No Regrets

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On Saturdays, I’m a part of the Saturday Night Live family, and as Chloe Fineman, I shared that I stand by my actions when I called out Elon Musk last May. You might remember the stir it caused when he hosted the show and I spoke up about his behavior. Well, I can tell you, there are no regrets in my book. In fact, I recently expressed this on Instagram, saying, “Do you recall when I faced consequences for speaking out against the Nazi salute? No regrets whatsoever.

I’m pointing out that twice during his speech at Trump’s inauguration, Musk seemed to perform a gesture that resembled the Sieg Heil salute. However, Musk’s admirers argue he was merely expressing “my heart goes out to you” or perhaps a Roman salute. Yet, historians contend that even if it were the latter, figures like Mussolini and Hitler appropriated this gesture for their regimes, suggesting there isn’t much distinction between the two, given such historical context.

Initially, Fineman publicly criticized Musk following hints from SNL co-star Bowen Yang during an interview on Watch What Happens Live! in August 2024. Yang suggested a male host who made several cast members cry due to his dislike of their ideas. Later in November of that year, Fineman revealed Musk’s identity in a video she posted on TikTok, which has since been deleted.

In the video, Fineman spoke directly to Musk, saying, “If you choose to be rude on your platform, just know that I, Chloe Fineman, found myself shedding tears after staying up late to write a sketch. I was really looking forward to it, I came in, asked if you had any questions, and you looked at me as if I were being let go from Tesla and said something like, ‘It’s not funny.’

Elon Musk continues to show no remorse over the incidents involving Fineman and the Nazi salute, instead defending his actions on his personal Twitter-like platform, X (which he undeniably controls).

Elon Musk Was a Controversial Choice Before He Terrorized the Cast

It was a contentious decision at the moment when Elon Musk was chosen as the host of SNL. Several cast members, including Yang, Andrew Dismukes, Aidy Bryant, and a former writer on the show, voiced their disapproval on social media. The producers informed everyone that they were free to opt out of the episode if they wished. However, no one ultimately chose to do so, though it’s evident that the experience was uncomfortable for the cast, especially Fineman. Regrettably, Musk is not the first guest to encounter a chilly reception from SNL’s cast members.

As a movie reviewer, I found myself reflecting on Saturday Night Live’s history of welcoming contentious personalities as hosts. Recently, SNL extended an invitation to Dave Chappelle for his fourth stint as host, despite his firm stance that has sparked discussions about transgender individuals and their rights. This isn’t the first time a divisive figure has graced the SNL stage; in 2015, Donald Trump, who was campaigning for his first presidential term, appeared on the show. Going even further back, in 1990, Andrew Dice Clay, known for his controversial comedy, caused cast member Nora Dunn and musical guest Sinead O’Connor to withdraw from an episode due to his misogynistic humor.

On January 25, 2025, Timothée Chalamet will host and perform on Saturday Night Live, a choice that should be well-received unless you didn’t appreciate his Bob Dylan impersonation in the film A Complete Unknown.

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2025-01-23 23:31