Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/10/01/weird-al-autotuned-the-first-presidential-debate-and-turned-it-into-america-is-doomed-the-musical.html
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Was hoping for Weird AI, got Weird AL. Somewhat disappointed.
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I would be happy with either. Because insane computers and accomplished parody artists both know a shitshow when they see it.
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I’m always amazed at how quickly Weird Al works when he’s inspired.
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His musical talents are really impressive. He could’ve easily had a successful career as a “serious” musician, but I’m so very happy he chose the musical parody route.
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…He could’ve easily had a successful career as a “serious” musician … @Surprise_Puma
He is a serious musician and entertainer.
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I was even more impressed when I discovered this was published the morning after the debate.
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Yup. The fact that he uses his many musical talents to write silly songs shouldn’t diminish them in any way.
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i LOL’D at “they wanna take out the cows, the cows”. and now it’s in my head, probably forever. thanks weird al.
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I used the quotes to clarify I’m not diminishing his choice of medium. He’s a national treasure.
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I’m not even convinced we need a President. Can we elect a panel of people every X(4,5,10?) years to form a cabinet and have them vote for a head-of-cabinet position every year?
The Founding Fathers didn’t chisel the Constitution in stone for a reason. They certainly had stone and were very much aware of it.
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Re-Boing?
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Given how strange life has become, I think he’s now just named Al.
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Almost like they do in a lot of the rest of the world?
This is that really grinds my gears about the so-called originalists. The founders clearly intended the laws of the land to evolve as the republic evolved. They knew they couldn’t predict what would happen over the next 10, 100, or 300 years so they tried to build a system that could be continually improved. I don’t think they ever anticipated people like Goldwater, Reagan, and Trump would weaponize this the way they have - in their name no less.
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I’m grateful for Weird Al. He’s been able to make me chuckle for years.
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That was freaking brilliant! The over the top dancing from Al sold it for me. Up there with Amish Paradise.
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The behind-the-scenes video about the making of this says that Weird Al’s part of it was recorded three days earlier – notice that his lyrics are completely independent of anything actually said or done in the debate. What’s impressive is how much the Gregory Brothers did overnight, to find, loop, and autotune clips from the debate itself to stick into the spaces they’d left for it.
Weird Al called the Brothers after the debate to commiserate with them about how little usable clean audio the debate provided, thanks to all the shouting-over.
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Not from the States but I’ve heard about this ability to evolve the constitution with a device called an “amendment”. Can you do this more than one time? Is it possible to amend an amendment?
Yes, this has been done before. The 12th amendment was modified by the 20th amendment, 14th amendment by the 26th, and most famously the 18th was repealed by the 21st. Parts of articles I through IV have also been modified.
The constitution has always been a living document.
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He’s also in amazing shape for his age. I saw him in concert last summer. I’m 33, I did martial arts for 20 years and still do yoga regularly, and I can’t kick that high anymore.
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