Safelite repair, Safelite replace, Safelite really did not appreciate how Saturday Night Live made its technicians look like creepy pedophiles.
SNL quietly removed a controversial Safelite AutoGlass commercial parody from public view weeks after the company expressed disappointment in how negatively it portrayed its employees.
The sketch starred Beck Bennett as a Safelite technician who keeps breaking a family’s car windshield so he can “fix” it while trying to hook up with a teenage girl.
Video: Sen. Al Franken Awkwardly Answers Questions In Apology Tour!
The clip closely spoofed the repair company’s ads, which feature real technicians, using the actual jingle while Bennett advertised the company’s services and products — and ended with a creepy twist that few cracked a smile over.
Though Safelite didn’t request for the video to be taken down, the company let SNL know how disappointing it was seeing its “hero” technicians be portrayed as child predators.
Shortly after the Gal Gadot-hosted episode first aired in early October, the repair company tweeted:
@nbcsnl thanks for the skit. Although we can take a joke, this one was a step too far. Our techs are our heroes. #notcool
— Safelite AutoGlass® (@safelite) October 8, 2017
Thanks – we were surprised by this. Our techs work hard to help our customers. The skit @NBCSNL showed was disappointing
— Safelite AutoGlass® (@safelite) October 8, 2017
SNL never commented on the matter, but it appears that the powers at NBC agree with Safelite. The spoof commercial is no longer available on YouTube or Hulu, and was cut out of the re-airing of the episode on Saturday night.
In a statement to Decider, Safelite reiterated its “disappointment” over the sketch but confirmed it was not given a reason why the content was removed from public access.
We got a statement from @safelite about SNL’s decision to remove their controversial commercial parody: https://t.co/j7rlMEGk2u pic.twitter.com/PLAV5HSuvG
— Mark Graham (@unclegrambo) November 27, 2017
No more sketch, no more controversy?
Did YOU crack a smile at the controversial spoof?
[Image via NBC.]
