'SNL': Elon Musk Causes Controversy With Medical Reveal During Monologue

Michael Hein

05/10/2021 12:17 am EDT

Elon Musk raised a stir on SNL this weekend with an off-handed comment about his own neurodivergence. The controversial businessman claimed he was making history as the first person with Asperger Syndrome to host the legendary sketch show. There are several problems with that statement troubling viewers on social media.

Musk made several jokes at his own expense in the opening monologue, including several playing on his neurodivergence. However, the term "Asperger's Syndrome" is no longer used by medical professionals, who instead refer to the "Autism spectrum," measuring symptoms along with it. Additionally, Musk is not the first person on the Autism spectrum to host the show — the most prominent earlier example is Dan Aykroyd, who hosed the show in 2003 years after he had left the main cast. Another is musician David Byrne, who has hosted SNL twice and was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome back when it was a commonly used term.

Still, hearing a successful figure like Musk enthusiastically representing neurodivergence on one of the most popular TV shows in the world meant a lot to some viewers, judging by the responses online. Some appreciated the way he took the strengths and challenges of Autism Spectrum Disorder in stride and made jokes that others could laugh with him at.

On the other hand, some accused Musk of "fetishizing" neurodivergence and questioned whether he had truly received an Asperger's diagnosis or treatments. They saw this as another one of the businessman's ploys to distract from his controversial history of mistreating workers and endangering customers.

In general, few people seem to have changed their feelings on Musk after his SNL appearance, and either way they used this comment from his monologue to suit their existing opinions. You can watch Musk's full episode of SNL on Hulu, with a free trial available here. Scroll down for a look at the commentary on Musk's false claim about making history for the neurodivergent community.

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Others

First and foremost, fans thought Musk was doing a disservice to the past hosts who were also neurodivergent, including at least two with similar diagnoses to him. Many even argued that neurodivergent ingenuity was baked into the show's DNA via Aykroyd.

History

Many users brought up the frought history of Asperger Syndrome's namesake, Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger. Asperger knowingly allowed some of his patients to be euthanized by the Nazi government, though some accounts paint him as a dissenter who saved as many as he could. His legacy is summed up at length in Steve Silberman's book NeuroTribes, which is available here on Amazon.

Powerful

Some took strength from Musk's confidence and hoped that other neurodivergent viewers would as well.

Fact Check

Considering SNL's close association with Aykroyd, many questioned how Musk's comment made it past the fact-checkers who may have looked at his monologue ahead of time. Some thought that series creator Lorne Michaels at least should have seen it.

Excuse

Others thought that Musk was mentioning his neurodivergence to distract from his personal controversies and gain sympathy in the realm of identity politics.

Self-Diagnoses

Mental health professionals and advocates feared that Musk's proud announcement of Asperger Syndrome would lead to a slew of self-diagnoses among his rabid fan base. They saw this as potentially harmful to real patients.

Embarrassing

Finally, many people could see from a mile away that the responses to Musk's "announcement" would be awkward, unproductive and cringe-worthy. Some joked about "undiagnosing" themselves and stepping away from the discourse altogether.

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