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Morgan Wallen’s Controversial Exit from SNL Sparks Comedy Reactions

Saturday Night Live recently humorously addressed Morgan Wallen’s sudden departure during the ending credits of the show. This incident occurred in late March, shortly after Wallen appeared as the musical guest.

In the cold open on April 5, just a week following Wallen’s notable appearance, the show’s portrayal of former President Donald Trump, enacted by James Austin Johnson, took a light-hearted jab at the country music star while discussing his “Liberation Day” tariffs.

Johnson’s Trump humorously remarked, “I even put tariffs on an island uninhabited by humans. It’s called Heard and McDonald Island,” while displaying an image of a hamburger dressed in a hula skirt. “I would love to visit there. Can you imagine that? Big Mac and a hula skirt. Get me to God’s country, right? Remember that?”

This phrase, “Get me to God’s country,” directly referenced Wallen’s comment on Instagram following his abrupt exit from the March 29 show. He left the stage after exchanging a few words with host Mikey Madison, causing quite a stir among the audience.

Later in the same episode, Colin Jost, a co-anchor of Weekend Update, addressed Wallen again with a humorous quip about the state of the economy. He noted, “This was the worst week for the stock market since the summer of 2020. But you have to remember — back then, the president was also Trump,” before adding, “Just in the past two days, investors have lost over $6 trillion. Money is leaving the stock market faster than Morgan Wallen at goodnights.”

During his performance on SNL, Wallen treated viewers to the title track from his upcoming album, I’m the Problem, alongside his single “Just in Case.”

Following the backlash from his appearance, Wallen quickly capitalized on the moment by launching a new merchandise line branded “Get Me to God’s Country.” As of now, he has not publicly addressed the specific nature of the incident or the phrase’s significance.

In a discussion with Entertainment Weekly after the surprising walk-off, veteran SNL cast member Kenan Thompson remarked that such an occurrence was “definitely a spike in the norm.”

“We’re so used to everybody just turning around and high-fiving us, everybody’s saying, ‘Good job, good job, good job.’ So when there’s a departure from that, it’s like, hmm, I wonder what that’s about?” Thompson reflected, comparing Wallen’s exit to that of other artists known for their enigmatic behavior, like Prince.

“I’m not saying Morgan Wallen is Prince, but we weren’t surprised because Prince was notoriously kind of standoffish. It’s just how he was,” Thompson concluded, suggesting that perhaps Wallen was similarly retreating into his own world.

Wallen’s highly anticipated album, I’m the Problem, is scheduled for release on May 16 and boasts a total of 37 tracks, although only a few titles have been disclosed at this time.

Viewers can catch the cold open and Weekend Update sketches from SNL below. For those without cable, the show is available for streaming on Peacock, which also provides access to past episodes of the series. To explore the streaming options, you can visit the link here.

Source
www.billboard.com