Some 'SNL' cast members don't seem thrilled that Elon Musk is signed on to host
- Elon Musk will host the May 8 episode of "Saturday Night Live," NBC announced Saturday.
- Several "SNL" cast members seemed to react negatively to the news on social media.
- It will be the SpaceX and Tesla CEO's first time on the NBC comedy-sketch series.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, is making his "Saturday Night Live" debut on May 8 as the evening's host, NBC announced in a press release Saturday. But the decision to invite the controversial billionaire to Studio 8H has seemed to lead to discontentment amongst some of the "SNL" cast members.
Hours after NBC posted the lineup, which features Miley Cyrus as the musical guest, Musk reiterated the news on Twitter. "Am hosting SNL on May 8," the 49-year-old wrote to his 52 million followers.
"Let's find out just how live Saturday Night Live really is," he continued, adding a purple devil emoji.
The lineup didn't seem to go over well with some of the cast members
Several of the season 46 "SNL" cast members appeared to respond to the news on social media.
Bowen Yang, a featured player that joined the show as a staff writer in 2018, posted a frowning emoji on his Instagram story around the same time NBC released the May 8 lineup. Though it remains unconfirmed that Yang's story was related to the announcement, he later responded directly to Musk's tweet.
"what the f--- does this even mean," he wrote on his Instagram story, reposting the tech executive's question regarding "how live" the show is.
Many suspected that Aidy Bryant, a repertory player that's been on the "SNL" roster since 2012, disapproved of the hosting decision as well after she reshared Sen. Bernie Sanders' tweet about the "absurd" economic inequality in the US on Saturday.
The tweet didn't directly mention Musk, but it did point to the "50 wealthiest people in this country." And as of Monday, Forbes listed Musk's net worth at $179.5 billion, putting him at the top of the list that Sanders' mentioned.
Andrew Dismukes, an "SNL" writer-turned-featured player, also appeared to weigh in on Musk's upcoming appearance.
"Only CEO I wanna do sketch with is Cher-E Oteri," he wrote on his Instagram story, referring to Cheri Oteri, a cast member on the comedy-sketch series from 1995 to 2000.
Musk has emerged as an outspoken, polarizing figure in recent years
The South African tech executive has become known for making brash public statements, oftentimes publishing them on Twitter. While some people are drawn to Musk's opinionated, candid nature, his behavior has also gotten him into hot water.
In recent years, he's tweeted unlawful anti-union rhetoric, mocked gender pronouns, and spread misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic.
"SNL" hasn't shied away from inviting controversial figures to the show in the past, however.
In 2015, Donald Trump hosted the comedy-sketch series while campaigning for president. The episode sparked backlash, as many didn't agree with creator and executive producer Lorne Michael's decision to give him a platform. According to Deadline, Trump's appearance brought a sizable bump in ratings.