jim (in terms of what they were bringing to the table, not the character details).

Latka reminds me of Balki Bartokomous in some ways.

To be fair, it's 2024 and looking back, I now hate both those characters. Hate.

[McNutt]

To be fair, it's 2024 and looking back, I now hate both those characters. Hate.

That's me now. I don't remember hating Latka when the show came out, but I was a little kid back then. I never laughed at him, but he didn't really bother me.

I've seen a few reruns lately though and Latka was just terrible. He brought nothing to the show and the only time there was anything related to him that was funny it was because of Carol Kane.

[Unagi]

Simka was absolutely the best part of Latka.

Taxi was a seriously great show, but Latka was not what made it great at all (IMO).

[hepcat]

The funny thing is, I'm sure Andy Kaufman would agree with all the claims he wasn't funny. In his own eyes, I believe he thought of himself as a performance artist, not a comedian.

And while I do think Latka was funny at times, I also can completely understand the criticism that he wasn't.

But there is one thing you simply can't say about Kaufman. You can NEVER claim he was predictable.

Honestly, I find the man fascinating.

edit: This article goes into his preference for being called a "performance artist" and not a "comedian". It also makes the claim that comic stars such as Larry David owe much of their success to his work...which I tend to agree with on some level.

[Isgrimnur]

Spoiler:

Latka's Hierarchy of Needs

[hepcat]

One of the top ten funniest tv sitcom scenes in my opinion is still the series of episodes where the drivers were all laid off and had to take other temp jobs to make ends meet. Jeff Conaway's character Bobby Wheeler, the struggling actor, gets a job as an Easter Bunny for children's parties. He shows up in costume to one of them and discovers the host of the party is a famous Broadway producer. So he calls all the kids together and sits them down. Then he stretches out on his back in front of them, calmly turns his head towards the kids, and excitedly says "Today, the Easter Bunny has a very special treat. He's going to perform a scene from the play Whose Life is it Anyway. Okay, now, pretend the Easter Bunny is paralyzed from the neck down." <Goes into character> "Why won't you let me die, damn it?"

[Daehawk]

He was meh. I tuned in for Marilu's pokies and Jim the Preacherman awesome shit. Lloyd made that show.

[Pyperkub]

He was meh. I tuned in for Marilu's pokies and Jim the Preacherman awesome shit. Lloyd made that show.

You're underselling Devito. Lloyd is great, but without Devito, it would all fall flat.

[hepcat]

I should just let "pokies" go without shaking my head in disbelief, shouldn't I.

[Brian]

I should just let "pokies" go without shaking my head in disbelief, shouldn't I.

Forget it Jake, it's Chinato.....Daehawk.

[hepcat]

[Alefroth]

Daehawk... our own Andy Kaufmann.

[Daehawk]

Smuggling peanuts

[hepcat]

Now he's talking about men's pants?

[McNutt]

Smugglimg peanuts? WTF is that?

[Jaymann]

Smugglimg peanuts? WTF is that?

Not sure, hopefully not in his codpiece.

[hepcat]

Sometimes the water is cold and it's a natural reaction in a man! Don't you kink shame Daehawk!

[Brian]

daehawk.gif

I have a feeling we'll be seeing that again.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Smugglimg peanuts? WTF is that?

[Daehawk]

peanut smuggling Noun. Of a woman, having prominently erect nipples, visible through her clothing. Cf. 'smuggling peanuts'.

Where do you boys get your information on women??

[hepcat]

Where do YOU? Issues of Hustler from the 80s? Some guy with a huge mustache and a Member's Only jacket who hangs out in the alley behind Safeway? JeffV?

p.s. Whatever dictionary you say you were using doesn't even know what a noun is.

[McNutt]

"Son, it's time you learned about smuggling peanuts."

[hepcat]

“….okay, mom.”

[Hrdina]

I actually liked Latka, particularly since he served as a punching bag for Louie.

I think I liked Vic Ferrari more than Latka, though.

The entire cast of that show was just phenomenal.

The other characters on the show were pretty solid (except for John Burns) and the Latka stories were just the worst.

OK, I stand corrected as I forgot about John Burns.