Facebook and the Twitterverse exploded this week after 72-year-old Aretha Franklin's cringe-worthy guest appearances on live network television.

During a press tour via satellite to promote her 38th studio album "Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics," the Queen of Soul spoke with several television news anchors and personalities, but things took a downward spiral after various audio delays and earpiece issues motivated uncomfortably awkward pauses, eyebrow raising, eye rolling and heavy sighs.

At times, the "Respect" singer came off a bit disrespectful. In an interview with a Fox 45 morning news anchor, the 18-time Grammy Award winner explained that she suffered from a lack of sleep in the best way she knew how: "Listen, I only had four hours sleep, OK? I'm a little slow," Franklin said.

Among the mishaps, a nostalgic and star-struck Mike Jerrick from "Good Day" in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reminisced attending an Aretha Franklin concert in his youth. "Do you ever remember being in Wichita, Kansas?" Franklin retorted frankly, "No."

Perhaps the most wince-making moment came during another spotlight interview on PIX11 in New York City. While answering a few questions on how the album came to be recorded -- this marks Aretha's first recording for RCA Records and her first studio album to be released under a major label in 11 years, with Clive Davis at the helm -- TV sound engineers played music in the background to which the diva said, "Can you turn that down for the moment?"

Another reporter on Fox 11 gushes his admiration, saying, "I just wanted to hug a little time and tell you hello and to tell you that I love you," to which Franklin replied, "Yes, I can hear you."

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