Saturday Night Live, the late-night comedy show, has released a skit mocking The Try Guys following the dismissal of Ned Fulmer. Viewers have responded in anger, calling SNL out for siding with Ned on the exposed affair he was having with an employee.
The Try Guys, a well-loved group of adventurous YouTubers, have been updating their viewers about the ongoing difficulties that have come from dismissing creator Ned Fulmer following an affair with an employee. While specific details have been sparse, the group has been open about the emotional and frustrating positions they have been placed in.
This has included several updates from the team as a whole and the deeply personal response from single members like Becky Habersberger, Keith’s wife. Keith and Zack also spoke about some of their struggles in their most recent TryPod podcast episode.
While there has been a wide range of reactions for Ned’s dismissal, most were impressed with how swiftly and professionally The Try Guys dealt with the matter. In the age of the “Me Too” movement, seeing a company take swift action was surprising and refreshing.
While it was confirmed the affair was consensual, Ned’s position as an Executive Producer marked a clear power imbalance that made the relationship inappropriate. The affair also violated the company’s moral views, making Ned’s dismissal the only course of action.
SNL ruthlessly mocks The Try Guys in “comedy” skit
While SNL is known for poking fun at many types of current events, a skit uploaded to the Saturday Night Live YouTube channel took viewers by surprise. The skit starts with a “CNN broadcast”, where a “reporter” is seen preparing to give updates on the president outside the Whitehouse.
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However, it takes an alarming turn shortly into the video, cutting to a recreation of the recent Try Guys video called “what happened.”. The actors portraying Eugene, Zack, and Keith exaggerate the emotional and vulnerable responses that were aired in the original video, while also mocking their careers and content.
The video becomes especially cringy as the “CNN Anchor” Laura Fields seems to persistently side with Ned Fulmer, offering lines like “I’m sorry, why is that heinous” and “Bro, Jay-Z cheated on Beyoncé, it’s going to be okay”.
Viewers in the comments were not impressed with the skit, with one stating “Shoutout to Ned’s college friends for writing this skit that downplays him cheating on his wife with a subordinate and makes the other guys look ridiculous for actually correctly handling a clear company/hr violation.” while another adds “Even an old fart like me, who thinks most Internet drama is something very silly, recognizes that this situation wasn’t just two coworkers canoodling at a concert. It was a business owner having a long-term affair with a subordinate, which means their entire corporation has now been opened up to potential legal repercussions.”
Another viewer comments, “I love that SNL is essentially mocking a group of men for taking sexual misconduct at work seriously and actually firing someone for it. It started off funny but it really went downhill when it became apparent what a toxic take they had on the whole thing. SNL really missed the mark on this one and should be embarrassed to have posted it on YouTube.”
With most of the replies to the video filled with outrage, it is clear that many SNL viewers did not find the unflattering portrayals funny or situationally sensitive.
