Weird Al

Today, I decided to share a paper I wrote a few years ago, when I returned to college for a short time. Surprisingly, I had to retake an English class because it had been too many years since I'd had one. I could have challenged the class, but I thought it might be fun to retake it. What's funny is that they were willing to accept credits for English classes that are much more complicated.

Anyway, this paper is all about writing inspiration, which is one of our biggest challenges. I hope you can find some inspiration in it.

What do you think of when you hear the name Weird Al Yankovic? Do you giggle a little or jeer? Do you find him brilliant or just another rip-off artist? Regardless of your opinion, he has successfully entertained his fans for over forty years. A fact that makes him a creative genius for this comedy fiction writer. And after listening to his interview on the podcast How to Write Funny, it’s clear that whatever writing project you tackle, all writers experience similar highs and lows. Discovering that Weird Al can conquer this hurdle, and has consistently produced award-winning comedy, also makes him a true inspiration.

Al Yankovic, better known as Weird Al, is only five years older than me, which means I have witnessed his career firsthand. And I’ve remained a fan even though a long time had passed since I had viewed any of his videos. How could I not be? I’m a lifetime connoisseur of bizarre and dark comedy, and it’s my favorite genre to write. Catching up on his songs only took thirty-minute on his YouTube channel and an hour on iTunes. As I watched his old work from the 1980s, it was like a blast to the past in a time machine, during the early days of cable television and the birth of MTV. Don’t get me started on the big hair, shoulder pads and leg warmers.

Since Weird Al released his first recording in 1976, he has written 150 parodies and original songs, sold 12 million albums, and performed 1000 live shows. Mandatory Fun, released in 2014, hit #1 the first week it was out (qtd. Wikipedia). How has this guy been able to parody so many records over the years and with such continued success? Well, his podcast interview provided all the insight needed to answer this question.

As I hit the play link to start the podcast, I wondered what I’d take away from a discussion with Weird Al. After all, he has spent most of his life writing lyrics, and I write fiction. Then again, the two formats have one thing in common. Storytelling has been around in many forms since humans developed the ability to communicate their tales. Even his preference for parodies date back to the 14^th century, with the lyrical form gaining popularity in the 1700s (qtd. Wikipedia). Bottom line, whatever the format of the narrative, we’re both attempting to entertain. If my hunches were right, I would learn from his methods and success no matter the medium.

First, I found that past influences, including bullying, shaped his life and career. Probably one reason he spends a lot of time in his head, an activity in which I can relate. Weird Al’s reminiscing about the harassment he endured flashed me back to episodes with my own tormentors, so skilled at delivering burning humiliations that tied my stomach into knots. Dickkers, the interviewer, pointed out that these incidents lead some comedians to dark places, where a need for revenge becomes the inspiration for their jokes (qtd. Dickkers). This is not my process for writing comedy and refreshing to find it’s not Weird Al’s.

Instead, he escaped through an obsession with Mad Magazine. Mine was watching hours of The Three Stooges reruns and every science fiction and horror B movies that aired on Chicago’s local television stations. In my teens, building worlds with pencil and paper provided a means to create, control and release the pain. Common themes if you grew up in the 70s and 80s, and proof that laughter is the best medicine, or at least a way to survive childhood before the internet.

While continuing to listen, Weird Al’s upbeat nature drew me in. He’s authentically himself in real life and his music videos. The more he spoke, the more I liked him, and the more I wanted to learn from him.

There’s a high-level of consistency regarding Weird Al’s career, including him staying true to his brand. From the very beginning, he quit college radio when producers restricted his show’s format and personal expression. After hearing this, I felt jealous he was so comfortable with self at an early age. At 55 I’m still struggling to figure out who I am as a comedy writer.

And speaking of comedy writing, Weird Al’s lessons on making people laugh included familiar rules I’ve strived to master. Like all writers, he starts with an idea, expands upon it, and completes many drafts. He works in layers, starting with a strange and stupid premise he builds upon to deliver the punchline.  

As a song writer, he’s a poet, rhyming his way to laughter with his outrageous lyrics. His resources are a little different, although maybe they shouldn’t be. When the conversation turned to rhyming dictionaries, I was quick to google resource like rhymedb.com and rhymezone.com and stored them away in my browser’s bookmarks. He’ll be with me in spirit when I call upon the sites to twist and turn a character’s dialog.

“Fat,” a parody of Michael Jackson’s “Bad” hit, is a perfect example of his style. I re-watched this play on America’s obsession with food while eating a salad. When he sang, “Don’t you call me pudgy, portly or stout…” in a fat suit, struggling to jump the turnstile in a New York subway tunnel, a spit-take of dressing droplets escaped my mouth and landed on the computer monitor (Yankovic).

Weird Al is so much more than a writer. During the podcast he talked about trying to master Michael Jackson’s moves in “Eat It,” but no matter how hard he tried, he came off ridiculous. Call it luck, but his awkward lashing of limbs was the best part of that video.

Being comfortable with his nerdiness works. His career would fall flat without this ability, and he’s the first to admit this. I see him as one with his material and that helps the spectators relax until he hits the crowd with another of his absurdity.

His outrageous social commentaries capture attention—another reason for his success. Either he makes light of humanities atrocities or pokes fun at popular culture. Quite a spectrum of audience participation, considering the peoples of the world endlessly hand him ideas for his parities.

I’m drawn to his more controversial parodies because the lyrics make me uncomfortable to the point I laugh. Others may find him offensive for this reason. I argue that 90% of comedy is at someone’s expense, and there’s no denying Weird Al is a master of knowing who to spotlight at any period in recent history. He also deserves credit for making fun of himself in the mix.

With such variety in his work, it’s understandable he confessed in the podcast to becoming bearish when he writes. Like most authors, he struggles to complete projects. Hearing this, I let out a long exhale. The program had reached a point where we could commiserate about how miserable editing can be. Instead, he kept on a positive track, which was exactly what I needed. He reminded me that the pain writers undergo while finishing prose is just another part of the process. In the end, we should enjoy the high and physical release that comes along with the final save of a completed manuscript. If only I could replay this message, day and night, through AirPods.

Moving on, minus my self-pity party, I felt encouraged finding out that Weird Al can take up to a month to perfect the lyrics in a parody. This is the same time I’ve invested in writing eighty-thousand-word novels during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). With a lot of patience, I’ve completed this contest three times. Thanks to Weird Al’s advice, I was seeing the light.

Over the years, Weird Al has remained consistent with production. He obsesses over new ideas and keeps going until a parody is finished. He understands the importance of letting the words flow in the first draft. And he works through the highs and lows, accepting that not everything works. I long for his drive to keep the creative spark alive and finish projects no matter what it takes.

Sometimes walking away is necessary to clear your head. Then, resuming on another day with a fresh look and positive attitude is all that’s needed to complete the work. Other times, a piece is only fit for the trashcan. A repository that sends chills up my spine. Not all writing is created equally good, but disposing of prose is like asking an author to gauge out an eye. Again, Weird Al and I are similar in that every word has a place, whether released to the public or stored in a folder—paper or electronic—for some fan or opportunist to uncover when I’m dead.

Weird Al’s most valuable message is that he hasn’t changed the way he creates. Instead, he feels he’s gotten better at it. And it’s not just about the words. He mentioned staying focused and organized with all that he does, and I doubt he takes no for an answer. After years in his industry, he’s observed firsthand the success of peers with similar principles. Because he gets things done, his music continues to be relevant and his career persists.

As the podcast neared the end, his support for fellow comedians and the future of comedy kicked into high gear. The Internet opened creative arts for the newer generations of comedians like it did for other types of writers and musicians. Many artists have stopped seeking agents and managers and production companies. Nor do we see each other as competitors. Self-publication is the route I chose after a lack of progress with an agent and publisher. My professional writing career has spanned over three decades, and with it comes a community of people ready to share their knowledge of craft or lift each other during dry periods. Weird Al made it clear in his How to Write Funny podcast interview that he too is always there to help fellow performers.

Now that social media is the twenty-first century stage, holding oneself back seems insane. Artists find their audience and are better equipped to communicate with fans. Weird Al foresaw this transition early in his career and has grown with the times by keeping his work on demand, for all to see.

It’s a good thing that we writers stick together like a twelve-step program. We are honest about what we do, like Weird Al was in his podcast. As hard as this job is, at least I’m not alone. It’s how I know that all the characters who haunt me daily to release their stories will flow yet again. Weird Al’s advice provided a boost I need to get there. And later, my experiences will allow me to pay it forward to another writer.

Works Cited

“Parody Music.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 May 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody_music.

““Weird Al” Yankovic.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 June 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Weird_Al%22_Yankovic.

“List of songs recorded by “Weird Al” Yankovic.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 June 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_recorded_by_%22Weird_Al%22_Yankovic.

“Alyankovic.” YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/channel/UCDBrVr0ttWpoRY-_yZajp2Q.

Yankovic, Weird Al. "Weird Al" Yankovic, 25 June 2021www.weirdal.com.

“Episode 5: Weird Al Yankovic.” How To Write Funny, interviewed by Dickkers, Scott, 20 Mar. 2019, howtowritefunny.com/episode-5-weird-al-yankovic.