Elon Musk made his debut as “Saturday Night Live” host on May 8, and during his monologue dropped a revelation: he has Asperger syndrome.
“I’m actually making history tonight as the first person with Asperger’s to host ‘SNL’,” the Tesla/SpaceX mogul declared.
Joking about being on the autism spectrum, Musk quipped, “I don’t always have a lot of intonation or variation in how I speak… which I’m told makes for great comedy.”
Following Musk’s monologue, numerous Twitter users chimed in to offer a correction: Musk is not the first person with Asperger’s to have hosted “SNL”.
That distinction actually goes to OG Not Ready for Primetime Player Dan Aykroyd, who revealed in a 2013 interview with the Daily Mail that he was diagnosed with Asperger’s in the 1980s, and also that he was diagnosed with Tourette’s when he was 12.
Not only was Aykroyd a cast member from 1975 until 1979, he returned to host in 2003, which would make Musk’s assertion of making history inaccurate.
Check out a sampling of Twitter reaction to Musk’s claim.
Elon Musk said he was the first person with Aspergers to host SNL. I don't know about hosts but Dan Aykroyd also has Aspergers. He was on the show for four years and won an Emmy.
— Steven Zeitchik (@zeitchikWaPo) May 9, 2021
1. No he’s not. Off the top of my head, Dan Aykroyd is on the autism spectrum and hosted in 2003 years after he was no longer a cast member.
2. Even if this was true Elon Musk still sucks.. https://t.co/45bO0m08rx— abolish the death penalty, abolish prisons (@petervulfranc) May 9, 2021
Lol Dan Aykroyd STARTED snl with Asperger’s, but nice try.
— Joshua Simon 🥺 (@JoshuaSimonSays) May 9, 2021
Three things:
1. Dan Aykroyd has Asperger's. He was one of the original cast members and hosted in 2003.
2. David Byrne also has Asperger's. He was a musical guest twice.
3. Elon needs to stop fetishizing his neurodivergence as a distraction from his crimes against humanity. https://t.co/vHZBjab88o
— Ben (@OughtaBeBen) May 9, 2021
Dan Aykroyd is trending for having Asperger's Syndrome and having hosted SNL…
I just want to mention he's also impossibly cool. pic.twitter.com/LSyCBk2b9S
— 󠄄 (@RudolfWolph) May 9, 2021
Glad to see Dan aykroyd trending from ppl correcting e*on pic.twitter.com/jpPlKVIJdp
— ichabod (@UNMA5KED) May 9, 2021
Elon Musk isn’t the first Saturday Night Live host with Asperger’s. Former cast member Dan Aykroyd hosted in 2003 and is a comedy legend. pic.twitter.com/Ks0va4AK6U
— Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) May 9, 2021
Dan Aykroyd.
Coulda googled it, but now you got this tweet all over you. https://t.co/RO7wYokXui
— Nash Across the 8th Dimension (@Nash076) May 9, 2021
Dan Aykroyd would like a word https://t.co/xoT5GfZjAb
— Joey JoJo Jr. Shabadoo (@tonygoldmark) May 9, 2021
“Saturday Night Live” airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. PT on Global.
