Kim Nicola Stephens brings laughter to South Africa with her witty rewrite of “Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen” for 2024, capturing the nation’s spirit amidst challenges.
Cape Town, South Africa (22 January 2024) – Kim Nicola Stephens has once again graced us with her unique brand of humour. The South African writer, known for helping the nation navigate the tumultuous waves of the pandemic with her comedic prowess, has unveiled her latest creation: a rewritten version of Baz Luhrmann’s iconic song, “Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen,” tailored specifically for the South African audience in 2024.
Stephens, a beloved figure in the country, became a household name during the pandemic for her ability to sprinkle laughter over the often sombre backdrop of daily life. From delivering the top 10 middle-class quarantine categories to providing a hilariously accurate portrayal of the confusion surrounding level 4 restrictions, Stephens has consistently proven her knack for turning challenging times into moments of shared joy.
In her latest endeavour, she takes on Baz Luhrmann’s timeless piece, originally penned in 1997 by Mary Schmich, a Chicago Tribune columnist. The song, known for its sage advice on life, receives a delightful South African makeover from Stephens, showcasing her keen wit and cultural insight.
South Africa and our news can often feel heavy with uncertainty, but Stephens reminds us that sometimes, all we need is a good laugh and a bit of sunscreen to face the challenges ahead.
With respect to the original Sunscreen Song
By Kim Nicola Stephens
South Africans, of all genders, and the class of 2024…
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh never mind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at Instagram posts of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you looked without filters.
Your body is beautiful, as it is, and as it will be.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to figure out Eskom’s grid by chewing on biltong.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that feeds you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s reputations, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it was never really a race.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, write a blog.
Save precious voice notes, leave toxic WhatsApp groups.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life… the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives; some of the most interesting 40-year-olds are backpacking around India.
Get plenty of fresh air.
Play the sports you love, knee replacement surgery isn’t complicated.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll choose a monogamous, long-term relationship without a piece of paper to verify it.
Whatever you do, don’t chase the kudos or likes, or berate yourself over trolls either – your interactions are half algorithms at play, so are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.
Dance… even if you can’t master the trending TikTok dances.
Read the directions, and then write your own.
Do NOT read the comments section, it will only make you lose hope.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to babysit your children.
Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you’ll need connection, not followers or fans.
Live in Johannesburg once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Cape Town once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths; prices will rise, loadshedding is forever, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasise that when you were young prices were reasonable, power supply was stable, and elections weren’t rigged.
Learn from your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have an Only Fans Page; but you never know when either one might be cancelled.
Don’t worry too much about aging with tattoos. They will still look ok when you’re 40, and they will tell part your life story when you’re 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, and be weary of those supplying it via social media. Especially on Bitcoin.
Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the recycle bin, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and upcycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen…
by 