If there was a list of things that celebrities can say that will upset Twitter users, it would be pretty extensive. Celebrities often ruffle feathers on social media with their opinions, though I doubt Carson Daly expected the responses he got when he disparaged the possibility of Benson and Stabler getting together in the Law & Order franchise.
Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni appeared on Today, and of course, the question was asked on whether Benson and Stabler would ever get together on Law & Order: SVU (or maybe even the latest spinoff Organized Crime). Most in the studio were on board with the idea, outside of Carson Daly who shot it down entirely. Daly chimed in with his controversial thoughts, saying:
It should never happen. Right, because like Moonlighting. The minute it happened, then it was like 'ugh.'
A vast majority of the Today show team were very much against Carson Daly’s thoughts on Benson and Stabler, but that doesn’t hold a candle to how the Law & Order: SVU fandom reacted. Suffice to say, there were some pretty miffed fans at The Voice host, to the point that he was trending on Twitter because of all the fans that had mentioned him.
It’s safe to say Benson and Stabler are one of the longest-running shipped couples on television, so it’s no surprise that Law & Order: SVU fans were a bit upset. I mean, I think the fact that Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni wouldn’t directly comment on anything related to the question could be a sign that they knew what trouble could be caused by sharing their opinion on the matter one way or another. Of course, this is mainly fans just making memes at Carson Daly’s expense. No one is really asking for him to lose his job for this, right?
The verdict is still out on that, but it is worth noting that for all the hate Carson Daly has gotten for his opinion, there are those who have sided with him as well. It turns out Daly isn’t the only one who thinks Benson and Stabler should remain apart, though it should be said that opinion does seem to be in the minority today.
Other folks on Twitter may not agree with Carson Daly necessarily but can defend his point of view. One user was quick to point out that while Daly said Benson and Stabler shouldn’t get together, it’s not like he meant it in a way that was disparaging to either character. Daly actually referred to how the moment could actually kill a long-running plot thread and fans be bored after the reveal, which is a completely valid take.
Carson Daly will continue to take his lumps for this regardless, but eventually, I’m sure Twitter will settle down. If they don’t, he may want to lay low and avoid any phone calls from The Voice’s head management, but again, he’ll probably be fine after this controversy.
Law & Order: SVU airs on NBC Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. For more on the series, read up on the one star of the show who will be leaving and the odd circumstances that surround it.
