Weird Al should be recognized for: 1.) His Musical playing skills 2.) His vocal performances 3.) His lyrical writing skills 4.) Sense of humor 5.) Skill to parody several genres 6.) Music Video ideas and creation 7.) Ability to deliver on a timely schedule as it relates to the song and topic he is covering/parodying
His band deserves massive props too, especially if you've seen them live. The way they can seamlessly leap from replicating Nirvana's sound to performing Lady Gaga before bouncing over to Queen takes an amazing amount of talent.
He is unique. Period. There’s nobody like Him. He is the only sheriff in town. I’m 35 and at least I’ve been LMAO with his parodies for the last 30 years.
The whole Lorena Bobbitt thing used to kill me. Hey did you ever hear what Jeffrey Dahmer said to Lorena Bobbitt? He said are you going to eat that or just throw it away?
So true. So, for those who didn't know. A guy actually got caned in Singapore for vandalizing 18 cars with a can of spray paint. Nancy Kerrigan got assaulted at the Olympics by an accomplice of Tonya Harding's (another figure skater) ex-husband. Lorena Bobbitt cut off her husband John Bobbitt's penis with a large knife.
Weird Al sometimes lets part of the original lyrics intact which, in a new context, makes the song all the more hilarious... I noticed this in 'Smells like Nirvana"...
And then, there was this guy who made his wife so mad one night that she cut off his weiner and when he finally came to he found that Mr. Happy was missing.
The pinnacle of Weird Al's genius is when he's able to almost seamlessly throw in a verse from the original song into his own corrupted version. "He couldn't quite explain it, it'd always just beeeeen there" lmao
Well-put, and the best part, these stories were actually true! The second and third in particular are talking about the infamous scandals involving Tonya Harding and Lorena Bobbitt. Oh, and before y'all feel too bad for the guy in question, turns out he was a sexist numbnuts, so while cruel and unusual...what Lorena did wasn't exactly unprovoked, at least not completely.
"He couldn't quite explain it, it had always just been there". Best part of the whole song Weird Al is a one in a million genius. I like how the kid signed the book with spray paint lol
and I had to have heard this song a few hundred times... we had this video jukebox in the dining center on campus - there were a lot of popular songs those years, but this was definitely one of them. So was "Because the Night" (the live version), and Mr Jones. :P
A bit more to it than this. Especially if you lived on the other side of the Pond. We had the Conservatives here mount a campaign called "Back to Basics". My mother called it "Back to Basic Instinct", because instead of instilling traditional values, the politicians kept being caught in sex scandals, with one famously getting his toes sucked.
Haha yeah Al was pretty much the second best musician after Kurt, so best for most of the decade, which says a lot about both how talented Al is, and how utterly untalented almost all other pop musicians were and are. His newer parodies are almost universally better than the original song. Even before the Autotune revolution which rolled out in the late 90s and allowed even the drunkest worst singer in the karaoke bar to become an instant pop star and record the next billboard #1 at 2:30am after knocking down tequila shots and smoking spliffs all night! (Unfortunately that hasn't worked for me yet personally but there's still time whenever there are karaoke bars again, it still works for Miley after all) So thanks a lot 90s for making us think you were great only to find out it was an illusion all along, and actually, you suck, just like Greenspan and Jack Welch, so it's fitting they ran the economy like the music industry I suppose in a way. The 80s and 00s were infinitely better in hindsight
I actually enjoy the original unlike most scumbags, because logically? They can’t handle thinking or explanations in music, like yourself and I respect him because it’s good? But you realize that he needs rights to do these parodies? They agree with it because it expands their careers
The original relates to facts on lives and how individuals react to them? So for those individuals who have actually been through what they sing it about? It’s personal, and say I wouldn’t know? You’re dead wrong, actually for your information? I was in a vehicle accident and sustained a severe traumatic brain injury and almost died about 5 times
I'd give so much for an extended version of the ending, where it has so many fun layers and that great accordion. It's like he teases you with this great wild expansion on the music, but quickly fades out just when it really gets going.
@Joseph Tanner That's going to be a good watch. I remember when the incident happened. It took until this year before Tonya Harding got a movie, so maybe the others will as well.
I always loved Weird Al as a kid, but this was the only video that truly made me laugh until I cried. The lyrics, the actors and all those silly musical sounds at the end were absolutely brilliant. When it first aired on MTV, I remember recording it so that I could make sure my friends saw it.
@@incliningrug5394 That's what makes it glorious. All of the things he's singing about HAPPENED. They sound stupid, like stuff that wouldn't ever happen. BUT THEY DID.
@@jimwerther and don’t forget Eat It, I love Rocky Road, Another One Rides the Bus and others. I also like some of his non-parodies like Trigger Happy and The Night Santa Went Crazy.
She also played Madame Judy on Weird Al's short-lived Saturday Morning cartoon from 1997 (Don't worry. Nobody else saw that either. Only about 5 or 6 people did (I being one of them). That's because it aired on a poor time slot and the CBS executives wanted nothing to do with it)
I guess. The person has to buy that star and pay for it's upkeep. Have you ever been there? After dark, you don't wanna know what happens on your star, lol.
Some TLDR context & interesting info about each of the three stories: 1. The kid in Singapore = Michael Peter Fay. American (St. Louis, MO) who lived in Singapore with his mom & stepdad. Was arrested for theft of road signs & vandalizing several cars with hot tar, paint remover, hatchets, eggs, & (of course) spray paint. Was initially sentenced to six strokes of a rattan cane, but (thanks to pressure from President Bill Clinton) had sentence reduced to four strokes instead. His case caused fiery international debates & discussions over cultural norms. As of the time this comment was written, he is now 47 years old, & works as a casino manager. 2. The two skaters = Tonya Harding & Nancy Kerrigan. Both ladies had dedicated their lives to figure skating from a young age. In January of '94, Nancy was about to partake in the U.S. Figure Skating Championship; her main rival in that tournament was Tonya. Tonya, of course, was EXTREMELY jealous of Nancy, & did NOT want her to win! And, so, she got together with her ex-husband & bodyguard, & schemed with them to take Nancy out of the competition, & they hired them to break Nancy's leg, potentially ending her figure-skating career forever!!! Luckily, that did not happen; Nancy was only clubbed in the kneecap, & while she hence wasn't able to compete in the U.S. Championship (which Tonya ended up winning, as she had planned!), Nancy WAS able to compete with Tonya in the 1994 Winter Olympics -- & she won the silver medal for 2nd place! :-) Tonya only got 8th place. Then Tonya & her co-conspirators were eventually found out as the culprits behind the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, & they were all punished, with Tonya being banned from figure-skating for life. To this day, Nancy has (understandably) not forgiven Tonya for what happened...but on the bright side, the two skaters had a movie made about their scandal, plus Tonya got to show off her comedic talent in the truTV show "World's Dumbest"! 3. The wife & her husband = Lorena Bobbitt & John W. Bobbitt. In 1993, Lorena cut off John's weenis while he was asleep; John had been raping & physically/emotionally/sexually abusing Lorena for years. In fact, John was charged with rape later that year, but was acquitted, & went on to star in several adult films (& I'm NOT talking the R-rated kind!). The next year, Lorena was acquitted of assault by reason of insanity. The couple divorced in 1995. John Bobbitt has since accumulated a record of serious abuse allegations & some criminal convictions. As for Lorena, she has found happiness in a long-term relationship with a man named Dave Bellinger, their two-&-a-half-year-old (in 2008) daughter, & her own charity Lorena's Red Wagon (which helps prevent domestic violence through family-oriented activities). John & Lorena both appeared on TV together for an interview, & John has since apologized to Lorena for his mistreatment of her.
I was a kid during these and I think the Lorena Bobbitt story (along with, I'd argue, stories like Monica Lewinski and even the 'lady who sued McDonalds over hot coffee) are stories that were definitely spun in the media as 'haha, look at those crazy/dumb women' but once you look into them there is way more than meets the eye to them.
@@lisamarieligreci-newton7804 That is most definitely true! ^_^ Incidentally, I just dove into the story of the McDonald's coffee lawsuit, & there was DEFINITELY more than meets the eye in that case! How the media got that particular case SO WRONG, I don't think I could possibly imagine!
The original song was about kids being embarrassed about harmless things, the audience members have something more legitimate/dangerous to be embarrassed about (even the gay couple with the moobs at the end)
lets all take a moment to give Weird Al, amazing props not just for the awesome song but keeping a straight face while saying "Mr. Happy was missing" *round of applause*
Try singing that bit 50 times. You'll laugh like a maniac until around 30, then stop, then laugh again for a bit then get it right. If you want hardmode, do it while stoned
I'd forgot this song and seeing it as an adult gotta give AL and his band props for the fact he lumped headlines at the time and a parody of a fd up song into one......perfectly!
It's pretty nice that Al gave Doctor Demento a cameo in this video, and that the doctor took it. When I was younger, I used to have an old Demento tape, but never had any idea what he looked like. To think, I had seen him and not known it... MIND MELTING.
Never saw what Dr. Demento looked like when I listened to him in the 80's, but pictured what he looked like. This is years before the internet, mind you. Finally saw him on tv years later. He looks exactly like I imagined...
This parody is priceless, including John Bobbitt and with Tanya Harding paying to have Nancy Kerrigan injured (sad, but still apropos). But Al's facial imitations of Brad Roberts are SO funny, I keep playing it over & over so I can roll in hysterics!
Oddly enough I just watched I, Tonya last night (the Tonya Harding movie, which was way, WAY better than I thought it'd be) so this song was on my mind... Thank you, CZcams!
Listening to Weird Al as an adult I appreciate things I didn't really see as a kid. He is good not only at goofing and gagging on specific pieces of music and broader styles of music (his original songs are usually stylistic parodies)---but he is really good at doing so in a way that really highlights the silliness and absurdity of the source material. This isn't ALWAYS the case, and maybe he himself isn't always aware of the extent to which he is doing it, but I definitely think this song is an instance of him being fully aware of what he's doing. This song points very starkly to how ridiculous the original song is. I should look into it to confirm, but I think the line about the guy getting his willy cut off, "he couldn't quite explain it, it'd always just been there" is actually taken more or less directly from the original song, which tells a story about a girl ashamed of birthmarks covering her body. I think another one I never realized as a kid was how the song When I Was Your Age on Off the Deep End sort of builds on the parody of grunge and sad alternative music running through that album (most notably Nirvana, of course) by poking fun at the growing boomer cultural sentiments about the unfounded whininess and ungratefulness of the younger gen-x kids who were the marketing demographic for grunge music.
Those who weren't alive in late 1993 and early 1994, lets just say these things were damn crazy because these events really did happen. And I remember all of them.
Weird Al is a one in a million genius. I still remember when these three stories were extensively covered by the media "I used to be a figure skater like you, then I took a club to the knee"
Chop haha same here, I've been listening to Weird al since I was 4 or 5 becuse of my older brother. I remember hearing this song when I was really young but didn't really understand what it was about until I looked it up when I was older!
Thanks! I watch Weird Al's videos looking for all the minute details that are added in. (Dr. Demento cameos, references to other Weird Al songs, subtle details, 27s, etc.)
I remember when I first saw this video back in 1994, I was in tears laughing when he looks at that pack of hotdogs at 2:41. It still gets me every time
Dr Demento financed Al's first album and made him famous. He wasn't just "there for him before all the fame". All the fame was 100% Dr Demento. That show was so awesome.
I'd forgotten about the Singapore kid. That was big news back in the day, but was never immortalized like Tonya and Nancy. Lorenna Bobbitt will live in infamy of course. Al picked his history pretty good.
I remember when this happened. Our teacher turned it into a "learning experience" and had us all write essays to the Prime Minister of Singapore asking him to give mercy to our countryman.
@@JeffDeWitt I'm not sure if you are being facetious or not, but I agree, some-what. There is a difference between "street art" (or graffiti) and tagging. I'm all for street art, but against tagging.
Bella Correa Good point about today’s headlines and that would be interesting to hear, although for me, both CTD and these headlines are so perfectly time-capsuled in the 90s that I don’t know if it could be done justice
Al, we need a new one of these every 5 years. "Ooonce there was a gooorillaaa, living in his enclosure not bothering anyone...until, some kid jumped the fence."
Oooooonce there was this guy who, came back home from China and was treated for an illness. And when it finally came out Hong Kong had several thousand infected They stuck him in quarantine And named virus pisssssssssss beeeeeeeer. Mmmm Mmmm...
That's my mom in the purple muumuu at the end walking out with Dr. Demento. She said she had such a fun time filming the video and that Weird Al was the nicest guy ever.
"People assume that I was annoyed but when Yankovic does a parody of you, you know you’ve made it.”
--Brad Roberts
Exactly!!!
Brad Roberts is a genius and so is Wierd Al Jankovic.
Tell that to Coolio
@@roberthofmann8403 Guys, everybody love Wierd Al Jankovic. Seriously. You can't be mad with him. ❤️
@@roberthofmann8403 Al legitimately thought Coolio himself had approved - his label apparently gave the OK without his blessing or similar.
Weird Al should be recognized for:
1.) His Musical playing skills
2.) His vocal performances
3.) His lyrical writing skills
4.) Sense of humor
5.) Skill to parody several genres
6.) Music Video ideas and creation
7.) Ability to deliver on a timely schedule as it relates to the song and topic he is covering/parodying
His band deserves massive props too, especially if you've seen them live. The way they can seamlessly leap from replicating Nirvana's sound to performing Lady Gaga before bouncing over to Queen takes an amazing amount of talent.
8.) His mastery of hand-fart sounds, applied melodically.
his vocal range is also amazing.
He is unique. Period. There’s nobody like Him. He is the only sheriff in town. I’m 35 and at least I’ve been LMAO with his parodies for the last 30 years.
-his incredible skills at being White and Nerdy.
The funniest part of this song is the fact that all these were in the actual news at the time.
Hence the name of the song.
I remember all those stories when they came out in the papers!
The whole Lorena Bobbitt thing used to kill me. Hey did you ever hear what Jeffrey Dahmer said to Lorena Bobbitt? He said are you going to eat that or just throw it away?
So true. So, for those who didn't know. A guy actually got caned in Singapore for vandalizing 18 cars with a can of spray paint. Nancy Kerrigan got assaulted at the Olympics by an accomplice of Tonya Harding's (another figure skater) ex-husband. Lorena Bobbitt cut off her husband John Bobbitt's penis with a large knife.
@@SuperCrazyPsycho731 it got sawed back on, and he did porn
The look of horror on the male audience when Al says "Little Mr. Happy was missing" is the best.
😆🤣🤣
IKR.
Even I covered up down there in horror.
Just No 😂
"He couldn't quite explain it, it had always just been there". Best part of the whole song
Hahaha the best part of the song
Absolutely
Weird Al sometimes lets part of the original lyrics intact which, in a new context, makes the song all the more hilarious... I noticed this in 'Smells like Nirvana"...
And then, there was this guy who made his wife so mad one night that she cut off his weiner and when he finally came to he found that Mr. Happy was missing.
It had always just beeeeeeeeeeeeeen there! hahaha
The pinnacle of Weird Al's genius is when he's able to almost seamlessly throw in a verse from the original song into his own corrupted version. "He couldn't quite explain it, it'd always just beeeeen there" lmao
That was funny.
I wish Al would make more of this song, like additional verses for stories that happened later.
What was the og song
@@bridgez04 Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm by the Crash Test Dummies
@@nintendonerdsvideos4727 He did in in concerts. He added a verse about Britney Spears shaving her head years back.
One of the few songs where the parody is less weird and the lyrics make more sense than the original.
Brilliant!
Well-put, and the best part, these stories were actually true! The second and third in particular are talking about the infamous scandals involving Tonya Harding and Lorena Bobbitt. Oh, and before y'all feel too bad for the guy in question, turns out he was a sexist numbnuts, so while cruel and unusual...what Lorena did wasn't exactly unprovoked, at least not completely.
@@joinmarch76
There is no defense for what Lorena Bobbitt did. But yeah, they were both creeps, and she is nuts as well.
@@jimwerther Fair enough, I still consider it cruel and unusual punishment.
@@joinmarch76
What do you consider cruel and unusual punishment? What Lorena did to John? If so, we agree.
“...He found that Mr Happy was missing.” “It happens all the time, it’s detachable.”
King Missle!
Good sir!!!!! This this comment is gold! 🎉 😂
I'm surprised nobody made the "My anus is bleeding" joke, regarding the kid who got caned.
@@k1productions87 No no no... that's Don Hertzfeld... (not because his spoon was too big either!)
@@CarlScripter God, I haven't heard that song in AGES!
"He couldn't quite explain it, it had always just been there". Best part of the whole song
Weird Al is a one in a million genius.
I like how the kid signed the book with spray paint lol
I like the title of his book; "Ouch My Butt".
If Ouch My Butt was a real book, I would’ve bought that. 😂
I love how he winks after taking out the spray paint (after arriving in Singapore) like he's thinking, "Oh, this'll be so great!"
Why did Michael Fay signed it with spray paint? I don't get it.
I don't even know how he keeps a straight face delivering some of those lyrics, i think you can tell he's struggling a little bit sometimes 😂😂
Always like seeing a Dr. Demento cameo. Props to Al for remembering the people who helped launch his career.
I miss Dr. Demento. I would get up north in Duluth and Dr. Demento had his show. 1980.
@@jondeare I used to listen to Dr. Demento on Sunday nights whenever I stayed somewhere that carried the show. Always a joy.
fish heads.....Dr Demento
@@johnhammond9962 rolly polly
apparently Dr. Demento couldn't make it to the taping of the "Eat It" video, so Al put a picture of him on the wall - he's a great guy
This honestly could be in his top 5 best parodies imo. It's underated
Disagree, it's one of the most boring. Top 5 would be Fat, Eat it, Amish paradise, Smells like Nirvana and probably Bedrock Anthem
@@greenrobot5literally the most popular songs
@@greenrobot5Gump. Phantom Menace
This straight-up feels like a time capsule of 1994 and I absolutely love it! XD
Tshh...wished i could re-live 1994 instead of this modern crap era
@@duncan3998 Oh yes. Today's headline news reports make these look mundane in comparison. LOL!
and I had to have heard this song a few hundred times... we had this video jukebox in the dining center on campus - there were a lot of popular songs those years, but this was definitely one of them. So was "Because the Night" (the live version), and Mr Jones. :P
One day my son will ask, “Dad, what was it like to grow up during the 90’s?”
“Well son, a wise man once chronicled it for all posterity…”
Was about to say, the nostalgia is hitting me hard.
I have to go back and revisit all these Weird Al parodies.
Props to him I wouldnt be able to sing "Mr.Happy was missing" without cracking up
And he's looking under the bed and mattress for it
Looked like he came close. He probably did crack up filming it.
Lol mr. Happy was missing cut off weiner LOL
Mr. Happy was missing lol cut off his weiner LOL
I said it two times lol
Moving his lips around and then finally taping them is so subtle and so genius.
Right?? 🤣 It's the little details that show he's really a master of the craft
It's the part that makes me laugh the most
I can imagine how they came up with this idea.
RIP Judy Tenuta (as Lorena Bobbitt here).
Came back to this today. After a year or so you should be able to give it another thumbs up
If you weren't born prior to the 90s, this is the 90s in summary.
historical record in all of its mono tone glory
.
A bit more to it than this. Especially if you lived on the other side of the Pond. We had the Conservatives here mount a campaign called "Back to Basics". My mother called it "Back to Basic Instinct", because instead of instilling traditional values, the politicians kept being caught in sex scandals, with one famously getting his toes sucked.
Had us in the first half, not gonna lie.
More like, 1993-'94
Haha yeah Al was pretty much the second best musician after Kurt, so best for most of the decade, which says a lot about both how talented Al is, and how utterly untalented almost all other pop musicians were and are. His newer parodies are almost universally better than the original song.
Even before the Autotune revolution which rolled out in the late 90s and allowed even the drunkest worst singer in the karaoke bar to become an instant pop star and record the next billboard #1 at 2:30am after knocking down tequila shots and smoking spliffs all night! (Unfortunately that hasn't worked for me yet personally but there's still time whenever there are karaoke bars again, it still works for Miley after all)
So thanks a lot 90s for making us think you were great only to find out it was an illusion all along, and actually, you suck, just like Greenspan and Jack Welch, so it's fitting they ran the economy like the music industry I suppose in a way. The 80s and 00s were infinitely better in hindsight
Weird Al humming with tape over his mouth gets me everytime.
Very genus
As a Gen X, I've been told on Both Sides I have "No Filter"🤪 That Electrical Tape over the Mouth is something we carry with us😄
Man, Al should use his deep singing voice more. It's beautiful. Dude is ridiculously talented.
I love when the guy opens his fridge and looks at the hotdogs
He’s hopeful at first, then bummed it wasn’t Mr. Happy. Lol
The hand farts were funnier.
Al finally wrote a serious song and it was parodied by some group called the "Crash Test Dummies"
I've always thought how this is the one Weird Al song where the original is just as weird, if not weirder, than the parody. 😂
Lol
I actually enjoy the original unlike most scumbags, because logically? They can’t handle thinking or explanations in music, like yourself and I respect him because it’s good? But you realize that he needs rights to do these parodies? They agree with it because it expands their careers
The original relates to facts on lives and how individuals react to them? So for those individuals who have actually been through what they sing it about? It’s personal, and say I wouldn’t know? You’re dead wrong, actually for your information? I was in a vehicle accident and sustained a severe traumatic brain injury and almost died about 5 times
@@AndrewB221 incorrect. Parody is protected under fair use law. Weird al doesn't need permission to do a parody.
This seems less like a parody, more like a sequel.
I'd give so much for an extended version of the ending, where it has so many fun layers and that great accordion.
It's like he teases you with this great wild expansion on the music, but quickly fades out just when it really gets going.
I called Lorena Bobbit once. She cut me off.
😂😂😂
🥁
He who is tired of Weird Al, is tired of life.
--Homer Simpson
.. or lest is a sad individual with no sense of humor or chillax nature
Agreed.
Probably the wisest words Homer ever said
@@AshleySmith19912 I think don't put off until tomorrow what you can put off until the day after is up there too?
Such a profound truth to that statement!...
This kid = Michael Fay
This girl = Tonya Harding
Some other girl = Nancy Kerrigan
This guy = John Bobbitt
His wife = Lorena Bobbitt
@Shenponkybingbong Shane Stant hit Nancy Kerrigan with a police baton.
@Joseph Tanner That's cool, I'm surprised they never made a movie about Mr. Happy going missing.
@Joseph Tanner That's going to be a good watch. I remember when the incident happened. It took until this year before Tonya Harding got a movie, so maybe the others will as well.
@Joseph Tanner lmao, I'm safe. My wife knows she's the only one. You stay safe too!
@@jasonjuneau
JWB made a couple pornos after Mr. Happy was reattached.
Why has the western world forgotten how awesome of an accordion player Al is?
Don’t worry, we haven’t
He's like Bon Scott and his Bagpipes he was amazing on the pipes
We have not he still showcases the talent sometimes bro
One of Al's most underrated songs and performances.
Might just be his best though 😂
Hard to believe this was 20 years ago now.
seems like everyday news by now, how humanity has devolved
travingel
I would say humanity hasn't, but news journalism has. Making the song and video even more relevant than it was 20 yrs ago
It's hard to believe two of the subjects sold porn movies.
ugh I am really feeling old now, still a great parody though :-)
it wouldnt surprise me, probably just doesnt get that much media attention anymore
"Every time I come out with a new album it's a comeback album!" -Al :)
Agreed brother
Fun Fact - this song never appeared on a studio album, it was only released as a single!
@@ianmccaskill336 It was on the first best of album
Dont call it a comeback. Al aint gone nowhere! Heck hes outlasted most the artists hes parodied
He should switch to K-Pop. They understand.
For the first time ever, weird al's version is less weird than the original song
Every character expressions are pure gold
I always loved Weird Al as a kid, but this was the only video that truly made me laugh until I cried. The lyrics, the actors and all those silly musical sounds at the end were absolutely brilliant. When it first aired on MTV, I remember recording it so that I could make sure my friends saw it.
They are all true stories too
I've tried to sing it twice and absolutely cannot do it. I don't make it past the first joke and I'm laughing for half of the next stanza.
@@incliningrug5394 That's what makes it glorious. All of the things he's singing about HAPPENED. They sound stupid, like stuff that wouldn't ever happen. BUT THEY DID.
He has some other brilliant parodies, such as "Smells Like Nirvana", "White and Nerdy", and "Amish Paradise".
@@jimwerther and don’t forget Eat It, I love Rocky Road, Another One Rides the Bus and others. I also like some of his non-parodies like Trigger Happy and The Night Santa Went Crazy.
This song has aged like a fine wine since the media is even dumber with their stories than back in the 1990s
The media is dumber and the music is worse....... Than this parody at least. Hard to objectively say if music can be much worse than the original.
It would be cool if weird al did an updated version of this with current headlines
Yeh alright mate that homogeneous media!
@@alisterthomson7923 pretty much is tbh
I always liked this song from the Crash Test Dummies, the band, not Donny's kids. Great parody, Al!
RIP Judy Tenuta. She plays Lorena Bobbitt in this vid and she nails it 😂 🌭 🔪
Whoah- from MTV? I didn't know that she died.
She also played Madame Judy on Weird Al's short-lived Saturday Morning cartoon from 1997 (Don't worry. Nobody else saw that either. Only about 5 or 6 people did (I being one of them). That's because it aired on a poor time slot and the CBS executives wanted nothing to do with it)
I had no idea she had passed. That breaks my heart.
@@Bernie3000She was a month away from 73 (2022)
@@grottorabbit It really saddens me that it wasn’t more widely reported on.
This is the most underrated Weird Al parody imo - love it
well, it is pretty slow and the original song is not a hit
Weird Al is a one in a million genius.
Paul C...I concur! :-D
Paul C. AGREED
No, sir. I disagree. Weird Al would need a total lobotomy to be considered a genius.
Paul C. No literally he was 16 when he graduated high school
Agreed now let's find the other six
IM SOOO GLAD THAT WEIRD AL *FINALLY* GOT HIS STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME. IT WAS LOOONG OVER DUE!
I guess. The person has to buy that star and pay for it's upkeep. Have you ever been there? After dark, you don't wanna know what happens on your star, lol.
@@BanzaiInstitute ARE YOU SERIOUS? THEY HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THEMSELVES ADDED TO THE WALK OF FAME? THAT'S BULLSHIT!
@@BanzaiInstitute The studio/label/management usually pay
@@Mooondoggy How long do they do that? Not forever.
@@TheInkPitOx hollywood and american celebrity culture is 100% bullshit
John Bobbitt looks disapprovingly at the hot dogs in the fridge....cracks me up every time.
Love the cameo by Dr. Demento.
Is that Ron Pearlman walking out with the punk girl?
Respect to Weird Al for being himself all these years and being one of a kind.
If you missed the 90's, all of this actually happened.
Also, I'm really really sorry you missed the 90's :(
MangoMan Power
Jesus.... that’s sad
Early 90s!
Surely did
Some TLDR context & interesting info about each of the three stories:
1. The kid in Singapore = Michael Peter Fay. American (St. Louis, MO) who lived in Singapore with his mom & stepdad. Was arrested for theft of road signs & vandalizing several cars with hot tar, paint remover, hatchets, eggs, & (of course) spray paint. Was initially sentenced to six strokes of a rattan cane, but (thanks to pressure from President Bill Clinton) had sentence reduced to four strokes instead. His case caused fiery international debates & discussions over cultural norms. As of the time this comment was written, he is now 47 years old, & works as a casino manager.
2. The two skaters = Tonya Harding & Nancy Kerrigan. Both ladies had dedicated their lives to figure skating from a young age. In January of '94, Nancy was about to partake in the U.S. Figure Skating Championship; her main rival in that tournament was Tonya. Tonya, of course, was EXTREMELY jealous of Nancy, & did NOT want her to win! And, so, she got together with her ex-husband & bodyguard, & schemed with them to take Nancy out of the competition, & they hired them to break Nancy's leg, potentially ending her figure-skating career forever!!! Luckily, that did not happen; Nancy was only clubbed in the kneecap, & while she hence wasn't able to compete in the U.S. Championship (which Tonya ended up winning, as she had planned!), Nancy WAS able to compete with Tonya in the 1994 Winter Olympics -- & she won the silver medal for 2nd place! :-) Tonya only got 8th place. Then Tonya & her co-conspirators were eventually found out as the culprits behind the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, & they were all punished, with Tonya being banned from figure-skating for life. To this day, Nancy has (understandably) not forgiven Tonya for what happened...but on the bright side, the two skaters had a movie made about their scandal, plus Tonya got to show off her comedic talent in the truTV show "World's Dumbest"!
3. The wife & her husband = Lorena Bobbitt & John W. Bobbitt. In 1993, Lorena cut off John's weenis while he was asleep; John had been raping & physically/emotionally/sexually abusing Lorena for years. In fact, John was charged with rape later that year, but was acquitted, & went on to star in several adult films (& I'm NOT talking the R-rated kind!). The next year, Lorena was acquitted of assault by reason of insanity. The couple divorced in 1995. John Bobbitt has since accumulated a record of serious abuse allegations & some criminal convictions. As for Lorena, she has found happiness in a long-term relationship with a man named Dave Bellinger, their two-&-a-half-year-old (in 2008) daughter, & her own charity Lorena's Red Wagon (which helps prevent domestic violence through family-oriented activities). John & Lorena both appeared on TV together for an interview, & John has since apologized to Lorena for his mistreatment of her.
I was a kid during these and I think the Lorena Bobbitt story (along with, I'd argue, stories like Monica Lewinski and even the 'lady who sued McDonalds over hot coffee) are stories that were definitely spun in the media as 'haha, look at those crazy/dumb women' but once you look into them there is way more than meets the eye to them.
@@lisamarieligreci-newton7804 That is most definitely true! ^_^
Incidentally, I just dove into the story of the McDonald's coffee lawsuit, & there was DEFINITELY more than meets the eye in that case! How the media got that particular case SO WRONG, I don't think I could possibly imagine!
@TheMouseAvenger it's because McDonalds and other fast food chains spent billions of dollars to discredit the woman.
@@lisamarieligreci-newton7804sorry but cutting off someone's penis while they're asleep will never be not insane
hahaha nice job bill. cut out a third of the spanks! that was worth destroying the economy.
One of the best examples of Weird Al coming up with a parody that's honestly better than the original.
One of the best parts of this video is the absolutely bizarre assortment of audience members.
The original song was about kids being embarrassed about harmless things, the audience members have something more legitimate/dangerous to be embarrassed about (even the gay couple with the moobs at the end)
If Weird Al had an audience at his recording sessions, they'd probably look pretty much like this group, IF they weren't MUCH weirder!
lets all take a moment to give Weird Al, amazing props not just for the awesome song but keeping a straight face while saying "Mr. Happy was missing" *round of applause*
Try singing that bit 50 times. You'll laugh like a maniac until around 30, then stop, then laugh again for a bit then get it right.
If you want hardmode, do it while stoned
And pursing his lips afterwards. Genius.
I grew up in this era where this news wouldn't stop.Watching this video brought me back to those days and it was hilarious.
Only Al can take a perfectly good song and make it historically accurate!!
I like how the kid signed the book with spray paint lol
Yep
And the guy handing him the book is none other than Al himself!
@@kamikazepinocchio omg i didnt notice that i had to go bk n look
And bobbit with the hot dogs...
The book title cracked me up.
I think that once WEIRD AL spoofs your SONG then you can call yourself a SUCCESS!
You think right.
Robby Mounce - So said Nirvana, too.
Kurt Cobain certainly thought so.
labels and bands have reached out to him to parody their song. its a gold star on a resume to have weird al do your song.
@@thecrowbarfoogle647 he (Kurt) said: just don't make it about food 😂.
I'd forgot this song and seeing it as an adult gotta give AL and his band props for the fact he lumped headlines at the time and a parody of a fd up song into one......perfectly!
a man who plays on his hands has a great sense of rhythm. He's a genius
I just about died when he said "Mr. Happy". XD
+KentuckyWallChicken Correction - "Limp Mr. Happy"
+KentuckyWallChicken I just love the audience faces at that point
+KentuckyWallChicken Weird Al almost lost it too :D
+KentuckyWallChicken Also, when he is searching for it, and finds the hot dogs in the refrigerator. :O
*****
Actually every story in this song is based on a true story
It's pretty nice that Al gave Doctor Demento a cameo in this video, and that the doctor took it. When I was younger, I used to have an old Demento tape, but never had any idea what he looked like. To think, I had seen him and not known it... MIND MELTING.
Never saw what Dr. Demento looked like when I listened to him in the 80's, but pictured what he looked like. This is years before the internet, mind you. Finally saw him on tv years later. He looks exactly like I imagined...
This is probably Weird Al’s funniest spoof. I’m dying
"He couldn't quite explain it, it always had just been there"
Weird Al is a one in a million genius.
I like how the kid signed the book with spray paint lol
LOL at the book being called "Ouch, my butt"
The actual musicianship that went into the outro, goofy as it is, is amazing.
The "this song is profoundly deep" stares into the camera are so accurate.
Love the casting for the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding segment. Good resemblances to all the main players
HowDareThey1970, the girl looks NOTHING like the real Nancy Kerrigan, and the chap who played Michael Fay looks OLDER than almost 19.
Wish I had a girl look at me like that sumo wrestler looked at that guy during the end.
was that francis from pee wee's big adventure?
+Anthony Geraci that was Doug Llewelyn, host of The People's Court back when Wapner was the presiding judge.
And the sumo wrestler is the late Rodney Anoa'i, a former WWE wrestler who competed as Yokozuna.
Respect to Dr., Demento who also appears here.
That's not Yokozuna
I love the little looks the businessman and the sumo wrestler give each other. Adorable!
RIP to Lorena Bobbitt in this video, Love Goddess Judy Tenuta.
I love his voice in here!! besides, he's got such a wide vocal range!!
The only man with the true plan Dr. Demento🤣😃😄😅😅😎😊
This parody is priceless, including John Bobbitt and with Tanya Harding paying to have Nancy Kerrigan injured (sad, but still apropos). But Al's facial imitations of Brad Roberts are SO funny, I keep playing it over & over so I can roll in hysterics!
Oddly enough I just watched I, Tonya last night (the Tonya Harding movie, which was way, WAY better than I thought it'd be) so this song was on my mind... Thank you, CZcams!
Just one question... why did Mrs. Bobbitt bob it?
@@oddish4352 Because her husband was an emotionally & sexually abusive a**hole, duh!
I graduated in 94 and that incident with the bobbits is in my yr book
@@maryiggylover7484
She was worse than him, and it's not even close.
Listening to Weird Al as an adult I appreciate things I didn't really see as a kid. He is good not only at goofing and gagging on specific pieces of music and broader styles of music (his original songs are usually stylistic parodies)---but he is really good at doing so in a way that really highlights the silliness and absurdity of the source material. This isn't ALWAYS the case, and maybe he himself isn't always aware of the extent to which he is doing it, but I definitely think this song is an instance of him being fully aware of what he's doing. This song points very starkly to how ridiculous the original song is. I should look into it to confirm, but I think the line about the guy getting his willy cut off, "he couldn't quite explain it, it'd always just been there" is actually taken more or less directly from the original song, which tells a story about a girl ashamed of birthmarks covering her body.
I think another one I never realized as a kid was how the song When I Was Your Age on Off the Deep End sort of builds on the parody of grunge and sad alternative music running through that album (most notably Nirvana, of course) by poking fun at the growing boomer cultural sentiments about the unfounded whininess and ungratefulness of the younger gen-x kids who were the marketing demographic for grunge music.
thumbs up for the fucking musical hand fart master
I was extremely impressed!
If you can make a career out of that, I have been seriously wasting my time looking for a "job." XD
in the 80s and 90s with no youtube this was popular and funny as hell
Pocket La'dray yeah and MTV was a real music channel instead of the nonsense we see today.
ladynikkie you mean mtv
That's the best response I've seen when someone says "little Mr. Happy was missing"
Al should consider a followup parody to UHF, and make fun of all the streaming networks and their ridiculous shows.
Those who weren't alive in late 1993 and early 1994, lets just say these things were damn crazy because these events really did happen. And I remember all of them.
Weird Al is a one in a million genius.
I still remember when these three stories were extensively covered by the media
"I used to be a figure skater like you, then I took a club to the knee"
I've always admired how Al can look amazingly cool even when he's just messing around, like at 2:43 when he falls off his seat.
One of my favorite parts of the video, hands down!
One of his best ones weird al is so talented very underrated as an entertainer
I laughed so hard at this video... I had TEARS running down my face!
This is STILL hilarious after all these years. Especially since all those events are highly memorable!
Somebody told me there was gonna be a "Tanya & Nancy" TV special tonight. I decided to just watch this video again instead of that.
Jeff Galooey;
CaptHayfever there's a movie now
It is a travesty that Weird Al is not in the rock and roll Hall of Fame. No one else does what he does as well as he does it.
Weird Al needs to be the next Super Bowl Half Time show.
I remember being 10 years old and not getting any of these jokes...not getting any of these references... light bulb goes off 20 years later
Loool
Same boat.
Isn't life good?
Chop haha same here, I've been listening to Weird al since I was 4 or 5 becuse of my older brother. I remember hearing this song when I was really young but didn't really understand what it was about until I looked it up when I was older!
+Chop Fitting profile pic of Fry is fitting lol
I actually thought that Al made up all those stories for the song until I read on Wikipedia that it's actually about real life events.
+Yan Alkovic Truth is stranger than fiction, as they say
SpeedOfThought1111 Life is weird. Truth and fiction are a part of life, therefore they're both weird from time to time. That's all there is to it.
+Yan Alkovic Yeah these news stories take me back to the 90's.
+Yan Alkovic
Wha-what-WHAT??!?! :0
Daniel Corkhill I know. I had almost the same reaction when I found out. Except it was a bit more stifled.
Is it just me, or was that a Dr. Demento cameo at the end. Can't believe after all these years, I just noticed it.
3:10 Dr. Demento on the right, Weird Al's main influence for his music and comedy!
It took me about 3 views to notice that the kid was spray-painting his autograph at 1:47. I cracked up.
I've seen this video at least a dozen times and never noticed that. Great catch!
Thanks! I watch Weird Al's videos looking for all the minute details that are added in. (Dr. Demento cameos, references to other Weird Al songs, subtle details, 27s, etc.)
I remember when I first saw this video back in 1994, I was in tears laughing when he looks at that pack of hotdogs at 2:41. It still gets me every time
the guy in the front row yelling at his puppet always gets me lol
I never realized that Dr. Demento was in so many of these videos. Props to Al for showing love to those who were there for him before all the fame.
Dr Demento financed Al's first album and made him famous. He wasn't just "there for him before all the fame". All the fame was 100% Dr Demento. That show was so awesome.
I'd forgotten about the Singapore kid. That was big news back in the day, but was never immortalized like Tonya and Nancy. Lorenna Bobbitt will live in infamy of course. Al picked his history pretty good.
He got what he deserved anyway. He made us look bad by spray painting on walls there. I didn't feel sorry for his ass.
@@sha11235 Exactly, the kid was a real brat who deserved what he got...shame it was reduced to only four lashes.
I remember when this happened. Our teacher turned it into a "learning experience" and had us all write essays to the Prime Minister of Singapore asking him to give mercy to our countryman.
@@ChaleeRenee That's a practice we ought to adopt, publish caning for graffiti "artists".
@@JeffDeWitt I'm not sure if you are being facetious or not, but I agree, some-what. There is a difference between "street art" (or graffiti) and tagging. I'm all for street art, but against tagging.
Hahahaha! The look on his face at 2:42
When he picks up the hotdogs in the fridge!
Those won't make a good replacement
Ill tell ya that! Hahaha!
He's thinking, "Mine's bigger than this."
Than he just lets them go and they go flying
Judy Tenuta as Mrs. Bobbitt!
Rest In Peace, Judy.
Judy, and Doug Llewelyn, and Dr Demento....love the cameos.
The lyrics change over time to reflect current events when done live.
LOVE that Dr.Demento had a cameo at the end!!!! AWWWWSOME!!!!
Dr. Demento will have a cameo in one of Weird Al's new videos as well :o)
As did Judy Tenuta as Lorena Bobbitt;
As it turned out, Dr. Demento was specially photographed for the video for "Lame Claim to Fame" 😁
Joe S Judy Tenuta also later appeared in "The Weird Al Show" as the psychic Madame Judy and in the video for "White & Nerdy"
Is that Doug Llewelyn from People's Court at the end?
He should really do another version of this song for 2016...because God knows we had some interesting headlines this past year lol
Bella Correa Good point about today’s headlines and that would be interesting to hear, although for me, both CTD and these headlines are so perfectly time-capsuled in the 90s that I don’t know if it could be done justice
I think along the same lines. Billy Joel should do a We Didn't Start the Fire part 2.
We have to wait until all of Hillary's dirty deeds done dirt cheap are uncovered. And that song would be perfect for it, too. :O
LOL, you're funny. Drinking Trump's kool-aid again? Hillary was investigated countless times, and nothing remotely illegal was found.
he should make a rock anthem about the anti-hero Florida Man
I know all the lyrics to this song but can't remember any from the original. That's how great Weird Al is!!
Nore can I!
OMG - I just realized that was Doug Llewelyn from People's Court at the end there. Fantastic!
Al, we need a new one of these every 5 years.
"Ooonce there was a gooorillaaa, living in his enclosure not bothering anyone...until, some kid jumped the fence."
When your in your 60s to 70s it's time to retire and not pull a dewey cox
Oooooonce there was this guy who, came back home from China and was treated for an illness.
And when it finally came out Hong Kong had several thousand infected
They stuck him in quarantine
And named virus pisssssssssss beeeeeeeer.
Mmmm Mmmm...
@@stokesa3122 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣☠️☠️☠️☠️
Once there was this obnoxious businessman/game show host who decided to run for president...
@@stokesa3122 omg🤣
"That Mr. Happy was missing. 😕😧😧😧" best part. 😂😂
Holy crap. This is my first time seeing this video. A masterpiece!
And a cameo by "the Love Goddess" Miss Judy Tenuta to top it off!
RIP Judy
Judy was awesome, glad I lived in the 80s
These are true stories
That's my mom in the purple muumuu at the end walking out with Dr. Demento. She said she had such a fun time filming the video and that Weird Al was the nicest guy ever.