‘SNL’ Flubs Halsey Skit With Cue Card Error

Saturday Night Live had a bit of a flub this week as the cue cards showed up in several shots throughout one skit.

SNL gave fans an accidental look at how the show is made this week in a skit featuring host and musical guest Halsey.

The bit went remarkably well considering the mix-up, but fans zeroed in on the fourth wall-breaking mistake. During the live broadcast, one of the show’s poster-sized cue cards was clearly visible over Jones’ shoulder, filling the shot and distracting viewers.

Fans posted photo of their TVs online, showing those that did not stay up late for the broadcast how the error looked. When the skit hit YouTube, the shot had been cropped to take the cue cards out, and it will likely be the same when it reaches streaming services like Hulu.

Most fans were not angry at the mix-up, as it reminded them of the high-stakes game that a live variety show like SNL is. Many rushed to social media to point out the error, as if playing a strange version of Where’s Waldo.

“Always cool to see the cue cards,” one fan noted.

“I saw the cue cards,” added another, with a GIF showing an incredulous expression.

Still, other fans felt sorry for the production team, who were undoubtedly embarrassed by the mistake. They wondered what the consequences would be, and those who work in TV themselves were especially put off.

“My TV production brain just lost 3 lives [at] those SNL cue cards blatantly in the shot,” a fan tweeted.

“Somebody’s getting fired, I just saw the cue cards in the shot,” another person added.

While it may have broken immersion for some live viewers, many fans agreed that the skit itself was one of the best in recent memory. It featured Kenan Thompson as an average, reserved father figure, calmly explaining to his family that he was making a lot of money working as an online “cam model” since being laid off. While his children were horrified, his wife (Jones) and his daughter-in-law (Halsey) were bizarrely supportive.

Fans in the comment section felt that the skit had already provided them with some hilariously quotable lines, including: “I don’t shake, I present,” and “Are we forgetting that there’s a cake involved? That’s not nasty, that’s beautiful.”

SNL is back next week with another new episode, hosted by Don Cheadle and featuring musical guest Gary Clark Jr. The show airs every weekend at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.