Viral Video: AL-TV: Weird Al vs. Eminem
Weird Al goes toe-to-toe with Slim Shady in this highly charged interview
Source page: http://guide.real.com/media/viralvideo?contentid=7248755

This video is intended for popular entertainment, so make sure you have fun with it!
Before viewing the video, read a bit about "Weird Al" Yankovic,
Eminem (see note regarding Yankovic's parody of "Lose Yourself"), and what a "parody" is.

Vocabulary:
AL-TV
exclusive
interview
Marshall Mathers
also known as
Eminem
the real "Slim Shady"
Missy Misdemeanor Elliot
startling transformation
hardcore
Alf fan
rapper
indeed a pleasure
Marshall, it is then.
out of line
to be offended
whatever
to drop by
Celine Dion
to have felt like killing
obviously
to owe one's success to
loving support
over the years
triple negative
it's up to you to decide
favorite
Twinkie image
wiener
mathematical
formula
to determine
area
pentadodecahedron
so I'd better just shut up
to be deloused (to have lice
removed from one's body)
to rhyme
tearin' me apart,
breakin' my heart
Homer and Bart
medical chart
strawberry tart
served à la carte¡]³æÂI¡^
back to the start
postmodern art
plastic lawn art
missing a part
Humphrey Bogart
lighting a fart
blue-light special each day at
K-Mart (a discount department
store
); a promotion gimmick:
shoppers are told they can get a special sale price for a limited time when a blue light is flashing near a promotion item
jealous, much? (= You're really jealous, aren't you?)
Academy Awards
Oscar
macramé class
bummer (an unfortunate thing)
to show
MTV awards
Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog (from
"Late Night with Conan O'Brien";
sample videos here and here; Triumph's
main characteristics are a fake foreign
accent [Middle Eastern?] and very
vulgar humor full of sexual references)
sock puppet
to kick your butt
to patch things up
rap war
still going on
rapper
to poop on
to hurt one's feelings
to kind of expect it
censorship
freedom of speech
I can't stress that enough
artistic expression
artist
parody
video
to bust your chops (= to tease, make fun of s.o.)
"Lose Yourself" audio sample MTV
parody
it's your choice
just between you and me
my version of the song
to piss one off (= to make one angry)
to promote
album
Poodle Hat
as long as
crazy
for real (= really)
my stinkin' show ('stinkin'' is an intensifier)
what do you say we...
"Couch Potato" lyrics

Look
If you had
One shot
To sit on your lazy butt
And watch all the TV you ever wanted
Until your brain turned to mush
Would you go for it?
Or just let it slip? Yo


Remote is ready
Eyes wide, palms are sweaty
There's Flintstones on the TV already
Wilma 'n' Betty
No virgin to channel surfin'
And I'm HD-ready
So I flip
Garbage is all I'm getting


There's Simon Cowell
Who folks wanna disembowel
He opens his mouth
Always says something foul
They're dyin', wow
Wannabes are crying now
He votes them out
Time to throw in the towel

Shows based on reality
Oh, the humanity!
Oh, Ozzy's family
Sho' loves profanity
Whoa, the insanity
Oh, dogs that crap and pee
Home of depravity?
No, they live happily Yo

 
Plus "Da Ali G Show"
And "Celebrity Mole"
Oh, and there's Anna Nicole...

ridiculous
repetitive
to get on one's nerves
sissy
You didn't just say that!
bitch
to come out (of the closet)
(pun: to reveal one's homosexuality and for an album to come out)
one's personal business
tough
gay
attractive
to hit on s.o. (to approach s.o. sexually)
you don't have anything to say
to be flattered
Brad Pitt
cute
married
to get the wrong impression
calm down
I happen to think
talented
potential for growth
acorn seed
to plant, water, nurture
Tourette's syndrome
"a little potty mouth"
to swear (= to curse, use foul language)
Oh, never mind.
Will Smith (samples from Amazon)
to respect
to diss (= to put down, disparage, to show disrepect for)
gender
genre
to second-guess s.o.
or anything
Oscar-winning
critically-acclaimed
wordsmith (= s.o. very good with words)
and all
influential
musics (usually uncountable)
well spoken
"to wrap up" an interview (pun on 'rap')
to go out and do something
decent-looking dudes (good-looking men)
I'm not into that.
to go bowling
instead
in case you didn't know


Listening comprehension questions:

1. How was this "interview" constructed, and how convincing do you find it? Does it look fairly "real" and smooth to you? Or does its pasted-together nature show through really obviously?
2. What connection does "Weird Al" Yankovic have with rap singer Marshall Mathers, a.k.a. Eminem, as revealed in this video?
3. Describe the differences between Yankovic's and Mathers' speaking styles.
4. Because this interview is a montage, i.e. was pieced together by Yankovic, he has complete control over the content of the interview. He uses this to – humorously, of course – raise his own status (i.e. make himself look better and more clever), and put down (insult), Mathers. Make a list of (A) two statements in which Yankovic is trying to raise his own status; (B) five things he says to put down Mathers; and (C) two ways Yankovic makes fun of himself. Some examples are given to get you started:


A. Things Yankovic says to raise his own status vis-à-vis Mathers
example:. He has Mathers ask him how many rhymes you can find for two pop music clichés, "tearin' me apart" and "breakin' my heart", he then shows off by coming up with eleven witty rhymes.
1.
2.

B. Things Yankovic says to raise his own status by putting down Mathers
example a: He says he has made "his favorite", a "Twinkie wiener sandwich"; Twinkies and wieners are both junk food and someone who likes these would be considered very low-class; putting these two unmatching things together adds to the insult.
example b: He suggests that Mathers has head or body lice and needs delousing, i.e. that he doesn't keep himself clean.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.


C. How Yankovic makes fun of himself

example: He has Mathers look impatient and say his parody song is "ridiculous", repetitive", "gets on my nerves".
1.
2.

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