FOT Forum
The Best Show on WFMU => Dear Tom => Topic started by: JonFromMaplewood on December 15, 2009, 12:11:55 AM
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Tom,
I know you have said in the past that humorous music is not your thing. But Weird Al seems incredibly nice, funny, intelligent, and soft-G-rated. I think these qualities overshadow the fact that his entire raison d'etre makes you wince.
This would be a really special event for me, given that on one of my first calls to the show, I attempted a song parody, and you dubbed me "Weirder Jon" and suggested that I challenge Weird Al to a "weird off."
For all of these reasons, I posit that Weird Al deserves the Best Show.
And yes, I just used "posit" and "Weird Al" in the same sentence.
Thanks for considering it,
Jon
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He's seen a thousand faces, and he's mocked them all.
But yeah, I'll second what Jon said ... based on his recent appearances in other forums*, he strikes me as a very affable and engaging guest.
And he met Paul McCartney. So you could ask him about that.
* um ... err ... podcasts.
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He seems like a really nice dude.
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Weird Al and I have talked about it over the last year. It will happen eventually!
Tom.
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This makes me happy.
Thank you.
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I love how we, as a people, have collectively eased up on good ol' Weird Al over the last few decades. I used to think what he did was totally dumb, and now I have no idea why I thought that.
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I still think his music is dumb, and raise my eyebrow anytime anyone tells me they listen to any of his songs more than once - but he himself is a seriously funny guy. UHF was one of my favorite movies in my early teens - and parts of it hold up pretty well still. He's always great anytime I see him on other stuff, Tim & Eric, CDRaydio etc. He'll be an awesome guest with Tom, can't wait!
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I think I first encountered Weird Al on Square One TV when I was seven or eight. I became a fan for life after that. I think his song parodies are, with few exceptions, both clever and funny. And it's comedy that appeals to all age groups. Plus, he seems like a genuinely nice and funny individual.
I'm looking forward to a Weird Al appearance on the Best Show. Here's hoping it comes to pass.
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I have a fondness for his music that probably has more to do with when I discovered it than its actual quality, and I never play his albums or anything, but if asked, I will self-identify as a fan. I once took my little brother to see Weird Al live (I was probably 17 or 18 at the time) and it was a fantastic show. He did a bunch of costume changes, often wearing the costumes from the song's video, and the fake interview videos that played while he was changing were really funny.
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A friend of mine toured with Weird Al for a summer and said he was a really decent guy. That level of fame might be ok, but I still think I'd get the creeps.
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That level of fame might be ok, but I still think I'd get the creeps.
What the hell are you talking about, Buff?
What level of fame?
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What level of fame?
Weird Al's level of fame, is how I understood it.
masterofsparks has hit the nail on the head. I would also describe myself as a fan, but don't own any albums or anything. I've heard great things about his live shows.
For years he would "take over" MuchMusic (i.e. Canada's MTV) for one day a year, and it was always really funny. I probably would have turned my back on him during my sour teenaged years if not for that.
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Weird Al to me in 3rd to 5th grade is the same as Charles Bukowski was to me in 9th to 11th grade.
When it comes to "comedy music," not the most promising area of human creative expression in any event, he's about the best. My interest in him was revived by the "White and Nerdy" song (I was like, "He's still got it!") and then by Comedy Death Ray Radio.
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YAY! Weird Al was basically my introduction to popular music! UHF is a solid movie! He's friends with Emo Phillips! I look forward to his guest spot on The Best Show!
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That level of fame might be ok, but I still think I'd get the creeps.
What the hell are you talking about, Buff?
What level of fame?
You all right, fred?
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Weird Al to me in 3rd to 5th grade is the same as Charles Bukowski was to me in 9th to 11th grade.
If Bukowski was alive and didn't already have a drinking problem, this sentence would've driven him to it.
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That level of fame might be ok, but I still think I'd get the creeps.
What the hell are you talking about, Buff?
What level of fame?
You all right, fred?
Yep!
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His "polka medleys" were always something I liked. I was introduced to so many songs through those as a kid.
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I recently encountered "Dare To Be Stupid" on YouTube. It's the best Devo song in a quarter century.
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Weird Al was my first concert at the Bloomsburg State Fair. My aunt took me. It was amazing. Earlier in the day, I saw a lookalike of Weird Al and nearly had a heart attack. I think I was in the fifth grade.
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His "polka medleys" were always something I liked. I was introduced to so many songs through those as a kid.
Discovering "Yoda" turned me into a Kinks fan.
Potentially shameful admission: When Kurt Cobain died, I didn't own any Nirvana CDs, so I listened to "Smells Like Nirvana."
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His "polka medleys" were always something I liked. I was introduced to so many songs through those as a kid.
Discovering "Yoda" turned me into a Kinks fan.
Potentially shameful admission: When Kurt Cobain died, I didn't own any Nirvana CDs, so I listened to "Smells Like Nirvana."
In retrospect, there was no shame in not owning Nirvana records.
As for Weird Al, I haven't listened to his music but I'm a fan of his anyway because I get the feeling that he sincerely works hard at what he does and does it because he truly loves it, unlike some "serious" musicians. Al's been the best at what he does for 3o years and I hope he lasts 30 more.
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I recently encountered "Dare To Be Stupid" on YouTube. It's the best Devo song in a quarter century.
Yeah, great song-- first heard it in the Transformers movie (http://tinyurl.com/342bvv) and I probably like it more than it deserves just because of how ludicrous that whole scene is.
Also, I love when he does this (http://tinyurl.com/yb3o99h). A genius way to save the show when there are technical difficulties, I think.
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As a kid, all I really listened to were my Weird Al cassette tapes. It would be pretty awesome for my childhood comedy obsession to be a part of my modern-day comedy obsession. I think a lot of people dismiss him because a lot of his popular parody songs can be kind of simple one-joke songs, but his original songs are pretty underrated in my opinion. I was just enjoying "The Night Santa Went Crazy" over the holidays and I think it still holds up. And UHF is still one of my favorite movies.
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As a kid, all I really listened to were my Weird Al cassette tapes. It would be pretty awesome for my childhood comedy obsession to be a part of my modern-day comedy obsession. I think a lot of people dismiss him because a lot of his popular parody songs can be kind of simple one-joke songs, but his original songs are pretty underrated in my opinion. I was just enjoying "The Night Santa Went Crazy" over the holidays and I think it still holds up. And UHF is still one of my favorite movies.
You can't overlook the Weird Al originals. As a kid, I really enjoyed "Stuck in a Closet with Vanna White." I can still remember the lyrics 21 years later.
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As a kid, all I really listened to were my Weird Al cassette tapes. It would be pretty awesome for my childhood comedy obsession to be a part of my modern-day comedy obsession. I think a lot of people dismiss him because a lot of his popular parody songs can be kind of simple one-joke songs, but his original songs are pretty underrated in my opinion. I was just enjoying "The Night Santa Went Crazy" over the holidays and I think it still holds up. And UHF is still one of my favorite movies.
You can't overlook the Weird Al originals. As a kid, I really enjoyed "Stuck in a Closet with Vanna White." I can still remember the lyrics 21 years later.
And holy shit - I just read that Even Worse was produced by Rick Derringer and featured him on guitar. That is nuts (and awesome).
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I love how we, as a people, have collectively eased up on good ol' Weird Al over the last few decades. I used to think what he did was totally dumb, and now I have no idea why I thought that.
I have no idea why he's received this sort of renaissance, but I'm glad it's happened. Maybe it's because the kids who used to listen to him are now adult comedians. But for a while he was (unfairly) made a comedy punchline a la Gallagher or Carrot Top.
He seems like a great guest whenever I see him/hear him on other shows, so I'm sure he'd bring it for The Best Show.
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But for a while he was (unfairly) made a comedy punchline a la Gallagher or Carrot Top.
Speaking of Gallagher, did anyone read this over at The AV Club (http://www.avclub.com/articles/gallagher,36622/)?
This one goes to Carrot Top; he turned to lifting to sublimate his rage at being a punchline.
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But for a while he was (unfairly) made a comedy punchline a la Gallagher or Carrot Top.
Speaking of Gallagher, did anyone read this over at The AV Club (http://www.avclub.com/articles/gallagher,36622/)?
This one goes to Carrot Top; he turned to lifting to sublimate his rage at being a punchline.
I got through about 5 responses before clicking elsewhere. What a bitter, angry dick. "I'm railing against mediocrity!" says the man who became a millionaire smashing food with a wooden mallet.
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Would he be a good guest, though?
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Would he be a good guest, though?
You should go listen to his appearances on CDR Radio, one of which was with guest host PFT. He was a great guest.
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I was a big fan of his stuff in the 80s, but now don't follow him so much. It does seem that every time I've heard him as a guest on a podcast, he is genuinely and naturally funny, so I would agree he'd be a great guest.
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I love how we, as a people, have collectively eased up on good ol' Weird Al over the last few decades. I used to think what he did was totally dumb, and now I have no idea why I thought that.
I think part of it is that he's still doing it. It's a form of comedy that he loves and believes in and as time goes on he becomes more iconic and less of a gimmick. I don't listen to much of his stuff these days not because I don't think it's funny but more because I'm often not familiar with his source material anymore.
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I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED my Weird Al tapes as a kid. I also agree that his original material and "style parodies" are his best material. While stuff like "Eat It" succeeds as a mildly amusing song parody, Dare to be Stupid is not only funny, but is an original song, yet it's an original song in the style of a specific band. And while it's funny lyrically, it's actually not bad on a musical level either.
While the actual "music" was never my main draw for Al, he and his band are all very solid musicians.
I think it's cool that he has kept the same band for so long. He could probably get other people to do the work for way cheaper, I mean, the "music" isn't Weird Al's selling point, but he has stuck by those guys from the beginning. Class act.
Also, I just wanted to give a shout out to one of my personal Weird Al favorites...."The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota".