- « Saturday Night Live » has tackled the social media reaction to the arrest of Luigi Mangione.
- Mangione was charged with killing Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
- The sketch featured a character saying he’s gotten « the horniest DMs » due to looking like Mangione.
« Saturday Night Live » kicked off its latest episode with a cold open that took on the internet’s reaction to Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, who was charged with second-degree murder in connection with Thompson’s death, has emerged as a heartthrob in certain corners of the internet.
In a sketch parodying the show « Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, » the « SNL » cast tackled the social media response to Mangione, with Sarah Sherman playing Grace.
Recapping Mangione’s arrest at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania earlier this month, Sherman said: « Of course, everyone online celebrated the hard work of law enforcement in apprehending this dangerous criminal. »
« Just kidding! Y’all psychos made him a sex symbol, » she added, before describing Mangione as looking like « Dave Franco with Eugene Levy’s eyebrows. »
« I mean, really, what is going on in this country? Y’all, this man is not a sex icon. This man is — and I cannot say this any clearer — a murderer, » she said.
Sherman later interviewed a character played by longtime cast member Kenan Thompson, asking him if he could believe people were attracted to this « sexy slayer. »
« I mean, women love bad boys, » Thompson replied.
« Back in the day, you could impress your old lady with a little poem, now you got to write a manifesto, » he continued, seemingly referencing the handwritten note Mangione had in his possession when he was arrested.
The sketch then introduced a man who had been « affected closely by this story, » played by cast member Emil Wakim.
Speaking as a guy who « happens to look like Luigi Mangione, » Wakim said: « Yeah, this whole thing’s kind of been a roller coaster for me. »
« On one hand, I keep getting tackled by bounty hunters, but on the other hand, I’ve gotten some of the horniest DMs in my life, » he added.
Thanks to his digital footprint, much of Mangione’s life has been laid out in public since his identification and arrest.
« Saturday Night Live » illustrated their sketch by including a shirtless photo of Mangione that has gone viral since it was uncovered by internet sleuths.
Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
Since his arrest, a Mangione look-alike contest has been held in New York City, Spotify playlists have been dedicated to him, and fanfiction featuring him has also been written.
As Business Insider previously reported, Mangione-themed merchandise has also been popping up online.
2024-12-15 14:17:15