During a recent broadcast of "Saturday Night Live," the iconic late-night sketch comedy series turned its satirical lens toward the world of high technology and modern politics, delivering a memorable "Weekend Update" segment that lampooned billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. Featured player Jeremy Culhane stepped into the shoes of the controversial tech titan, offering a chaotic and evasive breakdown of the week’s major political and corporate headlines, specifically focusing on the surprising outcomes of the midterm elections and ongoing developments at Tesla.
The satirical sketch arrived hot on the heels of a monumental week in politics, most notably the outcome of Tuesday’s midterm elections. In the real world, Elon Musk made headlines by pouring nearly $500 million into supporting Republican candidates across the country, with a particularly heavy financial focus on his adopted home state of Texas. However, rather than securing a sweeping victory for his favored political allies, the strategy backfired significantly as a wave of momentum propelled Democratic candidates to victory in the majority of Texas’s statewide races.
"Weekend Update" co-anchor Colin Jost wasted no time steering the conversation directly toward these political developments, confronting the faux Musk at the desk with blunt candor.
"Elon, you’ve been in the news because you wasted half a billion dollars on the midterms," Jost said, setting the stage for the comedic evasion that followed.
Rather than addressing the massive financial investment or the shifting political landscape in Texas, Culhane’s Musk immediately pivoted, opting to deflect with characteristic tech-bro bravado and random anecdotes.
"No, I’m in the news because my car did a flip," the parodied billionaire responded, attempting to completely derail the line of questioning. "My car did a flip. Remember? It was like a freaking Hot Wheel. It was like, and then pop, but I was like totally chill. I was like thug life. Imagine."
Undeterred, Jost redirected the conversation to another major headline emerging from Texas that same week: the sudden halt in production on Tesla’s polarizing Cybertruck. Jost pressed the tech mogul on whether he had any official statement or insight to offer regarding the manufacturing setback.
Instead of addressing supply chains, market demand, or corporate strategy, the caricature of Musk doubled down on his previous deflection, romanticizing the vehicle accident with cinematic enthusiasm.
"Hey, remember when my car did a flip? It was epic," the faux Musk declared. "It was like, but everyone was like, ‘Whoa!’ But I was just like, ‘Hold my beer.’"
The comedic riffing quickly spiraled into surreal daydreams as the parodied executive continued to ramble unchecked at the desk.
"Then like, you, me, and Che, we’re just like there. We’re just like hanging out, doing like epic vulgar roast of each other," Culhane’s Musk elaborated, looping in anchor Michael Che before launching into an imaginative fantasy sequence. "And then these girls are like, ‘Can we hang?’ And we’re like, ‘No, you know, we’re good.’ And then like, imagine my leather jacket becomes like a suit of armor, like, ‘Shing, shing,’ and everybody’s like, ‘Elon, Elon, Elon!’ That would be amazing, man. Amazing. Like, imagine?"
The sheer absurdity of the monologue prompted a visibly exhausted Jost to deliver a deadpan reality check to his guest, capturing the disbelief shared by many observers of the billionaire’s public persona.
"I cannot believe you are the richest person in the world," Jost remarked.
Leaning further into the geopolitical reality facing the entrepreneur, Jost meticulously recapped the sequence of events that brought the billionaire to his current predicament in the Lone Star State. The anchor reminded the audience and the character of the motivations behind the massive corporate relocation.
"You moved to Texas because California was run by Democrats. You moved all your companies to Texas because you didn’t want to pay taxes. You even built your own town in Texas. And now Texas is run by Democrats. So now you’re going to have to pay taxes. So how does that make you feel?" Jost asked.
Facing the undeniable economic and political pinch, the parodied Musk offered a simple, defeated response: "Bad."
"I guess that’s what I thought. I mean, I would feel bad too," Jost noted.
Stung by the straightforward observation, the fictional Musk fired back with trademark sensitivity, labeling the remark as a brutal attack.
"Ouchie! Ouchie! That is another epic vulgar roast from Colin Jost, my poorest friend," he retorted.
This cue led directly into a demonstration of one of the billionaire’s signature technological ventures, prompting a discussion about artificial intelligence and his proprietary AI model, Grok. When Jost questioned the reference, the character eagerly elaborated on the software’s capabilities.
"It’s my AI Grok’s most epic hardcore feature," the faux Musk explained, describing the function with unearned pride. "It’s so vulgar and hilariously funny."
Embracing the bit, the character commanded Grok to generate a few "epic vulgar roasts" directed specifically at himself. The resulting automated insults proved remarkably sharp, hitting uncomfortably close to home for the tech mogul’s public image.
"Elon Musk, you’re the worst thing South Africa has ever done," the first AI-generated roast declared.
"When you’re on TV, it feels like an episode of Hate on the Spectrum," followed the second.
Concluding the automated self-deprecation, the third roast targeted his sprawling family: "If you have 100 more kids, one of them will talk to you."
The cutting nature of the artificial intelligence output proved to be too much for the caricature to handle. Crying out in mock agony, the parodied billionaire abandoned his tough exterior.
"Ouchie Wouchie! Shut it down, Grok, shut it down!" Elon screamed as he hastily fled the "Weekend Update" desk, bringing a chaotic and laughter-filled end to the segment.
