Did you notice, during the Super Bowl, just how many commercials tried maybe too hard to be “woke” and socially aware? How much did the forced-feeling theme of tolerance seem to be permeating every ad agency? Don’t get us wrong–we here at Nerdist are all about accepting any and everyone, and to the extent that the culture is in sync on this theme, we’re happy and fully onboard. But is it maybe possible that not all of that was sincere? And even if it was, might it have come off a little awkward in its delivery?

Saturday Night Live, which often represents a mainstream perspective, got a little edgy last night in two skits spoofing the sudden civic conscience all advertisers seem to have developed, without necessarily thinking everything through. In the video above, they amply demonstrate how not to celebrate Black History Month. And in the skit below, they show how inclusivity might be merely viewed as a flavor of the month by the true bean-counters:

Not that we wouldn’t love a Cheetos spot starring Danielle the Cheetah, mind you. But for audiences of all political stripes, it’s good to see host Alec Baldwin having a healthy sense of humor about his own causes as well as the ones he opposes.

In the end, all advertising is trying to sell you something. Commercials try to tell you what you want to hear. How much of it is pandering, and how much is truly sincere? We may never know, but comedy at its best makes you think about such things. Did SNL succeed in shining a humorous light on the process? Let us know what you think below, and please, be respectful of opposing viewpoints. We don’t all have to like Cheetos, but we are all here as fellow fans and human beings.

Image: NBC