Seth Meyers had a small Freudian slip on Monday night, as he attempted to refer to New Jersey residents. It was quick, but it was clear enough that an audience member cackled loudly enough to be heard on-air, and the NBC host cracked up at himself.
The moment came as Meyers went in-depth during his “A Closer Look” segment on the panic surrounding the drones over New Jersey in recent weeks. At one point, he meant to refer to the residents of New Jersey at large, which are known as New Jerseyans. He did not call them New Jerseyans.
“Shame on me, a New Yorker, for not paying attention to a New Jersey problem. It’s just for New Jerk — ” Meyers said. Realizing immediately what he said, the host cracked up.
“New Jerks,” he said with a laugh, before putting on a Jersey accent. “New Jerkers! Yeah, that’s what we are. We don’t care. New Jerkers!”
The moment earned a huge laugh from the audience, but particularly from one person who flat out cackled at the first realization of the slip. Meyers didn’t specifically react to the laugh, but he did take a sip from his mug to reset himself afterward.
The host soldiered on, and did make an intentional dig at New Jerseyans next.
“It’s just, for New Yorkers, New Jersey is like that next door neighbor with the beaded curtains and weird smells and exotic wildlife in his house,” Meyers joked.
You can watch the full “A Closer Look” segment in the video above.
