Earlier this month, "Macho Man" Randy Savage would have turned 60, had he not tragically lost his life to heart disease early last year.
One of the most famous wrestlers who ever lived, Randy Savage had enjoyed multiple decades worth of glory, countless championship victories, and many other careers outside of the ring. Among them was a long stint as the Slim Jim spokesperson, a short-lived music career, and a job as a cartoon cameo legend.
To celebrate the life of one of the most unique entertainers in television history, here are a few of my favorite moments of Macho Madness to have ever been captured in celluloid:
Duck Dodgers - Master Sergeant Emily Dickinson Jones (Back to the Academy)
In a show that was already overflowing with brilliant celebrity cameos, Randy Savage still managed to stand out as the eponymous hero's worst nightmare. In this episode, Dodgers, played by Daffy Duck, is told that he needs to pass a series of tests if he wants to keep his job as a space captain, and the only thing standing between him and continued employment is a sadistic drill sergeant with a hilarious name. You'd never think it based on my description, but Jones may have actually been the most subdued character that Savage ever played, not that that's saying much at all. He was a total hardass with a nasty temper, but he didn't come off as psychotic in any way, like many of Savage's characters do.
Dexter's Laboratory - Rasslor (Rasslor)
Who better to play a wrestler than an actual wrestler? In one of Dexter's Lab's more memorable Dial M for Monkey segments, a masked warrior of intergalactic influence and power, who calls himself Rasslor, comes to Earth to announce that he has yet to find an opponent worthy of his amazing strength, and that if the Earth can't produce a formidable challenger, then he will obliterate our home planet. Macho Man's voice and personality lend themselves very well to this charismatic, intimidating character, which is what really makes him believable as a galactic overlord.
Space Ghost Coast to Coast - Leonard "The Gray Ghost" Ghostal (Piledriver)
Unlike almost every other celebrity featured on SGC2C, Randy Savage wasn't on set to be interviewed by Space Ghost and crew. Instead, he played SG's grandfather: a retired former champion wrestler who can't stop living in his glory days. He constantly interrupts his grandson during his interviews, and keeps picking fights with guests Rob Zombie and Raven-Symoné. This is one of my favorite episodes of one of my favorite shows, and it's all because of how well Savage is able to portray a goofy, aged version of himself. In fact, his performance is so convincing that I strongly believe that, if he were still alive ten years from now, he would look like Space Ghost with a pasted-on beard.
I was devastated when I had found out that Randy Savage had passed away, especially since he was in the early stages of making a comeback. His death was a huge loss for the entertainment industry, but this is why we all need to remember what about him made us like him in the first place. Whether he was crushing his opponents under the weight of his mighty elbow in the ring, or ordering a talking duck to do fifty push-ups, he was always able to hold my attention.
R.I.P. "Macho Man" Randy Savage
"The tower of power, too sweet to be sour, funky like a monkey, OHH YEAH!"
