It's All About The Pentiums... I mean Benjamins? Weird Al hits another geeky nerve.
February 10th 2007 10:26
I know, I know. I'll stop with the Weird Al soon enough!
Reading Nina's latest post "Do You Get Geek Humour", I was prompted to think of this song. Then thinking of the song made me think of the music video...
Weird Al is a genius at effortlessly combining Geek humour and a kind of culture-jamming all at the same time.
Here he parodies the ultra-cool Puff Daddy and Foo Fighters track "It's All About The Benjamins" (for those of you not hip to this cultural reference, Benjamin Franklin is the face on the $100 bill in the US, and the term 'Benjamins' refers to $100 bills - ie lots of cash). Not only does he use the lyrics in parody of computer geeks and those in the IT industry, but by dropping himself into the P. Diddy style video (replete with scantily-clad hip-hop 'hoochie mamas' waving floppy disks and random celebrity cameos - look out for Drew Carey in the red tracksuit) he turns uber-geek into super-chic.
The lyrics are sung with an attitude that basically is saying: "All the things that make me an absolute geek are exactly what make me superior to you, and therefore cool".
This is probably my all-time favourite Weird Al track (am I a Geek because I know enough of them to have a favourite?).
Look out for sheer belly-laugh lyrics like:
"What kind of chip you got in there a Dorito?"
"I got a flat-screen monitor 40 inches wide, I believe that yours says Etch-a-Sketch on the side"
I could go on - but you should probably just watch the video!
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Comment by Mrs M
Mum's Word
Comment by yoda76
The Tube Blog
;o)
Comment by Nina
Thanks for enlightening me on culture-jamming as well - I was familiar with the concept, just not the terminology.
As for Drew Carey, I think he loves geeking out and appearing in these sorts of things - another example is how he is the guest of honour for a successful gathering in the Sims House Party.
Comment by yoda76
The Tube Blog
I love a bit of culture-jamming. I think it's very necessary to have that kind of dissent in society to a degree - especially when it comes to the major corporations. It's often the only way they will take notice.
Something tells me my posts might be getting a little deeper from here on in - but I gotta stop treading on your geek territory!
Comment by Nina