APE IN A CAPE: Why Weird Al Is Awesome

APE IN A CAPE: Why Weird Al Is Awesome:

carolineeand:

gailsimone:

This is a little long and may not be interesting to most, but I really wanted to say it.

Okay, it’s like this. I am a Weird Al fan. Nothing remotely ironic about it, he makes me happy. His parodies are funny, and his original material is even better.

I’ve been buying his stuff since I first…

Okay, now do I get to tell my favorite Al story?

I love “Weird Al” because I’m a smart person and my mother raised me right. I remember road tripping to Florida and listening to Buy me a Condo in the car and thinking it was hilarious despite not knowing was a Cuisinart was or why you would buy a t-shirt with an alligator on it. I remember my parents being in the TV room watching something dumb and uninteresting and me being in the music room listening to Like a Surgeon on repeat so I could memorize it. I never stopped going through my “Weird Al” phase.

I moved to Los Angeles after working for Scott for about a year and a half. In that time, my mom had met Scott once at SXSW and they had a brief interaction. About a month after I moved here, my mom came to visit for a week and I asked Scott for permission to bring my mom by Earwolf which he allowed. I didn’t tell her I’d be bringing her when “Weird Al” was going to be there.

As their recording ended, Scott came out and saw me and my mom and introduced himself to her again and said something like “Yeah, I think we met at SXSW.” Al didn’t miss a beat, walked over to her and said “Well I’ve never met you! Hi, I’m Al!”

He couldn’t stay long to chat, but his outgoingness and kindness to my mother will never be forgotten by me. Especially as I continue to put Genius in France and Don’t Wear Those Shoes on my Gettin-Ready-For-Work playlist.

Caroline, that’s another great Al story. And it has the added benefit of being a sweet Hot Saucerman story!

I forgot about Don’t Wear Those Shoes! My favorite Al song for ages.

I have to say, the people I have met in alt comedy have been absolutely wonderful; Patton, Posehn, Eugene, Paul F., Scott, Kulap, Brett, Jon, Todd, James, Tig, Maria, Mike Drucker, Ron Funches, …all have been incredibly sweet and wonderful. I’m forgetting a bunch because it’s early, but I was amazed at how kind they all were.

It’s also surprising how many of them are into comics. I keep wondering what the connection is, there, between stand up and comic books, but there definitely seems to be one.

Also, I want to meet you and hang out!