Pete Davidson Is Stoked Elon Musk Is Hosting ‘SNL,’ Doesn’t Get ‘Why People Are Freaking Out’
“The guy that makes the Earth better kinda and makes cool things and sends people to Mars?” the comedian says
The announcement that Tesla CEO Elon Musk will be hosting “Saturday Night Live” this week has drawn backlash from viewers and cast members alike. But Pete Davidson ain’t one of them.
“I don’t know why people are freaking out,” Davidson said in a “Late Night With Seth Meyers” appearance, “”They’re like, ‘Oh I can’t believe that Elon Musk is hosting!’ And I’m like, ‘The guy that makes the Earth better kinda and makes cool things and sends people to Mars?”
As of his conversation with Meyers, Davidson had not yet met Musk but said he planned to have dinner with the billionaire and “SNL” producer Lorne Michaels later that night. “I’m really excited, man,” he said. “I’m gonna ask him for like a Tesla or some s—.”
Much of the controversy (and criticism leveled against SNL and NBC) revolves around Musk’s anti-union sentiments, online trolling and spreading of misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of Davidson’s fellow “SNL” cast mates have expressed their lack of excitement online.
On Instagram, Bowen Yang reposted a tweet from Musk reading “Let’s find out just how live Saturday Night Live really is,” with a sad face and the question, “What the f— does that even mean?”
dying at bowen yang's instagram stories after snl announced elon musk is hosting pic.twitter.com/6VVQ47frkR
— megan (@chaoticmlkhotel) April 25, 2021
In response to another recent tweet from the billionaire asking for “skit” ideas, Chris Redd replied, “First I’d call Em sketches.”
First I’d call Em sketches https://t.co/37liDrKYjo
— Chris Redd (@Reddsaidit) May 2, 2021
Andrew Dismukes also joked that the “ONLY CEO I WANT TO DO A SKETCH WITH IS CHER-E OTERI,” along with an image of “SNL” legend Cheri Oteri on his Instagram.
Aidy Bryant appeared to slyly react to the news by sharing a Bernie Sanders tweet about the “moral obscenity” of America’s wealth distribution.
the absolute shade from Aidy Bryant after announcing that @nbcsnl will have Elon Musk as host. good for her pic.twitter.com/G1K4R0sNEq
— abby (@abbymorr11) April 24, 2021
Forbes estimates Musk’s net worth at $166.2 billion, making him the second richest person in the world behind Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
Still, Davidson is not alone in his enthusiasm to be working with Musk.
“Weekend Update” cohost Michael Che shared the sentiment in an interview with Meyers earlier this week. “That’s gonna be exciting, too,” Che said. “He’s the richest man in the world, how could you not be excited for that?”
According to Musk, his interactions in Studio 8H have been nothing but friendly thus far. He described the controversy surrounding his new gig to Page Six as, “much ado about nothing.”
