Riot Headline The Best Books of 2024
Humor

5 Awesome, Fun, and Totally Weird Literary “Call Me Maybe” Covers

Rebecca Joines Schinsky

Chief of Staff

Rebecca Joines Schinsky is the executive director of product and ecommerce at Riot New Media Group. She co-hosts All the Books! and the Book Riot Podcast. Follow her on Twitter: @rebeccaschinsky.

This trend won’t seem to die, so in the spirit of “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” we present these 5 literary covers of the catchiest damn song of the season.

“Call Me Ishmael” is not only an actual literary quote (obvs!), it’s also probably the ONLY “Call Me Maybe” parody to use the word “cetaceans” and the phrase, “We’re on a sperm-killing spree.” Internet, you are welcome. 

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNjq6A–zpY[/youtube]

Shout-out to our Twitter friend @HVaudeville for sending this our way.

_________________________

What’s not to love about a Harry Potter-themed parody, from the perspective of lavatory-dweller Moaning Myrtle? Nothing, that’s what!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhNfuVEpxvs[/youtube]

_________________________

This Hunger Games-themed parody is so random and weird, I can’t even. BUT! “I have to kill you, and this is awkward, so here’s some cupcakes” is pretty spectacular. Watch it and cringe.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoApzwClf_0[/youtube]

_________________________

The folks at Chicago’s Open Books lament the decline of cover spying and over-the-shoulder reading wrought by ereaders, and they entreat readers to pick up a hardback and “read it maybe.”

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ENO6wwdLGI[/youtube]

_________________________

Okay, this one is straight-up ridiculous. Guys in drag, a singing voice that sounds like Cookie Monster, and just enough Gatsby references to make me think they might have actually read the book.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-ImnSs72g0[/youtube]