I Love The 80s . . .

Post by **scottidog** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 7:33 am

QUOTE Why on earth he was picked to sing a duet with anyone, I'll never know.

Because if they gave him too much solo time, nobody would have wanted Robin Williams back on stage. But Richard Belzar?? The guy from Homicide: Life On The Street? I guess I knew he did stand up. I had no idea he sang and danced.

Another Al quote, RE: Madonna, Pepsi and Like A Prayer (was that the name of the video?): "Madonna had the best of both worlds. She didn't get overexposed in the Pepsi ads, and she got paid."

The idea of Madonna worrying about "over exposure" is kind of surreal. No matter how you look at it. Either 1) by having her image/songs/etc. everywhere (which they have been for 20 something years,) or 2) by being just plain over exposed - well, let's just say she's been there, done that and bought the T-shirt.

But, yeah. At least she got paid.

I did get some of Al's stuff on tape, but it would have been impossible to get everything without getting everything. But if you have a chance to watch this series, I would recommend it. Even when Al isn't on screen, his presence is all over the place. Mr. Pop Culture Cuisinart did a great job of picking out at the time what would be in a retrospective later. He may have needed glasses, but he sure had 20/20 vision concerning the culture around him. Or maybe they just used his career as a guide instead of doing the research themselves.

I saw a ton of stuff that made me go "Srom! "

One real STWTCF! And Al sang that line just like Ton Loc did in the song. Have I mentioned what a genius he is? (Al that is, not necessarily this Ton Loc guy - whoever he is.)

Post by **Elvis** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 4:48 pm

QUOTE Funky Cold Medina was a song byTon Loc (who, you ask? I don't know either.)

Well he's the guy whose "Wild Thing" was parodied by "Isle Thing," so it was pretty ingenious of Al to include another or Ton Loc's songs into the parody.

Dave

Post by **scottidog** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 10:39 pm

Thanks Elvis. I told you I didn't know who he was. That Al, he's a funny guy!

Post by **stupidsurgeon27** » Sun Jan 05, 2003 5:51 am

I feel so horrible. I haven't gotten any of it recorded. I wanted to get all of it at once but by that time it's not on when I find out it's suppose to be or I find out it's on too late.

I have seen a couple of years though.

I loved all of Al's bits I've seen.

Even though, actually, the entire program is interesting. It makes me feel old and I'm only 18!

-CindyBob

Post by **scottidog** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 5:04 pm

I was thinking about Al the other day... :biggrin:

QUOTE Mr. Pop Culture Cuisinart did a great job of picking out at the time what would be in a retrospective later. He may have needed glasses, but he sure had 20/20 vision concerning the culture around him. Or maybe they just used his career as a guide instead of doing the research themselves.

I wonder if part of the reason his targets stick in our minds as Icons Of Eightiosity is because Al lampooned them? I mean, for those who got the WAY treatment, their 15 minutes of Fame were increased by Al's version. Everytime an Al video/song plays you think of the original. When Al got playtime, indirectly so did the original artist. It's the nature of Parody.

And in Coolio's case, he managed to stretch his 15 minutes into 45 minutes with his badass act.

Wed Jan 15, 2003 6:02 pm

QUOTE I was thinking about Al the other day... :biggrin:

...I wonder if part of the reason his targets stick in our minds as Icons Of Eightiosity is because Al lampooned them? I mean, for those who got the WAY treatment, their 15 minutes of Fame were increased by Al's version. Everytime an Al video/song plays you think of the original. When Al got playtime, indirectly so did the original artist. It's the nature of Parody.

Yeah. What she said.

And what I said. He's a symbiont, not a parasite.

Post by **scottidog** » Thu Jan 16, 2003 7:46 am

If only Al would quit describing himself as a parasite.

This is a tad off topic, but I was listening to NPR the other day and they had an Elvis retrospective. I hadn't realized how many of Elvis' songs had been done by someone else before he did them. He must be truly the most successful cover artist in history, largely because HIS versions are the most popular and well known. There is some significance to the symbiont/parasite thing with Elvis, though I'm not sure that I could put my finger on it. Was he a symbiont? I hate to say it because I have always liked Elvis, but I think he (or at least The Colonel) was a tad parasitic.

The retrospective was fascinating because they played snippets of the original version side by side with Elvis'.

To bring this back to a WAY connection: If I were a VH1 programming executive, I would make a show about Al doing the same thing. It would be narrated, and perhaps largely written, by Dr. Demento, with lots of interview footage with Al and the boys in the band as well. I wonder if Al would agree to do the interview in the ripped fishnet, or the Silver Suit?

Well, a girl can dream, can't she?

Thu Jan 16, 2003 8:24 am

QUOTE If only Al would quit describing himself as a parasite. Well, maybe he has. I really only know of one occasion when he did.

QUOTE I hadn't realized how many of Elvis' songs had been done by someone else before he did them. He must be truly the most successful cover artist in history, largely because HIS versions are the most popular and well known. There is some significance to the symbiont/parasite thing with Elvis, though I'm not sure that I could put my finger on it. Was he a symbiont? I hate to say it because I have always liked Elvis, but I think he (or at least The Colonel) was a tad parasitic. I know Elvis caught some flak for covering songs by much-more-obscure black artists and taking their music mainstream, but I really can't see how they were harmed by that At least some people (especially other musicians) who were enthusiastic about Elvis also discovered and learned to appreciate his sources. So I'd say Elvis was a symbiont too. The Colonel, on the other hand, from what little I know, was a leech.

Y'know, it's really only fairly recently, as cultural things go, that covering another songwriter's song has been considered in any way undesirable. It only makes sense, too; the most skilled performers and the best songwriters aren't always the same people. And if a song is going to take on a lasting life of its own, it practically has to extend beyond performance by its composer only.

Post by **Bruce the Duck** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 3:41 am

On the new run of "I Love the 80's" on VH1, Gedde Watteverhisnameisimtoolazytolookituprightnow (the actor who played Kuni in UHF) is featured as a commentator. He's given more time than Al was on the last series. :mad: Anyway, why is he even on the series? What has he done that the general public is familiar with? He's on every episode and he even has his own bumber segment (oddly enough in the same spot where Al's were).

Post by **weird_el** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 3:50 am

Gedde Watanabe's most notable role aside from Kuni was as the Asian exchange student in Sixteen Candles. Like Al says in the UHF commentary -- Gedde usually plays "the Asian guy."

This series of I Love the 80s is pretty unwatchable -- I 'm glad Al's not a part of it. "Why are they famous" could be asked of many of the people appearing on the show. It's good that Al has a more time-consuming career.