One of the weirder things about this year’s Super Bowl is that among the hugely expensive commercials for all sorts of consumer products will be at least a couple of political campaign ads, including a full 60-second long spot for Democratic candidate Michael Bloomberg.
Bloomberg is paying at least $10 million for the spot, which, damn. That’s a lot to spend on a campaign that probably won’t see even tepid success in an already packed primary. Which means people can probably expect something designed to be really, really attention-grabbing.
How will it look? We have no idea. But on “Full Frontal” Wednesday, Samantha Bee made an educated guess with a very funny, ruthlessly satirical parody ad mocking Bloomberg’s campaign, his very public record, and pretty much every single Super Bowl ad from the last several decades.
The ad imagines that Bloomberg’s pitch will be that voting for “a responsible candidate” is stupid and nerdy, unlike the former New York mayor who, we find out, is a major party animal. “That’s right! It’s former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg” who, the ad promises, “ain’t your daddy’s straight white billionaire.”
The ad tells people how when he was mayor, Bloomberg made sodas smaller, hypes his oft-mocked plan to turn the White House into an open-office, and of course reminds people that Bloomberg “sorta apologized for stop-and-frisk” policing, a policy widely criticized as racist. But before the ad’s protagonist can process that last bit, or the cost of the ad, a party breaks out and drowns out all the misgivings.
The fake ad also features a doggie that looks a lot like Spuds Mackenzie, and an appearance by two-time Super Bowl champion linebacker Carl Banks. Watch it below.
When it comes to wasting money and bad ideas, Mike Bloomberg is consistent. With a little help from 2x Super Bowl champ @CarlBanksGIII, we managed to get our hands on Bloomberg’s $10 million Super Bowl ad. pic.twitter.com/l1YuQeHMhD
— Samantha Bee (@realsambee) January 30, 2020