Since 1979, "Weird Al" Yankovic has been rock and roll's premier satirist. He has created and cemented his own niche by spoofing some of the genre's defining hits and artists. From Michael Jackson to Madonna to Nirvana to U2 to Green Day to Lady Gaga, Weird Al has skewered and parodied the biggest names in rock by making their hits his own, and all with the full permission and support of those artists. A Weird Al parody has now become a badge of honor for a rock act, a sign that they had--to use Kurt Cobain's famous quote--in fact "made it" professionally.
But Weird Al has yet to receive one honor himself: induction into Cleveland, Ohio's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite winning three Grammy Awards, scoring numerous top twenty singles and albums, and selling over twelve million records in the United States alone, Weird Al has been thoroughly snubbed by the Rock Hall, having yet to receive a single nomination since first becoming eligible in 2004. It is time to change that. Weird Al serves a unique and vital role in the evolution and heritage of rock and roll music, and he is long overdue for induction.
If Weird Al did not exist in mainstream popular music, then there would be no Spinal Tap or Tenacious D or the Lonely Island. Weird Al has set the standard for comedic rock, and an entire generation of comedians and musicians can be tied to Al's influence.
Humor--especially in the form of parody--is essential in art, and for a self-proclaimed hall of fame to believe otherwise is doing its art form as great of a disservice as a political analyst that chooses to ignore the impact Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Maher have on how we look at our elected officials. For the sake of accurately presenting the entire spectrum of their genre, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, its foundation, and its nominating committee need to finally recognize comedy in rock and roll music, and for the last three decades it starts and stops with Weird Al.
This isn't a "want" thing. It's not a "wouldn't it be cool" thing. This is a "need" thing. "Weird Al" Yankovic NEEDS to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
For more ways you can help make this happen, visit the campaign web site at www.allthingsyank.com/rockhall
We the undersigned are asking that "Weird Al" Yankovic finally be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his career as the genre's most successful satirist. Since 1979 Weird Al has spoofed rock and roll from the inside-out, mocking the genre's biggest artists and hits...and all with their full permission. A Weird Al parody has become a badge of honor, a rite of passage. It is high time that he finally be inducted for his place in rock and roll.
