LOL? Lena Dunham raps about Hillary Clinton and “sensual pantsuits” in a Funny or Die video that was published on Thursday, November 3, to mixed reactions.
The 3-minute clip, which features Dunham, 30, as a wannabe rapper, MC Pantsuit, is a tongue-in-cheek parody of celebrity endorsement videos, Dunham told Vulture in an interview.
“I’m like a crazed Hillary Clinton fan, and wondered what it would be like if I took this character one step further to the most delusional Hillary Clinton fan,” Dunham told the site. “She’s MC Pantsuit and wears a sensual pantsuit. I liked the idea of a well-meaning, ridiculous white girl who thinks she’s helping the election by exposing her body and writing thoughtless rap music.”
In the music video, which also features Power 105.1’s Charlamagne tha God and Tony-winning The Color Purple star Cynthia Erivo, Dunham awkwardly raps verses praising the Democratic presidential nominee, 69, while dancing in a bright red pantsuit like the one Clinton wore to the first debate against Donald Trump.
The Girls creator raps lyrics including lines like, “I get upset when people say Hillary needs to smile. She’s the strongest f—king person, couldn’t even walk a mile in the heels of this woman, had to fight her whole life. Defending everything she’s done to the left and to the right” and “I can’t believe she’s in the race with this guy. Let’s get out and vote or every body might die.”
At one point in the video, Dunham even begins to strip down to just her underwear, causing Charlamagne to make faces and ask her to stop.
“Not really sure I understand the logic here,” the radio DJ says. “The rap is trash, and why are you wearing Hillary’s lingerie? … I’m not really sure how appropriating Iggy Azalea’s culture is going to help Hillary win though.”
According to Dunham, the video is not meant to be taken seriously; she created it as a way to comment on all the celebrity PSAs that have been floating around this election.
“The idea of this video is equivalent to when on the TV show Rich Girls the girls wanted to drop mattresses on Africa,” she told Vulture. “It doesn’t quite work as an idea. … I feel like it’s really important to unify and to not think your celebrity voice is going to do the job all on its own. This is in some way a commentary on that.”
Fans and critics of Dunham had their own thoughts:
If I were ever running for public office and Lena Dunham so much as tweeted about me I would just say no thanks
— Joyce (@joygbiv) November 3, 2016
I used to really like Lena Dunham and I’m pretty sure it will go down as one of my worst takes.
— Trash Tyler (@tylerlauletta) November 3, 2016
Reminder: Lena Dunham has promised to leave the U.S. if Trump is elected.
Take that into consideration on Election Day.
— William P Harrison (@accrovrai) November 3, 2016
Lena Dunham made a pro Clinton video so we just lost the male vote.
— Comrade Girlfriend (@FinalAntiFaXIV) November 3, 2016
The reaction to Lena Dunham when she does anything is part of the National Living Exhibit of Misogyny in the USA.
— bunnyjumpfast (@bunnyjumpfast) November 3, 2016
I love Lena Dunham’s show.
I love that she loves HRC like me.
But can she just chill?— Laurie Crosswell ? (@lauriecrosswell) November 3, 2016
Tell Us, what do you think of Dunham’s satirical music video PSA?
