“Saturday Night Live” offered its own version of how companies could handle some of the country’s most talked about political topics in its Super Bowl commercials this weekend.
During the show’s cold opening on Saturday, the show parodyed the “Super Bowl LV Pregame Show”, in which hosts such as former quarterback Phil Simms, played by Mikey Day, and host James Brown, played by Kenan Thompson, broadcast a series of “passionate commercials” to “reflect this moment in history”.
The first commercial that the program aired was a parody of a possible announcement that Cheez-Its could air during the Super Bowl.
The ad features photos and footage of black icons like Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesse Owens, as well as the photo of civil rights activist Rosa Parks, before cutting to other photos of a fist and a black life mural.
“In these times, what you stand for is more important than ever. We learn once again that freedom is not free. But we must always seek equality and always seek Cheez-Its ”, says the narrator in the ad.
“Cheez-Its”, continues the narrator, “historically delicious”.
“Woo! Wow. Truly inspiring, ”says Simms’ Day at the end of the ad.
“What the hell?” Chris Redd, portraying former wide receiver Nate Burleson, says.
The hosts then air another ad, this time with a “conservative inclination,” says Alex Moffat, who plays former NFL coach Bill Cowher, to “balance the so-called progressive ads”.
The following parodic announcement, which comes from Pope John’s, addresses the extreme right conspiracy theory QAnon.
The ad features clips of “real ingredients” that the narrator proclaims “without additives, without preservatives and without child sex trafficking in the basement”.
“Sorry, Democrats, you’re going to have to bring sexual pizza to your son at Hillary’s Pizzeria,” the narrator continues in a reference to some of the baseless claims that have been spread by followers of the conspiracy theory movement.
“Papa John, it’s okay,” continues the narrator, while the photograph of a person wearing clothes that says “Proud boy” seems to shape his hand to form a “W” and “P” to make the OK sign. The gesture was also used by white supremacists as a symbol of white power.
“Stop your Q-pon today,” the narrator later adds in another reference to the QAnon conspiracy theory.
Later, during the night show, the cast members also scoffed at former President Trump for refusing to testify in his Senate impeachment trial.