The Houston Chronicle
October 6, 1992, Tuesday, 2 STAR Edition

"Saturday Night' shocker;
Angry callers shred Sinead O'Connor for picture prank

ANN HODGES

   Rock singer Sinead O'Connor shocked the audience into silence
and set off a round of aftershocks at NBC with her ""Saturday Night
Live'' blast at Pope John Paul II.

   NBC had ""more than 500 calls'' right after that performance,
and by Monday afternoon the count was up to 1,351.  ""A very big
number for us, though I don't know if it's the record,'' said NBC
Vice President Curt Block.

   The switchboard at Houston's NBC affiliate, Channel 2, was
closed Saturday night, but 25 irate viewers used the Channel 2
newsroom line to complain, and ""about 10 more'' called Monday
morning.

   NBC insists it was just as shocked as the callers at what O'
Connor did, and that the ""SNL'' staff had no idea she was going to
do it.  She did not do it at dress rehearsal.

   O'Connor's last number on ""SNL'' was her a cappella version
of a song titled ""War. '' It's a protest against racism, child
abuse and injustice.  She came out in a gown of long white lace,
wearing a nose stud and a necklace with a Star of David.

   At the rehearsal, she sang the song, then pulled out a
photograph of a child, tore it up, and said ""Children, children,
fight! ''

   At the end of that number on the live show, she pulled out a
photograph, which ""SNL'' staffers thought was another picture of a
child, NBC says.

   It was a picture of the pope.  She tore it up and told the
audience to ""Fight the real enemy. ''

   ""It goes without saying the network does not condone what
she did,'' Block said.  ""Whatever her motivations, they were of a
personal nature.  We would never authorize anything like that. ''

   Apparently she told no one what she was going to do, nor did
she explain her actions later.  According to Block, she went back to
her dressing room, came out again to wave goodnight to the audience
and then left.

   ""She won't be on the show in the immediate future,'' Block
said, but whether she'll ever be asked to do another one he
declined to say.  ""Her future on the show is not the pressing issue
at this point.  We just want to get next week's ""Saturday Night
Live'' on the air,'' he said.

   O'Connor made headlines with ""SNL'' once before when she
pulled out of the show hosted by comedian Andrew Dice Clay because
she objected to his humor about women.  She did appear on the show
after that, without incident.