Principal sings hilarious parody of ‘U Can’t Touch This’ for kids going back to school amid coronavirus pandemic

YouTube / Quentin Lee

The start of the 2020-2021 school year has caused a lot of stress and anxiety for parents, staff and students as everyone wonders how classes will play out due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

But, sometimes we just need to face adversity with a little humor to make it a little more bearable. One principal of an Alabama high school decided to have some fun with the situation and produce a parody video using MC Hammer’s ’90s classic “U Can’t Touch This.” Seems appropriate considering all the social distancing and sanitizing going on in the world, right?

Quentin J. Lee is the principal of Childersburg High School in Alabama and thought the video would be a good way to help bring a smile to the students and parents who know him as Dr. Lee.

“Doing silly stuff is something I really enjoy,” Lee told Alabama NewsCenter. “I released a song in May about my feelings toward COVID, and it was just me sitting at my desk screaming. It made national media, and I figured it was time to do something different.”

His latest video has gained national attention, too, and when you see Lee’s moves — which include an energetic running man and MC Hammer’s signature side-to-side dance with tape measure in hand — you’ll understand why. Hammer himself even acknowledged Lee’s parody, writing on Twitter, “Salute Dr. Lee.”

A lot of people replied to Hammer’s tweet with some version of one of the best lines from Lee’s parody: “Stop — sanitize.”

The entire production only took about 24 hours, from writing the lyrics to filming and editing the video. Lee said he wrote the parody song in about 15 minutes. The principal recruited a few of the high school students to be in the video as he sings and dances his way through the health mandates everyone will follow at school.

Lee can be seen dancing his way through the classrooms, hallways and the gymnasium with a variety of props, including a tape measure to keep students 6 feet apart, a thermometer to check temperatures, and of course a can of Lysol so he can “Stop — sanitize!”

The video went viral, with more than 5.6 million views so far:

Lee is just happy that it helped people laugh a little despite the seriousness of the circumstances.

“We are working tirelessly to make sure school is a place where students can be accepted, loved, and clean,” Lee told Alabama NewsCenter. “Everybody needs love, regardless of political party or ethnic background. If we can allow people to laugh and forget about their problems, then we’ve accomplished the goal.”

Disease & Illness, Family & Parenting, Health, Humor & Funny, Parenting

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About the Author
Marie Rossiter
Marie is a freelance writer and content creator with more than 20 years of experience in journalism. She lives in southwest Ohio with her husband and is almost a full-fledged empty nest mom of two daughters. She loves music, reading, word games, and Walt Disney World.

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