During the big SNL event on Sunday night, a few people cracked jokes about Brian Williams’ situation. Jerry Seinfeld joked about Brian Williams being in Vietnam and Jim Carrey made a crack to Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie about “where are you hiding Brian Williams?” – you can see the video here. Tina Fey’s reaction is funny, you can see her saying “poor Brian” and then laughing at Jim’s jokes.

So, is that where we are with the Brian Williams scandal at this point? Is he just a punchline? Would he ever be able to recover? Many people believe that Williams’ six month suspension (unpaid) is just a chance for NBC to do a proper search for a new anchor and that in six months’ time, Williams will be gone. Contractually, how does that theory stand up? According to Page Six, pretty well.

Embattled NBC News anchor Brian Williams’ fate beyond his six-month unpaid suspension could hang on a “morality clause” in his contract — which means he could be fired if he offended “a significant portion of the community” or brought himself “public disrepute, contempt, scandal or ridicule,” among other concerns.

The anchor has lawyered up with Bob Barnett, the distinguished attorney who also repped Ann Curry during her dealings with NBC. Sources tell Page Six that Williams’ contract could hang on the morality clause issue, and whether NBC brass, including Stephen Burke and Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, rule he breached it.

Williams had recently signed a $10 million, five-year pact. Sources say that a “public morals” clause that appears in NBC News employees’ paperwork includes the verbiage: ‘“If artist commits any act or becomes involved in any situation, or occurrence, which brings artist into public disrepute, contempt, scandal or ridicule, or which justifiably shocks, insults or offends a significant portion of the community, or if publicity is given to any such conduct .?.?. company shall have the right to terminate.”’

Reports have said NBC execs seriously considered firing Williams before settling on the suspension.

[From Page Six]

Morals clauses always get you! I’m guessing that yes, Williams will be gone by the end of the year but he probably will get to keep that $10 million. They’ll consider it “going away” money.

As for the latest clusterwhoops that is Williams’ journalism career, there are a bunch of other stories about his lies and how everyone is gunning for him now. Tom Brokaw and Williams have apparently always disliked each other and Brokaw was telling NBC executives for a year that Williams was a fantasist. Williams also lied about being embedded with Navy SEALS, because of course he did. Gawker says Williams probably lied about meeting Pope John Paul as well.

Photos courtesy of WENN.