“WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC

His house

Hollywood, CA

December 18, 1998

Photo credit: "Weird Al" Yankovic

In some strange turn of events, I was on a date with comedy musician, writer, and actor, “Weird Al” Yankovic. We didn’t hike to the Hollywood sign as he’d originally suggested because I, being careful, counter-offered with a more traditional idea. Dinner and a movie.

I now regret my change of course but it just didn’t seem safe to go hiking alone with a stranger. And it doesn’t get much stranger than a guy called Weird Al.

Instead, I went to his house. (Much safer.)

I got there at 7:23 as we planned. He greeted me with compliments and polite conversation then showed me around his bachelor pad. It was a nest of creativity, with a stuffed Yoda by his computer and a Grammy on his mantle.

After the tour, he paused in the hall. He smoothed his goatee and said, “What do you think? Facial hair or no facial hair?” Easy. I said, “You didn’t have it when I met you. I say no facial hair.”

He spun around and headed down the hallway soon returning with a can of shaving cream and a razor.

He whisked past me and stomped up the stairs. A few minutes later he came back down clean-shaven. “Let’s go,” he said. That was cool.

After a fine Mexican meal and Waking Ned Divine, we were back at his house sitting comfortably on his curvy couch and enjoying the crackle of a Duraflame log. He suggested we take pictures. “Okay!” I said. He hopped up and went over to a desk, crawled underneath, and started digging in a cardboard box. (So much energy this Weird Al.) He backed out with a digital camera and sat down next to me, then took some quick shots of us by just holding the camera out at arm’s length. (Creating what would later come to be known as a selfie!)

Then, like a true artist, he said, “Oh the light isn’t right. Let’s go in here.” We went into his little kitchen where the room was much brighter and took a couple of photos by the fridge—which was completely covered with magnetic poetry tiles.

Finally, with the camera between us, he moved in close and took this picture of my eye. If you look closely and use some imagination, I think you can see a reflection of him and his refrigerator on my eyeball.

To see a celebrity behind a camera that they have pointed at you is a surprising anomaly. It doesn't seem like it would be but somehow it is a bizarre sight.

Anyway, we went back to the couch to review our pictures and after collective approval, he said, “Those will be in your e-mailbox by morning.”

Eventually, it was time to go. We never got around to sharing curly hair styling secrets but it was a great night and he gave me a cassette—yes, a cassette—of his Greatest Hits Volume II as a parting gift. The next morning I found these photos at work, just like he said.

Thanks, Al, for an unforgettable night. You are a true gentleman, kind and funny. If I could do it all again I'd totally go hiking with you.

Photo credit: "Weird Al" Yankovic