If you lived in the 1980s, you know everyone had embarrassing fashion moments they would rather forget. For Mark Hamill, however, one particular TV appearance was next-level cringe. And thanks to the internet, there’s video.
In a video that was never meant to be seen by American eyes, Hamill appeared on a German variety special in 1980, seemingly to promote the release of The Empire Strikes Back. We can even seem to find the name of it anywhere, and you’ll quickly see why. The entertainment level was akin to some sort of fever-induced musical, and it featured Hamill dressed in a gold jumpsuit, sitting on a cutout of the moon, and attempting to speak (or sing?) German. One song (sung badly by the host) is set to the Star Wars medley, and Hamill is seen climbing on a Snowspeeder. Miss Berlin makes an appearance, Darth Vader plays a trumpet, and good taste dies a painful death. Note, the pictures at the top of this article are not photoshopped, and from the appearance. They really exist.
Hamill himself has even denounced video of the appearance, saying he never expected it to be seen after its broadcast. Joke’s on him! “I remember not wanting to wear a gold jumpsuit like a rejected member of ABBA or if I could memorize dialogue in a foreign language,” he wrote on Twitter. “But thought ‘Who cares? No one outside of Germany will ever see this!’ Thanks to the internet-NOTHING EVER GOES AWAY. Who knew?”
Watch this and weep for our culture.
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