“Weird Al” Yankovic recently released his fourteenth studio album called Mandatory Fun, and he’s bombarded the internet with his singles and music videos. I watched a couple and so far “Word Crimes” is my personal favorite. It spoofs Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and but uses the lyrics to teach proper grammar rather than misogyny. As a Grammar Nazi, I’m thrilled. It encourages people to actually write and not use internet lingo. I feel like English teachers would get a kick out of it. The music video is cool. It’s just text and animations with lots of hidden jokes and references to pop culture. It’s so easy to make a parody these days, but “Weird Al” Yankovic has made a career out of it and been around for decades. He’s the best because he is smart. He didn’t make a cheap parody about how “Blurred Lines” was sexist and promoted rape culture. He went with a grammar theme and treats the audience with a little respect. He’s smart and he doesn’t dumb it down for you.
Critically Rated at 14/17
Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young
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