ENTERTAINMENT

Punchlines about Aaron Rodgers' vaccination controversy keep popping up

Kendra Meinert
Green Bay Press-Gazette
Aaron Rodgers.

After his unvaccinated status and controversial comments about it made him fodder for jokes on the late-night talk show circuit and a parody skit on "Saturday Night Live,"  Aaron Rodgers continues to pop up as a punchline since testing positive for COVID-19.

Even the man behind Luke Skywalker took a swipe at the Green Bay Packers quarterback.

Mark Hamill, who plays the legendary Jedi Master, chimed in after noticing that Rodgers, a huge "Star Wars" fan, was wearing a "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" sweatshirt during his virtual appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Nov. 9 when he acknowledged he misled people about being unvaccinated. Hamill didn't exactly seem to be flattered by the fashion choice.

The Onion wasn’t about to pass up the chance to have fun at Rodgers’ expense. The satirical news site first posted this headline: "Defiant Aaron Rodgers Says He Can’t Get Vaccinated Because He Only 4 Years Old."

The news brief from Nov. 9 has Rodgers telling reporters, “I’m not old enough to get the shot yet — maybe in kindergarten though." He held up four fingers to show he was "this many." "My pediatrician says I have to wait until next year, when I’m a big boy."

Three days later, The Onion went with a Photoshopped image of Rodgers that took a poke not so much at him but Wisconsin's love of food. 

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Speaking of a love of food, comedian Jim Gaffigan, who often makes fun of his own weight in his stand-up act, promoted his show Saturday night at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon with a social media post that took aim at all the drama in Green Bay surrounding Rodgers.

The last time Gaffigan was at the Resch in 2018, Rodgers was in attendance with then-girlfriend Danica Patrick. The two posed for a picture with Gaffigan backstage. None of those things happened this time around. 

Luke Bryan slid in an Aaron Rodgers joke as the host of the Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday. During his opening comments from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, the country star said, "Rest assured, we're following all the health protocols to keep everyone safe. And it is so great to be here with all my fellow artists, tested and together. Or immunized? Who is it? Just playin'."

"Immunized" is the same word Rodgers used when he was asked by a reporter in August if he had been vaccinated for COVID-19. "Yeah, I've been immunized," he said.

The CMA Awards cameras then panned to Eric Church, who appeared in an Ad Council public service announcement encouraging music fans to get the facts about the COVID-19 vaccine, and then to Carrie Underwood, whose husband, retired NHL player Mike Fisher, spoke out in defense of Rodgers with an Instagram post on Nov. 6.

Contact Kendra Meinert at 920-431-8347 or kmeinert@greenbay.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KendraMeinert