Happy Fun Ball

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The "Happy Fun Ball" was the subject of a parody advertisement on Saturday Night Live, originally aired on NBC on February 16, 1991.

Voiced by Phil Hartman, the ad declared that Happy Fun Ball, just $14.95, was "the toy sensation that's sweeping the nation!" However, there were a number of bizarre disclaimers which followed the ad, including "may suddenly accelerate to dangerous speeds" and "if Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke seek shelter and cover head." Its ingredients include "an unknown glowing substance which fell to Earth, presumably from outer space", and said ingredients are not to be "touched, inhaled, or looked at" if exposed due to rupture. Perhaps most famously, viewers are warned, "Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball."

The parody effectively lampooned advertisers, toy manufacturers, chemical companies, absurdly long legal disclaimers, alien conspiracies, and even mentioned the 1991 Gulf War.

Several years later, in the beginning of one of the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer sketches, Happy Fun Ball was presented as one of the sponsors, with the claim that Happy Fun Ball was "Still legal in 16 states. It's happy. It's fun. It's Happy Fun Ball."

[edit] External links

• The full text is available at happyfunball.com.
• Sound samples of Phil Hartman's skit are posted at this fan page.
• More information about the particular episode of Saturday Night Live can be found at snltranscripts.jt.org.
• The actual video is at YouTube.