"I'm tired of people thinking I'm some kind of joke."
August 31, 2022 2:12 PM Subscribe
It seems a lot of people didn't quite expect the upcoming Weird Al Yankovic biopic to be this serious about faithfully depicting the story of his life and career. [Link to YouTube trailer.]
His original songs are good, too! When my three youngest kids were small, we went on a lot of road trips, and for awhile, I started every trip by putting on "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota," which exasperated them no end, but, hey! We were road-tripping midwesterners! We'd have stopped at that ball of twine if we'd passed near it.
posted by Well I never at 2:23 PM on August 31, 2022 [15 favorites]
posted by Well I never at 2:23 PM on August 31, 2022 [15 favorites]
I was like… is that… is that Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna??? And it is! Fantastic!
posted by mochapickle at 2:26 PM on August 31, 2022 [10 favorites]
posted by mochapickle at 2:26 PM on August 31, 2022 [10 favorites]
My whole family are big fans of his original song "Hardware Store".
posted by straight at 2:28 PM on August 31, 2022 [11 favorites]
posted by straight at 2:28 PM on August 31, 2022 [11 favorites]
OMG just watched the Funny or Die preview and it's practically shot-for-shot. I love it.
The only thing I knew about this movie was that the other day I heard of it for the first time and was amused that Daniel Radcliffe was playing Weird Al.
Also: "Your dad and I agree that it would be best if you just stop being who you are and doing what you love" is funny because...it pretty much sums up my whole relationship to my parents. So, not funny. But also, very funny.
posted by Well I never at 2:28 PM on August 31, 2022 [42 favorites]
The only thing I knew about this movie was that the other day I heard of it for the first time and was amused that Daniel Radcliffe was playing Weird Al.
Also: "Your dad and I agree that it would be best if you just stop being who you are and doing what you love" is funny because...it pretty much sums up my whole relationship to my parents. So, not funny. But also, very funny.
posted by Well I never at 2:28 PM on August 31, 2022 [42 favorites]
While I am totally in on whatever this is going to be, I really loved Patton Oswalt's perfectly bizarro rendition of Dr. Demento in the original Funny or Die skit, and I had really hoped he'd be able to flesh that one out here. Oh well.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 2:29 PM on August 31, 2022 [10 favorites]
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 2:29 PM on August 31, 2022 [10 favorites]
His original songs are good, too!
Nature Trail to Hell has been a longtime favourite of mine.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 2:32 PM on August 31, 2022 [12 favorites]
Nature Trail to Hell has been a longtime favourite of mine.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 2:32 PM on August 31, 2022 [12 favorites]
Kind of bummed that Aaron Paul didn't get to do a cameo in the full-length film because of the 'rona. (My-my-my-my corona!)
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:34 PM on August 31, 2022
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:34 PM on August 31, 2022
Weird Al weird-alling(?) his own biopic is genius, and Radcliffe's enthusiasm for throwing himself into projects like this will only further endear me to him.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 2:41 PM on August 31, 2022 [35 favorites]
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 2:41 PM on August 31, 2022 [35 favorites]
I have this thing where because I was a weird kid in the '90s who didn't really listen to pop music, but did listen to Weird Al, I heard his parody versions of many songs long before I heard the originals. Which means that to this day, I can't tell you for sure whether some of his songs are parodies or originals. Like, is Everything You Know Is Wrong a parody of something I've just never heard? I think it's original, but I've been wrong before.
Anyway, here's this.
posted by biogeo at 2:45 PM on August 31, 2022 [31 favorites]
Anyway, here's this.
posted by biogeo at 2:45 PM on August 31, 2022 [31 favorites]
I absolutely love that Daniel Radcliffe is just picking roles that he likes, no matter how off the wall or strange they may be. He could have totally coasted on his HP legacy if he wanted, and nope, my dude goes for weird. It's the same for Robert Pattinson. His good looks could have had him play romantic leads until the end of time if he wanted, but he also goes for the weird roles.
I told my husband--a huge Weird Al fan--that I genuinely couldn't tell if this was a parody of a biopic or an actual biopic, but I guess I should've known where this would land!
posted by Kitteh at 2:46 PM on August 31, 2022 [33 favorites]
I told my husband--a huge Weird Al fan--that I genuinely couldn't tell if this was a parody of a biopic or an actual biopic, but I guess I should've known where this would land!
posted by Kitteh at 2:46 PM on August 31, 2022 [33 favorites]
I guess it's so well known what an actual good guy Weird Al is that this kind of satire actually works? That's actually pretty amazing.
posted by rikschell at 2:47 PM on August 31, 2022 [19 favorites]
posted by rikschell at 2:47 PM on August 31, 2022 [19 favorites]
is Everything You Know Is Wrong a parody of something I've just never heard? I think it's original, but I've been wrong before.
Original but a style parody of They Might Be Giants, so on point that it's among the best TMBG songs.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 2:50 PM on August 31, 2022 [31 favorites]
Original but a style parody of They Might Be Giants, so on point that it's among the best TMBG songs.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 2:50 PM on August 31, 2022 [31 favorites]
Just like ”Dare to Be Stupid” is Devo’s best song they never wrote!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 2:54 PM on August 31, 2022 [52 favorites]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 2:54 PM on August 31, 2022 [52 favorites]
Now go back and find the real Weird Al in the trailer, doing a cameo.
posted by JoeZydeco at 3:07 PM on August 31, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by JoeZydeco at 3:07 PM on August 31, 2022 [5 favorites]
I'm just hoping they find a way to recreate UHF's firehose scene.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:11 PM on August 31, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:11 PM on August 31, 2022 [7 favorites]
I am completely here for Rainn Wilson as Dr. Demento. I spent many, many a Sunday night curled up in bed, listening on my transistor radio, trying to stay awake enough for the top ten.
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:15 PM on August 31, 2022 [16 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:15 PM on August 31, 2022 [16 favorites]
Just like ”Dare to Be Stupid” is Devo’s best song they never wrote!
IIRC, Mark Mothersbaugh has said he's genuinely upset that he didn't write that song.
posted by LooseFilter at 3:18 PM on August 31, 2022 [43 favorites]
IIRC, Mark Mothersbaugh has said he's genuinely upset that he didn't write that song.
posted by LooseFilter at 3:18 PM on August 31, 2022 [43 favorites]
My only very minor quibble is that Doctor Demento has a very distinctive voice. I kinda miss it.
posted by Splunge at 3:21 PM on August 31, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by Splunge at 3:21 PM on August 31, 2022 [4 favorites]
The unblinking gaze while he stubs out his cigarette is just KILLING me.
I'm just hoping they find a way to recreate UHF's firehose scene.
Especially with Radcliffe's intensity.
Weird Al [watches the dailies, takes a drag]: "It's not funny enough. Turn it up."
Child Safety Coordinator: "Sir, you can't just..."
Weird Al: "Turn it UP!"
posted by greenland at 3:22 PM on August 31, 2022 [7 favorites]
I'm just hoping they find a way to recreate UHF's firehose scene.
Especially with Radcliffe's intensity.
Weird Al [watches the dailies, takes a drag]: "It's not funny enough. Turn it up."
Child Safety Coordinator: "Sir, you can't just..."
Weird Al: "Turn it UP!"
posted by greenland at 3:22 PM on August 31, 2022 [7 favorites]
I have this thing where because I was a weird kid in the '90s who didn't really listen to pop music, but did listen to Weird Al, I heard his parody versions of many songs long before I heard the originals.
In my youth, I read many of the Mad magazine movie parodies long before I'd ever see the movies themselves. I'm still not 100% sure of which movies from that period I've actually seen, and which ones I "remember" from the parodies alone.
posted by Paul Slade at 3:23 PM on August 31, 2022 [36 favorites]
In my youth, I read many of the Mad magazine movie parodies long before I'd ever see the movies themselves. I'm still not 100% sure of which movies from that period I've actually seen, and which ones I "remember" from the parodies alone.
posted by Paul Slade at 3:23 PM on August 31, 2022 [36 favorites]
This week's MBMBAM has a pretty solid review of his current tour; this review hits a lot of the same notes. Good for him for making the jokes/songs/movies/art he wants to make at this point; we should all be so lucky.
posted by supercres at 3:23 PM on August 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by supercres at 3:23 PM on August 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
IIRC, Mark Mothersbaugh has said he's genuinely upset that he didn't write that song.
It's true, and the style parody is a combination of many tracks, but Dare to Be Stupid takes its main riff from the relatively unknown Devo track Deep Sleep. It's unmistakable.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 3:27 PM on August 31, 2022 [10 favorites]
It's true, and the style parody is a combination of many tracks, but Dare to Be Stupid takes its main riff from the relatively unknown Devo track Deep Sleep. It's unmistakable.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 3:27 PM on August 31, 2022 [10 favorites]
When I was in Year 6 in the late 80s we did a thing in class where every student could choose their favourite song to the class. The girls all chose artists like Madonna, Bon Jovi and Whitney Houston. The boys, myself included, almost exclusively chose weird Al songs.
I am so on board with this.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 3:35 PM on August 31, 2022 [4 favorites]
I am so on board with this.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 3:35 PM on August 31, 2022 [4 favorites]
His original songs are good, too! When my three youngest kids were small, we went on a lot of road trips, and for awhile, I started every trip by putting on "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota," which exasperated them no end, but, hey!
Who else can claim that they were woken up at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning, in college, because my two friends could not agree on the "Spam" lyrics and had to hear my vinyl copy of UHF immediately.
Just heard the real "Money for Nothing" the other day. I sang the Weird Al lyrics over it. My friend looked at me funny. "Al's words are the true ones," I said.
posted by Melismata at 3:37 PM on August 31, 2022 [12 favorites]
Who else can claim that they were woken up at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning, in college, because my two friends could not agree on the "Spam" lyrics and had to hear my vinyl copy of UHF immediately.
Just heard the real "Money for Nothing" the other day. I sang the Weird Al lyrics over it. My friend looked at me funny. "Al's words are the true ones," I said.
posted by Melismata at 3:37 PM on August 31, 2022 [12 favorites]
mochapickle: "I was like… is that… is that Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna??? And it is! Fantastic!"
Agreed, but Olivia Wilde in the Funny or Die one was also spot on.
posted by signal at 3:51 PM on August 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
Agreed, but Olivia Wilde in the Funny or Die one was also spot on.
posted by signal at 3:51 PM on August 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
my two friends could not agree on the "Spam" lyrics
Umm...aren't they "Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam! Lovely Spam! Lovely Spam!"?
posted by kirkaracha at 3:54 PM on August 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
Umm...aren't they "Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam! Lovely Spam! Lovely Spam!"?
posted by kirkaracha at 3:54 PM on August 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
For me it is the more-Zappa-than-Zappa “Genius in France”.
posted by dragstroke at 4:01 PM on August 31, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by dragstroke at 4:01 PM on August 31, 2022 [7 favorites]
I started every trip by putting on "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota
I still like to start every trip by putting in a Slim Whitman tape and opening a diet chocolate soda.
posted by nickmark at 4:07 PM on August 31, 2022 [10 favorites]
I still like to start every trip by putting in a Slim Whitman tape and opening a diet chocolate soda.
posted by nickmark at 4:07 PM on August 31, 2022 [10 favorites]
I told this story once but I'll tell it again: when I was a kid my neighborhood friend was 7 and in a horrible car accident. Full body cast and could basically only play video games (shout out to Bomberman!). He loved Weird Al, this has to be circa 1998. I'm not a big fan of his music but whatever. He passed the time playing video games and decided to write Weird Al.
Forgive me if I get some specifics wrong but Weird Al personally wrote him back sent him a bunch of schwag and they began a personal pen pal relationship. With a 7 year old kid who probably didn't understand half his lyrics. No media attention, no one told the local news he just did it out of his kindness of his heart. For a young kid who probably was closer to death then they told me at the time and had nothing else it made his day that Weird Al was his friend and he was so proud of it. He didn't talk about his illness just kid things he enjoyed like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, video games and things. I'm sure Weird Al was aware of it and really you could tell me Weird All in this biopic turned out to be a horrible person (I hope not!) but all I remember of him as just being a genuinely nice guy who went out of his way for this kid and got zero attention for it. He didn't do it for publicity or anything else other than just being a nice human being.
posted by geoff. at 4:11 PM on August 31, 2022 [102 favorites]
Forgive me if I get some specifics wrong but Weird Al personally wrote him back sent him a bunch of schwag and they began a personal pen pal relationship. With a 7 year old kid who probably didn't understand half his lyrics. No media attention, no one told the local news he just did it out of his kindness of his heart. For a young kid who probably was closer to death then they told me at the time and had nothing else it made his day that Weird Al was his friend and he was so proud of it. He didn't talk about his illness just kid things he enjoyed like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, video games and things. I'm sure Weird Al was aware of it and really you could tell me Weird All in this biopic turned out to be a horrible person (I hope not!) but all I remember of him as just being a genuinely nice guy who went out of his way for this kid and got zero attention for it. He didn't do it for publicity or anything else other than just being a nice human being.
posted by geoff. at 4:11 PM on August 31, 2022 [102 favorites]
"Your dad and I agree that it would be best if you just stop being who you are and doing what you love" is funny because...it pretty much sums up my whole relationship to my parents.
Hah, that sums up my whole life outside of my parents' house.
But this looks like weird genius. Affair with Madonna?! The cigarette!?!
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:27 PM on August 31, 2022 [3 favorites]
Hah, that sums up my whole life outside of my parents' house.
But this looks like weird genius. Affair with Madonna?! The cigarette!?!
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:27 PM on August 31, 2022 [3 favorites]
I didn’t think I could love Rainn Wilson more!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 4:35 PM on August 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 4:35 PM on August 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
My brother and his fiancee are visiting in December and I just send a pleading request for him to not watch it until they come so he and I can stay up late and watch it together. He's my Gen x big bro (I'm a genx/millennial cusper) who introduced me to Weird Al generally and UHF specifically. We had PLENTY of growing pains and I have the scars to prove them, but UHF (and Space Balls (gimme paw!)) is a part of our secret language.
posted by atomicstone at 4:40 PM on August 31, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by atomicstone at 4:40 PM on August 31, 2022 [3 favorites]
never been a big Weird Al fan (not weird enough to really earn the moniker) but that trailer made me laugh out loud. The question is, will it measure up to Walk Hard in terms of taking the piss out of the bog-standard rock N roll biopic?
posted by philip-random at 4:46 PM on August 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by philip-random at 4:46 PM on August 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
Okay I totally missed at first that the studio executive is being played by Al himself. He's hard to recognize without the hair. Brilliant.
posted by biogeo at 4:47 PM on August 31, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by biogeo at 4:47 PM on August 31, 2022 [5 favorites]
Just like ”Dare to Be Stupid” is Devo’s best song they never wrote!
IIRC, Mark Mothersbaugh has said he's genuinely upset that he didn't write that song.
I'd heard this as a rumor for years, and then a little while ago, I found there's video proof of it.
(And Dare to Be Stupid really does whip ass. I mean, whip it.)
posted by Tom Hanks Cannot Be Trusted at 4:55 PM on August 31, 2022 [13 favorites]
IIRC, Mark Mothersbaugh has said he's genuinely upset that he didn't write that song.
I'd heard this as a rumor for years, and then a little while ago, I found there's video proof of it.
(And Dare to Be Stupid really does whip ass. I mean, whip it.)
posted by Tom Hanks Cannot Be Trusted at 4:55 PM on August 31, 2022 [13 favorites]
I hate that all of the "channels" are making their own tv shows and movies and I also love that this exists. The cast looks great, the movie looks fun - I'll figure out how to watch it eventually.
posted by BooneTheCowboyToy at 5:07 PM on August 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by BooneTheCowboyToy at 5:07 PM on August 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
GCU Sweet and Full of Grace: "Original but a style parody of They Might Be Giants, so on point that it's among the best TMBG songs."
I can't believe I've never heard this song before. This is wonderful.
posted by Bugbread at 5:21 PM on August 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
I can't believe I've never heard this song before. This is wonderful.
posted by Bugbread at 5:21 PM on August 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
WEIRD AL YANKOVIC - LIVE AT STARLIGHT AMPHITHEATER, BURBANK, CA 6/9/84
Tons of live videos from Weird Al Concerts on Youtube
posted by rebent at 5:23 PM on August 31, 2022
Tons of live videos from Weird Al Concerts on Youtube
posted by rebent at 5:23 PM on August 31, 2022
As a child of the ‘80s, I am very familiar with Weird Al’s oeuvre. (At least his stuff from the ‘80s.) I have never ever heard a bad thing about him, and I think geoff’s story above is pretty much how I think he is in real life. If it comes out that he is actually a big jerk, I’d find that pretty distressing.
This (real) trailer and the Funny or Die trailer are so similar, I agree there must have been at least some crossover of people involved. I think Daniel Radcliffe will do a great job, but Aaron Paul is pretty hilarious in the FoD one too!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:27 PM on August 31, 2022
This (real) trailer and the Funny or Die trailer are so similar, I agree there must have been at least some crossover of people involved. I think Daniel Radcliffe will do a great job, but Aaron Paul is pretty hilarious in the FoD one too!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:27 PM on August 31, 2022
I met him at a Los Angeles art opening. I gathered my courage, walked up and introduced myself, and was completely blown away by his warmth and genuineness. “Hi, I’m Al!”
I told him rather earnestly how his songs brightened up the bleak middle-school years when my parents were getting divorced, and how they made me feel like it was okay to be myself. I don’t even remember his reply, but it was humble, friendly and very kind.
He really seems to like his fans, young or old.
(Incidentally, the guy is not just a wit but a prodigious musical talent with a superb ear for arrangements. You can find video on YouTube of him working with musicians in the studio, and it’s wonderful to hear his direction.)
posted by ducky l'orange at 6:03 PM on August 31, 2022 [12 favorites]
I told him rather earnestly how his songs brightened up the bleak middle-school years when my parents were getting divorced, and how they made me feel like it was okay to be myself. I don’t even remember his reply, but it was humble, friendly and very kind.
He really seems to like his fans, young or old.
(Incidentally, the guy is not just a wit but a prodigious musical talent with a superb ear for arrangements. You can find video on YouTube of him working with musicians in the studio, and it’s wonderful to hear his direction.)
posted by ducky l'orange at 6:03 PM on August 31, 2022 [12 favorites]
Having watched both 2013 faux-trailer and the new real trailer, I think there's only one solution:
Two Weird Al Biopics.
posted by Saxon Kane at 6:05 PM on August 31, 2022 [4 favorites]
Two Weird Al Biopics.
posted by Saxon Kane at 6:05 PM on August 31, 2022 [4 favorites]
This movie looks fun.
But damn... Roku, a video platform, can't manage to post a high quality copy of a trailer to YouTube? It looks like a low quality rip and reupload. Except for the overlaid text…
posted by OwlBoy at 6:15 PM on August 31, 2022
But damn... Roku, a video platform, can't manage to post a high quality copy of a trailer to YouTube? It looks like a low quality rip and reupload. Except for the overlaid text…
posted by OwlBoy at 6:15 PM on August 31, 2022
I'm not a huge Weird Al fan but I am a Weird Al fan because I am a human being and this looks entirely delightful and perfect and I will watch.
I have several friends who have encountered Weird Al in real life in various circumstances and every one of them has said he's the best. I feel like I've said this before, but he seems like someone that if you had a bad interaction with him, you 100% deserved it.
(Also that I have several friends who've encountered Weird Al basically is all you need to know about me and my friends, honestly.)
posted by edencosmic at 6:16 PM on August 31, 2022 [8 favorites]
I have several friends who have encountered Weird Al in real life in various circumstances and every one of them has said he's the best. I feel like I've said this before, but he seems like someone that if you had a bad interaction with him, you 100% deserved it.
(Also that I have several friends who've encountered Weird Al basically is all you need to know about me and my friends, honestly.)
posted by edencosmic at 6:16 PM on August 31, 2022 [8 favorites]
One of my favourite Weird Al Facts is that when he asked Dire Straits if he could parody Money For Nothing, Mark Knopfler's reply was "as long as I get to play the guitar part."
posted by mhoye at 6:23 PM on August 31, 2022 [44 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 6:23 PM on August 31, 2022 [44 favorites]
Showing his commitment to the role, Radcliffe has learned the accordion well enough to play several of Weird Al's songs.
BTW, if you haven't seen the videos of Dan Radcliffe singing Tom Lehrer's "The Elements" from memory, look it up.
That's one of the reasons Al cast him.
posted by cheshyre at 6:26 PM on August 31, 2022 [18 favorites]
BTW, if you haven't seen the videos of Dan Radcliffe singing Tom Lehrer's "The Elements" from memory, look it up.
That's one of the reasons Al cast him.
posted by cheshyre at 6:26 PM on August 31, 2022 [18 favorites]
Back in the eighties I played his Happy Birthday song for my mother. She loved it and would have me play it every time we celebrated a birthday in our house.
Dare to Be Stupid takes its main riff from the relatively unknown Devo track Deep Sleep
Ah! That explains Mothersbaugh sometimes talking about it like it was a song parody.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:01 PM on August 31, 2022
Dare to Be Stupid takes its main riff from the relatively unknown Devo track Deep Sleep
Ah! That explains Mothersbaugh sometimes talking about it like it was a song parody.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:01 PM on August 31, 2022
I've been waiting a long, long time to find out what really happened during Al's time in Albuquerque.
posted by MrVisible at 7:24 PM on August 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by MrVisible at 7:24 PM on August 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
BTW, if you haven't seen the videos of Dan Radcliffe singing Tom Lehrer's "The Elements" from memory, look it up.
That's one of the reasons Al cast him.
Not to detract from Al and his well-deserved success, but I would watch the hell out of a Tom Lehrer biopic.
posted by vverse23 at 7:38 PM on August 31, 2022 [34 favorites]
That's one of the reasons Al cast him.
Not to detract from Al and his well-deserved success, but I would watch the hell out of a Tom Lehrer biopic.
posted by vverse23 at 7:38 PM on August 31, 2022 [34 favorites]
One of my favourite Weird Al Facts is that when he asked Dire Straits if he could parody Money For Nothing, Mark Knopfler's reply was "as long as I get to play the guitar part."
Mine is that Don McLean, after performing "American Pie" for nearly 30 years, would find himself almost singing Weird Al's version because Don's kids played it so much.
posted by Etrigan at 7:43 PM on August 31, 2022 [31 favorites]
Mine is that Don McLean, after performing "American Pie" for nearly 30 years, would find himself almost singing Weird Al's version because Don's kids played it so much.
posted by Etrigan at 7:43 PM on August 31, 2022 [31 favorites]
Forgive me if this is stating the obvious, but I fear that for some people it may be necessary: don't worry, this is a JOKE biopic. Al really is that nice guy in real life you keep hearing about, and this is a satire of the more traditional "downward spiral and then redemption" arc a lot of music biopics seem to take.
I started every trip by putting on "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota
So - I am good friends with a guy I dated briefly (we dated for a few months, then broke up and almost immediately started working together and realized that oh, hang on, that made WAY more sense and now me and him and his girlfriend are solid friends). During our first date I told a story of this kitschy road trip I'd taken where I was deliberately looking for stuff like the biggest ball of twine or the biggest hand-dug well or crap like that, which amused him greatly. And over the years he and his girlfriend have both tipped me off to when they see kitschy stuff in their travels.
Anyway, ten years and a whole lot of other life experiences later, he and his girlfriend were moving to Colorado, and so they were both doing a whole lot of "farewell tour" kind of stuff with all of us here in NYC. One of the things he tried to organize was an outing to see Weird Al on his "Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour", where he played all his original songs; as it turned out I was the only taker, so it was just him and me seeing Al at the Apollo. I didn't have as much familiarity with Al's original stuff, so this was all new for me - and I was thoroughly charmed by "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota". And as we were leaving after the concert, I told him that this was the first time I'd heard that song and I thought it was actually kind of sweet.
My friend then blushed a bit, gave me a sheepish look, and said "Can I confess something? For the past ten years, every time I've heard that song I've thought of you."
...We didn't have "a song" while we were dating, but our friendship has one.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:10 PM on August 31, 2022 [47 favorites]
I started every trip by putting on "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota
So - I am good friends with a guy I dated briefly (we dated for a few months, then broke up and almost immediately started working together and realized that oh, hang on, that made WAY more sense and now me and him and his girlfriend are solid friends). During our first date I told a story of this kitschy road trip I'd taken where I was deliberately looking for stuff like the biggest ball of twine or the biggest hand-dug well or crap like that, which amused him greatly. And over the years he and his girlfriend have both tipped me off to when they see kitschy stuff in their travels.
Anyway, ten years and a whole lot of other life experiences later, he and his girlfriend were moving to Colorado, and so they were both doing a whole lot of "farewell tour" kind of stuff with all of us here in NYC. One of the things he tried to organize was an outing to see Weird Al on his "Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour", where he played all his original songs; as it turned out I was the only taker, so it was just him and me seeing Al at the Apollo. I didn't have as much familiarity with Al's original stuff, so this was all new for me - and I was thoroughly charmed by "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota". And as we were leaving after the concert, I told him that this was the first time I'd heard that song and I thought it was actually kind of sweet.
My friend then blushed a bit, gave me a sheepish look, and said "Can I confess something? For the past ten years, every time I've heard that song I've thought of you."
...We didn't have "a song" while we were dating, but our friendship has one.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:10 PM on August 31, 2022 [47 favorites]
One of my favourite Weird Al Facts is that when he asked Dire Straits if he could parody Money For Nothing, Mark Knopfler's reply was "as long as I get to play the guitar part."
If you’ve not listened to the UHF commentary track, this is just but one of the gems you’ll be treated to.
Probably one of the best-done commentaries in DVD-dom.
posted by hwyengr at 8:24 PM on August 31, 2022 [3 favorites]
If you’ve not listened to the UHF commentary track, this is just but one of the gems you’ll be treated to.
Probably one of the best-done commentaries in DVD-dom.
posted by hwyengr at 8:24 PM on August 31, 2022 [3 favorites]
Is it "biopic" or "bio pic"? This has been puzzling me lately.
posted by bendy at 8:34 PM on August 31, 2022
posted by bendy at 8:34 PM on August 31, 2022
it's "biopic" as a written word, but it should be pronounced bio-pic, not bi-opic. Which makes me insane.
posted by hippybear at 8:38 PM on August 31, 2022 [11 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 8:38 PM on August 31, 2022 [11 favorites]
”Bobby, Al Yankovich blew his brains out in the late 80's when people stopped buying his records. He's not worth gettin' into trouble over."
posted by Servo5678 at 8:41 PM on August 31, 2022 [9 favorites]
posted by Servo5678 at 8:41 PM on August 31, 2022 [9 favorites]
One of the things he tried to organize was an outing to see Weird Al on his "Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour", where he played all his original songs; as it turned out I was the only taker, so it was just him and me seeing Al at the Apollo. I didn't have as much familiarity with Al's original stuff, so this was all new for me - and I was thoroughly charmed by "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota"We saw the reprise version of that tour this year! my old faves thrilled and the unfamiliar tunes won me over. And he hit the EXACT deep cuts I wanted to hear .. Nature Trail to Hell, Midnight Star, Biggest Ball of Twine, etc.
be hereby notified that I will always think of your adorable friendship song story when I hear Twine from now on.
posted by Sauce Trough at 8:52 PM on August 31, 2022
My favourite comment for the Reddit posting was that this could be a career-defining role for Radcliffe.
posted by brachiopod at 8:58 PM on August 31, 2022 [26 favorites]
posted by brachiopod at 8:58 PM on August 31, 2022 [26 favorites]
this could be a career-defining role for Radcliffe.
It looks like fun, but it's no Swiss Army Man
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 9:19 PM on August 31, 2022 [9 favorites]
It looks like fun, but it's no Swiss Army Man
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 9:19 PM on August 31, 2022 [9 favorites]
For those of you who have never been, Weird Al puts on quite the show at his concerts. As good as he is, his band is absolutely incredible. They can play pretty much anything and they will absolutely nail it.
Way back in 1992, Weird Al came to town. I got my ticket as soon as I heard. He was playing at this new venue that was trying to make a name for itself - it was an old, gutted out department store that someone was trying to turn into a nightclub. I lived very close by and I knew that venture wasn’t gonna make it, but hey, they’re putting on concerts and Weird Al is going to be doing one! Awesome! As it turns out… not a lot of people wanted to go to a huge old, dark, sketchy building on the southside to see a show. There were not a lot of people there. Al, however, did not give a discount version of his show at all. Since there weren’t a lot of people, we were all able to get up close to the stage and party and oh man did he and his crew just put on a banger of a performance. Maybe a couple of hundred people and those of us that were there got one hell of a fantastic time out of the deal.
posted by azpenguin at 10:27 PM on August 31, 2022 [16 favorites]
Way back in 1992, Weird Al came to town. I got my ticket as soon as I heard. He was playing at this new venue that was trying to make a name for itself - it was an old, gutted out department store that someone was trying to turn into a nightclub. I lived very close by and I knew that venture wasn’t gonna make it, but hey, they’re putting on concerts and Weird Al is going to be doing one! Awesome! As it turns out… not a lot of people wanted to go to a huge old, dark, sketchy building on the southside to see a show. There were not a lot of people there. Al, however, did not give a discount version of his show at all. Since there weren’t a lot of people, we were all able to get up close to the stage and party and oh man did he and his crew just put on a banger of a performance. Maybe a couple of hundred people and those of us that were there got one hell of a fantastic time out of the deal.
posted by azpenguin at 10:27 PM on August 31, 2022 [16 favorites]
I would watch the hell out of a Tom Lehrer biopic.
It’d be an odd film structurally. I think Lehrer once said he’d played 109 shows in his entire career and the most recent one was, what, fifty years ago now? I think there was a one-off in 1980, but it’s an odd third act.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:32 AM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
It’d be an odd film structurally. I think Lehrer once said he’d played 109 shows in his entire career and the most recent one was, what, fifty years ago now? I think there was a one-off in 1980, but it’s an odd third act.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:32 AM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
Weird Al puts on quite the show at his concerts.
Absolute truth. I only saw him once back in the 90s, but the man did not stand still for the entire duration of the concert and played and sang spectacularly. Just a fantastic show.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 4:16 AM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
Absolute truth. I only saw him once back in the 90s, but the man did not stand still for the entire duration of the concert and played and sang spectacularly. Just a fantastic show.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 4:16 AM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
Yeah, Al concerts are a real event. I saw him for the first time at a theater with a rotating stage and it was such a great show. The most recent time I saw him at Radio City, which featured a cameo from Lin-Manuel Miranda at the absolute height of his celebrity. I missed getting tickets to the latest tour -- which is largely sold out -- and I don't think I can bring myself to spend $250+ on the secondary market for the final show at Carnegie Hall. Which is a shame.
Also ... I absolutely cannot wait to watch this biopic. Just the absolute hammiest performances with the most absurd material.
posted by uncleozzy at 4:30 AM on September 1, 2022
Also ... I absolutely cannot wait to watch this biopic. Just the absolute hammiest performances with the most absurd material.
posted by uncleozzy at 4:30 AM on September 1, 2022
I forget the exact quote, but at some point Weird Al said that an actual biopic of him would be the most boring movie in the world, because there would be no struggle, no scandals, no hitting rock bottom and rising again -- just him doing what he does since the beginning and continuing to do so.
posted by kyrademon at 4:44 AM on September 1, 2022 [9 favorites]
posted by kyrademon at 4:44 AM on September 1, 2022 [9 favorites]
It's true. For some inexplicable reason "Behind the Music" did a Weird Al episode, and it was just incredibly tame. A show that chronicles the rise and fall of musicians and their troubles, and the best dirt they could dig on him was just that he had "found love" (or married, at least). He got married to his spouse 2 years later and they've been married for 21 years.
I'm really surprised they didn't just can that episode for lack of material.
posted by explosion at 4:54 AM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
I'm really surprised they didn't just can that episode for lack of material.
posted by explosion at 4:54 AM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
I missed getting tickets to the latest tour -- which is largely sold out -- and I don't think I can bring myself to spend $250+ on the secondary market for the final show at Carnegie Hall. Which is a shame.
Keep checking the original ticket seller website. Often tickets are cancelled for various reasons and rereleased for sale with no fanfare. Also, often blocks of tickets are held back for purchase closer to the date of the show, so some of those might appear, too. I never get tickets from the scalper markets, but usually get into shows I want to see if I'm diligent enough.
posted by hippybear at 5:04 AM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
Keep checking the original ticket seller website. Often tickets are cancelled for various reasons and rereleased for sale with no fanfare. Also, often blocks of tickets are held back for purchase closer to the date of the show, so some of those might appear, too. I never get tickets from the scalper markets, but usually get into shows I want to see if I'm diligent enough.
posted by hippybear at 5:04 AM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
I missed getting tickets to the latest tour -- which is largely sold out -- and I don't think I can bring myself to spend $250+ on the secondary market for the final show at Carnegie Hall
VIP is sold out. Other tickets appear to be available as of my Post Comment.
https://www.carnegiehall.org/Cart/Event-Seating?itemNumber=41035#/
posted by BWA at 5:21 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
VIP is sold out. Other tickets appear to be available as of my Post Comment.
https://www.carnegiehall.org/Cart/Event-Seating?itemNumber=41035#/
posted by BWA at 5:21 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
Wow, obviously I didn't read the tour listing correctly. Rock on.
edit: ohhh, man, they're all obstructed-view single seats. I think? Dangit.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:35 AM on September 1, 2022
edit: ohhh, man, they're all obstructed-view single seats. I think? Dangit.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:35 AM on September 1, 2022
For some inexplicable reason "Behind the Music" did a Weird Al episode, and it was just incredibly tame. A show that chronicles the rise and fall of musicians and their troubles, and the best dirt they could dig on him was just that he had "found love" (or married, at least)
I mean there's his explorations of the occult...
posted by trig at 6:09 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
I mean there's his explorations of the occult...
posted by trig at 6:09 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
I am completely here for Rainn Wilson as Dr. Demento. I spent many, many a Sunday night curled up in bed, listening on my transistor radio, trying to stay awake enough for the top ten.
There is a FB group called "The Dr. Demento Show - Official" which features a good amount of content, (some of it) curated and (nearly all of it) commented on by the Good Doctor, himself. It's a fun little spot.
posted by Optamystic at 6:30 AM on September 1, 2022
There is a FB group called "The Dr. Demento Show - Official" which features a good amount of content, (some of it) curated and (nearly all of it) commented on by the Good Doctor, himself. It's a fun little spot.
posted by Optamystic at 6:30 AM on September 1, 2022
It’d be an odd film structurally. I think Lehrer once said he’d played 109 shows in his entire career and the most recent one was, what, fifty years ago now?
I'd be going mainly for the scenes of his teaching math and musical theater.
(Or whatever it is he's been doing this past few decades.)
posted by bfields at 6:49 AM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
I'd be going mainly for the scenes of his teaching math and musical theater.
(Or whatever it is he's been doing this past few decades.)
posted by bfields at 6:49 AM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
I'd be going mainly for the scenes of his teaching math and musical theater.
As I say: an odd third act for a musical biopic.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:10 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
As I say: an odd third act for a musical biopic.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:10 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
I hope this awakens the public to how good a musician and lyricist Weird Al actually is. RRHoF I'm looking at you.
posted by tommasz at 7:56 AM on September 1, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by tommasz at 7:56 AM on September 1, 2022 [5 favorites]
I hope this awakens the public to how good a musician and lyricist Weird Al actually is.
IIRC, a reviewer of "Mandatory Fun," discussing "Foil," said "Al knows the original artists better than they know themselves."
posted by Melismata at 8:07 AM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
IIRC, a reviewer of "Mandatory Fun," discussing "Foil," said "Al knows the original artists better than they know themselves."
posted by Melismata at 8:07 AM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
I absolutely love that Daniel Radcliffe is just picking roles that he likes, no matter how off the wall or strange they may be. He could have totally coasted on his HP legacy if he wanted, and nope, my dude goes for weird.
Most of this idea about Radcliffe picking "weird" roles is down to Swiss Army Man, which is possibly the single weirdest film to be released featuring famous actors in the last fifty years or more. Other than that, his "weird" output is really only a couple of big-budget films where he plays a manic villain (Now You See Me 2, The Lost City) and Horns, which isn't really weird per se but just sorta genre. Maybe you can make a case for Victor Frankenstein but that's a movie that tries to button down the Frankenstein story to make it more "realistic" so eh.
Basically, Radcliffe does a lot of non-weird stuff too. Escape From Pretoria is a perfectly good prison break movie. The F Word is a charming romcom. Jungle is a decent survival movie. Imperium is a good thriller/procedural. Not all of Radcliffe's choices are good ones, but he always gives a good performance, so generally anything with him in it is worth seeing - at worst it'll be an interesting failure.
It's true. For some inexplicable reason "Behind the Music" did a Weird Al episode, and it was just incredibly tame. A show that chronicles the rise and fall of musicians and their troubles, and the best dirt they could dig on him was just that he had "found love" (or married, at least). He got married to his spouse 2 years later and they've been married for 21 years.
I'm really surprised they didn't just can that episode for lack of material.
The producers of Behind the Music later said that the Weird Al episode being so bland and unlike their usual fare was, to them, the most Weird Al that an episode of Behind the Music could possibly be.
posted by mightygodking at 8:20 AM on September 1, 2022 [7 favorites]
Most of this idea about Radcliffe picking "weird" roles is down to Swiss Army Man, which is possibly the single weirdest film to be released featuring famous actors in the last fifty years or more. Other than that, his "weird" output is really only a couple of big-budget films where he plays a manic villain (Now You See Me 2, The Lost City) and Horns, which isn't really weird per se but just sorta genre. Maybe you can make a case for Victor Frankenstein but that's a movie that tries to button down the Frankenstein story to make it more "realistic" so eh.
Basically, Radcliffe does a lot of non-weird stuff too. Escape From Pretoria is a perfectly good prison break movie. The F Word is a charming romcom. Jungle is a decent survival movie. Imperium is a good thriller/procedural. Not all of Radcliffe's choices are good ones, but he always gives a good performance, so generally anything with him in it is worth seeing - at worst it'll be an interesting failure.
It's true. For some inexplicable reason "Behind the Music" did a Weird Al episode, and it was just incredibly tame. A show that chronicles the rise and fall of musicians and their troubles, and the best dirt they could dig on him was just that he had "found love" (or married, at least). He got married to his spouse 2 years later and they've been married for 21 years.
I'm really surprised they didn't just can that episode for lack of material.
The producers of Behind the Music later said that the Weird Al episode being so bland and unlike their usual fare was, to them, the most Weird Al that an episode of Behind the Music could possibly be.
posted by mightygodking at 8:20 AM on September 1, 2022 [7 favorites]
The producers of Behind the Music later said that the Weird Al episode being so bland and unlike their usual fare was, to them, the most Weird Al that an episode of Behind the Music could possibly be.
Yeah, they nailed it.
"Coming up next: a dip in Al's career!" (When Bad Hair Day came out)
Cut to Al: "AND I HAD TO BUY THE MEDIUM-SIZED JACUZZI!!!!"
posted by Melismata at 8:23 AM on September 1, 2022 [7 favorites]
Yeah, they nailed it.
"Coming up next: a dip in Al's career!" (When Bad Hair Day came out)
Cut to Al: "AND I HAD TO BUY THE MEDIUM-SIZED JACUZZI!!!!"
posted by Melismata at 8:23 AM on September 1, 2022 [7 favorites]
the most Weird Al that an episode of Behind the Music could possibly be.
"It's like, how much more Weird could this be? And the answer is none. None more Weird."
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:25 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
"It's like, how much more Weird could this be? And the answer is none. None more Weird."
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:25 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
Most of this idea about Radcliffe picking "weird" roles is down to Swiss Army Man, which is possibly the single weirdest film to be released featuring famous actors in the last fifty years or more. Other than that, his "weird" output is really only a couple of big-budget films where he plays a manic villain (Now You See Me 2, The Lost City) and Horns, which isn't really weird per se but just sorta genre. Maybe you can make a case for Victor Frankenstein but that's a movie that tries to button down the Frankenstein story to make it more "realistic" so eh.
You forgot Guns Akimbo, where he plays (double-checks notes) a dude in a dystopic future who gets his kicks clapping back at online trolls and pisses them off so much that they break into his apartment and knock him out, and when he wakes up he's got a handgun bolted onto each of his hands and he's now being chased by dudes who are in this kind of "Fight Club" reality show for guys who've had body modifications.
There was an interview where Daniel said that the biggest reason he took the job was because early on there's a scene where his character has to urinate and is trying to figure out how to do that without shooting his own dick off, and he thought it was hysterically funny and that's what sold him. Having been in Harry Potter as a child, and having been blessed with parents who weren't dicks about his money, means that he is utterly, utterly blessed with not having to choose some films just for the money. He can choose all of his projects based on "that sounds cool, I'm in."
And fortunately for us, "that sounds cool" could mean both serious stuff like Escape from Pretoria or Kill your Darlings, and wackadoo stuff like this.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:32 AM on September 1, 2022 [20 favorites]
You forgot Guns Akimbo, where he plays (double-checks notes) a dude in a dystopic future who gets his kicks clapping back at online trolls and pisses them off so much that they break into his apartment and knock him out, and when he wakes up he's got a handgun bolted onto each of his hands and he's now being chased by dudes who are in this kind of "Fight Club" reality show for guys who've had body modifications.
There was an interview where Daniel said that the biggest reason he took the job was because early on there's a scene where his character has to urinate and is trying to figure out how to do that without shooting his own dick off, and he thought it was hysterically funny and that's what sold him. Having been in Harry Potter as a child, and having been blessed with parents who weren't dicks about his money, means that he is utterly, utterly blessed with not having to choose some films just for the money. He can choose all of his projects based on "that sounds cool, I'm in."
And fortunately for us, "that sounds cool" could mean both serious stuff like Escape from Pretoria or Kill your Darlings, and wackadoo stuff like this.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:32 AM on September 1, 2022 [20 favorites]
Other than that, his "weird" output is really only a couple of big-budget films
You also forgot his turn as Prince Frederick in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Versus the Reverend. "I went to a Swiss boarding school where the only things we learned were falconry and how to eat a banana like a gentleman"
posted by mcstayinskool at 8:47 AM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
You also forgot his turn as Prince Frederick in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Versus the Reverend. "I went to a Swiss boarding school where the only things we learned were falconry and how to eat a banana like a gentleman"
posted by mcstayinskool at 8:47 AM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
"The Man Who Changed Music. Literally." is great, but I would have gone with
The Man Who Changed Music.*
*Literally.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:55 AM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
The Man Who Changed Music.*
*Literally.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:55 AM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
Showing his commitment to the role, Radcliffe has learned the accordion well enough to play several of Weird Al's songs.
He's so committed he got Marvel ripped to play Al.
Y'know, 'cause he's a superhero.
posted by straight at 9:48 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
He's so committed he got Marvel ripped to play Al.
Y'know, 'cause he's a superhero.
posted by straight at 9:48 AM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
Looking forward to the commentary track where Radcliffe claims they had to postpone filming several times because he'd get to the set and Al would say: "Nope. If someone's gonna portray me on film in my prime, he's gotta be more jacked. Go back to the gym, Daniel."
posted by straight at 9:53 AM on September 1, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by straight at 9:53 AM on September 1, 2022 [8 favorites]
I am so, so, SO excited for this. Weird Al is one of my all-time favorites, his music, his general media presence, and I loved UHF back in the day. I love that Weird Al is finally getting recognized for his brilliance, which was apparent to everyone in my second-grade class who loved "Eat It".
posted by bile and syntax at 11:26 AM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by bile and syntax at 11:26 AM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
How about:
The Man Who Changed Lyrics. Literally.
posted by Pronoiac at 12:11 PM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
The Man Who Changed Lyrics. Literally.
posted by Pronoiac at 12:11 PM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
The Literal Man Who Literally Changed Literal Lyrics. Literally literally.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 2:03 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 2:03 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
Most of this idea about Radcliffe picking "weird" roles is down to Swiss Army Man
I'd argue that the show Miracle Workers makes a similar argument. (If you haven't seen it and this trailer is up your alley, you absolutely owe it to yourself to check it out)
posted by treepour at 2:22 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'd argue that the show Miracle Workers makes a similar argument. (If you haven't seen it and this trailer is up your alley, you absolutely owe it to yourself to check it out)
posted by treepour at 2:22 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
The literal figure who figured he could literally refigure literal music, figuratively and literally. At his littoral seaside estate.
posted by biogeo at 2:25 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by biogeo at 2:25 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
Weird LiterAl
posted by chavenet at 3:03 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by chavenet at 3:03 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
It looks like fun, but it's no Swiss Army Man
But certainly more upbeat than his appearance in Equus.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:12 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
But certainly more upbeat than his appearance in Equus.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:12 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have nostalgia for Dr. Demento, but he really is a notorious asshole and kinda creepy with young women. Ask anyone who’s met him at (Reed’s) Renn Fayre. Something of an inverse of Al’s rep.
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:22 PM on September 1, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:22 PM on September 1, 2022 [5 favorites]
The record exec keeping on the top hat while he's in the bubble bath is iconic
posted by wesleyac at 4:39 PM on September 1, 2022
posted by wesleyac at 4:39 PM on September 1, 2022
Sometimes our culture elevates someone who is just awesome to iconic status, and we all get to appreciate their genius together. I feel that way about Weird Al.
If I ever find out he's been on a yacht with Rupert Murdoch, Jared Kushner, Sting, and Billy Joel, I"m going to be heartbroken.
posted by Well I never at 5:09 PM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
If I ever find out he's been on a yacht with Rupert Murdoch, Jared Kushner, Sting, and Billy Joel, I"m going to be heartbroken.
posted by Well I never at 5:09 PM on September 1, 2022 [2 favorites]
To add to the Radcliffe love, be sure to watch his delightfully weird turns in Miracle Workers (a show that reinvents its premise and casts its actors in completely new roles each season).
posted by LooseFilter at 6:21 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by LooseFilter at 6:21 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
In conclusion, 'Weird' Al Yankovic should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
posted by Superilla at 8:52 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Superilla at 8:52 PM on September 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
It’s fine if he isn’t. Really.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 1:10 PM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 1:10 PM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
He doesn't need to be. His work will live on well beyond him even without that recognition.
posted by hippybear at 1:33 PM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 1:33 PM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
To add to the Radcliffe love, be sure to watch his delightfully weird turns in Miracle Workers (a show that reinvents its premise and casts its actors in completely new roles each season).
Or, if you don't have the time - watch this interview with Stephen Colbert in which they show one brief clip from the most recent Miracle Workers season. And - as Daniel himself says in the interview - the less context you have for the clip they show, the bettter.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:46 PM on September 2, 2022
Or, if you don't have the time - watch this interview with Stephen Colbert in which they show one brief clip from the most recent Miracle Workers season. And - as Daniel himself says in the interview - the less context you have for the clip they show, the bettter.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:46 PM on September 2, 2022
Just because his bio can’t be jammed into a “Behind the Music“-shaped hole doesn’t mean his life has been boring! I for one would love a straight-up retelling of his awesome story.
That said, I’m tickled pink by everything about this production. Team Weird Al 4 Life.
posted by whuppy at 2:53 PM on September 2, 2022
That said, I’m tickled pink by everything about this production. Team Weird Al 4 Life.
posted by whuppy at 2:53 PM on September 2, 2022
I'm sure Weird Al was aware of it and really you could tell me Weird All in this biopic turned out to be a horrible person (I hope not!)
Al TV (the set of short videos that he shows on a Jumbotron at his concerts to allow for costume changes and drink breaks) has a collection of pseudo-autobiographical and mocumentary skits about himself, and he tends to write himself in those skits as a phenomenal narcissistic asshole. I expect the production team for this movie vetoed a lot of things like that, but I might be wrong, and there might be some.
Either way, this is Al the character, not Al the real life human being. And the latter's reputation borders Keanu Reeves's.
posted by ocschwar at 5:54 PM on September 2, 2022
Al TV (the set of short videos that he shows on a Jumbotron at his concerts to allow for costume changes and drink breaks) has a collection of pseudo-autobiographical and mocumentary skits about himself, and he tends to write himself in those skits as a phenomenal narcissistic asshole. I expect the production team for this movie vetoed a lot of things like that, but I might be wrong, and there might be some.
Either way, this is Al the character, not Al the real life human being. And the latter's reputation borders Keanu Reeves's.
posted by ocschwar at 5:54 PM on September 2, 2022
AL TV was a thing on MTV for a while. He'd take over the channel once in a while. I don't remember his persona from those times, I just remember enjoying videos that weren't usually on MTV when he was in charge.
posted by hippybear at 5:59 PM on September 2, 2022
posted by hippybear at 5:59 PM on September 2, 2022
If you can, catch Work in Progress. He’s Julia Sweeney’s husband, Abby McEnany’s dad.
posted by anshuman at 4:57 AM on September 3, 2022
posted by anshuman at 4:57 AM on September 3, 2022
My favorite Weird Al concert experience was in Vancouver, BC, must have been late 80's or early 90's. The concert was at an indoor hockey stadium but they essentially cut the venue in half with a giant curtain so that the stage was in the center with its back against the curtain. When we got there it was clear that the ticketing system had weighted the tickets for optimal viewing for a game, meaning that the half-full audience was all crammed up against the curtain with a side view of the stage, with the actual best seats centered on the stage almost entirely vacant. As soon as the concert started, Al stopped things after the opening song and told everyone to go ahead and move to better seats and fill in the center, which led to the most politely Canadian mass moving of seating I have ever seen. Everyone was just so NICE about it.
posted by Lokheed at 8:21 AM on September 4, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by Lokheed at 8:21 AM on September 4, 2022 [6 favorites]
« Older Blue Check, Please | [post] with a review of [name of author]'s [title] Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Nelson at 2:16 PM on August 31, 2022 [24 favorites]