Does 'Weird Al' Have Mental Issues?

Cafe Society
1

Yes, I’m posting this question in MPSIMS instead of CS, because it’s not a question about his music.

I have never been shy about letting the people around me know that I’m a Yankovic fan, and that I have been a Yankovic fan since 1983, when I first heard, “My Balogna”. I think that Alfred Yankovic is one of the most important musicians of the last … erm … 40 years (I say “40” because he started before he actually made a record).

In other words, I’m 49 years old, and I have been a fan of ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic since I was, like, 16. One of the first records I ever bought was the 45 single for “My Sharona”. 1979, yay. And then I heard, “My Balogna”.

Fast forward 32+ years, and a 30-year-old employee of mine asked me, in all sincerity, “Do you think that ‘Weird Al’ has mental issues?”

Let’s see. Al graduated from high school, as valedictorian, at age 16.

In college, he started his music career, working as a DJ at his college radio station. He played weird, funny music, and acquired the nickname, “Weird Al”. All the while, he was writing his funny songs, and submitting them to Dr. Demento.

By the time Al was a couple years into college, his music career was taking off. But he stayed in college and finished his degree in architecture.

I told my 30-year-old employee, "No, Al doesn’t have ‘mental issues’. Al walks that thin line between “genius” and “insanity”.

2

I think creative, clever, and insane can go hand in hand.

I like how the song “Another One Rides The Bus” he did the drums by having his manager beat on his accordion case.

I like the way he reinvents himself like in “White and Nerdy”.

3

He actually seems fairly normal and stable. He does have a dark and twisted side to his humor.

4

I love the guy, and no, I don’t think he has mental issues.

The world would be a poorer place without such songs as ‘One More Minute’ or ‘Harvey the Wonder Hamster.’ And what of ‘Twine Ball???’

5

yeah

the documentary The Compleat Al discusses some of his issues

6

Such as?

7

Mockumentary: anything in it should be taken with a huge chunk of salt (tequila optional).

8

Bad call. This is about an artist so it will be going to Cafe Society. That’s one secret demerit for you.

Off to CS.

9

He has a reputation as being one of the friendliest guys in showbiz. His song lyrics tend to be long lists of nerdy references, though his original tunes are arguably more creative. On the “musicians with mental issues” scale, I’d say he’s near zero.

10

If being consistently witty, funny and creative is a “mental issue” then I don’t want to live on this planet anymore.

11

I like how the one guy who by all accounts is a decent person is the one you think has mental issues, when pretty much every other popular musician out there is a horrible person who treats other people like shit.

12

Not only is he one of the friendliest and most genuine people in the music industry he has class as well.
Due to some problems in the past, he always asks for the parodied artists’ permission directly before releasing a track and respects their response.

On second thought … the guy who made UHF may have a few mental issues :wink:

13

He actually met Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz by chance while he was in the studio with Dr. Demento, and found out he was a drummer. That was Schwartz beating on the accordion case. And Schwartz has been playing drums for him ever since.

I don’t think he has mental issues either. I’m trying to answer this younger guy whose experience with Al’s music is very limited.

Oh maaan! (Secret moderator points if you get that.)

Again, not me. I think Al is one of the most stable individuals in the world.

14

In serious interviews (like the Kindle singles interview from last year), he comes across as very sane and down-to-earth.

15

Weird Al has spent pretty much his entire life having a great time. Even today, his videos just exude a sort of… what, joyfulness?

If he has “mental problems,” it’s because there are some people out there for whom that sort of thing seems fashionable and trendy. I think he’s just a cool dude who’s managed to make a career out of having fun and being clever.

We should all be so disturbed.

16

If you define mental issues as being crazy like a fox, then yeah. :smiley:

17

I think he is one of those rare people who can, for lack of a better word, ‘disconnect’ with the world to come up with the goofy stuff he is famous for. What makes it not mental is that he is in complete control of the process and the default setting is completely normal and average (for varying degrees of average) human being.

To give an example, I know a guy on another board (Intl. Skeptics) who holds a responsible job and appears to be quite normal in his life, but posts some of the goofiest (and hilarious) sh…stuff you could ever hope to read in his posts. I think he can do like Weird Al, ‘disconnect’ from the world and visit those weird areas that most of us never knew (or realized) existed in our imaginations.

Or I could be wrong and their both nuts…

18

What’s this about both of their nuts?

19

The most serious charge I’ve ever seen anyone make against Weird Al was right here on this board by a former doper who claimed to have gone on a blind date with him many years ago and was scarred for life because he made bodily-function noises.

20

LOL, I remember that thread!