SNL spoofs Barbie with grim American Girl dolls movie trailer: 'Not all dolls live in a Dreamhouse'
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Life in plastic is not so fantastic for American Girl dolls — at least in the twisted minds of the writers at Saturday Night Live.
This week's episode parodied Greta Gerwig's upcoming live-action Barbie flick with a faux movie trailer centered on the iconic (and let's be honest, sorta spooky) toys. In the sketch, host Ana de Armas and cast members Chloe Fineman, Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Molly Kearney, and Sarah Sherman played a bunch of the dolls, but in this grim world they're plagued by cholera and harrowing backstories.
"Not all dolls live in a Dreamhouse. Some are bigger, younger, sadder — some dolls are American Girls," the skit's voiceover says. "This summer: a new live-action story about your favorite historically accurate dolls, each with their own harrowing backstory."
"Did all their family members die of old-timey diseases?" the voiceover later asks before replying, "Absolutely."
Fineman's doll is an orphan from the Victorian era who watched her parents perish on a boat, Gardner's doll had a best friend who croaked of cholera, and Kearney's doll had a father who was a prisoner of war. "And tragically," she adds, "I have glasses."
Nwodim's doll, on the other hand, doesn't know her birthday because she's a runaway slave. Cue silence… before de Armas' doll proposes, "Let's play!"
"Come for the fun, stay for the overburdened preteens wearing four layers of coats and pantaloons," the voiceover continues.
Later, when Sherman's doll dies from cholera, de Armas and Co. embark on a journey from American Girl Land to the Modern World (much like Margot Robbie's Barbie heads to the Real World) in an old-fashioned covered wagon. Unfortunately, Gardner's doll suffers the same fate as Sherman's.
Rosalind O'Connor/NBC via Getty Chloe Fineman, Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Ana de Armas, and Molly Kearney on 'SNL'
Robbie's Barbie and her pink convertible cruise into theaters July 21. The release of its trailer — and 24 character posters! — culminated in many wonderful memes. Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Dua Lipa, Issa Rae, Simu Liu, America Ferrera, Nicola Coughlan, and Michael Cera are among the star-studded cast.
Saturday's SNL episode also featured Karol G in her musical-guest debut. De Armas was on hand to promote Ghosted, her upcoming Apple TV+ action romance film with Chris Evans, out April 21.
Watch the cholera-filled American Girl doll sketch above.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite...stars, and more.
Related content:
