Arts & Entertainment
Harry Styles’ gay SNL sketch leads to tumult on Twitter for Sara Lee
With Harry Styles as the headliner, Saturday night’s edition of “Saturday Night Live” was guaranteed to draw a lot of gay viewers, and one sketch in particular probably made it worth the effort.
The former One Direction singer, who served as both host and musical guest on this week’s SNL, appeared in a segment (co-written by Cecily Strong, Bowen Yang, and Julio Torres) that seemed a direct nod to his gay fans, playing a gay, hyper-sexed social media manager called in by his bosses at Sara Lee Bread to discuss his off-brand Instagram posts from the corporate account.
Among the posts called to question by his superiors (portrayed by Strong and Yang) was a caption on a product photo saying, “Feeling really depressed after threesome. What was supposed to be a fantasy ended up more rejection. Must get rid of toxic in community,” a post questioning why “guys freak out when I ask them to spit in my mouth,” a string of emojis referencing “getting railed to death,” and comments on a picture of Nick Jonas reading “Wreck me daddy” and “Destroy me king.”
The sketch also featured a photo of Yang and Styles posing together in harnesses.
SNL fans went on Sara Lee’s Twitter to post their own gay comments, causing #SaraLee to trend.
Sara Lee subsequently deleted the posts, prompting Yang to tweet, “Sara Lee disabling and deleting IG comments wow they really could have been THE bread for f*gs [sad face emoji].”
According to Sara Lee’s parent company, Bimbo Bakeries USA, in a comment to the New York Post, “We didn’t participate in creating the skit and its content doesn’t align with Sara Lee Bread’s brand. But, we all know SNL pushes the envelope for laughs and we are taking it in stride.”
The 25-year-old Styles has a long history of teasing his LGBTQ following, prompting Rolling Stone magazine to note that he “likes to cultivate an aura of sexual ambiguity.” He is known for waving rainbow flags at his concerts with the inscription “Make America Gay Again,” and told a fan at the final show of his 2018 World Tour in Los Angeles, “we’re all a little bit gay.” He has also been vocal in his support for the LGBTQ community, such as telling a French talk show in 2017 that “LGBT equality is fundamental, not political,” and has resisted interviewers who have asked him to put a label on his sexuality.
The October-dropped single and accompanying video for “Lights Up” (from Styles’ newest solo album, “Fine Line,” set to be released December 5) was called by Cosmopolitan, “clearly a bisexual anthem,” and LGBTQ fans have noted the pop singer’s prominent display of bisexual pride colors in social media post of the new album’s cover.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
Blade’s Lou Chibbaro subject of new film premiering May 29
Let love and compassion guide our response to Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis
D.C. Black Pride 2025: Events, parties, and empowerment
Cuban lawmakers to consider simplifying process for trans people to change IDs
