NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) isn’t what it used to be.
During the early years of the program's run, SNL’s writers had a track record of presenting fresh and original comedic content with unique characters and hilarious sketches.
Back in the day, the fundamental goal of the show was to make people laugh.
But that was a time when TV’s content creators weren’t beholden to left-leaning media heads and myriad of politically correct bosses.
Unfortunately, much like the news scripters at MSNBC, SNL’s comedy writers have become apparatchiks of leftist media autocrats.
The recent treatment of Elon Musk is a prime case in point.
Many view Elon as a modern-day Edison.
He’s an entrepreneur extraordinaire and highly successful magnate to boot.
His recent treatment by SNL is serving to underscore the fact that decision-makers of the show have been bowing lower and lower to a media monarchy that in turn has been bowing to a shadow ruling class.
Less than one year ago, Elon took on the daunting challenge of being host for an SNL episode. He now finds himself in the show’s comedic crosshairs.
Why?
He had the nerve to suggest that changes needed to be made to the Twitter business model.
After being offered a seat on the social media company's board of directors, Elon turned down the company’s invite. He then made a premium price offer to purchase the entire company.
He was blunt in his own choice of words about Twitter's approach to online posts.
In an SEC filing, Elon wrote, "I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy.
"However, since making my investment I now realize the company will neither thrive nor serve this societal imperative in its current form. Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company."
The Tesla CEO offered to purchase the social media company for approximately $43 billion in cash. This scared the wits out of those who are in favor of the present status quo; i.e., the selective censorship of free speech.
With an estimated net worth of around $273 billion, Elon right now is the richest man in the world. Despite the highly attractive offer that he made, Twitter’s board of directors summarily rejected it and went on to adopt a strategy known as a "poison pill," which modifies corporate governance documents to prevent takeover bids.
His desire to promote open discourse also prompted a panic-filled response from mainstream media and social media figures alike.
Things got so bad that many of the elites actually began boldly declaring their opposition to free speech itself. Columnist Max Boot of The Washington Post opined in a tweet, "For democracy to survive, we need more content moderation, not less."
Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" declared that the Musk acquisition of Twitter could set a "very dangerous precedent."
Reactions from the far-left inspired Eli Lake to craft the following tongue-in-cheek tweet: "For most of my life I thought free speech was really good. But now that Elon Musk is trying to buy Twitter, I realize free speech is actually what Nazis like.
"The founding fathers started the revolution because King George wasn’t moderating enough content."
SNL entered the whole fray by slamming Elon during the recent show's cold open and its "Weekend Update" segment.
Mikey Day portrayed Musk during the opening.
"... I’m here to officially buy Easter. I’m offering 43 billion Peeps. That was a joke. Do you get it? That’s why afterwards I said 'That was a joke,' so you know it was a joke," the Elon impersonator lamely quipped.
Day’s Musk character then asked if people were afraid he would "make Twitter bad," adding, "What are you scared I’ll buy next? The Oscars?"
The writers then pulled out the big guns and went racial.
"Weekend Update" co-hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che did a spoof news sketch where they were discussing Elon's offer. Che set up his punch line with a factual statement.
"Elon Musk offered to buy Twitter for over $40 billion so he can loosen its free speech rules," Che said. Then he cracked, "That’s how badly white guys want to use the 'N-word.'"
It deserves a second mention, not clever and not funny.
Jost followed up with a hack joke invoking the name of America's Mayor.
"Honestly, I don’t understand why Elon even wants to own Twitter," Jost said. "It used to be something that seemed important and even fun and now you look at it and it’s confusing and depressing. It’s the Giuliani of apps."
Elon Musk has just accomplished another amazing feat. He pulled the masks off the jokers.
James Hirsen, J.D., M.A., in media psychology, is a New York Times best-selling author, media analyst, and law professor. Visit Newsmax TV Hollywood. Read James Hirsen's Reports — More Here.
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