World of Weird Al Yankovic

by **minnick27** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 4:28 pm

How was Jimmy Fallon as an opener? He seems he is more adult than Al, though I have yet to get his album, so I dont know for sure.

Mike

by **weird_el** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 4:38 pm

I was late, but what I caught was funny. He did a bit about 80s songs at the end of his set that seemed to go over well with the crowd. I'm actually sorry I missed most of it because Jimmy's a local Hudson Valley boy, and I'd like to see his act.

by **Bruce the Duck** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 4:38 pm

QUOTE

Last night in Poughkeepsie Al's opening act was Jimmy Fallon. He came out after the show and I had the opportunity to ask him if he could use any influence he had to get Al on SNL. He said he didn't know what he could do, but it was just as much as a surprise to him (as it is to us) that Al has never been on it.

Wow! That's a pretty darn good opening act! Here in Michigan, I we usually get some semi-entertaining local comedian. Falon is probably a fan of Al's, judging by his song parody bits on the Weekend Updates, plus his parodies on last year's MTV music video awards.
Actually, now that Chris Katan (sp?) has left SNL, Jimmy Falon is probably the most well-known and popular of the cast. If anyone on the cast has influence in getting Al a guest shot, it's Falon!

Jeremy

by **Ratbert197** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 5:15 pm

Isnt Darrol Hammond still on? I think hes funnier than Jimmy but Jimmy is still funny.

Website · by **the Dingo** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 5:24 pm

Actually, I've found that Jimmy has a very PG (Mildly PG-13) sense of humor compared to many of today's comedians. His album reflects that. And even his stand up on the album is tame. He's perfect for Al. I'm mad I wasn't at the show.

And the bit with the 80's songs is great! It's on the album.

QUOTE

Falon is probably a fan of Al's.... his parodies on last year's MTV music video awards

And vice versa, with Eminem, Avril, Nelly, and James Brown being parodied by both Jimmy and Al. (OK, Those first three are a coincedence, but I'm sure that Jimmy and Al are fans of eachother)

by **Jigawatt** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 6:52 pm

QUOTE

now that Chris Katan (sp?) has left SNL, Jimmy Falon is probably the most well-known and popular of the cast. If anyone on the cast has influence in getting Al a guest shot, it's Falon!

Some of you would be interested to know that Jimmy Fallon was Al's opening act last night in Poughkeepsie, and apparently is a pretty big fan of Al himself. He came out after the show and was great and signed autographs for everybody.

Adrian

by **Bruce the Duck** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 11:49 pm

Hey, you know how on SNLs Weekend Update, Jimmy Falon and (something) Fay do joke offs? Well, if you don't, what they do is they take some big item from the news and take turns telling jokes about them, back and forth. It's really funny.

Wouldn't it be great to see Al and Jimmy Falon do a joke off of song parodies? It would be like Jimmy's parody routines but they would switch off with different songs, all about the same topic. Unfortunately, I think Jimmy would do better at this than Al.

Why, you ask? Well, as Al himself has admitted, he is not very good at improv or thinking on his feet. Even his answers in interviews seem to be pre-scripted, though still very funny. Anyone remember his appearance on Politically Incorrect? It seemed like he spent most of the time trying to come up with one-liners while the rest of the group were talking. A lot of what SNL does is improv. This may be a reason why he has not yet been on the show.

Website · by **the Dingo** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 1:23 am

Tina.

by **scottidog** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 3:43 am

QUOTE

A lot of what SNL does is improv. This may be a reason why he has not yet been on the show.

Really? Then why do they rehearse all week?

by **Dr_Dad** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:42 am

QUOTE

Hey, you know how on SNLs Weekend Update, Jimmy Falon and (something) Fay do joke offs? Well, if you don't, what they do is they take some big item from the news and take turns telling jokes about them, back and forth. It's really funny.

Wouldn't it be great to see Al and Jimmy Falon do a joke off of song parodies? It would be like Jimmy's parody routines but they would switch off with different songs, all about the same topic. Unfortunately, I think Jimmy would do better at this than Al.

Why, you ask? Well, as Al himself has admitted, he is not very good at improv or thinking on his feet. Even his answers in interviews seem to be pre-scripted, though still very funny.

And you don't think all the stuff on "Weekend Update" is pre-scripted?? How would they have the news-like graphics over their right shoulders during the bits if they weren't pre-scripted? SNL vets may cut their improv teeth on Second City or the Groundlings, but the shows rarely use straight improv, as a general rule.

I think the bit you described could be very funny. But the real reason Al isn't on SNL or other shows can be found in Entertainment Weekly's recent review of Poodle Hat:

QUOTE

\"]
Once upon a time \"Eat It\", along with MAD Magazine and a solid collection of Garbage Pail Kids, was an essential part of healthy immaturity. But Yankovic can't connect with a market raised on South Park and Eminem. The new role models lure ever-younger fans with an equally smart but jaded, foulmouthed outlook, forcing kids to abandon goofy fun long before they should have to.

[soapbox]Who SAYS they have to abandon goofy fun?? Even though, on the one hand, in the same article, the reviewer says "Yankovic is one of the few musicians who play with words and pop culture as deftly as Enimem", he still comments that Al also writes "corny up-tempo originals full of noisome effects and clownish voices that would make even the widest eyes roll". And yet a Jimmy Fallon or an Adam Sandler will make the same "noisome effects and clownish voices" in their songs on SNL, and everyone calls them brilliant.

As this article confirms, mainstream America seems to think of Al as ... "cute", but ultimately "childish". Despite the fact that CP is one of his best written parodies, full of nuance and in-jokes, and brilliantly reflective of the original [as the EW reviewer also notes], Al is looked on as nothing more than "that silly kid in the schoolyard who made us all laugh when he started singing 'Lemme throw gra-a-avy on you!'". Even when his stuff is appropriately adult-nuanced, everyone still thinks, "I can write a parody like that!" Heck, even Tom Green himself said as much as that on his show this week!

So, if Al makes it on SNL, I will be delighted and have my VCR all fired up. But if not ... who cares??? I know what Al is capable of and know what he has done. And I know he is NOT just "for kids only", though his [appropriate] refusal to do "blue" material makes the average schmuck on the street think otherwise. And you know what? We here are far more likely to admit to Eminem's talents than would any of Em's fans admit to Al's talents. So it ain't even worth trying to convince most of those mindless twerps. I'll take the higher road and take pleasure in knowing the reality.

So sayeth the Doc[/soapbox]

Doc

World of Weird Al Yankovic

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