Ramy Youssef cheekily observed the holy month of Ramadan on “Saturday Night Live” with a parody ad offering a simple solution addressing the difficulties of fasting.
“You know, fasting for Ramadan used to be easy. But the last few years, with work and a growing family, it’s felt almost impossible. But not anymore. Thanks to Ozempic for Ramadan,” Youssef says in the sketch.
“I used to rush to eat a whole meal before dawn,” he continues, opening the fridge while it’s still dark outside. “Now, I just grab my prayer beads and Ozempic needle. As long as I shoot up before the sun rises, it’s halal.”
Kenan Thompson also appears in the sketch as a halal cart owner struggling to resist the delicious smell of his own product. “With Ozempic for Ramadan, now I don’t even get hangry when white women ask if I have salmon,” he says after stabbing himself with the Ozempic needle.
Ego Nwodim also stars in the sketch as an office worker “on Google Sheets going HAM — no haram,” while Andrew Dismukes is a convert showing off his 27-inch waist.
“Side effects may include nausea, headache and going straight to hell.” boasts the narrator of the parody commercial. “And for those of you claiming this is the exact product rebranded for a new, burgeoning Muslim demographic: that’s Islamophobic!”
Earlier in the episode, during his “SNL” monologue, Youssef joked, “This is an incredibly spiritual weekend. We’re in the holy month of Ramadan. Tomorrow is Easter. And yesterday, Beyoncé released a new album. There’s just so many religions celebrating all at once.”
He also talked about the power of prayer, and asked God to “free the people of Palestine” and to “free the hostages” taken in the Israel-Hamas War.