‘SNL’ gleefully defends Zuckerberg, pokes fun at Facebook

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Mark Zuckerberg must have friends at NBC.

The billionaire founder of Facebook showed up on ‘Saturday Night Live’s’ Weekend Update as a character played by Andy Samberg, an appearance that cemented the real Zuckerberg’s new status as a pop-culture phenom.

Anchor Seth Meyers asked the Zuckerberg character whether he’d gone to see ‘The Social Network,’ the controversial film about his company’s founding written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher.

‘What? Don’t be ridiculous, I’m 26, I stole it online.’

Meyers asked Zuckerberg if he created Facebook just to meet girls?

‘Gee, let me think...Of course I did! Why does anyone do anything?’

Is it true that Zuckerberg only had friend in college?

‘I had three friends because parents count.’

So it’s not true that Zuckerberg was a loser who created Facebook to have a social life?

‘I invented Facebook, Seth. I didn’t invent getting successful to meet girls. ... Please, you don’t think that Aaron Sorkin doesn’t mention the ‘West Wing’ on dates?’

The Zuckerberg character also copped to donating $100 million to help Newark public schools to counteract the publicity from the opening of ‘The Social Network.’ And he complained about the casting of the movie, in which Justin Timberlake plays founding president Sean Parker and Jesse Eisenberg plays Zuckerberg.

‘That’s like saying, ‘Hey we’re making a movie about Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Steve, you are going to be played by Brad Pitt, and Bill, you are going to be played by a cardboard box with glasses glued to it.’’

The Zuckerberg character did admit one regret: Poking.

‘Poking is creepy and lame. Getting an e-mail that your dad poked you is an enormous bummer,’ he said. ‘For that I apologize.’

The real-life Zuckerberg shared the video on Facebook. The movie that portrays him in a negative light seems to be having a very positive effect on his public image. The low-key 26-year-old who created the world’s most popular social networking service had largely avoided the spotlight until the release of ‘The Social Network’ made that impossible. With an appearance on ‘The Simpsons’ and now ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Zuckerberg may get the last laugh.

-- Jessica Guynn