Weird Al’s Subtle Salute to Mrs. Krabappel

If you haven’t noticed, Weird Al Yankovic, the undisputed Prince of Parody, is in the midst of releasing eight new songs & videos in eight days to promote his upcoming 14th album, entitled “Mandatory Fun.” So far, he’s released spoofs of Pharrell’s “Happy” (as “Tacky”), Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” (“Word Crimes”), Lorde’s “Royals” (“Foil”), and Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” (“Handy”).

Although all have their hilarious strengths, as a journalist I especially enjoyed Al’s grammar lesson in “Word Crimes.” Not only was it smart, but a careful eye can spot a brief reference to The Simpsons: about 25 seconds into the song a grade school quiz is shown illustrating the correct way to spell “conjugate,” and the name at the top of the paper indicates the class is taught by none other than Mrs. Krabappel. It only appears for a second, so don’t blink or you’ll miss it.

Just another reason to love one of the funniest satirists of our generation, Yankovic’s tribute to Marcia Wallace/Edna Krabappel is timely, subtle, and delivered via the perfect medium.

Well done, sir.