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    The secret to Weird Al’s genius…

    By Matthew Martin
    | June 25, 2019
    Music Blogs

    Weird Al has been around so long he’s gone from a fun novelty (late 70’s-early 80’s), to a forgotten fad (late-80’s), to a comeback kid (early 90’s), to niche entertainer (late 90’s-mid00’s), to—today—a beloved nostalgia act/national treasure. That’s a summary strictly limited to perception. We have viewed Weird Al that way over the years but, truth be told, the man himself has changed very little. He’s just as spastic, manic, sharp, and mostly harmless as he was when he first broke into the mainstream back in the late 1970’s.

    I say “mostly” harmless because that’s really the secret sauce to Yankovic’s success.

    Al Yankovic 4

    The man is known for having “clean” shows that both kids and adults can love, and I can attest to that, having grown up listening to his music and now—a father of three, including a twelve-year-old—passing on my love for him to my kids. My oldest and I just traveled to Memphis, to the classy Orpheum Theater, to watch Weird Al (a few months shy of his sixtieth birthday) sing and dance, and there wasn’t a foul word to be heard, not an inappropriate joke to be found, not a bad image to be seen. That may not mean much to you, but for a dad, it’s important to filter those things.

    With Weird Al, there was no filter required.

    Al Yankovic 5

    And yet, I say “mostly” harmless because the core truth at the heart of every parody song, every original polka number, and every tune in between is this: Weird Al’s sense of humor is dark.

    It’s a darkness that’s masked behind an infectious smile and flowing locks of curly black (or is it a very dark amber? the lighting tricks the eye), but it’s present none the less. That being said, don’t mistake “darkness” for “meanness” or “cruelty.” There’s an innocent playfulness to his lyrics and his overall sense of humor. It’s a style born out of a different generation, where generally (not specifically) making of fun of fat people, lazy people, Amish people, nerdy people, and losers in and out of love was considered acceptable humor. It’s a sad truth but Weird Al’s lyrics probably would never find an audience today. People are too quick to be upset on behalf of someone else.

    Al Yankovic 1

    But Al keeps at it, shrugging off his critics (few though they be) with a smile and some self-deprecating humor. And his critics are few; the man has reached an almost untouchable status, due to his longevity in entertainment. The fact that he’s so darn kind and innocent, not conceited, crass, or cynical probably buys him enough goodwill to shield him from any mob justice that might otherwise attack him. Here are Yankovic’s own words about his mentality in parodying other artists…

    I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. I don’t want to be embroiled in any nastiness. That’s not how I live my life. I like everybody to be in on the joke and be happy for my success. I take pains not to burn bridges.

    I mean, come on…

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    How can you hate this man?

    Still though, his lyrics have an edge to them. Right now you’re probably thinking of some of his more well-known songs and reflecting on the dark afterbite to his lyrics; songs like Fat and Eat It are easy targets, but let’s consider the lyrics to my absolute favorite Weird Al song…

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    The song is bubbly, catchy, and like almost all of his tunes, ear-wormy (you can’t get the tune out of your head). Hearing him sing it you can almost hear him smile, and yet the lyrics…

    AQUARIUS!

    There’s travel in your future when your tongue freezes to the back of a speeding bus
    Fill that void in your pathetic life by playing Whack-A-Mole 17 hours a day

    PISCES!

    Try to avoid any Virgos or Leos with the Ebola virus
    You are the true Lord of the Dance, no matter what those idiots at work say

    ARIES!

    The look on your face will be priceless when you find that 40-pound watermelon in your colon
    Trade toothbrushes with an albino dwarf, then give a hickey to Meryl Streep

    TAURUS!

    You will never find true happiness – what you gonna do, cry about it?
    The stars predict tomorrow you’ll wake up, do a bunchof stuff and then go back to sleep

    That’s your horoscope for today
    That’s your horoscope for today
    That’s your horoscope for today
    That’s your horoscope for today

    GEMINI!

    Your birthday party will be ruined once again by your explosive flatulence
    Your love life will run into trouble your fiance hurls a javelin through your chest

    CANCER!

    The position of Jupiter says that you should spend the rest of the week face down in the mud
    Try not to shove a roll of duct tape up your nose while taking your driver’s test

    LEO!

    Now is not a good time to photocopy your butt and staple it to your boss’s face, oh no
    Eat a bucket of tuna-flavored pudding, then wash it down with a gallon of strawberry Quik

    VIRGO!

    All Virgos are extremely friendly and intelligent – except for you
    Expect a big surprise today when you wind up with your head impaled upon a stick

    That’s your horoscope for today
    That’s your horoscope for today
    That’s your horoscope for today
    That’s your horoscope for today

    Now you may find it inconceivable or at the very least a bit unlikely that the relative position of the planets and the stars could have a special deep significance or meaning that exclusively applies to only you, but let me give you my assurance that these forecasts and predictions are all based on solid, scientific, documented  evidence, so you would have to be some kind of moron not to realize that every single one of them is absolutely true.

    Where was I?

    LIBRA!

    A big promotion is just around the corner for someone much more talented than you
    Laughter is the very best medicine, remember that when your appendix bursts next week

    SCORPIO!

    Get ready for an unexpected trip when you fall screaming from an open window
    Work a little bit harder on improving your low self esteem, you stupid freak

    SAGITTARIUS!

    All your friends are laughing behind your back… kill them
    Take down all those naked pictures of Ernest Borgnine you’ve got hanging in your den

    CAPRICORN!

    The stars say that you’re an exciting and wonderful person… but you know they’re lying
    If I were you, I’d lock my doors and windows and never never never never never leave my house again

    That’s your horoscope for today…

    His anthem against music piracy (Don’t Download This Song) warns children that illegally downloading tunes will lead to “robbing liquor stores,” then “selling crack” until finally, they’re “running over school kids with [their] car.”

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    There are not many singers who could get away with those lyrics. Not because they’re terribly offensive but because there’s a level of sarcastic humor to them that no one else could pull off so sincerely.

    Canadian Idiot is a two-point-five minute takedown of the entire nation of people who “never even bring their guns to the mall.” In the song, Al mocks “their stupid monopoly money” but also notes (in probably the best line of the song ) how “sure they got national healthcare, cheaper meds for prime rates, and clean air…then again, well they got Celine Dion.” And then there’s “Break their nose and they’ll just say sorry. Tell me what kind of freaks are that polite?”

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    How can you not laugh?

    If I’m not careful I’ll spend another five-thousand words just talking about his best songs. I’ll resist the urge and instead end with this: Weird Al has endured through five (heading into a sixth) different decades, has spoofed everyone from Michael Jackson to Coolio to Nirvana to Chamillionaire. He’s touched almost every aspect of pop culture, endured longer than almost every artist he’s ever parodied and given polka a Billboard Number One album.

    He’s been going strong for so long, with no signs of slowing down, and right now is touring the United States, being backed by a “forty-one piece” classical orchestra. The juxtaposition of those two ideas is, itself, a wonderful joke. It’s moronic, but as the man himself challenges us: “Dare to be Stupid.”

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    Challenge accepted.

    The man’s been making me laugh since I was a child, and now just look at the smile on my son’s face…

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    May he never retire.

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    Thatcher
    Thatcher
    2 years ago

    Weird Al’s anti-piracy song is my absolute favourite of his and the album name, Straight Outta Lynwood, was brilliant! I remember his anthems about obesity a bit differently in that he did catch flak for both songs just as he would today.

    0
    Reply
    Arabella
    Arabella
    2 years ago

    I had never heard of the man until now and that’s a shame because he’s hilarious. I’ve started watching his videos on YouTube. He’s one of the best parody creators I’ve seen.

    0
    Reply
    KeeperofUnicorns
    KeeperofUnicorns
    2 years ago

    My mom and I ran into him at the store just after he produced Eat It as a parody to Michael Jackson’s Beat It. From what I remember he was incredibly kind. That’s one of the few celebs I’ve met.

    0
    Reply
    murasaki
    murasaki
    2 years ago

    I heard “Dare to Be Stupid” on Transformers: The Movie. It was so random, but you can say the same about the movie!

    0
    Reply
    GabbaHey
    GabbaHey
    2 years ago
    Reply to  murasaki

    Wow, I think I saw that on an old VHS. Here’s another one with Weird Al actually in it —UHF. Not great, but still fun.

    0
    Reply
    murasaki
    murasaki
    2 years ago
    Reply to  GabbaHey

    I might have seen that on cable. His resume is pretty entertaining, like him. All sorts of random appearances on sitcoms, cartoons, others’ music videos.

    0
    Reply
    GabbaHey
    GabbaHey
    2 years ago

    I saw a biography (VH1?) and one of the best details is that his mom censored Reader’s Digest with a black pen. I also love the clip of him singing “Another One Rides the Bus.”

    0
    Reply
    Thatcher
    Thatcher
    2 years ago
    Reply to  GabbaHey

    Oh, I need to find that biography because that’s hilarious! I thought the Reader’s Digest was a family friendly magazine so I wonder what she censored.

    0
    Reply

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