After a dismal debut on Saturday Night Live, youtube sensation Lana Del Rey got flamed on every corner of the worldwide web, making her a household name in one of the roughest way possible. The blacklash against the young singer-songwriter got so heated that this past weekend SNL responded with their own defense of Del Rey, which was well argued though, sadly, not very funny.
But now Second City comedienne Holly Laurent has stepped up to fill the gap with her dead-on Del Rey impression that not only blows Kristen Wiig's out of the water (sorry, Kristen) but also avoids the tired discussion of Del Rey and the merits of her success altogether. Instead, Laurent mimics / mocks Del Rey's moaning torch song delivery and changes the lyrics of "Video Games" to appeal to the widespread Hunger Games fandemonium.
Team Peeta, Team Gale, Del Rey haters and apologists, I present to you all this incredible Hunger Games/Video Games mash-up:
Laurent, who is a member of the Chicago-based improvisational troupe The Reckoning, nails Del Rey's bored and smoldering performance style, while keenly parodying the slapdash montages Del Rey's videos are known for. But it is "Hunger Games" deeply nerdy yet silly lyrics, penned in part by Laurent's collaborator, writer-director Martin Wilson, that make this vid totally addictive.
"I don't want Peeta to be dead. / A pita is a pouch of bread, but that's his name. / Kissing in our hidden shed, / Rain drippin' on our bed. F*cking Hunger Games."
The actual The Hunger Games soundtrack will feature music from T Bone Burnett, Taylor Swift, The Decemberists, Arcade Fire, the Secret Sisters, and Neko Case, but I'd wager scads of HG fans will have Laurent's catchy track playing on a loop in their heads as they countdown to the film's much anticipated release next month.
The Hunger Games opens March 23rd.
