ST. PAUL -- In her catchy hit song "California Gurls," Katy Perry sings about how hot West Coast ladies are with their Daisy Dukes, bikini tops and sun-kissed skin.
But when it comes to "Minnesota Gurls," a parody of Perry's tune by a trio of local folks, it's all about waterproof boots, flannel tops and wind-chafed skin. Sprinkle in some references to Paul Bunyan, Lake Wobegon, lutefisk, the Twins, Grain Belt and Spam, and you've got a fun spoof that aims to prove Minnesota ladies are as unforgettable as their California counterparts.
Starring siblings Luke and Maggie Thompson and their friend Amanda Schultz, "Minnesota Gurls" was shot, edited and uploaded to YouTube by Luke. The Thompsons' 11-year-old little sister, Annie, and their friend Dan Duehn also helped with the video.
"It didn't feel right having people sing along to 'California Gurls'," said Luke, who recently wrapped up his junior year at St. John's University. "This is a response to the song. I felt it was only appropriate for Minnesota people to be singing along about Minnesota girls rather than California girls."
The 21-year-old is no stranger to funny videos -- he's got about a dozen of them on his YouTube page, taking on everyone from the cast of "Twilight" to Eminem to Justin Bieber. His most popular parody -- with nearly 50,000 hits -- is his take on Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift at last year's MTV Music Video Awards. In preparation for "Minnesota Gurls," Luke says the group made a list of key people, places and things that would be familiar to Minnesotans.
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"We wanted to portray that Minnesota girls are just as much fun as California girls, but we're wholesome, outdoorsy and strong and all that, too," said Maggie, who recently finished her sophomore year at College of St. Benedict.
Maggie and Amanda, who just got done with her junior year at the University of St. Thomas, wrote the parody's chorus and bridge, while Luke handled the rap done by Snoop Dogg in the original.
There's a scene in the video where Amanda is supposed to be eating lutefisk, but, for the record, it's not fish, but a marshmallow she's chomping on. And some might find it odd that Luke sports a Doug Mientkiewicz Twins jersey instead of a Joe Mauer one. After all, Mientkiewicz hasn't been a Twin since 2004.
"He was my favorite player," said Thompson, an elementary education major who films his school's football games for the coaching staff. "I didn't have a Mauer jersey, and I wanted to represent Mientkiewicz. I thought Minnesota would get it and think it's funny."
