SNL ‘wild card’ host Elon Musk promises to be ‘good-ish’: How to watch tonight

Dwell, from New York, it is … no joke. Elon Musk will host Saturday Night time Dwell tonight. And he is enjoying off the controversy his internet hosting gig has sparked to counsel the episode is a must-watch.

“I am a wild card, so there isn’t any telling what I would do,” Musk says in a promotional video launched Thursday by the NBC sketch comedy present. Later within the video, Musk and musical visitor Miley Cyrus promise to be “good-ish” as a result of the present airs the day earlier than Mom’s Day.

The billionaire businessman behind Tesla and SpaceX may seem to be an odd selection for the internet hosting slot, which often options actors, comedians and different Hollywood celebrities. But when sheer fame is a qualifier, Musk matches proper in — he has greater than 50 million Twitter followers, often makes headlines, and is continually proper up there on the checklist of richest individuals on the earth.

Whereas some SNL solid members aren’t thrilled about Musk internet hosting (see beneath for particulars), Pete Davidson appeared on Late Night time With Seth Meyers on Wednesday and gave the impression to be a fan.

“I do not know why persons are freaking out,” Davidson stated. “They’re like, ‘Oh I can not imagine that Elon Musk is internet hosting!’ And I am like, the man that makes the earth higher kinda and makes cool issues and sends individuals to Mars?”

Davidson and another solid members had dinner this week with Musk and SNL boss Lorne Michaels. Earlier than the meal, Davidson joked to Meyers that he deliberate to ask Musk for a Tesla. After the dinner, Davidson informed a New York radio station that Musk was “very nice,” and that the solid members he hangs out with are “all excited and actually do not perceive the controversy.”

This is a rundown of what to find out about Musk’s Might 8 SNL look on NBC.

Musk will get prepared for the gig

Musk appears fairly happy to be internet hosting the long-running present. He is been tweeting reminders, together with one through which he dubs himself the Dogefather. The tweet references the meme-themed cryptocurrency Dogecoin, which Musk has tweeted and talked about earlier than.

For a brief tweet, Musk’s phrases could have had a real-world impact. Barrons reported a Dogecoin rally after Musk’s tweet.

Musk has additionally been musing on Twitter about some skits for himself. He proposed a “Woke James Bond” concept, plus a play on Iron Man referred to as “Irony Man - defeats villains utilizing the facility of irony.” And he tweeted a couple of sketch through which “Child Shark & Shark Tank merge to type Child Shark Tank.”

Others have been fast to snark at Musk’s skit concepts, with author Ashley Feinberg tweeting, “Please if you happen to work at SNL simply let him do all of his concepts, from the underside of my coronary heart I encourage you.”

Fan response

Naturally, there’s been lots.

Canadian musician Grimes, who shares a son with Musk, defended him on TikTok this week when commenters attacked Musk over points involving the atmosphere and girls’s rights, whereas admitting he is positively “been very immature at factors on Twitter.”

In 2018, Musk grew to become concerned in plans to rescue a Thai boys’ soccer workforce trapped in a cave, flying in a workforce of engineers and proposing utilizing a mini-submarine to avoid wasting them. However when British cave explorer Vernon Unsworth criticized Musk’s concept, Musk referred to as Unsworth a “pedo man” in a tweet. In 2019, a jury concluded Musk’s phrases didn’t defame Unsworth.

“I’m wondering how a lot Musk paid NBC and Lorene Michaels for the gig,” one Twitter person wrote, referring to SNL creator Lorne Michaels. “Wager it is sufficient to finance SNL’s whole 2021-’22 season.”

“Elon Musk internet hosting SNL is large for guys nonetheless making ‘that is what she stated’ jokes who suppose they’d be nice at internet hosting SNL,” wrote comic and creator Josh Gondelman.

Solid response

As a result of some contemplate Musk a controversial determine, SNL reportedly informed solid members they won’t be pressured to behave alongside him. To this point none have publicly declined — and as famous above, Pete Davidson appeared enthused — however a number of solid members have commented on his coming to their present.

The SNL host has to work with its solid of seasoned comedians and writers, however not often do these people say something about their host prematurely. Not so for Musk.

SNL solid member Bowen Yang reacted to a Musk tweet.

On the day the information was introduced, Musk confirmed his appearance and tweeted, “Let’s discover out simply how dwell Saturday Night time Dwell actually is,” with a purple smiling devil-face emoji.

Yang reacted in an Instagram story with a frowning face, after which stated, “What the f— does that even imply?”

Solid member Andrew Dismukes additionally commented on Musk’s internet hosting in an Instagram story, referring to SNL alum Cheri Oteri, and writing “ONLY CEO I WANT TO DO A SKETCH WITH IS Cher-E Oteri.”

Michael Che mentioned Musk’s look on The Tonight Present Starring Jimmy Fallon, joking that he hoped somebody would inform Musk it was custom for hosts to “give, like, a pair million {dollars} to the solid members.”

Solid member Aidy Bryant posted a quote from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders that claims, partly, “the 50 wealthiest individuals on this nation personal extra wealth than some 165 MILLION Individuals. That may be a ethical obscenity.” Musk is often listed as both the world’s richest particular person, or among the many very richest.

Tesla competitor response

Even firms are reacting to Musk’s look. Electrical automobile startup firm Lucid Motors is capitalizing on Musk’s Tesla connection by planning to run an advert throughout SNL.

The corporate’s Lucid Air sedan may beat Tesla’s Mannequin S Plaid Plus to market and be the primary electrical automobile on sale with a variety of over 500 miles, so it is fairly good to promote to an viewers that is in all probability fairly conscious of Tesla already.

Musk’s previous popular culture appearances

Musk is actually no stranger to the highlight (or to cracking a joke). He is had cameos in Iron Man 2, The Simpsons and Rick and Morty — as Elon Tusk. After which there are the viral moments: taking a toke on Joe Rogan’s podcast, that could-almost-have-been-a-comedy-routine Cybertruck demo. And the tweets — together with the one the place Musk’s head was Photoshopped onto the Rock’s physique. Musk additionally named his actually-a-thing tunnel-digging enterprise The Boring Firm.

And he isn’t the one non-actor to host the NBC sketch comedy. Athletes resembling Nancy Kerrigan and Lance Armstrong have hosted the present, as have politicians resembling Rudy Giuliani and Al Gore. Even then-presidential candidate Donald Trump hosted in 2015.

Nonetheless, it is truthful to say many have been shocked when SNL introduced Musk would host the Might 8 present, with Miley Cyrus returning for her sixth SNL stint as musical visitor. It is exhausting to think about Musk cracking scripted jokes, and possibly even tougher to think about how he’ll be portrayed in sketches.

The right way to watch if you happen to’re a cord-cutter

Saturday Night time Dwell airs Saturdays on NBC at 11:30 pm ET/8:30 pm PT, ending at 1 a.m/11 p.m.. Should you do not care to observe dwell, SNL posts sketches on its Twitter and YouTube accounts because the present goes on. Cannot keep up that late? We’ll be rehashing Musk’s look right here on CNET by the point you get up on Sunday. And there’ll little question be loads of response on social media.

Should you do wish to watch the present dwell and you are a cord-cutter, you possibly can watch it with a live-TV streaming service.

CNET’s Edward Moyer contributed to this report.