You've Seen The Avatar Sequel, Now Watch Ryan Gosling's Papyrus Sequel
In 2017, Ryan Gosling starred in "Papyrus," a "Saturday Night Live" sketch about Steven, a man fixated on the issue of our time: "Avatar," one of the most expensive and successful movies ever made, used the basic Papyrus font for its logo. Surely the graphic design team had resources to experiment more? To get to the bottom of this conspiracy, Gosling's character takes to stalking one of them.
The joke at the heart of "Papyrus" is how it's made in the style of a prestige drama, from the heavy violin score to the dramatic car crash. Gosling, a true movie star with a talent for committing to the bit (watch him perform "I'm Just Ken" from "Barbie" live at the Oscars), acts with deepest sincerity in "Papyrus."
The sketch caught on so much that even "Avatar" director James Cameron eventually commented on the use of Papyrus (his response: "I like the font"). Well, in the years since it aired, "Avatar: The Way of Water" hit theaters with a similar (but not identical) logo. This week's episode of "Saturday Night Live" was once again hosted by Ryan Gosling, and checked back in on Steven with "Papyrus 2." The sketch was cut for time in the episode itself, but is viewable on YouTube.
Papyrus: The Way of Paper
"Papyrus 2" is more than twice as long as the original sketch, clocking in at almost seven minutes long. Steven, now looking more disheveled with longer hair, has gotten over his fixation with help from a support group and found love again. Or has he?
At a dentist appointment, Steven sees "The Way of Water" playing on the TV. When the movie gets to its title card, he sees the font is no longer boilerplate Papyrus, but slightly different. As he tries to sleep it off, he can't and checks Microsoft Word, discovering "Avatar" graphic artist Jacob Crone (Kyle Mooney) just used bolded Papyrus for the new logo. You be the judge of that:
Chris Costello/Linotype
20th Century Studios
Steven breaks out his conspiracy corkboard and starts to see street signs morph into Papyrus. In a hilarious twist that fits the faux-serious tone of "Papyrus," it turns out he didn't meet his new girlfriend (Sarah Sherman) incidentally. She works for Disney's IT department and he stalked her to arrange a meeting, all so he can get to Crone. At a Disney company award ceremony, Steven shows up and calls out Crone, finally confronting him about his use of Papyrus face-to-face.
What does Crone have to say to the world's #1 Papyrus hater? I won't spoil the ending of this epic saga here.
"Saturday Night Live" returns to NBC on May 4, with Dua Lipa pulling double duty as both guest host and musical guest.