Top 5 Reasons Why I Love Weird Al Yankovic

When I was a little girl back in the 90's, I was pretty strange. I had a Beetlejuice doll, I loved Creepy Crawlers and I'd long since discovered that Beavis and Butthead was the greatest show in the world. When I was eight years old, I went with my father to some generic music store and picked up my very first CD, Bad Hair Day by Weird Al Yankovic. I don't even remember how I came across the album or how I'd even known who Weird Al was. Who knows! Nonetheless, I picked up the album and it nearly immediately became one of those CDs that was constantly running in my family's vehicle.

Now that you know I love Weird Al Yankovic, let me tell you why!

Reason 5: He's Funny!

For those of you who don't know what Al does, alongside his original songs, he makes parodies of popular songs at the time. Some of these include Like A Surgeon (Like a Virgin by Madonna), Eat It (Beat It by Michael Jackson), White & Nerdy (Ridin' by Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone) and the infamous Amish Paradise, a parody of Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio. He pokes fun at Nirvana with his parody of Smells Like Teen Spirit. When I listen to Weird Al, I can't help but laugh at how hilarious his songs are. That's why number 5 is that Weird Al is hilarious.

Reason 4: He DoeS More than Just Music!

The number 4 reason I love Weird Al is that he doesn't just do music, he spans across multiple medias. Al also does music videos, he had a movie and even a short lived TV show where I got my first (horrible) dose of Hanson. Al's music videos are parodies of the original music videos and are just hilarious. I mean just watch Like A Surgeon where he dances around on the floor in scrubs, it's just awesome. Not to mention White & Nerdy has got to be one of my favorite music videos just because Al *IS* so white and nerdy.

Reason 3: He's So Goddamn Nerdy!

The number 3 reason why I love Weird Al is that he is very nerdy. Not just in his music but in his appearance too! Since the 90's, he has shaved off his mustache and lost his glasses but he kept his trademark white-boy afro. Al has a wide collection of Hawaiian shirts and converse shoes. I have a thing for nerds and this is evident even in my childhood, where when my mother asked me who I thought was a handsome man, I didn't hesitate to pipe up with Weird Al as my answer.

Reason 2: He's Original!

The number 2 reason why I love Weird Al is that his concepts are extremely original. Now I know he's not the first person to make a parody of a song, but who else would make MJ fat, turn Benjimans into Pentiums, and American Pie into a song about Anakin Skywalker? He even has a song about Santa Claus going on a murderous Rambo-like rampage around the North Pole. Not to mention a song I hold dear to my heart as a midwesterner, The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota, which was featured in his movie UHF. The Biggest Ball of Twine, does in fact, exist in Darwin, Minnesota at a whopping 1,600,000 feet of twine.

Reason 1: Gateway Drug!

And the number 1 reason why I love Weird Al is certainly the most important reason. After I started listening to Weird Al, I took it upon myself to find out where the original songs came from, as I hadn't developed a real taste in music yet. I didn't listen to the radio much, and my parents were more into Jazz (which I also love) and big band stuff rather than what was popular at the time. The number 1 reason I love Weird Al is that his music introduced me to lots of other kinds of music and artists that I hadn't heard before. Al can be thanked for introducing me to Billy Joel (from his parody of Piano Man, Spider Man), Queen (from his polka version of Bohemian Rhapsody), The Offspring (for his parody of their Pretty Fly, Pretty Fly (for a Rabbi)), and many many others. I know what you're thinking, 'How could you not know Queen or Billy Joel?', I told you I was a strange kid. I can thank Weird Al for helping me develop my personal tastes in music while being a part of it.

And this is why I love Weird Al Yankovic.