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So that’s why one of my rules of parody writing is that it’s gotta be funny regardless of whether you know the source material. It has to work on its own merit.

Al Yankovic

I was a huge fan of ‘Mad’ magazine when I was 11, 12, 13 years old. I’d scour used bookstores trying to find back issues, and I’d wait at the newsstand for a new issue to come out. My life revolved around it.
AL YANKOVIC

Around Bookstore Fan Find Huge Issue Life Magazine Old Scour Revolve
In fact, when I come up with an idea for a parody I try to resist the urge to Google the idea to see if someone has done it already because the answer is almost always, “Yes, of course they have, they’ve thought of it!”
AL YANKOVIC

Come Fact Google Idea Parody Resist Someone
In a genre where most of the artists are one-hit wonders, I’ve been able to hang around longer than most “serious” acts. I pride myself in being a very talented leech.
AL YANKOVIC

Around Artist Genre Hang Longer Most Serious Talent Wonder
You still have Top 40 radio now, but it’s 40 different stations. There aren’t many hits that everybody knows, and there aren’t many real superstars.
AL YANKOVIC

Everybody Forty Know Radio Show Still Superstar
It’s hard to really articulate what the parameters are that make one song parody-able and another song not, but if I can come up with a good enough idea for it, I go for it, and if not, then I have to move on.
AL YANKOVIC

Articulate Enough Idea Make Movie Parameter Song
Some songs are too repetitive for me to be able to fashion a humorous set of lyrics around. Some songs flat-out just don’t work creatively for me.
AL YANKOVIC

Around Creatively Humorous Lyric Repetitive Some Song
So I’m one of the few celebrities that got to do a repeat performance on ‘The Simpsons,’ which I’m very flattered by.
AL YANKOVIC

Celebrity Few Flatter Perform Repeat
I’d like to be able to be more topical and timely and more of-the-moment and I think the way to do that is, instead of waiting until I have twelve songs to release all at once, just to release them as I come up with them.
AL YANKOVIC

Able Instead Moment More Release Song Think Timely Topical War
I’ll be mellow when I’m dead.
AL YANKOVIC

Dead Death Mellow Suicide
That’s something the kids should know about. Reading is a gateway to witchcraft and lesbianism.
AL YANKOVIC

Gateway Kid Lesbian Read Something Witchcraft
You can try on our suede underwear if you choose. Do what you want, but don’t step on my blue suede shoes.
AL YANKOVIC

Choose Our Shoe Step Suede Underwear Want
I’m a music fan, and I can listen to the radio, or music, without thinking, “How am I going to screw this up?” [Laughs] If I’m really actively trying to think of a parody, then I’ll have my antenna out, and be a little more proactive about it.
AL YANKOVIC

Fan Go Laugh Radio Screw Think Try
Left all my Beatle records out in the sun, got a coke bottle stuck on the end of my tongue.
AL YANKOVIC

Bottle Coke End Got Left Nestle Record Stuck Sun Tongue
I do a lot of different things, sometimes at the same time, and it’s very difficult to figure out where I fit.
AL YANKOVIC

Different Difficult Figure Out Same Sometimes Thing
You slammed my face down on the barbecue grill, now my scars are all healing, but my heart never will.
AL YANKOVIC

Barbecue Down Face Heal Heart Scar Slam
Boys like Peter are afraid of alot of things, like nuclear annihilation and flunking algebra, but they’re not afraid of wolves.
AL YANKOVIC

Afraid Algebra Animation Boy Flunking Like Lot Nuclear Thing Wolf

So that’s why one of my rules of parody writing is that it’s gotta be funny regardless of whether you know the source material. It has to work on its own merit.

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So that’s why one of my rules of parody writing is that it’s gotta be funny regardless of whether you know the source material. It has to work on its own merit.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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