Christ Makes a Difference. Just Ask Weird Al
Weird Al Yankovic is one of the odder success stories in American music. He’s usually known for his parodies of famous songs by other artists. I remember hearing him on a cassette tape (!) one of my friends lent me. It was from the Dr. Demento show and included Yankovic’s rendition of “Another One Rides the Bus,” a parody of Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.” Other gems include “Like a Surgeon,” “Eat It,” “Smells Like Nirvana,” and “White and Nerdy.” The videos for his parodies are just as brilliant as the songs.
Weird Al’s original songs are a bit of an acquired taste. Still funny and nearly as memorable, but not as popular. I remember one of his biggest original hits, titled “Dare to Be Stupid,” which appeared in the 1986 film Transformers: The Movie. (Which I still have on VHS, if that tells you anything).
I mention Yankovic because I ran across a random Facebook post that said, “A guy named “Weird Al” has had a 40+ year long career with no allegations of sexual impropriety.” What a breath of fresh air in today’s culture. Here is a very private guy who identifies as a Christian when asked. (A “Church of Christ Celebrities” blog post has more info here.) He doesn’t take himself too seriously (not a problem in Hollywood at all!) and lives quietly without using alcohol, drugs, or profanity. To some people, that would be boring. Looking at the numerous felonies committed by actors and musicians (just look at the lineup of this year’s Super Bowl halftime show), it’s pretty dull to other superstars, too. To me, it’s something worthy of imitation (see 1 Corinthians 11:1).
Television producer Michael Schur, who is Jewish but who does not appear to be particularly religious, offered this take on Weird Al’s song “Smells Like Nirvana”:
That’s a service he has always provided: to remind people that rock is about grittiness and authenticity and finding your voice and relating to an audience, but it’s also fundamentally absurd. Being a rock star is stupid. We as a culture are genuflecting at the altar of these rock stars, and Weird Al comes out with this crazy curly hair and an accordion, and he just blows it all into smithereens by singing about Spam.
But Weird Al doesn’t just deflate the absurd self-importance of preening rock stars; he’s their mirror image. He is notoriously reticent about discussing his personal life and spends an unusual amount of time interacting with fans. A friend of mine was chosen to take a working R2D2 replica onstage at one of Weird Al’s shows when he played his song “The Saga Begins,” a Star Wars song set to the tune of “American Pie.” Al spent time talking to my friend and even autographed the inside of the dome of his R2D2. My friend was blown away.
Given that Weird Al is such a private person who rarely ever talks about himself, we probably wouldn’t expect a detailed answer about what Christ has done for his life even if we had the opportunity to ask him. But then again, maybe we wouldn’t have to. Actions speak louder than words.
Photo Credit: “Weird Al Yankovic” by Kyle Cassidy: Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0. Picture cropped for use.
