2016 / Video / Absurdist sketch-comedy viral moment
David S. Pumpkins
Tom Hanks in a pumpkin suit, two skeletons, and 73 floors of unexplained haunted-elevator appearances.
The original is hosted off-site; this page provides context and a link to it.
What was this?
Every time the elevator doors opened, the passengers hoped for a coherent horror premise. Instead: David S. Pumpkins, a tiny dance, and another insistence that he was part of the experience. The sketch made confusion the engine, then refused to answer the one question it kept asking: “Any questions?”
Why it spread
SNL’s official upload spread through clips, quotes, Halloween costumes, and repeated attempts to explain the character to new viewers. The pumpkin-print suit sold out within days.
What happened
Every time the elevator doors opened, the passengers hoped for a coherent horror premise. Instead: David S. Pumpkins, a tiny dance, and another insistence that he was part of the experience. The sketch made confusion the engine, then refused to answer the one question it kept asking: “Any questions?”
Where it came from
Saturday Night Live introduced David S. Pumpkins in the “Haunted Elevator” sketch in October 2016. Tom Hanks played a man in a pumpkin-print suit who kept appearing on a haunted ride with two silent skeleton dancers, apparently as a featured attraction despite having no explanation for anything.
Why it mattered
David S. Pumpkins became popular without extensive backstory or explanation. Its name, two skeleton dancers, and repeated interruptions supplied the entire comic structure.
How it spread
SNL’s official upload spread through clips, quotes, Halloween costumes, and repeated attempts to explain the character to new viewers. The pumpkin-print suit sold out within days.
Keep going
Related moments
It takes a lot to make a stew. A pinch of salt, a dash of dread.
Darth Vader’s less imposing younger brother runs the day shift at a grocery store.
“Look at your man. Now back at me.” The campaign turned a commercial into an online event.
A sales representative called for web support, setting off a chaotic desktop-screen parody.