One of the many takeaways from our grim 366-day sprint through 2020 (f*ck you, Leap Year!) is that advertisers don’t know where the cringe line is. We’re not even four years removed from Pepsi’s terrible Kendall Jenner ad and brands still weigh commercials down with performative stands along political, social, and cultural lines.
That’s one of the big punchlines in Saturday Night Live‘s latest cold open sketch, which unfolds in the midst of an NFL pre-game show. There’s the cracker ad, which celebrates Black history before ending on: “We must always strive for equality. And we must always reach for Cheez-Its.” Meanwhile, a follow-up ad for the Papa John’s pizza chain that’s meant to represent conservative viewers references Pizzagate and not-so-subtly endorses QAnon.
The cold open’s other highlight is Aidy Bryant, who pulls double-duty as Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians. The sketch openly acknowledges this and seems to suggest that Reid and Arians are, in fact, the same person.