SNL Parodies Running Shoe Commercial

Does everyone who buys running shoes intend on actually running and being fit? That’s an age-old question that’s been around since the mid-1980s, when running shoes became the casual shoe of choice for mainstream America. It’s a topic Saturday Night Live tackled with a parody video this past Saturday night. In a spoof New Balance commercial, the show takes a crack at mainstream middle-aged and slightly to severely overweight men who never actually run or get fit, despite wearing the shoes and clothes of so many people who are training for half-marathons and marathons. You know that guy, right?

In the parody, host Zach Galifianakis leads a trio of hefty guys, who talk about how much they love their New Balance shoes despite the fact that they never use them for their intended purpose. Along the way, they get tired walking up stairs, carry around extra shirts for when they get too sweaty and have dispiriting visits to the doctor’s office.

Although the joke could easily have been “Haha! Fat people!”, the scene never directly makes fun of anyone’s weight. Instead, it goes after the very concept of marketing running shoes, since not everyone who buys them will actually use them to run. On top of that, the cast’s overly chipper attitude about the whole thing is just hilarious.

For more: ScreenCrush.com