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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Meredith Clark

Russell Wilson’s ‘uncomfortable’ ad for Subway becomes hilarious meme: ‘This is painful’

TikTok / Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson has become the latest subject of a viral meme after the NFL star shared his cringeworthy collaboration with Subway.

Back in May, the Denver Broncos quarterback posted a cringeworthy video promoting his newest creation – the “Dangerwich” – with the American sandwich chain. Now, the clip has resurfaced this week as social media users poke fun at the football star for his awkward silences and delayed delivery.

“Hey, you want to split this Subway sandwich? It’s my signature sandwich,” Wilson begins the ad. “It’s called the dangerwich and its daaangerously good.”

“Be careful, though. It’s spicy,” he said in a high-pitch voice.

Wilson then stares directly into the camera with a deadpan expression as he takes a bite out of the sandwich. He asks, “You ever done anything dangerous?” followed by more blank stares and lifeless bites.

“Ooo, that is dangerous,” he says, responding to seemingly no one. “I’ve done something like that too. I won’t tell anybody.”

The awkward video finally comes to an end when Wilson says, “Anyways, my Dangerwich, it’s only in the vault. That’s our little secret.”

Russell Wilson’s ad for Subway received more than 800k views when it was reposted on Tuesday by Barstool Sports’ Eric Sollenberger, who goes by PFT Commenter on Twitter. The clip instantly drew mockery from social media users, with some people even comparing it to serial killers like in the Netflix series Monster.

“He delivers this entire monologue like a serial killer whose calmly talking to someone he tied to a chair with their mouth taped shut,” wrote PFTCommenter.

“It’s sPiiiiiCcyYyyyy,” said someone else, poking fun at Wilson’s change in pitch during the ad. “Why does Russell Wilson’s new Subway commercial look like a trailer for Netflix’s next serial killer show?”

Another person said: “Who’s gonna be the one to match this up with clips from the new Dahmer series?”

Some people couldn’t tell whether the Subway commercial was meant to be a joke. “The question many are asking, is this Russell Wilson Subway ‘commercial’ bad? Or is is satire so bad it’s good?” said one Twitter user.

While others simply couldn’t hold back how unsettled the commercial made them feel.

“This is painful,” wrote one user.

“I’ve never felt more uncomfortable,” said someone else.

“I can’t articulate how awkward/creepy/uneasy this makes me feel,” a third user tweeted.

In May, Russell Wilson previously made headlines when he revealed that he spends $1m a year on his body alone. The 33-year-old football star discussed the hefty price point during a joint appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live with his wife, Ciara. Wilson said the majority of his $1m budget goes towards his full-time “performance team,” consisting of a personal trainer, a physical therapist, a massage therapist, and two chefs.

“For me, the mentality, the focus level, everything that you have to do has to be surrounded around that,” the quarterback told late night host Kimmel. “It’s been an amazing journey for me so far.”

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