Have you ever found yourself engaging in slow-motion recreational activities? In the unlikely event that this is the case, have you ever worried that this might be evidence of a more ominous health condition? That concept informed a sketch on this week’s Saturday Night Live, in which host Jon Hamm took center stage for a pharmaceutical ad that used tropes from different pharamceutical ads as evidence that someone might be in need of treatment.
Part of the sketch’s appeal comes from the way it parodies ads for medication designed to treat everything from herpes to depression. Part of the appeal comes from Hamm, whose ability to deliver increasingly ridiculous lines with the utmost sincerity was used well all episode.
The recurring visuals and moods of drug companies’ ads have been a reliable source of jokes for SNL. If you’re not a regular viewer of ads for prescription medication, this sketch’s premise might not hit home quite as well — but if you are, there’s a lot to appreciate here.
Let Jon Hamm Be an A-List Movie Star, You Cowards
Post-“Mad Men,” Hamm has failed to become a Hollywood leading man. “Confess, Fletch” should have changed that.As Hamm noted in his monologue this week, he hasn’t hosted the show in a while, though he has made a number of cameos in the last 15 years. Between his deadpan approach in this sketch and his more frenetic work elsewhere, it was a good reminder of Hamm’s range — and how effective he can be on the show. Hopefully he’ll be getting his Five-Timers Club blazer before too long.
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