SNL parody ad jokes that Islamic center will offer abortions and gay weddings

It’s not a mosque, proponents have argued for weeks. A parody ad on Saturday Night Live agreed.

The Park51 cultural center will also be a one stop shop for illegal alien naturalization, abortions and gay weddings, according to the ad that mocks the Republicans “and [the] 70 percent of the DNC” that oppose the mosque.

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Examiner.com observed:

If you’ve been paying attention to the debate surrounding the “Ground Zero Mosque”, then you already know how stupid and tedious the whole thing’s become. People on the right don’t want the mosque built because they think it’s an affront to everyone that died on September 11th, while people on the left are pointing out that religious freedom is, y’know, kinda the point of the United States of America. It’s all very boring and repetitive, but SNL found a way to make it the jumping-off point for the best sketch of the past weekend’s 36th season premiere.

Huffington Post noted:

In this mock commercial/fear campaign by the Republican National Committee, the downtown center is advertised as the premiere place for gay weddings, as well pregnancy terminations and the naturalization of illegal Mexican immigrants, among other things. Bill Hader is hilarious as he advertises doing everything conservatives fear in the place they fear most.

“It’s so much more than a mosque!” said the over-the-top faux announcer.

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“And it’s the place for your gay wedding!” he exclaimed.

“First class from top to bottom. For tops and bottoms. With a 20 percent discount for active military!”

But gay weddings aren’t the only controversial offerings that the parody ad imagines. “Free naturalization for Mexican citizens, a state-of-art pregnancy termination lounge, and a cafe featuring a full espresso bar,” said the announcer.

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“It could happen,” announces an ominous voice at the end of the advertisement.

“Paid for the Republican National Committee and 70 percent of the DNC,” the ad concludes.

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While only a few Democrats –such as former DNC chair Howard Dean — publicly suggested that the mosque should be moved, the punchline appears to be a sly reference to how many in the party have tried to framed it solely as a partisan debate.

Even Democrats in favor of the mosque — such as President Obama — have faced some criticism for not supporting it as strongly as some liberals think they should or for ducking questions on the actual location as opposed to the constitutional issue.

Some conservative bloggers were too busy ranting about the “one-sided” take to notice the late reference to the DNC in the parody ad.

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Hot Air’s Allahpundit complains:

The fake commercial for the Ground Zero mosque is also worth skipping if you’re pressed for time, partly because it’s derivative of Greg Gutfeld’s plan to build a gay bar next door to Park51 and partly because of the lame “twist” at the end. They wanted to goof on the mosque somehow but they didn’t want to take full responsibility for doing so, so they copped out by framing it as a goof on the GOP. Way to be brave, kids.

Not laughing one bit, Jill Stanek — who helps “expose liberal media bias” at NewsBusters — writes,

And of course the Saturday Night Live team would reside in the Democrat camp. Hence their skit this past weekend attempting to pigeonhole those opposed to building a mosque so close to Ground Zero as social conservatives. This mock ad ostensibly by the Republican National Committee “hilarious[ly]… advertises doing everything conservatives fear in the place they fear most,” according to HuffPo…

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“Whatever,” Stanek intoned, before showing why she probably shouldn’t quit her day job to become a late night comedy sketch writer: “An honest ad would have shown homosexuals being imprisoned or stoned, as these are punishments meted in Muslim societies for those committing the practice.”

Add some crescent-shaped coneheads or an ambiguously gay jihad-fighting duo and then Stanek’s sketch might work.

This video is from NBC’s Saturday Night Live, broadcast Sept. 25, 2010.