Isolation Doesn't Stop Randy Rainbow from Crooning, Mooning over 'Andy'
With many people across the country sheltering in place so as to slow the spread of COVID-19 and blunt the curve of the pandemic, Americans have had to learn once more how to make their own fun while stuck at home. That includes celebrities who have put on shows using YouTube or their social media platforms... and with his new song parody, comic political commentator Randy Rainbow has gotten into the act with a riff on the ballad "Sandy," from the musical "Grease" that's been tailor-remade to celebrate a newly minted national hero, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
"Andy" starts out in black and white, with a glum Rainbow watching Donald Trump on television. To Rainbow's wide-eyed disbelief, the president - who was dismissive of the global health crisis before he was serious about it - declares that he "felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic."
"Stranded in my bedroom," Rainbow sings, as the first notes sound. "No one to love. Then there he is..."
The channel abruptly switches and Gov. Cuomo appears on the TV screen Rainbow is watching to offer a coronavirus update. Cuomo's daily briefings on the crisis have drawn praise - and stark contrasts to how the president has offered mixed messages, seeking to deflect responsibility for his administration's missteps early in the crisis while also retconning the record so as to suggest that he took the crisis seriously at a time when proactive measures could have made a significant difference in mitigating the effects of the pandemic.
"My favorite gov!" Rainbow exclaims, brightening up. The virtual Rainbow Chorus appears in full color, dressed in "Pink Lady" jackets and pink wigs, as Rainbow swings into:
"Andy, can't ya see I'm quarantine? A nervous wreck, and scurred as heck of COVID-19. But you bring hope when I can't cope. I guess I'm saying... ay-ay-ay-oh! I love you so, Andy!"
Those sentiments are hardly limited to the popular song parodist. Cuomo's leadership and approachable persona - not to mention what the Twitter users speculate are his pierced nipples - have acted to soothe, comfort, and, yes, inspire some thirst in a nation desperate for leadership in a time of profound uncertainty.
Gov. Cuomo's brother Chris, a CNN anchor, has been diagnosed with the illness but his show has gone on as Chris Cuomo isolates in his basement, seeking to protect his wife and children from the virus. In a show of fraternal jocularity, the Associated Press reported recently, the brothers shared the screen - and this happened:
Chris described a fever dream where his big brother, dressed in a ballet outfit, danced around him and waved a wand to make his sickness disappear.
"Thank you for sharing that with us," Andrew deadpanned.
The moment was an object lesson in how a leader can offer solace even as he's sharing hard truths and sometimes frightening facts with the public, rather than simply pretending that all's well when it obviously is not.
Rainbow's dreary surroundings vanish as he transitions into a sequence in which - no longer clad in pajamas, but rather sporting a leather jacket and slicked-back black hair in the style of the 1950s teenagers from "Grease" - he envisions a "someday when COVD's not a thing" and sings, "if we're on Earth, for what it's worth I hope they make you king."
Flashing back to his pajamas-wearing, TV-watching current reality, Rainbow muses, "You run my state while I gain weight; with grace and dignity..."
Rainbow chomps into a snack.
"Oh please, be my dad - oh, Andy!"
The songster further narrates his affections for New York's governor, saying, "You're wise, eloquent, level-headed and sexy at a time when the country needs it most. It sure is a refreshing change from that motherf - aw, gee, I won't get into specifics. You know I don't like to be political."
As the video continues, Rainbow begins to reflect on his former "first love," Chris Cuomo, dwelling on his workout videos and "tight T-shirts," before realizing, "Actually, I'm still really into Chris, too."
The dilemma notwithstanding, Rainbow goes on to admire Andrew Cuomo for being "so strong and rational. From now on I identify as Cuomosexual!"
Right along with about half the country.
Watch Rainbow's newest below.