Walking in High Heels Might Not Be Kate McKinnon’s Strong Suit
Published Dec. 18 2021, 12:03 p.m. ET
Now that its former “Can you hear me now?” guy is shilling for rival wireless network T-Mobile, Verizon has enlisted a two-time Emmy winner to appeal to viewers.
But it seems those who have seen Kate McKinnon’s Verizon television commercials have just one question on their mind: Why does she walk the way she does in those commercials, and, as one forum user added, “Is that her normal gait?”
On Reddit, one viewer had an empathetic theory. “Honestly, she walks around like she’s never worn heels, which is likely,” that person wrote. “Why wouldn’t they just put her in flats or some other sensible shoe option that lets her walk comfortably?”
Other people, however, weren’t so kind…
Viewers compared her walk to that of a velociraptor, Frankenstein’s monster… or even a pregnant yak.
In the same Reddit thread — and in this one — viewers subjected Kate to unflattering comparisons. Here’s a sampling:
“She walks like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park in those heels. I’ve never seen a woman less graceful in heels than her.”
“She walks like she took a big ol’ dump but there wasn’t any toilet paper in the bathroom. So she’s actually on her way to another bathroom to find toilet paper, but trying to be discreet about it and shoot the commercial first.”
“She walks like the alien lizard inside her is failing to walk like a human. Every time I watch her I think of Ed from Men in Black.”
“Why the hell does Kate McKinnon walk like Frankenstein’s monster?”
“She clearly never learned to walk in heels, and so looks like a pregnant yak when she tries.”
Viewers don’t know what’s up with her hand in her pocket, either.
OK, maybe viewers have two questions about Kate’s Verizon ads. Another Reddit thread is titled, “What is the reason Kate McKinnon awkwardly keeps her hand in her pocket through the majority of this Verizon commercial?”
One commenter pointed out that Kate also keeps one hand in her pocket — Alanis Morissette-style — in her Tostitos commercial with Dan Levy.
“Maybe she’s just comfortable with her hand in her pocket?” another commented added. “Maybe she’s fondling the fat stack of cash she made to be in their ad. Who cares? LOL, let her live.”
Kate’s talents are better used elsewhere, especially ‘Saturday Night Live.’
If you’re cringing over Kate’s Verizon ads as much as these naysayers are, you should see the 37-year-old’s other work. She’s been nominated for the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy for her work on Saturday Night Live every year since 2014, for example, and won in 2016 and 2017. And she scored Critics’ Choice Movie Award nominations for her performances in the films Ghostbusters and Bombshell, the latter of which also scored her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
Plus, Kate will play infamous big-cat owner Carole Baskin — of Tiger King fame — in the upcoming Peacock series Joe Exotic. And the real Carole even gave her seal of approval to the actress’ transformation for the part. Way to walk the walk, Kate!