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Elon Musk hosted SNL alongside musical guest Miley Cyrus to mixed reviews Saturday night. (Saturday Night Live/Twitter)
New Austinite and billionaire Elon Musk went "Live from New York" as the first non-entertainer or athlete to host Saturday Night Live in over five years on Saturday.
The show itself was awkward and literally affected the economy— Dogecoin's value fell as much as 30% during the show— but Musk helped SNL ratings skyrocket and saw some laughs from the audience in his surprisingly decent monologue.
Here are some highlights from the Tesla CEO's first-ever SNL episode:
1. It wasn't as controversial as you might think
Musk drummed up plenty of heat when he was named an upcoming host, including some pointed, since-deleted posts from SNL cast members Aidy Bryant and Bowen Yang. The billionaire has gotten backlash in several instances over the years, including dismissing the gravity of the COVID pandemic in 2020, but he promised to "behave" in his first appearance on the late-night comedy show.
And, for the most part, he did. Musk brought up Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency that originated from the "doge" meme and has since been adopted by his cult following, several times throughout the show. He also addressed smoking weed on a podcast with fellow Austinite Joe Rogan.
"It's like reducing OJ Simpson to murderer. That was one time," Musk said,. He then addressed Simpson's two appearances on SNL in 1979 and 1996. "Killed both times," he said.
And, as many non-performers are when hosting SNL, he was awkward, missing key comedic timing and making several of his already not-so-well-written jokes misfire. Still, he drew up a few laughs in his opening monologue, where he addressed his controversial tweeting, said he drives a Prius, and finally addressed the pronunciation for his child X Æ A-12's unconventional name.
"It's pronounced 'cat running across the keyboard'," Musk said.
2. He said he was the first-ever host with Asperger's
"I am actually making history tonight as the first person with Asperger's to host SNL.... Or atleast the first to admit it."
— Divyajoyt (@TheWokeJedi) May 9, 2021
Such courage 👏 More power to you 🙏#ElonMusk#ElonSNL#ElonMuskSNL#aspergerspic.twitter.com/zPSEI8Ffre
In his opening monologue, Musk joked about the monotone in his voice. "I've heard it's great for comedy," he said.
A minute later, Musk announced he had Asperger's to the public for the first time and said he was the first-ever SNL host with Asperger's. "Or at least the first person to admit it," Musk joked.
He's actually not the first— former cast member Dan Aykroyd is public about his Asperger's diagnosis, and he hosted in 2003. Still, it's a surprising announcement for Musk and helps reveal the man behind the millions.
3. Musk's mother made an appearance
Elon Musk Hosts a Mother’s Day Episode of ‘Saturday Night Live’ https://t.co/qskJuKGCMwpic.twitter.com/iA6DM4PboX
— Streaming Universe (@UniversoStream1) May 9, 2021
Musk joked that he might not be a "chill normal dude," but the audience got another glimpse of his humanity when his mother graced the stage during his monologue directly after all the SNL cast members brought their mothers in to do one-liners on stage. It was a little jolty, but his mom pulled through as she brought up his humble beginnings, including a $500 bank account that he didn't even have access to as a child.
Musk's mother said she was excited for her Mother's Day gift, but quipped "I hope it's not Dogecoin." Musk merely smirked.
It wasn't the last time Musk would mention his favorite cryptocurrency. Later, he played a financial expert on the "Weekend Update" and smiled harder than he had all episode.
4. Musk plays himself, a Dogecoin advocate, and- Wario?
Wario was my fav haha 👀 https://t.co/TNjn3meLVJ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2021
The world's second-richest man drew some genuine laughs when he donned purple and yellow overalls and a zig-zaggy mustache to portray video game villain Wario. Wario goes under fire for murder, but his lawyer accuses the prosecution of defamation. Mario, Luigi, Waluigi, and a surprise appearance with Grimes as Princess Peach make this the highlight sketch of the episode.
5. Musk and cast go in on Gen Z
Musk's first sketch doesn't quite hit when the cast tried to keep it hip for a Gen Z Hospital Episode. Musk was forced by a cringey writing team to deliver lines such as "your bestie took a major L." This wasn't on Musk— SNL just failed pretty badly at seeming younger and cooler than it actually is. Coming from a Gen Z cusp, it's not that they were making fun of our generation, which has given plenty of opportunity to be laughed at. Somehow, they just made Gen Z look better with their failed attempt at young people's lingo.
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(U.S. Marshals)
The Austin woman suspected of killing star cyclist visiting from out of town, Moriah "Mo" Wilson, has now been captured after evading arrest for more than a month.
Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, an Austin yoga instructor, is believed by officials to be the killer of Wilson, who was found with gunshot wounds in a friend's house on May 11. The murder is being investigated as a crime of passion after Wilson met up with Armstrong's ex-boyfriend.
According to the U.S. Marshals, Armstrong was located at a hostel on Santa Teresa Beach in Provincia de Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Officials said she may have been using her sister's name after fleeing Austin on May 14, the day after police questioned her. She was last identified at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 18.
Federal authorities say they plan on returning Armstrong to the U.S., where she'll face charges of murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Here's a timeline of events since the night of Wilson's murder.
- The night of her death, Wilson met with Armstrong’s ex-boyfriend Colin Strickland, a fellow pro cyclist. According to an affidavit, the pair went swimming, then to dinner, before he dropped Wilson off at her friend's home where she was staying in East Austin at around 8:30 p.m.
- While Wilson and Stickland had previously had a romantic relationship, Stickland said the two were friends. The affidavit says Strickland lied to Armstrong about his whereabouts that evening.
- Video footage shows Armstrong’s Jeep pulled up nearby the home within a minute of Wilson arriving home.
- At around 10 p.m., Wilson's friend called Austin police after finding her in a pool of blood. Wilson had been staying with the friend ahead of the upcoming bike race in nearby Hico, Texas.
- Armstrong was brought in for questioning the day after the murder and released after appearing “very still and guarded” when confronted with video evidence.
- The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force said her black Jeep Cherokee was sold to a South Austin CarMax dealership on May 13 for $12,200.
- She leaves from the Austin airport on May 14.
- Shell casings found on the scene matched a gun belonging to Armstrong.
- Austin police obtained an arrest warrant for Armstrong on May 17.
- She took a flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to San Jose, Costa Rica on May 18 using a fraudulent passport, according to the Marshals.
- On May 25, another warrant was obtained for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
- On June 29, she was captured by the U.S. Marshals
Alexander Jordan has been arrested and charged with ten counts of aggravated robbery. (Austin Police Department)
Austin police have arrested 26-year-old Alexander Jordan after he allegedly committed nine robberies around Austin in under 24 hours.
Jordan is facing 10 counts of aggravated robbery, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and evading detention.
APD said Jordan started his spree at 8:19 p.m. Saturday on Pleasant Valley at Pipe Dreams and continued to eight other locations, including multiple Shell and 7-Eleven gas stations before ending the run just after 4 p.m. Sunday.
Seven of the robberies were located within Austin's city limits, while one was outside Austin but within the Travis County Sheriff's Office's jurisdiction.
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