One of the most valuable and hard-earned lessons you can get in life is that nobody is perfect. You’re inevitably going to fuck up at some point, and all you can do is try your best and learn from your mistakes. Some of us, though, have the misfortune of fucking up on live TV, like Fergie did with her inappropriately sensual rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night:
Okay, yeah, that’s bizarre—and pretty hilarious. Sorry, Fergie. Even during her performance, you can see the crowd’s faces going from stoic patriotism to bemused tittering, a reaction which, naturally, blew up into full-scale mockery on social media. Even Roseanne Barr, happy to have someone else on the receiving end of national-anthem jokes for once, got a jab in:
Now Fergie has come along to ruin the hilarity, reminding us that even famous people are human, and judge not, for there but for a successful singing career and an attempt to mix it up go you. She says in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: “I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA,” referring to her cabaret-worthy interpretation of the anthem.“I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best.” In short, she gave a bad performance in front of Beyoncé. Isn’t that punishment enough?