Before there was YouTube parody, there was “Weird Al” Yankovic

I was poring over rock band interviews one cold afternoon when I came across an interview of Kurt Cobain, the frontman of Nirvana, saying that he knew that his band had “made it” when Weird Al parodied his song.

Weird Al? Probably a rapper. I moved on to the spicy Imagine Dragons interview at the bottom of the article, though I kept the name in the back of my head.

Three weeks later, after learning that this “Weird Al” was releasing a compilation of all his works, I decided to check out who exactly he was. What I found was the most delightful, heavenly comedy I could have ever dreamed of.

“Weird Al” Yankovic is a singer songwriter who pokes fun at popular culture by mocking popular songs. For example, Michael Jackson’s suave “Beat It” was parodied by Yankovic and turned into “Eat It”, a song parodying parents’ various strategies to get their children to finish their food.

Yankovic also directs music videos for his songs, although “music video” suggests a seriousness absent from the gags and levity of his videos. “Eat It” is filmed with the same moody underground vibe of “Beat It,” but the gangs in “Eat It” are utterly uncool and Yankovic’s dance moves border slapstick comedy.

Yankovic has created a wealth of parodies, including over-the-top animated music videos, satire of various songs and artists, and a polka medley of the best hits of 2011. The comical contrast between the meanings of the original songs and the sheer stupidity of Yankovic’s lyrics, music and videos makes him relatable to audiences of all ages.

“While some of his stuff [touches] on hot button topics, it’s all clean or just barely clean enough for young and old people to still enjoy equally,” said Coach Brian Bates. “This is starting to sound like I’m a ginormous fan–I am and I’m not; he’s just kind of like an old friend–a ubiquitous part of my life to some extent.”

In light of his continuing popularity over a forty year career, I wanted to see if Yankovic would appeal to the younger Asian demographic of our school. Yankovic’s most viewed video, as well as my favorite one, is “White and Nerdy”, a parody of “Ridin” about a man who collects comic books, is fluent in JavaScript and Klingon, and participates in other stereotypical Caucasian activities; the song is the prime example of Yankovic’s lyrical genius. I decided to send “White and Nerdy” to four high schoolers younger than me to see what they’d think of it, and to my surprise, not all of them felt the same unfettered euphoria as I did on my first watch.

“I did enjoy this video because it’s an interesting way of portraying what a nerd is like,” said freshman Michelle Chang (9B). “But I think this video is immature as there’s no significant purpose for it.”

“I couldn’t comprehend most of the lyrics except the phrase ‘white and nerdy’, though the MV looks hilarious” said junior Vicky Zhang (11B).

Junior Michael Lee (11C) said, “Didn’t make me laugh. Rap was decent. Solid eight out of ten.”

Lastly, freshman Isaac Ma (9B) said, “Yes I did enjoy it. Thought it was quite funny…both immature and clever.”

Yankovic’s humor may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy the type of song parodies and general outlandishness that pervade YouTube, you will definitely enjoy Yankovic’s expert satire. Far from it being antiquated, high schoolers can appreciate “Weird Al” as a return to form for video humor. All this to say, I have one strong recommendation for you – go and experience “White and Nerdy” for yourself right now.

Featured Image – Courtesy of Kyle Cassidy, from Wikimedia