Sonic the Hedgehog, the hedgehog with a need for speed, made a cameo on the May 10 episode of the NBC variety show Saturday Night Live. Seems innoc👍uous, right? It likely would've been had an artist on Twitter not recognized the art used in the show as thei♉r own.
In the SNL skit "Dreams," cast member Cecily Strong imagines being able to attend Sonic the Hedgehog: Musical. TailsChannel on Twitter shared the snippet on their account and the clip became widely circulated throughout the Sonic community. It wasn't long until one Twitter artist BranFlaixx . Folks on🌱 Twitter were quick to sympathize with the artist while also commenting on NBC's unsavory conduct. As one Twitter user who replied to @BranFlaixx's thread said:
It seems like they intentionally ripped off fans so th🃏ey didn’t have to go t𒐪hrough legal loops with SEGA. This both really sucks but is kinda cool for you. Sorry mate :/
Fortunately, @BranFlaixx took the news in stride, commenting on the positive effects the attention has had on their Twitter account and the support he received from the community.
Still, it's understandable why some artists would be troubled by this. Had it not been for the clip's circulation, BranFlaixx might've never received the credit they deserve. Unfortunately, circumstances, where individuals use an artist's work without their consent or credit, are prevalent throughout the art community. But hey, it must be a little flattering knowing that a widely-known show such as SNL used your art in one of their skits.
This wasn't the first time Sonic was lampooned on SNL. Earlier this season, he made a cameo in the "Holiday Baking Challenge" skit in an episode hosted by comedian and SNL alumn Eddie Murphy. In the skit, Murphy's character bakes a cake of the gaming mascot - only for viewers to learn that the confection he made scarcely resembles the hedgehog and more like💧 a lab experiment gone wrong.