The latest target of SNL's comedic force? Fast fashion brands. Last week, the show presented a hard-hitting and hilarious ad for “Xiemu”, a fictional company that sells fast fashion from China. Throughout the ad, actors like Jake Gyllenhaal and Ego Nwodim are seen sporting Xiemu clothes such as $5 heels and $3 t-shirts. They are told not to worry about the material composition of their pieces, the number of working hours employees endure, or how the clothes can really be that cheap.
The skit (coincidentally or not) has arrived on the heels of an investigative report published by Swiss advocacy group Public Eye on the employment practices and ethics standards of Shein today, as compared to their original report in 2021. The organization found that, among other blatant violations, employees of Shein suppliers are still working 75 hour work weeks, despite the company’s promises to improve labor conditions. One employee mentioned to Public Eye, “I work every day from 8 in the morning to 10:30 at night and take one day off each month. I can’t afford any more days off because it costs too much.” Multiple Youtube comments on the clip have also highlighted the video possibly being banned in China, with users saying they can only access it via VPN.
The skit ends with Nwodim asking “be real, is this shady?” to which the ad narrator promptly replies “if it was, would you stop buying it?” All the actors state that no, they would in fact keep shopping, a direct point made by SNL on the “don’t worry about it” mentality that we as consumers have taken on in order to keep buying more, all while turning a blind eye to the violations committed daily within fast fashion supply chains.
In a manner that is witty and bold, SNL takes on fast fashion and makes a statement on the responsibilities and actions of both suppliers and consumers that make up the industry. While the key targets of the skit are Chinese companies such Shein and Temu, all of us do, in fact, need to “worry about it”.
