# "Weird Al" gives Pharrell the "Tacky" treatment **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107 "2014-07-14T21:40:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [July 16, 2014, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/41 "2014-07-16T01:50:06Z")
Re: Tacky, I’m somewhat amused that Al managed to replace his first tacky outfit with another tacky outfit and get down four flights in two minutes to hit his cue. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/42 "2014-07-16T01:59:49Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Re: Tacky, I’m somewhat amused that Al managed to replace his first tacky outfit with another tacky outfit and get down four flights in two minutes to hit his cue. I’m not entirely sure this video is a continuous shot, even though it is made to look like one. But I don’t know either way. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/43 "2014-07-16T02:09:36Z")
Tacky was amusing, but Word Crimes made me cry with laughter. As a life-long weird al fan, I absolutely think that Word Crimes may be his best song ever. It was extremely witty and the rhymes were brilliant. On an unrelated note, Weird Al officially joins the ranks of “Does this guy never age or what?” He looks essentially the same (just without the 80’s 'stache) as when he first started his career. I think this is a combination of the fact that he looked older than he was when he was younger, and looks younger than he is now at 54 years old. Maybe it’s that crazy hair! ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/44 "2014-07-16T02:21:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not entirely sure this video is a continuous shot, even though it is made to look like one. But I don’t know either way. There are several places where they could hide transitions - whip-pans from one shot to the other. They probably did it as one continuous shot several times, then put together the best takes. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2014, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/45 "2014-07-16T02:22:44Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not entirely sure this video is a continuous shot, even though it is made to look like one. But I don’t know either way. I can see one or two places where a cut might have occurred (basically before and after the elevator ride) but it wouldn’t shock me if this was a single take. Al’s first tacky suit (with long sleeves) could be a breakaway, letting him tear it off in seconds to reveal the second tacky suit (with a t-shirt). He manages to change his shoes at some point, but that’s not a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/46 "2014-07-16T03:15:10Z")
According to Weird Al himself, it’s a one-shot: [ [QUOTE=Weird Al] While it looks like there MIGHT have been an edit somewhere, I absolutely guarantee you, that was all done in ONE CONTINUOUS SHOT. That was a bit of a challenge for me, because I start the video on a 5th floor fire escape, and I reappear on street level wearing completely different clothes. That means - for EVERY TAKE - as soon as the camera was off me I had to run down 5 flights of stairs WHILE CHANGING MY CLOTHES so I could be on camera again at the end. Definitely got my workout THAT day! [/quote] ](http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2as5t1/this_is_weird_al_yankovic_amaa_ask_me_anything/) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/47 "2014-07-16T03:20:38Z")
These are great! Word Crimes is the funnier of the two, but they’re both clever. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2014, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/48 "2014-07-16T03:23:43Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > According to Weird Al himself, it’s a one-shot: > > [url=[Reddit - Dive into anything](http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2as5t1/this_is_weird_al_yankovic_amaa_ask_me_anything/)] Makes you wonder what he’ll do for a video if he ever parodies OkGo. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/49 "2014-07-16T03:47:59Z")
As long as we’re being sticklers, that DNA diagram is wrong. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/50 "2014-07-16T04:00:50Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > There are several places where they could hide transitions - whip-pans from one shot to the other. They probably did it as one continuous shot several times, then put together the best takes. That’s what I was noting. But, the man himself claims it’s one continuous take, so I’ll take him at his word. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/51 "2014-07-16T05:09:42Z")
Sure you can trust him? He’s tacky, after all. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/52 "2014-07-16T06:03:34Z")
“Tacky” was great, but “Word Crimes” was brilliant. As a college instructor who has encountered basically every word crime he mentions, i was in stitches. I immediately sent a link to all my colleagues. I’m tempted to play it for my students at the beginning of the Fall semester, but i’m not sure they’d appreciate the gesture. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/53 "2014-07-16T06:13:21Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Both. 😃 > > Anyone else catch the “you should hire / some cunning linguist” line? Yep (though I didn’t catch the sotto voce reaction to said line). The animator is obviously a TV fan, what with the shout outs to _Lost_ and _Numb3rs_ and such. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/54 "2014-07-16T06:55:26Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Re: Tacky, I’m somewhat amused that Al managed to replace his first tacky outfit with another tacky outfit and get down four flights in two minutes to hit his cue. > [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not entirely sure this video is a continuous shot, even though it is made to look like one. But I don’t know either way. Very likely was one continuous shot. Look at Al’s collar in his first outfit, you’ll notice (if the image is large and high resolution enough) that he’s wearing something pink underneath. The same pink he wears in his second outfit at the end. No reason for him to wear both outfits\* if not to change quickly. \*Especially on a sunny Los Angeles day near noon in June/July. I hear it gets hot down there. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/55 "2014-07-16T14:20:00Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Yep (though I didn’t catch the sotto voce reaction to said line). > > The animator is obviously a TV fan, what with the shout outs to _Lost_ and _Numb3rs_ and such. Couple of others that I noticed there. The style that “big dictionary” is in calls to Lily Allen’s “Lily Allen has a baggy p\*ssy” in [Hard Out Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0CazRHB0so). Al’s reddit page in “Word Crimes” lists the name of George Newman, which was Al’s character’s name in [UHF](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098546/?ref_=nv_sr_1). ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/56 "2014-07-16T15:09:07Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Makes you wonder what he’ll do for a video if he ever parodies OkGo. :crosses fingers: please let this be a thing. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/57 "2014-07-16T15:50:13Z")
NM, ninja’d way up thread. So, Weird Al is pretty cool huh? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/58 "2014-07-16T16:01:43Z")
The next video is out now on Weird Al’s site. [http://www.weirdal.com/](http://www.weirdal.com/) Based on Lorde’s “Royals,” it’s called “Foil.” It takes an amusing turn in the middle of the song. Cameo by Patton Oswalt. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/59 "2014-07-16T16:19:00Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > The next video is out now on Weird Al’s site. > > [http://www.weirdal.com/](http://www.weirdal.com/) > > Based on Lorde’s “Royals,” it’s called “Foil.” It takes an amusing turn in the middle of the song. Cameo by Patton Oswalt. Started out pretty weak, but a funny twist in the middle. Probably the weakest video of the three so far, IMO, but still fun. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107/60 "2014-07-16T17:27:57Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Makes you wonder what he’ll do for a video if he ever parodies OkGo. nothing but polaroid’s - old school animation style. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-gives-pharrell-the-tacky-treatment/693107.md?page=4)