Mandatory Fun - What do you think of the title?

[Bruce the Duck]

(It's my opinion that his tendency toward this type of humor is directly responsible for his recent mainstream acceptance which has made him become less of a punchline as people see the craft that goes into what he does, as Patton Oswalt's tweets recently highlighted.)

Your larger point is certainly strong and valid, Jon, and I agree that overall the last three covers have been outstanding, I think the covers play a very small role in how the public sees Al as an artist. Though they are part of the overall package, in which the songs have gotten a lot more original and clever over the years. His wider acceptance also may have a lot to do with the fact that many of his fans from the 80s have grown up to be a part of that pop culture environment that is now embracing him. People such as Oswalt, Brian Posein, Chris Hardwick, etc. Also, the simultaneous success of "White & Nerdy" and the mainstream popularity of nerd culture certainly helped.

[tomatochives]

I hope you know I wasn't picking on you.

No hard feelings.

And perhaps his image has less to do with the album covers themselves, and more to do with... the music!

[TMBJon]

I think the covers play a very small role in how the public sees Al as an artist.

Absolutely. I didn't mean to imply that, just his tendency to a smarter type of humor in general.

[Skippy]

It's my opinion that his tendency toward this type of humor is directly responsible for his recent mainstream acceptance which has made him become less of a punchline as people see the craft that goes into what he does

Honestly, I think he was seen as a "punchline" or a novelty because that's what he presented himself as. He called himself "Weird Al" right out of the gate. I think this new acceptance has more to do with the generation that grew up with him (Hi!) sticking with him and ensuring that the younger generations were still exposed to him, but with a sense of reverence instead of dismissal. It also helps that this is the generation that's pretty much in control of the entertainment industry right now, so you're more likely to see people like Patton Oswalt celebrating him.

I don't even really think his sense of humor has changed all that much, besides leaving the TV and food songs to the YouTubers. "Happy Birthday" and "Such A Groovy Guy" are in the same vein as what you're talking about, and there are songs like that on every album.

[Killingsworth]

I still like the title even though It's been made less funny to me since reading those business articles Bruce The Duck posted. At first, I liked it because I also thought it was a phrase Al made up himself. Then, the idea of "mandatory fun" being an existing term referring to effects/motives of company picnics, office Christmas parties, etc. made it seem less funny.

I still like it now mainly because of Al's new juxtaposition of it (similar to what Jon was getting at). Al took the phrase "Mandatory Fun" out of a tired, banal office setting and juxtaposed it against the grim, desolate backdrop of a totalitarian dictatorship where he is supreme ruler. The outlandishness of the new setting of "Mandatory Fun" is what brings more humor to it as an album title.

Then again, that's just my take and I wanted to add a fresh perspective.

[Mystik Tomato]

Pretty much every title has had an existing phrase transposed into the title. I think the only ones that don't have it are DTBS, Polka Party and SOL, which is a takeoff of Straight Outta Compton at any rate.

Yes, even Poodle Hat.
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Also, a poodle hat is actually a type of hat. It refers to material with the rough, thick texture reminisient of poodle fur. I think "poodle" is also a corruption of the old spelling "pudel" meaning "puddle dog".

[Killingsworth]

Pretty much every title has had an existing phrase transposed into the title. I think the only ones that don't have it are DTBS, Polka Party and SOL, which is a takeoff of Straight Outta Compton at any rate.

I have a feeling Polka Party had been an existing phrase for years already, so I'd probably swap that one out with "Alapalooza" (which was also a takeoff on "Lollapalooza" at any rate).

[Mystik Tomato]

Alapalooza and Alpocalypse are puns on Lollapalooza and apocalypse, so they're still pre-existing phrases that have been co-opted into having a pun, which is why I didn't count them.

When was the last time you heard the phrase "polka party" not relating to the album?

[Killingsworth]

When was the last time you heard the phrase "polka party" not relating to the album?

Wasn't there a "Colbert Report" segment about someone getting arrested for bootlegging copies of an elderly oriented local access TV program titled "Polka Party"? I believe TMBJon posted the link when it aired. That made me think it had been an existing phrase for some time.

[bizarreblair]

When was the last time you heard the phrase "polka party" not relating to the album?

Just do a Google image search on "polka party", and you'll see just a few of the dozens of albums that came out in the 50's, 60's, and beyond with the same exact title.