There are a lot of Amish where I live in TN. When this song came out one of the local elementary schools put on a performance of this song. Our Amish community gave them clothes and props to use. Then showed up for the performance. They cheered and laughed loudly. They applauded the ended. I've never seen the Amish so animated. They loved it. They have a sense of humor.
Back in the day… when we used to laugh at comedians and not take offense to every single word. We all held our breath waiting to find out which song he would parody next. I miss those days. No one cared what you looked like, no one cared if they looked like girls with make-up, no one cared if they were effeminate, no one cared what color the person dancing next to you was, no one cared about the race of the band or singer, no one cared if you had a different taste in music, and no one wanted that goodness to end.
Yes, Weird Al is not Amish and one of the jokes back when this parody first came out is the Amish would have been very offended by it but they would never hear it because using the technology to so is against their beliefs.
@@chuckster255 I really don't think Amish folks would have been offended by it. He didn't really attack their beliefs, which is really the only thing true Christians will take offense to really. We can make fun of ourselves, just don't be talking bad about God. It's just like any other religion really. Most are good sports about some aspects of their lives that may look silly to others, just don't go after their core beliefs and it will all be good fun.
He picked Amish for this parody, because it's pretty much the opposite of Gangsta, and the contrast created a lot of absurdity, which makes the song funny. And it's stupid to be offended on behalf of the Amish even though you don't know anything about them. THEY aren't offended about this song. Like most Anabaptists, the Amish tend to have pretty thick skin when it comes to the kind of petty offense that cancel culture likes to get upset about. We're talking about people who use horse-drawn plows and make their own clothes: they've got better things to do than worry about some ignorant English throwing a little shade here or there. If somebody tells them "Hey, a guy named Al Yankovic made a song about how the Amish don't use modern technology," I'm pretty sure they'd shrug and go "Well, we don't." Why would it upset them? They're not *ashamed* that they don't use modern technology.
"No phone, no lights, no motorcars, not a single luxury" is from the theme song to Gilligan's Island and the woman standing in for Michelle Pfeiffer from the original Coolio video is Florence Henderson who played the mom in The Brady Bunch TV show. Little details like that is what makes Al the best.
I'm just adding that I don't know if the Gilligan's theme got it wrong first, but the book was Robinson Crusoe, not Caruso. Not a big deal, I just like trivia.
Not only is the man not Amish, but I remember watching mtv when they debuted this, and it went to him after the video - he goes, “to any Amish person who may have be watching…what are you doing, turn the tv off!” 😂
To be clear, the suggestion was an off-hand comment to a friend by Madonna, that friend passed the story to Al's people, then Al said it sounded like a fun idea and did it.
"You are nobody in the music industry until Weird Al parodies one of your songs. " Or your name is Prince, just like Weird Al sings it in "Word Crimes". His Royal Badness was offended Weird Al would do a parody of one of his songs.
That reversed segment at the end is seriously impressive...he had to learn the whole line backwards and he did it PERFECTLY. The dedication and creative genius from this man is unbelievable.
The guy dancing all weird behind him is Donny Osmond from the Osmond Brothers. so funny. I would add "It's All About The Pentiums" with Drew Carey cameo.
@@wsiegel9539 I’m quite glad you caught that. No one seems to realize it’s Donny Osmond and if they do it’s just not mentioned. So I wonder how many people recognize him. :) if you look up “white & nerdy” videos from Weird Al, they do a behind the scenes version.
@@norwegianblue2017He later apologized because, he didn't know his agent had said it was okay to Al's agent! 😂 Once Al did a parody of your song, you were made. ❤ 👍✌️🤣
Al always asks permission to parody a singers track. The only sticking point was when a now Ex agent of Lady Gaga turned him down without telling her. Her fans persuaded her to "reconsider" she did so & Perform This Way was born.
My great grandparents were Amish. I immediately sent this out to all of those friends and family who owned computers, and we collectively laughed our asses off. Yes, we're from Lancaster County, but it's all deserved. Love weird Al!
I've been there!!! And, yes, there are a lot of Amish folks there!! It's such a beautiful area! People's yards (English not Amish) look like they get trimmed BY HAND, they have the most amazing flower beds! No weeds or grass in their flower beds. The homes bare a distinctly Penn-Dutch influence, and all of them are VERY colorful!!! I wish I could go back. Beautiful country there!!
This guy is a legend, he's been doing parodys since the late 70s. He's got sooooo many great songs. If you go down the rabbit hole heres a few I suggest 1 Living with a hernia ( James brown parody) 2 Trapped in the drive-thru ( R Kelly parody) 3 All about the pentiums ( P Diddy parody)
Living in the Fridge (parody of "Living on the Edge" by Aerosmith) >> ruclips.net/video/PhTgzx-LjJY/видео.html Numb Me, Drill Me, Floss Me, Bill Me - later renamed to 'Cavity Search' (parody of "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" by U2) >> ruclips.net/video/2Vigg9Rgy28/видео.html She Drives Like Crazy (parody of "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals) >> ruclips.net/video/4PdqNHyEyXY/видео.html Party in the CIA (parody of "Party In The USA" by Miley Cyrus) >> ruclips.net/video/C-CG5w4YwOI/видео.html The Saga Begins (parody of " American Pie" by Don McLean) >> ruclips.net/video/hEcjgJSqSRU/видео.html ... and many, MANY more ... 😉
What always messes with my head in that scene is that you see the horse and buggy go by moving backwards, but then there's a chicken that appears to be running forward and chasing it. So, if the buggy was moving forward and they played it back backwards, that would mean the chicken was running backwards. Can chickens run backwards?? lol
He's not Amish but he is a genius. His parodies are always on point and hilarious as hell. You gotta hear one of his first hits, a parody of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" called "Another One Rides the Bus".
Weird Al is the goat 🐐 of parodies 🤗🥰 He’s got too many parodies to count! Never ever disappoints! You definitely need to go down the Weird Al rabbit hole😂😍
I like his parody of Michael Jackson's "I'm Bad", entitled, "I'm Fat" and his parody of Madonna's "Like A Virgin", called "Like A Surgeon". But my favorite Weird Al song (not sure if it's a parody of anything) is "One More Minute" where Al describes all the things he'd rather do than spend one more minute with this woman. It's hilarious!
"One More Minute" IS a parody, but not a parody of a specific song. Weird Al also does "Style Parody". "One More Minute" is a parody of the "doo-wop" music of the 1950s-60s. And it's also one of my favorite Weird Al songs.
Think early 90s light fm 2 crooners on a stool singing. Yuck. The song is more than words that I am thinking of. Not a direct parody but that is the style.
He's not the founder of a whole category of music. Other people did comedic songs before him and others did parodies before him. He's arguably the one who's had the most success with it, though.
Having Weird Al parody your song is a greater honor than all of the music awards given out around the world, put together. If he hasn't received a Kennedy Center by now (or by the time I die), he most definitely should. He is a unique and gifted genius by any definition.
When this song came out, a local dj in my hometown of York pa(right next to the famous Amish community of lancaster pa) who was disgruntled, got fired finally for locking himself in the booth and playing this song on loop for the drive time/prime time slot. It forever holds a place in my heart
It wouldn't be because the amish were offended, more than likely it would be because the company they worked for got mad about an employee pulling such a stunt and looping this song.
The whole "primitive as can be" segment was from the TV show "Giligan's Island". If you don't remember Coolio's video, he copied it directly as well as the song.
@@Lupita311 Thanks, I'm familiar with parody. In an effort to be brief it came out strange. In this one the music is much more closely copied than say, "Another One Rides the Bus". I was intending to refer more to the timing involved in the sequences where Al used the profile shot identical to the Coolio video and the mimicking of the scenes from Dangerous Minds. I just wanted to avoid spelling "mimicking". Thanks for calling me out.
@@Lupita311 Let's not forget that Coolio's song is just another rendition of "Pastime Paradise" by Stevie Wonder. So not like Coolio could really shun Al for "Copying" HIS song.
You could spend an entire week doing just Weird Al reactions. As great as his multi-dozens of parodies are, his originals are even better. He is sooooo funny & extremely talented. Keep discovering Weird Al👍🏼
It's actually considered quite an honor to have weird al parody your music. They call the increased sales after he does the parody the "weird al effect" Also he's not Amish. It's purely for the comedy.
He doesn't have to get permission, he does it out of respect to the artist. There was an issue with him and Coolio for this one because he got the go ahead from the record company but Coolio never gave him his blessing to do it. They've made up since then and Coolio is cool with him now. Prince was one of the main ones that never wanted his songs done.
@@sundaygloom8715 A reverse Coolio situation was his parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" called "You're Pitiful." James was good with it but Atlantic Records said no. Al released it for free. In the White and Nerdy video, he edits the Atlantic Records wikipedia page to say "You suck."
Even though Paul McCartney is a Weird Al fan, he wouldn't let Al to a parody of "Live & Let Die" titled "Chicken Pot Pie" because McCartney is a vegeterian.
That line... No phone, no lights, no motor cars, not a single luxury. Like Robinson Crusoe, its as primitive as can be... That came from the ending theme song of Gilligan's Island. Many people miss that because they never seen that old sitcom.
It’s okay to laugh. He’s a comedian, telling jokes in musical form like SNL would do in a skit, but using popular music that we all loved. No one took offense. We looked forward to who he was going to parody next.
It is sad that everytime i see someone react to this no one gets the part of the song where he is singing part of the Gilligan's Island theme song.Or people don't understand Amish have hooks instead of Buttons because Buttons are seen as decadent and too flashy.
when Weird Al spoofed a song , it was Random . He would first approach the original artists and request permission. He is the King of Music spoofs , and he never made fun of the original artists , he made fun of himself or the political or social world. He respected an artists, and apparently over the years the ONLY artists who Refused to let him spoof a song was Prince. Al was Not Amish , he was just writing comedy. You need to turn BJ onto his Michael Jackson Spoofs .. Eat it or FAT (Spoof of Bad)
Paul McCartney also refused permission for a parody. Al had wanted to do a parody of "Live and Let Die" that he was going to call "Chicken Pot Pie". McCartney, a vegetarian, refused permission to parody the song.
@@OriginalLictre Yes, but McCartney only refused the subject matter (consuming animal flesh), not the idea of Al doing a parody. On Conan, Al said, Paul said "you can do anything else you want...you could do Tofu Pot Pie", but the chorus Al had written was a chicken clucking (to the tune of Live & Let Die), so it didn't work (& he never got around to coming up with a different McCartney parody).
That last line where he comes out of the barn and you know that the video is playing backwards - that means that he had to tape that forwards while singing those lines backwards for them to come out forwards when the vid plays! What a genius.
No one pointed out that Florence Henderson was playing the role of Michelle Pfifer. In case you don;t know who Florence Henderson is/was, she played Mrs. Brady on the Brady Bunch TV series.
The part about," No phone, no lights, no motorcars. . . like Robinson Caruso, it's primative as can be.". Is taken from the Gilligan's Island theme song.
I met Al at a Con here and my son worked with him all week as a local assistant. He was such a nice and humble person. And a very soft spoken and low key guy which kinda surprised me.
To the several people bemoaning that Asia and BJ missed the "Gilligan's Island" reference: you're being too hard on them. We're talking about lyrics from the CLOSING theme song of a TV show which aired from 57 to 54 years ago! I'm 51, watched reruns of this 40 years ago, and know the opening theme well. But not the closing theme. I did not recognize the lyrics. How many people caught the Buster Keaton silent movie reference at 5:51? These things are no longer widely known.
Oh guys, your reaction is just so beautiful! I’m so glad you enjoyed this! I had family who broke away from the Mennonite church, and as a way for them to feel a bit better, my mom played this video for them, and it was a hilarious moment, so sharing in your laughter is a moment shared with mine about how over the top Al was in this, but still tipping his hat to a great that influenced him 😊
I had this record on a VHS as a kid in the 90's, along with Coolio's original. Also had Al's song called "I'm Fat" on it. I watched it soooo many times. That VHS tape was very sentimental to me. Lol
He always does this lol. I believe he’s Jewish in real life. He loves to make fun of the song itself, the artist, and turn it into things like this lol. Also is making fun of Amish people if you ask me but he does this with everyone no matter the color, or religion. Loved your reaction guys!
Al identifies as a Christian, and to my knowledge doesn't have any Jewish ancestry. You wouldn't know that listening to "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi," though. :D
Weird Al has a musical genius.. I don't live far from Amish Country have been there many times and lots of families still live this type of Lifestyle.. the Amish will never be offended because frankly they'll never know about it.😊😉
He was never amish, he makes fun of everyone and everything, and, he does it so well that being parodied by him is a mark of success. Ive only heard of like three singers that took issue with him.
"No phones, no lights no motorcars, not a single luxury" comes from the Gilligan's Island themesong. Also the lady who walks over and sits down in the chair, is the mother from the Brady Bunch.
hes going for song titles that kinda ryhme with the original title. like "living with a hernia" to "living in america", p diiddy "all about the benjamin's" and "all about the pentiums"
You guys have to hit his classics. “Eat it” , “Fat” or “another one rides the bus”. if you really have guts you can do his original songs “Albuquerque “ or “the night Santa went crazy.” Thanks for the great content
The lines “No phone, no light, no motor car, not a single luxury, like Robinson Crusoe, etc., etc.” are from the closing theme song to Gilligan’s Island.
I love Weird Al. It is very important to be familiar with the original songs and videos because he does great parodies of both! I don't think he is Amish, LOL, but he is a genius!
Weird Al is responsible for "FAT", "EAT IT" ,"WHITE AND NERDY","TRAPPED IN THE DRIVE-THRU "all of these songs are parodies of hits by other artists/ singers.
What makes Al's parodies the best is one he is just a great comedian and musician, but that he always asks original song owners and gets permission, so you know Coolio heard this and loved it. RIP Coolio
Not at first. I think the story was though Coolio's people gave the okay, Coolio was not all on board; Al didn't find out until afterwards. I believe he's done interviews where he stated he wasn't cool at first but grown to appreciate it.
Whenever Weird Al parodies a song, he picks a word with the same syllables and accents as the original: ~ Like a Virgin = Like a Surgeon ~ Beat It = Eat It ~ It's All About the Benjamins = It's All About the Pentiums ~ Royals = Foil ~ MacArthur Park = Jurassic Park ~ Living in America = Living With a Hernia (FYI: he focuses this effort on the chorus, which repeats, but he's usually fortunate in that the chorus is also used for the song title.) Gangsta's and Amish both have two syllables, accent on the first, and even near homophones - short 'a' against an n/m, ending with another short 'a' and a drawn 's' (vs a soft 'i' and a drawn 'sh').
The “No phone, no lights, no motor car, Not a single luxury, Like Robinson Crusoe, It's primitive as can be,” is a line from the Gilligan’s Island theme song.
The no Phones no lights no motorcars part is the lyrics from Gilligans Island. Also the older Amish lady is the one that played Carol Brady on the Brady Bunch. Two different Sherwood Shwartz references in the song.
"No phone, no lights, no motor car. Not a single luxury. Like Robinson Carusoe it's as primitive as can be." is a line from the Gilligan's Island theme song. Checkout Stuck In The Drive Thru and Germs.
The “No phone, no lights, no motor car. Not a single luxury. Like Robinson Crusoe, it’s primitive as can be.” is in reference to the Gillian’s Island TV show.
The line "No phone, no lights, no motorcars, not a single luxury. Like Robinson Caruso as primitive as can be" is from the Gilligan's Island theme song.
The main woman sitting in front of Weird Al in the video is Florence Henderson (Carol Brady) from The Brady Bunch. Also, the lyric "No Phone, No Lights, No Motor Cars not a single Luxury. Like Robinson Caruso. It's primitive as can be" were the lyric for the theme from Gilligan's Island. It finished off with "So join us here each week my friend, your sure to get a smile. From seven stranded castaways, here on Gilligan's Isle."
“I’m the pious guy the little Ahm-lettes wanna be like, on my knees day and night scoring points for the afterlife.” Is a savage bar. It always gets overlooked.
Met an Amish guy on Rumspringa which is a time when they can live however they want for a year. Dude thought this was the best ever song, so I don't think the Amish are or would be offended.
Thanks for the laughs. The most impressive thing Weird Al does in this video is syncing up his mouth moving to the singing during the backward filming segment. Not easy to do.
He is a Cal Poly Alumni too….heard him on KCPR radio…his first hit was My Bologna (My Sharona by the Knack, recorded in a bathroom!) so many parodies….
Weird Al grew up in suburban California. I think he picked Amish because it's about as diametrically opposed to Gangsta as you can get. Deep country instead of inner city, pacifist instead of violent, etc.
Listen...how smart do you have to be to do that part in reverse!!! VERY SMART!!! He did it so good y’all seemed to have not noticed. It’s my favorite part.
You've GOT to watch what happens in the background. Watch him churning butter when the lady walks by. Also, there are SO many pop culture references from the time in his videos.
Weird Al is the GOAT of Parody Songs. He asks permission for the songs, though there WAS controversy over this song, but in the end, Coolio was cool with it. He does try his best to mimic the original video if possible. Michael Jackson even allowed Al to use his original props and set, and backup actors, for Fat/Bad and Eat It/Beat It.
There are a lot of Amish where I live in TN. When this song came out one of the local elementary schools put on a performance of this song. Our Amish community gave them clothes and props to use. Then showed up for the performance. They cheered and laughed loudly. They applauded the ended. I've never seen the Amish so animated. They loved it. They have a sense of humor.
My grandfather was plain Amish. They are humans like the rest of us. It is strict but just love.
Back in the day… when we used to laugh at comedians and not take offense to every single word.
We all held our breath waiting to find out which song he would parody next.
I miss those days.
No one cared what you looked like, no one cared if they looked like girls with make-up, no one cared if they were effeminate, no one cared what color the person dancing next to you was, no one cared about the race of the band or singer, no one cared if you had a different taste in music, and no one wanted that goodness to end.
Yes the Amish are very nice happy people in my experience.
Are you for real?? Lol. That's incredible. Lol. Wish this was televised.
@DeAnne Smith yeah. The good old days. Glad he's still around and still does it from time to time.
Al isn't Amish, he's just a parody genius... That's why they call him "Weird" Al...
Yes, Weird Al is not Amish and one of the jokes back when this parody first came out is the Amish would have been very offended by it but they would never hear it because using the technology to so is against their beliefs.
@@chuckster255 yep and if he were Amish he certainly wouldn't be an entertainer lol. Guy is hilarious.
The best!
@@chuckster255 I really don't think Amish folks would have been offended by it. He didn't really attack their beliefs, which is really the only thing true Christians will take offense to really. We can make fun of ourselves, just don't be talking bad about God. It's just like any other religion really. Most are good sports about some aspects of their lives that may look silly to others, just don't go after their core beliefs and it will all be good fun.
He picked Amish for this parody, because it's pretty much the opposite of Gangsta, and the contrast created a lot of absurdity, which makes the song funny.
And it's stupid to be offended on behalf of the Amish even though you don't know anything about them. THEY aren't offended about this song. Like most Anabaptists, the Amish tend to have pretty thick skin when it comes to the kind of petty offense that cancel culture likes to get upset about. We're talking about people who use horse-drawn plows and make their own clothes: they've got better things to do than worry about some ignorant English throwing a little shade here or there. If somebody tells them "Hey, a guy named Al Yankovic made a song about how the Amish don't use modern technology," I'm pretty sure they'd shrug and go "Well, we don't." Why would it upset them? They're not *ashamed* that they don't use modern technology.
"No phone, no lights, no motorcars, not a single luxury" is from the theme song to Gilligan's Island and the woman standing in for Michelle Pfeiffer from the original Coolio video is Florence Henderson who played the mom in The Brady Bunch TV show. Little details like that is what makes Al the best.
Facts!
Dannng. I didn’t know this. Nice facts.
Thank you for the reminder of Gilligan's Island and that reference.
Oh cool I never noticed that.
I'm just adding that I don't know if the Gilligan's theme got it wrong first, but the book was Robinson Crusoe, not Caruso. Not a big deal, I just like trivia.
Not only is the man not Amish, but I remember watching mtv when they debuted this, and it went to him after the video - he goes, “to any Amish person who may have be watching…what are you doing, turn the tv off!” 😂
No one has mastered wholesome comedy the way he has.
I remember watching ☺️that and laughing my butt off.
@@alyzu4755 me too!
The goat
You are nobody in the music industry until Weird Al parodies one of your songs. Madonna actually asked him outright to do one of her songs.
Like a Surgeon parody of Like a Virgin
Like a surgeon, Cut for the very first time. Lol
@@lisainthecold4287 Here's some papers for you to sign.
To be clear, the suggestion was an off-hand comment to a friend by Madonna, that friend passed the story to Al's people, then Al said it sounded like a fun idea and did it.
"You are nobody in the music industry until Weird Al parodies one of your songs. "
Or your name is Prince, just like Weird Al sings it in "Word Crimes". His Royal Badness was offended Weird Al would do a parody of one of his songs.
That reversed segment at the end is seriously impressive...he had to learn the whole line backwards and he did it PERFECTLY. The dedication and creative genius from this man is unbelievable.
And he still knows how to do it
@@xander1052 Of course, it was ingrained into his muscle memory.
Weird Al "White & Nerdy" is a great song to listen to review afterwards, if you're interested.
Agreed, 1 of the funniest one he made 🤣
I believe Asia already reacted to it on her channel.
@@Gutslinger Thanks!
The guy dancing all weird behind him is Donny Osmond from the Osmond Brothers. so funny. I would add "It's All About The Pentiums" with Drew Carey cameo.
@@wsiegel9539 I’m quite glad you caught that. No one seems to realize it’s Donny Osmond and if they do it’s just not mentioned. So I wonder how many people recognize him. :) if you look up “white & nerdy” videos from Weird Al, they do a behind the scenes version.
Most music acts consider it an honor to have Al parody their stuff. They consider it a sign that they've made it!
Not Coolio. He was really angry about this song, thought it was disrespectful.
@@norwegianblue2017He later apologized because, he didn't know his agent had said it was okay to Al's agent! 😂
Once Al did a parody of your song, you were made. ❤ 👍✌️🤣
Al always asks permission to parody a singers track. The only sticking point was when a now Ex agent of Lady Gaga turned him down without telling her. Her fans persuaded her to "reconsider" she did so & Perform This Way was born.
My great grandparents were Amish. I immediately sent this out to all of those friends and family who owned computers, and we collectively laughed our asses off. Yes, we're from Lancaster County, but it's all deserved. Love weird Al!
I've been there!!! And, yes, there are a lot of Amish folks there!! It's such a beautiful area! People's yards (English not Amish) look like they get trimmed BY HAND, they have the most amazing flower beds! No weeds or grass in their flower beds. The homes bare a distinctly Penn-Dutch influence, and all of them are VERY colorful!!! I wish I could go back. Beautiful country there!!
This guy is a legend, he's been doing parodys since the late 70s. He's got sooooo many great songs. If you go down the rabbit hole heres a few I suggest
1 Living with a hernia ( James brown parody)
2 Trapped in the drive-thru ( R Kelly parody)
3 All about the pentiums ( P Diddy parody)
Eat It / Bad (MJ parodies)
Word Crimes (Blurred Lines parody)
Tacky (Happy by Pharrell Williams)
White & Nerdy (Eminem? Parody)
Lots of others.
@@algallego I would add these oldies but goodies:
I Love Rocky Road
Like A Surgeon
I Lost On Jeopardy
@@algallego White & Nerdy is a parody of Ridin' Dirty by Chamillionaire.
Living in the Fridge (parody of "Living on the Edge" by Aerosmith)
>> ruclips.net/video/PhTgzx-LjJY/видео.html
Numb Me, Drill Me, Floss Me, Bill Me - later renamed to 'Cavity Search' (parody of "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" by U2)
>> ruclips.net/video/2Vigg9Rgy28/видео.html
She Drives Like Crazy (parody of "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals)
>> ruclips.net/video/4PdqNHyEyXY/видео.html
Party in the CIA (parody of "Party In The USA" by Miley Cyrus)
>> ruclips.net/video/C-CG5w4YwOI/видео.html
The Saga Begins (parody of "
American Pie"
by Don McLean)
>> ruclips.net/video/hEcjgJSqSRU/видео.html
... and many, MANY more ... 😉
What about party in the CIA?
That part where he sings no phone no lights no motor car not a single luxury, if you don't remember that came from Gilligan's Island theme song.
"if you don't remember" lol they're too young for that
It's the end song. Most people only recognize the beginning theme. (edit: fixed spelling)
@@GeraldWalls true it took me a while to figure that out 😆
@@willl84 WAY too young... these people don't even know what Dallas or Dynasty was
I don't think anyone recognizes Florence Henderson, aka Mrs. Carol Brady, in the Michelle Pfeiffer role in this either anymore.
Al actually learned the lyrics backwards and filmed that whole last section with him walking backwards.
Yes , I watched his biography. He was dedicated. Everyone was going backwards behind him !
What always messes with my head in that scene is that you see the horse and buggy go by moving backwards, but then there's a chicken that appears to be running forward and chasing it. So, if the buggy was moving forward and they played it back backwards, that would mean the chicken was running backwards. Can chickens run backwards?? lol
We should all be grateful he turned out to be an awesome guy and didn't use his powers for evil. We'd Al be effed if he had.
That's what I love about him. He never half asses anything.
He's not Amish but he is a genius. His parodies are always on point and hilarious as hell. You gotta hear one of his first hits, a parody of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" called "Another One Rides the Bus".
I recommend "The Saga Begins" taking the classic "American Pie" to retell the story of "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace"
I had to give you a Like for calling him a Genius,. That is CERTAINLY true!
How about BoB, or drive thru, or if you want to showcase his highlights you could recommend Jurassic Park, Jeopardy, Fat, eBay, or his Polka
Weird Al is a National Treasure!!!!! He 100% should be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Weird Al is the goat 🐐 of parodies 🤗🥰
He’s got too many parodies to count! Never ever disappoints!
You definitely need to go down the Weird Al rabbit hole😂😍
So true!🔥
Plus he made the best unboxing video ever.
There's a reason Weird Al has had a career for the last 50 years. He's just amazing...
"Is he really Amish" !!!!
Oh I almost died laughing !! : D
I like his parody of Michael Jackson's "I'm Bad", entitled, "I'm Fat" and his parody of Madonna's "Like A Virgin", called "Like A Surgeon". But my favorite Weird Al song (not sure if it's a parody of anything) is "One More Minute" where Al describes all the things he'd rather do than spend one more minute with this woman. It's hilarious!
"One More Minute" IS a parody, but not a parody of a specific song. Weird Al also does "Style Parody". "One More Minute" is a parody of the "doo-wop" music of the 1950s-60s. And it's also one of my favorite Weird Al songs.
I forgot about that one lol
Think early 90s light fm 2 crooners on a stool singing. Yuck. The song is more than words that I am thinking of. Not a direct parody but that is the style.
You are the only other person I've ever heard of that also has "One More Minute" as their favorite Weird Al song! 👍
Another great one is buckingham blues!
It amazes me that people don't know weird al, the founder of a whole category of music
He's not the founder of a whole category of music. Other people did comedic songs before him and others did parodies before him. He's arguably the one who's had the most success with it, though.
Having Weird Al parody your song is a greater honor than all of the music awards given out around the world, put together. If he hasn't received a Kennedy Center by now (or by the time I die), he most definitely should. He is a unique and gifted genius by any definition.
I love when he does James brown. Even has the mic grab down. Living with a hernia
James even lent his band to Weird Al during making the video, Living with a Hernia
@@MrTech226 and apparently trained Al in the dance steps too.
When this song came out, a local dj in my hometown of York pa(right next to the famous Amish community of lancaster pa) who was disgruntled, got fired finally for locking himself in the booth and playing this song on loop for the drive time/prime time slot. It forever holds a place in my heart
That's funny considering that the Amish don't listen to the radio, therefore they have no reason to be upset.
It wouldn't be because the amish were offended, more than likely it would be because the company they worked for got mad about an employee pulling such a stunt and looping this song.
The whole "primitive as can be" segment was from the TV show "Giligan's Island". If you don't remember Coolio's video, he copied it directly as well as the song.
He didn't copued the song it is a parody of Coolios song and Coolio loved it.
@@Lupita311 Thanks, I'm familiar with parody. In an effort to be brief it came out strange. In this one the music is much more closely copied than say, "Another One Rides the Bus". I was intending to refer more to the timing involved in the sequences where Al used the profile shot identical to the Coolio video and the mimicking of the scenes from Dangerous Minds. I just wanted to avoid spelling "mimicking". Thanks for calling me out.
@@Lupita311 Let's not forget that Coolio's song is just another rendition of "Pastime Paradise" by Stevie Wonder. So not like Coolio could really shun Al for "Copying" HIS song.
There's never been anyone like weird Al. He's the goat of parodies.
You could spend an entire week doing just Weird Al reactions.
As great as his multi-dozens of parodies are, his originals are even better.
He is sooooo funny & extremely talented.
Keep discovering Weird Al👍🏼
Al's been making parody songs for decades.
He is currently in the fifth decade of his career. He's outlasted most of the people/bands he's parodied.
since the late 70s
I first heard of him in the late 70s
@@danieljodrey8863 the Doctor Demento show
Oh...boy. Take the leap into the Weird Al catalog. You'll love it.
As a lover of the English language, I vote for 'Word Crimes' as one of the most clever songs I have ever heard.
It's actually considered quite an honor to have weird al parody your music. They call the increased sales after he does the parody the "weird al effect" Also he's not Amish. It's purely for the comedy.
🤣 💯 classic Weird Al … “He’s kinda a big deal” (paraphrasing Ron Burgundy) in the parady game! Fire video
He and Coolio shared the podium at the Grammy when this released. Yes, indeed, Al wore the braids. It was GLORIOUS.
Al is a very devout Christian, an amazing talent, funny and apparently all-round nice guy
Weird Al has to get permission from the original artists to record these parodies.....but he's so damn good at it, most artists are willing to do so!
He doesn't have to get permission, he does it out of respect to the artist.
There was an issue with him and Coolio for this one because he got the go ahead from the record company but Coolio never gave him his blessing to do it. They've made up since then and Coolio is cool with him now.
Prince was one of the main ones that never wanted his songs done.
@@sundaygloom8715 and Led Zeppelin wouldn’t either. They did let him use part of a song in the middle of trapped in the drive through.
@@sundaygloom8715 A reverse Coolio situation was his parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" called "You're Pitiful." James was good with it but Atlantic Records said no. Al released it for free. In the White and Nerdy video, he edits the Atlantic Records wikipedia page to say "You suck."
Except the Sexy MFer.
Even though Paul McCartney is a Weird Al fan, he wouldn't let Al to a parody of "Live & Let Die" titled "Chicken Pot Pie" because McCartney is a vegeterian.
Come on guys this is the *1990's* where you're free to joke about anything *Weird Al Yankovic* is *NOT Amish*
I met Weird Al at LaGuardia Airport in 1984 when I was 13. Very nice, classy guy.
I always love how he pays attention to the small details :)
Check out his parody to James Brown's Living In America (LIVING WITH A HERNIA). It is definitely one of his funniest videos.
You all need to know one thing about Weird Al.... he is a crazy genius.
That line... No phone, no lights, no motor cars, not a single luxury. Like Robinson Crusoe, its as primitive as can be... That came from the ending theme song of Gilligan's Island. Many people miss that because they never seen that old sitcom.
It’s okay to laugh.
He’s a comedian, telling jokes in musical form like SNL would do in a skit, but using popular music that we all loved.
No one took offense.
We looked forward to who he was going to parody next.
Just so you know, the original song is from Stevie Wonder - “Pastime Paradise”, covered by Coolio, and then paritied by Weird Al
Now check out the orginal song... "Pastime Paradise" by Stevie Wonder from 1976 Album, Songs in the Key of Life. IMO the best version.
On his parody of Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’ (Like A Surgeon), it was the first time an original artist asked him to parody their song.
It is sad that everytime i see someone react to this no one gets the part of the song where he is singing part of the Gilligan's Island theme song.Or people don't understand Amish have hooks instead of Buttons because Buttons are seen as decadent and too flashy.
. . . the whole barn frame falling and him standing in just the right spot is a nod to Buster Keaton.
when Weird Al spoofed a song , it was Random . He would first approach the original artists and request permission. He is the King of Music spoofs , and he never made fun of the original artists , he made fun of himself or the political or social world. He respected an artists, and apparently over the years the ONLY artists who Refused to let him spoof a song was Prince. Al was Not Amish , he was just writing comedy. You need to turn BJ onto his Michael Jackson Spoofs .. Eat it or FAT (Spoof of Bad)
Paul McCartney also refused permission for a parody. Al had wanted to do a parody of "Live and Let Die" that he was going to call "Chicken Pot Pie". McCartney, a vegetarian, refused permission to parody the song.
@@OriginalLictre Yes, but McCartney only refused the subject matter (consuming animal flesh), not the idea of Al doing a parody. On Conan, Al said, Paul said "you can do anything else you want...you could do Tofu Pot Pie", but the chorus Al had written was a chicken clucking (to the tune of Live & Let Die), so it didn't work (& he never got around to coming up with a different McCartney parody).
That last line where he comes out of the barn and you know that the video is playing backwards - that means that he had to tape that forwards while singing those lines backwards for them to come out forwards when the vid plays! What a genius.
I've loved Weird Al since I was a kid. For my sons 11th birthday I took him to see him in concert and he still talks about it 4 years later.
He's touring again next year!
No one pointed out that Florence Henderson was playing the role of Michelle Pfifer. In case you don;t know who Florence Henderson is/was, she played Mrs. Brady on the Brady Bunch TV series.
He's pokin' fun. His remake of Micheal Jackson's Bad is funny
One of my favorites
Al says he likes to poke in the ribs, not kick in the balls.
The part about," No phone, no lights, no motorcars. . . like Robinson Caruso, it's primative as can be.". Is taken from the Gilligan's Island theme song.
Can't believe they didn't know that. And Mrs Brady!
Now you've gotta do "White and Nerdy," and "Word Crimes." You won't be disappointed!
Most people don't seem to realize that Coolio sampled Stevie Wonder's song " Pastime Paradise" .
Btw the lady his singing across from is Florence Henderson aka Mrs.brady from the Brady bunch ✌️
I met Al at a Con here and my son worked with him all week as a local assistant. He was such a nice and humble person. And a very soft spoken and low key guy which kinda surprised me.
To the several people bemoaning that Asia and BJ missed the "Gilligan's Island" reference: you're being too hard on them. We're talking about lyrics from the CLOSING theme song of a TV show which aired from 57 to 54 years ago! I'm 51, watched reruns of this 40 years ago, and know the opening theme well. But not the closing theme. I did not recognize the lyrics. How many people caught the Buster Keaton silent movie reference at 5:51? These things are no longer widely known.
Got the Buster Keaton reference.
Yes, I'm old.
Oh guys, your reaction is just so beautiful! I’m so glad you enjoyed this! I had family who broke away from the Mennonite church, and as a way for them to feel a bit better, my mom played this video for them, and it was a hilarious moment, so sharing in your laughter is a moment shared with mine about how over the top Al was in this, but still tipping his hat to a great that influenced him 😊
Weird Al covered other singers songs. He has a whole catalog of music. He even covered a Michael Jackson song. Love him.
I know Al is weird, but some peeps didn’t know they made it til Weird Al covered them.
I had this record on a VHS as a kid in the 90's, along with Coolio's original.
Also had Al's song called "I'm Fat" on it. I watched it soooo many times. That VHS tape was very sentimental to me. Lol
Just "Fat" not "I'm Fat"
@@platinumspider7859 Thought so.
This a classic.reminds me of lancaster PA where i use to go on vacations from NJ to see the trains and Hersey Park
He always does this lol. I believe he’s Jewish in real life. He loves to make fun of the song itself, the artist, and turn it into things like this lol. Also is making fun of Amish people if you ask me but he does this with everyone no matter the color, or religion. Loved your reaction guys!
But poking fun at them in the most light hearted, inoffesive way. Lol
Al's actually a Christian (been open about it as well).
LOL I kinda think Al chose "Amish" because "Amish" is, like, the OPPOSITE of "Gangsta". 😋
@@philpennington826 Exactly.
Al identifies as a Christian, and to my knowledge doesn't have any Jewish ancestry. You wouldn't know that listening to "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi," though. :D
"If any Amish people are offended when they watch this video, what are you doing! You are not suppose to watch TV!" - Weird Al.
Weird Al has a musical genius.. I don't live far from Amish Country have been there many times and lots of families still live this type of Lifestyle.. the Amish will never be offended because frankly they'll never know about it.😊😉
He was never amish, he makes fun of everyone and everything, and, he does it so well that being parodied by him is a mark of success. Ive only heard of like three singers that took issue with him.
I'm sure someone told ya'll "HE IS NOT AMISH!" Love your reaction and u both kill it every time.
"No phones, no lights no motorcars, not a single luxury" comes from the Gilligan's Island themesong. Also the lady who walks over and sits down in the chair, is the mother from the Brady Bunch.
Weird Al is the Parody King!
hes going for song titles that kinda ryhme with the original title. like "living with a hernia" to "living in america", p diiddy "all about the benjamin's" and "all about the pentiums"
You guys have to hit his classics. “Eat it” , “Fat” or “another one rides the bus”. if you really have guts you can do his original songs “Albuquerque “ or “the night Santa went crazy.” Thanks for the great content
The lines “No phone, no light, no motor car,
not a single luxury, like Robinson Crusoe, etc., etc.”
are from the closing theme song to Gilligan’s Island.
I love Weird Al. It is very important to be familiar with the original songs and videos because he does great parodies of both! I don't think he is Amish, LOL, but he is a genius!
Weird Al is responsible for "FAT", "EAT IT" ,"WHITE AND NERDY","TRAPPED IN THE DRIVE-THRU "all of these songs are parodies of hits by other artists/ singers.
Love your reaction love you guys guys are great, You guys have to do weird Al living with a hernia better hold your ribs on that one.
Random Fact:
The blonde Amish woman sitting in front of him is Florence Henderson. The mom from "The Brady Bunch."
Al is not Amish
What makes Al's parodies the best is one he is just a great comedian and musician, but that he always asks original song owners and gets permission, so you know Coolio heard this and loved it. RIP Coolio
Not at first. I think the story was though Coolio's people gave the okay, Coolio was not all on board; Al didn't find out until afterwards.
I believe he's done interviews where he stated he wasn't cool at first but grown to appreciate it.
Whenever Weird Al parodies a song, he picks a word with the same syllables and accents as the original:
~ Like a Virgin = Like a Surgeon
~ Beat It = Eat It
~ It's All About the Benjamins = It's All About the Pentiums
~ Royals = Foil
~ MacArthur Park = Jurassic Park
~ Living in America = Living With a Hernia
(FYI: he focuses this effort on the chorus, which repeats, but he's usually fortunate in that the chorus is also used for the song title.)
Gangsta's and Amish both have two syllables, accent on the first, and even near homophones - short 'a' against an n/m, ending with another short 'a' and a drawn 's' (vs a soft 'i' and a drawn 'sh').
i love that some people don't realize you are hearing a Stevie Wonder Song Called (PASTIME PARADISE) he did back in the 70ies. check it out.
The “No phone, no lights, no motor car, Not a single luxury, Like Robinson Crusoe, It's primitive as can be,” is a line from the Gilligan’s Island theme song.
The no Phones no lights no motorcars part is the lyrics from Gilligans Island. Also the older Amish lady is the one that played Carol Brady on the Brady Bunch. Two different Sherwood Shwartz references in the song.
"No phone, no lights, no motor car. Not a single luxury. Like Robinson Carusoe it's as primitive as can be." is a line from the Gilligan's Island theme song. Checkout Stuck In The Drive Thru and Germs.
the lyric passage that ends with "it's as primitive as can be" is lifted directly from the theme song for the old cheesy TV sitcom "Gilligan's Island"
The “No phone, no lights, no motor car. Not a single luxury. Like Robinson Crusoe, it’s primitive as can be.” is in reference to the Gillian’s Island TV show.
The line "No phone, no lights, no motorcars, not a single luxury. Like Robinson Caruso as primitive as can be" is from the Gilligan's Island theme song.
Lol an Amish person wouldn't be making a music video 😂.
Good reaction yall. Good stuff
The main woman sitting in front of Weird Al in the video is Florence Henderson (Carol Brady) from The Brady Bunch. Also, the lyric "No Phone, No Lights, No Motor Cars not a single Luxury. Like Robinson Caruso. It's primitive as can be" were the lyric for the theme from Gilligan's Island. It finished off with "So join us here each week my friend, your sure to get a smile. From seven stranded castaways, here on Gilligan's Isle."
“I’m the pious guy the little Ahm-lettes wanna be like, on my knees day and night scoring points for the afterlife.” Is a savage bar. It always gets overlooked.
Met an Amish guy on Rumspringa which is a time when they can live however they want for a year. Dude thought this was the best ever song, so I don't think the Amish are or would be offended.
Thanks for the laughs. The most impressive thing Weird Al does in this video is syncing up his mouth moving to the singing during the backward filming segment. Not easy to do.
He is a Cal Poly Alumni too….heard him on KCPR radio…his first hit was My Bologna (My Sharona by the Knack, recorded in a bathroom!) so many parodies….
The line no light, no cars, not a single luxury is from the theme song to Gilligan's Island
The "as primative as can be" part is from the "Gilligan's Island theme song. The blonde women was the mother on "The Bradey Bunch".
Weird Al grew up in suburban California. I think he picked Amish because it's about as diametrically opposed to Gangsta as you can get. Deep country instead of inner city, pacifist instead of violent, etc.
Listen...how smart do you have to be to do that part in reverse!!! VERY SMART!!! He did it so good y’all seemed to have not noticed. It’s my favorite part.
You've GOT to watch what happens in the background. Watch him churning butter when the lady walks by. Also, there are SO many pop culture references from the time in his videos.
Weird Al is the GOAT of Parody Songs. He asks permission for the songs, though there WAS controversy over this song, but in the end, Coolio was cool with it. He does try his best to mimic the original video if possible. Michael Jackson even allowed Al to use his original props and set, and backup actors, for Fat/Bad and Eat It/Beat It.
Many musicians have been quoted that they knew they “professionally made it” when Weird Al did their song.
2:46 I'll give Asia and BJ some trivia......the lady right there....that's Florence Henderson. aka Carol Brady from "The Brady Bunch"
What’s great about this parody is that stays in cadence and in the pockets of the original!
The Amish will never know how they are immortalized by the AL!