Fans Are in a Frenzy Over Whether Cher Lip-Synced on ‘SNL’: “What a Bummer”

One reason that the December 20 episode of SNL was notable was the departure of longtime cast member Bowen Yang. Another was the question of whether musical guest Cher was lip-syncing. The legendary vocalist and actress, 79, seemed to some to be mouthing the lyrics to the songs she performed. Fans crave authenticity and shun artifice. There are more than a few unhappy viewers after Cher’s visit to famed Studio 8H caused this heated controversy to erupt.

People Claimed To Notice Odd Nuances

Per Entertainment Weekly, fans claimed they observed troubling “inconsistencies” when Cher was singing. When she sang tunes like “DJ Play a Christmas Song,” her lips were momentarily still but the “singing” people heard allegedly kept on going anyway. (She also did “Run Rudolph Run.”) That led them to suspect lip-syncing. According to the outlet, the star and the show did not yet respond to a request for a comment.

Fans Made Their Feelings Known on Social Media

Social media was a hotbed of speculation over Cher’s SNL performance. Some were unperturbed by the possibility of her not really singing. They gave her some well-earned leeway. Others, however, were definitely miffed. Many aired their emotions both ways on Reddit.

“I mean, there’s a lot of self-parody to Cher and that’s what makes her such a drag icon.”

“I’m thinking she’s 79 and it’s probably a little difficult for her. But I saw Neil Diamond in his 70s and he rocked that show.”

“…I typically give older legends a pass and appreciate their effort.”

“I guess what really bothers me was that it was so obvious that she was lip-syncing.”

“Wow yeah I thought that was a big no-no on SNL…What a bummer. You’d think they’d vet the music guest to uphold the ‘live’ part of SNL.”

“That was hard to watch”

“Whatever, the crowd was loving it.”

“The auto tune was bad enough, but she couldn’t even sing it either. It was painfully obvious”

“What really bothers me is the hypocrisy”

“Cher officially jumped the shark with that performance.”

Whether you think Cher was not really singing or she was, most would agree that she is a glorious original and a true icon. Her decades-long career is like no other.