# Fun Trivia about Weird al Yankovic **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388 "2018-08-10T14:25:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/21 "2018-08-10T22:37:46Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > If memory serves, which it may not: I thought there was a poster, way back in the day, who posted here that she had had a date with Weird Al when he was 17 and she was 16 - or something like that. [This](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12868238&postcount=41) is probably what you’re remembering. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/22 "2018-08-10T22:46:29Z")
Coolio was _not_ cool with _Amish Paradise_. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/23 "2018-08-10T22:47:33Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Technically Weird Al doesn’t need the artist’s permission to do a parody, but he chooses not to do one anyway if the artist doesn’t like it. Al wrote to Coolio’s record label for permission to parody “Gangster’s Paradise”. The label said “Yes”. Al later learned that Coolio himself had said “No”. Al sent all of the royalties from “Amish Paradise” to Coolio. When recounting the story, he turned to the camera and said “Please don’t hurt me”. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/24 "2018-08-10T22:52:16Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > … Now, granted, not a majority of his parodies by any stretch, but he did seem to have an odd fixation on food and eating-related parodies. I’m not sure I’d call it so much a fixation as an instinct or a discovery. Notice particularly the types of foods that end up in the parodies: Proust’s madeleines never show up, and neither do manna or the nectar of the gods. Music lyrics have poetic themes, and he’s chosen the really non-poetic stuff like baloney and Spam. “It doesn’t matter if it’s boiled or fried, just eat it.” 🙂 The ease with which common everyday foods can turn poetry non-poetic, or (to put it more grandly) turn the sacred into the profane, without causing major offence to anyone, has to be a factor. As well as the fact that everyone knows about food. He could probably do some great parodies based on weird trivia, but then only six people would appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/25 "2018-08-11T00:18:31Z")
> [@](#): > > He could probably do some great parodies based on weird trivia, but then only six people would appreciate it. You mean, like “White and Nerdy”? ---
**Author:** ![bleach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bleach/32/3106_2.png) [@bleach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bleach)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/26 "2018-08-11T01:18:08Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I believe when Weird Al called Kurt Cobain and asked if he could parody one of Nirvana’s songs, Cobain was really excited. But then he said ‘um, its not going to be about food it is’? Weird Al told him no, it’d be about how Cobain’s lyrics don’t make sense, which Cobain was happy with. In his _Behind the Music_ episode on VH1, he told the story that he had a very narrow window of opportunity to talk to Kurt Cobain when the group was playing on Saturday Night Live (it being a live show that tapes in New York City). So during the taping, he called Victoria Jackson, who starred with Al in _UHF_, Al’s terrific feature film. Victoria approached Kurt Cobain who agreed to speak with Al. And the rest is history. **Wesley Clark** , as I recall the story, Al told Kurt that the song was about how hard his lyrics were to understand (i.e., to hear clearly due to lack of enunciation), not that the lyrics didn’t make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/27 "2018-08-11T01:26:17Z")
[_Weird: The Al Yankovic Story_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcNuiri2dV0) ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/28 "2018-08-11T02:04:19Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Not so fun trivia: both of his parents were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in 2004 due to a closed fireplace flue. I think they died on a Friday, maybe Thursday. See, the reason I remember that is there was an article in our Friday paper about how Al was going to be performing in my city the following Wednesday and I wanted desperately to buy tickets. Then on Saturday came the news of the deaths and I figured he wouldn’t be in town. But he DID perform, and was quoted as saying he would work up until the funeral, because as long as he was working he wasn’t crying. What a trouper. He gave a fantastic show, when he must have been crying inside. Before the performance started a screen lit up in the darkened auditorium which said “Tonight’s performance is dedicated to the memory of Nick and Mary Yankovic.” Everybody stood up and clapped. and cheered. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/29 "2018-08-11T02:16:36Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Coolio was _not_ cool with _Amish Paradise_. Which is actually based on a Stevie Wonder song, _Pastime Paradise_. Makes it kind of ironic that Coolio complained. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_H3Sv2zad6s/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGHIgTCgrMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBvshjf8xtCyiix5BOvOQZtyzpXMA "Stevie Wonder-Pastime Paradise") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H3Sv2zad6s) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/30 "2018-08-11T02:25:17Z")
The members of Imagine Dragons were big fans of Weird Al growing up. [The future bass player even got to meet him.](https://twitter.com/alyankovic/status/477114860161875968) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/31 "2018-08-11T02:41:31Z")
> [@bleach](#): > > **Wesley Clark** , as I recall the story, Al told Kurt that the song was about how hard his lyrics were to understand (i.e., to hear clearly due to lack of enunciation), not that the lyrics didn’t make sense. You’re right. Thats what I meant but I wasn’t clear in my original post when I said the lyrics didn’t make sense (ironically). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/32 "2018-08-11T13:25:25Z")
[quote=“What\_Exit, post:29, topic:819388”] Which is actually based on a Stevie Wonder song, _Pastime Paradise_. Makes it kind of ironic that Coolio complained. [/QUOTE] So if Weird Al always gets permission (even though he doesn’t have to), was the case with Coolio that Coolio gave him permission to parody _Gangsta’s Paradise_ and then didn’t like the outcome? Like what was he expecting? ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/33 "2018-08-11T13:33:50Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You mean, like “White and Nerdy”? Well, 🙂 It’s based on BEING white and nerdy, and in any question of the relevance of that to a wider audience, I will (for predictable reasons) have to recuse myself from the decision. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ecks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ecks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ecks)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/34 "2018-08-11T13:57:47Z")
Just as Mark Mothersbaugh supposedly said that Dare to be Stupid is the best Devo song, B.B. King is often quoted as saying that Al’s Generic Blues is one of his favorite Blues songs. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/35 "2018-08-11T14:04:04Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Technically Weird Al doesn’t need the artist’s permission to do a parody, but he chooses not to do one anyway if the artist doesn’t like it. Does anyone know when Al started his policy of always getting permission from the original artist? People know who he is now, but the first recording of _My Bologna_ was done in the bathroom across the hall from the radio station when he was in college. It’s hard to imagine a guy with one novelty recording managing to get in touch with Queen or Michael Jackson about parodying their songs. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/36 "2018-08-11T14:06:54Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ecks](#): > > Just as Mark Mothersbaugh supposedly said that Dare to be Stupid is the best Devo song, B.B. King is often quoted as saying that Al’s Generic Blues is one of his favorite Blues songs. The guy really IS a very good songwriter (lyrics-focused obviously) with wide-ranging skill. Many songwriters are probably better at their own personal style than Yankovic is, but there can’t be that many around who are as good as he is at just about everything at once. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/37 "2018-08-11T14:08:57Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Does anyone know when Al started his policy of always getting permission from the original artist? People know who he is now, but the first recording of _My Bologna_ was done in the bathroom across the hall from the radio station when he was in college. It’s hard to imagine a guy with one novelty recording managing to get in touch with Queen or Michael Jackson about parodying their songs. Why not? I mean, personally in touch probably not, but contacting their representative is as easy as looking up the address and sending a message. And such requests are going to go through the representative at some point anyway - if I really did walk up to a world-famous artist and ask their personal permission, their publicist or lawyer or whatever would have to get involved regardless. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/38 "2018-08-11T14:25:07Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > Why not? I mean, personally in touch probably not, but contacting their representative is as easy as looking up the address and sending a message. And such requests are going to go through the representative at some point anyway - if I really did walk up to a world-famous artist and ask their personal permission, their publicist or lawyer or whatever would have to get involved regardless. “Hi, Freddie. The Wembley concert sold out in twelve minutes, so we’re trying to see if we can book a second date. The Lear Jet is being repainted, but should be ready to take you from Montreux to Ibiza next week. And a student at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo wants to do a parody of one of your songs, so I told him that was fine. No, not food; something about buses.” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/39 "2018-08-11T14:34:36Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > So if Weird Al always gets permission (even though he doesn’t have to), was the case with Coolio that Coolio gave him permission to parody _Gangsta’s Paradise_ and then didn’t like the outcome? Like what was he expecting? \*\*mbh \*\*explained above: > [@](#): > > Al wrote to Coolio’s record label for permission to parody “Gangster’s Paradise”. The label said “Yes”. Al later learned that Coolio himself had said “No”. Al sent all of the royalties from “Amish Paradise” to Coolio. When recounting the story, he turned to the camera and said “Please don’t hurt me”. I recall Coolio being upset as he thought Gangsta’s Paradise had too important of a message to lessen by parody. It could also be because Amish Paradise is actually the best version of the song of the 3. That would probably piss me off too. ETA: I understand that as Coolio got older, he realized that if people like Michael Jackson embraced the Weird Al parodies he was a little silly to be upset about it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388/40 "2018-08-11T14:42:12Z")
Ah, apologies to **mbh** who provided the answer to my question earlier in the thread. I must have just skipped over to the last post on that topic in the thread and missed it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-trivia-about-weird-al-yankovic/819388.md?page=3)