# Weird Al Yankovic isn't funny
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 1, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300 "2010-09-01T19:37:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/21 "2010-09-01T21:35:19Z")
If you don’t find [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nej4xJe4Tdg)both amazing and hilarious I respectfully submit you could use a humor recalibration.
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### Author:  [@kjckjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjckjc)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/22 "2010-09-01T21:36:17Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> I’ve never been impressed by Yankovic. Allan Sherman and Larry Siegel did it much better and funnier in the 1960s.
>
> Yankovic’s parodies are really not all that clever and he’d far inferior to parodists who actually wrote music, like the Bonzo Dog Band, Tom Lehrer, and even the Harvard Lampoon.
I think he is very funny and talented. And seeing as he has three times as many Grammy awards as all the people you listed combined, others find him funny too.
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### Author:  [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/23 "2010-09-01T22:06:43Z")
He really is a very funny and talented man, and as others have said, the song parodies are only a part of his whole persona. I don’t think I could listen to him for hours on end, but The Essential Weird Al Yankovic is one of the best albums in my collection. I think it’s astounding that his career has been so long and successful - how many other artists had their first top 10 album and single 26 years into their career? The fact that he keeps on growing and connecting with new audiences is fantastic.
I also like that his parodies are never vicious or mean, that he respects the music he’s making fun of and that he always asks the artist for permission before doing a parody (which is why he’s never released a Prince parody, as the Great Purple Humourless One won’t allow it).
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### Author:  [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/24 "2010-09-01T22:13:37Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#):
>
> > [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#):
> >
> > I had a blind date with him when I was 14 years old. He was 19. I think, at that, he had only written and performed _Another One Rides The Bus_ and was performing it live on the Dr. Demento show on Sunday nights on KMET, 94.7 in Los Angeles circa 1978. It was one of the creepiest experiences in my life and probably explains why I am so scarred…
>
> You’ve mentioned this a few times but never expanded on it. Why the fuck was a 19 year old man on a date with a 14 year old child?
Because it was 30 years ago and that happened all the time? It happens all the time now.
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### Author:  [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/25 "2010-09-01T22:16:07Z")
Weird Al is as funny and clever as they come, and has been so over quite an impressive career. I’ve been a big fan ever since I spent many an hour in high school with the album ‘Dare to be Stupid.’ I relish the silliness of his songs, and the videos are absolute genius.
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### Author:  [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/26 "2010-09-01T22:34:25Z")
I can’t hear “Whatever you like” without thinking of Weird Al’s version.
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/27 "2010-09-01T22:35:14Z")
> [@mack](#):
>
> [Smells Like Nirvana](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FklUAoZ6KxY) is classic.
“Its hard to bargle nawdle zouss
with all these marbles in my mouth…”
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/28 "2010-09-01T22:46:27Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#):
>
> If you don’t find [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nej4xJe4Tdg)both amazing and hilarious I respectfully submit you could use a humor recalibration.
Agreed–Bob is probably my favorite of his songs, currently. I show this video to my class sometimes, and it amazes them–and they don’t even have the cultural background to appreciate its parodic aspect.
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### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/29 "2010-09-01T22:55:18Z")
All I know is that I worked a Weird Al concert a few years back and he’s an awesome guy. Ironically the only weird thing about him is he’s totally not weird at all in person, not even a little bit eccentric; just a regular everyday dude. Super-cool too. Didn’t make any outrageous requests, didn’t really ask for anything IIRC. Ate dinner with the crew, hung out with us, he even let me try on the fat suit. And it’s not like I was some bigwig, I was just working as a runner on that show and he was completely cool.
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### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/30 "2010-09-01T22:55:53Z")
I’ve never found him particularly funny. I generally find novelty songs of all stripes to be boring, though.
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### Author:  [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/31 "2010-09-01T23:01:26Z")
[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness]
Agreed–Bob is probably my favorite of his songs, currently. I show this video to my class sometimes, and it amazes them–and they don’t even have the cultural background to appreciate its parodic aspect.
[/QUOTE]
Do you also play the [original Dylan video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNCmaX2ZCig&feature=PlayList&p=275C2FA43E990049&index=0&playnext=1), just to give them the context and a better feel for why it’s such an effective parody? Because it works on so many levels all by itself, visually, musically, lyrically, while remaining a true and effective homage to the source. It’s a nice little package, and doesn’t deserve the shallow “parody song” label that most people think of when they think of Al’s work.
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/32 "2010-09-01T23:28:27Z")
> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> I love his song parodies - not all of them, but I think Amish Paradise is fall-down funny, as well as White and Nerdy.
Those are my two favourites. They’re hilarious! And I love his original songs too.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/33 "2010-09-01T23:33:26Z")
I’m of a generation or two before many here, but Weird Al(to whom I was introduced by my now 17-23 year old kids) has to be the best at what he does since Stan Freberg in the 1950’s. Genius.
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### Author:  [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/34 "2010-09-01T23:47:22Z")
Another really brilliant non-parody song is _The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota_.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2010, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/35 "2010-09-02T00:09:24Z")
I saw Weird Al’s [first TV appearance](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YQa6l3Geyo) on Tom Snyder’s Tomorrow Show (performing “Another One Rides the Bus” along with his future drummer, Jon “Bermuda” Scwartz) and was hooked. I bought nearly every album starting with his first one, but recently I no longer recognize any of the songs he parodies. But I’m still a fan of his style parodies such as “Dare To Be Stupid” (Devo), “Dog Eat Dog” (Talking Heads), and “Craigslist” (The Doors). And most of his videos have been hilarious, despite many of them being clones of the original. Some of his best were “Eat It”, “I Lost On Jeopardy” (with Don Pardo and Greg Kihn both making appearances), and “Beverly Hillbillies/Money For Nothing” (with Mark Knopfler on guitar). I find him funny and clever.
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### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/36 "2010-09-02T00:18:38Z")
I still laugh at “Tha Saga Begins” (American Pie - I prefer it to the origibnal), and “That’s Your Horoscope” “Avoid any Virgos or Leos … with the Ebola virus”
Brian
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### Author:  [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/37 "2010-09-02T00:29:38Z")
Weird Al is a genius. I won’t have anyone saying different! His ability with lyrics is astounding.
Of parodies, “eBay” is one of my favorites, and of non-parodies, “Why Does This Always Happen?”
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/38 "2010-09-02T00:38:43Z")
> [@cochrane](#):
>
> “I Lost On Jeopardy” (with Don Pardo and Greg Kihn both making appearances)
And, of course, I forgot to mention Art Fleming, who was the first host of Jeopardy.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/39 "2010-09-02T00:40:46Z")
I’ve met Weird Al a few times. He’s cool. Just a regular dude, but with a wicked sense of humor and a serious creative streak.
I have a friend that dated him for a couple of years, off and on-ish, back in the mid 80s. Al still calls her when he’s coming to Vegas to see if she wants to come to the show and hang out.
When he was here in 2008 (I think it was 2008), she got a handful of us in to see the show and do the meet&greet with him afterward. I was the only person in line who didn’t get a something from Al: I told him that I already had autographed pics of him from previous meetings in the 80s, and that I wanted to thank him for all the years of enjoyment I had gotten from his music. And that I wanted to try and repay the favor as much as I could, at which point I gave him an autographed copy of my CD.
He prolly threw it in the trash later, but it was a pretty funny moment when it happened.
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-isnt-funny/552300/40 "2010-09-02T01:42:13Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#):
>
> it’s probably the most facile, juvenile form of comedy this side of a pie in the face.
No, that would be MST3K. 😃
> [@](#):
>
> Even at 13 I was unimpressed, because my friends and I did song parodies all the time - we couldn’t believe somebody was getting paid for such nonsense.
Yours may not have been as polished (in writing or performance) or quite as funny as you think. As far as getting paid for it, I feel that way about a lot of things, such as the aforementioned MST3K.
> [@multimediac17](#):
>
> I also like that his parodies are never vicious or mean, that he respects the music he’s making fun of
Well, yes and no, I guess. I once saw an interview in which he said he only parodied songs that were “asking for it”. I suppose by that he meant the artist and/or the fans were taking the song too seriously.
I’d be using “Like a Surgeon” all the time if I actually were a surgeon. And the less my team liked it, the more I’d play it.
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