Considering the current crisis, most TV viewers expected their favorite live studio and pre-taped shows to go on a hiatus until social distancing and group gathering restrictions are lifted. And while that’s true for a lot of shows, others have found ways to still deliver their programming, only through a different format.
Saturday Night Live, for example, delivered a weekly show that was unlike anything fans have seen in the show’s 45 seasons. The SNL cast delivered a full episode created and taped from their homes.
There were a number of SNL sketches during the night that poked fun at the current situation, including a very timely parody of Zoom meetings. But gamers took particular delight in a sketch focused on making fun of Twitch streamers.
In a pre-taped sketch, SNL’s Mikey Day dons the persona of CamPlayzDat, a Twitch streamer who is trying to show off his skill in Call of Duty’s Warzone Battle Royale mode. But unlike real streamers Shroud, NickMercs, or Ninja, CamPlayzDat is not very good at Battle Royale games.
The sketch pokes fun at the streamer personality and how many of them try to highlight their skill in a game even when they are struggling. We’ve all seen a streamer who is struggling, but CamPlayzDat is an even bigger exaggeration.
Of course, many will point out that, although the sketch is supposed to be focused on Warzone, the match is actually Free-for-all on the Modern Warfare map Rust. Mikey Day even acknowledges the goof, but it’s clear that no one experienced Call of Duty players on staff chimed in.
Still, the intent is there, and like the Fortnite skit from a few SNL seasons ago, the sketch is plenty funny. There’s a lot that the sketch gets right, especially the colorful transitions and the interactions with “chat.”
