SNL commercials have always been one of the show’s fortes, and lately they’ve been on a roll. They’ve been loopy, too; see: the one from a few weeks ago about a giant dog costume for canine owners who like to have sex without being bothered by incessant barking. This week’s was strange, too, and potentially scarring: It involved blood-freezing internet meme Momo.
Momo is the one that’s haunted your social media feed of late, featuring a young woman with long, stringy black hair, bulging eyes, a freaky wide smile that looks like a boomerang, and chicken legs. Some of the craftier Photoshoppers have managed to apply it to other people’s faces, with nerve-wracking results.
So SNL brought Momo into the real world. The commercial is a straight-up ad for Bok Bok, a fried chicken joint with a name similar to the hipster Thai joint that peddles street food for the price of a Brooklyn rent check. At first, everything’s honky dory — it’s not even as bloody as the classic Adam Sandler-era ad “Cluckin’ Chicken.” Then all hell breaks loose.
The narrator alludes to the Bok Bok mascot, claiming she is definitely not evil, scary Momo. Then we see her. Played by Kate McKinnon, she has all the Momo features: the big eyes, the freaky smile, the chicken legs. She’s a human-bird hybrid who preys on children, smushing drumsticks to children’s noses, and generally turning people off their food. It’s enough to turn you off of Popeyes — or maybe not.
