Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al playing his accordian. (Gina Sutherland Photography (Gina Sutherland))

Some people categorize a hero as someone who rushes into a battle wearing their underwear over spandex and saves a life, but I consider a hero as someone who makes someone else smile. Weird Al is a hero. He has been a song writer, musician and performer for over 30 years, but the best part about Weird Al is that he is a hilarious comedian. He does many performances and makes people laugh. Through the years of hard work, Weird Al prevails.

On October 23, 1959 in Lynwood California, a hero was born: Alfred Matthew Yankovic, although you might know him better as Weird Al. When Weird Al was five, a door-to-door salesman came to his front door and offered him two options: take guitar lessons, or take accordion lessons. Weird Al's parents went into the kitchen to converse. They came out a few minutes later, and decided that there was room enough for one more accordion playing Yankovic. Weird Al soon fell in love with the accordion, and was very good at playing it. He also loved music very much. His first job was as a disc jockey. This is where he got his nickname. His first major hit was "My Bologna," and there were many more to come.

A lot of people think that to be a hero you have to be brave and courageous. I disagree. I think that you just have to be able to make someone feel good. Weird Al can definitely do that. My family went to his concert, and we never stopped laughing the whole way through. Weird Al is the funniest person I know. One of the reasons he is so funny is that he composes parodies. A parody is a song that makes fun of another song and sounds similar to it. My personal favorite Weird Al song is "White & Nerdy" because it reminds me of my father. In addition, being the valedictorian of his class, we can conclude that he is also very smart. His intellect is reflected in his very clever lyrics, such as a song called Bob, which is nothing but palindromes. My favorite Weird Al palindrome is OOZY RAT IN A SANITARY ZOO. Genius. Pure genius.

Weird Al looks amazing in his pink tutu. (Gina Sutherland Photography (Gina Sutherland))

Is it still alien to you that Weird Al can be a hero? Think of it this way. Laughing can add five years onto your life and is super healthy. Because he adds years to people's lives, Weird Al is undoubtedly a hero. He goes up on stage in a pink tutu and a SpongeBob shirt. No battle hero is brave enough to do that. Making someone laugh is very heroic.

In conclusion, the new definition of hero is this: Weird Al. He won the battle through hard work and never giving up. Using his smarts and talent, he led people out of the doldrums, and into five years of extra health. His bold fearlessness allows him to get on stage in a fat suit that makes him look over 900 pounds. If you are ever feeling down, go onto YouTube and search "Weird Al." You will immediately feel as if someone gave you a happy potion.