# Lady Gaga denies Weird Al **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 20, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118 "2011-04-20T18:53:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/61 "2011-04-21T00:24:30Z")
Since she’s got a huge gay fan base I’m surprised there’s not more “Gaga denies song’s use to raise money for largest gay rights organization”. Did anybody else read the title and think she’d denied Al existed? Or maybe denied ever having met him three times before a cock crowed somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/62 "2011-04-21T00:25:27Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Holy shite, the internets move fast. I read about this maybe three hours ago on someone’s Facebook wall, and thought it was lame of Gaga to string him along through the approval process, review the lyrics, then insist he record the song and send it her, then say no, but hey, bitchier things have been done in Hollywood. Now the whole thing’s resolved? Very good then. > > Don’t see myself running out and buying Al’s album any time soon (or Gaga’s for that matter), but at least I can walk away feeling like there’s just one less smidgen of douchery in the world. Well, there’s still one douche in this story: the manager who made Al record the song just to say “no” without Gaga’s knowledge. What a douche bag. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/63 "2011-04-21T00:33:38Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > The view counter is stuck at 330. > > Al broke YouTube. Well, we all knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. > [@levdrakon](#): > > Well, for someone trying not to be disrespectful of his fans here, that sure sounded disrespectful. > > You know who else was disrespectful and had no sense of humor??? That kid’s father from the Twisted Sister video? > [@typoink](#): > > Most of his silly parodies are, sure, kiddie fare. But there’s kiddies out there, and I can laugh at 'em occasionally just as I can laugh at good slapstick cartoons now and again. Not my bread and butter, but I understand the market. > > That said, Weird Al’s recorded a handful of more “grown up” focused stuff over the years – usually the non-parody tracks on his albums. They’re hardly SERIOUS, but some dabble in solid wordplay, real humor, and an occasional dose of actual satire. > > They’re too few and far between, though; I’d love to hear Weird Al release a “non-zany” album, if only to see if he could pull it off. Leaving aside Al’s multiple Grammy awards, I’ve seen him and his band live - there’s no doubt that they can do pretty much anything they want musically. The lyrics of their songs are often silly, but they are serious musicians. ---
**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:** [April 21, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/64 "2011-04-21T00:45:18Z")
Plenty of Al hatin’ and lovin’ can be found in the thread from last year: [Weird Al Yankovic isn’t funny](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=576712). ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/65 "2011-04-21T00:51:24Z")
Regarding the Coolio-thing, that was a rewrite of a Stevie Wonder song (Pastime Paradise). Why didn’t Al just ask SW? Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/66 "2011-04-21T00:51:58Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Weird Al is a flash-in-the-pan that has somehow managed to have a career that has lasted 30+ years. I wouldn’t give Lady Gaga any hope for having the same longevity. Who said anything about flash in the pan? I first heard him on Dr. Demento when I was an adolescent in the early 80s. I think that Gaga will be around for a long time and she definitely hit a peak much higher that Al could ever dream of hitting. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/67 "2011-04-21T01:15:59Z")
Honestly, it’s not his best song, anyway. I guess it’s cool we get it free now and I’m sure he’ll find something to fill out the album. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/68 "2011-04-21T01:53:16Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Who else has said “no”? > > Coolio didn’t like Amish Paradise and says he said no, but Al insists Coolio said yes initially(and I believe Al). Especially lame since Gangsta’s Paradise was based on a Stevie Wonder song. It’s not like Coolio had any claim to the melody. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/69 "2011-04-21T02:15:00Z")
So, what you’d call this is the rare ‘Reverse Coolio.’ As Chamillionaire said, > [@](#): > > The people he’s done, like Michael Jackson, they’re legends. And he’s a Grammy-winning artist. (His video) takes my record to megarecord status. It’s one thing to go platinum. Where do you go from there? Then"Weird Al" calls. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/70 "2011-04-21T03:34:36Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > That said, Al isn’t selling out venues at nearly the rate of Gaga. Check back in five years. I predict Weird Al will still be selling the amount of tickets he’s selling now and Lady Gaga will be playing county fairs. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/71 "2011-04-21T03:39:23Z")
Go back to 1983 when Weird Al released his first album. He did parodies of songs by Toni Basil, Joan Jett, The Knack, and Stevie Nicks - all of whom were huge stars at the time. It’s twenty-eight years later. Which of these performers still has a significant career? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/72 "2011-04-21T03:39:24Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Leaving aside Al’s multiple Grammy awards, I’ve seen him and his band live - there’s no doubt that they can do pretty much anything they want musically. The lyrics of their songs are often silly, but they are serious musicians. Serious and _nimble_. I see a lot of bands, probably going to see live music two or more times a week, and I don’t think I’ve seen another band that could move from pop to rap to country to polka to metal… ---
**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:** [April 21, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/73 "2011-04-21T03:58:18Z")
I think that it’s certainly a musician’s prerogative to turn down Weird Al, but I also think that any musician would be a fool to do so. If I were a musician and Al asked me, I’d agree before he had a chance to finish the sentence. It’s a win-win-win: He wins, of course, and I get more publicity from it, and the audience gets another song they like. Whatever she is, Lady Gaga is _not_ a fool, so I suspect that what happened here was either a genuine miscommunication, or a contrived ploy as someone on the first page suggested. As to the relative merits of the two artists, Gaga is really good at what she does, and I wouldn’t lightly rule out the possibility that she might be able to stand the test of time. Weird Al, though, has _already_ proven that he can stand the test of time: There’s no need to even ask the question. And all those parodies might be silly and frivolous, but they’re also artistic tours de force: There are plenty of performers who can put in a really good performance in one specific genre or style of music, but Yankovich can put in a really good performance in _any_ style or genre. That takes an awful lot of skill. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/74 "2011-04-21T04:09:01Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I think that it’s certainly a musician’s prerogative to turn down Weird Al, but I also think that any musician would be a fool to do so. If I were a musician and Al asked me, I’d agree before he had a chance to finish the sentence. It’s a win-win-win: He wins, of course, and I get more publicity from it, and the audience gets another song they like. It goes further than that - Al actually splits the songwriting royalties with them. Every copy of the Weird Al parody of your song sold means an additional 50% per copy royalty, at no additional cost. I don’t have the stats, but I’m sure his parodies also boost the sales of the original songs. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/75 "2011-04-21T04:14:48Z")
I’m sure Al is just as mystified at his continued popularity as anyone. But it’s there, he loves his job, so he keeps at it. Can’t blame a guy for that. I do still like his stuff, but not everything, and there’s only so much listing of pop cultural touchstones I can take before it gets a bit too repetitious. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/76 "2011-04-21T04:15:12Z")
Nevermind… ---
**Author:** ![CyclopticXander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@CyclopticXander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyclopticXander)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/77 "2011-04-21T04:37:23Z")
Well now that the matter seems to be resolved, let’s address the song itself. I like Al and all, but this parody just plain isn’t up to his usual standards. I’m sure a video would help, but as it stands this isn’t even as good as some of the better internet parodies, like this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFvE9D3zMfY&list=SL](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFvE9D3zMfY&list=SL). The same premise, much better lyrics. I know there’s been some discussion than maybe Youtube has diminished some of Al’s luster and necessity. This really adds some ammo to that argument. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/78 "2011-04-21T04:46:18Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > [Weird Al Yankovic isn’t funny](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=576712). Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/79 "2011-04-21T04:47:33Z")
> [@CyclopticXander](#): > > Well now that the matter seems to be resolved, let’s address the song itself. I like Al and all, but this parody just plain isn’t up to his usual standards. It is a better song than the original, but the original was a pretty mediocre song. I honestly prefer Al’s original songs like [Skipper Dan](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0cCRRFi1aA) to his parodies. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118/80 "2011-04-21T04:55:53Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Serious and _nimble_. I see a lot of bands, probably going to see live music two or more times a week, and I don’t think I’ve seen another band that could move from pop to rap to country to polka to metal… We noticed that, too - I got the impression that you could shout any song you can think of at them and they’d just roll right into it. Also, you can’t really tell from the recordings, but Al has a much better voice than you’d expect. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-denies-weird-al/579118.md?page=5)