It happened on April 15, 2000. Tobey Maguire was hosting. Saturday Night Live was in the thick of a legendary run, and Will Ferrell was, well, being Will Ferrell. You might remember the sketch, or maybe you’ve just heard the whispered legends about it in deep Reddit threads. It’s the "Yoga Class" sketch. Honestly, it’s one of those bits that feels like a fever dream when you try to describe it to someone who hasn’t seen it.
Basically, the premise is simple. A group of students is in a tranquil yoga studio. Tobey Maguire plays the soft-spoken instructor. Everything seems normal until the camera pans to Ferrell. He isn’t just doing a downward dog. He’s attempting—and eventually succeeding at—the impossible. He is performing oral sex on himself.
Yeah. That was the joke.
Why Will Ferrell Yoga SNL Still Matters Today
People still talk about this because it represents a specific brand of "danger" that SNL used to have. It wasn't political satire. It wasn't a celebrity impression. It was pure, unadulterated physical absurdity. The sketch is notoriously difficult to find on official streaming platforms like Peacock or the SNL YouTube channel. Why? Because it’s gross. It’s incredibly NSFW. It’s also, for many, the peak of Ferrell’s "willing to do anything" era.
In the sketch, Ferrell’s character isn’t some pervert trying to be lewd for the sake of it. In his mind, he has simply reached the ultimate level of flexibility. He’s achieved a goal. He’s so dedicated to the craft of yoga that he has unlocked a physical capability that renders the rest of the class—and the world—entirely irrelevant.
He refuses to stop. He’s terrified that if he uncurls, he’ll never get back there again. The comedy comes from the juxtaposition: the serene, spiritual environment of a yoga studio clashing with the guttural, wet, and frankly disturbing noises Ferrell is making in the corner.
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The Mechanics of the Stunt
You've probably wondered how they actually filmed it. Will Ferrell is a tall guy, but he’s not that flexible. If you look closely at the bootleg clips floating around the internet, the trick becomes a bit more obvious.
Ferrell is actually standing through a hole in the floor. Those "legs" wrapped around his head? They’re fake. They are prosthetic legs rigged to look like his own, allowing him to bury his face in his own lap without actually snapping his spine. Even knowing it's a prop doesn't make it any less jarring to watch.
The cast members around him, including Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz, are doing their absolute best to hold it together. Fallon, predictably, breaks about a third of the way through. It’s a classic SNL "breaking" moment, but for once, you can’t really blame him. Seeing one of the greatest comedic minds of a generation muffled by a pair of fake hamstrings is a lot to take in at 11:45 PM on a Saturday.
The "Lost" Status of the Sketch
You won't find this on the "Best of Will Ferrell" DVDs usually. It’s been largely scrubbed. While SNL is known for pushing boundaries, this specific bit hit a nerve with standards and practices that hasn't aged into the "classic" territory in the same way "More Cowbell" did. It’s more of a cult relic.
- The Controversy: It’s arguably too graphic for modern daytime syndication. Even with the "it's just a joke" defense, the imagery is aggressive.
- The Guest Host: Tobey Maguire plays it totally straight, which makes the whole thing weirder. He’s the anchor. Without his calm, instructor-like presence, the sketch would just be a guy making noises in a basement.
- The Writing: It was written during an era where Ferrell, Adam McKay, and the rest of the crew were obsessed with "the long play." They loved taking a joke that was slightly uncomfortable and stretching it until it became unbearable, then keeping it going until it became funny again.
Ferrell has talked about this philosophy before. He once mentioned in an interview that when he could tell a sketch was tanking, he’d actually slow down. He wanted to "punish" the audience. He’d turn a three-minute bit into an eight-minute ordeal just to see who would stay with him. While the yoga sketch didn't necessarily tank—the audience in the studio was losing their minds—it definitely has that DNA of "I am going to do this until you can't look away."
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What Most People Get Wrong
A common misconception is that this was a "Cut for Time" sketch. It wasn't. It aired. It was live. Millions of people saw this in their living rooms in 2000.
Another mistake people make is confusing it with the "Love-ahs" sketches. Those featured Ferrell and Rachel Dratch as Roger and Virginia Klarvin, the overly affectionate couple in the hot tub. While both involve Ferrell being "sensual" in a way that makes everyone uncomfortable, the yoga sketch is a standalone piece of character work. It’s less about a relationship and more about one man’s solitary, disturbing triumph over his own anatomy.
Where to Actually Find It
Since it's not on the official NBC site, you usually have to go to the darker corners of the web.
- Internet Archive: This is the best bet for finding the full episode of Season 25, Episode 17.
- Reddit: Subreddits like r/LiveFromNewYork often have "streamable" links that pop up and get taken down in a constant game of copyright whack-a-mole.
- TikTok/Social Media: Short, grainy clips often circulate as "the sketch SNL doesn't want you to see."
Actionable Insights for SNL Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into this era of comedy, don't just stop at the yoga sketch. To really understand the "Ferrell Method," you have to look at the sketches that built up to that level of absurdity.
First, track down the "Get Off the Shed" bits. That was Ferrell’s breakout. It showed his ability to switch from a normal suburban dad to a screaming maniac in 0.5 seconds.
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Next, watch the "Short Term Memory Loss Theatre." It’s another example of a high-concept, slightly annoying premise that Ferrell sells through sheer commitment.
Finally, look for the "Doctor" sketch with Christopher Walken (the one before the cowbell). It’s about a man who is obsessed with the song "Don't Fear the Reaper." It shows how Ferrell can take a background role and slowly, methodically, hijack the entire room.
The yoga sketch wasn't an outlier. It was the logical conclusion of a comedian who realized that if you're willing to look truly ridiculous—or truly disgusting—the audience has no choice but to follow you.
If you want to find the clip, search for "SNL S25E17 Tobey Maguire" on non-commercial video hosting sites. Be prepared for some very 2000s-era video quality. It’s grainy, it’s loud, and it’s exactly as weird as you’ve heard.
Just don't try the move at home. Seriously. You don't have the fake legs.