Tesla founder Elon Musk will host 'SNL' on May 8. AFP
Tesla founder Elon Musk will host 'SNL' on May 8. AFP
Tesla founder Elon Musk will host 'SNL' on May 8. AFP
Tesla founder Elon Musk will host 'SNL' on May 8. AFP

'Saturday Night Live' cast members will not be made to appear in controversial show hosted by Elon Musk


Sophie Prideaux
  • English
  • Arabic

Members of Saturday Night Live's regular cast will not be forced to perform alongside Elon Musk when he hosts the show next week, according to reports.

The Tesla and SpaceX founder and chief executive is set to host the show on Saturday, a move which has attracted much criticism from both fans and stars of the programme.

However, according to the New York Post, those who do not wish to perform alongside Musk will not be made to.

“Speaking historically, if a cast member has been that unhappy, they don’t have to do it,” a source told the newspaper.

"SNL boss Lorne Michaels won't ever make them do anything they don't want to do."

Musk drew further criticism after the show was announced, when he tweeted, "Let's find out just how live Saturday Night Live really is."

Cast member Bowen Yang posted a screenshot of the tweet, saying “What the … does this even mean?”, however, the tweet has since been deleted.

In the past, Musk, 49, has appeared in animated shows, such as The Simpsons, Rick and Morty and South Park, he has also made cameos in The Big Bang Theory and Iron Man 2, but he is not known for his acting.

Musk is also one of the few people not from the worlds of entertainment, sports or politics to host the long-running comedy show.

Historically, the billionaire has been criticised for his treatment of employees and his outspoken nature has landed him in trouble.

Fans of the show also voiced their disapproval on social media. "I thought SNL was an entertainment show. So because Musk is rich and famous, we get to see him pretend he has talent as a comedian? I really don't understand why SNL gives non-actors who would never get an acting job hosting duties. Is Pete Davidson going to run Tesla for a week?," one Twitter user wrote.

“Can we stop pretending billionaires belong in entertainment on that merit alone???,” another said.

Pop star Miley Cyrus is also set to appear on SNL the night that Musk hosts.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Real Sociedad v Leganes (midnight)

Saturday

Alaves v Real Valladolid (4pm)

Valencia v Granada (7pm)

Eibar v Real Madrid (9.30pm)

Barcelona v Celta Vigo (midnight)

Sunday

Real Mallorca v Villarreal (3pm)

Athletic Bilbao v Levante (5pm)

Atletico Madrid v Espanyol (7pm)

Getafe v Osasuna (9.30pm)

Real Betis v Sevilla (midnight)

Results

Stage seven

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s

3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s

General Classification

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s

3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s

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3%20Body%20Problem
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Benioff%2C%20D%20B%20Weiss%2C%20Alexander%20Woo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBenedict%20Wong%2C%20Jess%20Hong%2C%20Jovan%20Adepo%2C%20Eiza%20Gonzalez%2C%20John%20Bradley%2C%20Alex%20Sharp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
​​​​​​​Princeton

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten

Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a  month before Reaching the Last Mile.

Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

 

Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
  • 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
  • 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
  • 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele