HHS alum’s parody blows up on YouTube

Most young adults look forward to life after high school. But to some like HHS alumni Molly Dworsky, it hasn’t been all it’s cracked up to be.

Dworsky recently covered the song “Royals” by New-Zealand musician Lorde that has gone viral. In it, she takes the role of “Borde” and sings of the lackluster life of post high school. The cover brings up the topics of getting old, both physically and mentally.

The first lines of the cover give a perfect example of this: “If this is life I’m unimpressed/ Adulthood’s nothing like the tales/ in the movies/ I’ve got stretch marks and saggy breasts/ seven extra pounds/ and I’m full of envy.”

“I didn’t know what would happen post-high school. I have always been very present-centered, so the end of school snuck up on me. All of my friends were going to college, so I made a hasty decision to do that, too. I didn’t feel like a grown-up at all when I graduated, and felt unprepared to join the real world,” said Dworsky.

Through the humor of Dworsky’s video, she has shined a light on the troubles of newly graduated young adults.

According to a survey by the Anxiety and Depression of Association of America, 80 percent of college students say they frequently or sometimes experience daily stress. According to this report, the stress of post-high school affects almost everyone.

“While I think there is pain and sadness in growing up and letting go of childhood, there is also much to look forward to. Life for the vast majority of people gets better as they grow older. You are more confident, find yourself, have total independence, and you’re not being judged by the popular kids or for your ache or whatever,” said Dworsky.

Another subject of the video is the unbelievable luck of some over others. The song talks about Lorde being a millionaire at 17. She did in fact begin 2014 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings. Dworsky comments on this when she says, “Cause every song’s like/Written by a kid I probably used to babysit/Killing it by puberty while I can barely stay fit/So unfair/that Lorde’s a millionaire at seventeen.”

“It’s just plain weird that superstars are younger than I am. Can you imagine what your generation will feel like in ten years?” said Dworsky.

As of January 21, the video currently has 769,725 views and is growing everyday. Dworsky currently lives in L.A., trying to fulfill her dream of becoming a comedian. Dworsky hopes the popularity of her video will be a step in the right direction to accomplishing her dream of making people laugh.

“My song is really just an avenue for people my age to laugh about becoming adults. I like to make people laugh. I graduated from the U of M with a family social science degree [a couple of years ago], but I gotta chase that comedy dream,” said Dworsky.

Even with the dream of comedy becoming a reality through her parody song, Dworsky says the real meaning of her video is much deeper.

“The real meaning behind the video is that I love life. It is so precious. Time passes quickly and it’s very important to appreciate that we get to be alive and experience being a person on this planet. So I say, try to laugh at all the stuff that isn’t perfect and make fun of yourself lovingly whenever possible,” said Dworsky.