On Saturday evening, NBC aired the first episode of its new season of Saturday Night Live. A skit during the episode was disappointing to, and shocked, many Disney and PIXAR fans in the process.
Wilson, best known for roles in Wedding Crashers, Starsky & Hutch, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Night at the Museum (and sequels), Little Fockers, and others, Wilson also has a long history with Disney and PIXAR. Lately, those roles have included the role of Mobius in Disney+’s Loki, but his most notable role being the voice behind Mr. Speed, Mr. Ka-chow, Lightning McQueen in the Cars PIXAR franchise.
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On Saturday evening, Wilson hosted Saturday Night Live in New York and starred in several of the parody-style show’s skits. One of the first skits to air that night began by featuring a photo of the entrance to PIXAR Studios in California. Then the camera heads to two recording executives talking with Wilson, getting him pumped for his session. Through multiple camera angles, viewers see posters from some of PIXAR’s most successful animated films.
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The premise of the skit is a recording session with Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen in the fictitious 4th installment of Lightning McQueen’s story, Cars 4: The Spinout.
In the first few seconds of Wilson’s “recording session,” viewers might have even wondered where the supposed humor was to be found, but shortly, the parody part of the skit came to light, and some viewers found Wilson’s parody script disappointing, offensive and wrong.
Wilson’s first line from the script is “Radiator Springs! Here I come!” followed by “Back off jack—; I wasn’t looking at your wife!”
In the skit, Wilson seems confused and shocked as well. But he continues with the next line, “I am speed!”
Then the script calls for Wilson to say, “Calm down; I didn’t touch your daughter; she was coming on to me!”
At this point, the actor asks the PIXAR recording execs to halt. He questions the premise of the film, and they say they aren’t sure.
The recording continues with lines from McQueen, voiced by Wilson, like, “Grow up, man; your sister sure did.”
Wilson remains confused and uncomfortable so the execs bring in someone playing the role of Larry the Cable Guy to voice Mater’s lines.
“You’re my best friend, Lightning!” the man says in Mater’s trademark voice, “That’s why I was so upset when I heard you was calling me an ‘R-word.'”
Wilson tells the execs that these lines are horrible and quite the deviation from the character of Lightning McQueen. They assure him the ‘r’ stands for “rusty,” since Mater is rusty.
Recording continues, and Wilson almost says the entire “R-word,” before stopping the session again and voicing his distaste.
But the execs eventually hand him a copy of the contract that will be his if he agrees to do the script, and the payout is so generous, Wilson does a complete 180 and is excited about the new role, even if it does mean the adult-themed lines and use of the deplorable “R-word.”
Obviously, the skit is from Saturday Night Live, and humor, satire, and laughter are the goals. but many feel that this skit went too far to get those laughs, especially since the Cars film franchise is geared (pardon the pun) toward children.
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You can watch the skit here.
What are your thoughts? Did you see the skit, and if so, did you find it offensive or harmless? We’d like to hear your opinions!