The One Joke That Got Reba McEntire Booed Of The Stage

Highlights

Reba McEntire was booed off stage for a bad joke in the late ’70s, but she didn’t take it too seriously and handled the situation well.
Reba McEntire took a bold stance during her career by shading Miranda Lambert at the ACM Awards, but it’s unclear if it was intentional or not.

Getting booed can be a tough reality, especially for anyone’s self-esteem. However, there are certain individuals that managed to turn this into a positive. Take Dave Chappelle as an example who was booed but reacted in the best way possible. The comedian received boos early on in his career at the Apollo, but realized that the booing didn’t affect him one bit. That only furthered his confidence moving forward.

As for Stephen Colbert, well, the host has had controversial guests in the past who were booed on his show. The host handled the moment in the best way possible alongside Ted Cruz. However, some acts weren’t able to handle it as well, and that included Reba McEntire.

During her interview on the Late Show alongside Stephen Colbert, McEntire retold the story of his worst experience as a host during the late ’70s. The moment resulted in Reba getting booed off the stage for a lame joke. We’re going to take a look back at what went down during the awkward moment, and other difficult predicaments Reba was forced to deal with throughout her career.

Reba McEntire Told Stephen Colbert A Joke During Her Earlier Days Got Her Booed Off The Stage

During her interview alongside Stephen Colbert, Reba McEntire was asked if a hosting gig in the past ever went completely south. Although Reba hesitated to answer, she revealed that an awful joke during the late ’70s got her booed off the stage. It was a tough moment for Reba to handle, though she didn’t take the ordeal too seriously given that it was an awful joke.

So what was the joke the got Reba booed off stage, “Do you know the difference between unlawful and illegal?” she asked. “Unlawful means it’s against the law, and illegal is a sick bird.”

Get it, the ill eagle… Reba discussed the moment in the video below.

At the very least, she got a minor smile from Stephen Colbert, who might’ve appreciated the joke a lot more than others. Nonetheless, it wasn’t the only awkward circumstance Reba faced during her career. Another moment took place alongside some major company, Dick Clark and Keith Urban.

Reba McEntire Had Another Forgettable Experience On Stage With Keith Urban And Dick Clark

During this particular moment, Keith Urban could not find his guitar, which would case a massive delay to his performance. It was at this point that Dick Clark advised Reba McEntire to speak with the audience and make some time pass. However, the moment turned completely awkward after the audience just wasn’t responding to Reba.

“Well, I can tell a joke, I did get booed off stage one time in 1978 for telling a horrible joke, so…probably not a good idea to do that. So I went out there and said, ‘Are y’all having a good time?’ And it was just crickets.”

Thankfully, the awkwardness was all short-lived as Dick Clark came out to rescue the moment. Reba realized that the best way to go about was to be truthful with the crowd.

“Pretty soon here comes Dick Clark out there and put his arm around me and said, ‘All right, folks, we’re going to tell you what’s going on.’ He was just honest with the audience, and I said, ‘Hmmm, lesson learned from the professional.”

Despite the awkward moments from the past, Reba hasn’t necessarily avoided controversy and standing up for others. That was especially apparent during the feud between Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton. Not only did Reba stick up for Shelton, but she also shaded Lambert during the moment.

Reba McEntire Took Another Bold Stance During Her Career Taking A Dig At Miranda Lambert

Reba had all the fans talking during The 2019 ACM Awards. We’ll never really know if it was purposely done, but lots of fans felt as though it was a dig at Miranda Lambert, given her feud with Blake Shelton at the time. McEntire said during Shelton’s intro, “I love this next performer for many reasons, he’s charming, funny, handsome, talented, sings like an angel, and always writes his own introductions. Give it up for my fellow Oklahoman and friend, Blake Shelton.”

Fans were all over the situation, claiming that Reba had clearly shaded Lambert.

Mirana Lambert instead did not discuss these rumors, choosing to keep quiet. As for Reba, she didn’t specify on the moment either, and others suggest she was sticking up for all artists from Oklahoma.