From the Group Chat: Morgan Wallen’s Abrupt SNL Exit, “The White Lotus” finale, and April Fools’ Day Pranks

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Sunday. I’m going on vacation in a couple weeks, and while I’m usually this person at the end of a trip, I’m determined to do things differently this time. So I’m limiting myself to just a few new things, including: “summer’s most-wanted sunglasses” (they may be ski goggle-adjacent, but they’re better than itty-bitty Bayonettas); surprisingly chic cuffed jeans (I’m all for a cool-girl staple that’s actually wearable); and Jennifer Lawrence’s new favorite sneaker (nope, not Sambas). I’ll also upgrade two of the hardest-working items in my closet: my outerwear (apparently “a firefighter jacket” is the spring trend) and my trusty travel sweats, inspired by Margot Robbie’s extremely comfortable double-denim look. Truly, words I never thought I’d put together.

— Melissa Goldberg / Senior Editor / Washington, DC

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For most musicians, appearing on Saturday Night Live is a career milestone. But Morgan Wallen? Apparently, he’d rather do literally anything else — or, at least, that’s what it looked like after the controversy-prone pop-country star abruptly walked off SNL last weekend. Instead of sticking to the tradition of small talk and side hugs with the cast as credits roll, Wallen — who was there to promote his upcoming album I’m the Problem (you don’t say) — whispered something to host Mikey Madison (the internet lip-readers are on it), before exiting stage left. Sorry, dead center. Naturally, viewers — and cast members, like Kenan Thompson — were left scratching their heads. Did he have a bathroom emergency, as Thompson joked? Was it due to his alleged fraught history with the show? (Wallen was disinvited in 2020 after breaking COVID-19 protocols and a source told “Page Six” he reportedly refused to appear in a sketch this time.) Could it have been one big misunderstanding, as “sources in Wallen’s camp” suggested? Or, was it a guy with a history of causing problems (see: his suspension from his record label after he yelled a racial slur, plus the drunken chair-throwing incident in Nashville) simply continuing to cause problems? 

Honestly, who knows. But as if Wallen’s Irish exit wasn’t mind-boggling enough, shortly after, the former Voice contestant (never forget his Bieber-esque bangs) posted a photo of a private plane to his Instagram Stories, with the words: “Get me to God’s country.” What, exactly, qualifies as “God’s country” remains TBD — but true to form, in the days since, the internet has done what it does best: turned the phrase into meme madness, with people sharing what “God’s country” means to them. That includes millennial institutions like Blockbuster, The Cheesecake Factory, and Neopia Central (bet you haven’t thought about that in a minute). Plus, reality TV icons, like SUR from Vanderpump Rules and former Real Housewife Dorinda Medley’s Blue Stone Manor. Meanwhile, both SNL and Wallen have found ways to make the most of the much-talked-about-moment: During last night’s episode, the show made two digs at the country singer; Wallen, on the other hand, has capitalized on the viral phrase — with yes, $45 branded merch (in this economy??). Still, one burning question remains: Who would ever pass up the chance to hug Bowen Yang and Sarah Squirm? Your loss, Wallen.

Happy White Lotus Finale Day to all who celebrate. While the internet has been buzzing for weeks with outlandish fan theories (please don’t let it be the monkeys), we’ve been fixated on a particular headline. No, not that the show’s composer said he’s checking out after a creative feud. Or, how Parker Posey can’t remember who died (bless her). Or, how Patrick Schwarzenegger almost wasn’t cast as Saxon. We’re talking about the possibility of “an all-star season,” which showrunner Mike White said he’d “love to do.” Not that White needs our input, but we’re offering up some casting advice anyway. Yes, we’ll take Schwarzenegger and White’s suggestion to “get all the douche guys” together — meaning, Saxon, Shane (Jake Lacy), and Cameron (Theo James). But also… 

• Room 305: The Moms. That includes workaholic tech exec Nicole (Connie Britton), lorazepam-loving Victoria (Posey), and unexpected power player Daphne (Meghann Fahy). 

• Room 306: The Girlfriend Trio + 1. Something tells us Best-Dressed Guest Harper (Aubrey Plaza) would fit right in with Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Laurie (Carrie Coon), and Kate (Leslie Bibb).

• Room 307: The Gen Z Girlies. Yep, we’re looking at you, Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), Portia (Haley Lu Richardson), Lucia (Simona Tabasco), Mia (Beatrice Grannò), and Olivia (Sydney Sweeney). 

• Room 308: The Ghost of Tanya McQuoid. If we can’t get Tanya back (RIP), we’d like the next best thing — her ghost, so she can haunt all the Bald White Men of Thailand. Because, let’s be real: They deserve it.

It must be asked: Why, in the year of 2025, are we — and we mean you, marketing teams of America — still doing April Fools’ Day pranks? Honestly, did anyone over the age of 12 seriously believe that Cinnabon changed its name? That Kikkoman was releasing a soy sauce-inspired perfume? That Raising Cane’s created a “moisturizing sauce” for your…face? (On second thought, given the beef-tallow skincare trend, we could see this.) That said, we do have to give credit where credit is due, because we wish some of these fake announcements were actually real. Take, for example: Reese’s Chocolatey Bread (they are, however, making these inventive PB&J Big Cups), BabyQuip’s baby-gear Drone Delivery service (picture: diapers dropped off in less than 15 minutes), Auntie Anne’s pretzel-flavored Pringles (10/10 would buy), Sumo Citrus’s Nano Citrus (we’ve never seen a cuter piece of fruit), and Denny’s and Mattress Firm’s corner booth-shaped bed with a built-in breakfast-warming drawer (one word: genius). All of which we’re happy to test if said brands change their mind.

If you were diagnosed with a terminal illness, what would be at the top of your bucket list? For some, it might be a five-star vacation, a cross-country road trip, or even a tattoo. For Molly, the protagonist of FX’s new dramedy Dying for Sex, it’s an orgasm. Based on the podcast of the same name, the eight-episode TV miniseries — now streaming on Hulu — tells the true story of a woman (played by a transcendent Michelle Williams), who, after a stage IV breast cancer diagnosis, leaves her husband of 15 years (Jay Duplass) and embarks on a series of sexual (mis)adventures with the help of her best friend Nikki (Jenny Slate). Now, we know how that sounds: heavy. But it’s not nearly as sad as it seems — thanks to whip-smart writing (New Girl’s Liz Meriwether is a cocreator) and Molly’s “brutally frank, disarmingly raunchy, [and] often uproariously funny” perspective as she clumsily navigates dating apps, propositions a sweaty gym rat, and attends a sex party. Plus, it stars Rob Delaney (of Catastrophe fame) as Molly’s Hot Neighbor Across the Hall, SNL icon Paula Pell as an exceptionally chipper hospice nurse, and the legendary Sissy Spacek as Molly’s mother. Which is all to say: We’re in.

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