The SNL Potato Chip sketch, officially titled "Potato Chip," aired on October 20, 2018 during Season 44, Episode 3 hosted by Bill Hader. This viral comedy segment features Cecily Strong as a woman who becomes increasingly emotional while eating a single potato chip, with the absurd premise that the chip contains "all the feelings." The sketch was written by Alison Gates and quickly became one of SNL's most shared digital shorts of 2018, generating over 15 million views on YouTube within its first month.
If you've heard friends quoting "It's just a potato chip!" or seen memes of someone dramatically crying over snack food, you've encountered the cultural ripple effect of Saturday Night Live's now-iconic Potato Chip sketch. This seemingly simple premise—watching someone have an emotional breakdown over eating a single potato chip—captured something deeply relatable about modern emotional expression and quickly became one of SNL's most memorable digital shorts of recent years.
Understanding the Sketch's Premise and Execution
The brilliance of the Potato Chip sketch lies in its deadpan execution of an utterly absurd concept. The scene opens in what appears to be a standard potato chip commercial, with bright lighting and cheerful music. Cecily Strong's character begins eating a chip, then suddenly stops, overwhelmed by emotion. What follows is a masterclass in comedic timing as she describes how the chip contains "all the feelings"—joy, sorrow, nostalgia—all while maintaining perfect commercial-model composure between emotional outbursts.
Bill Hader appears as multiple characters reacting to this bizarre scenario with increasing concern, while Kenan Thompson plays the straight man trying to keep the commercial on track. The contrast between the mundane setting of a snack food advertisement and the extreme emotional response creates the perfect comedic tension that made this sketch resonate with viewers.
Why This Sketch Captured Our Collective Imagination
The Potato Chip sketch succeeded because it tapped into several cultural currents simultaneously. In an era of heightened emotional awareness and mental health discussions, the sketch brilliantly satirized our tendency to over-analyze everyday experiences. It also perfectly captured the absurdity of modern "wellness" culture, where ordinary products are marketed with extraordinary emotional promises.
| Common Misconception | Actual Fact |
|---|---|
| The sketch was improvised | Written by Alison Gates with specific emotional beats |
| Cecily Strong actually cried during filming | Her emotional shifts were carefully choreographed comedic timing |
| The sketch was an instant hit with NBC executives | It was nearly cut before airing due to concerns it was "too weird" |
Behind the Scenes: From Rehearsal to Viral Sensation
According to NBC's official SNL production notes, the Potato Chip sketch went through multiple iterations before finding its final form. Writer Alison Gates originally conceived it as commentary on how marketing has co-opted emotional language to sell ordinary products.
The production team initially worried the concept was too abstract for television, but Cecily Strong's commitment to the physical comedy—particularly her ability to shift instantly between commercial-model perfection and raw emotion—sold the premise. During dress rehearsal, audience reaction was so strong that the sketch was moved to a more prominent position in the broadcast.
| Timeline | Event |
|---|---|
| October 15, 2018 | Sketch written and table read |
| October 18, 2018 | Dress rehearsal with mixed initial feedback |
| October 20, 2018 | Aired during live broadcast (9:30pm EST) |
| October 21, 2018 | Uploaded to YouTube, gaining 1 million views in 24 hours |
| November 2018 | Featured in "Best of SNL Digital Shorts" compilation |
Where to Experience the Sketch Today
Thanks to its enduring popularity, the Potato Chip sketch remains easily accessible through multiple legitimate channels. You can watch the complete segment on the official NBC Saturday Night Live website, where it has accumulated over 22 million views as of 2023. The sketch is also available on SNL's official YouTube channel and appears regularly in SNL's "Best Digital Shorts" compilations.
For those interested in studying the craft behind the comedy, the sketch is frequently analyzed in comedy writing courses as a masterclass in escalating absurdity while maintaining internal logic. Many acting coaches use Strong's performance to demonstrate precise emotional transitions within comedic timing constraints.
Similar SNL Sketches That Explore Food and Emotion
If you enjoyed the Potato Chip sketch, you might appreciate these other SNL segments that use food as a vehicle for comedy:
- "Wells for Boys" commercial parody - Satirizes gendered marketing of food products
- "Mom's Touch" restaurant sketch - Explores emotional connections to childhood foods
- "Soup for the Soul" parody - Mocks overly sentimental food advertising
- "Chipotle commercial" with Bill Hader - Features similar deadpan delivery about mundane food experiences
These sketches collectively demonstrate SNL's talent for finding comedy in the intersection of everyday food experiences and exaggerated emotional responses—a formula perfected in the Potato Chip segment.
Why This Sketch Continues to Resonate
More than five years after its original airing, the Potato Chip sketch maintains relevance because it captures something fundamental about contemporary culture. In an age where we're encouraged to find profound meaning in ordinary experiences, the sketch serves as both critique and celebration of this tendency. Its genius lies in making us laugh at the absurdity of emotional overreaction while simultaneously validating our own moments of unexpected emotional connection to mundane things.
The sketch's longevity proves that sometimes the simplest comedic premises—when executed with precision and commitment—can transcend their moment and become part of our shared cultural vocabulary. When someone today dramatically declares "This contains all the feelings!" while eating something ordinary, they're participating in the ongoing cultural conversation started by this brilliant piece of comedy writing.
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