Weird Al: Beyond the Parody

So, recently my husband and I attended a sold-out performance of Weird Al Yankovic's Mandatory Fun World Tour. Mandatory Fun is Weird Al's 14th studio album and the first one to reach number one on the billboard charts. In fact, it is the first comedy album to debut at number 1 on the charts, which just proves how desperately we need laughter in our lives these days.

  


Over the last thirty years Weird Al has established himself as the incomparable wizard of musical parody. How can you deny the genius of the man who took the lascivious and crude lyrics of Blurred Lines and transformed the song into the witty and literate Word Crimes. Not to mention, Weird Al conquered the Herculean task of making polka music and the accordion cool.

 

Weird Al's talent and skill as a writer is not limited to lyrics. He has written for radio, television, the internet, and even wrote and starred in his own movie. Now I know that UHF, which came out in 1989, was not a huge financial success but that does not make it any less hilarious. In fact, I have owned it on VHS, DVD, and now I have it on blu-ray.  At the pre-party for the concert I actually got to spin a wheel of fish which was one of the highlights of the whole evening (even though I did not win the red snapper). The only way the night could have been better is if I had the chance to teach a poodle how to fly (just kidding: I would never toss a poodle out of a window). 

 So UHF may be relegated to cult classic status, but Yankovic's more recent foray into the world of children's literature has been much more popular. Weird Al's picture debut, When I grow Up, features his trademark giggle-inducing rhymes accompanied by bright and whimsical illustrations by Wes Hargis.

The topic for show and tell is "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and eight year old Billy is overjoyed when he is called on first. Unfortunately, none of the other students will have the opportunity to share, because Billy plans on being EVERYTHING when he grows up. Some of these vocations are more realistic than others, a chef compared to a gorilla masseuse, but Billy's enthusiasm will have you believing that anything is possible.

In My New Teacher and Me the ebullient Billy is back and it is the beginning of a brand new school year. What would the first day of school be without the teacher asking what you did during your summer vacation? What is less predictable, however, are the improbable tales spun by the wildly imaginative Billy.

My love for these two books partially stems from the fact that I currently have an eight year old little boy who chatters incessantly and is quite the vivid storyteller. When I Grow Up and My New Teacher and Me are full of charm and humor. Yankovic brilliantly celebrates creativity and all of those kids out there that march to the beat of their own drummers (or accordions in Yankovic's case).

Weird Al Yankovic has also flexed his writing skills as the first-ever guest editor of Mad Magazine. Now I know many people think that Mad Magazine is crude and only for pubescent boys, but I still read Mad and I am a thirty-something female librarian who majored in English Literature. I have always found Mad to be hysterical and, when you think about it, satire (good satire) takes a considerable amount of wit and intelligence. You do not even have to purchase a copy, you can check out Mad #533 at the library. Unless, of course, you want your own copy of this historic issue.






If after reading this post you find yourself wanting to learn all about the man, the mystery, the genius that is Weird Al Yankovic he has written an autobiography. Shockingly, the book is called Weird Al: The Book. I am pretty sure that publishing your own memoir and/or having a VH1 Behind the Music special made about you is a sure sign that you have made it is a music star. Honestly, though, the book is an incredibly interesting chronicle of Weird Al's career from his days on the Dr. Demento radio show to his more recent success with Mandatory Fun.

The greatest thing about Weird Al is that he is an artist that spans generations. My three kids are also huge fans (you should hear my youngest sing One More Minute, which is his favorite song). As a parent, Weird Al is a celebrity that I do not mind my kids emulating. He was valedictorian of his class at the age of 16, has a successful career that he loves, and seems reasonably down to earth despite being famous. I am just thankful that he finally got rid of the mustache, because if we are being totally honest, the only man who looks good with a mustache is Tom Selleck.