Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is, if not one of the most controversial, definitely one of the polarizing and talked-about public figures of today. Often blurring the line between his respective fields of interest and the realm of celebrity, Musk is sure to get attention whatever he says and does.
Come May 8, all that attention and eagerness to dissect, criticize or defend, will shine on Saturday Night Light Live on NBC. The comedy show is not exactly the go-to place for people like Musk, whose interests are far more elaborate and perhaps more altruistic than keeping audiences glued to the TV set for 90 minutes. After all, he aims to revolutionize the auto industry and put man on Mars.
Somehow, these two different worlds will collide on May 8, and Miley Cyrus will also be involved. She was the first to tweet a photo of the famous SNL sticky note bulletin announcing the host and the musical guest (she’s the latter, duh). Many assumed it was a joke, but NBC confirmed the news on its own social media channels.
So, on May 8, Elon Musk, famous for his witty and biting comebacks on Twitter, will try his hand at comedy for the first time by hosting SNL. The announcement, as the headline implies, has already caused a great divide between fans of the comedy show and Musk’s loyal supporters.
The former believe that the hosting gig is a shameless grab for ratings and they blast network honchos for giving a platform to someone who downplayed the health crisis and mocked early medical efforts on Twitter, among other things. Comparisons to the widely-cricitized Donald Trump hosting gig of 2015 are being brought up.
Meanwhile, the latter are ready for what they say it’s the next step in Musk’s taking over. To someone as charismatic, smart and highly opinionated as Musk, hosting a comedy show will only be the jewel in the crown that will prove there’s nothing he can do. The episode will also serve to further spread the Musk gospel on a variety of issues, including space exploration and electric vehicles.
Whichever side of the fence you’re on, there’s no denying that Musk’s SNL hosting gig will be a major event. It might even become the most talked about hosting job in recent years, so mark the date: May 8, 2021.
