White & Nerdy
Encyclopedia
"White & Nerdy" is the second single from "Weird Al" Yankovic
's album Straight Outta Lynwood
, which was released on September 26, 2006. It parodies the song "Ridin'
" by Chamillionaire
and Krayzie Bone
. The song both laments and revels in nerdiness, as recited by the subject who cannot "roll with the gangstas
" because he is "just too white
and nerd
y", and includes constant references to stereotypically "nerdy" things, such as collecting comic books, playing Dungeons & Dragons
(D&D), and editing Wikipedia
, as well as stereotypically "white" things, like watching Happy Days
, playing ping pong, and "eating all my sandwiches
with mayonnaise
".
The song itself has won many accolades, including being Yankovic's first Billboard Hot 100
top 10 hit, peaking at #9. It was also certified platinum by the RIAA, the first Yankovic single to achieve this feat. Chamillionaire himself also stated that he enjoyed the song.
The promo single contains only "White & Nerdy".
:
, which was recorded in high definition
. The video, loosely parodying the video for Chamillionaire
's Ridin', following the song's lyrics, shows Yankovic, dressed as a stereotypical nerd with a button-up shirt, dress slacks, and horn-rimmed glasses (see also Yuppie
or Preppie), attempting to fit in with the "gangsters" but instead either scaring them away, causing them to flip him off
(shown on the scene where Yankovic is riding on a Segway
in the park), or to direct him away from their group and instead towards a herd of other nerds (shown when Yankovic is in a bowling alley). These scenes include shots that directly parody the "Ridin'" video, including similar outfits by both artists. Yankovic is seen at night dancing in front of a set of road flares arranged in the form of Pac-Man
, similar to the shot of Chamillionaire in front of the figure of a lizard, his personal logo. Another repeated scene shows Yankovic along with Donny Osmond
—the "whitest guy I could think of", according to Yankovic—dancing in front of the Schrödinger equation
for a hydrogen atom, mimicking shots of Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone
from the "Ridin'" video. Whereas Chamillionaire's video ends with the artist throwing up a gang hand sign to the camera, "White & Nerdy" ends with Yankovic giving a mistaken version of the Vulcan salute
(his thumb is against the side of his hand instead of perpendicular).
Further interspersed among these shots are additional shots of Yankovic demonstrating his "white and nerdy" life, some cases depicting more than just the statements in the lyrics. One scene shows Yankovic blanking out the Wikipedia
page for Atlantic Records
, replacing it with the words (in excessively large type) "YOU SUCK!", referencing his recent trouble with the company in getting permission to release "You're Pitiful
", a parody of James Blunt
's song "You're Beautiful
"; the video is the first appearance of Wikipedia in a music video. Fans of the video have replicated the action depicted in the video several times. The video shows a fictional Trivial Pursuit
card, with questions that include the location of "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota
", on what page Harry Potter
would die in the next book, and the number of Wicket men there are on a 43-Man Squamish
team. Yankovic is shown making a shady deal with a thug in a back alley to acquire a bootleg
VHS
copy of The Star Wars Holiday Special
.. When Yankovic is on his Myspace
page in the video, 'White and Nerdy has 27 friends' can be seen at the top of the computer screen (Bill Gates
, Napoleon Dynamite
, Mr. Peabody, Albert Einstein
, Screech, Frodo
, Pee-Wee Herman
, and Tom
). This is continuing his usual trend of putting the number 27 somewhere in his videos.
In addition to Osmond, there are other cameos in the video. Jordan Peele
and Keegan-Michael Key
of MADtv
appear in the blue 1967 Chevy Impala convertible at the beginning of the video, two "gangsters" that are scared away by Yankovic's nerdiness. The license plate on the Impala reads "OG4LIFE", a reference to Ice-T's
1991 album Original gangster. Seth Green
appears in front of a wall display of action figures; Green has a huge personal collection of action figures (including Star Wars
) that are stored in a large storage unit he shares with Hugh Sterbakov.
Judy Tenuta
, a regular on The Weird Al Show
and who previously appeared in "Headline News
", appears as the woman who receives a surge protector
as a Christmas present. Other actors were personally recruited by Yankovic through a post on his MySpace
page, from which he received several interested extras that said they would appear for free. These extras include: Jon Katz
, Michael Bueno, Tom Schuler, Peter Withers, John Reynolds
, Jennifer More, Christina Rodriguez, Benjamin Baker, Jason Van Kemseke, George Garcia, Deborah Schuler, Cristina Malesci, Shawn Avery, Maxx Gillman, Mikel Browning, Diego Kontarousky, David Stephens
, and Jack DeVries. DeVries, IGN
Freelance Editor and MiraCosta College
Chariot Copy Editor, is featured twice: playing Dungeons & Dragons
at the beginning, and playing ten-pin bowling
at the end.
The comic book store featured in the video is Golden Apple Comics
, located in Los Angeles
, California
, while the Gap store
is located on Wilshire Boulevard
in Santa Monica
.
Also in the comic book store, he is wearing a yellow jersey that says "Carl Sagan
is my HomeBoy".
The video was leaked onto YouTube
on September 17, 2006, just one day before the video was planned to be officially released at 9 PM Pacific time
at AOL
.com. Due to the leak, the premiere was canceled, and AOL silently slipped the video onto their website hours before the premiere was set to take place. VH1
started airing the video in "large rotation" on September 20, 2006, and it debuted at #5 on their Top 20 countdown. It is available to watch on Yankovic's MySpace page, as well as on several other video hosting sites and P2P theaters.
As of September 10, 2007 it reached the 4th position on the Viral Video Chart (for over 365 days).
solicited online members to make a fans-only video for "White & Nerdy". The video was released in late 2006.
as he came on stage.) It was his first public live performance of the song; various background vocals from the original recording are played to allow him time to breathe during the fast-paced lyrics. Since then, however, his band has provided live background vocals. On December 3, he performed the song live at the VH1
"Big In '06" Awards. Yankovic performed the song during his 2007 tour, using a Segway during the performance as in the video, but with different "nerdy" outfits than those used in the video.
, a record 23 years after his first appearance on the Hot 100 chart with "Ricky
" in 1983. It peaked at #9, beating his previous #12 peak for 1984's "Eat It
". This was also his first Top 40 single since 1992's "Smells Like Nirvana
". It peaked on the Hot Digital Songs
chart at #5. Both the song and the music video reached #1 at the U.S. and Australian iTunes Store
, and peaked at #1 on VH1
's top 20 video countdown. Both "White & Nerdy" and Straight Outta Lynwood
were certified gold
, and later platinum
, by the RIAA. This marks the first time any one of Yankovic's singles has been certified platinum.
page, and commented that he enjoys the parody. In an interview, he also stated he was pleasantly surprised by "Weird Al"'s rapping
ability, saying: "He's actually rapping pretty good on it, it's crazy ... I didn't know he could rap like that."
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
's album Straight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood is the 12th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on September 26, 2006 in the U.S. by Volcano, on September 30, 2006 in Australia, on October 3 in Canada, on October 6, 2006 in New Zealand, November 13, 2006 in the United Kingdom, and November 24, 2006 in...
, which was released on September 26, 2006. It parodies the song "Ridin'
Ridin'
"Ridin" is the second single from Chamillionaire's album, The Sound of Revenge, and features a guest rap by Krayzie Bone. Its title is often incorrectly assumed to be "Ridin' Dirty" due to the chorus...
" by Chamillionaire
Chamillionaire
Hakeem Seriki , better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. Chamillionaire is also the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click...
and Krayzie Bone
Krayzie Bone
Anthony Henderson better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper and is a former member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.-Solo career:Krayzie Bone recorded his solo debut, Thug Mentality 1999, in 1998...
. The song both laments and revels in nerdiness, as recited by the subject who cannot "roll with the gangstas
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
" because he is "just too white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
and nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
y", and includes constant references to stereotypically "nerdy" things, such as collecting comic books, playing Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
(D&D), and editing Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
, as well as stereotypically "white" things, like watching Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
, playing ping pong, and "eating all my sandwiches
Sandwiches
"Sandwiches" is a song by American electronic band Detroit Grand Pubahs. It reached number 29 in the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.- Track listing :...
with mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
".
The song itself has won many accolades, including being Yankovic's first Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
top 10 hit, peaking at #9. It was also certified platinum by the RIAA, the first Yankovic single to achieve this feat. Chamillionaire himself also stated that he enjoyed the song.
CD single
The following tracks are on the single:- "White & Nerdy" – 2:50
- "Don't Download This Song" – 3:54
The promo single contains only "White & Nerdy".
Promo 12" single
The following three songs were featured as triple A-sides on a 12" promotional recordSelections From Straight Outta Lynwood
Selections from Straight Outta Lynwood is the name of the second EP released by parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. The EP was released in 2006 as a 12" radio promo before Yankovic's twelfth studio album Straight Outta Lynwood.-Track listing:...
:
- "White & Nerdy" – 2:50
- "Confessions Part III" – 3:52
- "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" – 10:50.
Music video
The single has an accompanying music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, which was recorded in high definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
. The video, loosely parodying the video for Chamillionaire
Chamillionaire
Hakeem Seriki , better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. Chamillionaire is also the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click...
's Ridin', following the song's lyrics, shows Yankovic, dressed as a stereotypical nerd with a button-up shirt, dress slacks, and horn-rimmed glasses (see also Yuppie
Yuppie
Yuppie is a term that refers to a member of the upper middle class or upper class in their 20s or 30s. It first came into use in the early-1980s and largely faded from American popular culture in the late-1980s, due to the 1987 stock market crash and the early 1990s recession...
or Preppie), attempting to fit in with the "gangsters" but instead either scaring them away, causing them to flip him off
Finger (gesture)
In Western culture, the finger , also known as the middle finger, is an obscene hand gesture, often meaning the phrases "fuck off" , "fuck you" or "up yours"...
(shown on the scene where Yankovic is riding on a Segway
Segway PT
The Segway PT is a two-wheeled, self-balancing transportation machine invented by Dean Kamen. It is produced by Segway Inc. of New Hampshire, USA. The name "Segway" is a homophone of "segue" while "PT" denotes personal transporter....
in the park), or to direct him away from their group and instead towards a herd of other nerds (shown when Yankovic is in a bowling alley). These scenes include shots that directly parody the "Ridin'" video, including similar outfits by both artists. Yankovic is seen at night dancing in front of a set of road flares arranged in the form of Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
, similar to the shot of Chamillionaire in front of the figure of a lizard, his personal logo. Another repeated scene shows Yankovic along with Donny Osmond
Donny Osmond
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...
—the "whitest guy I could think of", according to Yankovic—dancing in front of the Schrödinger equation
Schrödinger equation
The Schrödinger equation was formulated in 1926 by Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger. Used in physics , it is an equation that describes how the quantum state of a physical system changes in time....
for a hydrogen atom, mimicking shots of Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone
Krayzie Bone
Anthony Henderson better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper and is a former member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.-Solo career:Krayzie Bone recorded his solo debut, Thug Mentality 1999, in 1998...
from the "Ridin'" video. Whereas Chamillionaire's video ends with the artist throwing up a gang hand sign to the camera, "White & Nerdy" ends with Yankovic giving a mistaken version of the Vulcan salute
Vulcan salute
The Vulcan salute is a hand gesture consisting of a raised hand, palm forward with the fingers parted between the middle and ring finger, and the thumb extended. Often, the famous line, "Live long and prosper", is said after it. The salute was devised and popularised by Leonard Nimoy, who...
(his thumb is against the side of his hand instead of perpendicular).
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
page for Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, replacing it with the words (in excessively large type) "YOU SUCK!", referencing his recent trouble with the company in getting permission to release "You're Pitiful
You're Pitiful
"You're Pitiful" is a parody of "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt written and recorded by American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released exclusively online in June 2006...
", a parody of James Blunt
James Blunt
James Hillier Blount , better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005...
's song "You're Beautiful
You're Beautiful
"You're Beautiful" is a pop rock song co-written by British singer James Blunt, Sacha Skarbek, and Amanda Ghost for Blunt's debut album Back to Bedlam . It was released as the third single from the album in 2005. In the UK and Australia the song reached number one and number two respectively...
"; the video is the first appearance of Wikipedia in a music video. Fans of the video have replicated the action depicted in the video several times. The video shows a fictional Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit is a board game in which progress is determined by a player's ability to answer general knowledge and popular culture questions. The game was created in 1979 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, by Canadian Chris Haney, a photo editor for Montreal's The Gazette and Scott Abbott, a sports...
card, with questions that include the location of "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota
The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota
"The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota" by "Weird Al" Yankovic is a lengthy folk-type song about a family road trip to a tourist location in Minnesota. The song was meant by Yankovic as a style parody of the storytelling songs of Harry Chapin and Gordon Lightfoot,, and the structure and chord...
", on what page Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
would die in the next book, and the number of Wicket men there are on a 43-Man Squamish
43-Man Squamish
43-Man Squamish is a fictional sport that was invented in issue #95 of MAD Magazine by George Woodbridge and Tom Koch. The article was memorable enough to be mentioned by the New York Times in Woodbridge's 2004 obituary....
team. Yankovic is shown making a shady deal with a thug in a back alley to acquire a bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
copy of The Star Wars Holiday Special
The Star Wars Holiday Special
The Star Wars Holiday Special is a 1978 American television special set in the Star Wars galaxy. It was one of the first official Star Wars spin-offs, and was directed by Steve Binder. The show was broadcast in its entirety only once, in the United States and Canada, November 17, 1978, on the U.S...
.. When Yankovic is on his Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page in the video, 'White and Nerdy has 27 friends' can be seen at the top of the computer screen (Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
, Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 comedy film co-written and directed by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess and stars Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite. The film was Jared Hess' first full-length feature and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca....
, Mr. Peabody, Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
, Screech, Frodo
Frodo
Frodo may mean:*Frodo Baggins, a character in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien*"Frodo", a song by New Zealand folk-duo Flight of the Conchords*Fróði, the name of a number of Danish kings, Latinized as Frodo*Frodo...
, Pee-Wee Herman
Pee-wee Herman
Pee-wee Herman is a comic fictional character created and portrayed by American comedian Paul Reubens. He is best known for his two television series and film series during the 1980s. The childlike Pee-wee Herman character developed as a stage act that quickly led to an HBO special in 1981...
, and Tom
Tom Anderson
Tom Anderson may refer to:*Tom Anderson , entrepreneur and co-founder of MySpace*Tom Anderson , former member of the Alaska State Legislature...
). This is continuing his usual trend of putting the number 27 somewhere in his videos.
In addition to Osmond, there are other cameos in the video. Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele is an American actor and comedian known as a cast member on MADtv from 2003–2008 and currently for his recurring role as Dr. Brian on the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital...
and Keegan-Michael Key
Keegan-Michael Key
Keegan-Michael Key is an American comic actor best known for his roles as a cast member on MADtv for six seasons. He has also had recurring roles on Reno 911! and Gary Unmarried. He used to be the host of The Planet's Funniest Animals...
of MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
appear in the blue 1967 Chevy Impala convertible at the beginning of the video, two "gangsters" that are scared away by Yankovic's nerdiness. The license plate on the Impala reads "OG4LIFE", a reference to Ice-T's
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
1991 album Original gangster. Seth Green
Seth Green
Seth Benjamin Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Dr. Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, Mitch Miller in That '70s Show, and the voice of Chris...
appears in front of a wall display of action figures; Green has a huge personal collection of action figures (including Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
) that are stored in a large storage unit he shares with Hugh Sterbakov.
Judy Tenuta
Judy Tenuta
Judy Tenuta is an American entertainer, actress, comedienne, author, producer and accordionist.-Early life:...
, a regular on The Weird Al Show
The Weird Al Show
The Weird Al Show is a television show hosted by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Produced in association with Dick Clark Productions, it aired Saturday mornings on the CBS TV network from September to December 1997. The show was released on DVD on August 15, 2006...
and who previously appeared in "Headline News
Headline News (song)
"Headline News" is a parody song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of the Crash Test Dummies's 1993 hit "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".-Track listing:The following tracks are on the single:# "Headline News" – 3:46...
", appears as the woman who receives a surge protector
Surge protector
A surge protector is an appliance designed to protect electrical devices from voltage spikes. A surge protector attempts to limit the voltage supplied to an electric device by either blocking or by shorting to ground any unwanted voltages above a safe threshold...
as a Christmas present. Other actors were personally recruited by Yankovic through a post on his MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page, from which he received several interested extras that said they would appear for free. These extras include: Jon Katz
Jon Katz
Jonathan Katz is a U.S. journalist, author, and snowballer. He is known for his contributions to the online magazine HotWired, the technology website Slashdot, the online news magazine Slate.com, and his series of crime novels, books on the geek subculture, and his books on dogs.-Journalism:Katz...
, Michael Bueno, Tom Schuler, Peter Withers, John Reynolds
John Reynolds
John Reynolds may refer to:* John Reynolds , English writer* John Reynolds , soldier in the English Civil War* John Reynolds , farmer and agricultural innovator from Kent, England...
, Jennifer More, Christina Rodriguez, Benjamin Baker, Jason Van Kemseke, George Garcia, Deborah Schuler, Cristina Malesci, Shawn Avery, Maxx Gillman, Mikel Browning, Diego Kontarousky, David Stephens
David Stephens
David Rhys R. Stephens is a footballer who plays for Hibernian as a defender.-Youth team at Norwich:Born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, Stephens joined Norwich City's Academy as a 13-year old...
, and Jack DeVries. DeVries, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
Freelance Editor and MiraCosta College
MiraCosta College
MiraCosta College is a community college located in the northern coastal region of San Diego County, California. MiraCosta College is located at 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside, California 92056. It also has a campus in Cardiff-by-the-Sea and a Community Learning Center in Oceanside.- History :MiraCosta...
Chariot Copy Editor, is featured twice: playing Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
at the beginning, and playing ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
at the end.
The comic book store featured in the video is Golden Apple Comics
Golden Apple Comics
Golden Apple Comics is a comic book store in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.-History:The store's original owner, Bill Liebowitz, was a yo-yo champion in the 1950s, a co-founder of Rhino Records, and had recurring roles as himself in Archie Comics. He opened Golden Apple in Hollywood in 1979,...
, located in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, while the Gap store
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
is located on Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for Henry Gaylord Wilshire , an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. Henry Wilshire initiated what was to become Wilshire...
in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
.
Also in the comic book store, he is wearing a yellow jersey that says "Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
is my HomeBoy".
The video was leaked onto YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on September 17, 2006, just one day before the video was planned to be officially released at 9 PM Pacific time
Pacific Time
Pacific Time may refer to:* Pacific Time Zone , a time zone on the west coast of the United States, Canada and Mexico* Pacific Time , a radio program produced by KQED and carried on several other NPR stations...
at AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
.com. Due to the leak, the premiere was canceled, and AOL silently slipped the video onto their website hours before the premiere was set to take place. VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
started airing the video in "large rotation" on September 20, 2006, and it debuted at #5 on their Top 20 countdown. It is available to watch on Yankovic's MySpace page, as well as on several other video hosting sites and P2P theaters.
As of September 10, 2007 it reached the 4th position on the Viral Video Chart (for over 365 days).
Fan-made video
Yahoo! MusicYahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
solicited online members to make a fans-only video for "White & Nerdy". The video was released in late 2006.
Live performances
On November 2, 2006, Yankovic performed "White & Nerdy" live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. (He rode a SegwaySegway PT
The Segway PT is a two-wheeled, self-balancing transportation machine invented by Dean Kamen. It is produced by Segway Inc. of New Hampshire, USA. The name "Segway" is a homophone of "segue" while "PT" denotes personal transporter....
as he came on stage.) It was his first public live performance of the song; various background vocals from the original recording are played to allow him time to breathe during the fast-paced lyrics. Since then, however, his band has provided live background vocals. On December 3, he performed the song live at the VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
"Big In '06" Awards. Yankovic performed the song during his 2007 tour, using a Segway during the performance as in the video, but with different "nerdy" outfits than those used in the video.
Awards and accolades
The song became Yankovic's first career Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, a record 23 years after his first appearance on the Hot 100 chart with "Ricky
Ricky (song)
"Ricky" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "Mickey" by Toni Basil. The song focuses on the show I Love Lucy, and ends with a segment of the theme from the show...
" in 1983. It peaked at #9, beating his previous #12 peak for 1984's "Eat It
Eat It
"Eat It" is a hit single by parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of the song "Beat It" by pop star Michael Jackson. The single reached #1 in Australia, and it was his highest-charting U.S. single on the Billboard Hot 100 at #12 until "White & Nerdy" peaked at #9 in October 2006...
". This was also his first Top 40 single since 1992's "Smells Like Nirvana
Smells Like Nirvana
"Smells Like Nirvana" is a parody of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" written and performed by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It helped to reenergize Yankovic's career, and Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain considered the parody a sign that they had "made it" as a band...
". It peaked on the Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart at #5. Both the song and the music video reached #1 at the U.S. and Australian iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, and peaked at #1 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's top 20 video countdown. Both "White & Nerdy" and Straight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood is the 12th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on September 26, 2006 in the U.S. by Volcano, on September 30, 2006 in Australia, on October 3 in Canada, on October 6, 2006 in New Zealand, November 13, 2006 in the United Kingdom, and November 24, 2006 in...
were certified gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
, and later platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
, by the RIAA. This marks the first time any one of Yankovic's singles has been certified platinum.
Reaction from original artist
Chamillionaire himself put "White & Nerdy" on his official MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page, and commented that he enjoys the parody. In an interview, he also stated he was pleasantly surprised by "Weird Al"'s rapping
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
ability, saying: "He's actually rapping pretty good on it, it's crazy ... I didn't know he could rap like that."
Chart positions
| Chart (2006-07) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swedish Singles Chart | 14 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
80 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
9 |
See also
- List of singles by "Weird Al" Yankovic
- List of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic
- It's All about the PentiumsIt's All About the Pentiums"It's All About the Pentiums" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "It's All about the Benjamins " by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and focuses on the narrator's obsession with his computer's hardware.-Track listing:...
- a song with a similar topic; also by Yankovic - Wikipedia in popular cultureWikipedia in popular cultureReferences to Wikipedia in culture have increased as more people learn about and use the online encyclopedia project. Many parody Wikipedia's openness, with characters vandalising or modifying articles. Still others feature characters using the references as a source, or positively comparing a...