Top 20 Funniest SNL Commercial Parodies
#20: 1-800-Flowers
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People send flowers for many different occasions, but Mother’s Day is a particularly business time for florists everywhere. This commercial parody for “1-800-Flowers” plays on all of the nice things we say about our moms, and juxtaposes them with… well, with what drives us crazy. Kristen Wiig plays up all the good intentions perfectly, while Kate McKinnon as her mother drives home every joke and exemplifies all of the idiosyncratic behavior for the stereotypically “crazy” parents. Oh, and the skit also makes sure to remind us that “Father’s Day is next” with a last-minute, but welcome addition from Bill Hader!
#19: Nerf Crotch Bat
Many of us remember playing with Nerf products as children. We also remember all of the terrible things we did with Nerf products, as well. Herein lies the joke for the “Nerf Crotch Bat” commercial spoof starring Chris Farley and Rob Schneider. There’s only one purpose behind these soft and cushy bats: whack your partner in the private parts with them! Or, whack a stranger! Whack your parents! Heck, attack the first person you see with this safe and rubbery weapon of destruction! Did we go too far? Anyway, the “Nerf Crotchbat” captures all of the gaudy, day-glow color scheme and intrusive camera shots of the OG “Nerf” ads, so we say this one’s a winner.
#18: Cartier Ad
One of these things is not like the other. Sometimes, that’s all you need for a great punchline. The Cartier company is known for their luxuriously expensive, fine jewelry, so to associate them with something as innocuous and trendy as a fidget spinner is funny right from the jump. The skit then hits us with Vanessa Bayer’s character and her terrible personality, and how Beck Bennett’s spinner gift is basically just a way to keep her occupied at parties. It’s the perfect addition to a relationship that’s solely based on sex: a way to keep talking and personal interaction to an absolute minimum.
#17: Starbucks Verismo
Okay, let’s face it: we all like Starbucks, but no one actually likes going to a Starbucks. This commercial parody for the coffee chain’s line of homebrewers knows this all too well and picks apart everything that annoys us about the experience. For example, Verismo by Starbucks will get your name wrong. Constantly, and in numerous different misspellings. Additionally, if you own multiple Verismo brewers, they will chit-chat, complain, and talk junk about you behind your back. Or right to your face. Or whatever. Damn, do we really need Starbucks’ coffee that bad that we’d go through all of this? Actually yes… yes we do.
#16: Levi’s Wokes
Don’t you dare look for anything binary or gender-normative in these jeans. “SNL” has done a lot of parodies for jeans over the years, but this one was for a new generation: one that demands pockets be sold separately. Levi’s Wokes arrive armed with a Uni-Fly for “180 degrees of gender nonconformity” and do their best not to be confined by any labels of style or color. Brown? Nope, these jeans are “Greb,” and their style is so formless that they’re basically some sort of nouveau parachute pant? Honestly, we’re not even sure what they are, but we do know that the jeans are ugly and the ad is funny!
#15: The Shake Weight Commercial DVD
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Hey! Have you ever wanted some “alone time” with that “Shake Weight” infomercial, but could never figure out when it was going to air? Well, your problem is solved with the “Shake Weight Commercial DVD!” This parody is sort of meta in that it’s a commercial about a commercial, with one kind of gross punchline. It plays on the original product’s erotic and silly reputation by offering its customers the ability to watch the full, uninterrupted “Shake Weight” experience in the privacy of their own homes. Oh, and don’t forget the T.V. static. That’s a very important part of the experience.
#14: Pepsi Idea
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Our next entry is also about a commercial within a commercial, specifically one of the most infamous corporate missteps in history. You better believe that “Saturday Night Live” took every opportunity to skewer that Pepsi idea, right as the doomed commercial is about to be shot by cast and crew. The parody follows the writer/director, played by Beck Bennett, as he tries to convince just about everyone back home about the idea’s veracity and good faith. Predictably, he’s beset at every turn with criticisms as he puts multiple people on the phone, to no avail. Ah well, as the ad says, “Live and Learn!”
#13: Taco Town
Jeez, enough with the layers already! This short but sweet (and savory) ad for the fictional “Taco Town” pokes fun at all of the “improvements” Mexican restaurant chains try to impose upon the humble, mighty taco. It starts off deliciously enough with your typical taco toppings like cheese, sauce, and tomatoes, before entering Bizarro World by wrapping the concoction in everything from gordita shells and crepes to pancakes and a pizza! Finally, it’s all mixed together in a giant tote bag and ready for mass consumption. Well, at least Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, and Andy Samberg seem to think it’s kick butt, right?
#12: Rosetta Stone
Our next entry is something of a double-edged sword, as it also usually gets mentioned as one of “Saturday Night Live’” darkest commercial parodies of all time. This take on the “Rosetta Stone” line of language education software actually starts out relatively dead-on to a normal, everyday commercial. Then, we get to the twist, namely all of the creepy dudes using the software to learn Thai… for, uh, “a thing.” The implications are grim, gross, and highly illegal, but “SNL,” to its credit, GOES there, and we admit that it’s super successful. This one is definitely not for the easily offended, however.
#11: Autumn’s Eve
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Feminine hygiene products have always tended to have a similar “vibe” around them, utilizing the most stereotypically feminine imagery and language imaginable. This “SNL” parody is no different, although it is selling a uniquely weird product. It plays on how many of us tend to embrace the flavors and scents of the autumn season and applies it to the world of feminine care. Pumpkin and cinnamon notes fill the air for the cast of this parody, although the end reveals that the “Autumn’s Eve” people apparently have douches for every occasion, from St. Patrick’s Day to Christmas!
#10: Enhancement Drug
We’ve all seen those prescription drug commercials that list a ton of dangerous side effects, and think, who in the hell would actually risk all of those crazy symptoms? Well, The Rock would, and he’s gonna tell you about Xentrex. This parody of erectile dysfunction ads starts off innocently enough (as all good parodies do), but things quickly turn dark as the depths to which The Rock will sink to acquire Xentrex become clear. He shakes down his doctor and seems to be solely focused on regaining his manhood. He’s even willing to worship The Devil, apparently!
#9: Almost Pizza
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Our next entry is another one that simply nails its source material. This time, it’s the light and breezy style of a frozen pizza ad… only with one very dangerous difference. No, it’s not delivery. It’s “Almost Pizza!” Kristin Wiig’s “Carol” is really intent on getting her family to try this product, for some reason, even though she stops short of actually calling it pizza. Instead, it’s some sort of… alien symbiote or something? We’re not sure, exactly, but it makes a sound like glass breaking when it falls on the ground and it totally terrifies us, so we’re not touching it with a ten-foot pole!
#8: Totino’s
Speaking of pizza, “Saturday Night Live” has actually done a number of hilarious parodies of Totino’s Pizza Rolls, including a particularly… erotic one (?) with Kristen Stewart. We’re going with a particularly infamous sketch featuring Larry David and crew, however, one with a very dark and unexpected twist. Vanessa Bayer plays the cliché wife and mother stereotype to the hilt and she prepares a batch of Totino’s for her husband and his friends, who keep shouting “fumble” and “touchdown” every few seconds at the screen. Then, she realizes the T.V. is blank, the guys’ EYES are black and a promo for “The X-Files” airs. It’s brilliant.
#7: Hibernol: Sleep Like a Baby
Okay, so no one likes being sick, but would you really be willing to hibernate through cold and flu season just to get a little relief? The writers behind the “Hibernol” sketch certainly seem to think so, as evidenced by this hilarious parody of your typical over-the-counter flu and allergy med. The only difference here is the sort of strength Hibernol is packing… well, and the comically oversized bottle and cap, of course. Oh, and that fake packaging is simply fantastic, with the knocked-out man atop a pile of calendar months. Plus, the sketch has a happy ending with a cold-free Chris Farley and a VHS of the Super Bowl! What’s not to like?
#6: Oops! I Crapped My Pants
We admit it: we still feel kind of horrible laughing at this one, because incontinence is NO laughing matter. But hey, can you blame us? The product is this parody is just MADE for giggles with a name like “Oops! I Crapped My Pants!” The inclusion of non-cast members in this sketch is great, and adds authenticity to a commercial that feels like a real ad for Depends or something similar. Oh sure, the “pitcher of iced tea as feces” descriptor is super gross, but it DOES feel like a demonstration you’d see in a real ad, so it works. At that point, the sight gags and closing tagline as just icing on this iconic, parodic cake.
#5: Amazon Echo
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There’s a lot to like about this parody of the Amazon Echo device. For starters, there’s the good-natured ribbing about how we all get as we age and the challenges of adapting to new technology. The Amazon Echo Silver speaks loudly, doesn’t care if you get her name exactly right, and plays into the stereotypes we have about idiosyncrasies of the elderly. The real kicker is right at the end, however, as the parody turns FULL retro by including the bright blue screens some of us remember from our tube T.V.s and encouraging customers to send checks or money orders to Amazon.com! It’s simply brilliant.
#4: Colon Blow
How much fiber do you really need for breakfast? The much-missed Phil Hartman finds out the hard way in this dead-on parody of classic cereal commercials. Bowl upon bowl builds up until Hartman is basically sitting upon a pyramid of poop-inducing fiber, with “Colon Blow” cereal letting him know exactly what’s in store for him with their product. Although Phil’s character clearly “gets the picture,” we can’t help but wonder what sort of gastrointestinal distress SUPER Colon Blow would cause if it were actually a real product? You know what? On second thought, scratch that: maybe we don’t wanna know.
#3: Justin Bieber for Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein has been a target for commercial parody over at “Saturday Night Live” for years now, including a very memorable sketch for a made-up fragrance named “Compulsion.” We gotta give our number three slot to the more recent Justin Bieber parody, which featured Kate McKinnon absolutely killing it, as per usual. We’re not exactly sure what was in the original script and how much of it was improv from McKinnon, but the antics Biebs gets into are pure comedy cold. Plus, it has the visual aesthetic of a real Calvin Klein ad, only with about two hundred percent more hijinks. It’s a win-win.
#2: Lincoln Ads
So, it isn’t as if those weird Lincoln ads starring Matthew McConaughey really needed to be stretched out much to reach the level of parody, since they’re just sort of “out there” on their own, but we’re glad “SNL” did these, anyway. Jim Carrey gets McConaughey’s mannerisms down perfectly, and can even drive with his eyes closed! Who knew? Additionally, the voiceover takes gentle jabs at McConaughey’s decision to do car commercials after winning an Oscar, and even pans back to show some kids in the back seat! It’s silly, more than a bit meta, and we do love it so.
#1: Schmitt’s Gay
We’ve covered a LOT of great parodies over the course of this list, many of which nail their source material to a perfect T. “Schmitt’s Gay,” however, was on a whole other level. It’s all hyperbole and excess as this beer ‘n babe pool party with a couple of bros starts off with every cliché in the book, with one notable twist. There isn’t a bikini in sight, and instead, Adam Sandler and Chris Farley are there to enjoy the beefcake, all the while making the sort of over-the-top facial expressions that you’d see in a regular beer ad from the eighties or nineties. It’s “of its time,” sure, but it’s also “SNL” parody and wit at its absolute finest.
