What Inspires Weird Al Parodies?

How do you know a song or artist is going to be good to parody? It's all gut feeling, really. Sometimes it's obvious, like when you're talking about a Michael Jackson or Madonna or Lady Gaga. If you're dealing with someone who's really at the forefront of the zeitgeist, someone who's really part of a big culture shift and is omnipresent on the airwaves, you know you're dealing with somebody who's a good target for a parody. There are no real set parameters when I do a parody, but I look for things that are really distinctive, and hopefully they will be really popular, as well.

Do people suggest songs to you all the time? Yeah. That's sort of the bane of my existence. [Laughs] Every time I go outside, somebody has some idea for a parody they've been holding onto since the third grade, and they feel compelled to share it with me. I point out that it's my job to think of these things, and chances are, if they've thought about an idea for a parody, I've already thought of it.