Comedian’s take on why new Covid variant is named omicron will have you in stitches

With the new Covid variant being named omicron (a letter from the Greek alphabet) a comedy trio has created a hilarious sketch for the reason behind the name’s selection.

In a video titled: “Why They Called it Omicron,” the Irish comedy group Foil, Arms and Hog comprising of Sean Finegan (Foil), Conor McKenna (Arms) and Sean Flanagan (Hog) parodied the thought process from a medical expert from the World Health Organisation (Hog) and two researchers (Foil and Arms) as to how the name omicron was decided upon.

Since it was uploaded on Thursday (December 2), the video has already received over 200,000 views on YouTube.

Hog begins to explain a new variant has been discovered and is spreading fast so it needs to be called something.

“Well, we have done extensive market research with the public and one thing is abundantly clear,” Foil says, as Arms chimes in: “They want to move away from that whole Greek alphabet system” because it’s “boring.”

Instead, the researchers share their name suggestions which perfectly sum up everyone’s feelings about the new variant such as: “Not again variant,” “Ah give it a rest variant,” “You’ve ruined Christmas variant.”

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Hog seems unsure about the ideas saying “umm...” in response. Though some things not only need a name but also needs emotion to capture the essence as Foil dramatically sobs out the “No, No, No,” variant” suggestion.

Unimpressed with their proposals, Hog asks if the pair have any other suggestions.

“Why don’t we just go back to naming them after the countries where they are discovered?” asks Arms.

“No we are not doing that again,” Hog says describing it as “unfair and discriminatory.”

“I kinda liked it,” Foil said, as Arms agreed: “It stuck with the public.”

“Yeah well, it stuck for the Ebola virus too,” Hog replied, before asking the duo if they knew where the name came from - to which they shrugged their shoulders.

“Well, let’s just say there’s not much going on down at the River Ebola,” Hog explained.

And with that, he decided to go back to the Greek alphabet - which the two researchers complained were “so dull.”

Continuing onto the Greek alphabet, the next letter available was “nu.” Baffled by this, the researching duo joked “What are we going to call the next one? The nu-wer variant? The brand-nu and improved variant? I-can’t-believe-it’s- not-variant, variant?”

Admitting defeat, Hog moved on the next letter - xi.

“Oh isn’t that the same name spelt as the President of the People’s Republic of China?” Arms asked.

“The Chinese President variant? I mean that’s pointed,” Foil remarked.

So, Foil ruled out xi, and offered the next letter: omicron.

In disbelief that it was an actual letter, the pair ask Hog if he’s sure “that’s an actual letter” before adding that they’ve never heard of it.

“That sounds like something you clean your toilet with,” Foil said, “Or maybe something you treat your fungal nail with,” Arms added, but the suggestion for what omicron could be kept coming.

“I might buy a teeth whitening kit called omicron,” Foil remarked again, and Arms then said: he would “use omicron to get rid of dandruff in hair,” as Foil proposed that his uncle “would probably deworm his cattle with omicron.”

Hog tells Foil and Arms: “We’re going with omicron,” not that they are paying attention as they say omicron is a dramatic voice and continue to list off what the letter sounds like.

“It sounds like a supervillain or transformer” Arms highlighted, and Foil agreed as they did their best impression of character combination and said: “The world is in peril from the evils of omicron.”

“Yeah, Omicron from the planet Omicronia. The Omicronians are coming,” the two were acting out back and forth, “Part man,” “Part mutant.”

“OK, this meeting is over,” Hog says and walks off, clearly peeved off with the duo’s voice acting - not that they notice at first as they carry on narrating the imaginative sci-fi drama.

In all fairness, omicron has reminded people of the sci-fi comedy Futurama...

“This winter comes a variant so transmissible that it - ah he just left,” Foil says to Arms.

He then says to his colleague that he hopes “this whole Covid thing finishes soon.” Arms attempts to reassure Foil: “Ah sure it has to, look -” as the two turn around to look at a poster of the Greek alphabet, “- there are only nine letters left.”

(Let’s hope the rest of the nine letters don’t need to be used).

Watch the sketch in full on Foil Arms and Hog’s YouTube channel, Instagram, or Facebook page.