Many of you brought this up in the comments to yesterday’s story, but SNL did a great takedown of the Stanley Cup craze in last weekend’s episode. Guest host Dakota Johnson was joined by Heidi Gardner and Chloe Fineman in a skit called “Big Dumb Cups” that really did hit all the notes. They mocked its size, the risk of exposure to lead, the aggressive and occasionally illegal attempts being made to obtain a Stanley, and that infamous viral video of a car exploding but the cup surviving, including the ice cubes therein. Plus, you know, the utter inanity that comes with following a fad. From the Today Show’s reporting:
The sketch opened with the three actors saying the requirements for owning the Stanley: driving a big car, being between the ages of 12 and 70, going to Target every day and being “physically or at least spiritually” blond.
During the four minute sketch, Johnson, Gardner and Fineman joke about the beverage carrier, making subtle references to its recent headlines, all while repeating in unison, “Big dumb cup.”
After one audible slurp, Fineman remarked, “Mm! You can really taste the bacteria!” while Gardner added, “I’m getting lead.”
Last week, Stanley responded to claims that the product contains lead, telling TODAY.com that lead is used in the manufacturing process, but the cup needs to become damaged to expose the lead.
According to the Stanley spokesperson, the circular stainless steel barrier found at the bottom of each beverage container covers a pellet that contains lead. This pellet seals the cup’s vacuum insulation and is not accessible unless the barrier comes off in possible but “rare” cases.
In another quip, Fineman said, “If your car explodes, you won’t survive. But your big dumb cup will.”
The comedian was referring to a Nov. 2023 viral video of a car fire in which the entire vehicle was burnt to ruins, but the Stanley cup remained unscathed — and still had ice in it.
The trio then poked fun at the cup’s claim to not leak, its various mainstream branding moves and its massive size.
“If I’m not sipping, I’m peeing,” Gardner added.
As the three exchange quips about the tumbler, the cup Johnson is holding keeps getting ridiculously larger until it ends up being the size of her entire body.
“Physically or at least spiritually blond,” was just one of many excellent lines. Other stand outs were “This is the cup that says ‘I’m a virgin. But I also have six kids,’” and “Is there a void in your life? Fill it with cup.” Aside from nailing actual features of the 40 oz Stanley — like yes, if you’re drinking that much water you ARE going to the bathroom all the time — I equally enjoyed the farcical bits. “It’s also an air fryer!” I can’t wait to see if/how Stanley responds, because SNL made no attempts to hide the brand name. “This is the cup that says ‘We still made over $750 million in sales last year.’”
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