Getting to know Weird Al Yankovic
I stumbled upon this parody of the great Weird Al Yankovic years ago, and I can't help but to laugh and to be amazed by his many talents.
"Amish Paradise" is a parody of the Grammy-award winning song "Gangsta Paradise" by gangsta rapper Coolio. Weird Al is in the business of making parodies of other people's music. Artists whose material he has parodied include Michael Jackson, Madonna, Avril Lavigne, and Lady Gaga.
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| Weird Al Yankovic, Amish Paradise |
I first read about Weird Al way back in 2003, in a newspaper article about him wanting to make a parody of the Oscar award-winning song "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. Eminem allowed Weird Al to make a parody of the song, but not make a music video to accompany the parody, which greatly disappointed Weird Al. It could have been one of the best music videos he ever made, said Weird Al.
Getting to know the Amish and their culture
This video showed me what I need to know about the Amish people, though in a somewhat humorous manner, but my basic understanding of the Amish was a result of the article I read in National Geographic way back in college.
The National Geographic featured the Amish in one of their issues in the late 2000s. It was one of the best articles I have ever read.
One of the pictures the magazine printed for that article showed an Amish man beheading countless chickens, a bloody pile of chicken heads on the ground. It was not a sight to behold for many people, especially animal rights activists who later wrote to the National Geographic.
Don't the Amish buy chicken meat at the nearest grocery store? Nah, they grow and make their own food. Self-sufficiency at one of its finest!
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| Amish people riding a horse buggy. Image from Iezzi Photography |
Their simple way of living, plus their self-sufficiency and industry, is one reason why I want to living among the Amish and interact with them. They are a close knit community. Modern society could learn a lot of things from them.
Since reading that article, I harbored the desire to visit one of the many Amish communities in North America. I want to study their culture and traditions. I want to learn how they manage to live without most technological advancements that the modern world cannot seem to live without.
I hope I get the chance. Above all, I hope I can develop the mental and physical strength and gain the resources, land include, to live out the Amish life beyond my 50s.
God bless the Amish! Long live the Amish!
Why should you listen to this song?
“Amish Paradise” is a classic, and Weird Al is not only a master of parody and comedy rap but is also an enduring act.
Why don't people make parodies today like they used to? And why don't we hear them today?
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