In 1980s, “Weird Al” Yankovic turned down a $5 million beer endorsement deal, which would be worth around $14.5 million today, because he felt it was unethical given his young, impressionable fanbase.
Thursday, 13 Mar 2025
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Have met Al a number of times over the years with my kids, after concerts. Nicest human being!!! His band members are wonderful people too!
Imagine turning down $14.5 million because you actually have morals. Absolute legend.
GET THIS MAN INTO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME!!!
Please tell me it was “Weird Ale”.
I’ll admit. I was really into weird Al while playing Tony Hawks Proskater 4 lol
Def was wayy too young to be drinking at the time though but his songs were jaming!
He also refused to dominate the cocaine trade with Madonna after he defeated Escobar.
Because of this, Weird Al was killed on stage in 1985.
Al Is one of the good ones.
Wow, good man for sticking up for what he believed in instead of caring more about money!
That’s when it was considered “selling out” or desperate for celebrities to endorse products or do commercials. Same thing with music in commercials. Times have changed. Now it’s just part of the job.
And that is just one of the reasons Al is so widely loved.
This should be the norm! Have morals, have integrity!
Weird Al is up there with Keanu in terms of being a celebrity who’s also a genuinely compassionate and good human being. Like, Mr. Rogers tier decent.
While I do respect that I think no one would’ve been mad at the man for getting the bag lets be real
So wholesome, he makes me feel warm and fuzzy. He lost both his parents to carbon monoxide poisoning. Such a terrible thing to happen to a such a great person.
We’re going to have a generation addicted to gambling because our celebrities, corporations, and government are failing us.
Just one example, a lot of young kids are very much into sports. Sports has been taken over by all these gambling apps. Countless gambling commercials during the game. The announcers plugging “same day parlays”. Stadiums named after gambling. Fuck, even the goddamn network I watch regional sports on is called the “FanDuel Sports Network”.
I wish more people were like Mr. Yankovic.
What a stand up guy, just sticking to his morals. Good for you Al, I knew there was a reason I liked you 🫶
I love how the only person in the entertainment industry I would actually trust with my children is the guy named “Weird Al”.
The sad part is that this now fits here. It should be the norm.
I wish more actor sell outs these days would stop the casual whisky to relax or the needless cigarette
I’m 35 years old and been to some crazy ass concerts. Weird Al was my first one at 11 or 12 though, and it still holds up. That man is a true performer
And that is how he earned his pseudonym “Weird”.
That’s because *he’s tacky* … although he only brought himself to admit it decades later.
I’ve not met him and yet id trust him look after my whippet if I needed to
Nowadays every little wiener is promoting casinogames for kids
He’s one of the extremely rare celebrities with integrity
King.
I remember standing around a Matt’s Beer Ball when I first heard about this. We all raised a red cup to his integrity.