Despite recent the recent gaff by Rick Perry, Herman Cain can has remained the most entertaining Republican presidential candidate to watch. Whether he's switching up the lyrics of John Lennon's classic song "Imagine" to "imagine there's no pizza" (no thank you, Mr. Cain) or the number of women who have come forward with sexual harassment allegations, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza has given journalists and bloggers plenty of fodder.
Cain's strangest moment came via a bizarre campaign video, which found campaign manager Mark Block smoking defiantly into the camera. It was so odd, it made you question if it was some of joke, perhaps the kind associated with cult-comedy favorites Tim & Eric. But it was real -- which made it even weirder, and a target for Tim Heidecker of the alt-comedy duo.
For those not familiar with Tim & Eric they are the creators of such cult-classic shows like Tom Goes to the Mayor and Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Heidecker promptly issued a parody of the viral video hit, and with great speed issued a collection of Cain-inspired song, Cainthology (Songs In The Key Of Cain). The album is currently on sale and proceeds from the record will go to charity.
Up on the Sun recently caught up with Tim Heidecker to talk about Herman Cain, Heidecker's soft rock project Heidecker & Wood, and Tim & Eric's upcoming movie.
Up on the Sun: What was the inspiration behind doing this album?
Tim Heidecker: The inspiration was Mr. Herman Cain. I guess the original inspiration came from the original smoking commercial from a few weeks ago, which a lot of people had thought we had done as a joke but it turned out to be real. So I started writing a song that I thought might be a little crazier than that commercial and it was so fun to do that I just kept going, I kept making songs inspired by this man who thinks he has the qualifications to be president.
Do you think it's possible that Herman Cain is a secret fan of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and that's where he got the idea for that campaign commercial?
I think that the possibility of that is about as good as a asteroid hitting our planet next week. He seems like a pretty humorless douche bag to me.
Do you have any thoughts on the recent sexual harassment charges?
No, I don't know. Who knows what that's all about. I don't have any comments on it.
Are you a political person in general or do you tend not to pay attention to that kind of thing?
I'm politically aware in my private life, but I don't like to really use it in my work and my comedy, but this idea just seemed too much fun to not see it through. I feel like I'm not really talking about policies or issues or anything of substance, I'm really trying to comment on the absurdity of the candidate himself and the very idea that he's taken seriously is where my satire is directed.
It seems as if there are a few absurd individuals attempting to get the Republican presidential nomination. Is there anyone else out there that could inspire you to do another album like this one?
I hope not. I hope that I don't come up with an idea. If anybody would be next it would be Newt [Gingrich], because I love goofing on Newt, but I think I'm going to stick with this. It was an exhausting process to put this record together in such a short amount of time that I'd rather not go back into that dark place.
All of the proceeds from the album are going to benefit the VIP Community Mental Health Center (Violence Intervention Program). Do you have a particular connection to this charity?
I know people that work there, I know they do good work and I trust their organization. It's not a particularly political cause and I didn't want this project to seem too partisan in any way. I just felt like I wanted to give it to a group that would use it and there are a lot of really great charities out there and this one just happens to be one that I have a personal relationship with.
This is the second musical project that you worked on this year, the other being the Heidecker & Wood album, how do you feel that record turned out and do you think we'll see another Heidecker & Wood album anytime soon?
I'm very pleased with it. Both of these projects are essentially sort of after-school projects for me that shouldn't be taken too seriously. They're sort of what I do in my garage for fun. I put them out basically because I'm able to and it's a nice version, [a] good record of them, which I guess what a record is. Davin [Wood] and I have a ton of songs that we hope to do another record with, so I think it's never on the front burner it's something we can just kind of work on in the background. So I'm sure we'll put something out next year maybe.
I know you played a couple of shows locally in Los Angeles as Heidecker & Wood but do you think that would be something you could see yourself doing a tour for?
Not very likely. The band we put together is made up of very successful, talented musicians here in L.A. that play with us because we're here and it's local and it was easy, I don't think I could convince anybody to go on the road. We tour enough as Tim & Eric that I like to stay home as much as possible. But, you never know, we'll see. Whenever soft rock is at the top of the charts I suppose we'll have to. But I don't think I wanna be lugging around an amplifier and playing little rock clubs and sleeping in a van anymore. I'm too old for that.
Speaking of Tim & Eric, I know you guys are currently working on Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie. Music was a big part of Awesome Show, will it also be a big part of the movie as well?
Yeah, there's tons of great music in the movie. I can't say too much about the movie but in the next two or three weeks there's going to be a lot of news about the movie coming out and we're really happy with it. There's going to be a release date announced soon and it's something we're really proud of.
Are there any other projects you're working on right now?
We just started shooting a second season of Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule, which is going really well and that should be out some next time year as well.
