Does humor belong in music?
2/3/202648 min
What makes Weird Al songs so indelible? Why is Bo Burnham more than just a comic? How do the biggest pop hits make us crack up in the middle of a somber ballad? Humor is always present in music, but we rarely confront it head on. Until now. With the help of Comedian Chris Duffy, author of the book Humor Me: How Laughing Can Make You More Connected, Present, and Happy, and a series of lyrical submission from our listeners, we try to answer the question once posed by Frank Zappa, once and for all: Does humor belong in music? Songs discussed: Sabrina Carpenter – ManchildMarcia Belsky – 100 TamponsBo Burnham – From God’s PerspectiveSnoop Dogg – Gin and JuiceThe Gourds – Gin and JuiceTaylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version)“Weird Al” Yankovic – Amish Paradise“Weird Al” Yankovic – My BolognaStevie Wonder – Pastime ParadiseCoolio – Gangsta’s ParadiseBo Burnham – That Funny FeelingBo Burnham – FaceTime With My MomElaine Stritch – Are You Having Any Fun?Barenaked Ladies – If I Had $1,000,000Kendrick Lamar – Not Like UsEminem – The Real Slim Shady2 Chainz – Birthday SongLil Jon – Snap Yo FingersOlivia Rodrigo – Get Him BackChappell Roan – CasualAudrey Hobert – I like to touch peopleAudrey Hobert – Bowling alleyJensen McRae – Immune Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
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Speaker 10:25
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Nate Sloan· Host0:40
[upbeat music] Welcome to Switched on Pop. I'm musicologist Nate Sloan.
Charlie Harding· Host0:51
I'm songwriter Charlie Harding.
Nate Sloan· Host0:53
In 1986, the year of my birth, Frank Zappa released a live album with a title that posed the question: Does humor belong in music? [laughing] Forty year- [chuckles] almost forty years later, I feel like the question is still relevant.
Charlie Harding· Host1:10
Mm.
Nate Sloan· Host1:10
Right? We don't think of pop music as being funny, necessarily. We listen to music to dance, to cry, to sing along, but not necessarily to laugh.
Charlie Harding· Host1:20
Yeah, this is serious stuff, Nate. It's not a laughing matter.
Nate Sloan· Host1:23
At the same time, who would deny that music can crack us up, all the way from,