Poodle Hat

Poodle Hat is the eleventh studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on May 20, 2003. It was the fifth studio album self-produced by Yankovic. Its musical styles are built around parodies and pastiches of pop of the early 2000s. The album's lead single, "Couch Potato", a parody of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem, failed to chart. Four years later, the album's song "eBay", a parody of "I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys, reached 15 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles. The album includes five parodies: "Couch Potato", "eBay", and spoofs of "Hot in Herre" by Nelly, "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne, and "Piano Man" by Billy Joel. The album includes six original songs, several of which parody not a song but the styles of Ben Folds, Beck, and Frank Zappa. A polka medley of popular songs also appears on the album. A music video for the song "Couch Potato" was planned but was cancelled after Eminem objected. Poodle Hat was released as an Enhanced CD, meaning that when the disc is placed in a computer, bonus content (including alternate song mixes, short videos, and photo galleries) is viewable. The album met with mixed reviews from critics; some felt that the album represented an artistic misstep for Yankovic, whereas others enjoyed its skewering of early 2000s popular culture. The album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200. It was the first of Yankovic's albums to make the Billboard Comedy Albums chart, where it peaked at number 12.