While making a legitimately important announcement urging Year 12 students in Western Sydney hotspots to get vaccinated before exams, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard managed to get Lana Del Rey, of all people, trending.
Hazzard was trying his best to appeal to the kids, some of whom are eligible to get their jab at Qudos Bank Arena. That’s when he decided to segue by namedropping an extremely eclectic list of pop stars in the hope that one of them would resonate with the youth of today.
“You have your HSC coming up in October, and in order to be able to do that safely, for you to be able to go and sit your exams, you are being given a golden opportunity to attend the Qudos Bank Arena next week,” he said, as if he were the Willy Wonka of vaccines (which he lowkey is).
“We’ve seen our Olympic stars go for gold, we’ve seen the most amazing stars in the Qudos Bank Arena, I think there has been Lana Del Rey, Keith Urban, P!nk, Madonna, you have a chance to go to that stadium next week and lent some gold by getting your first vaccination, your first Pfizer vaccination.”
ICYMI: Here’s NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard name-dropping Lana Del Rey, P!nk, Madonna and, uhh, Keith Urban in order to get Year 12 students vaxxed pic.twitter.com/lYUWhi6nsb
— Zac Crellin (@zacrellin) August 6, 2021
The links between getting vaxxed, those four singers, and Aussie Olympians were tenuous at best but Brad bloody ran with it.
Sure, he fumbled the name-drop a bit, and the whole idea was a bit cringeworthy to begin with, but the Lana stans had an absolute field day with it.
I stop listening for a second and suddenly Brad Hazzard is talking about Lana Del Rey #COVID19nsw
— Adrian Murdoch (@adrianjmurdoch) August 6, 2021
brad hazzard a closet lana del rey fan?? makes sense
— Georgia Griffiths (@georgiajgriff) August 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/lilbichtit/status/1423456922410176513
https://twitter.com/kevinruddvevo/status/1423453368471592964
lana del rey so true brad hazzard
— eliza (taylor’s version) (@strictlyswift) August 6, 2021
Other, meanwhile, were shocked and/or disappointed at Hazzard’s transparent and failed attempt to pander to Gen Z.
Nobody’s denying Lana is a timeless and problematic queen, but Keith Urban? Really?? It was like watching the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony all over again.
https://twitter.com/RenzaS/status/1423452434282602496
Brad Hazzard saying go to Qudos Arena to get your vax and be like Lana del Ray and Keith Urban is so funny
— Claire (@goudagoddess) August 6, 2021
Brad Hazzard encouraging teens to get vaccinated by name-dropping Lana Del Rey https://t.co/S7ogtmnn3V
— Laurence Barber (@laurencesmb) August 6, 2021
‘Going for gold, Lana Del Rey, Keith Urban, Pink’…what the actual fuck is Brad Hazzard even talking about 😂 #COVID19nsw pic.twitter.com/OvDHoHijpk
— Kylie (@k_rallings) August 6, 2021
Brad Hazzard: “Lana Del Ray, Keith Urban, and Pink. Does that answer your question? No more questions”
— 长沙 贝贝 (@madeofcrud) August 6, 2021
The bloke’s doing his best to get the message across. But we can’t help it if the choice and delivery of said message is extremely iconic.
Go off, Brad.
All adult Aussies (yep, even if those of us under 40) are currently able to get the safe and effective AstraZeneca vaccine through a GP. Talk to a doctor to see if it’s right for you.
Alternatively, you can triple-check to see if you’re eligible for the Pfizer vaccine here.
The best vaccine is the first one you can get, and that’ll be our ticket out of this mess.
