SNL Threw Shade At Taco Bell's And Arby's Shockingly Low Prices
Beloved fast food chains are often derided for the same reasons they're celebrated. The ability to get a piping hot meal for only $10 is often too alluring to pass up, especially after a long, hard day at work or school. The plethora of cheap, convenient options is likely the reason the fast food industry will bring in $341 billion this year, per IBIS World. Take it at face value, and you can sleep easy at night knowing you got a great deal. However, if you think just a little too long, you may start to wonder how restaurants can swing such cheap prices — especially when, in addition to the cost of ingredients, they also have to pay for wages.
And while many fast food chains have been put under the microscope over their (possibly) questionable food sourcing, it appears that Arby's and Taco Bell get the brunt of the uncertainty. For example, there's been lots of speculation over whether or not Taco Bell uses actual beef in its meat mixture, although Taco Bell's website claims that its seasoned meat is 100% beef. Arby's has faced similar questioning over its roast beef.
Given its famous "We Have The Meats" slogan, the possibility of Arby's not using beef makes you wonder just what they are using — speculation that a recent "Saturday Night Live" sketch (via YouTube) likely fueled.
'SNL' makes fun of Arby's and Taco Bell's prices
On the December 3 episode of "Saturday Night Live," host Keke Palmer showed off her comedic chops in a variety of sketches, including one skit simply titled, "Arby's." During the skit, a mocked-up Arby's commercial (narrated by Kenan Thompson) advertises a deal where customers can buy five roast beef sandwiches for $10.
Palmer sits among customers who wonder how the company can keep prices so low. "That just seems like a lot of roast beef for only $10," says one confused customer. After Thompson explains the deal again, Palmer responds, "Isn't one roast beef sandwich usually $5? ... Cause if roast beef is $11 a pound ... I know bread is cheap, but it's not negative dollars" (via YouTube). Thompson refuses to answer another customer's question over the type of meat being used, and starts spouting off Taco Bell's equally questionable deal — which for $5 includes a pile of food. Once a customer points out that Thompson changed the subject, he hilariously asks if the Arby's deal is looking good to them now.
Naturally, the skit spurred some conversation on Twitter, with one user tweeting: "Hold on ... this Arby's/Taco Bell commercial has a point. Meat is expensive af on the stores, how are restaurants selling all this meat for cheap." Of course, we finally know why Arby's is so cheap.