Ramy Youssef celebrated Ramadan by hosting Saturday Night Live for the first time and starred in a parody sketch about the holiday.
“You know, fasting for Ramadan used to be easy, but the last few years with work and a growing family, it’s felt almost impossible — but not any more thanks to Ozempic for Ramadan,” Youssef, 33, said in a fake commercial for the controversial weight loss medication. “I used to rush to eat a whole meal before dawn, but now I just grab my prayer beads and my Ozempic needle. As long as I shoot up before sunrise, it’s halal.”
Ramadan takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, falling from March 10 to April 9, for Muslims around the world to pray, reflect and come together. One of the ways that practicing Muslims do so is by fasting. Sunday’s SNL sketch pretended to claim that Ozempic could help those individuals stave off hunger pains.
“Ozempic is a medication prescribed to suppress hunger and slow digestion and Ramadan is a month where Muslims abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset,” a voiceover quipped in the sketch. “Side effects may include nausea, headaches and going straight to hell.”
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Ozempic, Wegovy and other similar semaglutide injections have become popular ways for celebrities to drop pounds. The medications were initially prescribed to help adults who struggle with obesity or other weight-related conditions, including high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes. Doctors have not recommended its use for casual weight loss.
The SNL commercial’s voiceover artist further noted that the fictitious Ozempic for Ramadan medication features the same “miraculous hunger-crushing ingredients” of the injectable but without pork. (Many practicing Muslims abstain from eating pork and other food that is not considered halal in their daily diets.)
“With Ozempic for Ramadan, when it’s finally time to eat, I’m not even hungry,” Youssef joked in the sketch. “I think I’m just gonna fast the whole month straight. Probably get extra awards from God? Thanks, Ozempic for Ramadan.”
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Youssef also addressed Ramadan in his opening monologue.
“This is an incredibly spiritual weekend. We’re in the holy month of Ramadan, tomorrow is Easter and yesterday Beyoncé released a new album,” he joked, referring to the Grammy winner’s Cowboy Carter LP that dropped on Friday, March 29. “There’s just so many religions celebrating all at once. I’m doing the Ramadan one. I love Ramadan because I love hanging out with Muslims.”
Saturday Night Live airs on NBC Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET.
