Cecily Strong took on the role of Skechers CEO in a hilarious Saturday Night Life spoof on Kanye “Ye” West making an appearance at their real-life California headquarters. The drop-in visit took place just days after Ye was dropped by German-based Adidas, who produces his popular Yeezy line, following his highly offensive anti-semitic comments that got him suspended from Twitter and restricted on Instagram. In the SNL take on events, Cecily doubled down on Skechers’ positioning about showing Kanye the door.
“At Skechers we pride ourselves make shoes at an affordable price — and standing up to anti-semitism. That’s why earlier this week when Kanye West showed up at our corporate asking to work with us — we said no,” she firmly said to the camera in the sketch, which mocked a corporate presentation video. Other employees — including one played by Bowen Yang — when chimed in with “no way,” “no” and “no thank you,” about the prospect of working with the Chicago-born rapper. “We immediately escorted him out of the building,” Bowen explained, citing actual events that did occur after Ye dropped by.
“Like the rest of the country, we were appalled by Kanye’s horrific comments and we vow to never work with him in any capacity,” Cecily, wearing a red blazer while standing in a Skechers store, then said. “But, can we also point out that of all the companies he could have approached and been rejected by, he chose Skechers,” she added as the piano music. Chloe Fineman then retorted, “Kanye came to Skechers and Skechers said no. Do you realize how satisfying that is?”
“Two years ago could you imagine that headline — Skechers is too good for Kanye,” Bowen then laughed. “Of course, he’s always been a disrupter in the fashion industry. Again, we would never partner with him. What would you even call a Kanye Skechers shoe anyway? The Skeezy?” he pondered, pointing out another show company that has yet to comment on the controversy. “I haven’t heard anything from Crocs. No saying they’re anti-semitic but we haven’t heard from them.”
Cecily then doubled down on the choice to show Kanye off the property of the Jewish-owned company. “He walked in and we were like bye — buh-bye — door. It’s not all about us but it’s not like Allbirds is not fighting the fight,” she declared, name dropping a competing shoe brand (that also recently collaborated with Adidas on the “Futurecraft” shoe).
In real life, Kanye seemed unbothered by the whole thing. “Had to cut ties, bro,” Kanye bizarrely wrote, seemingly responding to news that his own brand Yeezy cut ties with the former billionaire. Kanye was also dropped by Vogue, Balenciaga and many other brands he frequently worked with or collaborated with.