SNL with Elon Musk promo validates some fans’ concerns

Saturday Night Live faced some backlash when it announced that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk would host the May 8 episode. A new promo from SNL suggests some of those concerns were valid.

Musk has become a controversial figure due to his business practices, political comments, and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, there is no denying his popularity or cultural impact–two things that SNL looks for in a host.

Not since Donald Trump hosted in 2015 has an SNL host generated so many headlines before taking the stage. Some cast and crew members were not subtle in voicing their displeasure while a report that some cast members could boycott the show gained traction.  But the relevance and legitimacy of that appeared to be shot down by Michael Che.

We know that Cecily Strong won’t be skipping out on the May 8 episode. She appeared alongside Elon Musk and Miley Cyrus in a promo for the show. Audiences are expected to cut Musk some slack considering he’s not a performer. But if the promo is any indication, that’s going to be a lot of slack.

Saturday Night Live fans react to Elon Musk’s acting

There have been plenty of Saturday Night Live hosts who came to the show without any acting experience. Athletes, musicians, and more have all been asked to go out of their comfort zone on the sketch show.

Nobody is expecting Elon Musk to be a natural performer, especially when he’s next to SNL veteran Cecily Strong and Miley Cyrus. But it’s clear from the promo that Musk isn’t comfortable reading lines of a cue card or making the lines sound natural.

Fans certainly noticed. Comments on the video described Musk’s acting as “awkward” but expressed hope that he’d give it his best. Another fan joked that Musk could only convincingly play himself or a robot.

To offset Musk’s lack of experience, SNL may not put too much on his plate in any given sketch. It also helps to have Miley Cyrus in the building, someone will plenty of performance experience who’s also used to SNL.

As long as Musk tries and it’s obvious that he’s up for whatever Saturday Night Live wants him to do, any awkward acting can be forgiven. The problem is that Musk working uphill from the start, given how upset many people are that he’s the host.

What did you think of this promo with Elon Musk? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.