The news that Elon Musk would be hosting the May 8 episode of “Saturday Night Live” wasn’t exactly met with the warmest of welcomes, by either fans or the cast. The CEO and Technoking of Tesla as well as the Chief Engineer of SpaceX sparked outrage when sharing the announcement last month, prompting cast members Bowen Yang, Andrew Dismukes, and Aidy Bryant to throw barely veiled shade at their upcoming host.
Musk is easily one of the richest people on the planet, so some felt it was a little out of touch to bring aboard someone without much in the way of cultural bonafides. Still, he has plenty of experience on TV, including “Rick and Morty” and “The Big Bang Theory,” and his Twitter activity suggests someone capable (maybe?) of laughing at themselves.
Regardless, the stunt casting decision should throw some fresh (and much-needed) fuel on the NBC sketch comedy series, which has had a superb run of hosts this year but hasn’t retained much cultural relevance. Can Elon Musk change the conversation? He’s hardly the most controversial host (or guest) on the show, which has a rich history of them. Below, relive 13 of the most divisive appearances on “Saturday Night Live.”
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
