So in 1999, Weird Al Yankovic covered the Offspring’s 1998 hit, Pretty Fly (For a White Guy). Weird Al’s version however was called Pretty Fly (For a Rabbi) and, in typical Weird Al fashion, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between his version and the Offspring’s original (which itself contains samples from Deff Leppard’s song Rock of Ages). Except for the lyrics of course, an ode to the new Rabbi:

So how’s by you? Have you seen this Jew?
Reads the Torah, does his own accounting too
Workin’ like a dog at the synagogue
He’s there all day, he’s there all day
Just say “Vay iz mir!” and he’ll kick into gear
He’ll bring you lots of cheer and maybe bagels with some shmeer
Just grab your yarmulka and
Hey! Hey! Do that Hebrew thing!

Honestly, this song is completely idiotic and even offensive at times (He shops at discount stores, not just any will suffice, He has to find a bargain ’cause he won’t pay retail price), but Jews are really good at that self deprecation thing, right?

Now on to the Japanese. They’re simply not at all like you and me. For reasons I cannot begin to explain, there’s this trend whereby Japanese kids combine pop songs with footage from Anime movies. This is called FMS and skilled video makers will sync the video to the words and make it seem as if the anime characters are singing the song. A recent example of this is a video making the rounds on the Internet which combines footage from Tenchi Muyo with Weird Al’s Offspring cover. Here it is:

You know what else is strange? I first saw this a week ago and discussed it with Michael. And now, not 30 minutes ago, Binyamin Cohen of the Atlanta Jewish Life stuck it on his yadda, yadda, yadda blog. It’s like he’s in my brain! Get the hell out of my brain Binyamin Cohen!!

Oh and yeah, if you click through to the AJL Web site, that is my article all featured and stuff. No. I have no idea what that pregnant, Israeli-flag babe is doing there or why my name is right next too her. I am sooo not the dad. Really.

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About the author

ck

Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.

5 Comments

  • Weird Al isn’t Jewish. So the “self deprecation thing” doesn’t fly. I used to worship Weird Al. I still have “Dare to be Stupid” on vinyl.

  • This video doesn’t make sense! 😛 I don’t know much about these things but I have a friend who makes them and she spends hours trying to sync up the lips and put in scenes that are applicable to the words. People don’t just do this in Japan; it’s really big over here and they have huge contests at anime conventions.

  • Weird Al is Jewish. He is on an all-Jewish music compilation called “Now That Sounds Kosher!”