$1.8 Billion Slush Fund Has J6ers Playing Victim & Trump Creeps on Coast Guard Grad | “Weird Al” Yankovic

Summary

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The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: $1.8 Billion Slush Fund Has J6ers Playing Victim & Trump Creeps on Coast Guard Grad | “Weird Al” Yankovic
Date: May 22, 2026
Host: Ronny Chieng (with The Daily Show team)
Special Guest: “Weird Al” Yankovic

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Daily Show delivers a satirical breakdown of current political absurdities, including President Trump’s controversial commencement address at the Coast Guard Academy and the startling $1.8 billion “slush fund” for Trump allies and January 6 participants. The show blends outrage and hilarity, especially as it spotlights Trump’s antics—both personal and political. In the latter half, comedy music legend “Weird Al” Yankovic joins for a warm, insightful interview covering his decades-long career and the challenge of parody in the digital era.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Coast Guard Graduation Speech & Comedic Reaction

[01:35–04:05]

• Ronny Chieng opens with a sarcastic salute to new graduates and pivots to Trump’s commencement speech, which took an inappropriate, flirtatious tone toward a male cadet.
• The staff improvises a comical back-and-forth, parodying Trump’s admiration for the cadet’s physique.

Notable Quotes:

• “And that message was Daddy like it.” — Ronny Chieng [01:35]
• “We wanted Trump to stop harassing women, and I guess he found a loophole.” — Ronny Chieng [02:52]
• “The president needs to… a dude. All right? Like, just go for it.” — Ronny Chieng [03:39]

2. Trump’s Priorities: Skipping Don Jr.’s Wedding for 'Iran'

[04:05–05:08]

• Trump indicates he may miss his son’s wedding due to pressing 'geopolitical' events, lampooned as a transparent excuse to avoid family obligations.

Quote:

• “Oh, and now I get why he started the war with Iran. To get out of Don Jr.’s wedding.” — Ronny Chieng [04:19]

3. Trump Administration’s $1.8 Billion 'Slush Fund' for Jan 6 Supporters

[06:10–12:48]

• The team investigates the announcement of a $1.8 billion compensation fund for Trump allies and January 6th insurrectionists, mocking the parade of claimants—from MyPillow’s Mike Lindell to “QAnon Shaman.”
• Satirical segment for “J6 Financial,” a fake service offering money management tailored to criminal rioters.

Memorable Moments & Quotes:

• “Wow, that list is a real who’s who of… Oh, yeah, that weirdo.” — Ronny Chieng [06:51]
• “It’s like the final episode of Seinfeld, except the Soup Nazi is just an actual Nazi.” — Ronny Chieng [06:54]
• “Three years of house arrest with eight kids and eight grandkids…that is cruel and unusual punishment.” — Ronny Chieng [08:06]
• “Maybe the QAnon Shaman isn’t as delusional as we thought.” — Ronny Chieng [09:43]
• “Divide $1.8 billion by 20 million…that’s like 90 bucks a person. That’s barely two bags of crystal meth, okay?” — Ronny Chieng [10:45]
• “J6 Financial. The only capital we'll keep safe is yours.” — Ronny Chieng [12:48]

4. Satirical Retrospective: America's “One Good Day”—The 1992 Dream Team

[13:47–17:11]

• In celebration of America’s upcoming 250th birthday, the show delivers a tongue-in-cheek historical montage, concluding that the only truly unproblematic moment in US history was the 1992 NBA Olympic “Dream Team.”
• Humorously dissecting the pitfalls of nostalgia and who counts as an American hero.

Quotes:

• “Our triumphs, morally gray milestones eroded by backlash…But there’s still one moment that brings us all together: The 1992 Olympic basketball dream team.” — Guest [14:57]
• “Thanks for the Dream Team—the one thing we all agree, three we can be proud of, and Christian Laettner.” — Guest [16:55]

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Interview: “Weird Al” Yankovic

[18:27–32:44]

Career Longevity and Pop Culture Evolution

• Weird Al recounts his career spanning six decades, reflecting on changes from the 1980s' monoculture to today’s fragmented musical landscape.
• He discusses the challenge of parodying current music due to niche genres and the lack of universal hits, noting he hasn’t released an album in 12 years.

Notable Quotes:

• “Back in the 80s and 90s, there was more of a monoculture…Now everybody's into their own subgenres and their niche, you know, musical tastes.” — Weird Al Yankovic [20:19]
• “You'll notice I haven't put out an album for 12 years.” — Weird Al Yankovic [21:04]

Artistry: Parody vs. Pastiche

• Weird Al describes the difference between direct parody and “pastiche”—composing in the style of a recognizable artist rather than spoofing an actual song.
• Preparing for pastiches is more work-intensive, requiring months of careful study.

Quote:

• “The parodies…I would, like, dash off a parody in, like, 20 minutes. Cause I figured, who cares? Now…I better, like, spend some time.” — Weird Al Yankovic [22:56]

Accordion Roots & Polka Medleys

• He humorously revisits his musical beginnings—parents choosing the accordion over a guitar, trying to make the instrument sexy, and how polka transformations became a signature.

Quotes:

• “I'm just trying to bring sex back to the accordion.” — Weird Al Yankovic [24:45]
• “I couldn't get anybody to join my rock band when I was a kid…so I just played along with the songs on the radio.” — Weird Al Yankovic [25:18]

Ethics of Parody and Remix Culture

• Weird Al distinguishes his respectful, voluntary approach to musical parody—always seeking artists' approval.
• He critiques the Wild West of online remixing, but sees his own practice as more akin to sampling.

Quotes:

• “I just want to respect the artists and the songwriters and make sure they're in on the joke.” — Weird Al Yankovic [28:29]
• “It's sort of like you're sampling the whole song. I get it now.” — Weird Al Yankovic [29:22]

Parody as Pop Culture Time Capsule

• His discography is described as a cultural archive, helping people catch up on what was relevant in any particular year.

Quote:

• "...If you haven't listened to pop music in three years, like, oh, just get the Weird Al record, and you'll be all up to date.” — Weird Al Yankovic [30:34]

The “Yankovic Bump” and Cultural Approval

• Being parodied by Weird Al is described as a badge of honor—almost harder to achieve now than a Grammy.
• Weird Al jokes about being propositioned by contemporary artists to parody their songs.

On Musical Tastes and Longevity

• Weird Al admits preferring the music of his youth for comfort, but affirms that new music is as good as ever.

Quote:

• “Music today is as good as it ever was, but you ‘heard’ it.” — Weird Al Yankovic [31:42]

Weird Al & AI — A Final Gag

• Ronny Chieng floats the idea of Weird Al running AI ethics (“Weird AI”); Al turns it down with characteristic playfulness.

Quote:

• “People assume when they see my name, they go, who's Weird AI?...Hard pass.” — Weird Al Yankovic [32:11]

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Notable Laugh-Out-Loud Moments

• Trump ogling Coast Guard cadets, drawing out comically suggestive banter. [02:26–03:33]
• Satirical ad for “J6 Financial” and its questionable promises. [11:42–12:48]
• The entire “only good day in American history” bit on the 1992 Dream Team. [14:57–16:55]
• Weird Al on the accordion’s lost sex appeal: “Dick Cantino was like a sex god...and he played the accordion.” [24:24]

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Timestamps for Must-Listen Segments

• Trump’s “horny” graduation speech: [01:35–04:05]
• J6ers Slush Fund, list of claimants: [06:10–10:45]
• Satirical “J6 Financial” ad: [11:42–12:48]
• America’s Dream Team retrospective: [13:47–17:11]
• Weird Al interview (start): [18:27]
• On pastiche and musical process: [20:19–22:56]
• On accordion, youthful origins: [24:07–25:18]
• Ethics of parody/remix culture: [28:17–29:22]
• Weird Al on nostalgia and current music: [31:14–31:48]
• ‘Weird AI’ gag: [32:11]

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Tone and Style

Irreverent, sharp, and packed with layered satire, the episode consistently delivers laughs while dissecting serious societal issues. The Weird Al interview is warm, self-deprecating, and genuinely insightful—both host and guest riffing off each other's humor and knowledge.

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Summary Takeaway

This Daily Show episode exemplifies contemporary satire, mixing blistering political commentary with pop culture nostalgia and affection for enduring icons like Weird Al. The biggest laughs arise from the farcical reality of post-2020s America—but there’s heart in the humor, especially as Al reflects on a career defined by both respect and inventive mischief.

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Transcript

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[Ronnie Chang]

You're listening to Comedy Central.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news. This is the Daily show with your host, Ronnie.

[Ronnie Chang]

Hey, welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Ronnie Chang. We got so much to talk about tonight. Donald Trump makes crime pay. We look back at America's one good day, and Trump honors the class of 2026 with an inspiring message of horniness. And later on, the legendary Weird Al Yankovic will be here. So let's get into the headlines. First off, it's graduation season, and I'd just like to take a moment to shout out all the graduates watching. Welcome to the real world. It sucks, but yesterday, Trump gave the commencement speech at the Coast Guard Academy and he had a different message for graduates. And that message was Daddy like it.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

We also have the only cadet who earned a perfect score on every single fitness session. Wow, this guy must be something. I think we'll have to invite him up. I want to check it out. Thomas, get up here, please. Want to see? I want to check him out.

[Ronnie Chang]

Whoa, whoa.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

Look at this guy. Look at the muscles on this guy.

[Ronnie Chang]

Thank you very much.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

Just hit him on the shoulder. Hurt my hand. It's like hitting a rock.

[Ronnie Chang]

Well, we wanted Trump to stop harassing women, and I guess he found a loophole. I mean, seriously, is Trump a college sophomore? Because if you, if you've been paying any attention recently, it looks like he's been discovering something about himself.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

You are a handsome devil. He's a good, good looking guy. Now, if you rip off the jacket, you'll see the muscles are serious. Boy, oh, boy, he's a looking guys, look at the arms on him.

[Show Host or Producer]

I'll give you a hot. You look so good, but too good looking to be a fighter.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

See, I consider all those guys back there with the big muscles, and it's not my thing, but I consider them really beautiful. To me, he's so strong.

[Ronnie Chang]

His.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

Those muscles are.

[Ronnie Chang]

Okay, I'm just going to say it. The president needs to. A dude. All right? Like, just go for it. Mr. President, I'm not even saying you're gay. It just seems like something you need to get out of your system, you know, like. Like as a novelty thing. And don't worry about what your supporters will think. You'll be fine. Your base will love it. And your shaft. But Trump isn't just doing commencements. He's got a very busy weekend ahead of him. Maybe too busy.

[Guest or Commentator]

Are you attending your son's wedding this

[Ronnie Chang]

weekend, by the way?

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

He'd like me to go. I'm going to try and make it. I'm in the midst. I said, you know, this is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things.

[Ronnie Chang]

Oh, and now I get why he started the war of Iran. To get out of Don Jr. S wedding. You should have just told us that. We don't understand. Even Ayatollah's like, I get it. But to be fair, I also wouldn't want to go to Don Jr. S wedding if I was too old to want to do cocaine. Right? And Besides, this is Don Jr. S third fiance. Trump's probably like, if I miss this wedding, I'll just catch the next one. So fake news media, stop trying to get him with these gotcha questions, like, are you going to attend your son's wedding? The man's got important news about what's going on in Iran, and I want to pay attention.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

We have total control of the Strait of Hormuz, as you know, with our blockade. The blockade's been 100% effective. Nobody's been able to steal.

[Ronnie Chang]

I'm sorry, I. I cannot pay attention. I don't want to tell the White House how to do their job, but is it possible that when the President is speaking in the Oval Office, we don't have a giant protruding belly button five inches from his face? I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is beneath the dignity of the office. And. And it's a low bar. Like, can you at least blur it or something? Like, I know it's technically not indecent, but it's making me very uncomfortable. I mean, a tie would solve this. Or. Or maybe a sweater or, like, 19 sweaters? Wait, wait. Hang on a second. Let me. Let me try something here. Wait. Oh, shit. It's coming right at me.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

All right,

[Ronnie Chang]

okay, but let's move on to something even more gross and harder to ignore. The Trump administration's corruption. This week, we learned about the new $1.8 billion slush fund for Trump allies who have supposedly been targeted by the government. And now we're finding out who's lining up at that MAGA slot machine.

[Guest or Commentator]

Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio said he plans on applying for a payout. MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says he was planning to file a claim.

Former Congressman George Santos and ex Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

[Ronnie Chang]

Maybe Peter Navarro, maybe Steve Bannon.

[Guest or Commentator]

Adam Johnson, known better as the Lectern Guy, says he will submit his claim as soon as this week.

[Ronnie Chang]

Wow, that list is a real who's who of. Oh, yeah, that weirdo. All our favorite characters are back. It's like the final episode of Seinfeld, except this time, the Soup Nazi is just an actual Nazi. But the money is not going to just big name losers. Some of it is going to losers you've never even heard of.

[Guest or Commentator]

Brandon Fellowes was sentenced on felony and misdemeanor charges for entering the Capitol on January 6th. Seen here in a red beard costume.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

So the number I've put in is $30 million.

[Ronnie Chang]

Yeah, $30 million for wearing a mop on your face to Gen 6. How did you arrive at that? Very reasonable number. According to ChatGPT and Grok, I'm in at least the 3 to 5% upper tier for how terrible and also how

[Weird Al Yankovic]

strong of a case I have.

[Ronnie Chang]

Oh, okay, Grok told you that? I see. It's the AI that's banned from coming within 500ft of a school and is giving you legal advice. All right, well, open and shut case for me. Anybody else have a claim from January 6th?

[Guest or Commentator]

Rachel Powell, a mom of Ace and a grandmother to Ace, spent three years under house arrest.

[Ronnie Chang]

Okay, three years of house arrest with eight kids and eight grandkids. I don't care what you did. That is cruel and unusual punishment. I mean, look at her. Look at this sweet lady. Look at. She's, like, rolling some dough. What was her crime? Did she bring unauthorized muffins into the Capitol? I want to hear her side.

[Guest or Commentator]

A lot of people don't agree with what happened on January 6th, but when you step back and you look at somebody like me, for example, my major felony had to be struck down by the Supreme Court. My crime that day of breaking a window. Technically, that's a misdemeanor charge.

[Ronnie Chang]

Yes. When I see this woman trying to break into the Capitol with a battering ram like an orc in the Lord of the Rings, I think that's someone who deserves a payout. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong battering ram, breaking the wrong window. It could happen to any of us. And I like how she's trying to pretend the window she broke was just some random window. Like you're removing some pretty important contacts, ma'. Am. It's like John Wilkes Booth. Oh, so what? I'm getting a firing squad just because I interrupted a play? America's cooked, man. Is there any voice of reason who will call out how wrong this is? Like any normal, not crazy person.

[Guest or Commentator]

One person, though, who says he won't file a claim is Jacob Chansley, the so called QAnon Shaman. He called the fund quote blood money.

[Ronnie Chang]

Okay, I guess even a broken brain is right twice a day. I mean, seriously, imagine if on January 6th I asked you to guess who will be the voice of reason on this. Would you have said the guy dressed like a stripper who's also a buffalo? But I guess this is a lesson to the rest of us that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Maybe the QAnon Shaman isn't as delusional as we thought. Jacob Chancellor, aka the QAnon Shaman, told

[Guest or Commentator]

CNN that he isn't going to participate

[Ronnie Chang]

in the fund because he's still suing the government for $40 trillion. No, that's the last time I trust a shirtless man in a raccoon hat. But if you're that angry that your taxpayer money is going to go to people who did Gen 6, let me reassure you, a ton more people are going to get your money, too.

[Guest or Commentator]

In a memo released today, the DOJ said $1.8 billion was an appropriate amount for the fundamental quote, given that literally tens of millions of Americans could be eligible for payments.

[Ronnie Chang]

Okay, hang on a second. So tens of millions of people means at least 20 million people, right? Because it's tens of millions. It's not 10 million, so at minimum, it's 20 million people. So divide $1.8 billion by 20 million, and that's like 90 bucks a person. That's not going to help these people. That's barely two bags of crystal meth, okay? I'm telling you, when these people find out how little they're getting, they're gonna be so pissed at the government. And you know what happens when they get pissed at the government? The cycle continues. It's. I guess it's an infinite money glitch. But as it stands now, the people who did Gen 6 could make a life changing amount of money. And already there are companies out there looking to help them manage their assets.

[J6 Financial Representative (Satirical)]

Wealth management can be as complicated as breaking the lock on Nancy Pelosi's office door. But here at J6 Financial, we understand the challenges that newly rich capital rioters face. From taxes and alimony to Mar a Lago membership dues and Kid Rock tickets. We'll make sure your money lasts well into the fifth Trump term. And we're here to answer any of your questions.

[Guest or Commentator]

Can my slush fund pay for the child molestation charges I'm facing?

[J6 Financial Representative (Satirical)]

We get that question a lot.

[Show Host or Producer]

Like, a lot a lot.

[J6 Financial Representative (Satirical)]

And the answer is yes.

[Guest or Commentator]

What about my retirement?

[J6 Financial Representative (Satirical)]

We can help Jan6ers build toward all their retirement goals, whether that's dying in a shootout with the cops, being blackmailed by an OnlyFans model, or overdosing on a supplement you heard about on a podcast. So call us today and no matter how much you've saved or what frightening number of guns you have hoarded in your home, we'll manage your money.

[Guest or Commentator]

Wait, Money management? How do I know you're not just a bunch of Jews?

[Ronnie Chang]

J6 Financial. The only capital we'll keep safe is yours.

[Show Host or Producer]

When we come back, we'll celebrate America's birthday. So don't go away.

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[Show Host or Producer]

Welcome back to the daily show.

[Ronnie Chang]

America's 250th birthday is right around the corner, and President Trump is celebrating it with with a ballroom, a reflecting pool, and an arch. All stuff that was not on our Amazon wish list. America asked for health care. God damn it. We sent you a link and everything. Now, technically, Trump is not really allowed to build most of these things, but when has that ever stopped him?

[News Reporter]

The Washington Post is now reporting that the Trump administration is planning on building the arch without Congress's approval. The administration argues that it doesn't need Congress's approval because lawmakers a century ago authorized a somewhat similar project that was.

[Ronnie Chang]

Man, I just can't figure this administration out. They're not looking for congressional approval for a war with Iran, but they have lawyers going through all the old laws doing a control F for the word arch. How did they find this? I mean, But Trump isn't the only one commemorating America's birthday. We here at the Daily show are celebrating as well. And there are so many great moments in history to look back on. Although when you think about it, maybe not as many as you think.

[Guest or Commentator]

America's history is complicated. Our once proudest moments now problematic. Our triumphs, morally gray milestones eroded by backlash. Our beloved heroes are now gross. But there's still one moment in American history that brings us all together. The 1992 Olympic basketball dream Team.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

Bang.

[Guest or Commentator]

The most incredible basketball players ever assembled. And also, Christian Laettner. It's literally the last thing all Americans can look at and just say, that was awesome. Boom shakalaka. Americans must forever reckon with stealing the lands of indigenous people. But we'll never have to apologize for Barkley stealing the rock four times against Brazil.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

Uno, dos, tres, cuatro.

[Guest or Commentator]

Walking on the moon now just reminds us of the conspiracy theories destroying the fabric of our nation. But how about this fabric? The big head T shirt of the Dream Team. Man, that shirt was cool. I had six of them. The end of the Cold War collapsed our political consensus, but the Dream Team collapsed everyone's defense. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this backboard. The Dream Team has no dark past to revisit, no statues to tear down. Just absolute dominance by the greatest basketball players of all time. And Christian Laettner, Were they perfect? Was their top competition Valderramas Comicis of Lithuania? Did some of them have a gambling problem? Did Michael Jordan's son end up dating Scottie Pippen's ex wife? Which sounds even weirder when you realize she must have known him as a baby. Well, shut the F up, okay? Don't take this from us.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

2.

[Guest or Commentator]

Just enjoy this American exceptionalism. So happy birthday, America. Thanks for the Dream Team, the one thing we all agree, three we can be proud of, and Christian Laettner.

[Show Host or Producer]

When we come back, Weird Al Yankovic will join me on the show. So don't go away.

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[Ronnie Chang]

Depop.

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Where taste recognizes taste.

[Show Host or Producer]

Welcome back to the Daily Show.

[Ronnie Chang]

My guests are. Tonight is a pop culture icon, a Grammy and Emmy award winning musician who is the biggest selling comedy recording artist in history. He's hitting the road again very soon for his bigger and weirder tour, 2026. Please welcome weird Al Yankov. All right. I mean, honestly, we should just give you a standing ovation for the whole interview because you're a legend. Thanks for coming on the show.

[Show Host or Producer]

So great to meet you.

[Ronnie Chang]

My pleasure.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Good to see you.

[Ronnie Chang]

You're one of the guys who man people, you know, like, there's like five generations of people who love you. I think they all came here for you tonight. Thanks for coming on. Thank you. Yeah, I mean, you know, and you'll want to. You're one of the few guys who I can ask this because you've been around for so long now. So long, so long. You have seen like entirely different, like multiverses from the 80s to 2026. It's like every decade was almost like a different timeline.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah. You know, I actually started in the 70s because my first single, my Bologna came out December 79.

[Show Host or Producer]

So six decades actually.

[Ronnie Chang]

On what? Six decades. Yeah.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

What first.

[Ronnie Chang]

What format was that on?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Well, originally I was recording in the bathroom. So, you know, my recording technique sounds

[Ronnie Chang]

on top of the earth.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ronnie Chang]

But, yeah. So I mean, can you help us make sense of, can you give us any perspective on this? Like for 80s to 90s to the 2000s to now, like.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Well, for me, you know, I base a lot of my work on what pop culture is and I talk about this a lot in interviews. But back in the 80s and 90s, there was more of a monoculture because, you know, if something was in hot rotation on MTV, everybody knew that song. Top 40 radio is more of a thing where people were really focused on what the hits were. And now everybody's into their own, like sub Genres and their niche, you know, musical tastes, which is great. It's nice to have music on demand. But it's a little bit harder to define who the superstars are, what the huge hits are.

[Show Host or Producer]

Right.

[Ronnie Chang]

So even you have found it difficult to parody what the hell is happening in 2026?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

It's a little bit difficult, yeah.

[Ronnie Chang]

So how do you approach. I mean, have you tried to. Have you looked at the top 150 and tried to figure it out? Have you just given up on this? Like.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Well, you'll notice I haven't put out an album for 12 years.

[Show Host or Producer]

Tough uncle.

[Ronnie Chang]

So that's the mark of when society started to disintegrate was when I give up. When we gave up on it.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah, I'm actually more focused on other things. Cause I had a record deal that I signed in 1982, which last. I fulfilled it in just 32 short years. And after I finished the record deal, I was like, okay, I'm just gonna take a break and I'll just do other things for a while.

[Ronnie Chang]

Oh, so you're indie. You became an indie artist?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I kind of am, yeah.

[Ronnie Chang]

And I mean, people don't know. Maybe, probably they do know the full extent of what you do. I mean, you do parodies, you do pastiches, which is where you kind of make fun of a genre of music.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Right. So it's not their original songs. I get full songwriting credit. But they're inspired by other artists. They're sound alike style parodies, as it were. So I take an artist that I really like that has a very unique style, like Frank Zappa or Brian Wilson or these boys.

[Ronnie Chang]

Taylor Swift even.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah, that kind of thing. And just study their whole oeuvre and figure out like, kind of what makes them tick. And then write a song in their style, but make it a little bit weird, you know?

[Ronnie Chang]

I know, but that's insane that you kind of. Not just the parody stuff, which is already hilarious and musical genius, but you figure out a way to like Eddie Murphy. The. You make a vetiver. I mean, I guess.

[Show Host or Producer]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Chang]

It's almost like you listen to someone. If you listen to a musician's music for like five minutes, I feel like you could do them.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Well, you know, I probably could, but I'm kind of anal in that way that I really like to study for a long period of time. Like when I did Frank Zappa, I listened to his catalog literally for a month before I started even writing something. Because I wanted it to like, infiltrate my brain. Right.

[Ronnie Chang]

And I mean, I don't know, I. I was gonna ask you which one is harder or more fun, but it sounds like the pastiche is way harder.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

It's way harder. It involves a lot more work. The parodies. You know, back when I first started out, I would, like, dash off a parody in, like, 20 minutes. Cause I figured, who cares? You know, Nobody's gonna even listen to this thing. And now that, oh, people are listening, so I better, like, spend some time.

[Ronnie Chang]

And the other aspect of what you do is polka music, which is where. Which is where you play the poker. You do a poker, but you insert people's music into it.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I learned a long time. Oh, first of all, the accordion is my main act. So when you grow up taking accordion lessons, they don't teach you Led Zeppelin. They teach you, like, polka and, you know, some classical pieces. And I learned a long time ago that most rock songs just sound a little better done polka style. So I based a lot of my career around that.

[Ronnie Chang]

And have you found any type of music that you are unable to translate into accordion Poker.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Gregorian chants are hard. I'm working on that. And wailing songs, those two things.

[Ronnie Chang]

But just those two. And I mean, even the accordion is an interesting start to this whole thing was your parents. I guess what I read was that you were given the choice between an accordion or guitar.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Well, they give my parents that choice. They picked accordion, I think my parents.

[Ronnie Chang]

And your parents picked accordion. Yeah.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

My mother wanted me to be really popular in high school. That was sound logic.

[Ronnie Chang]

But it was true, right? They did pick accordion.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Absolutely.

[Ronnie Chang]

That's not even a joke. They thought the accordion was cooler. They did.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Well, you know, they're big Lawrence Welk fans. And, you know, actually, you know, the accordion was extremely popular, like, in the 50s. Like, Dick Cantino was like a sex God, and he played the accordion. And you look at his album covers, and unironically, here's a guy with an accordion, and there's women draped on his arms and legs.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

Oh, I love your accordion.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

So I'm just trying to bring sex back to the accordion.

[Ronnie Chang]

And so he'd be, like, shirtless of accordion. And that was the thing. And the 50s was weird. And why do you think that didn't. Why did that die? Why did we lose the appreciation?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Well, you know, I hate to diss Lawrence Wok, but it was 100% him. Right.

[Ronnie Chang]

But that. I think from what I've read, that's kind of how you started on this, because you were given this accordion, which is a very specific sound.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Chang]

And I guess you Were trying to play the music of the time with it.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Right.

[Ronnie Chang]

And that's how you kind of. That's how all this started. Yeah.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I couldn't get anybody to join my rock band when I was a kid and I just played along with the songs on the radio. I learned how to play things by ear and I just, you know, it just kind of gravitated in that direction.

[Ronnie Chang]

Yeah, you just skipped over this whole thing. You're a freaking musical genius, man. You're a self taught musician who freaking plays by ear. Yeah.

[Show Host or Producer]

You said he almost ended.

[Ronnie Chang]

Yeah, it's crazy. And speaking of musical genius, I mean, your live show.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Oh, thank you.

[Ronnie Chang]

You know, and I, I'm not like, when you go there, the musicians on stage are amazing. Like, where are you finding these guys?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Well, you know, I've had the core band since the early 80s. I met my drummer on September 14, 1980. I met him on the Dr. DiMasha radio show because he was the guy that happened to be in this Dr. Manau. Yeah, but I can't even remember the

[Ronnie Chang]

date I met my mom. How did you remember that?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Well, that's our anniversary, so I have to remember that.

[Ronnie Chang]

Right.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

But. But he happened to be in the studio and I got this new song, another one Rides the Bus. Does anybody want to bang on my accordion case for percussion? He said, I'm a drummer. You got the job. And 46 years later, you still got the job.

[Ronnie Chang]

So this band's been going around and, you know, have you found it difficult to kind of make sense of, you know, this 20, 26. I feel like you again. I hate to keep talking about how, how long you've been around, but the 80s are the long term. It's so old. Like you are before the Internet, like way before the Internet. You're like, you predated Internet by 20 years. That is. The longevity is truly insane.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I mean, it's kind of crazy because when I first started out, nobody wanted to sign me to a record deal because they thought, oh, novelty music. Right. It's like the domain of one hit wonders. And we want, you know, artists that are going to have a career and going to stick around for a while. So I'm sort of a novelty dinosaur. I've like, I've bucked the odds.

[Ronnie Chang]

You've bucked everybody. There's no one who's been around for this long. No one has been around this long. And I guess it's just like, do you feel like, you know, when you started in the 80s, you were kind of weird Al Yankovic.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I still am.

[Ronnie Chang]

Yeah. Well, I feel like the world has gotten way weirder than you now. You're almost like normal Al now.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I've been told I'm a. I've been told I'm a.

[Ronnie Chang]

You're like. You're like the last remaining.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

It's kind of ironic. He's the least weird guy in Hollywood now.

[Ronnie Chang]

You've hang out long enough. And the other thing is that you've had to kind of deal with over the last, I guess, 35 years maybe is the Internet and this remixing culture. And it's kind of a given on the Internet that people. We have copyright laws, but nobody really respects it or even knows what it is. But you were always a guy who I feel was like the model ethical collaborator, because you would seek out the artist you were parodying and ask for permission.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah, the Internet is sort of like the wild west, you know, sort of people just doing things and, you know, without permission and hope they don't get caught kind of thing.

[Ronnie Chang]

Yeah, yeah.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

But, you know.

[Ronnie Chang]

Yeah, you were. You were. You kind of proved that you could do it by asking for.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah. And legally, it's. I've always said it's a gray area. I could get away with doing a lot of these things, but I just want to respect the artists and the songwriters and make sure they're in on the joke. And I, you know, I don't want to step on anybody's toes that way.

[Ronnie Chang]

Why?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I don't want to be involved in a drive by.

[Ronnie Chang]

Yeah, but so, I mean, that's a. Do you feel that that's a lesson the world needs to know, or are you like, let the kids do what

[Weird Al Yankovic]

they want and, you know, people.

[Ronnie Chang]

It's the good old days of the 80s and we asked for permission before we made fun of your song and,

[Weird Al Yankovic]

you know, people are gonna do what they're gonna do. I think when sampling became more of a thing, like, you know, rappers getting permission for samples, then people kind of understood more like what I did. Cause when I started in the 80s and I was asking to borrow people's music, that was a whole alien concept. Like, you're gonna do what? What? But now it's sort of like, oh, it's sort of like you're sampling the whole song. I get it now.

[Ronnie's Co-host or Sidekick]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Chang]

Well, not only that, I think now people want you to parody them because it's almost not. It's harder to get, like a Weird Al parody song. It's harder to get than a Grammy right now. It's like A true mark of. It's a real credit.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

People want the Yankovic bump.

[Show Host or Producer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

They do.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

They do.

[Ronnie Chang]

And maybe you're too nice a guy to talk about this, but has anyone actually come up to you and been like, hey, can you. You know, maybe like, someone called Dua Lipa, maybe.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I don't want to mention any name, but every now and then, I don't know if they're. They might just be just being nice, but at parties, they'll say, oh, what, are you gonna do one of my songs?

[Ronnie Chang]

No, they'll be nice. They want it.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Okay.

[Ronnie Chang]

They want it to pop. And have you. I mean, without getting to specifics, have you had someone come up to you and you've been like, I just can't do it? Have you declined them to their face?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I wouldn't. I always say. Interesting. Let me think about that.

[Ronnie Chang]

So now we know that's him saying, no, he's on the record with that. Yeah. And it's a real bump. And I feel like looking through your music, it's like this cultural archive of what was relevant at the time. Like, when you look at your albums, it's almost this, like.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

It's a pop culture capsule. So if you haven't listened to pop music in three years, like, oh, just get the word al record, and you'll be all up to date.

[Ronnie Chang]

Yeah, you'll be on Today. And I mean, does that. That's cool. That's really cool that you're the arbiter of it, but you're also, like, a nice arbiter, you know, I mean, I guess what I'm getting at is, like, a lot of people now are very. A lot of old timers.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

Now.

[Ronnie Chang]

I'm looking at all these people in the crowd, these old timers. I feel like they're very down on what's current, you know, it's almost. We always look at the past with these rose tinted glasses, and I don't know if you can kind of speak to that, whether you agree that everything now is terrible or. Certainly not, but I think the kids would appreciate.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I understand that. I think you kind of go for the comfort food, like, when I just want to listen to music now, I kind of listen to the kind of music I listen to in college, you know, because for the longest time, my job description involved me, like, studying the Billboard charts and knowing exactly what was happening in music, which I enjoy doing. But now that that's less of what I'm about, I find myself gravitating towards, like, the stuff I listened to in high school, you know?

[Ronnie Chang]

Right, right. And I guess you're saying that there's nothing wrong with that.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Let's know what you want to listen to. I mean, you know, music today is as good as it ever was, but you heard it.

[Ronnie Chang]

You heard it here.

[Show Host or Producer]

I'll give his stamp of approval.

[Ronnie Chang]

Yeah.

[Show Host or Producer]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Chang]

And I guess I also feel like because you're such a musical genius and you were the first guy to. I popularize remixing things, and you remix with such love and you make things better and you ask for permission. I was hoping that maybe you could just, you know, become the head of

[Weird Al Yankovic]

AI because, well, people assume when they see my name, they go, who's Weird AI?

[Ronnie Chang]

Yeah, it's already in the name.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah. Might as well.

[Ronnie Chang]

I mean, if you could take over AI and just teach these computers.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Hard pass.

[Show Host or Producer]

Hard pass.

[Ronnie Chang]

But let me think about that.

[Show Host or Producer]

Vidal, you're the best, man. Thanks for making everyone happy for so many decades.

[Ronnie Chang]

Your music is amazing, and you're very cool, and I hope you keep making it. So thank you so much for making this animal.

[Show Host or Producer]

The tickets and tour dates. The bigger and weirder 2026 tour. Go to weirdow.com it's weird Al Yankovic. Oh, my God. We're gonna take a quick break. We'll be right back after this. Thanks so much. I hope y'. All.

[Netflix Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by Netflix. The four seasons is back for season two. Starring Tina Fey, Will Forte, Colman Domingo, Marco Calvani, Carrie, Kenny Silver, and Erika Henningsen. After a difficult year, your favorite group of friends continues their tradition of vacationing together. Now with a baby in tow. From the Jersey shore to upstate New York and Italy, their getaways are sure to take unexpected turns. Where comedy ensues. Watch the Four Seasons May 28th only on Netflix.

[Starbucks Announcer]

Tomorrow morning is knocking. Stock your fridge now. How about a creamy mocha frappuccino drink? Or a sweet vanilla smooth caramel, maybe? Or a white chocolate mocha? Whichever you choose, delicious coffee awaits. Find Starbucks Frappuccino drinks wherever you buy your groceries.

[Show Host or Producer]

That's our show for the night. Now here it is, your moment of Zen.

[Stephen Colbert]

Stephen Colbert, senior White House correspondent for the Daily Show. Will the president be available for one on ones?

[Ronnie Chang]

He will not be available for one

[Weird Al Yankovic]

on one with the Daily Show.

[Stephen Colbert]

Could you at least ask?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

We can check.

[Stephen Colbert]

Make sure he knows it's Stephen Colbert, not Stephen Carell. Though I may never have won a Peabody or the respect of my peers, I'll always have my memories. When we started off, we didn't know what we were doing. Me and Wolf Blitzer and Helen Thomas, we were just kids. I mean, just trying to learn about the news business and about our own bodies.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

Explore more shows from the Daily Show Podcast universe by searching the Daily Show Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount.

[Ronnie Chang]

This has been a Comedy Central podcast.

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