There are mistakes. Then there are big mistakes. Then there are LIVE TV MISTAKES.
By now, I’m sure everyone is well aware of the Oscar disaster Sunday, when La La Land was incorrectly announced as the recipient of Best Picture instead of Moonlight.
The goof will live on in infamy as arguably the worst live TV blunder in history.
That got me thinking about the numerous memorable live TV screw-ups that happened over the years. Here are some thoughts on some of the best moments.
“Imma let you finish”
Kanye West is an icon. No doubt about it.
Sometimes, he’s also a total moron, and that was never more apparent than during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards when he interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video.
“Taylor, I’m really happy for you, Imma let you finish,” West said. “But Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.”
I’m admittedly not a big T-Swift fan, but interrupting someone’s acceptance speech, no matter how good or bad their work was, is just disrespectful.
In the aftermath, numerous celebrities criticized West for his actions, including then-President Barack Obama. It also spawned a pretty hilarious meme.
This won’t be Kanye’s last appearance on this list.
Ashlee Simpson's SNL disaster
Saturday Night Live is known for its wonderful musical guests, and the live artists have produced some spectacular moments.
Ashlee Simpson’s performance in 2004 was not one.
As Simpson started performing, her second song, “Pieces of Me,” which she had sung earlier in the evening, started to play again. She was clearly lip-syncing.
Simpson did a weird little dance, and then quickly exited stage right, leaving the band to play the rest of the song without any vocals.
I’m guessing Lorne Michaels ripped her a new one after.
Christina Aguilera screws up the National Anthem
“Oh, say can you see,
By the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail'd
At the twilight’s last gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars,
Through the perilous fight,
What so proudly we watched—”
*facepalm*
“George Bush doesn’t care about Black People”
Here’s another classic Kanye moment.
After Hurricane Katrina, many celebrities banded together and offered support for the victims impacted by the disaster. During one TV segment featuring Mike Myers and Kanye West, West started spewing an off-script tirade about racism and the hurricane, before flat-out stating, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” The camera caught one quick look at a shocked Myers before cutting away.
Kanye later apologized to Bush on the TODAY Show.
George Bush shoe incident
In December 2008, then-President George W. Bush was giving a press conference in Iraq when Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw his shoe at him.
Bush quickly dodged the first shoe, but al-Zaidi retaliated and threw his other shoe.
Thank God for the Secret Service. What a metaphor for the final months of the Bush presidency.
Lebron adjusts his shorts
The NBA Finals are a pretty stressful time, especially for the players. Adjusting your shorts doesn’t seem like something that would be a big deal — just make sure it’s not on national television.
During the 2015 NBA Finals, Cleveland Cavaliers player Lebron James was adjusting his shorts before tipoff, when unfortunately, the cameras captured a peek of Lebron’s little Lebron. Whoopsie.
Super Bowl blackout
You’d have thought they would’ve had generators ready to go. Apparently not.
Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction
The National Anthem screw-up and the power outage were both memorable Super Bowl blunders, but neither come close to Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction.
The Super Bowl is consistently one of the most-viewed live television events every year, and everyone always looks forward to the spectacular halftime shows. That specific show, produced by MTV, featured performances from Nelly, Kid Rock, P. Diddy, Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson.
During the final song, “Rock Your Body,” Timberlake grabbed part of Jackson’s top and removed it, exposing her bare breast to the millions of people watching at home.
What an iconic, viral moment.
The incident (sometimes called NippleGate) changed the internet. MTV was barred from producing a halftime show ever again. YouTube founder Jawed Karim credits the wardrobe malfunction as the inspiration for the video sharing site. Janet Jackson became the most-searched term on the internet in 2005.
