The Laughing Cow has been having a rough few weeks, and now a Saturday Night Live comedian is stepping in to see if he can get the iconic cheese brand’s mascot laughing again.
Jeremy Culhane, a cast member on SNL, is teaming up with Chicago’s legendary comedy troupe The Second City for a special performance aimed at bringing back The Laughing Cow’s famous laugh. The show will feature improvisers taking on the everyday disagreements that have become the focus of the brand’s recent campaign.
Bel USA
In September, The Laughing Cow made headlines when its mascot stopped laughing for the first time in more than 100 years. The brand later revealed that the change was inspired by the petty disagreements, or “wedge issues,” that can divide people over everything from airplane etiquette to how to load a dishwasher.
Related: The Laughing Cow Just Stopped Laughing After More Than 100 Years—and No One Knows Why
Now, Culhane is hoping comedy can help bring people together again.
“I mean, how often does someone call you and say, ‘Hey, we need your help making a cow laugh?'” Culhane told Parade exclusively. “That’s not an opportunity you get every day. I had to do this. I needed to do this. It was my calling. My vocation.”
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Culhane says the campaign’s message resonates because everyone has experienced a disagreement over something that ultimately doesn’t matter very much.
“Sometimes all it takes is someone pointing out how absurd they are for you to realize they’re actually pretty funny,” he said. “That’s what I love about comedy. If you can get people laughing together, suddenly they’re friends.”
Jeremy Culhane Reveals His Own Biggest ‘Wedge Issues’
Of course, Culhane has a few strong opinions of his own, especially when it comes to food.
“I firmly believe pineapple on pizza is the best topping. Hands down,” he said. “I’ve nearly come to blows over this many times, especially after moving to New York. Everyone says it’s the pizza capital of the world, but WHERE. IS. THE. PINEAPPLE.”
He also has strong feelings about how people pack suitcases and whether hot dogs qualify as sandwiches.
“If a hotdog is a sandwich, a folded pizza is a sandwich,” he joked. “That. Is. Morally. Wrong.”
As for what he’ll bring to the performance, Culhane says he’s counting on good jokes and “a healthy amount of desperation.”
Related: The Laughing Cow Stopped Laughing After More Than 100 Years—Now We Finally Know Why
“I’m just going to show up, have fun with it and try to make her laugh,” he said. “I can’t promise anything, but I’m willing to embarrass myself in front of a cow if that’s what it takes.”
Will Culhane and The Second City improvisers be able to get The Laughing Cow laughing again? Fans can find out when the full comedy special, Let’s Make the Not Laughing Cow Laugh Again!, premieres on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m. ET. The special will stream on The Laughing Cow’s Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook channels.