Every once in a while, Saturday Night Live drops a skit that tries to lampoon culture, but instead lands squarely in the territory of tone-deaf. The recent “Non-Non-Alcoholic Beer” sketch is one of those moments.
I get it. Comedy is meant to push boundaries. It’s supposed to hold up a mirror and make us laugh at ourselves. But there’s a big difference between clever satire and lazy humor that perpetuates stigma. This fake commercial—where a cheerful dad discovers a “non-non-alcoholic beer” that’s 90% alcohol—doesn’t just miss the punchline. It takes a cheap shot at people who are doing the hard work of living sober.
The Joke Isn’t New—It’s Just Old and Cruel
The setup plays like a parody of the sober lifestyle: the idea that people who choose not to drink are secretly desperate to fall off the wagon, or that sobriety is something to mock. The line “Now I can drink and drive!” isn’t just off-color—it’s dangerous. It trivializes addiction, recovery, and the daily effort millions of people make to stay healthy and present for their families.
SNL has the comedic power to punch up—to satirize the alcohol industry, peer pressure, or the social obsession with drinking—but instead, they punched down. They made fun of people who are trying to do better for themselves and their loved ones.
Here’s the Real Cultural Joke: Sobriety Still Isn’t Seen as Normal
What this sketch really highlights is how normalized alcohol still is in our culture. You’re weird if you don’t drink. You’re boring if you order a mocktail. You’re suspect if you say you’re sober.
This is exactly the kind of messaging that keeps people stuck in shame. It reinforces the idea that something’s wrong with you if you choose health over hangovers, or presence over blackout. That mindset doesn’t just harm individuals—it holds back cultural progress.
We Deserve Better Comedy
Humor has evolved. We can be funny and conscious. We can laugh and lead with empathy. Sobriety isn’t a punchline—it’s a storyline. It’s courage, healing, clarity, and community. If SNL really wanted to do something smart, they could flip the script: show what it’s like to be the only sober one at the party and still be the life of it. That’s the truth a lot of us are living—and it’s actually hilarious, relatable, and full of life.
My Challenge to SNL
To the writers at Saturday Night Live: you can do better. You’ve tackled taboo topics before with wit and compassion. So why not take a shot (pun intended) at reframing how we see sobriety? Because making fun of recovery isn’t edgy—it’s outdated.
Sobriety isn’t the absence of fun. It’s the presence of intention. And trust me—there’s nothing “non-non” about that.
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2 Comments
Allyse:
People who become Sober and then become pontificating windbags of their own Justice League should be told when to shut up,…. so here I am. Shut up.
You obviously have no sense of humor and don’t think alcohol should be laughed at….. so let me explain the joke to you.
The entire idea that there is, “Non-Alcoholic Beer” is absurd….. I was talking to a sober buddy of mine and said, “So you don’t drink non-alcoholic beer?”…. and he laughed and said, “Of course not,…. why would I want to be reminded of the taste of the thing I loved that almost killed me”……….. that’s part 1. Part 2 is the double negative. Non-Non-Alcoholic beer makes it alcoholic beer….. if you don’t understand that thats actually a good and clever joke,…. well then you’ve proved my point that you don’t have a sense of humor and are wholly unqualified to tell us what is and isn’t funny.
So I’m glad you’re sober,…. I’m sorry about your panties being all scrunched up,….. and lighten the fuck up.
Hey man, thanks for sharing the feedback. I can assure you my panties are not in a bunch. The humor of that sketch did not fly over my head. And I admittedly got triggered by the poking fun at drinking and driving and reacted by writing what I did. I did think it was funny UNTIL it got to that part. I’ve had too many people I’ve loved killed by drunk drivers, so yeah, I guess I’m never going to find that funny. After I posted that opinion piece (Fall 2025), I actually appeared on our live podcast and got schooled by a few of our contributors for taking it too seriously. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lps80tHHKB0&t=3s I laugh at alcohol and drug jokes on the regular. I really do. I’m not sure what was going on in my life at the time that led to the reaction I had. So it’s how I felt at the time. I won’t apologize for it. Do I feel the same way a year later? No, not really. I’ve actually come to believe it was pretty awesome that the conversation ended up in the zeitgeist.