Let’s start with my reaffirmation that I am not a fan of Weird Al Yankovic. However, unlike most, I am willing to keep an open mind about my opinion. And, as many have said he puts on an amazing live show, I am willing to reserve final judgment until I see him perform his shtick, live and in person (as long as the tickets are less than $30 each).
But, he is here…in our Springfields…begging for attention (which seems to be his primary purpose in life), which warrants a post about him here.
What seems evident to me, is that he is much the same in the game, as he is in real life…a cartoon character, based primarily on his ability to spin puns and parity into gold (and bling). Even I have to admit…he has is act down.
So, where did he first show up? And how will he interact with our characters long after this update is over? Let’s take a look…
According to his WIKI profile: “Alfred Matthew “Weird Al” Yankovic (/ˈjæŋkəvɪk/ YANG-kə-vik; born October 23, 1959) is an American singer, songwriter, parodist, record producer, satirist, actor, voice actor, music video director, film producer, and author. He is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts, original songs that are style pastiches of the work of other acts, and polka medleys of several popular songs, featuring his favored instrument, the accordion.”
I had to look up the term “style pastiches” to fully understand. According to Webster.com, “A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theater, or music that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. … Pastiche is an example of eclecticism in art.”
So…it was pretty much what I thought it was. Al just rips off other people’s ideas, to “make them his own.” Not exactly original…but then, neither is most of Pop music these days…but, I digress.
He has made a handsome living (that phrase always makes me laugh…what is the opposite of a “handsome living?” a “butt-ugly living???”), from taking other people’s music…and then through music and video, making fun of the original, while keeping himself in the joke, by being an accordion-playing buffoon, with a smirk. I guess the old saying, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” goes a long way in Al’s mind. He flatters, a lot!
Getting his start with bits on the “Doctor Demento” show in 1976, most fans remember his huge success with Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” redux, “Eat It” (1984) But by then, he already had certified hits with “My Bologna” (parody of My Sharona- 1079), “Another One Rides the Bus” (You can guess that one- 1981), and “I Love Rocky Road” (Joan Jett had to love that one- 1983).
While Al usually has the tacit blessing of the artists he is ripping off, there are several who have denied him the right to mess with their hits, including Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Prince, and surprisingly, James Blunt. I say “surprisingly” in that Blunt didn’t have much of a career to risk.
OK…so enough about the “Real Al,” (is there a real Al?). Let’s move on to his appearances in “The Simpsons” and TSTO.
He has appeared in four Simpsons episodes…always as himself (to be fair…how can you parody someone who is a parody in real life?). His most notable appearance was his first, in “Three Gays of the Condo,” when Marge hires him to write a love song to woo Homer back from living with two gay men. Yes. This was one of the episodes that stretched credulity, even for the Simpsons.
He also made appearances in the episodes “That ’90s Show,” “The Food Wife,” and “White Christmas Blues,” where his song, “Pringle Bells,” was featured.
The best part of being someone who in real life, is “part cartoon,” is that you can pretty much show up anywhere, and everywhere. My guess, is that Al may have in fact reached out to EA to be part of TSTO. And while that may be a push, you can bet he had nothing but support for the idea for appearing in the game. After all…who was he going to sue if they used his likeness?
However…I do find it odd that he is not voiced. I would have thought that he would have no problem lending his voice to a project, knowing that there was nobody who was going to try to imitate someone who imitates others for a living.
The “Physics Loop” of an imitation cancelling out another imitation may be at work here…much like the physics of “stereo phasing” can actually cancel out two distinct recorded tracks that had microphones out of phase, when the track is played in mono. Look it up…it’s a very real phenomenon (here’s a video).
So…in the world of theoretic physics…if may mean that Weird Al’s voice is actually playing…you just can’t hear it.
Or not.
But what IS clear, is that while the EA programmers were happy to use Weird Al (can we just call him Weird for short?) profusely in this update, they cheaped-out horribly in the number of tasks, and especially outdoor tasks they gave him.
Weird Al Permanent Tasks
- Permission to Parody a Song – Cash 70- XP 17- 60m – Brown House
- Squeeze Out a Parody – Cash 175 – XP 45 – 4h – Brown House
- Parody Himself – Cash 275- XP 70 – 8h – OUTDOORS
- Get Inspiration – Cash 420 – XP 100 – 12h – Kwik-E-Mart
- Fix a Simpsons Relationship – Cash 600 – XP 150 – 24h – Simpson House
So you can see the problem…he is barely outside (mostly in the Brown House), and the one time he is outside, he is doing a parody of himself (see the Dual Imitation Physics Phase Cancellation theory above).
I’m going to give the guy a break. He has made a fabulous career, using his talent to bring happiness to those with a low standard for humor (kind of like Taylor Swift), and for that, many of you are abundantly grateful!
For me…grinding to earn Weird Al Prizes is a bit like trying to collect all of his record catalog. You can do it…but, in the end, you may find yourself asking why you went to all of the trouble for this kind of a reward.
Go ahead. Bring it on. I know there are Weird Al fans out there. Let’s hear why I am wrong…and why I should stop harshin’ on your boy. I can take it.
Yes. The world can use some more “silly” right now. But I’d preferred to have Spinal Tap in the mix. Now THAT would be worth the grinding!
Seems you don’t consider pastiche and parody to be substantial. You must hate comedy.
Nope. Just derivative lazy comedy. Also not a fan of carrot top or ghallager.
It’s actually kind of a privilege to be one of his parodies I’ve seen a few times on comedy or musical documentaries that most people in pop culture feel that “they have made it” in the business once Weird Al has done a job on you, coincidentally people in the business feel the same way about making it on the Simpsons. From what I’ve heard. Thx.
Of course we are all entitled to our opinions. That includes you and anybody else who shares your views of weird Al. I on the other hand do not. I have experienced countless moments of laughter and appreciation from his parodies. I have met him as he has a part time home near where I live and I found him humble,down to earth and anything but a cartoon character. I feel that he is brilliantly talented and very creative. We all experience life through our own filters. Yours isn’t the truth anymore then mine is. Thank you, Mirace Steinfeld
Well stated… polite…and well thought out.
It is clear that there are some SERIOUS Al fans out there! I just don’t happen to be one of them.
Dr. Demento is not spelled Dr. Dimento.
😛 There’s an amazing thing out there…. called Spellcheck! Try it sometime.
Seriously? You think Demento is a word???? For the record…”Spell Check” doesn’t know EITHER Spelling. Yer killin’ me… But, I’ll make the correction, so I don’t offend your delicate eyes…LOL!
Oh, is this a special little closed group for you and your friends? I’ll leave you to it then……. heh.
It’s not a closed group, but we’re a site about The Simpsons Tapped Out Mobile game… so if you don’t play the game & you’re not part of our community things may be lost on you. Just a bit.
Are you a regular reader here? Or did you just search Weird Al’s name and find this post? I’ve never seen you in the comments before…if you are a regular reader at least Pat’s post has inspired you to come out of the “shadows” and write a comment.
Al writes half of the songs on his albums, and of the other half,some are style parodies rather than individual song parodies, much the way Spinal Tap was (which would be Cool in-game too). So less than half are taken from others.
But the comparison to Taylor Swift, low blow man….
I get it. He has some fans….maybe a lot of fans…but I am still needing to see him live to appreciate the “true artist” in him apparently.
In addition to writing several original pieces, Weird Al is a truly talented musician who plays with a band of talented musicians. Being able to play that many styles of music can’t be a simple matter. This might be why you’ve been told to see him live, so you can watch the transition from lounge music to swing music to hip-hop to complex rock guitar riffs. Yes, some of those riffs were created by others, some are original, but they are played with precision acknowledged by some of the snobbiest music snobs I’ve ever met. Even those who don’t think it’s funny have said the musicianship is impressive. And he’s done wholly original works in the style of some bands, style so dead on that several people think it must be direct parody. That takes a certain talent as well, even if you don’t think it requires artistry.
I get that you don’t like him. I get why. I just think it’s worth acknowledging talent where it exists. There are plenty of musicians I don’t personally like, but I still acknowledge if they have real talent. Speed metal, for example, is incredibly difficult to play, but I don’t enjoy listening to it for the most part. Some singers have amazing voices, yet have never sung a song I enjoy listening to. The subjective talent might not make something objectively enjoyable, but that doesn’t mean the talent should be dismissed.
I love weird al!! I celebrate his whole career. Hey patric, i was at the coast cruising the goodwill in Florence and found his Dare to be Stupid CD for $0.99. Had to get it to rock out on the drive back to Eugene. Good times. My 14 year old daughter didnt think it was as good as i did. But she liked “girls just wanna have lunch”. He has been known to perform at the lane county fair and a couple summers ago he played at the Cuthbert. Havent seen him yet but i want to.
OK.. here’s the deal…If he comes back to our area…and you see that he is…TELL ME and we’ll go together…Yokay?
I’m game. I actually have been to loads of music I didn’t care for live that I likes on CD…same the other way. I often like artists live better than their recorded versions. More intimate.
Wait. No opera stage?!?
….
j/k
We already HAVE Krusty’s Opera Stage….”No More Rice Krispies!!”
You have to have a certain type of sense of humor to enjoy him. My older daughter loves him. We sing and laugh together with his songs. My younger daughter hates (yes I said hates) his music. It is her lose.
I look at it like my dad loves the Three Stuges. When I watch an episode I might chuckle once. Other that that it’s tortcher! Some like strawberry some vanilla. Neither are bad. It’s all about taste.
Eww… vanilla. You should have gone with Some like strawberry some chocolate. Nobody likes vanilla. Vanilla is bad regardless of taste.
I love vanilla.
Safi, you are a crazy boy! If nobody liked vanilla, it wouldn’t be the 2nd best selling flavor in the US (chocolate is 1st, of course). Nothing is better than two scoops of real vanilla bean ice cream with fresh pineapple and bananas and a drizzle of Coco Lopez coconut syrup. If you really want to go wild, you sprinkle toasted coconut on top…yummmm👍😄.
I was just joking. Ironically, I was eating a snack pack vanilla pudding cup as I wrote that message. Sadly, I ate two more after that. Yup, 3 vanilla pudding cups in the past two hours. So much for the diet.
Uhm… Safi…you have to be careful what you write around here…this crowd is full of “literalists” who take every word to heart! Subtle humor, or irony, is lost… Take it from me… LOL! I like vanilla…as long as it has some flavoring on it. Vanilla is like a waffle…great base…but needs flavoring to make it kick!
Somehow irony doesn’t translate well. Especially the subtle kind. Better to state it outright… 😉
Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world
Personally…I love vanilla. It’s my favorite ice cream flavor…everything tastes good with it! 🙂
I think that is the point of vanilla ice cream. It’s subtle flavor provides a perfect base, and you can build on it with anything. Fruit, nuts, chocolate, cookie dough – anything goes.
The trade-off: it is a bit boring on its own… 🙂
lol i’ll eat it by itself too…I guess I’m just very vanilla 😉
Agreed on the Stooges – how anyone can find their unfettered violence funny, is beyond me.
I’m wondering if buttons would have been pushed if we were talking about Allan Sherman. 5 points to all if they know to whom I refer!!!!!
I know him 🙂
“Hello Muddah….Hello Fadah…here I am at..Camp Granada!”
BOOM!
Marge, is Lisa at camp Granada?
As I recall, during one of Weird Al’s appearances on the show, Homer actually taunted him with: “I liked you better when you were Allan Sherman.” 😀
Wow, I don’t remember that at all. Now that’s a funny line!!!
And I think the “Chewie Suit” guy would be better for this kind of post (I remember he said he was a fan but I don’t remember that well). I wouldn’t mind if you did research but the most things above are not opinions, they are just wrong.
Actually…DID research it. His own page, and his WIKI page support what I wrote. But, I get it… people only want to read good stuff about the people they love. I have several “Dead Head” friends too…
You seem to have a lot of hate on for someone who only tries to entertain and make people laugh. Didn’t realize being a cranky old guy meant that much hate, I feel badly for you.
He does put on an amazing live show, and you actually could probably get a ticket for $30 as he’s not like those mega-stars who charge a couple hundred for a nosebleed seat.
Dude…seriously…this is Hate??? No… it is an opinion on “art.” I don’t Hate any artists. Hate takes too much energy. I usually just ignore them…unless they show up in my game. There are loads and loads of artists whose music I do not like…but “hate” is far too strong a term. Biggots? Yep. I hate biggots. Pedophiles? Yep. But, that’s just common sense. But, AL? Nope. Don’t hate him. And for the love of god…don’t feel bad for me. I have suffered the slings and arrows of those with whom I disagree for years. I can take it.
Don’t know why but when I read the part “(can we just call him weird for short)” for some reason I was expecting you to make a reference to the song” you can call me Al”
LOL!
Rap isn’t music.
Why no country stage?
Dissapointed yet again….
Man… don’t start this one. I’ve been arguing with my daughters about hip hop and rap for decades… But, I have come around that it is a form of music- especially these days with guys like Chance the Rapper, and Tyler the Creator out there. BUT…they SHOULD have had a Country Stage…with Lurleen Lumpkin and others able to perform. But, I see the confusion…as most of today’s country sounds more like Pop and the Rock I grew up with.
Rappers just mimicked Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Modern Major General” and Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” which most definitely are music!
I’ve actually heard some “Weird Al” versions of songs before the originals, and oftentimes I prefer the parodies. “Amish Paradise,” esp the music video of that song, is one of my all-time favorites – “You know I shun fancy things like electricity!”
He does have some very funny lyrics…
To sit back get stoned all day and make fun of some people’s sometimes stupid music. What a great life.love the guy!!!
The getting stoned part might help…for sure.
I am a Weird Al fan, but I gotta agree that Spinal Tap would have been an excellent addition.
Spinal Tap…now THAT is what I call a parody of the music business. So…freakin’…funny!
haha indeed. “but this goes to eleven”
I have been a huge fan of Weird Al since I started hearing him on the Doctor Dimento Show. I loved recording that to cassette so I could hear my favorite songs over and over. I think that he’s always been a highly underrated musician because he is in a niche market of his own making. That in and of itself is impressive to me.
I get that his style of music isn’t for everyone, but he’s clearly a successful business man and musician or he wouldn’t have a 40+ year career.
Agreed on all counts…
This is probably the second post of Patric’s I’ve read and probably the last. Might as well have just written “get off my lawn.”
You don’t look at the calendar post?
LOL…I do try to temper my “CrankyOldGuy” persona as it comes to the game…but, I reserve the right to bloviate about music as much as I wish. But, yes…if you just want “sunshine and roses”, then you best Get Off My Lawn!
Honestly there’s a lot of weird al songs I like where I just don’t like the original songs but then again that might just be me
For what it’s worth, there is a notable difference between his parodies (which are basically rewriting the lyrics but keeping everything else about the original song the same) and his pastiches (original songs written and composed by him, but done in such a manner that they seem like they were written and composed by the artist or band he is imitating). I find the latter to be where he really displays his talent, especially in a day and age where you can find hundreds or thousands of parodies (good and bad – mostly bad) on the internet days or even hours after a new song is released.
I’ve been a huge fan for decades, but everyone has their own tastes. I will echo the other sentiments about his live show – I hope you get the chance to see it someday.
Also, Word Crimes is the best video ever.
I do agree…that his “Pastiches” are better…and take more talent. But, in my mind, I keep comparing him to the guys who “forge the masters” in painting. They are clearly talented…but why are they afraid to just be themselves??
I’ve never been able to listen to an Al song, without appreciating the talent behind the original (even in style…because that is also original) without wondering if he could write his own music…
Hey, you’re welcome to your opinion, Cranky. 😉 I’m one of those low-standard-of-humor guys who knows the words to “The Saga Begins” better than those to “American Pie”! 😀
LOL! Nice… and frankly, who would want to remember ALL of the words to “American Pie,” a song that clearly needed an editor!
I wouldn’t say that Weird Al “ripped off” any artists. It’s parody. I think it’s gotten to the point now that most artists are honored and flattered to have Weird Al do one of their songs.
I am not surprised…it’s like having the SNL folks make fun of you. Well…maybe not. I mean, that nothing he does musically is original…it is a lifted style, or almost lick for lick… Words are his. But mostly just bad puns.
Honestly, I think the only area where I’d disagree with you is on the whole ‘stealing other’s work’
He’s not stealing…he’s with permission creating a parody, and with permission from the artist he is parodying….I’ve even heard of some artists being honored that he asked because they knew it meant they were now a ‘big thing’ or something to..that effect…
Only time I know of that he released a song without permission was when lady gags’s legal beagle was a pain in the butt he released it for free. And Gaga heard ‘perform this way’ and loved it and told him to put it on the album…
And he does do originals like ‘stuck in the drive thru’
Other than that, I can’t say I’m a fan of much stuff beyond straight outta compton…white and nerd was my comedy jam for awhile….
Stuck in the drive-thru is a parody of R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet”. Love that video tho, even with how long it is.
And I just can’t believe it…They forgot the onions!
Weird Al is a great entertainer. Even his non-parody songs are funny. His concerts are a blast. For some reason, baby boomers don’t care for him. Maybe they take themselves too seriously. Weird Al certainly doesn’t.
Uhm…to the contrary…Baby Boomers MADE him. Gen Xers and Millenials were barely born when he had his biggest hits. But, yes…I am clearly taken too seriously here! LOL!
The only issue I have with your description of Wierd Al is the phrase “begging for attention (which seems to be his primary purpose in life)”. It’s phrased like you see it as a negative… to me, it seems like a pretty accurate description of any entertainer anywhere on the planet.
It’s funny… I thought about editing that line out…but then realized that while most entertainers love attention and adulation, they don’t resort to overtly begging for it. Not sure that Weird Al actually fits that description…especially since people like Kathy Griffin and Taylor Swift (and the Kardashians) have raised that bar significantly. So…point taken!
For me WA is on par with Carrot Top and one time in Las Vegas a friend gave us some comps to his show at the Luxor. My respect for him as an entertainer drastically elevated, maybe the same can be said about WA live and getting comps doesn’t hurt either.
Comps always makes the experience less critical! LOL! You can always to to the “hey…it was worth the price!” argument when it was free!
Omg….listened to so much off this as a kid with my brother and my best friend….so many silly childhood laughs….I cant possibly hate lol. My favorite is his “Lola” parody….”Yoda”…too funny😊😊😊
Wow. A lot of your information on Al is off a bit. James Blunt had no problem with his parody, his record label refused. His original songs are a lot more involved than you seem to think.
If you wish to get a small taste of his live performance he has 2 dvds available, Weird Al Live and the Alpocalypse Tour. They don’t show everything, but they are good.
I know despite what you say you’ve closed your mind and clearly have little idea of what he’s done since the 80’s, but he has evolved. He is also one of the nicest guys I’ve never met and actually cares about his fans.
OK…taking off my “CrankyOldGuy” costume…I have heard he is a really nice guy. He is also a guy who is great at his craft. But, like most music…it is completely subjective…and I’m just not a fan of the genre. And Blunt? I liked his first albums…not so much after that. Again…subjective. There are tons of great singer songwriters out there, and he just doesn’t make my list.
Man, that’s some mad shade for Al. My wife can’t stand him either but, personally” I’ve been a fan since “I Think I’m a Clone Now.” I’m not sure how much the tickets ended up being but it was hands down one of the best shows I’ve seen live. I’d guess it was close to a 3 hour show with costume changes, hilarious props, and lots of audience interaction. And not that 57 is old, but that guy was doing shoulder kicks and some pretty hardcore dancing WHILE wearing his “Fat” suit. I firmly believe anybody can write a parody (well, maybe not ANYBODY…but a lot of people could) but consistently good parodies? Talent.
Also UHF is straight hilarious.
Omg….UHF!!!! My mop!!!
Badgers? We don’t need no stinkin’ badgers!!!
Again…I’ve heard his live shows are amazing. I want a chance to see one…for sure. But, his music? Probably better live.
What artists do you think are better on album than live? This is a serious question – I’ve tried to rewrite it several times because I feel like it comes off as sarcastic but I’m genuinely wondering. I’ve heard Ed Sheeran is one but I haven’t listened to him much in general so tough for me to speculate.
Is anyone else having problems filling all the concert sites? I had no problems with the last two using the auto fill feature but for this one I’m usually short 2-3 spots
http://tstoaddicts.com/2017/08/30/homerpalooza-101-jam-sessions-for-act-3/
And…as I will write about in a post tomorrow…filing the stages completely just isn’t important to hitting the daily goals.
I have: BGM, Freddy&Shredder, Rockstar Maggie (3rd try :-D) and Alcatraaz. Oh, and Leon.
So I’ve got all the premiums EXCEPT Rocking Otto.
21 rock-pop-hoppers for 22 available performances on the 8 stages.
Can’t fill the stages completly either 😉
I have everyone available to jam, which means I could theoretically fill all the spots, but it only works if at least one of the swing stages is rock. If that’s not the case, than one rocker goes free, while one of the other stages is one performer short. Nothing you can do about it…