SNL takes the Challengers’ horny love triangle drama to a very strange place

Dua Lipa walks back into the room with the sunglasses on featured so prominently on the “Challengers” poster, urging the two boys to act on their mutual attraction, not their attraction. To make matters worse, Hernández’s character has no real interest in the little talking doll. This is a tragic case of trying to force a “Challengers” situation on a guy who just isn’t that into it.

The big question for some viewers is…why Sonny Angel dolls? Why not base the sketch on a different sport instead, perhaps a sillier one where a love triangle surrounding it feels particularly ridiculous? The answer is that Sonny Angel dolls like “Challengers” are very popular among a certain demographic. As the New York Times outlined“Sonny Angel is the name of a fictional two-year-old angel designed to serve as a little companion to working women in their mid-20s as they cope with the stresses of adulthood… (They have been) on the market since 2005 but have recently become increasingly popular.

What is the appeal of the doll? As some fans explained, it’s “one part collecting trend, one part dopamine hit, and part subcultural signifier.” Although many viewers may not have known before last night’s episode of “Saturday Night Live,” that these dolls even existed, a small but notable percentage of the audience was thrilled to know exactly what Dua Lipa was talking about from the moment we saw her shelf. Not everyone has seen Challengers and not everyone cares about Sonny Angel dolls, but if you live at the intersection of these two specific groups of people, this skit is for you.