The Transphobia of "Weird Al" Yankovic
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- Опубліковано 26 жов 2024
- I get personal and talk about a sensitive subject for me: though a beloved childhood artist, I've noticed a distressing pattern of transphobia (and associated homophobia) from "Weird Al" Yankovic. I discuss this history in-depth, drawing connections to transphobic caricatures in media that may have influenced him, and note his refusal to adapt to modern standards of trans-friendliness. This is not a happy subject, but I feel that it must be addressed.
I have also been concerned about certain transphobic songs in Al’s past. But recently I think he’s grown and become more aware. For instance, In 2016, he donated the proceeds from a NC concert to the HRC in protest against HB2, and said he supports trans and gay people. I think it’s good we call out bigotry, but I think some people are honestly just ignorant and are still capable of growth and we should champion growth rather than shame.
He's not a "transphobe"
I think Al has shown himself to be a thoughtful person, whose career has spanned decades and I'm pretty certain the person he is now, wouldn't be engaging in transphobia. He changes with the times and his career is almost by definition a product of its time and place in the cultural zeitgeist. I'd bet were someone to ask, he would at least warn people that some of his songs haven't aged super well.
Reminder that the comment section isn't a free-pass to be transphobic.
I think Al has grown out of it. He's sixty-four and made fun of "unusual" topics at the time. (80's to 90's)... and it just didn't age well. Al's a big ally and one of the most unproblematic celebrities I've ever met. He has apologized multiple times for using the H-word and etc...
It was just a different time with different boundaries. Al just kind of makes fun of anyone.
Yankovic's a nice boomer.
- A transboy (sorry 4 bad english lolz)
"Transphobic" hahaha
Weird Al is a huge supporter of trans rights, for example, he donated all of the proceeds of his parody, Performs this Way to HRC which is the largest advocacy group for LGBTQ rights.
Al puts his money where his mouth is.
Poking gentle fun at everything is a good way to help us lighten our spirits with a much needed laugh at ourselves.
It doesn't matter if Al is personally a "supporter of trans rights". If that's true, then I'm glad to hear it, but it doesn't cancel out any of the points made in this video, nor does it negate criticism of his reliance on transphobic tropes in his music.
If your art leans into transphobic tropes for the sake of comedy then your personal values don't come into it. Al Yankovic is known first and foremost as a musician, not as a trans rights philanthropist who just happens to play music. Therefore, this video is a critical examination of his oeuvre and its reliance on lazy transphobic humour.
Even if it was "meant in fun", even if you think that people should be able to laugh at themselves, the fact remains that once that art is out in the world, Al has no control over how people interpret it. He doesn't and can't leave a little footnote at the bottom of each song saying "Oh, by the way, this song contains some outdated stereotypes about transgender people, so watch out for that, here's a Wikipedia article to give context."
(And, like, trans people DO laugh at themselves, regularly. When the jokes are made by other trans people, laughing at their own experiences. Not when those jokes are made at their expense by a cisgender man with a silly singing voice, for the entertainment of other cisgender people.)
Undoubtedly, inevitably, some people will come away from hearing these songs thinking it's funny for people with "male" bodies to present female, or to mock intersex people for being freakish and Other.
Nobody is demanding he give up his fame and wealth in penance. Nobody is trying to "cancel" him. You can still listen to his songs (I sure do). It's just pointing out that a lot of the jokes in his music can be quite hurtful and that shouldn't go critically unexamined.
This really shouldn't be hard to understand and I cannot begin to understand why so many people are seemingly wilfully refusing to come to grips with it.
@@hotelmario510 You, my freind, have a need for some reason, to be pissed off.
Enjoy your misguided rage.
@@sophiet1576 there was zero rage in their comment, you just don't want your view challenged.
@@TackyRackyComixNEO No, but there was a lot of seriousness and silliness in it. Don't like someone's joke? Too bad! Go ahead and be offended, if you need to be completely humourless. Your problem.
Nice red herring. Now try addressing the videos actual content about Weird Als art.
This is a great essay, and thanks for making it. One point of clarity to contribute: the Shirley Mcclaine thing wasn't random at all! Outside of her acting, Shirley is famous for claiming to have had a number of "past lives" and that joke is a direct reference to that.
Kind of odd to intentionally misinterpret his songs to attack him for no reason.
I'm in absolutely no position to come out in defense of something just because "I like Weird Al" or something, especially when your work is so well researched and the time and thought you've put into this is on display, while I'm just responding off the top of my head after watching a video! Still, comments exist for a reason and constructive discussion hopefully never steers society wrong.
The ONLY thing I would challenge is that I do not believe he is constantly "mocking" these things, but rather that he uses them as references to "absurd" only in their level of "unlikeliness." Many examples don't come off *to me* as derisive lyrics, but simply attempts at seemingly coming out of left field because of the perceived unexpected nature. In the beginning of your video you're absolutely right that "queer" seems to be paired with "Nazi" with disturbing frequency, but I still feel like he is simply trying to make reference to things which are "out of the norm," not that he himself ascribes any sort of judgment to those things. TO THAT END, though, you do clarify your point about "randomness" being used as mockery (around 31:20) and as someone who has not personally had to put up with a lifetime of demeaning comments and harmful slang terms, I certainly do not want to be dismissive of any of the points you've made in this video. I genuinely wish Al himself could see this and am curious how he would respond.
Thank you for your time on these videos, as a straight-cis-white-male, people seem to think I should have no reason to watch a video like this, but I appreciate learning perspectives that aren't my own!
By the way, I'm here from your I Love Bees analysis and will be making time to watch your Bosom Buddies video next!
If Al's so transphobic, then why does he contribute ALL of the revenue from his song and video, Perform this way to the Lgbt Rights Movement?
@@zoetercy9208 I think Weird Al have grown and changed as a human being.
I think Weird Al Yankovic have changed and grown as a human being. If anything, a few of Yankovic's parodies didn't really age well, in terms of lyrical content.
That said, have you seen "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story"? Just being curious.
I know it has nothing to do with the content of the video but, I love your smile :)
Ah, thanks. :)
Thanks for making this video. I've been thinking songs like albuquerque, jerry springer, truck drivin' song are offensive and unacceptable for a while, but you shed light on so much more that I wasn't even aware of or had forgotten about. It's frustrating because as a kid I would hear these songs and thought they seemed like... inappropriate? But at the same time, I had a sort of implicit trust in Al as a Squeaky Clean Good Guy, so it must be OK to make fun of people like this. It's really insidious how he sneaks it into otherwise innocuous comedy, and he has probably done a lot of harm by subconsciously installing a negative bias against trans and intersex people into the minds of millions of kids.
Alright, this video is very splitting to me as I really do love Weird Al’s work and his songs are really, really good. However I’ve noticed this pattern a lot recently and agree on you with his humor being rather inter phobic and transphobic. I don’t agree with every point on your list, but I have heard and will think about them.
I am so happy for you, bless you for coming out. On here that is. Big fan of yours btw.
Thanks. I really appreciate it.
@@GoingRampant would it be rude of me to ask what are your preferred pronouns? that way we won't misgender you. If not, that's okay.
Oh, she/her. Thanks.
@@GoingRampant You're welcome
You do realize he asks for permission for every artist he parodies and therefore had to get Lady GaGa to sign off on his mockery? Much less her coming out as cosigning it? I understand your aversion to songs like Truck Driver or having trauma for being labeled as your entire reason to live only existing to trick cis men, but as a bi man myself I think you're reading into some of these a little too much, at least with the cases of songs like TMZ and Jerry Springer, shows and media outlets of which can't be parodied without bringing to light the heartlessness and cutthroat nature of their approach to clickbait. If you're asking for respect, that's one thing, but to ask for the mockery of actual transphobic and manipulative media to be censored, that's another problem in itself.
Additional Notes and Corrections
*As of Weird Al's 2022 tour, he has injected a spiel into "Albuquerque" apologizing for the use of "hermaphordite". ua-cam.com/video/IHq65MKdTxE/v-deo.html
*I confused Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. The latter sings "Party in the USA".
*Shirley MacLaine had a reputation for believing in past lives. That's a relevant context for the joke.
Oh, and good news, Al is going to be on Work in Progress again this season!
Oh, I misread. Anyway, glad he's still active. Really just have issues with this recurring theme of his. (shrug)
@@GoingRampant God help you if you can't tell the difference between a joke and an attack.
Al gives ALL of the profits from his song and video, PERFORM THIS WAY to support the LGBT MOVEMENT.
There's a video of him on youtube standing up for gay rights.
Ugh - first of all, pretty sure that was a reference to Eddie Murphy with the trans prostitute. Did you never watch Jerry Springer? Having somebody discover that their lover was a different gender than they expected was a common trope (and sometimes pretty obviously faked). Really, Weird Al makes gentle fun of everybody. Either way, somebody with no sense of humor probably shouldn't be listening to Weird Al in the first place but if he offends you, I can't imagine there's much you can enjoy.
And of course, a bunch of bigots in the comments are claiming we're just "looking to be offended" when he reffers to us with nearly every transphobic stetriotype in the book and litterally outright calls us slurs.
Thanks for talking about this, very well explained, and I hope he improves as the latest clip suggests.
"That's not so good, Al"
Gen Z is trying to cancel Weird Al Yankovic
I was born in the '80s.
@@GoingRampant I was just referencing a meme. Sorry
He certainly does seem fond of the "H" word. Or did seem fond of it, a number of years ago. And his Eminem 'interview' was blatantly homophobic, especially his reaction to the idea that MM might be 'hitting on him." I'm glad that he has cut that whole section out when he plays the video during his live performances. I know that he still performs "Albuquerque" live. I hope he's changed those lyrics.
In his most recent tour, he's started inserting a spiel apologizing for that one, at least. ua-cam.com/video/IHq65MKdTxE/v-deo.html
this comment section is real bad ngl
Good stuff.
Oh, He didn't mean to hurt you or anybody with these over the top jokes. They're kinda uncomfortable, but he definitely didn't mean to hurt you. He's a big supporter of people of any gender.
It doesn't matter if he "meant to". The jokes are hurtful.
@@hotelmario510 Al puts his money where his mouth is. He contributes ALL of the proceeds from his song and video, PERFORM THIS WAY to support the LGBT movement..
There's even a video of him on youtube speaking out in support of gay rights.
@@zoetercy9208 That's fine, and does inspire hope in me that Al's a genuinely good person who never made jokes out of genuine hate or disgust, but he still preyed on at-the-time "acceptable" stereotypes that aren't just directly harmful to trans, intersex, and gender non-conforming folks, but also perpetuated the jokes and stereotypes in pop culture. Being active now doesn't *undo* the harm that was done, but it shows good signs of change.
Basically, both things can be true. Al wrote a lot of hurtful things into his music throughout his career. He also seems to be working to make improvements and make better choices now, supporting rights movements and charities. As a lifelong fan I appreciate his efforts and hope he continues to speak out and improve, but I also want to acknowledge all the issues in older songs that still exist. They're still available to purchase. I still have many of them digitally and physically. They can still do harm. So the least we can do is recognize that and be critical of things we enjoy.
@@tonyfay2733 The truth is Tony, that Al was brutally bullied as a kid, physically and mentally. He was 2 years younger than everybody in school and an only child of much older parents and a shy nerd, when being a nerd was considered a really bad thing. He was only 16 years old when he went to college and a guy he went to college with told of some really horrible bullying he was subjected to. The name Weird Al was an insult the students mocked him with. He could have become a bitter, hateful person, but he turned it around and gave his heart to everyone who was different and mocked for it. Al has the reputation of being the nicest and most compassionate person they've ever known.
There's footage of Al at meet and greets, connecting with people that are clearly damaged and anyone else would have them removed, but Al patiently looks them in the eye and shakes their hand and sincerly thanks them for their time.
This is why your video is upsetting to me. Please do some research and you'll see what a wonderful, accepting and caring person Al really is.
Also, the woman is specifically transforming into baseball player Reggie Jackson, that's the joke, it has nothing to do with anything trans. His polka melodies are simply him polka-izing popular songs of the time, it's really reaching to say he's making a comment about gender roles or should he only cover songs by men? And seriously - you have an issue with Yoda? I just can't imagine what it's like to be offended by Weird Al doing a parody of Madonna's dance moves. He also parodies the dance moves of Michael Jackson, James Brown, Devo, and many other men. Nothing to say about that?
No.
Everybody on earth can find problems with something.
Give yourself a break and lighten up.
I've lived through horrible tragedy, losing my parents in a car crash, my sister to suicide, my fiance to lung cancer. I had an accident that's left me in and out of a wheelchair for life. Weird Al's humor has saved my life.
If you find offence with the least offensive comedian on the planet, then the problem is with you.
We've all been traumatized. I'm glad that you've found solace in his music, but it doesn't change the fact that he makes fun of trans and intersex folks in a demeaning and othering way. In times of intense emotional distress, I've found solace in Steven Universe and its uplifting music, but I can still acknowledge it has problems and am currently running a series of reviews to explore them.
@@GoingRampant Al makes fun of everything in a silly and gentle way. We're doomed to unhappiness and self pity when we can't laugh at ourselves.
@@zoeym4868 If you can't handle a little criticism of an artist you like, that's on you, not on the critic. Be an adult once in your life.
@@hotelmario510 Listen hotel, an adult doesn't discredit someone because they're unhappy with their life.
You friend has insulted and trivialized what I shared about the horrible trauma I've been through in the last few years.
Your friend is so self involved that no one on earth has suffered as much as her.
Tell her that Copernicus called, he's determined that she's not the center of the universe.
@@hotelmario510 The fact that you bully a cripple in a wheelchair who's lost everything, says all there is to say about both of you monsters.
So when are we getting the video titled: The Racism of "Weird Al" Yankovic? /hj
Well, that would be more complicated because I have no direct experience with racism. 🤷
@@GoingRampant Ok
@@GoingRampant Making fun of cross-dressers is not "transphobic"
Umm... Party in the CIA was a parody of a Miley Cyrus song, not Taylor Swift... (26:49)
Interesting video. Good work.
Whoops
@@GoingRampant well atleast we know that wierd al supports lgbt+ rights he even donated proceeds from perfomances to lgbt+ organizations
Party in the USA wasn't written by Taylor swift?
so every time he sings a womans part in a song its transphobic??? lol what
this video hurts my brain
@Reboot Walden it's imbecilic, for starters.
Songs like Jerry Springer, Talk Soup, and Can't Watch This aren't making fun of transgendered people themselves, but are making fun of the outlandish ways these shows represented trans people (which was worse than the actual songs, espically Jerry Springer) but they are still definitely uncomfortable to listen too. And the use of Hermaphrodite and line(s)bout Albanians in Albuquerque and the Cher interview were definitely unnecessary.
Overall my thoughs on the video are pretty much the same as another commenters, some points I didn't agree with, but they weren't unreasonable.
the word transsexual is an outdated term btw
bruh no why
Lol
He really doesn't do this anymore. You see, the terms and subject matters of the songs used to be less offensive. I get this video, but no one else is really taking action.
They were plenty offensive to trans and intersex people. You're confusing cultural awareness of offense with offense to the people affected.
@@GoingRampant Fair, but it's in the past now.
@@sketchesforyou8020 the social effects remain that's partly why we have so many transphobes and horrible laws
@@jj-bv3ui You’re right. But to the video creator’s point, he’s not transphobic.
These comments are a toxic waste dump. I agree with nearly everything said in this video and I am convinced nobody who commented here has actually watched the video, or at least, nobody has watched it in good faith.
I have been a fan of Weird Al since childhood, and I never realised until watching this just how much of his jokes rely on transphobia, and I'm glad you've come out and said this. Some of this stuff is bleak, and the bad-faith response in the comments only serves to support the points being made.
Then please explain why Weird Al contributes ALL of the revenue he makes from the song and the video, Perform This Way to support the LGBT Movement?
Wouldn't life be more pleasant if you didn't spend so much time looking for things to be offended by? It looks as if that's what your entire channel is about.
Al's not even allowed to parody female singers in your book?
Al is a kind human being and I doubt he is seriously transphobic.
If we canceled every comedian who has ever offended anyone there would be far less laughter in the world.
Al is one of the most innocuous comedians out there, if you want to cancel him, you might as well ban all comedy.
If you're bothered by the songs that didn't age well, don't listen to them and enjoy the rest.
I am not trying to cancel Weird Al, just pointing out my personal problems with his work and how he does fans like me a disservice.
My channel is about critical commentary of media. This involves a lot of discussion of problems, but it also involves singing praises. Check out my reviews of Freaky and Steven Universe for largely positive takes, if you care to.
it's not that it didn't age well she literally says in the first 4 minutes that it's songs he's still releasing today
@@elitheman7745 The only song she talked about from his last album was "Jackson Park Express", and that was just a guy fantasizing about having a relationship with someone he saw on a train, which is the sort of thing pretty much everyone does. And that album was 7 years ago. She was complaining that he still performs his old songs, and he performed ALL of his original songs on his vanity tour. He's not going to ditch a bunch of his old songs just because people are more easily offended today and some of his old stuff wouldn't be songs that he would write today. We're talking about a 40 year career, and things were a lot different decades ago.
Well, he still performs them today, at least. He would presumably be touring again if not for the pandemic. His last album was in 2014.
@@GoingRampant He's not going to ditch every song that might offend anyone. A lot of the PC terminology that we have to day didn't even exist when some of these songs were written. I grew up non-binary not even knowing what transgendered was. I was just confused that I felt a lot like a guy but was definitely straight. Even Eddie Izzard used the term transvestite until the term transgendered became common.
I knew that "Jerry Springer" would upset some people if they found it, and I'm sure he wouldn't write it today, but I don't know how you could be bothered by something like, "Like a Surgeon". Of course he's likely to act more feminine when he's doing a parody of a female artist.
Stop whining
@Reboot Walden wierd has donated proceeds from perfomances to lgbt+ organizations
nah this person is just giving criticism like a normal person lmao.
Hmmm.........no. Lighten up. :)
hey goingrampant i love your halo video my request can you do a femnisit review halo legends the package