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Olive Garden

Saturday Night LiveSNL
SKETCH-O-VISION
A VERY GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME.

The setup

A commercial director coaxes ever more absurd reactions from four actors on an Olive Garden shoot, from fake laughter to a face in the pasta.

Community rating

– / 10

The funny people

Meet the cast. 5

Say it with us

Highly quotable.

It's advertising 101. Trust me. You're killing it.

Oh, my God, this woman's an Amazon.

But Olive Garden customers would.

The premise

Here’s the bit.

On the set of an Olive Garden ad, a chipper director tells four diners to look thrilled to be there. The takes pile up: huge nods over the menu, a forced laugh, kisses swapped between neighbors to suit different markets, and a pasta delivery that leaves one actor with his face in the bowl. Each direction is more demeaning than the last, the actors nervously question whether any of it will make the cut, and the director cheerfully insists that advertising only works when people act as if they have never seen food before. He ends by dangling a possible print campaign.

ScriptEnglish · 40 turns

Automatically generated script; wording may contain errors. Speaker labels are inferred.

  1. 00:00

    Director

    Okay, my lovely featured background. We are about ready to go for a take. And all you guys have seen Olive Garden ads, so you know the deal, fun, casual. We really want to give the viewers that vibe that you're excited to be here.

  2. 00:14

    Sweater Guy

    Well, I actually love Olive Garden, so I won't even have to act at all.

  3. 00:18

    Director

    Ha! That's what I like to hear. Okay, so I'll call out direction from the monitor right over here, and let's see if we can capture some magic, all right? Here we go.

  4. 00:27

    Director

    And action. Okay, that looks great. We're chatting, we're chatting. Hey, sweater guy, check out the restaurant.

  5. 00:36

    Sweater Guy

    This place is nice.

  6. 00:40

    Director

    Even more impressed.

  7. 00:43

    Sweater Guy

    Am I in a palace?

  8. 00:47

    Director

    Yes. Okay, now, blond hair, why don't you find something you want on the menu? And you nod and smile. Smile. All right. Bigger nod.

  9. 00:59

    Director

    This all looks yummy. Really go for it, blond hair. Big ol' smile.

  10. 01:07

    Director

    Amazing. Love that. Now, blue shirt, someone just said something funny. Big laugh. And even funnier, you're about to pee yourself.

  11. 01:21

    Blue Shirt

    I'm peeing, I'm peeing, I'm peeing.

  12. 01:25

    Director

    Fantastic. Great, great, great. Okay, now, Yellowtop, you're looking at the menu, and you really want that chicken cialbella. Oh, you want it really bad.

  13. 01:38

    Director

    You're looking at that pasta going, Oh, Lordy, I must be in heaven! Okay, let's call that cut. Wow. Fantastic work, guys. I think we got it.

  14. 01:50

    Sweater Guy

    Are you sure those reactions weren't too big?

  15. 01:53

    Blue Shirt

    Yeah, I felt like I looked a little stupid.

  16. 01:55

    Yellow Top

    Maybe and I didn't like that voice you did

  17. 02:00

    Director

    I'm not quite sure what you're talking about But as far as reactions go you guys have seen Olive Garden ads the people act like they've never seen a restaurant or eaten food before Then the yo-yos at home think Olive Garden is this magical place. It's advertising 101. Trust me. You're killing it Okay. Now we just need to get some alts for some different markets that we're gonna air this ad in.

  18. 02:22

    Director

    All right, here we go guys and And...action. Okay. Let's start by laughing. We're laughing. We're having fun. Good. Now, for the small town's blue shirt, give blonde hair a little kiss on the cheek.

  19. 02:38

    Director

    Great, great, great. And for the urban markets, can I get sweater guy giving yellow top a smooch? And for one neighborhood in Atlanta, let me see yellow top plant one on blonde hair. And And lips, please.

  20. 03:03

    Yellow Top

    Oh, child, what has gotten into me?

  21. 03:05

    Director

    Okay, Great. Okay, now, um, I just want to get some options, stuff they might want. So let's fly in some pasta, please. Thank you very much. All right, here comes the pasta. Pasta, pasta, pasta. So, Sweater Guy, you ordered that shrimp terragiorno, and it smells amazing. Great. Yes, yes. Got that. We got that. Now, just go ahead and put your face right in the pasta bowl.

  22. 03:36

    Sweater Guy

    Really? I mean, would Olive Garden even use that in the ad?

  23. 03:39

    Director

    Just looking for options. So plop that face in there.

  24. 03:46

    Director

    Great. Yes. Yes. Sweater guy, this is really good. Okay, blue shirt and blond hair. Imagine there's a waitress there, and you're listening to her, so let's look up and nod.

  25. 03:59

    Director

    She's a little taller than that, so bring that eye line up a bit. And even taller. Oh, my God, this woman's an Amazon. Yeah, perfect. Just like that. And just so we have it, give me one where the waitress is two feet tall.

  26. 04:15

    Director

    There she is. There she is. Perfect. And she's leaving, and you're both trying not to laugh.

  27. 04:24

    Blue Shirt

    Oh, I wouldn't laugh at a little person's...

  28. 04:27

    Director

    But Olive Garden customers would. Nailed it. There it is.

  29. 04:37

    Sweater Guy

    Uh, sir, can I take my face after pasta now?

  30. 04:41

    Director

    Not just yet, sweater guy. I really want to make sure we have this. Now, yellow tie.

  31. 04:46

    Yellow Top

    -"I'm not putting my head in no pasta."

  32. 04:50

    Director

    -"Of course not. Just enjoy the taste of the pasta." Yes! Yes. That's great. That's great. And you're chewing, you're tasting, and you just had a big ol' orgasm.

  33. 05:03

    Director

    Amazing. That's it. Yeah. Love those eyes. Love that. Look at those. Great. Yes.

  34. 05:12

    Director

    That's great. Now, now, blonde hair... Yeah, can I see that from you, blonde hair?

  35. 05:26

    Director

    Yes. Yes, yes, great with the lip. Yes, that's great. That's exactly what I'm looking for. Okay, now, blue shirt, you're up, bud. Amazing, Amazing, amazing, the veal cremerini is pushing all your buttons. Yeah, there it is.

  36. 05:49

    Director

    And, yeah, yeah, great. And now, Sweater Guy, take your face out of the pasta, and let's see that from you as well.

  37. 06:00

    Director

    Yeah, you're really loving it. Yeah, that's perfect. Now, just put your face back in the bowl of pasta.

  38. 06:07

    Sweater Guy

    Well, I really would rather not.

  39. 06:09

    Director

    And go. Okay, now, Yellow Top, look at Sweater Guy like, like, Lottie, give me the strength and cuts. Yes, perfect.

  40. 06:22

    Director

    Guys, really wonderful. I think I've got everything I need. And no promises, but I hear they may use some of you guys in their print campaign, too.

The rabbit hole continues

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