Looks like Satan doesn’t sell after all.
The 46th season finale of Saturday Night Live featured host Ana Taylor-Joy and a series of tearful goodbyes from long-time cast members Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, and Pete Davidson that left the entertainment industry wondering if they may be departing the show for good. But the big draw was supposed to be Lil Nas X performing his hit song, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).”
As The Daily Wire previously reported, the 22-year-old rapper, whose given name is Montero Lamar Hill, has been marketing the single with heavy demonic imagery. His video for the tune depicted him traveling to Hell to give Lucifer a lap dance, and he promoted its debut by rolling out a line of limited-edition Nike sneakers that prominently featured a pentagram, the number 666, and real drops of human blood. The shoes have no affiliation with Nike, which has sued the creators, arguing that people have been mistakenly believing that Nike was affiliated with the product.
Both ploys seemed to deliver the shock value intended as the video racked up 25 million YouTube views in less than a day and the shoes sold out in under a minute. But now it seems audiences may have seen enough of Nas’ antics.
Trade publication Deadline reports that Nas’ SNL outing failed to attract many viewers, with the episode drawing a 3.5 household Live+Same Day and 1.5 in the key adults 18-49 demographic. Those numbers tied it with the previous week’s episode, hosted by comedian Keegan Michael Key, for the lowest ratings of the season.
That’s a marked drop off from two weeks earlier when the show scored one of its highest-rated nights with host Elon Musk and musical guest Miley Cyrus.
Low interest didn’t stop Nas’ musical performance from making headlines, however. While surrounded by gyrating shirtless, leather-clad male dancers licking various body parts, the star experienced a wardrobe malfunction. As Nas dropped into splits sliding down a stripper pole, the crotch of his pants ripped — an event that dominated entertainment news on Sunday.
USA Today reported on the moment with the headline, “Lil Nas X rips his pants onstage at ‘SNL,’ but it was still ‘my favorite night of my career’,” referring to the singer’s tweets following the performance. Vulture blared, “Lil Nas X Served Sex and Comedy When He Ripped His Pants on SNL.” And Vanity Fair reported that when the rapper went to “make love to a stripper pole” the “crotch of his pants surrendered.” Complimenting his dance routine as “memorable,” the outlet also said Nas “deserved to be remembered for the shine of his lipstick and the work he’s clearly put in at the gym.”
Yet more proof that what interests the media and what interests average viewers at home are often very different.
This article has been updated to include information about Nike’s lawsuit over the “satan” shoes.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.