Dead and Buried? Not So Fast

Who doesn’t wish they had seen The Beatles or Frank Sinatra in their heyday?

What about Richard Pryor performing in a small club before his career exploded?

The cruelty of time’s relentless march forward makes all of that impossible. Well, almost.

Technology may soon offer something close: the ability to see legendary stars in their prime.

A company called Hologram USA has signed deals with the estates of Andy Kaufman and Redd Foxx to create holograms of the two comedians performing stand-up routines across the country. That’s in addition to other potential tours featuring late celebrities like Whitney Houston, Selena and Liberace. The question is: Would anyone pay to watch a light projection perform routines older than the technology used to create it?

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While the marketplace will determine the ultimate viability of the concept, the bigger question can be asked now: Is this a good idea?

Nostalgia is defined as ‘a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one’s life, to one’s home or homeland, or to one’s family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time.”

Memories, be they of a favorite food or belly laugh, tend to improve with age. Your first kiss is a memory you may cherish, but more than likely it was a sloppy, nervous, teeth-clanging mess.

Our memories of events are snapshots of moments, and moments fade. They say you’ll always love the music of your youth. It’s unlikely you’d give “your music” a megabyte of space on your phone if were you born 10 years later.

Our memories of events from our past are snapshots of moments, and moments fade.

Timing is everything. And it’s really more about the time than everything else. Who didn’t love McDonald’s when they were young? When was the last time you craved it when alternatives were readily available?

The person you were when you loved those things still lives inside you, but you’re so much more now. Shaped by new experience, tastes grow. But how much of what you remember loving from the past do you think holds up? Thirty percent? Less? For everything as eternal as “Seinfeld” or “Cheers,” there are 10 “Maudes.”

Some things are timeless, most are of their time. Remove them from that era and their impact regresses from a crater to a pockmark.

For everything as eternal as “Seinfeld” or “Cheers,” there are 10 “Maudes.”

Kaufman and Foxx were huge in their respective eras, and wildly funny. Their time is gone. Reviving them through holograms may wring a few more dollars out for their estates, but it will ultimately cheapen their brand and taint their memories in the minds of their fans.

It’s not unique to them. We’re fast approaching a time when Humphrey Bogart or Cary Grant could, through computer manipulation, star in an entirely new movie. The studio behind “Furious 7” recreated the late Paul Walker through stunt doubles and computer trickery. Soon, entire performances will be possible through technology.

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Celebrities’ legends are based on their body of work, work they chose and completed. While families can do what they will with their image, there is a line.

James Dean made three legendary movies in his life. That body of work is frozen in time. For enough money, would his estate allow his hologram to co-star in a “Star Wars” sequel? Are there enough zeroes that could fit on check to stain what actually was?

As Foxx and Kaufman’s projected light images prepare to hit the road, will there be any wallets opening for them? What happens to the memories of these comedy legends when audiences in 2016 come face to face with the realization that what was funny in 1975 was also only funny in 1975?

That, it seems, is a question the families of both are willing to have answered.