After Morgan Wallen left Saturday Night Live early, it took multiple swings at the country singer. Wallen, a Tennessee-based singer, first earned renown after appearing on The Voice season 6. Since then, he has released multiple albums and even managed to earn an invitation to perform on the renowned comedy show. During the credits, however, Wallen whispered to host and actress Mikey Madison, then abruptly left the stage. His next Instagram post revealed that he was flying on a jet with the phrase “Get me to God’s country” as a caption.
Both the Cold Open and the Weekend Update segments of Saturday Night Live‘s most recent episode addressed Wallen’s exit, with James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump asking to visit “God’s Country” after addressing the recent decision to tariff the Heard Island and McDonald Islands, which the show described as largely inhabited by penguins. As the stock market has seen a rapid drop in points across various industries since the tariff announcement, the Weekend Update segment saw Colin Jost addressing the economic decline by stating, “Money is leaving the stock market faster than Morgan Wallen at goodnights.“
This Is Not Wallen’s First Controversy
Within any comedy series, nothing is necessarily off-limits for later acknowledgments in skits. The most surprising element of this entire piece of drama is that SNL elected to address Wallen’s exit twice. Wallen’s controversial exit from the show was jarring, given that it was already coming to an end, and his decision to avoid addressing the reason for his exit is even more confusing, especially given his actions since it ended. After all, Wallen is now selling “Take me to God’s Country” merchandise, charging $45 for each hat or t-shirt.
Wallen was on the show to promote his new album, “I’m the Problem”.
Sources close to Wallen (per Variety) have emphasized that he did not intend to offend the show, as he has made similar exits before. Even before this event, Wallen’s history with the show has been controversial, as he previously agreed to appear in October 2020, until he was seen violating the CDC’s COVID-19 protocols. He was rescheduled for a later appearance that year. While Wallen is hoping to profit off of merchandise relating to his current controversy, it is unlikely that he will be returning for future SNL episodes.
Our Take On The Morgan Wallen Controversy
Both Parties Have Benefited
Though Wallen’s actions are baffling, this controversy has been somewhat overblown. After all, both parties are currently benefiting from a controversy that is entirely based on a singer leaving the stage during the closing credits. It is understandable if Wallen believed that he could leave at that time, and both SNL and Wallen have seen an increased media focus since his exit. Wallen is now profiting off of the increased attention and SNL earned material for more jokes. While it was a curious moment in Saturday Night Live‘s history, Wallen’s exit is likely just a simple mistake.
Source: Saturday Night Live / YouTube
Saturday Night Live
8/10
- Release Date
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October 11, 1975
- Showrunner
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Lorne Michaels
- Directors
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Dave Wilson, Don Roy King, Liz Patrick, Andy Warhol, Linda Lee Cadwell, Matthew Meshekoff, Paul Miller, Robert Altman, Robert Smigel
- Writers
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Will Forte, Bill Hader, Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Chris Parnell, Asa Taccone, John Lutz, Tom Schiller, Simon Rich, Michael Patrick O’Brien, Nicki Minaj, Herbert Sargent, Matt Piedmont, John Solomon, Chris Kelly, Alan Zweibel, Kent Sublette, Ari Katcher, Marika Sawyer, Sarah Schnedier, Scott Jung, Justin Franks, Jerrod Bettis, Rhiannon Bryan
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Adam McKay
Self / Various
