In a satirical music video titled “Welcome to Hell,” the female members of the Saturday Night Live cast welcomed men to the world of sexism. Saturday Night Live is produced in New York City, with the actors doubling as writers for each script, including this video. The video was inspired by the recent sexual harassment allegations in Hollywood, starting with Harvey Weinstein. The video brought to light that although the accusations are new, sexual harassment is not. Throughout the video, the women portray multiple historical instances of sexism, such as the Salem Witch Trials and Rosie the Riveter. The women bring up weapons commonly used for defense in a cute manner, by coloring everything in pastels and making light of the depressing reality. …show more content…
When first clicking on the video, it appears to be similar to a Katy Perry music video. The scenery is completely pastel, filled with ice cream, candy, and rainbows; the embodiment of the feminine stereotype. Along with the scenery, the women are all wearing pastel dresses with lavish jewelry and overdone makeup to exaggerate their feminine side. While welcoming men to their “hell,” the women describe the sexual harassment bubble as their “hometown” and smile. The women use logos again to demonstrate how backwards the gender system has been by using charming girlish attitudes, a stark contrast to the real meaning of the video. The message is dark and directly says that sexual harassment is not a new idea and that women have been suffering for years. The SNL cast approached the video with the intention of calling out men for not being supporters and yet also being surprised when the women complain. The women bring up a common question that men ask while discussing sexual harassment: “why didn’t you say something, babygirl?” and follow the question with examples of times in history that women spoke up about inequality and were still silenced. Their examples include “witches” from the Salem Witch Trials, and marchers for the women’s right to vote. While discussing these heavy topics, the women are smiling and singing to an upbeat tune. The contrast of the two raises alarm and makes the viewer think more about the seriousness of the