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| Rip Taylor, Flamboyant Comedian, Is Dead at 88 | Rip Taylor, Flamboyant Comedian, Is Dead at 88 |
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| Rip Taylor, a flamboyant mainstay of the comedy circuit who was known for his gags involving confetti, for his brand of self-deprecating humor, which included removing his toupee, and for his voice work, died on Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 88. | Rip Taylor, a flamboyant mainstay of the comedy circuit who was known for his gags involving confetti, for his brand of self-deprecating humor, which included removing his toupee, and for his voice work, died on Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 88. |
| His publicist, B. Harlan Boll, said Mr. Taylor had a seizure and died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, although the exact cause of death had not yet been determined. | His publicist, B. Harlan Boll, said Mr. Taylor had a seizure and died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, although the exact cause of death had not yet been determined. |
| Mr. Taylor made countless television appearances, mostly on variety and game shows, during his more than 50 years in show business. | Mr. Taylor made countless television appearances, mostly on variety and game shows, during his more than 50 years in show business. |
| “The greatest joy Rip had in life was from the result of making others laugh,” Mr. Boll said. “He didn’t have an easy childhood. Abused and bullied, he said he discovered early that they weren’t hitting you if they were laughing.” | “The greatest joy Rip had in life was from the result of making others laugh,” Mr. Boll said. “He didn’t have an easy childhood. Abused and bullied, he said he discovered early that they weren’t hitting you if they were laughing.” |
| Mr. Taylor was known for his wild style, his mustache and his affinity for nicknames, among them the King of Confetti and the Prince of Pandemonium. He applied a borscht belt delivery to sometimes risqué material, giddily showering audiences with confetti and pummeling them with puns and one-liners. His exaggerated, manic style helped enliven even well-worn material. | Mr. Taylor was known for his wild style, his mustache and his affinity for nicknames, among them the King of Confetti and the Prince of Pandemonium. He applied a borscht belt delivery to sometimes risqué material, giddily showering audiences with confetti and pummeling them with puns and one-liners. His exaggerated, manic style helped enliven even well-worn material. |
| “If you took Captain Kangaroo, mixed him with Liberace and then wound the results up to Warp 7, you would have something closely resembling comedian Rip Taylor,” The Washington Post wrote 1978. | “If you took Captain Kangaroo, mixed him with Liberace and then wound the results up to Warp 7, you would have something closely resembling comedian Rip Taylor,” The Washington Post wrote 1978. |
| Mr. Taylor’s many television credits included appearances on “The Monkees” and variety shows like “The David Frost Show,” “The Dean Martin Show” and “The Merv Griffin Show.” In a 2011 interview, Mr. Taylor told the television historian Kliph Nesteroff that an appearance on the Griffin show was the start of his confetti shtick. | Mr. Taylor’s many television credits included appearances on “The Monkees” and variety shows like “The David Frost Show,” “The Dean Martin Show” and “The Merv Griffin Show.” In a 2011 interview, Mr. Taylor told the television historian Kliph Nesteroff that an appearance on the Griffin show was the start of his confetti shtick. |
| “I was dying like hell on Merv Griffin’s show,” he said. “The jokes were dumb, and I tore the five-by-eight cards, threw them up in the air and it became confetti.” | |
| He was a regular on game shows like “The Hollywood Squares,” “Match Game” and “The Gong Show,” the absurdist talent contest produced by Chuck Barris that often featured the woefully untalented. | |
| Perhaps Mr. Taylor’s most high-profile role was as the host of another of Mr. Barris’s lowbrow productions, “The $1.98 Beauty Show,” which ran from 1978 to 1980. On that show, young women competed in a parody of a beauty pageant judged by a rotating panel of celebrities, including Rosey Grier, Marty Allen, Mackenzie Phillips and Jamie Farr. | |
| The celebrity judges were practically silent, but Mr. Taylor filled the airtime with nonstop patter. On one episode he told a contestant from Indonesia who was holding a fan, “I’m a big fan of yours, too,” adding that he had friends in “Outdonesia.” At the end of each episode he gave the winner a plastic crown, a wilted bouquet and $1.98 in prize money. | The celebrity judges were practically silent, but Mr. Taylor filled the airtime with nonstop patter. On one episode he told a contestant from Indonesia who was holding a fan, “I’m a big fan of yours, too,” adding that he had friends in “Outdonesia.” At the end of each episode he gave the winner a plastic crown, a wilted bouquet and $1.98 in prize money. |
| He maintained relevance later in his career playing himself in the 1993 movie “Wayne’s World 2” and in the “Jackass” franchise. “The Simpsons” parodied him. | |
| He appeared regularly on the annual Labor Day telethon hosted by Jerry Lewis benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In Las Vegas, according to his website, he was named entertainer of the year three times. | He appeared regularly on the annual Labor Day telethon hosted by Jerry Lewis benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In Las Vegas, according to his website, he was named entertainer of the year three times. |
| Charles Elmer Taylor was born in 1931 in Washington and was raised by his mother, Mr. Boll said. Mr. Taylor worked as a congressional page as a teenager and served in the Army during the Korean War, entertaining fellow soldiers while in combat. | Charles Elmer Taylor was born in 1931 in Washington and was raised by his mother, Mr. Boll said. Mr. Taylor worked as a congressional page as a teenager and served in the Army during the Korean War, entertaining fellow soldiers while in combat. |
| He is survived by his longtime partner, Robert Fortney. Mr. Boll said a marriage to a showgirl ended in divorce. | He is survived by his longtime partner, Robert Fortney. Mr. Boll said a marriage to a showgirl ended in divorce. |
| Mr. Taylor’s voice proved to be a bankable commodity. It was heard on many cartoon shows, notably the animated adaptation of “The Addams Family,” on which he provided the voice of Uncle Fester. | Mr. Taylor’s voice proved to be a bankable commodity. It was heard on many cartoon shows, notably the animated adaptation of “The Addams Family,” on which he provided the voice of Uncle Fester. |
| In 1992, Mr. Taylor was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His penchant for showering television studio audiences with confetti lives on in a number of internet memes. | In 1992, Mr. Taylor was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His penchant for showering television studio audiences with confetti lives on in a number of internet memes. |
| Mr. Taylor was often confused with the character actor Rip Torn, who died in July. | Mr. Taylor was often confused with the character actor Rip Torn, who died in July. |
| “He found humor in it,” Mr. Boll said. “In fact, when Rip passed away, he got notes and condolences. He made a big joke out of it. He said he hoped he got half as much attention when he died.” | “He found humor in it,” Mr. Boll said. “In fact, when Rip passed away, he got notes and condolences. He made a big joke out of it. He said he hoped he got half as much attention when he died.” |
| Daniel E. Slotnik contributed reporting. | Daniel E. Slotnik contributed reporting. |