Saturday Night Live (SNL) addressed the singer Morgan Wallen’s walk-off with two jokes in its most recent episode.
Why It Matters
Wallen appeared on the Saturday, March 29, episode of SNL with Oscar-winning actor Mikey Maddison as host. He performed on the show as a musical guest and at the end of the night’s episode was seen nodding, saluting the public, and then quickly saying something to Madison before walking offstage as the cameras rolled, the footage then cut to the other guests who were still hugging and chatting onstage.
He then posted a picture of a private jet on Instagram with the caption “Get me to God’s country” and has since started selling merch with the phrase on it. Many people have perceived his walking off set and the Instagram story as a deliberate snub.
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What To Know
Wallen was referenced twice in the April 5 episode.
The first joke came in the cold open. James Austin Johnson, who was playing President Donald Trump first referenced the “God’s country,” remark, during a joke about tariffs.
Johnson said, “I even put tariffs on an island uninhabited by humans. It’s called Heard and McDonald Island… McDonald Island. I would love to visit there. Can you imagine that? Big Mac and a hula skirt. Get me to God’s country, right?”
Then, Colin Jost referenced the signer during the Weekend Update segment of the show.
Jost made a jibe about the country’s current fiscal state, saying “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.”
He continued, “Just in the past two days, investors have lost over $6 trillion. Money is leaving the stock market faster than Morgan Wallen at goodnights.”
A source close to Wallen told Variety that the star had enjoyed his SNL experience, and didn’t intend to offend with his exit or Instagram post.
These jokes referenced economic news of the past week. The first referenced Trump’s new tariff plan, which he announced on what he dubbed “Liberation Day.” This included tariffs on the uninhabited volcanic Heard and McDonald Islands, a remote territory inhabited only by penguins, seals, and seabirds.
The second joke referenced the fact that Wall Street suffered its worst week in five years as global markets braced for the impact of sweeping tariffs targeting nearly 200 countries.
What People Are Saying
Kenan Thompson, the longtime SNL cast member addressing Morgan Wallen’s exit in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly: “I don’t know what goes through people’s minds when they decide to do stuff like that. I don’t know if he understood the assignment or not, or if he was really feeling a certain kind of way.”
One social media user wrote on X: “When Colin Jost said that, I felt that. Morgan Wallen exits faster than my motivation on Monday mornings.”
What’s Next
The next episode of Saturday Night Live will air on April 12. Jon Hamm will host and Lizzo will be the musical guest.