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Weird Al Premiere Cancelled Due to Net Leak
Posted by
Zonk
on Fri Sep 22, 2006 12:34 PM
from the fluent-in-javascript-as-well-as-klingon dept.
from the fluent-in-javascript-as-well-as-klingon dept.
SilentChris writes "In what's probably a first, AOL cancelled the 'World Premiere' of Weird Al's newest video 'White and Nerdy' due to it being leaked on the internet. Al writes on his MySpace page: 'Apparently, the video has already leaked online, and AOL doesn't feel comfortable doing a World Premiere promotion for a video that a number of people have seen already ... Anyway, it's really a bummer... it would have been great promotion for the album... but hey, life goes on.' As for the video? Arguably Al's best work (but I'm a little biased)."
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Hmm... (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Weird Al on MySpace [myspace.com]
Re:Hmm... (Score:5, Funny)
but there are laws against violating copyrights and copying 'protected' media. so your explanation doesn't work.
[rolls eyes]
Parent
And I care why? (Score:5, Funny)
[/not trolling]
Re:And I care why? (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:And I care why? (Score:4, Funny)
At least it would be more original
Parent
Re:And I care why? (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
That's BS. AOL/RIAA is trying to "teach pirates a lesson" by hurting Al. The leaker didn't do a favour, but if their system of secrecy can be felled by one woman, then they need a new business model to survive.
Re:And I care why? (Score:5, Funny)
See, selling CDs is BAD and will make musicians suffer in poverty while illegally distributing their content without any chance for income is GOOD because the magical socialism fairy will appear out of nowhere and shower them with butter and wine.
Don't mind that rabbit hole, Alice, you're not in Wonderland, just Slashdot. It's just as fruity, but much, much stupider.
Parent
Buy The CD, Not the ITunes. (Score:5, Informative)
(This is not meant to invalidate your point!)
Parent
In what's probably a first (Score:5, Funny)
Isn't that the best premiere a "Nerdy" video can get? Being "leaked" to YouTube, featured on Slashdot?
Re:In what's probably a first (Score:4, Interesting)
Since then, I've bought a shirt, both their DVDs, pre-ordered their last CD, bought the rest, and saw 'em live twice.
Yep. They sure got screwed. I'm sure they really wish I'd never even heard of 'em.
Parent
Re:In what's probably a first (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
Re:In what's probably a first (Score:4, Funny)
I found out about this cool store once because I had ran in there earlier to escape the police who were chasing me. So, I decided to hold the place up. After I got home, I realized the store was totally cool, so now I shop there all the time.
Sure, I robbed them once, but I've more than made up for it by becoming a valuable customer! I'm sure they are glad that I know about their store.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:In what's probably a first (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
done! (Score:5, Insightful)
Al, I think that's damn close to a world premiere right there, and a better class of audience than AOL.
Re:done! (Score:5, Funny)
While I must admit that exposure all over is good, it would be MY guess that Slashdot is a better potential buying audience for Al than the typical AOL user.
After all, "White and Nerdy".
Yup. That's Slashdot.
Parent
Re:done! (Score:5, Funny)
Yup. That's Slashdot.
I'm just kind of pasty and geeky, you insensitive clod!
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Time for a slashdot poll! (Score:5, Funny)
[ ] none
[ ] I downloaded a few songs
[ ] 1-3
[ ] 4-6
[ ] more than 6
[ ] all of them, and I could explain all the jokes in "White and Nerdy" and "All About the Pentiums"
I can't be the only one here who would have to check the last option...
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Wikipedia article on the little things (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Pretty cool. Although, I am surprised at this statement from the wikipedia page: When the lyrics "Steven Hawking's in my library" are sung, Yankovic is shown holding A Brief History of Time, adorned in an unusual cover.
From best I can tell on the YouTube video, it seems to be the Illustrated Brief History of Time. I don't know why this would be considered "unusual". Of all the minute details on thi
Nobody cry. (Score:5, Interesting)
Buck up, Al. You're richer than the rest of us, going to get even richer, and we find you funny despite it all.
Re: Nobody cry. (Score:4, Insightful)
True... but he won't get any money from the deal that he had with AOL. Also, what's the chance that AOL people are more likely to buy something from Weird Al vs. the
Buck up, Al. You're richer than the rest of us, going to get even richer, and we find you funny despite it all.
When does someone become rich enough that it's ok to steal from them? Does your "stealing from rich people" policy only apply to music/tv/movie stars and software developers (ie. people whom you can steal easily from) or should we all be able to steal from Warren Buffett, too?
Parent
Yeah, real bummer (Score:4, Informative)
I'm sure that getting Slashdotted will more than make up for it.
Overheard in AOL office (Score:5, Funny)
Boss: (annoyed) You mean hackers stole one of our products?
U: Well, not exactly, I mean, everybody's talking about it, this is a great opportunity for promotion. I had this idea for instance, we could let people make their OWN parodies of Weird Al's video and put them up on YouTube with a special tag, then we could give a prize to the best--
B: (more annoyed) What the fuck is U-Tube? A brand of glue? Cancel the premiere of Queer Al's video, that's the only way to show those pirates who's boss.
U: You mean "Weird Al"
B: Hey kid, this is AOL, you think we got this far by being idiots? Now get out of my office.
U: (dejected) yes sir.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
U: (dejected) sir, we're not in your office.
Case study.... (Score:3, Insightful)
On the other hand, I catch it on Slashdot and i'm there. And loved it, I cried laughing and got bad looks from people in other cubes until they saw it.. at which point we all geek bonded.
Probably did better for him to have it leaked than played on AoL.
I love the video. And the song. (Score:3, Insightful)
Aol takes their ball and goes home. (Score:5, Interesting)
When is the RIAA and businesses working with them going to grow up. It's not like there wasn't bootlegs of exclusive material before the internet, it's not like there's going to stop bootlegs even if it's never placed on the internet. All they are doing is acting like the spoiled child who was about to get a toy, his friend got one first so when he gets the toy he smashes it because he doesn't want it any more. The problem for that kid is the only person he hurts by doing that is himself, his friend will continue to have the toy, other people might notice from the kids temper tantrum, but in the end his friend will keep playing with his.
The solution to something like this is to do a world exclusive when you get it, not 30 days after the fact or trying to drag it out as long as you can for promotion, you promote it BEFORE the video is finished and once it's done you show it off.
It's just a shame that piracy is blamed for something like this when it's really AOL's fault. Piracy didn't stop AOL from showing it. It's still a "world exclusive" just because some people saw it first. Didn't the execs and people behind the scenes of AOL see it before airing it? (Otherwise it might be a porno that someone accidently mislabeled).
Good stuff, even when its bad... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:No flash... (Score:5, Informative)
here is the correct link [google.com]
Google video does let you download the video. You might be able to play one of the formats.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
You mean that the banana isn't Weird Al? I thought I read somewhere that he recently had cosmetic surgery to look more like a banana.
Re:No flash... (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:No flash... (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Download on YouTube (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re:No flash... (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Isn't that a somewhat nerdy thing to do?
Re:No flash... (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re:"Leaked"?? (Score:5, Informative)
I'm very sorry to say that the AOL "First View" Premiere of the "White & Nerdy" video has been cancelled.
Apparently, the video has already leaked online, and AOL doesn't feel comfortable doing a "World Premiere" promotion for a video that a number of people have seen already. (I can understand songs leaking, but a video? How'd THAT happen?)
Anyway, it's really a bummer... it would have been great promotion for the album... but hey, life goes on.
So...
I'll be uploading the video to this page shortly. Tell your friends!
It was already 'out there', so he put it on myspace. Order of events.
1) Leaked
2) AOL Cancelled
3) Al put it on his site.
He might have put it on his site either way, but there is no contradiction between leak and wide availability.
Parent
Re:Whose song is he spoofing? (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re:Lyrics (Score:5, Informative)
They see me mowin'
My front lawn
I know they're all thinking I'm so white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Can't you see I'm white and nerdy?
Look at me, I'm white and nerdy
I wanna roll with
The gangstas
But so far they all think I'm too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
I'm just too white and nerdy.
Really really white and nerdy.
First in my class here at MIT
Got skills, I'm a champion at D&D
MC Escher - that's my favorite MC
Keep your 40, I'll just have an Earl Grey tea
My rims never spin, to the contrary
You'll find that they're quite stationary
All of my action figures are cherry
Steven Hawking's in my library
My MySpace page is all totally pimped out
Got people beggin' for my top eight spaces
Yo, I know pi to a thousand places
Ain't got no grills but I still wear braces
I order all of my sandwiches with mayonnaise
I'm a whiz at Minesweeper - I could play for days
Once you see my sweet moves you're gonna stay amazed
My fingers' movin' so fast I'll set the place ablaze
There's no killer app I haven't run
At Pascal, well I'm number one
Do vector calculus just for fun
I ain't got a gat but I got a soldering gun
Happy Days is my favorite theme song
I could sure kick your butt in a game of ping pong
I'll ace any trivia quiz you bring on
I'm fluent in JavaScript as well as Klingon
They see me roll on
My Segway
I know in my heart they think I'm white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Can't you see I'm white and nerdy
Look at me, I'm white and nerdy
I'd like to roll with
The gangstas
Although it's apparent I'm too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
I'm just too white and nerdy
How'd I get so white and nerdy
I've been browsin', inspectin'
X-Men comics, you know I collect 'em
The pens in my pocket, I must protect 'em
My ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored
Shopping online for deals on some writable media
I edit Wikipedia
I memorized Holy Grail really well
I can recite it right now and have y
Parent
Re:Cliche (Score:5, Insightful)
If we can't look at some of the stereotypes and laugh, then something is wrong. The great thing about disagreeing with stereotypes is that we can then educate people about the fallacies of their own biased and incorrect views. If you think that we are getting a bad rap (pun only partially intended here) from this video, then get out there and say why it is so wrong.
I laugh because I am white and nerdy, but know that I am much more than white and nerdy. I mean, I am tall, and well, I guess that I am just tall, white and nerdy. But still, I am more!
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
It seems socially acceptable for some black folks to refer to each other as nigger. Try doing that as a white boy to your black office worker and see what happens.
Weird al is 'one of us', so he's allowed.