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October 23, 2006
Weird Al still has it
If you grew up in the '80's and listened to music, you knew all the popular artists and the couple of hit songs they released each year, and you probably liked a few of them. Then there were Weird Al Yankovic's parodies of those same songs, by all the different artists, and even if you didn't love the original, you pretty much had to admit that Weird Al's versions were at least as good or better. His best videos made parodies not only of the original songs, but the whole ridiculous MTV-generated celebrity culture.
His first singles, "My Bologna" ("My Sharona") and "Another One Rides the Bus" ("Another One Bites the Dust") came out in 1980. His newest album, Straight Outta Lynwood, came out in September, and last week it was in the Top 10 (his highest chart position ever!) His latest single, "White & Nerdy" is hilarious [video]. How has Weird Al lasted all these years, never varying his basic formula, and never wearing out his welcome?
Slate has a great article about the improbable 25+ year career of Weird Al Yankovic that says everything I have to say about him and his role in popular culture. Weird Al's unique and seemingly everlasting importance in music is best described by Chamillionaire, whose song "Ridin'" he parodies in "White & Nerdy": "It's one thing to go platinum. Where do you go from there? Then Weird Al calls."
The Boston Globe also did an adoring piece on Weird Al over the weekend, describing him a "sort of cultural Geiger counter."
Here's one of the most bizarre things on his MySpace page [sound on]: a photo of Weird Al done up as a thoughtful acoustic singer-songwriter:
Doesn't this freak you out?
categories:
Celebrities, Culture, Music
posted by amy at 3:22 PM | #
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Comments
He Went from down to his shoulders curly hair with a Mustache and glasses To...
Longer pass the Shoulders hair NO Glasses and NO Mustache....
To This!
Posted by: Gregory Mazurkiewicz at August 27, 2007 11:02 PM
He looks fucking sexy like that.
Posted by: Snuggles at January 19, 2008 1:22 PM
WOW!!!! He is Hot like this!!!! Looks 25 years old I'd Take him home with me!!!!
Posted by: Michelle at October 13, 2008 9:16 PM
WOW
Posted by: LIV at September 24, 2009 11:26 AM
Doesn't this freak you out?
Oh yeah... I'm totally freaked. Al is a hottie in this pic.
Posted by: Pam at February 25, 2010 9:41 PM
I love this picture soooooooo much! He's so cute in this one! :D
Posted by: Emily at March 8, 2010 3:34 PM
Looks and brains in this one
Posted by: at January 12, 2011 11:10 PM
OH MY GOSH HE NEEDS TO KEEP THIS LOOK I THOUGHT HE WAS JUST FUNNY I HAD NO IDEA HE WAS FUNNY AND A HOTTIE
Posted by: sara at December 3, 2011 1:45 PM
Pwoar! But seriously this must be a wig? I mean from the awful glasses and hair to this??? He has a very sexy smile, and his mrs is very lucky!
Posted by: Helen at January 21, 2012 3:15 PM
Is it just me, or does Short Hair No Glasses No Mustache Weird Al kinda look like David Tennant just a bit?
(that awkward feeling when you become aware of the fact that you are a hopeless nerd)
Posted by: Alex at June 1, 2012 9:29 AM
» Herbal medicine from Herbal medicine
Tracked on November 22, 2006 1:31 PM