DonBoy

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Saturday, April 24, 2004

Going Too Far

From The Onion this week:

Weird Al Honors Parents' Memory With 'Tears In Heaven' Parody

FALLBROOK, CA—Zany, mourning entertainer "Weird Al" Yankovic has parodied Eric Clapton's eulogy song "Tears In Heaven" in loving tribute to his parents, who recently died of carbon-monoxide poisoning in their San Diego home, a spokesman for Yankovic said Monday. "Al's hurting deeply right now, and this is his way of honoring Nick and Mary," Karl Tuft said of the song in which a subdued Yankovic sings, "First you lit some flames / Then the smoke stopped your breathin' / Carbon mono's th'way you went... / Up to heaven" over a somber, minor-key accordion melody. Tuft added that the best way for Yankovic to give voice to his pain and loss was by altering the voice of Clapton's pain and loss.

Yeesh.

It's rare that a piece of humor hits me as both funny and absolutely appalling, but this did it. I mean, what did Weird Al -- let alone his parents -- ever do to deserve it?

[Going Too Far is the name of Tony Hendra's book on the humor of the 1950s through seventies.]

- posted by Don Porges @ 4/24/2004 07:39:00 PM

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