Hanging 27: Taco Surfing

Thu Aug 14, 2003 9:07 am

QUOTE

Just because Al has in the past avoided political discussions, doesn't mean that he has no right to discuss them.

I came in a little late on this discussion, but I did want to just mention that there's a difference between a principle and a preference. IMHO, "not discussing politics" is a preference, and you can hardly tag someone with hypocrisy for not abiding by his own preference. Preferences change. A fact for which, upon looking at photos of myself from high school, I am deeply grateful. :lookround:

Post by **scottidog** » Thu Aug 14, 2003 9:09 am

I was surfing to see if Al's picture really was in the dictionary under KABLAM. Sadly, it's not. But I did find a word that describes him perfectly: He's totally [/url=http://www.slangsite.com/slang/K.html]Kaboofa![/url]

And Suzanne is kalendradee.

Post by **weird_el** » Thu Aug 14, 2003 1:03 pm

In all fairness to differing opinions, I am offering this link to a negative review.

Found at: http://www.popmatters.com/music/concert ... 0720.shtml

But, I am not going to cut and paste it here for archival purposes like I normally would because it's not worth repeating. Not only does this review diss Al, the first paragraph disses US!

:mad:

Post by **Jigawatt** » Thu Aug 14, 2003 1:42 pm

QUOTE In all fairness to differing opinions, I am offering this link to a negative review.

I was at this show... although I'm not sure if I can say the same for this reviewer. This was actually one of the best performances I've seen so far on the PH Tour from the guys, and the crowd was GREAT... you'd think they were sitting on their hands the whole time if you listened to this review. :mad:

Adrian

Post by **Kevbo1987** » Thu Aug 14, 2003 3:59 pm

That review seems like it was comparing us to the people who go the Star Trek conventions. It made us seem like mental patients with no lives(not that Star Trek fans are mental patients with no lives). BTW, Once again, the use of the word hypocrite was a bit harsh, and I apologize for saying it. So just get of my back already!!!! Geez!!

Thu Aug 14, 2003 4:30 pm

QUOTE That review seems like it was comparing us to the people who go the Star Trek conventions. It made us seem like mental patients with no lives(not that Star Trek fans are mental patients with no lives). BTW, Once again, the use of the word hypocrite was a bit harsh, and I apologize for saying it. So just get of my back already!!!! Geez!!

Okay. Didn't mean to rub salt in.

That was a horrible review, with horrible-but-completely-in-sync-with-our-culture assumptions underlying it.

Weird Al has lots of fans who are white.

And some of them are unattractive.

And many of them are young.

Obviously he is therefore not to be taken seriously as a performing artist.

What I find most mystifying is the suggestion that Al was mailing in his performance. Al will never be perfunctory on stage. If he's there at all, he'll be giving it his all.

Post by **Elvis** » Thu Aug 14, 2003 4:34 pm

QUOTE That review seems like it was comparing us to the people who go the Star Trek conventions.

I don't know, I didn't take what he wrote in the first paragraph as an insult. There is something obviously cultish about Weird Al fans. As an outsider looking into a Weird Al concert, you'd see a lot of people in Hawaiian shirts and a lot of computer or sci fi or comic book "nerds" and what have you. You'd see a bunch of "normal" people too, but it's the cultish ones that are going to stand out. A Weird Al show is a place for people to let their hair down a little bit and be wacky anyway. He didn't exactly insult anyone, he just pointed out what he saw.

Hopefully I got my point across without insulting everyone on the Forum. :nervous:

Anyway as for the review, I was at the show as well, and it's obvious to me that he saw the show differently than I did. He interpreted a few things harsher than others would have. The facts are all in his review. It just takes a little digging to see the bottom line in this case. Al "[filled] a 7,000-seat amphitheatre with screaming fans" who "knew every single word of the Yankovic lyrics." He saw that as a bad thing. To me, I see 7,000 happy fans, and that makes Al's performance that night successful.

Dave

Thu Aug 14, 2003 4:45 pm

QUOTE He didn't exactly insult anyone, he just pointed out what he saw.

Yes, but is what he pointed out so prominently in the opening sentences really the most important thing about the concert?

-OE, who is overwhelmingly white and is also sporting a few extra pounds.

On second thought, I'd rather have him critiquing our waistlines (though that's a damaging thing right there... "Do you wanna go to the Weird Al concert?" "Yeah, let's go hang out with all those fat people!") than providing any more "insights" like the mention of "tedious original songs." WBUL-- tedious? :dontgetit:

Post by **Elvis** » Thu Aug 14, 2003 4:48 pm

QUOTE Yes, but is what he pointed out so prominently in the opening sentences really the most important thing about the concert?

No, of course not. I think he was just setting the scene. His review read more like a story than it did an actual review.

Dave

Post by **weird_el** » Thu Aug 14, 2003 5:01 pm

He was setting the scene with a negative spin. And I'd much rather be called "obviously cultish" than "fat and white." If he really wants to see fat and white, he should go to one Bruce Springsteen's summer stadium concerts.

El

~white but NOT fat~