# "Weird Al" Yankovic-New Article in New York Times Magazine **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 9, 2020, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427 "2020-04-09T14:08:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sean\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Sean\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/21 "2020-04-10T02:51:34Z")
Been a fan for many years. First heard him on Dr. Demento around '81 or so. Saw him years ago for the Running With Scissors tour. Had me rolling. People from ages 6 to 80 were there. I still remember fake snow (soap bubbles) falling from the rafters and keeping the kids distracted while he sang The Night Santa Went Crazy. Then he dressed like Luke Skywalker for Yoda. He came to the casino here a few years back and sold out in record time. Such a demand to see him, he had to put on a second show, and that also sold out very fast. Sadly, no ticket for me. Would love to see him again. * * * “Stay the blazes home” - Stephen McNeil, Premier of Nova Scotia ---
**Author:** ![GMANCANADA](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gmancanada/32/2837_2.png) [@GMANCANADA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GMANCANADA)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/22 "2020-04-10T03:13:37Z")
Great article thank you. Love Weird Al. I listen to a very well done podcast called **Hit Parade by Chris Molanphy**. He a music historian and goes “behind the scenes” with deep dives on various artists or music styles that have #1 Billboard “Hot 100” hits or dominated the pop charts for a time. It’s on Apple, Android, Spotify etc. A couple months ago he did two great podcasts on novelty songs and artists that have (at times) dominated the charts and explains why they rarely do so now. [https://chris.molanphy.com/category/slate/hit-parade/](https://chris.molanphy.com/category/slate/hit-parade/) In the Jan. 31 episode “White and Nerdy Edition” the first half is about the history of novelty songs and he discusses everything from Alan Sherman to Alvin & the Chipmunks to the Coasters to Dr. Demento. The second half of that episode he goes deep into Weird Al from his start to modern day. The Feb. 14 Episode: “The Bridge: Living in an Amish Paradise” is a shorter one, all Weird Al. He interviews the guy who helped write Al’s autobiography. If you’re fans of novelty music Dr. Demento and Weird Al and that genre, it’s well worth a listen. **Novelty Song Lover’s Trivia:** What major artist’s \*\*biggest \*\*Billboard Hot 100 hit ever was a novelty song? Also, his last Hot 100 hit ever was a (different) novelty song? Hint: It’s a serious artist with _multiple_ well known songs but not Weird Al. He’s not in any way a considered a novelty artist and if I recall correctly these two are the only novelty songs this artist did. If anyone reads this soon and can tell me how to do a Spoiler Hidden tag, I’ll post the answer now, if not I’ll post it shortly. ---
**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 10, 2020, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/23 "2020-04-10T03:22:13Z")
> [@GMANCANADA](#): > > If anyone reads this soon and can tell me how to do a Spoiler Hidden tag, I’ll post the answer now, if not I’ll post it shortly. Just put spoiler tags around the answer, like this but with square brackets: {spoiler}Hidden answer{/spoiler} Is it Chuck Berry? ---
**Author:** ![GMANCANADA](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gmancanada/32/2837_2.png) [@GMANCANADA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GMANCANADA)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/24 "2020-04-10T04:55:26Z")
**@Thudlow** Thanks for the help. Sorry, not correct. Correct Answer is: **Johnny Cash** Biggest Hot 100 hit was _A Boy Named Sue_ at #2 in 1969 Last Hot 100 hit o his career was _One Piece at a Time_ at #29 in 1976 Note - this isn’t the Billboard Country Chart, but the Hot 100 which is the big pop chart, ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/25 "2020-04-10T05:13:49Z")
I would kill to see Weird Al and Christina Hendricks perform a dueling accordions set. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/26 "2020-04-10T06:46:57Z")
I have a lot of cherished childhood memories of listening to Dr. Demento on Sunday night (WLUP, Chicago’s Loop) after I was supposed to have been asleep. Al was always a favorite, and I still remember “Living with a Hernia” (Dr. D played it without giving away the title, so when the chorus came it completely killed me) as one of the funniest things I ever saw or heard growing up. Oh yeah – that was a terrific article, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/27 "2020-04-10T12:46:12Z")
I’ve got a book about Al on hold at the library: [Weird Al: Seriously](https://www.amazon.com/Weird-Al-Seriously-Lily-Hirsch/dp/1538124998/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1586522663&sr=8-1) by Lily Hirsch. Looks pretty good. That article really hit the spot though. Did any of you read it and NOT tear up? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/28 "2020-04-10T13:51:12Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I’ve got a book about Al on hold at the library: [Weird Al: Seriously](https://www.amazon.com/Weird-Al-Seriously-Lily-Hirsch/dp/1538124998/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1586522663&sr=8-1) by Lily Hirsch. Looks pretty good. It is pretty good, I just finished it on Kindle. Quite thorough. Though I think some of the analyses about the depth and complexity of Al’s underlying meaning and psyche as reflected in the songs is a bit dubious . . . ---
**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 10, 2020, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/29 "2020-04-10T14:26:42Z")
The article talks about him singing “Amish Paradise” in concert. Didn’t he stop performing that one on request from the original author? Or has that been cleared up? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/30 "2020-04-10T15:12:11Z")
I love Weird Al… First album I ever purchased was Dare To Be Stupid. That he continued to be relevant and funny for all this time is just incredible. I have seen him in concert a handful of times. Most recently the Ill Advised Vanity Tour and the Strings Attached Tour… and I’ve met him (In the loosest sense of the term) at Rose City Comic Con. The first time we waited until his line looked dead and he was super friendly and talked to all my kids. The second, was significantly busier. He was cordial, but we were definitely hurried along. haha ---
**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:** [April 10, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/31 "2020-04-10T15:33:15Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Huge fan; have been since I first heard him on Dr. D, just like you. > > I wrote to him after he won his first Grammy; I still have the postcard reply he sent me a couple of weeks later. > > I’ve met him twice, once after a show informally and once after a show at a meet-and-greet (one of his ex-girlfriends was a co-worker at the time so I was on the guest list). I have multiple autographs. > > He’s a very cool guy and very, _very_ good at what he does for a living. His concerts are an unparalleled good time, a true spectacle that entertains all ages. I’ve met him once myself. It was an impromptu meet-and-greet after a show. Incredibly humble, warm, and friendly. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/32 "2020-04-10T16:18:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The article talks about him singing “Amish Paradise” in concert. Didn’t he stop performing that one on request from the original author? Or has that been cleared up? Cleared up long ago. Coolio says he was an idiot for ever objecting to Al’s parody. Weird Al stopped performing his Michael Jackson parodies after the ‘Neverland’ documentary came out, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/33 "2020-04-10T17:16:49Z")
As long as we’re talking about this, I think Tom Lehrer is the best satirical singer/songwriter (or singer/songwriter of novelty songs, if that’s what you want to call them) in the English language since 1950 (and I don’t know enough about songs from other time periods or other languages to comment on them). ---
**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 10, 2020, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/34 "2020-04-10T17:26:37Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > As long as we’re talking about this, I think Tom Lehrer is the best satirical singer/songwriter (or singer/songwriter of novelty songs, if that’s what you want to call them) in the English language since 1950 (and I don’t know enough about songs from other time periods or other languages to comment on them). Tom Lehrer’s musical range is much narrower than Weird Al’s, but yes, he’s very good at what he does. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/35 "2020-04-10T17:31:01Z")
Been a big fan since the mid 1980s. I don’t care what anyone says, I think he should be in the **Rock and Roll Hall of Fame**. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/36 "2020-04-10T18:58:18Z")
Absolutely!!! ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/37 "2020-04-10T21:58:32Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I’ve got a recommendation for you: _My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend_. It was a 3 year TV series in which each episode had at least one (usually two or even more) musical numbers, each of which was a take-off on a style or a specific popular song, and they did a spectacularly good job of doing them. In my opinion, it was the best TV show ever. It was actually four seasons, though. Nitpick: It’s just _Crazy Ex-Girlfriend_, no “My”. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/38 "2020-04-10T23:44:35Z")
If you like Tim Minchin, you may be interested in this production of _Jesus Christ Superstar_ which will be playing on YouTube for just 48 hours with Minchin playing Judas: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpO4ohqx3os) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/39 "2020-04-11T00:03:16Z")
I saw him, with my son, on the Poodle Hat tour in 2003. It was the early days of ubiquitous concert goers using mobile devices to film shows and many performers tried to stop them doing it. Weird Al left the stage and mugged for selfies and video clips amongst the audience…while still continuing to play. Memorable show. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427/40 "2020-04-11T05:16:30Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > In my opinion, it was the best TV show ever. It was actually four seasons, though. Nitpick: It’s just _Crazy Ex-Girlfriend_, no “My”. Yes on both of those catches. I didn’t start watching regularly until season 2; before that, I’d just get dragged over by my girlfriend, “hey you’ve _really_ got to hear this” (Sexy Gettin’ Ready Song, or similar stuff) and I gradually got lured into watching it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-yankovic-new-article-in-new-york-times-magazine/851427.md?page=3)