Nintendo is often referenced in popular culture: the company's characters appear in movies, songs, and popular television shows. However, the Japanese giant does not always approve of how its intellectual property is portrayed.
Discontent in Nintendo Offices
In a recent episode of their podcast, former Nintendo of America employees Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang spoke about the company's internal reaction to a 2021 episode of the late-night show Saturday Night Live (SNL). In that episode, billionaire Elon Musk took on the persona of the villain Wario during a courtroom trial sketch.
According to the former employees, management was not at all thrilled with what they saw:
- Krysta Yang: "They really did not like that bit with Elon Musk in 2021. It went over very poorly."
- Kit Ellis: "We were still working at the company then. Nobody liked that sketch. It came out of nowhere, wasn't tied to any Nintendo release, and some of the jokes touched on topics that were uncomfortable for the company."
Parody Protection in the US
Despite the bosses' dissatisfaction, Nintendo could do nothing about it. US copyright law protects parody and satire under the "Fair Use" doctrine, so the company simply had no legal leverage to pressure the show's creators.
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