Spirit Halloween has hit back at Saturday Night Live (SNL), describing the long-running show as an “irrelevant 50-year-old TV show” after a sketch on the premiere of its 50th season backfired.
SNL, which returned on 28th September with a show hosted by Jean Smart, featured a sketch about singer Chappell Roan and the viral pygmy hippopotamus, Moo Deng. Another sketch on the episode poked fun at the US store Spirit Halloween, known for its seasonal retail outlets across North America.
In the sketch, SNL cast member Heidi Gardner voiced a fake advert for Spirit Halloween, highlighting the struggles of local communities amidst good times on Wall Street. The sketch humorously portrayed how the store shows up for six weeks during Halloween season and then disappears.
Cast member Chloe Fineman took a jab at Spirit Halloween’s costumes, describing them as wigs that cause rashes, single-use fog machines, and variations of famous characters to avoid legal issues. Although Spirit Halloween has been a subject of memes, SNL’s attempt to mock the retailer did not go down well with the store.
Responding on Twitter, the Spirit Halloween account posted an image of a costume pack named “Irrelevant 50-year-old TV show” alongside the description “dated references, unknown cast members, and shrinking ratings.”
Meanwhile, on SNL, James Austin Johnson reprised his role as Donald J Trump, humorously suggesting that the former president had picked the wrong running mate. The sketch featured Ohio Senator JD Vance, portrayed by Bowen Yang, making jest of his awkward relationship with Trump.
The clash between Spirit Halloween and SNL adds a comedic twist to the ongoing interactions between popular culture and mainstream television. Despite the backfire, both parties continue to engage in humorous exchanges that captivate audiences and spark conversations across social media platforms.