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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
funny
informative
medium-paced
Well-organized, shrewdly written, enjoyable read
funny
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
If you like Weird Al, and also like to have something to read at bedtime that is vaguely interesting but not overstimulating so you can get ready to sleep, this is the book for you. I don't know what I will do at bedtime now that it's finished. It's so weirdly serious! I mean, I guess it says that in the title, but she's not kidding. It's downright academic.
You will pick up some interesting factoids and the most distressing thing you'll have to contemplate is whether "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi" plays too much on Jewish stereotypes considering that Al is not actually Jewish.
You will pick up some interesting factoids and the most distressing thing you'll have to contemplate is whether "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi" plays too much on Jewish stereotypes considering that Al is not actually Jewish.
God bless Weird Al Yankovic. He started his musical career just as I was entering adolescence and seeking out my own musical comedy interests independent of my parents' records and tastes. In 3-D wasn't the first album I bought with my own money, but it was in the mix of early purchases, and I recall watching the video for Ricky countless times at the tail end of music video blocks inserted between programming on cable before our local provider added MTV to the line-up. I don't remember if it was on HBO, Spotlight, or Nickelodeon (maybe you remember?), but it made an enormous impression on me as I branched out from enjoying the parody artists gifted me by my father - Stan Freberg, Allan Sherman, and the Usual Gang of Idiots at MAD - into new parodies of the radio hits I picked for myself. He's been a constant companion ever since. This book is a fine appreciation of Weird Al's work. It's a scholarly approach, which made it a longer reading experience than I expected, but it does a fine job of situating Weird Al's art in the broader library of American satire and parody. The author freely confesses to being guilty of dissecting the frog, to cite EB White's simile for analyzing humor, and on occasion over-explains jokes that don't really need to be unpacked. Nevertheless, the enterprise is all well-intentioned, and the deep dive into published interviews, social media conversations, and prior writings creates a fine mosaic portrait of Weird Al's life and art. The book benefits from the author's personal touch and one-on-one conversations with Weird Al.
I really, really wanted to like and be entertained by this book, especially since there's another cycle of "comeback" for Weird Al Yankovic in full swing (with the release of his movie, "Weird"). But this was more of a scholarly approach than a fun one. And that approach comes with an agenda.
There is a pretty good overview of his career in Chapter 1, and the author does manage to talk about Al's "niceness," his nerdyness and his clever word play. She even goes out of her way to deny he's Jewish (invoking some stereotypes to do so).
But how did she fail to address his actual faith? He's a Christian, not in your face about it but, apparently, pretty devout. That would seem to inform his life choices (no alcohol, no drugs, no profanity) more than politics.
Guess she didn't want to know.
Where she lost me was when she somehow veered off into all the current hot-button topics - race, politics, gender - and the author's perception of Al's position on them. "My Bologna" challenges heteronormative standards??
Top bad she brought a lot of her own agenda into her writing - but then I guess everyone does to a certain extent. In the end, though, this book felt like it was about everything - except the music.
There is a pretty good overview of his career in Chapter 1, and the author does manage to talk about Al's "niceness," his nerdyness and his clever word play. She even goes out of her way to deny he's Jewish (invoking some stereotypes to do so).
But how did she fail to address his actual faith? He's a Christian, not in your face about it but, apparently, pretty devout. That would seem to inform his life choices (no alcohol, no drugs, no profanity) more than politics.
Guess she didn't want to know.
Where she lost me was when she somehow veered off into all the current hot-button topics - race, politics, gender - and the author's perception of Al's position on them. "My Bologna" challenges heteronormative standards??
Top bad she brought a lot of her own agenda into her writing - but then I guess everyone does to a certain extent. In the end, though, this book felt like it was about everything - except the music.
I couldn't resist this book about "Weird Al" Yankovic's musical career. I'm a big fan of him and love a good (or some may think "bad") pun and parody. Some people have mentioned surprise he's lasted as long as he has. I suppose some of that can be attributed to people not understanding how much staying power well done parodies and puns have.
Touted as the most "normal" guy in the musical field as well as the nicest. Not all of his parodies have aged well and if he thinks that it may have caused some discomfort for some he often will choose to donate proceeds from that song to a charity. (Proceeds from "I Perform This Way" went to a LGBTQ+ charity since Lady Gaga is a supporter.) He's tried hard to be pretty neutral and often mocks himself as much as others. He's always gotten permission from the artists before releasing with the one exception, which was a misunderstanding, of Coolio's song. However, later Coolio admitted that he over-reacted and had been taking himself way too seriously and wished he hadn't because he thought it was quite funny. The only musician to routinely refuse his requests to do a parody was Prince. Don McLean who wrote "American Pie" that Al did a parody of called "The Saga Continues" said that his kids played the parody so much that he almost sang those lyrics on stage instead of the original.
The author breaks down some of the parodies seeing the more subtle nuances in his work as well as to how much research he puts into it. Al admits that once he starts writing his entire focus is on that and it's the part of his creative phase his wife hates. For example, he spent 1 week in the library reading up on ducks while writing the parody, "I Want a New Duck". He doesn't like getting political or get up on a soap box with his stuff. It's more subtle than that. When he was asked why so many of his parodies seemed to be poking fun at toxic masculinity he responded, "Because it deserves to be mocked." He also like to do parodies to tone the seriousness down some.
There's a wealth of information in this book and I found it quite fun to read. I know that I have a whole new respect for the subtleties of parody.
Touted as the most "normal" guy in the musical field as well as the nicest. Not all of his parodies have aged well and if he thinks that it may have caused some discomfort for some he often will choose to donate proceeds from that song to a charity. (Proceeds from "I Perform This Way" went to a LGBTQ+ charity since Lady Gaga is a supporter.) He's tried hard to be pretty neutral and often mocks himself as much as others. He's always gotten permission from the artists before releasing with the one exception, which was a misunderstanding, of Coolio's song. However, later Coolio admitted that he over-reacted and had been taking himself way too seriously and wished he hadn't because he thought it was quite funny. The only musician to routinely refuse his requests to do a parody was Prince. Don McLean who wrote "American Pie" that Al did a parody of called "The Saga Continues" said that his kids played the parody so much that he almost sang those lyrics on stage instead of the original.
The author breaks down some of the parodies seeing the more subtle nuances in his work as well as to how much research he puts into it. Al admits that once he starts writing his entire focus is on that and it's the part of his creative phase his wife hates. For example, he spent 1 week in the library reading up on ducks while writing the parody, "I Want a New Duck". He doesn't like getting political or get up on a soap box with his stuff. It's more subtle than that. When he was asked why so many of his parodies seemed to be poking fun at toxic masculinity he responded, "Because it deserves to be mocked." He also like to do parodies to tone the seriousness down some.
There's a wealth of information in this book and I found it quite fun to read. I know that I have a whole new respect for the subtleties of parody.
A bit dry, but it illuminates Al for both better and worse. I'm not trying to cancel Al here- I was and remain a big fan- but it's hard to miss the Jon Stewart of it all. All this work, all this thought, and he always obfuscates and dances around any meaning or real stand. Am I looking for Al to be today's prophet? No, but it does reinforce the sort of privilege he has, how he can go right up to the line of satire and then back away, pleasing all. Whether it's Trigger Happy or an appearance on John Oliver, he always goes to pains to insist none of this is political, it's just a joke, wanting his music to be for everyone. That'll be endearing to some or offputting to others. I didn't need to know Al was against 'cancel culture', for example. But this book got me thinking about a man I've grown up with all my life, and there's value in taking a deeper look and interrogating the things we love. So in that regard, the book succeeds.
As the title suggests, this isn't a humorous book. Hirsch analyzes the career and works of Weird Al and looks for trends throughout and views them from a modern (2020) lens. The book is an interesting look back at Al and his life. I think this books will be most appreciated by longtime fans of Al, but it should be noted that this is an academic analysis rather than a traditional biography.
Love Weird Al. Didnt love the author's quest for deeper meaning where it doesn't exist.