The two subjects that dominated cultural conversation most during 2020 are, obviously, COVID-19, followed closely by the song “WAP” from Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. So as creatives with too much time on their hands are wont to do, some concerned citizens at John Hopkins University decided to pair the two together in a little PSA about wearing a mask — and yes, it’s as well-meaning and cringe-worthy as it sounds.
Orchestrated by the Bloomberg School Of Public Health, the parody of “WAP” is dubbed “WAmP” (Wear A Mask, Please) and seeks to help people understand how important it is to actually wear a face covering — “not just hold it as a prop.” The parody song includes other lyrics that point to social distancing and other seemingly hard-to-follow instructions, like not wearing the mask on your chin, and making sure it covers both mouth and nose.
“There’s a mask on his mouth,” goes the sampled refrain in this version, replacing the original’s declaration “there’s some ho’s in this house,” and in general the new version hews pretty close to the rhythms and melody of the original, it’s mostly the lyrics and visuals that have been swapped. Credited artists for the song are “Birdi Jay” and “Thee Mental Notes,” with the former alluding to John Hopkins’ mascot, the Blue Jay, who stars in the video. Watch the clip below. All corniness aside, they get full marks for creativity.
I don’t cook, I don’t clean, but let me tell you that I’ll get a vaccine.
— Johns Hopkins University (@JohnsHopkins) December 17, 2020
Cardi B has yet to weigh in on the PSA.