Last night’s Idris Elba-hosted episode of SNL featured a hilarious commercial for a fictional fast food chain called Bok Bok’s, whose mascot bears a striking resemblance to Momo, the ghoulish figure that’s the subject of a viral internet hoax aimed at terrifying young children.
Played by cast member Kate McKinnon, the mascot has a devilish smile, bulging eyes, and the body of a chicken, complete with claws and a massive tail feather. Bok Bok loves staring down children at the soda fountain, dangling drumsticks in front of kids’ faces, and magically inserting herself into the backseat of cars waiting in line for the drive-thru — really terrifying stuff.
“We promise Bok Bok is not Momo in a chicken suit, and she’s definitely not tempting kids with chicken so she can steal their souls,” an announcer explains. “Bok Bok is all about bringing you juicy chicken, served hot and fast. And sure, like Momo, Bok Bok is a human-bird hybrid who loves the company of children — but who cares when the food is this good?”
Momo has been in the news lately, as stories have cropped up around the world of pranksters inserting images of the chicken-lady into YouTube videos. Some people think that the meme is linked to a “suicide game” targeting kids. But as Amanda Sakuma notes in a recent Vox explainer, “This urban legend is likely little more than a hoax fueled by media reports and parents’ fears about their kids’ online activity.”
Watch SNL’s riff on the Momo phenomenon in the video above.
• Bok Bok [SNL]
• The bogus “Momo challenge” internet hoax, explained [Vox]
