In what was perhaps the most anticipated appearance of the season, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk hosted "Saturday Night Live."
Musk began his hosting duties with a monologue and addressed his reputation for sarcastic or misleading comments.
“It’s an honor to be hosting 'Saturday Night Live.' I mean that. Sometimes after I say something, I have to say ‘I mean that,’ so people really know that I mean it. That’s because I don’t always have a lot of intonation or variation in how I speak. Which I’m told makes for great comedy.”
Musk then revealed his Asperger's diagnosis by saying he is making history as "the first person with Asperger’s to host ‘SNL’."
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“Or at least the first to admit it,” he quipped.
The controversial CEO revealed a self-deprecating sense of humor. He took aim at his appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast in which he famously smoked marijuana and even his own son’s name, "X Æ A-Xii.”
“It’s pronounced ‘cat running across a keyboard,” he joked.
Musk, keeping in step with the theme of the evening, was joined on stage by his mother, model Maye Musk. The elder Musk reminisced with her son about his creative childhood, but also warned him against a likely Mother’s Day gift this year.
“I’m excited for my Mother’s Day gift. I just hope it’s not Dogecoin,” she cautioned, referring to the contentious cryptocurrency that her son has endorsed.
"Saturday Night Live" kicked off the show with a celebration of Mother’s Day as the cast introduced their mothers during the Cold Open. Miley Cyrus provided a fitting soundtrack as she belted out Dolly Parton’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” The introductions ranged from heartwarming to hilarious as the moms of "SNL" had their moment in the spotlight.
Kate McKinnon helped her mom with a Mary Katherine Gallagher impression, a character created by former "SNL" cast member Molly Shannon. Kyle Mooney professed he missed seeing his mother last Mother’s Day, to which his mom joked back, “now you owe me two gifts.”
Melissa Villaseñor’s mom gave her some constructive criticism on her impressions, while Colin Jost’s mom had to be warned about reading the index cards she’d received from Michael Che.
Musk joined the cast for a sketch featuring Nintendo characters as the Tesla CEO played Wario, who is accused of murdering Mario by his brother Luigi, played by Kyle Mooney. With Cecily Strong as the judge, the court untangled the muddy details of the characters’ lives, complete with drugs, slander and a messy affair.
In a surprise appearance, Canadian musician Grimes, who is married to Musk, played Mario's famous love interest, Princess Peach.
Weekend Update returned with plenty to talk about as Michael Che and Colin Jost resumed their roles as designated news anchors of "SNL". The pair kicked off their banter with a swipe at Musk.
“A space rocket that was spinning out of control just minutes ago crashed into the ocean,” said Jost. “For once, we know it’s not Elon’s fault.”
Che gave his take on Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos' BlueOrigin and their efforts to bring humans to Mars.
“Look, if there are any Martians watching this, when you see a bunch of foreign ships pull up on your land, take it from a black dude: don’t get on them!”
The duo was then taught a lesson on cryptocurrency by financial expert Lloyd Ostertag, played by Musk. Before the show, there was speculation on whether Musk's appearance on "SNL" would affect the price of Dogecoin, as the price may rise in response to the publicity Musk gives it.
In what was surely the most consequential sketch of the evening for Dogecoin, Michael Che grilled the "financial expert" on cryptocurrency. After a back and forth over the concepts of cryptocurrency, Che concluded it's a "hustle."
"Yeah, it's a hustle," agreed Musk with a wry smile. In the hours after the show, the price of Dogecoin plummeted.
Musk appeared again as a doctor in “Gen Z Hospital,” and did his best to lay some hard news on a group of teens. The sketch revolved around current slang and how the terms can get lost in translation as homonyms. When Musk informs the group that their bestie is “literally dead,” the youngsters are confused.
“That’s good news!” said Bowen Yang.
Miley Cyrus returned to the show as a musical guest for her fourth time and was joined by The Kid LAROI for a rendition of his song “WITHOUT YOU.”
The former Disney Channel star also performed the title song from her latest album “Plastic Hearts.”
