The Late Show host Stephen Colbert has parodied Nicki Minaj‘s now-infamous COVID-19 misinformation tweet with a parody of her 2011 hit ‘Super Bass’.
The parody was entitled ‘Super Balls’, a reference to Minaj tweeting second-hand and unverified anecdotal information about her cousin’s friend having an adverse side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Pre-empted by footage of a fake news team discussing Minaj’s statement, a Minaj soundalike then raps over the song with new lyrics about “swollen testes” and “beach ball nads.”
Watch the ‘Super Balls’ skit below:
Billboard reports that Colbert spoke about the 2021 Met Gala in the cold open of Wednesday night’s Late Show (September 15), discussing the various attendees and outfits at the gathering. Minaj had tweeted that she was not attending, despite receiving an invite, on account of her being unvaccinated.
“If I get vaccinated, it won’t [be] for the Met,” she wrote. “It’ll be once I feel I’ve done enough research. I’m working on that now.”
“I’m not surprised,” Colbert responded after reading the tweet aloud to a reception of boos among his studio audience.
“Nicki Minaj is known for her extensive research on what anacondas want, if and when you’ve got buns, hon.” This quip was a reference to Minaj’s 2014 single ‘Anaconda’.
Colbert continued in his monologue by reading out a follow-up tweet from Minaj, which has been the subject of ridicule throughout the internet – as well as an official dismissal from Trinidad & Tobago’s Health Minister and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
“My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine [because] his friend got it and became impotent,” tweeted Minaj. “His testicles became swollen.”
Responding to this, Colbert joked: “This is why I got my shot in the shoulder.”
Watch Colbert’s monologue below, with discussion of Minaj starting at the 7:22 mark:
Among the parties that publicly spoke out against Minaj in the wake of her tweets was Chris Whitty, the UK’s chief medical officer.
He described Minaj’s perpetuated myth as “clearly ridiculous,” as well as “clearly designed just to scare.”
“Many… know they are pedaling untruths but they still do it,” he said. “In my view, they should be ashamed.”