In the midst of his ubiquity as podcast extraordinaire for “Club Shay Shay,” Shannon Sharpe is playing it for yuks in a new Super Bowl commercial with the legendary comedian Martin Lawrence.
The 30-second bit for OIKOS Yogurt finds Sharpe and Lawrence on a golf course shortly after Sharpe ran a golf cart into a water hazard. When Sharpe suggests getting a tow truck, Lawrence directs him to “hold my OIKOS” and walks into the trap to lift the cart out over his head.
Sharpe told The Root that he and Lawrence were given the creative reign to play the commercial the way they saw fit.
“They told us to say it like you would say it if there were no cameras and you two are buddies,” he said. “We had fun with it. People will see that our personalities come out in this spot.”
Despite the commercial’s theme, Sharpe admitted he’s not a golfer and said that Lawrence also only recently picked up the hobby.
“I just don’t have the time to invest in it,” said Sharpe. “My brother is an avid golfer, but in order to get good, you have to invest a lot of time in it. Between ‘First Take,’ ‘Nightcap’ and ‘Club Shay Shay,’ I just don’t have time.”
Since Katt Williams’ bombshell interview on ‘Club Shay Shay—and now with Mo’Nique’s interview also going viral—Sharpe is easily one of the busiest brothas in media.
The OIKOS Yogurt commercial was the first time Sharpe and Lawrence met in person, but Sharpe acknowledged him as “one of the great funnymen of our generation.”
“It was great to see him in his element,” Sharpe said. “Being an ex-professional athlete and being around great players and understanding what greatness is, it doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete or entertainer. So, it was awesome to see him in his element.”