When Saturday Night Live announced that Elon Musk would be making his comedy debut on an upcoming episode of the show, the general reaction was pretty negative (for obvious reasons). However, at least one star of the NBC comedy series has a curiously different response to the tech billionaire's gig; cast member Pete Davidson is especially "excited" about Musk joining them despite the controversy.
A recent appearance on The Breakfast Club radio show revealed that Davidson isn't at all concerned about the optics of propping up someone like Musk on a platform like SNL. In fact, he actually thinks Musk is a great addition to the host lineup.
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"I just don't understand why this is the dude everyone's so freaked out about," Davidson told the show's hosts. "I was like, 'What did he do? He's just like a really wealthy businessman that makes, like, nerd shit.' I don't know. He's really nice. I'm excited."
"Everybody's kind of been like, 'Yo, who's the guy that's so pissed off?'" he continued. "Cause we're on a group text, so we're all just like, 'I don't know.' So, yeah, we're all excited and really don't understand the controversy."
I'll break it down for you, Pete. SNL's decision to recruit Musk for an episode of the show doesn't sit well with many people because of his politics, which are clearly influenced by his status as one of the most privileged people in the world. There's nothing inherently wrong with being rich, but Musk has often used his wealth and the platform that comes with to be quite problematic, specifically where the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is concerned. Given everything that's happened in the last four years, the days of propping up personalities dedicated to spreading misinformation and twisting facts should be long behind us — especially when there are so many obviously funnier people to pay attention to. You could bring Issa Rae back for a double-season booking or give Ali Wong, and actual comedian, a call. Debra Messing is available, too, and she's definitely a little salty about being overlooked.
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It’s always been a dream of mine to host @nbcsnl . Ain’t gonna lie— seeing Elon Musk given that privilege- not the funniest of people- really hurts my heart. https://t.co/JqwagTFabF
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) May 7, 2021
"It’s always been a dream of mine to host @nbcsnl," she tweeted upon seeing Musk's episode promotion with musical guest Miley Cyrus and SNL cast member Cecily Strong. " Ain’t gonna lie— seeing Elon Musk given that privilege- not the funniest of people- really hurts my heart."
Messing is no angel herself (we haven't forgotten her disturbing tweets during the 2020 presidential election), but she does makes a good point. Controversies aside, she at least has a history of being funny on television — which should be the base requirement for hosting a comedy sketch show. What does Musk have except for a fleet of Teslas, a space force, and $165.7 billion? I'll wait.