A quarter century later (holy crap!!), I’m still obsessed with Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag,” about a young man asking his high school crush to listen to Iron Maiden with him.
The song was featured in the 2000 Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari movie “Loser,” and the music video stars both actors. It’s just such a massive bop, and also the perfect karaoke song (I say that from experience). There have been so many great covers of this tune over the years, and discovering its backstory through this surprisingly moving Vice documentary really changed the way I think about it.
I’ve thought about this song a lot, but one thing I’ve never thought of it as? Jewish. (No, Jason Biggs is not Jewish, I’m sorry to say, though he is married to a Nice Jewish Girl).
That is, until now.
Jewish musician Hughie Stone Fish, with Avery Stone Fish and Ben Nemeroff, recently shared a very cute summertime parody of the song (an extra treat as we so rarely get Jewish song parodies in the summer!). The lyrics for the parody include asking your hopeful bashert to go to Shabbos services, light candles and listen to not Iron Maiden, but Matisyahu, of course. My favorite line may be about eating the challah you made with zayde — iconic.
This Jewified cover is making me feel very seen as someone who is absolutely a Jewish dirtbag through and through. All I need now is a full parody version of this perfect song. I think it may be my Jewish millennial soundtrack to the summer, along with this Yenta! Pod-inspired remix of “Miriam’s Song.”
