‘What was on me?’ Fox News’s Laura Ingraham flummoxed by reference to TV show You

The Fox News host Laura Ingraham sparked mockery on social media after becoming confused when she believed a guest discussing the Netflix television show You was actually referring to her.

Ingraham opened her show on Monday night by slamming what she called a “Team of Incompetents” in the Biden White House, and questioning the capabilities of the president himself.

“America is truly in danger,” she said, “under a president who is physically and mentally deteriorating before our eyes … real chaos is unfolding.”

Unfortunately for Ingraham, real chaos – and confusion – then unfolded on her show.

You, which the Guardian called an “awful, sociopathic show we’re absolutely addicted to”, is about a serial killer stalker.

Raymond Arroyo, a conservative commentator and regular guest, mentioned the Netflix production as part of a discussion on TV shows and a rightwing perception that they are sympathetic to leftwing points of view, including around vaccines and Covid-19.

“I was watching an episode of You when measles came up,” said Arroyo .

Looking puzzled, Ingraham interrupted.

“Wait, wait, wait,” she said. “When did I mention measles?”

“I don’t know,” said Arroyo. “It was on You.”

“What was on me?” Ingraham asked. “What are you talking about?”

“The measles and the vaccine episode was on You,” said Arroyo.

Ingraham became visibly annoyed.

“We never did a measles and vaccine episode. Is this a joke?”

“I know!” Arroyo yelled, waving his arms furiously. “It was on You! It was on You!”

Ingraham continued to fail to understand there is a show on Netflix called You, and that Arroyo was not referring to her own show. The pair continued a dialogue that seemed to belong more to a sitcom or sketch show than primetime on a major US network.

“Raymond!” Ingraham said. “I’ve never had measles. What are you talking about? This is stupid!”

Arroyo tried to explain: “It was an episode of a show, Laura.”

“What’s it called”?”

“You! You! It’s called You.”

Ingraham still didn’t get it.

“What’s he talking about? I’ve just never done a show on measles. I completely give up.”

The segment ended shortly after.

After the clip went viral, Arroyo later tweeted that the dialogue had been scripted – a claim that was not entirely convincing to some online commentators. “My favorite part was that only regular viewers realized it was totally scripted,” Arroyo said in a post.

Ingraham on her own Twitter feed has not yet mentioned the incident.