‘SNL’ Lexus Holiday Car Commercial Is the Perfect Pandemic Parody
Saturday Night Live, like most things in comedy, often makes jokes that are just funny in their own right. However, some of the funniest things in SNL‘s history have been the sketches that are just smart and hilarious observations on real life. These sketches do well for a lot of people because they give audiences a chance to laugh at and think about normal things that otherwise wouldn’t be that funny.
That’s exactly what happened in the recent episode of SNL that was hosted by Timothee Chalamet. Here’s a look at SNL‘s perfect parody of those Lexus holiday car commercials that just makes too much sense, especially during the pandemic.
A recap of the parody of Lexus’ ‘December to Remember’ commercials
Like Vulture wrote, this sketch starts like a normal Christmas morning, with parents Nathan, played by Beck Bennett, and Kathy, played by Heidi Gardner, opening parents with their son, played by Chalamet.
Just before they’re done opening up all the presents, Nathan, points out to his son that there’s still one gift left to open. The son hands the small gift box over to his mom, who opens it to reveal that it’s a Lexus car key.
The family go outside so that Nathan can show his wife her brand-new Lexus SUV. Nathan wanted to surprise his wife with this luxurious car because he thought that, since it was Christmas, it would be okay for him to make such a significant purchase without talking to her about it first.
She was mad about this because, as it turned out, they couldn’t afford a new Lexus to begin with, since Nathan wasn’t aware of how much the car actually cost.
This short parody ends with the family driving back to the dealership to return the Lexus, but this sketch worked for so many reasons beyond the obvious ones.
Most people can’t afford to surprise others with new cars
To be fair to Lexus, although many of Lexus’ December to Remember commercials will tell people to surprise their loved ones with a brand-new Lexus, Lexus isn’t the only automaker to have commercials with that premise. As Vulture wrote, other automakers have ads that also advise people to surprise their loved ones with a brand-new car.
But that’s simply a terrible idea, especially during these tough times. Like this fictional family, many people simply can’t afford a brand-new car, never mind a brand-new Lexus.
The sketch also referenced the financial incentives that automakers give out during the holidays, such as 0% APR or a relatively small amount of money due at signing cost. However, they won’t change the fact that the car will have monthly payments that many families can’t afford right now.
That’s why Kathy was angry about Nathan not talking to her first, since she knew that they couldn’t afford a car. It’s also why, like the sketch said, it’s important to talk to your loved ones before making a major purchase like a brand-new car.
The pandemic has hit a lot of people hard
On top of that, this SNL sketch worked because it had a hilarious but poignant look at how many relationships are falling apart during the pandemic. With so many people staying home, many families have more time to spend with each other. While that can be a good thing for many families, for others, it can actually do some harm.
The parents in this sketch had been hiding the fact that Nathan had lost his job over a year ago. On top of that, a noisy neighbor, played by Mikey Day, revealed that the family has been going through an even worse time than their son knew about.
For instance, that neighbor revealed that Kathy had been “cheating with everyone” and that Nathan got his ear pierced just to impress his son’s girlfriend.
In real life, most families haven’t become that dysfunctional during the pandemic, but unfortunately, some have. That’s why this sketch worked on multiple levels, as it made fun of Lexus’ commercials that don’t make sense for most people as well as the dysfunctional families of America.
