Bruno Mars’ ‘Uptown Funk’ Spawns Parodies

Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson couldn’t have imagined what a phenomenon “Uptown Funk” would become. February started with the urban anthem still topping the Billboard Top 100, having also swept top spots for Digital Songs, Streaming Songs, and Radio Songs. With “Uptown Funk,” Mars has surpassed “Grenade,” which spent five weeks at the top of the Digital Songs list in 2011.

Mars and Ronson’s hit also has inspired a myriad of YouTube videos by groups ranging from high school students to comedy teams. The Roanoke Times shared the video of a local comedy troupe, Big Lick Conspiracy, which recently released a parody video called “Awkward in the Club.” As the title implies, the lead singer, Bryan “Harvest Blaque” Hancock, and the gang lament the club scene.

Even suburban moms are getting in on the funk. Deva Dalporto, a parenting blogger, with a crew of suburban moms, recently released her own parody of the Bruno Mars tune. Suburban Funk pokes fun at the big box shopping and minivan-driving suburban lifestyle.

According to Today, Dalporto parodied Mars partly to pay homage her new life in the ‘burbs. Dalporto is quoted as saying, “I think life in the ‘burbs is easy once you have kids. I had my first child in New York City and it was HARD … carting a baby around a major city was tough. When we moved to the ‘burbs, life got so much easier. And as much as I miss the fun and action of city life, our small town is a great place for my kids to grow up. They can ride bikes and walk to school. We have hundreds of kids in our neighborhood. It’s awesome.”

Lifestyle parodies are just the beginning for Uptown Funk. Mars’ tune has inspired exercise routines, as well. TheInquisitr recently shared a video of a Calgary gymnastics club whipping their abs into shape with Mars’s voice energizing them.

Mars and Ronson’s number one hit, which some say is reminiscent of Prince and Morris Day and the time of the 1980s, combines a high-energy dance beat with funk grooves to fire up the dance floor, but its success was far from guaranteed. Ronson is quoted as saying, “The thing that I’m really proud of is there were so many times when I would leave the studio and be like, ‘F***, man, I guess it wasn’t meant to be.’ But we’d get back together and try and save it.” “Uptown Funk” marks the third time Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson have created a hit together.

See “Awkward in the Club” and “Suburban Funk” on YouTube.

[Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images]