Saturday Night Live taps Elon Musk to host on May 8
Saturday Night Live will feature Elon Musk as its host on May 8 alongside a familiar musical guest. This will mark a rare occasion in which a business executive takes on the role, though Musk's willingness to participate isn't surprising given his habit of sharing memes and participating in pop culture.
The news was revealed by the Saturday Night Live team in the form of a tweeted image on Twitter, one featuring a corkboard with three pinned notes reading: May 8, Elon Musk, and Miley Cyrus. This will be the sixth time Cyrus has returned as a musical guest on the popular comedy show.
— Miley Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) April 24, 2021
Saturday Night Live has been around for around four decades and bringing in celebrities to host episodes is one of its core themes. These hosts generally come from the world of Hollywood, however, with past notable examples including actors and comedians like Will Ferrell, John Goodman, Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, and many others.
Though it's not common for a business executive to host the show, it's also not unprecedented. George Steinbrenner of New York Yankees fame one hosted back in 1990, for example. Some SNL fans remain skeptical about whether Musk is equipped to host the show, however, and expressed concerns that he was only brought in due to his wealth rather than any notable comedic skills.
We'll only have to wait a couple of weeks to see whether the criticism pans out and how Musk ultimately handles the role. The tech billionaire hasn't shied away from popular media in the past; his guest appearances include an Iron Man cameo, a brief moment in an episode of The Big Bang Theory, and serving as a guest on The Simpsons.