“Whatever You Like” (Parody of T.I) by “Weird Al” Yankovic, Tuesday, May 25, 2021

"Weird Al" Yankovic is the king of the parody. From his early self-produced tune in of the late '70s hits on Doctor Demento to topping the Billboard albums sales chart with his 2006 masterpiece Straight Outta Lynnwood, Weird Al has stayed relevant for over 40 years, evolving with the sounds of the decades, whether it was Michael Jackson parodies in the '80s, grunge and alternative parodies in the '90s and the pop parodies of every generation. But arguably, it's Yankovic's hilarious takes on Hip-Hop that have kept the 60 year old artist up with the times. "Gangsta's Paradise"? Nah, let's rap about the Amish. "Ridin' Dirty" becomes "White N' Nerdy." And the hedonism of T.I.'s 2008 hit "Whatever You Like" keeps its title, but instead, it gets a 2008 recession lyrical modification.

THRIFT STORE JEANS FOR SALE, HALF PRICE. Let's first look at the piece that Yankovic based this song on. The T.I music video, you see a waitress's fantasy of meeting the singer. He buys everything for her as if she's a princess. The look on her face as money solves all of her problems and makes her wildest dreams come true left me waiting for the catch. Indeed, if T.I's only condition is "I want yo' body / I need yo' body / Long as you got me you won't need nobody." Just like when you party with the Gatsbys, someone ends up dead in the pool, it seems that this fairytale will come to an end--maybe a bitter divorce when the rich prince finds another princess. Still, some of us want to play with Jay Gatsby if we have a chance. There's a reason why people watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians and other gross displays of wealth. We'd like to fantasize about solving all of our problems with a platinum card. But what if "Whatever you like" is a choice between Mac & Cheese for dinner or ordering out for pizza? What if your choice of entertainment is watching the clothes spinning in the laundromat or playing board games? What if you could visit your cousin next Sunday in your boyfriend's Hyundai?

YOU KNOW OUR ECONOMY'S IN THE TOILET.When I first heard this song, I was laughing through my tears. A writing exercise I sometimes have my student do is to write a letter to someone saying that they love that person (or hate that person). The only rule is they can't use the words, "I love you." This forces them to think about other ways to describe their feelings. In a similar vein, "Whatever You Like" is a brilliant way of saying I'm practically broke, without ever saying it. But, if I must be honest, I relate to this song on a bit of a deeper, somewhat painful level. When I was growing up, my family was on food stamps until my dad became a truck driver. We ate from the church's food pantry as a supplement to the government programs. My sisters and I wore secondhand clothes, but never underwear like in this song! I used to envy the kids who could have "whatever they liked," which at the time was a world not much bigger than the options listed in Weird Al's parody. I envied kids whose parents didn't buy the generic brands or whose parents could take them out to Burger King or McDonald's whenever they wanted to go. But in the end, what did it matter? I grew up healthy. I didn't need to wear brand new clothes or eat the non-store brand potato chips. Now, I can pay a few cents more for the name-brand if I must, but really, aren't you just paying for a more attractive bag with virtually the same salty treats inside?

Weird Al Lyrics

T.I Lyrics

T.I's "Whatever You Like":