Saturday Night Live brought Momo to life in a sketch during last night’s episode.
Videos by ComicBook.com
SNL took the artistic creation at the center of a viral child suicide hoax and turned her into Bok Bok, the mascot for a fast food chicken chain.
Watch the sketch above.
The so-called Momo Suicide Game allegedly began on WhatsApp in Japan. The game gained infamy when it was thought to be linked to the suicide of a 12-year-old girl in 2018. The challenge spread further, inviting participants to participate in self-harm. Those who refused to comply were sent graphic images, taunts, and threats.
The investigation into the girl’s death is still ongoing, but companies are taking steps against the “game.”
“WhatsApp cares deeply about the safety of our users,” a WhatsApp spokesperson told Fox News in 2018. “It’s easy to block any phone number and we encourage users to report problematic messages to us so we can take action.”
Reports of Momo’s return via YouTube have been deemed false, but it has put the viral challenge back into the spotlight, leading to the SNL bit. The return of Momo began with a report from the United Kingdom where a mother claimed Momo appeared in an unrelated video her child was watching.
“The video paused halfway through, but he didn’t press pause,” the mother said. “Then the Momo face popped up and was making weird noises. He couldn’t hear everything it said but it was saying ‘I’m going to kill you’ and he thinks it said ‘I will hurt your friends.’
“He turned it off straight away and ran downstairs. He was absolutely terrified. He wouldn’t leave my side at all after it happened. He wouldn’t stay in a room alone and he had to sleep with me in my bed last night. He asked for our German shepherd to sleep on my bed also so she could chase away Momo if she got into my room.”
Even though this report has been called a hoax, YouTube took measures by demonetizing videos about YouTube, even news reports from legitimate organizations.
The frightening face of the Momo Suicide Game comes from an art installation titled Mother Bird created by a sculptor named Keisuke in 2016. Keisuke has said that he feels “responsible” and that Momo is now “dead.”
“It doesn’t exist anymore, it was never meant to last,” the artist told The Sun. “It was rotten and I threw it away. The children can be reassured Momo is dead – she doesn’t exist and the curse is gone.”
What did you think of SNL‘s take on Momo? Let us know in the comments.
If you feel you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It is a free, 24-hour hotline, at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
—–
Have you subscribed to ComicBook Nation, the official Podcast of ComicBook.com yet? Check it out by clicking here or listen below.
In this latest episode, we talk Arrow coming to an end, new Avengers: Endgame footage shown, a HUGE Captain Marvel discussion & so much more! Make sure to subscribe now and never miss an episode!
