Elon Musk’s turn as host of this week’s Saturday Night Live television program will be a light-hearted, brand-building break from the pressures of running Tesla Inc and SpaceX – or land the billionaire in another bucket of hot water. That uncertainty appears to be the point for both Musk and NBCUniversal’s CMCSA.O venerable comedy sketch show.
Elon Musk has been encouraging fans and detractors to anticipate shenanigans, potentially involving the Dogecoin cryptocurrency. Musk has touted Dogecoin on his Twitter account, and the cryptocurrency’s value has soared ahead of his appearance. “I’m a wild card, no telling what I might do,” Musk, wearing a black bandana, joked in a brief promotional video for the show alongside Saturday’s musical guest, Miley Cyrus.
“Same here,” Cyrus said. “Rules? No thanks.” Musk has been in New York this week preparing for the appearance. A photo posted to the Saturday Night Live Twitter account on Wednesday showed him hunched over papers, wearing a Nuke Mars T-shirt. Musk has mused about using nuclear weapons to reshape the Red Planet for human habitation.
Some SNL cast members have expressed displeasure at the show’’ decision to give its platform to one of the world’s richest people. Musk’s appearance has drawn comparisons to the show’s controversial decision in 2015 to invite Donald Trump to host as he was preparing for his presidential run.
Although it is rare for a business executive to host SNL, South Africa-born Musk, 49, is no stranger to pop culture or comedy. He has appeared on The Simpsons, Rick and Morty, and South Park, and dates a pop star, Canadian singer Grimes. Musk’s persona helped inspire Robert Downey Jr’s portrayal of superhero Iron Man in a series of Marvel films.
