From Wario to Mars Colonizer, Elon Musk showed a wide range during his controversial hosting stint on Saturday Night Live last night. The Tesla CEO and SpaceX Founder had no issues mocking himself and some of the giant leaps for mankind that his company has been taking.
Among the moments that had people talking most on the broadcast, Musk sent a group of of people to colonize the red planet, only to have Pete Davidson's character, Chad, remove his helmet and have his head explode from the atmosphere. The sketch included the night's musical guest, Miley Cyrus.
For those recapping, Elon Musk and Miley Cyrus did a comedy skit about Mars where Pete Davidson's head exploded. That is the strangest sentence you will read today.
The episode marked the first time in SNL's storied 46-year life-span where an episode aired live internationally on YouTube to over 100 different countries. United States watchers viewed the show on NBC, as the broadcast was not readily available to U.S. viewers on the streaming service.
In a statement, Frances Berwick, chairman of NBCU's entertainment networks, explained, "SNL is a global phenomenon and this livestream marks the first time audiences around the world will experience the show simultaneously along with the US. It's incredibly exciting to create this worldwide event with host Elon Musk and musical guest Miley Cyrus."
For a show that has a long history of controversial hosts dating back to names like Andrew "Dice" Clay and George Steinbrenner, SNL may have outdone themselves with the billionaire troll of Twitter. Elon's appearance generated an immediate backlash, along with both trepidation and anticipation.
Musk's girlfriend, Grimes, appeared on the show as well as Princess Peach in another sketch, making this the second strangest sentence you'll read today.
The appearance generated controversy in the opening quarter hour when Elon, during his monologue, claimed to be the "first person with Asperger's" to host SNL. The statement drew critisism across social media as many lined up to point out that Dan Aykroyd, an original cast member, was the first.
While many had harsh words for his claim, it was one Twitter user who said that the billionaire "needs to stop fetishizing his neurodivergence as a distraction from his crimes against humanity."
And, with that, live from Mars. It's Saturday Night. Cue the laugh track.
Sources: AV Club, Daily Mail, Huffington Post