World of Weird Al Yankovic

I was kind of disappointed with the video. It was just too boring IMHO. The characters didn't have much enthusiasm. I was also hoping for a parody of the Trapped in the Closet video, and I think if they didn't do that, they should have at least made the guy look like Al. Although I do think the wife looks a lot like Suzanne, but that may just be a coincidence.
I suppose I'm not as thrilled as I would have liked is because as an Al fan, I've heard the song a million times and thought about what a video for it would be like, so obviously I was expecting a lot more. But like OE said, we've just been spoiled by Al's top-quality songs/videos/concerts, that when an outside party comes into the picture, it's sometimes below the standard we're used to.



Wow, I talk a lot about not very much.

CatraDhtem @ Mar 21 2007, 12:27 AM wrote: Probably the only element I personally would have done differently would have been to have the husband rocking to "Black Dog" instead of being equally frazzled by it.

Great point. Hearing the song (and from personal experience), I imagined the man rocking/head-banging to the song while the woman had a disgruntled look on her face that said, essentially, "turn it off - I'm getting a headache." Although that might have been one of the only scenes with a bit of (needed) action, it might have also been one of the worst scenes.

Well, Well, Well @ Mar 21 2007, 05:18 PM wrote: I imagined the man rocking/head-banging to the song while the woman had a disgruntled look on her face that said, essentially, "turn it off - I'm getting a headache."

That is generally the scene whenever an Al song comes on when I'm in the car with my girlfriend.

Indeed.

Summing up what I said earlier... I don't think anyone is angry at the video. I like the fact the video got made, it's just that the song (if you heard the song before seeing the video, like most of us have. The song came out in September.) isn't really the kind of song that leaves room for any surprises. So in essence, it's the song not the video. Don't get me wrong, the song is great. But it's so descriptive down to the tee, that anyone who did that video would have probably set it up the same way. I think all of the "dissapointed" comments on here are just coming from people who have heard the song many many times since September which made the video a little boring and predictable. Unlike the videos for the originals or DICYO, which gave a lot of space for the animators to improv and freestyle and kind of make it there own. But I think everyone would agree that if you never had heard the Trapped in the Drive Through Song before you would be in love with it. Just like when the WSD video came out a few days before the album.

But I think everyone agrees that it's great promotion for the album and the tour, and with it being a hit on myspace and ebaumsworld, will most likely interest more venders into hiring Al for more tour dates....for all of you cats in the UK, you can maybe cross your fingers again.

Seth

By the way, what the hell does not digging the Trapped in the Drive Thru video have anything to do with relationships or virgins. Maybe you're the one with the hidden problems, bro. I guess if you didn't like the Virus Alert video, that means you know nothing about the internet. Get real, cat.

What's a virgin?

I completely agree with Seth. IMHO, the humor for the song comes from the fact that it's just explaining the most mudane thing in the world in an operatic style.

And really, how different could it be done? The only bits that I can think of without listening to the song where people can do different to everyone is "Did I mention the Drive-Thru?" and the Black Dog/radio bit.

Here's how differently it could have been done:

It could have had a live action "Weird Al" dressed in some sort of R. Kelly costume mimicking the sets and production values of the original video as well as some of the things that happen in the original. I don't see the overall disappointment as a reflection on the animator, merely as a lamentation on the fact that we didn't get anything even close to what the live action version might have been.

I think it could have been a lot better even in the confines of the animation form. The could used an animated Al dressed to look like R. Kelly, and incorportated similar staging as in the original video. There could have been subtle jokes in the background (think Naked Gun). They could have exaggerated some of the lyrics visually, like how someone suggested having a WHOLE piece of toast in the wife's teeth. It could have been intercut with scenes of an animated Al narrating the song from inside a closet, or something. There are plenty of ways to have made this work.

I definitely agree with Jeremy's suggestions. While I still don't think the video was bad, it definitely could have been better. I especially like the suggestion of more subtle jokes in the background. That really could have enhanced the literal interpretation of the song.