Meet the Minnesotan who went to New Zealand to play hockey and is now a COVID TV star
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A St. Cloud native’s love of hockey and science led him to become a rapper at the forefront of the pandemic — on the other side of the planet.
Somewhere in the heart of Auckland, New Zealand, a man in a long white coat and brightly colored pants begins to rap.
"Vaccines! Just a little jab. Don't worry mate, it's not that bad.
“Small price to pay for proven protection that can save your ass from COVID infection.”
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That's the opening of “Vax the Nation” by Dr. J., aka Joel Rindelaub. He really is a doctor, with a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry.
On closer inspection, viewers watching the song's video see he’s wearing what looks suspiciously like a pair of Vikings zebra-print Zubaz pants. Rindelaub also sports a thick mustache and a striking mullet.
“Vax the nation! Vax, vax the nation,” he continues.
The hockey hair is part of Rindelaub’s Minnesota heritage. He grew up in St. Cloud, then went to Gustavus Adolphus for his Bachelor of Science, before heading east for his doctorate.
A chance to play pro hockey took him to New Zealand, where he stuck around. These days, Rindelaub is a research fellow at the University of Auckland and, as an expert on aerosols, has become a regular on television explaining how COVID spreads.
"I try to relay the message the best I can. So that might be going on TV to tell people to cover their face holes, so we're not spitting microdroplets in each other's mouths,” he said.
Rindelaub’s blunt explanations, using terms such as “face hole,” and frankly the mullet have made him a pandemic TV darling in New Zealand, where vaccination campaigns have been very successful.
"For the entire country, we're sitting at 94 percent of the eligible population with at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine," he said.
These kinds of numbers would make U.S. public health officials happy right now, but in New Zealand they are seen as a challenge and Rindelaub is part of the effort to convince the last six percent to get a shot. So he wrote a rap and enlisted Randa, one of New Zealand's top hip hop stars, to join the effort.
Rindelaub also pulled in some scientific muscle with other guest vocalists.
"We have the Prime Minister's chief science advisor. We have the 2021 New Zealander of the Year, Professor Siouxsie Wiles," he said.
Politicians joined in too.
"This would be like the equivalent if I were in the states, if I got like Eminem to do a rap video with Dr. Fauci, the surgeon general, AOC, and Mitch McConnell all at once," Rindelaub said. "Seeing some of these science nerds actually get out there and try to spit a few lines was a bit cringe but fun at the same time. And it just kind of shows their dedication to the message of vaccines, to make themselves look so stupid on camera.”
Playing the whole song on the radio unbleeped in the U.S. might well result in an FCC fine. It contains some strong language about the importance of getting vaccinated and frankly debunks misinformation about vaccine side effects in men.
In New Zealand, however, Rindelaub says broadcasting “Vax the Nation” hasn't been a problem.
"This was picked up by basically every major news source here in New Zealand, as well as getting radio plays,” he said. “We have I guess, different standards when it comes to some of the language."
Rindelaub said it’s a way of getting the message across to that final six percent of vaccine holdouts.
He also said it's too early to tell how successful "Vax the Nation" has been. But he is considering a follow-up — a B-side — as part of his effort to find better ways to communicate science to the masses.
You can watch the “Vax the Nation” music video on YouTube, but like we said, be aware there’s some obscene language.