“Saturday Night Live” fans were puzzled to see a tease telling viewers to go online to see “Papyrus 2,” a sequel to host Ryan Gosling’s cult favorite sketch from 2017. The sketch sequel wasn’t even immediately released, not being posted online until the wee hours of the night.
“SNL” fans have long praised the original “Papyrus” sketch, digging into one man’s continued obsession with the fact that 2009’s “Avatar” used what appeared to be the stock font Papyrus for the logo of the billion-dollar box office smash.
Its cultural impact included James Cameron himself commenting on it as “Avatar: The Way of Water” was released, claiming, “I didn’t even know it was Papyrus, no one asked me! I just thought the art department has come up with this cool font.” The font’s actual designer responded shortly after the original sketch, agreeing that it was overexposed and that he hadn’t meant it to be so widely used.
Gosling’s character, Steven, was driven mad by the choice in the original. He ultimately showed up outside the home of the movie’s mocking graphic designer (played by Kyle Mooney) and screamed, “I know what you did!”
The original also teased that Gosling had almost gotten over his obsession … until his therapist (played by Kate McKinnon) informed him that director James Cameron was making more “Avatar” movies, and that it didn’t appear they had plans to change the logo.
What happens in “Papyrus 2”
“Papyrus 2” opens with Steven in a group therapy session. He continues to cope, looking to avoid the font on the rare occasions it pops up in real life, such as a man printing flyers. He’s even started dating again, sharing his struggles as he goes out with a character played by Sarah Sherman.
But while getting dental work done, he realizes the overhead television is playing “Avatar: The Way of Water” — and while he tries to ask for the film to be turned off, his muffled dental mumbles are ignored. As the logo for the 2022 sequel appears on screen, however, a shocked yet relieved Gosling realizes that it’s different.
“The logo’s different!” Steven exclaims. “OK, it’s not a huge improvement, but it’s not Papyrus. Somebody must have said something.”
A hopeful Gosling is finally able to rest, once again finding hope in the world. Under two minutes in, the screen goes to black and we’re teased that maybe, just maybe, Steven has found justice.
Until he awakes and goes to his computer. He types in “Avatar” in all caps, sets the font to Papyrus … and then makes it bold.
“He just put it in bold,” Steven realizes. “All the money in the world, and he just put it in bold.”
Diving into online research, Steven discovers that it’s the same designer as the original film, Kyle Mooney’s Jacob Crone.
“It took him seconds — a minute, tops,” the frustrated Gosling says. “Years to right the wrong of the first logo, and what does he do? He just highlights the first one and puts it in bold.”
As he walks with Sherman, he makes a comment about her being an IT worker for Disney. She realizes she never told him that she worked for Disney — and we see Gosling in all his madness, using Google Maps to stalk Sherman, knowing her job before he even met her.
Gosling walks down the street and begins to see Papyrus everywhere, from street signs to Dunkin’ and Taco Bell logos shifting into the cursed font.
He shows up at Sherman’s apartment, telling her that they’re going to her work awards event. We see him forcibly bringing a confused Sherman with him into a ballroom, which we discover is the Disney Graphic Awards Ball.
Mooney, wearing a tuxedo in a reprise of his 2017 role, celebrates his award for the logo.
“Tell them what you did,” Gosling demands from the crowd, adding in a sing-songy voice, “The Avatar logo’s Papyrus in bold!”
Gosling continues, “It’s an afterthought! ‘Avatar’ spawned worlds, right? Every little leaf of every little flower, every little eyelash of every little creature, thoroughly thought out. But the logo? It’s Papyrus, in bold.”
The outraged Gosling questions where James Cameron was as this font choice was made. “He’s probably at the bottom of the f–king ocean!” he screams of the famously deep sea-obsessed filmmaker.
A compassionate Mooney approaches Gosling, asking him his name … which we discover is “Steven Wingdings.” Mooney presses, discovering that his father was Jonathan Wingdings, creator of the absurdist font featuring no recognizable English characters.
Mooney expresses his empathy for Gosling having to grow up with “such a deliberately obtuse man. Someone who created something so complicated.”
The designer continues with an ode to Papyrus and its simplicity, claiming it was there from the beginning of civilization itself. He praises its use by reiki healers and in the first Western publication of the “Kama Sutra,” as well as by “pioneer middle schoolers who burn the edges of their book reports to give it that old-timey feel.”
Mooney shares with Gosling that he’d been compelled by the film, by the font, to “make it bold, to bring you to me, to teach you … to let go.”
“My dad was so hard to read,” Steven Wingdings responds. “And ‘Avatar’ wasn’t too big of a movie to use Papyrus. It’s humble enough to say, thank you.”
The crowd wildly applauds as Gosling’s Steven comes to terms, reaching peace … at least for now.
The sketch ends with “Papyrus” written in the dreaded Comic Sans, just as the original ended, while a subtitle appears — in Wingdings.
You can watch the full glorious seven minutes of “Papyrus 2” with Ryan Gosling at the top of this story.
