# When things go horribly wrong on live television **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2011, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733 "2011-11-03T12:08:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/61 "2011-11-04T02:08:38Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > NHL > > 1989 > > St. Louis Blues vs Buffalo Sabres > > Clint Malarchuck has his internal carotid artery severed during a routine play. > > Buckets of [blood](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plvKlnguJVE) ensue. > > He lived. Holy fuck! :eek: Nasty. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/62 "2011-11-04T02:40:22Z")
No one’s mentioned Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the VMA’s a few years ago? To her credit, I love how shocked and embarrassed Beyonce was. Or his “George Bush doesn’t care about black people?” ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/63 "2011-11-04T03:04:24Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Nitpick, actually it was Jack Paar in 1960. He had wanted to tell a shaggy dog story about a tourist confusing a “Wayside Chapel” (WC) with a water closet (what we Americans call a toilet.) Paar walked off, left his announcer (Hugh Downs) to do the show, and cooled off for three weeks. When he came back, his first words were “As I was saying…” and that while he thought there had to be a better way to make a living, he discovered there wasn’t. Oops! :smack: Anyway, here’s the most infamous episode of [the Newlywed Game](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XM5hbS7GlU). Not nearly as horrible as some others, but certainly a memorable one. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/64 "2011-11-04T03:21:06Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > No one’s mentioned Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the VMA’s a few years ago? To her credit, I love how shocked and embarrassed Beyonce was. > > Or his “George Bush doesn’t care about black people?” Or [Jarvis Cocker interrupting Michael Jackson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTpnnuYi9os) at the Brit Awards. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/65 "2011-11-04T03:44:30Z")
Heavy metal band The Cumshots and their special guests Fuck for Forest gave a performance at the Quart Music Festival that was, well. . . , it just was. It really was. You can find it on Redtube by searching for Fuck for Forest. I have to wonder just what the festival organizers were thinking when the surprise performance took place. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/66 "2011-11-04T05:11:46Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Or [Jarvis Cocker interrupting Michael Jackson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTpnnuYi9os) at the Brit Awards. How have I _NEVER_ seen this?? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/67 "2011-11-04T05:16:33Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > The big one that everybody knows about was [Budd Dwyer](http://dwyermovie.com/), which went out live on what was a snow day for most of Pennsylvania. It can’t go much more horribly wrong than that. Someone will inevitably argue that it didn’t happen on live TV, but the makers of the documentary I linked to say that it did, and that’s good enough to confirm my memory of it. Rare is the time when you see a newscaster flustered or at a loss for words, but that day they had a hell of a time, even with what was a hell of a scoop. > > More interesting is what they did with the footage afterward, but that’s a journalistic ethics story all its own. Most local news programs replayed it (with the usual “juicy stuff coming so don’t miss it” warning), and some played it in its entirety, all the way to where he’s lying on the ground bleeding out. > > And I didn’t link to the actual video, feel free to have a look for yourself if you’ve got the stomach. Came in to post about this one. My dad knew him and was on the way to the press conference, I believe, when he heard the news. Oy. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/68 "2011-11-04T05:19:30Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Or [Jarvis Cocker interrupting Michael Jackson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTpnnuYi9os) at the Brit Awards. Most excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/69 "2011-11-04T06:52:57Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Nobody’s mentioned [Space Shuttle Challenger](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JOjcDFtBE)? How much more horribly wrong can live TV go? Well, from back in the newsreel days (okay, not exactly live TV), there was that little airship malfunction with the Hindenburg [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiAT9xvTVKI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiAT9xvTVKI) ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/70 "2011-11-04T06:55:51Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > I understand that theater productions have plans for various things that can go wrong - a failed prop, a blown entrance, etc. The performers rehearse what they will do to cover when these events - inevitably - happen. Not really. There is just no way you can prepare for every emergency and have back up procedures in place. Theaters are not run by NASA. Now if something is risky, they may have some sort of contingency plan but not for things like blown entrances. ---
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/71 "2011-11-04T09:50:55Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Or [Jarvis Cocker interrupting Michael Jackson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTpnnuYi9os) at the Brit Awards. Jarvis became a bit of a hero for me when he did that. About a year later I found out that we have mutual friends, and got to meet him. He said that he had regretted doing this, because afterwards he received so many death threats from irate MJ fans that he had to go into hiding for the next 12 months. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/72 "2011-11-04T10:13:43Z")
Is radio acceptable? And something that isn’t depressing? I heard [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJdlF-DCUKs) live on BBC Radio 4 (national network in the UK) one morning a few years ago and it had me cracking up for the entire day. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/73 "2011-11-04T10:41:21Z")
> [@Bakhesh](#): > > Jarvis became a bit of a hero for me when he did that. About a year later I found out that we have mutual friends, and got to meet him. > > He said that he had regretted doing this, because afterwards he received so many death threats from irate MJ fans that he had to go into hiding for the next 12 months. A fantastic addendum to that story is that Bob Mortimer, who used to be a lawyer and is a mate of Jarvis, offered to represent him and accompanied him to the police station. When they got there they saw MJ’s legal team lined up and looking fierce, so Bob did a runner! ---
**Author:** ![nudgenudge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9f8e36/32.png) [@nudgenudge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nudgenudge)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/74 "2011-11-04T12:20:45Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Is radio acceptable? And something that isn’t depressing? > > I heard [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJdlF-DCUKs) live on BBC Radio 4 (national network in the UK) one morning a few years ago and it had me cracking up for the entire day. [Another Radio 4 example](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS5mVoqJpUk). I had the pleasure of hearing this as it happened, while driving to work. The presenter was talking about a government minister, “Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary”, but was visited by the spirit of Reverend Spooner and swapped the C for the H. A true :eek: moment, made more hilarious by his attempt to pass it off as a coughing attack. As I recall, his fellow presenters ribbed him about it periodically for the remainder of the programme. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/75 "2011-11-04T12:49:50Z")
Jenny Slate was the last SNLer to say “fuck” into a live mic. To their credit, she stayed on the show for the remainder of the season. On some talk show I don’t remember the name of, Erik Estrada clocked Bill Maher during a commercial break. They both covered it with admirable professionalism right afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/76 "2011-11-04T13:13:06Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > On some talk show I don’t remember the name of, Erik Estrada clocked Bill Maher during a commercial break. They both covered it with admirable professionalism right afterwards. [Is this what you mean? I don’t think that is live. It’s Win, Lose, or Draw and it is an accident.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5LLHBttHS4#t=39s) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/77 "2011-11-04T13:14:38Z")
[Jane Dornacker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Dornacker) was giving a traffic report on WFAN radio when the helicopter crashed into the Hudson River. Listeners were able to hear her final words: HIT THE WATER! HIT THE WATER! ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/78 "2011-11-04T14:00:37Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Nobody’s mentioned [Space Shuttle Challenger](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JOjcDFtBE)? How much more horribly wrong can live TV go? > [@Zebra](#): > > Not really. > > There is just no way you can prepare for every emergency and have back up procedures in place. Theaters are not run by NASA. That was a weird juxtaposition. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/79 "2011-11-04T14:08:41Z")
I, too, saw Lee Harvey Olswald murdered “Live – On TV!” I was fourteen years old. It was so horrifying that I ran away upstairs to my bedroom and burst into tears. My parents followed me and had to calm me down. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733/80 "2011-11-04T14:16:13Z")
Has anyone yet mentioned the 1974 Academy Awards where a [streaker dashed across the stage](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IIl3zSYL8k)? David Niven’s witty retort however was not an ad-lib. Since streaking at big venues (like sports games) was a phenom of the day, the producers had instructed all their presenters to say that line - in the “off chance” that a streaker got on stage. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-things-go-horribly-wrong-on-live-television/601733.md?page=5)