If you’ve spent any time on the internet during the month of December, you’ve seen them. The red suits. The creepy, unblinking eyes. The stiff felt limbs. Most people think of the Elf on the Shelf as a benign—if slightly terrifying—parenting tool designed to keep kids from acting like monsters before Christmas. But Saturday Night Live (SNL) saw something else in those plastic faces. They saw a goldmine of physical comedy and deep-seated existential dread. The SNL Elf on the Shelf sketches have become a holiday staple not just because they're funny, but because they tap into the weird, voyeuristic reality of the actual toy.
Let’s be honest. The concept is objectively bizarre. A magical scout sits on your bookshelf and reports your sins to a magical billionaire in the North Pole? It’s basically "My First Surveillance State." When SNL decided to personify these dolls, they didn't just go for cheap laughs. They leaned into the physical discomfort of being a human-sized doll forced to hold a single, awkward pose for hours on end.
The Night Jason Momoa Broke the Internet’s Holiday Spirit
When Jason Momoa hosted SNL in 2018, the writers handed him a red felt hat and told him to get on a shelf. It was a stroke of genius. Seeing a man who looks like he could wrestle a Great White shark trying to appear "dainty" and "magical" is the peak of high-concept contrast.
In this specific sketch, we see the internal monologue of the elfin scouts. Momoa plays Scrappy, an elf who is clearly struggling with the physical demands of the job. He’s massive. He’s muscular. He’s crammed into a tiny corner of a teenager's bedroom. The humor here doesn't come from puns; it comes from the sheer absurdity of his presence. While the other elves (played by Mikey Day and Cecily Strong) are trying to maintain the "magic," Momoa is having a full-blown crisis because he's stuck watching a teenage boy navigate the awkwardness of puberty.
It’s gross. It’s hilarious. It’s exactly what the show does best.
The sketch works because it acknowledges the "rules" of the Elf on the Shelf lore. You can't move while the humans are awake. You can't be touched, or you’ll lose your magic. For a guy like Momoa, these rules are a prison sentence. The physical comedy of him trying to maintain a "twinkle in his eye" while witnessing the horrors of a 13-year-old's private life is top-tier SNL.
Ryan Gosling and the High-Stakes World of Plastic Surveillance
Fast forward to 2024. Ryan Gosling returns to Studio 8H. Gosling is arguably one of the best "straight man" comedic actors working today because he commits to the bit with a terrifying level of intensity. In his take on the SNL Elf on the Shelf trope, the stakes aren't just physical discomfort—they're psychological.
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In this iteration, the elves are essentially a high-stakes reconnaissance unit. Gosling plays an elf who is deeply traumatized by what he’s seen. He’s not just reporting "naughty or nice" behavior; he’s witnessing the slow collapse of a suburban marriage. This is where SNL’s writing shines. They take a childhood tradition and wrap it in the aesthetics of a gritty prestige drama.
- The Look: Gosling's makeup is perfectly matte, mimicking that weird, smooth plastic sheen of the actual dolls.
- The Pose: The actors have to maintain that classic "hands-on-knees" crouch, which looks agonizing.
- The Tone: It’s played like Zero Dark Thirty but with more glitter and felt.
People often ask why these sketches resonate so much more than other holiday bits like "Santa’s Elves" or "The Christmas Candle." It’s because the Elf on the Shelf is a modern tradition that many people—parents and kids alike—secretly find a little bit haunting. SNL isn't inventing the creepiness; they're just pointing a spotlight at it.
Why the Physical Comedy of the "Plastic Face" Works
There is a specific technique used in the SNL Elf on the Shelf sketches that rarely gets enough credit: the "Dead Eye" stare. Actors like Mikey Day, who is a veteran of these bits, have mastered the ability to keep their eyes wide and unblinking for minutes at a time.
Think about the sheer discipline required. You are under hot studio lights. You are wearing a heavy, probably itchy, red spandex suit. You have a giant white collar that limits your neck movement. And you have to stay perfectly still while a live audience is roaring with laughter.
This isn't just "acting." It’s endurance.
The writers also play with the "magic" of the toy. In the real world, parents move the elf every night. In the SNL world, the elves have to find their own spots. This leads to bits where the elves are complaining about the "rankings" of the locations. Being on the mantle? That’s prestige. Being in the bathroom? That’s a demolition of your dignity.
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The Evolution of the Sketch
SNL has a history of "object personification," but the elf bits are different. They aren't puppets or CGI. They are humans pretending to be inanimate objects that are pretending to be alive. It’s a weird, meta-commentary on the holiday season.
We’ve seen different versions over the years:
- The Newbie: An elf who doesn't understand the "no touching" rule.
- The Veteran: An elf who has seen too many holiday seasons and is completely cynical.
- The Deviant: An elf who actually enjoys the voyeuristic side of the job a little too much.
Each version adds a layer to the lore. By the time Gosling and Chloe Fineman were doing their version, the audience already knew the "rules" of the sketch, allowing the writers to push the boundaries of how dark the humor could go.
Addressing the "Creep Factor"
Let's get real for a second. The actual Elf on the Shelf book, written by Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell, was meant to be a sweet family tradition. But the internet—and SNL by extension—reclaimed it as a horror trope. There’s a reason search terms for the SNL Elf on the Shelf spike every December. People are looking for a way to laugh at the slightly unsettling feeling of being watched by a toy.
Experts in child psychology have actually debated the merits of the toy for years. Some say it’s a fun way to encourage good behavior. Others, like Dr. Laura Pinto, have argued that it "normalizes the idea of surveillance" for children. SNL takes that academic concern and turns it into a joke about an elf seeing a dad eat an entire block of cheese over the sink at 3:00 AM.
The humor is a release valve. It takes the pressure off the "perfect holiday" image and admits that the whole thing is kind of a mess.
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Realism vs. Absurdity
What makes these sketches "human-quality" comedy is the groundedness. Despite the ridiculous costumes, the dialogue is often very mundane. They talk about their "shifts." They talk about their "boss" (Santa) like he’s a middle manager at a paper company.
When Jason Momoa’s elf complains about his "lower back issues" from crouching on a bookshelf, it’s relatable. Everyone has had a job where the physical requirements were more than they signed up for. The fact that his job is "magical snitch" just adds the flavor.
Practical Takeaways for Your Holiday Viewing
If you're going to dive into the world of SNL holiday sketches, don't just stop at the elves. But if you want to understand why the SNL Elf on the Shelf remains the king of the mountain, watch the sketches in chronological order. You can see the progression from simple "weird doll" jokes to complex character studies.
- Watch for the "Breaks": SNL actors are notorious for breaking character (laughing) during the elf sketches because the physical positions are so ridiculous.
- Notice the Props: The production design team at SNL creates oversized furniture to make the actors look "toy-sized." It’s a subtle trick that makes the visual much more convincing.
- Check the Cameos: Sometimes the "humans" in the sketch are played by the biggest stars of the night, but the elves always steal the show.
How to get the most out of your SNL holiday binge:
To truly appreciate the craft, pay attention to the makeup. The "plastic" look is achieved using heavy silicone-based foundations that don't sweat off under the lights. It’s a nightmare for the actors' skin, but it’s essential for the illusion.
If you're looking for the best way to share these with friends, look for the official "SNL Holiday Special" compilations usually released on YouTube or Peacock in early December. They curate the best versions so you don't have to hunt through 40 years of archives.
Next Steps for the Superfan:
- Compare the Jason Momoa Elf with the Ryan Gosling Elf. One relies on physical size contrast; the other relies on psychological intensity.
- Look up the "behind the scenes" clips of the costume fittings. The red suits are notoriously difficult to get into.
- Pay attention to the background details in the "teenager's room" sets. The SNL art department hides amazing Easter eggs in the posters and props that most people miss on the first watch.
The brilliance of the SNL Elf on the Shelf isn't just that it's funny—it's that it turned a plastic toy into a mirror for our own holiday anxieties. It’s weird, it’s stiff, and it’s exactly what we need when the "magic" of the season starts to feel a little too forced.