Origin of Elon Musk’s SNL Appearance
Elon Musk is set to appear on the popular American comedy show, Saturday Night Live (SNL) as the show’s host and musical guest on May 8, 2021. The show has been running since 1975, featuring some of the world’s most iconic entertainers, comedians and musicians as host. Considering his impressive rags to riches story, it comes as no surprise that Musk is the latest celebrity to receive the honour of appearing on the show.
Musk began his career as a tech entrepreneur and, at the age of 24, launched his first company Zip2. He was later a key player in the founding of PayPal, SpaceX, SolarCity and Tesla, earning himself a place on the Forbes billionaire list in 2013. His achievements have made him at once a darling of some and a figure of scorn among others. Ostensibly, his invitation to guest on SNL reflects his meteoric rise to fame and significant position in the public sphere.
How did he make the cut? Following initial speculation, Musk’s invitation by the show was confirmed in a tweet from @nbcsnl on April 25th of this year. Social media response to the news stepped up quickly with supporters, who admire Musk’s work, voicing wild speculation about his upcoming performance and calling for Elon to flaunt word on the skit. Critics argued that Musk was unqualified for the role and labeling him egotistical. Regardless, Elon’s appearance tipped the balance and became the talk of Twitter.
Deemed the world’s richest man with a net worth of $166 billion, Elon Musk has certainly made his mark on the business world. More recently, Musk has become known for his philanthropic pursuits, often funding research in the STEM fields, although his relationship with political conservatism leaves some feeling uneasy. To clarify his position to the skeptics, Musk responded to his booking in a tweet, remarking, “Let’s find out just how live Saturday Night Live really is.”
Analysis of His Upcoming Performance
Given Musk’s cumulative success in the business world and his active presence on social media, many anticipate that this appearance will be a prime opportunity for the tech mogul to promote his work and make a memorable impression. His relatively new rap-language has well and truly advanced hyping on the internet, notably lending its influence to the meme culture. It is anticipated, then, that his rap will resurface stylistically on SNL, in some tongue-in-cheek fashion.
That said, the line between sincerity and caricature is a thin one for Elon. Technology leaders, such as himself, often equate their billionaire role to heroism and enjoy a certain mystique erected around their successes. Some of Musk’s move as hero-esque, such as his push to create a human city on Mars, are sure to inspire adoration from his supporters. However, this persona is just as likely to become a source of humorous ridicule by the SNL cast.
It is clear that this hosting performance is a tremendous opportunity for Musk to leverage his existing fan base and to demonstrate his multidimensional character to a more skeptical crowd. It has the potential to endear him to his audience and to help him maneuver around the pathos from his highly controversial Tweets.
Expectations of His Contribution
Considering that Musk is no regular comic actor, there are definite uncertainties with his hosting performance. But contrary to what might initially be assumed, research shows that many Americans follow Elon Musk and see him as a trailblazer. Oftentimes, celebrities with successful business backgrounds go on to successfully act as hosts on Saturday Night Live. Take, for example, Kanye West in 2018 and Donald Trump in 2015.
In light of Musk’s hosting success, here are our predictions for Musk’s stamp on SNL. Firstly, viewers can likely expect a promotion of his signature endeavors and lengthy farewell speech, which have become Musk trademarks. Secondly, he will likely bring his beloved mother — an author of books about nutrition — to join on stage for a cameo performance. Lastly, in an effort to deviate from his professional obligations and tech talk, viewers might be privy to some of Musk’s beloved memes and inside lines, which have made the CEO a cult-ish favorite.
Controversy Concerns
That said, many are worried that the show, or individual cast members on the show, will make light of some of Musk’s more serious and controversial statements and business decisions. This could, potentially, be damaging to his reputation. How will the SNL cast address issues such as Musk’s public outbursts and openly pro-conservative bias, or his past illegal practices as CEO of Tesla? There will be a great deal of public scrutiny regarding which of these topics are tackled and how they are dealt with.
That’s not all, some of his famous lines will also be subject to debate. Most of his remarks have faced backlash from all angles, seen as insensitive and outrageous by many. Among such remarks are Tesla’s ‘bankruptcy tweet’ in April of 2018 and his infamous comment, “stop subscribing to lesser known subreddits” in 2015. Whether or not Musk will have control over the scripts remains to be seen.
Conclusion of His SNL Performance
With the many questions surrounding Elon Musk’s upcoming SNL performance, the real challenge will be in how he responds, and how the audience responds to him. Needless to say, the show will be infamous and the fans will most likely argue, but only time will tell whether his hosting performance was a success or a disaster. Either way, this will be one show that will open many doors, for good or for ill, for Elon and his reputation.
Responses from Industry Leaders and Investors
Generally speaking, investors and industry leaders have reacted positively to the news of Elon Musk’s SNL hosting performance. An article from Globe Newswire noted that many executives have spoken highly of Musk’s SNL appearance and have argued that it will benefit the company in the long-term. A key reason being that it will lead to an increased awareness of and engagement with Tesla’s brand.
Many have emphasised the importance of public speaking and how it will help to advance Elon’s message. Lloyd C. Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs has commented, “I would be excited to see one of the most iconic business and technological leaders feature on such a popular show – it furthers his greater message of innovation and progress.”
As well as investors, leaders from the tech industry have responded in complimentary fashion. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc. stated, “This is a great opportunity for Elon to share his work with the masses and to reach an even broader audience.” Other executives have noted that Musk is an inspiration for younger entrepreneurs, and a television slot will only further help the younger demographic understand business operations.
Reactions From The Audience
The news of Elon Musk’s appearance on Saturday Night Live has been met with excitement from the general population. From tik-tok videos to YouTube commentaries, the internet has been awash with comments lauding Musk and speculating what he will bring to the hit show.
Fans are hoping that the skit will feature some of Musk’s famous phrases and musings which proliferate across the internet. Others are hopeful that he will surprise them with some of his hobbies such as playing chess and braiding hair. Although it is certain that there will be a few jokes made at his expense.
Perhaps the showrunners are hoping that Musk’s presence will rub off and provide some much-needed laughs and a slice of good news in a more tumultuous climate. Lorne Michaels, the show’s executive producer, is known for having a good eye for talent and embracing a diverse range of actors and celebrities on the show. No doubt, Musk’s presence will be thought-provoking and entertaining for a breadth of viewers.
Impact on Social Media
On the day of the show, SNL’s Twitter account will likely be in overdrive. Musk’s frequent appearances trolling on social media have birthed the #MuskWatch 2021 hashtag, comprising audio-visual recordings of Musk’s skits as well as analysis and comments on his Twitter posts. It has become an in-joke between tech-enthusiasts, meme-lords and fans of pop-culture.
With over 41.9 million followers on Twitter, Musk can hardly be overlooked by the media. Whenever the CEO posts, his comments stumble upon the news broadcast instantly. Since the news of SNL hosting, his interactions on the platform have the potential to go viral, or to incite discourse. It will be exciting to see what swill be discussed on the leading social media platform on the day of the performance.
One thing is for sure: the night of May 8th brings with it an opportunity for Elon Musk to leave an impression on the public and to shape public opinion on his eccentricity and vision for the future. It is definitely a wait-and-see kind of situation, and one has to wonder what Elon will think of the show and its hosts.
