It's been less than a day since Gov.sg shared the new Phua Chu Kang rap with the world.
If you haven't seen it, I urge you to take two minutes out of your day to do so. It is, as the kids say, a genuine bop.
Singapore's beloved Phuas, Chu Kang and Rosie, team up to encourage Singaporeans to get vaccinated, and address a few lingering concerns along the way.For instance, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses or mild allergies can absolutely get vaccinated. Just check with your doctor to make sure.
Some in Singapore didn't seem to like it very much.
But surprisingly, the video is quite popular on Twitter, with people in other countries loving the rap.
There are vaccination awareness campaigns, and then there’s Singapore’s vaccination awareness campaign. Excuse me while I play it a fifth time https://t.co/tLVwpQXlnR
— Doug Saunders (@DougSaunders) May 2, 2021
Singapore's vaccination awareness campaign video👇 is a massive hit with my toddler. Catchy stuff. 🎶 https://t.co/vTs8OzP005
— Jessica Prince (@jesshwprince) May 2, 2021
Singapore. It absolutely fucks. https://t.co/CXfVIpQ4Go
— Fred (@WaywardWinifred) May 2, 2021
In this context, "f-cks" is a good thing.
Some of the comments mentioned the vaccine rollout in their own countries, with Twitter users wondering why their own governments aren't making similar efforts to encourage people to get vaccinated.
https://twitter.com/jetjocko/status/1388903371197714432?s=20
Hey @OttawaHealth and @GovCanHealth - why don’t we have an awesome campaign like this? I feel like you could probably convince @VancityReynolds ... 🤣 https://t.co/TX2AQZNu6C
— Marg Sheridan (@MargSheridan) May 2, 2021
@Khairykj should we do a video like this in Malaysia as well 😀💉🦠 https://t.co/yozzx41vVn
— Xuyin Tan (@XuYinTan) May 2, 2021
Some were a bit mystified by the Singlish used in the video, but viewed it as a learning experience anyway.
I’m told that “pom pi pi” was originally onomatopoeia for the sound of a cheerleader’s pom pom; with “steady” it means, as I thought, “be chill.” And “no sabo” means “don’t sabotage,” and I’ll be using that expression from now on
— Doug Saunders (@DougSaunders) May 2, 2021
While Singapore is among the top countries in the world for percentage of people vaccinated, countries like Canada, the Philippines and Malaysia have been experiencing a relatively slower vaccine rollout, leading to some frustration.
Despite Singapore's more successful vaccine rollout, vaccine hesitancy is still significant among the population.
That could explain the seeming discrepancy between the local and international reaction to the video.
But if a cheesy rap video does some good in winning over hearts and minds, then we as a nation owe Chu Kang and Rosie a debt of gratitude.
Related story:
Top image from Gov.sg.
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