World of Weird Al Yankovic

Al was just on Let's Get to the Point podcast and called Blurred Lines "misogynistic and rape-y" and that he liked the idea of turning it into a song that could possibly be used in a classroom setting.

So now we know Al's real opinion on Robin Thicke's song!

While I love the idea of this song being used in the classroom, I would worry that the apparent stigma of the original would be too much of a distraction. It's likely that young students will care more about robin thicke than weird al mocking their writing habits lol.

Yep. And we also know from the View interview that he has a lot of respect for Robin Thicke. Clearly Al is smart enough to separate the tongue-in-cheek attitude of the video from the fathers who wrote it. As if there were any doubt!

Also, I'm glad to know Al wrote the song with the idea of it being used in classrooms. I really hope he considers Whoopi's suggestion. He could get a lot of mileage from educational parodies.

Bruce the Duck wrote:Also, I'm glad to know Al wrote the song with the idea of it being used in classrooms. I really hope he considers Whoopi's suggestion. He could get a lot of mileage from educational parodies.

You know, I was thinking the same thing. The market is ripe for high quality parodies that can teach a lesson in the process. It could definitely work.

Yeah, there's very little out there in terms of high-quality educational music. There's one really great site called Rhythm, Rhyme, Results which produces high quality educational rap music.

TMBG put out some educational material, but it hasn't really taken off in the education community because it's too eccentric and often doesn't stick to the point very well. Also, I've played it for kids before and they find it very corny.

But like Whoopi said, if anyone can do it, it's Al. We know he has an interest in producing stuff for kids since he wrote two children's books, so maybe this could be the next big side project he works on.

I keep feeling like the song and music video would be great for Sesame Street or The Electric Company*, though a few lines would need to be changed or removed.

Thinking about the line that "to care less means you do care, at least a little", I was thinking the correct term would be "I couldn't care less", but that would still mean you do care. In fact it means you'd care just as much if not more than the person who does or doesn't care.

Unless I just haven't noticed it yet, it's a shame he didn't make any lines about the difference between saying "can" and "may".

*Yes, I do realize that The Electric Company is no longer on the air. Or at least I've heard that the new version from a few years ago had been canceled.

weird user wrote:I was thinking the correct term would be "I couldn't care less", but that would still mean you do care. In fact it means you'd care just as much if not more than the person who does or doesn't care.

I disagree. If somebody was talking to me about Robin Thicke and I replied with, "I couldn't care less about Robin Thicke," that means that it is impossible for me to care any less than I already do, which would mean that I don't care at all.

NDBois wrote:

weird user wrote:I was thinking the correct term would be "I couldn't care less", but that would still mean you do care. In fact it means you'd care just as much if not more than the person who does or doesn't care.

I disagree. If somebody was talking to me about Robin Thicke and I replied with, "I couldn't care less about Robin Thicke," that means that it is impossible for me to care any less than I already do, which would mean that I don't care at all.

Exactly. Since there can't be negative caring, the least value is zero.

This was my favorite song on the album, mostly because I'm a writer, and misuse of grammar has always been a pet peeve of mine. (Which makes me wonder why I go on internet forums at all.)

I agreed with what Whoopi Goldberg said about how Al should get into educational music full-time. Since he doesn't have any more record contracts, he's free to do a Reading Rainbow-style revival of Schoolhouse Rock with his trademark quirkiness. I'd watch it.