Merv (Persian: مرو, Marv), formerly Achaemenid Satrapy of Margiana, and later Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana (Greek: Αντιόχεια της Μαργιανής), was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near today's Mary in Turkmenistan. Several cities have existed on this site, which is significant for the interchange of culture and politics at a site of major strategic value. It is claimed that Merv was briefly the largest city in the world in the 12th century. The site of ancient Merv has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. (See List of World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan)
Merv's origins are prehistoric: archaeological surveys have revealed many survivals of village life as far back as the 3rd millennium BC. Under the name of Mouru, Merv is mentioned with Bakhdi (Balkh) in the geography of the Zend-Avesta (commentaries on the Avesta). Under the Achaemenid dynasty Merv is mentioned as being a place of some importance: under the name of Margu it occurs as part of one of the satrapies in the Behistun inscriptions (ca 515 BC) of the Persian monarch Darius Hystaspis. The ancient city appears to have been re-founded by Cyrus the Great (559 - 530 BC), but the Achaemenid levels are deeply covered by later strata at the site. (See also Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex.)
Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show on Group W (Westinghouse) Broadcasting. Griffin created the game shows Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, Click, and Merv Griffin's Crosswords with his own "Merv Griffin Enterprises" television production company. During his life Griffin was considered an entertainment business magnate.
Griffin was born into an Irish-American family on July 6, 1925, in San Mateo, California, to Mervyn Edward Griffin, Sr., a stock broker, and Rita Elizabeth Griffin (née Robinson), a homemaker. Raised as a Roman Catholic, Griffin started singing in his church choir as a boy, and by his teens was earning extra money as a church organist. This is one of the reasons he got into show business early; he was considered a piano prodigy. He attended San Mateo High School, class of 1942, and continued to aid in financing the school.
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld (born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, best known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998), which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons, co-executive-produced.
In his first major foray back into the media since the finale of Seinfeld, he co-wrote and co-produced the film Bee Movie, also taking on the lead role of Barry B. Benson. In February 2010, Seinfeld premiered a reality TV series called The Marriage Ref on NBC. Seinfeld directed Colin Quinn in the Broadway show Long Story Short at the Helen Hayes Theater in New York which ran until January 8, 2011.
Seinfeld is known for specializing in observational humor, often focusing on personal relationships and uncomfortable social obligations. Comedy Central ranked Jerry Seinfeld as one of the twelve greatest stand-up comedians of all time in its four-part special The 100 Greatest Standups Of All Time.
These are not the usual suspects.
Plot
Man on the Moon is a biographical movie on the late comedian 'Andy Kaufman (I)' (qv). Kaufman, along with his role on _"Taxi" (1978)_ (qv), was famous for being the self-declared Intergender Wrestling Champion of the world. After beating women time and time again, 'Jerry Lawler' (qv) (who plays himself in the movie), a professional wrestler, got tired of seeing all of this and decided to challenge Kaufman to a match. In most of the matches the two had, Lawler prevailed with the piledriver, which is a move by spiking an opponent head-first into the mat. One of the most famous moments in this feud was in the early 80s when Kaufman threw coffee on Lawler on _"Late Night with David Letterman" (1982)_ (qv), got into fisticuffs with Lawler, and proceeded to sue NBC.
Keywords: actor, actor-playing-himself, actor-playing-multiple-roles, alternative-medicine, ambiguity, american-broadcasting-company, american-south, andy-kaufman, arizona-state-university, aspirin
"Hello, my name is Andy and this is my poster."
Hello, my name is Andy and this is my DVD." [DVD release]
Hello, my name is Andy and this is my video." [video release]
"Hello, my name is Andy and this is my Bus" [Bus Poster]
"Hello, my name is Andy and this is my Banner" [Web Banner Ads]
"Hello, my name is Andy and this is my movie."
"Hello, my name is Andy and people are talking about me!"
"Hello, my name is Andy and this is my soundtrack." (sound track)
"Hello, my name is Andy and this is my website." (official site)
Andy Kaufman: You don't know the real me.::Lynne Margulies: There isn't a real you.::Andy Kaufman: Oh yeah, I forgot.
George Shapiro: You're insane, but you might also be brilliant.
Andy Kaufman: Since you've all been such good boys and girls, I would like to take everybody in this entire audience out for milk and cookies. There are buses outside. Everybody follow me.
Andy Kaufman: I am from Caspiar, an Island in the Caspian Sea. It sunk.
Tony Clifton: So... ya wanna see Andy? Anybody gotta flashlight and a couple of shovels?
Jerry "The King" Lawler: Kaufman, did you come here to wrestle or act like an ass?
[At a meeting with the NBC executives]::George Shapiro: Andy Kauffman is Tony Clifton. And Tony Clifton is Andy Kauffman. They'll deny it up and down, but believe me, it's true!
Lynne Margulies: So, you just pretend to be an asshole.::Andy Kaufman: It's what I'm good at.
George Shapiro: Your material doesn't exactly transfer to film.
Andy Kaufman: I am sick of this shit, Lawler. I am gonna sue you. I'm gonna sue you, I swear to God. Fuck you! Okay? Okay, Lawler? Fuck you! I'm sorry, Dave. I know I'm not supposed to use those words on television. I can't say those words. I'm sorry, I'm sorry! But, you, you are a motherfucking, fucking asshole! Okay?