The Stanley cup obsession has made its way to “Saturday Night Live.”
During the Jan. 27 episode, host Dakota Johnson was accompanied by Heidi Gardner and Chloe Fineman, all of whom were dressed in giant Western hats and holding Stanley cups while they appeared to be on a ranch.
The sketch opened with the three actors saying the requirements for owning the Stanley: driving a big car, being between the ages of 12 and 70, going to Target every day and being “physically or at least spiritually” blond.
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During the four minute sketch, Johnson, Gardner and Fineman joke about the beverage carrier, making subtle references to its recent headlines, all while repeating in unison, “Big dumb cup.”
After one audible slurp, Fineman remarked, “Mm! You can really taste the bacteria!” while Gardner added, “I’m getting lead.”
Last week, Stanley responded to claims that the product contains lead, telling TODAY.com that lead is used in the manufacturing process, but the cup needs to become damaged to expose the lead.
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According to the Stanley spokesperson, the circular stainless steel barrier found at the bottom of each beverage container covers a pellet that contains lead. This pellet seals the cup’s vacuum insulation and is not accessible unless the barrier comes off in possible but “rare” cases.
In another quip, Fineman said, “If your car explodes, you won’t survive. But your big dumb cup will.”
The comedian was referring to a Nov. 2023 viral video of a car fire in which the entire vehicle was burnt to ruins, but the Stanley cup remained unscathed — and still had ice in it.
The trio then poked fun at the cup's claim to not leak, its various mainstream branding moves and its massive size.
“If I’m not sipping, I’m peeing,” Garndner added.
As the three exchange quips about the tumbler, the cup Johnson is holding keeps getting ridiculously larger until it ends up being the size of her entire body.
Though Stanley was created over 110 years ago, the company experienced a resurgence of attention in 2019 and 2020, when social media users and influencers sparked new attention to the 40-ounce insulated tumblers.
Also in 2020, entrepreneur Terence Reilly spearheaded a new marketing strategy for Stanley, after finishing a seven-year run at Crocs, where he turned the ugly shoe into massive fashion moment.
“My experience at Crocs told me that that kind of influencer opportunity was just the magic that Stanley might need,” Reilly told CNBC’s Make It at the time.
Since then, the hashtag #Stanley has amassed nearly 3 billion views on TikTok alone and is accompanied by videos of teary-eyed cup fanatics.
Stanley has also partnered with Starbucks and Target for collaborations, which have prompted an even larger following for the brand.
Some collection drops, like the November 2023 holiday red and January 2024 winter pink, lead to multiple reports of arguments and physical altercations. Starbucks employees have complained of customers “harassing” them and “cussing” them out for the chance to get their hands on one of the cups.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from Today:
