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03/20/2007: Livin' in Minnesota?


Remember when Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" was the big inescapable hit song that you heard everywhere? My friends and I got into an idle discussion of what the Weird Al Yankovic parody of it was going to be called. We went through lots of options -- you know the sorts of things -- everything from "Livin' with Melanoma" to "Swimmin' in Aqua Velva" and "Lovin' the Almond Roca." We felt we'd pretty much exhausted the possibilities. It was hours later, in the middle of another conversation, that one of us unexpectedly yelled, "Livin' La Vida Polka"!

Just because you've found a joke you're happy with, doesn't mean you should stop looking. I've been amazed at how often, in a comedy writing room, a joke has been sitting in a script for days before someone hits on a better version of it. Keep working, keep thinking, be open to the better line.

By the way, I don't think Weird Al ever did release a parody of "Vida Loca," although another parodist did one called "Livin' La Vida Yoda." Hmm. Didn't even think of that one. We should've kept going.

Lunch: Minestrone and salad