PUP, a Canadian pop/punk band, has debuted a music video to accompany their new single entitled “Anaphylaxis”. While you may not know the band or have heard their music, chances are your teen has.
The video — filmed using claymation — is not for the weak of heart. It shows the protagonist intentionally disturbing a beehive, being stung, and suffering the symptoms of anaphylaxis.
Said lead singer of PUP, Stefan Babcock, in a statement:
I got the idea for the song when I was at my partner’s cottage and her cousin got stung by a bee and his whole head started to swell up. His wife, although she was concerned, also thought it was pretty hilarious and started making fun of him even as they were headed to the hospital. He ended up being totally fine, but it was just funny to watch him freaking out and her just lighting him up at the same time. It reminded me of all the times I’ve started panicking for whatever reason and was convinced I was dying and the world was ending and no one would take me seriously. In retrospect, I always find those overreactions pretty funny. So we wrote a goofy song about being a hypochondriac and tried to make our guitars sound like bees at the beginning of it.
Despite Babcock’s amusement, there is nothing funny about anaphylaxis — a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction to a food or insect venom — nor is it an overreaction to fear for one’s life given the symptoms: shortness of breath; swelling of the tongue, lips, and throat; hives, dizziness, stomach pain, vomiting, among others. (Epinephrine is the one drug indicated to halt the progression of anaphylaxis.)
Though the song uses anaphylaxis as a metaphor for angst, the lyrics do somewhat convey the panic one feels when experiencing a reaction:
This isn’t a game
I’m not feeling well
My face is a flame
It was starting to swellIt was starting to bloat
And I started freaking out
Like I was way too stoned
Was it the allergies or just me being me or bothCame home from the hospital
Hazed out on chemicals
You helped me out of the back of your AudiFelt like I’ve been kicked in the testicles
Electrical shocks ripped through my body again
Not again (not again)
I’d do anything (not again)
Shoulda stayed home
Cause I’ve made a mess of things
Stream the video here:
What do you think? Should the topic be off-limits due to its serious nature? Despite using anaphylaxis as a metaphor, does the video offer any redeeming value by showing the horrors of a serious reaction? We’re interested in your feedback.
Discounts and Guidance on Ordering Allergy-Friendly Foods Online: #SnackSafelyAtHome
