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AER LINGUS HAS taken a pop at both Donald Trump and the US comedy show Saturday Night Live after a questionable sketch about the airline featured on last night’s episode.
The skit features Irish actress Saoirse Ronan and SNL cast member Cecily Strong as Aer Lingus cabin crew, who are explaining to passengers why there’s a delay.
It hasn’t received the warmest response – people have criticised the use of clichés such as Irish people wearing Aran jumpers and potatoes being the only thing on the menu.
🥃Donald Clarke🎬 / Twitter
🥃Donald Clarke🎬 / Twitter / Twitter
Many people were also perplexed why a pack of dogs invaded the plane at one point, and was the reason for the delay. As the DailyEdge wrote earlier today:
“…the sketch centres on a gag about the plane being full of dogs. Is that an Irish thing? Did something happen with dogs on an Aer Lingus flight that none of us know about?”
In response to what’s been criticised as a poor attempt at a satire, the airline sent out this tweet this afternoon, mimicking US President Donald Trump’s previous criticism of the show:
Just tried watching Saturday Night Live – unwatchable! Totally biased, not funny and the Ronan impersonation just can’t get any worse. Sad.
Alec Baldwin did a sketch on SNL in 2016 which poked fun at President Trump and provoked a response from him.
Although the majority of Twitter users seem to agree that the airline sketch didn’t quite land with either Irish or American audiences, the reaction to the Aer Lingus tweet has itself been mixed.
Richard Chambers🎙 / Twitter
Richard Chambers🎙 / Twitter / Twitter
It’s not the first fiesty social media message sent by Aer Lingus either – the airline has been involved in a few spats with Ryanair on Twitter before.
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Aer Lingus’ parody of the Trump tweet is very funny in fairness! Don’t mind SNL taking the pi#s out of us, but my God that sketch was woefully unfunny.
@Laura Walsh: woefully unfunny is SNL I’m general.
@Laura Walsh: Seth Myers has a permanent grin on his face. A sure sign of a humourless idiot.
@Conor Power: hello general
@Laura Walsh: I’m so triggered by their racism and cultural appropriation. Paddy’s day all over again.
@Laura Walsh: “There is no such thing as bad publicity”, Aer Lingus should have used the parody to promote it’s US connections and use the dog as the caption in “bringing you best friend with you to Ireland where all will be welcome with open arms”. Some see an opportunity where some see trouble, and this presented an opportunity.
@Conor Power: Hi General (salutes). Your lucky, at least the above video is available in your region… looks like the journal care as little about the diaspora as Aer Lingus clearly don’t! …AirLungus, the choice of the elitest Dublin c$nt.
That was almost 4 minutes of my life that I’m never getting back. Cheers
@Declan Snow: good for you, took me 12 minutes to watch it thanks to my Tesco connection.
@Declan Snow: its not very funny unless they are suggesting the pilots are lamping the trolley dollies – but no such thing as bad publicity for AL.
@David Dickson: I hear ya
Wow! That was so astoundingly bad it’s hard to understand how they thought that was in any way funny. Saoirse Ronan.was very badly advised to get involved in that…
@Accounting Pro: not a fan of ole cunni lingus then.
Gotta love Aer Lingus tweet, but Saoirse – I’m really disappointed in you
I’m so outraged I nearly chocked on my potato sandwich.
@Dj: lucky you. The leprechauns stole all of mine
Awful sketch. Ronan really let herself down with the sill paddywackery.
And we get it, Americans don’t know how to pronounce ‘Saoirse’. Time to move on
@Paul Lanigan: relax and get a sense of humour dude
Another exciting day in the media I can see
@Cian Rynne: thank God for Twitter, said no pragmatic person ever!
More of the same from SNL, tasteless and humourless
@The Dude: Trump agrees
If it had been funny there just might have been something (but really very little) to worry about.
We have a great sense of humour. Unless it’s about us. We have very thin skin.
@prop joe: Hope she’s not flying back with Aer Lingus she’ll get the contact lens fluid in the coffee routine it gives the runs for two days !!!
@prop joe:
Have no issue with people slagging us off as we love doing it. My issue is when like here its absolutely cringeworthily unfunny.
Also, if we hated people slagging us off why is Father Ted the most loved TV show in Ireland since it literally does nothing but mock Irish people and culture.
@DonalC: it amazing that we don’t get the jokes. Having dogs running wild is something common place hear but to an American it’s something they are not used to. Unprofessional flight crews like you get in cunni lingus. Having a name of a national airline that sounds like oral sex. Sorry but the jokes on you if you don’t get it.
@DonalC: because Father Ted was very funny. The Polar opposite of SNL and Seth Myers.
@john g mcgrath: I think you’ll find that eye drops is what they use for that. Unless of course, its the same thing, in which case you can ignore this comment.
@john g mcgrath: Aer Lingis don’t have first class so I doubt Ronan flies with them.
@zztt28: *Lingus
@Harry Roberts: You’ve brought him up a few timez but what does Seth Meyers have to do with an SNL AerLingus sketch with Saoirse Ronan?
He hasn’t written for SNL in nearly half a decade. And is the presenter of Late Night.
Sadly that was a very accurate portrayal of what Americans see when they come to Ireland.
I am sorry – but children on the floor “joke” is just disgusting… the rule for under two year olds without a seat is to be placed and held on the floor for emergency landings……. This is seared in to the brain of the Cabin Crew member of UA fight 232 – … read blow and then have a laugh if you wish….
In the final moments, Brown advised the passengers to assume crash positions, including very specific instructions for the parents of the four lap children on board.
“”Parents with lap children, place them on the floor at this time, and hold them,” Brown recalled telling them. “And I just could not believe I was saying those words. It was the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever said in my life.”"
“The first person I met was the mother of a 22-month-old boy. I knew she was headed back to the wreckage, and I blocked her way,” Brown said.
She has campaigned since to have the regulations changed
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_232
as an aside Shelley Berman, the stand up comic, had a routine about about “landing early” by landing in the Grand Canyon but dropped this after the 1956 mid air collision of two commercial jets over the Grand Canyon.
I have no problem with jokes even if I did not find this clip funny, but but joking about a scenario that robbed a 22 month old baby of life is not funny – sorry – or maybe I am just over sensitive.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: I think you’re too sensitive.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: you’re over sensitive … this was a joke … take it for what it is.. even if it wasn’t that funny. Happy Christmas.
Cringe!!! That was painful to watch. Can’t believe Saoirse Ronan agreed to that complete and utter sh*te.
Ah, sure, it’s just a bit of craic so.
@Damocles: Britshit
@Val Doyle: that would be the rapier like Wildean wit then.
@Damocles: I do have a sharp sense of wit.
@Val Doyle: indeed.
The whole Lingus thing is a bit overdone and the rest is just flat, especially the American actors trying to put on an Irish accent. But maybe it works in the US? We might laugh at what they call fanny-packs and they wouldn’t get it either I suppose.
SNL is pure crap at the best of times. And this so called comedy sketch is just more of it.
Seth Myers doesn’t have a sense of humour. What he has is a pathological hatred of Donald Trump. Someone should give him a slap.
@Harry Roberts: Seth Myers is off SNL for years now
SNL should have peeked in the 80s. Hasn’t been funny since the Eddie Murphy/Joe Piscopo era
@Carlin Ite: You obviously haven’t watched in decades.
A little on comedy delivery.
Don’t do the audience work.
Comedy funnier when somebody has to think.
The Aer Lingus Cunnilingus joke is years old and not very funny. It’s even less funny when you explain it.
It was painfully unfunny.
Ultra tetchy paddy offended again. It’s a JOKE.
@Misanthrope: No it wasn’t. It was a typical piece of SNL crap. If you want to see something funny – tell Seth Myers that Trump is doing a great job, and watch the idiot go into meltdown.
@Harry Roberts: liberals melting down is the best source of comedy hahaha
@Misanthrope: I’d suggest that people are annoyed because of the quality of the skit rather than the content.
What was she thinking, SNL is truely brilliant but mother of god most Americans think Belfast is the capital of Ireland , none would have a clue who or what Are Linus is. As for Saoirse, is this really the best you could come up with, having been given a rare chance to host one of America’s most watched show? I assume sketch writers created this train wreck for you, a simple No would have sufficed. No doubt failte Ireland will be scratching their heads at this rubbish.
@Joseph Dempsey: Aer Lingus is one of the best recognised European airline brands in the US! Fourth after BA, Lufthansa and Air France.
They even sponsor a ride in 6 Flags Georgia! Or at least used to. Not sure if it’s still there!
Never forget:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9i1HHTdcXU
Made me laugh!
Aerlingus clearly paid for this coverage?
@David Kennedy: the parody of Trump was good to be fair. Most viewers if SNL probably don’t know where Ireland is to be fair.
@David Kennedy: No, but they were certainly informed that it was coming!
I wonder will Saoirse be flying home with aer lingus for the late late next Friday… it will be interesting to see the response she’ll get
@Mary Elizabeth Whittle: I doubt she will be home for a while. I think she’s doing all that awards season stuff. Anyway I doubt she’d care. It’s not like she wrote the sketch.
No such thing as bad publicity
@lavbeer: say that to Kathy Griffen
Genius
I saw the link for the Daily edge and could already imagine the headline, “Aer Lingus’ clapback is pure fire” followed by a quiz to determine which airline potato are you?
Nonsense
Saoirse should stay at what she is good at..acting.
Not making a fool of herself ..
I feel sorry for her if this is her best effort at being funny..
@Larry Whelan: There’s no point in blaming Saoirse. She didn’t write any of the sketches. Her job was to turn up & host; & she did a good job apart from the Aer Lingus sketch. I’m sure she was just as cringed having to do it.
Perplexed , Bothered and Bewildered am I , by that Crap.
Cringing watching that Aer Lingus sketch, not funny, corny at the very least. Also did no one notice that the dog was a SHE???
I laughed me arse off watching that!!! Brilliant
@Mark Gerard Lochlain: were you pissed?
My God. How pathetic
Instead of Aer Lingus trying to be funny, which they weren’t by the way with their parody of President Trump, why not just reply with.. SNL is just a load of shite
@Michael Wynne: Probably because they were delighted with free global advertisement! Aer Lingus knew this sketch was being made anyone who thinks otherwise isn’t very clever! SNL does sketches on various company’s like K-Mart, Target, Dunkin’ Donuts….they get permission for legal reasons otherwise NBC would have lawsuits left-right & centre.
Who in hell is Richard Chambers?
Can almost understand the Americans finding this funny (after all, a fully grown American did stop me on the street one day and asked me where she might find a real leprechaun) but Saoirse should hang her head in shame.
57, Jervis Street. In the Leprechaun Museum. You’ll know for next time.
For those up in arms re: Aer Lingus sketch. SNL had to get permission for using the company’s logo & close-up of their plane as is evident when watching the sketch. I’m sure Aer Lingus were delighted when they received the call *free global advertisement.* It’s a shame people don’t take a step back and think before going on the attack.
Not Saoirse Ronan’s proudest moment im sure, getting paid shitloads so most likely doesnt give a hoot
The Americans really are so thick still believing in leprechauns and fairies.What does that tell you huh?
They are more to be pitied than laughed at and I’m surprised that saoirse would lampoon her own country.
Lighten up it was funny
@Leanne Behan: it wasn’t funny, not because I’m offended. It was just too predictable.
Please has anybody tried to get trough dublin airport rofl ,,,no signs last time dropped off at wrong terminal ,,,it’s called look up its cunnilingus ,,,,Irish folk pride themselves on there since of humor ,,but are very very very sensitive to any one having a laugh at them ,,,even though they love to laugh at others ,,,in fairness that show needs to be laid to Rest In Peace ,,,by way yes I sat beside a guy in an Aran sweater and had mash potato and the scone and the kerrygold ,,,it’s ok it’s on Irish plane ,,,it beats air canada food
@Peter J Clare: Irish are very very very sensitive to having a laugh at them? No way man, we are probably the most able to take a joke nation of all time… If this sketch made the same kind of cliched points about Mexico or Israel, people in those places would be demanding the writers were fired and that the show issue an apology!
It wasn’t that funny… but we are actually EXCELLENT at taking a joke directed at us.. can you imagine if this was an Air China skit and the menu options were dog, dog and dog? Or Air Mexico and everything was with rice and beans? Those nation’s consulates would be looking to get the writers fired…. Twitter would explode with cultural appropriation stuff.
Whatever. … Wasn’t funny enough to hold my attention beyond the lady with the orange sticks.
Publicity stunt!!! If not why don’t Aer Lingus sue them
@Michael Wynne: I wrote a comment above: SNL often mock company’s and their customers. They must ask permission for obvious legal reasons. Aer Lingus knew & I’m they were delighted.
The uploader hasn’t made this available in my country. Say what now??
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