MacGruber Shills for Pepsi, Changes Name to ‘Pepsuber’

MacGruber, the gadget-heavy SNL sketch that always ends with an explosion, was heavy on something else last night: Product placement. And not even a cameo by Richard Dean Anderson—MacGyver himself—could save these three commercials.

The MacGruber Pepsi ads were sandwiched in between the usual commercials that populate Saturday late night television. The first, for example, came after a trailer for Pink Panther 2, which had conveniently played after Steve Martin’s monologue—as well as one of SNL’s “real” fake commercials, featuring Kristen Wiig pitching “edible pampers” (it was as gross as it sounds).

At least the ads were self-depreciating, with MacGruber’s character constantly flubbing up the escape with incessant references to soda, new Pepsi clothing, and even a name change. All the while, the real MacGyver plays the straight man, criticising the product placement and eventually calling our hero the sell out he is.

Even the musical lead-in, which features a machismo singer laying down what MacGruber is all about, succumbed to the product placement fever:

I’d say it’s a sad, sad day, but I’m laughing. Oh well. [YouTube]