Is he that popular still? I mean, I’m sure he’s making a living but I personally hardly ever hear about him except when there’s a story like this or a parody of his is horribly apropos to end some entertainment story with.
I guess what I’m asking is, is he touring/selling more successfully than any other 80’s band nobody sees on the charts anymore?
He and the band are touring constantly and are playing decent-sized venues. For instance, fairly recently they played Kansas City, MO and played the Uptown Theater, a 1700 seat venue. I can’t recall the last off the charts 80s band that played that particular location - they are usually doing casinos. Prince can still fill a small arena, but I suspect they are doing a lot of comps.
He tours every 18 months, and seems to sell out medium sized venues. I’m not sure how that is measured in the overall scheme of things, but I’d call it popular enough to make a decent living for himself and his band.
Every album Al has put out has gone at least Gold.
Two years ago I saw Weird Al in concert. The stadium he played in was packed, and it was an awesome show.
This was at the state fair two years ago. He and Alice Cooper were playing on different nights. I chose to go see Weird Al over Alice Cooper, and I love Alice.
It’s another Festivus MIRACLE!!
There’s no doubt he has a good voice and nice sense of humor, but how is this particular parody better than the original song? It’s the most obvious route for a Gaga parody and I honestly feel like I could have written those very basic lyrics myself. I rarely feel that way about his work.
Just watched Gaga’s video for her song and I have to say–I hope Al doesn’t spend as much time in undergarments in his version.
Its a, ahem, “Human rights song”?!?
Excuse me for a moment.
BA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Yeah right Gaga. You’re up there with Mother Teresa and Florence Nightingale!
Listen here Stefani Joanne Angelina Spasketti, you’re a piece of ass, outrageous, goofball pop singer. Yes, you can sing but if you weren’t attractive (and a goofball) you’d be nowhere. You’re not Susan B. Anthony ok? You’re Britney fucking Spears!
Now go make with the vapid thumpa-thumpa neo-disco craptacular three-buttons-pressed-on-the-Casio-keyboard flavor-of-the-month drek, M’kay?
She’s not even a hot by conventional standards. Yes she does have a good body that you can see in her videos, but face wise she never would have been given the chance to strut around naked for a mainstream audience were it not for some other factors that made her marketable. I just think we need to rule sex appeal out as a reason for her success.
She’s an artist and she has certain convictions. I understand how that is easy to mock, but can you name a single musical artist or song that you consider on the level of Susan B Anthony? I don’t think so. Mostly because you are obviously super cynical, but nobody even dared to make such a comparison, least of all Gaga herself.
Are you so jaded though that you refuse to even acknowledge that this could be a human rights song? I understand that tastes differ, but geeze that’s just rude. Some people do find empowerment in music, and who are you to crap all over that?
Weird Al has outlasted:
-the guy who released the first #1 rap album
-the guy who was arguably the greatest rapper of all time
-New Wave
-Post-punk
-Grunge
-Garage Rock
-hair metal
-80’s pop
-90’s pop
-'00’s pop
-boy bands
-nu-metal
-ska
-swing
-New Jack Swing
…and dozens of other “cultural phenomena.”
I don’t even particularly LIKE Weird Al all that much, but to say Gaga will still be here after he’s gone is… highly statistically unlikely.
You know we really should differentiate between levels of mainstream success. Al’s thing is popping back up every few years and salvaging what he can out of the junk pile of pop culture. There’s nothing wrong with that, but even within that narrow sphere his mainstream importance is decreasing with each album.
He will always have his fans for sure, and I’m not denying his entertainment value, but you can’t really compare him to most of the subjects of parodies. Most of these artists have worked for less in terms of time, but most of them created something original with far more historical importance and influence that a resilient novelty act. The point is that even if Lady Gaga’s star faded tomorrow she would be viewed as much more important than Weird Al, and her subesquent radio airplay would make her much more significant in the long term.
I know Gaga herself pushes the “Lady Gaga is ugly and her music speaks to outcasts just like her!” meme, but you don’t honestly believe that do you? Out of her costumes, she’s ridiculously attractive and would have made a pretty effective pop tart if she had decided to go that route.
My take was she seemed to be saying that that song was somehow ‘above’ the likes of Weird Al. And to that I say, ‘Get over yourself honey, real quick like.’
Lady Gaga is the very definition of Pop Star. And ‘Born This Way’ the definition of pop music. Hell even though I tend more towards hard rock I’ll even admit to liking the catchyness of it (for a while, pretty much tired of it now).
But to call it a ‘human rights song’ is an insult to anything and everything associated with the concept of human rights. This is the kind of thing that makes the rest of the world hate us! This song is just a catchy little dance tune that happens to have some lyrics about being proud to be yourself. But it could just have easily been about scoring ecstasy at a rave or dumping a boyfriend etc.
And trying to claim such an overtly commercial, heavily-produced, studio-computer-mixed, focus-group-tested bit of club music as a ‘human-rights’ song that would be soiled by the likes of Yankovich is bloated, ar-teest narcissism at its worst!
You know what even makes Lady Gaga and her craptacular, fascist, music even possible in this day and age? It’s the modern, apocalyptic, 9-11, neocon, MilitaryIndustrial Mass Media Complexio Inter- Net… and Disney, don’t forget Disney for setting progressive music back 50 years. Brit, Christ, Lake, Cyrus, and Gaga Retrograde.
This is a subjective assessment so it maybe silly to even argue, but I’ll bite. Of course she is attractive, fame aside she’s be relentlessly hit on in any bar or club in the country, much like a whole lot of young women. But I really don’t think she has the kind of look that lends itself to being a national sex symbol like Britney Spears.
Of all the things she is known for, being “hot” is pretty low on the list. She has more of a female and gay male following than anything else, I just don’t think there is a significant portion of the fanbase who are mostly just oogling her. Although I don’t deny she probably wouldn’t be as big a hit if she didn’t meet that basic standard for attractiveness.
Feel free to criticize her all you like, I just don’t think calling her “a piece of ass” is nice or an accurate assessment of any substantial part of her fame.
Ok so obviously you read a whole storyline into a situation you actually knew nothing about.
Just because something is labeled as “human rights” doesn’t mean it is supposed to have an actual measurable political influence on human rights. Couldn’t I just write a song about racism without you screeching that I’m not in the same league as Martin Luther King Jr?
I’m not sure I agree. There are several Weird Al songs that people are more (or at least equally) familiar with than the originals- things like White & Nerdy, Amish Paradise, and Fat, just off the top of my head. Some of his non-parody work is also very good IMHO, and I’d actually quite like to see a Weird Al/Lady GaGa collaboration.
Whether the Universe could handle that level of zany and “out there” is another matter entirely, though… 
Two minor notes. Firstly, Perform This Way is clearly missing a few stages of production behind it. It’s not a completely finished song. Secondly, if what you say is true, then why did he get his first Platinum on his last album?
Also, what musician doesn’t ‘pop up every few years’? I mean, are you expecting constant albums or something? Generally, you know, it’s release an album, tour for a few years, work on new material, release an album, tour…
Wow, all the Lady Gaga and Weird Al hatin’ is breaking my heart. I love his parody. The lyrics make me giggle. I’m glad this was all a giant misunderstanding (or whatever) because these two were made for each other.
I honestly don’t know how anyone could deny that Weird Al or Lady Gaga have talent. Not your cup of tea, fine. But Weird Al is probably one of the most versatile musicians out there. Gaga on the other hand… her music just rocks my face off.