Fat by “Weird Al” Yankovic
In this episode, we unpack “Weird Al” Yankovic’s hit 1988 song “Fat,” a parody of Michael Jackson’s “Bad,” and discuss how it mocks heavy people in a way we now know as “fat-shaming.” While accordions and pop music may seem like strange bedfellows, Yankovic has made a long career out of parody, earning the title, “The Court Jester of Rock & Roll.” And since a discussion of Fat by Weird Al Yankovic is also a discussion of Jackson’s “Bad,” we also have the “can you separate the art from the artist?” debate.
Post-recording correction: Several artists have refused Al permission from parodying his songs; he always asks for permission first. But it was the Coolio song “Gangsta’s Paradise” that Al had trouble getting permission for as he parodied it in “Amish Paradise.” He doesn’t seem to have had issue with getting permission for the Chamillionaire/Krayzie Bone song “Ridin’” for his popular parody, “White and Nerdy.”
Weird Al’s original “Fat” Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2mU6USTBRE
Michael Jackson’s original “Bad” video
A snippet of Weird Al’s “food medley” featuring Snack All Night (a parody of Michael Jackson’s “Black or White”)
Archival footage of “Weird Al” performing My Bologna
Want some bratwurst while you enjoy your polkas? Here’s a crockpot recipe.
Enjoy this commercial for Spatula City from “UHF”
Finally, read more about fat-shaming from Rebecca Puhl and colleagues at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut.