Mike Myers Sparks Groans with Controversial Elon Musk Impersonation on SNL

In a return that shocked longtime fans and stunned first-time viewers, Mike Myers made waves during a recent episode of Saturday Night Live with what many are calling a “vicious” and “uncomfortably raw” impersonation of tech mogul Elon Musk. While the show has long been known for its sharp-edged satire, Myers’ portrayal pushed the envelope—and the audience’s tolerance—far enough to provoke both groans and uneasy laughter from the live crowd.

A Bold Return to Form—or a Step Too Far?

Mike Myers, the beloved comic genius behind Austin Powers, Wayne’s World, and Dr. Evil, has been largely absent from the sketch comedy world in recent years. His surprise reappearance on SNL this past Saturday was hyped by NBC with cryptic teasers, including a silhouetted figure surrounded by smoke and neon light—a clear nod to Musk’s SpaceX and Tesla ventures.

But no one could have predicted just how cutting Myers’ portrayal would be. Dressed in a sleek black turtleneck, a headset microphone, and exaggerated prosthetic cheekbones, Myers took the stage during the cold open in a mock tech conference parody called “ElonCon 2025.”

From the start, the sketch was filled with uncomfortable energy. Myers’ Musk shuffled awkwardly across the stage with robotic, stilted movements, delivering bizarre lines like:

“Here at X-AI-Neural-Doge-SpacePower, we’re not just inventing the future. We’re retroactively deleting the past. Including my marriages.”

The audience let out a hesitant chuckle—but that quickly faded as the impersonation escalated. Myers adopted an unsettling monotone voice, interrupted frequently by jarring laughter and tangents that mirrored some of Musk’s more infamous Twitter tirades.

At one point, Myers’ Musk interrupted a fictional product launch to say:

“I’ve just rebranded Earth as Mars Beta. Everyone must now wear titanium helmets to survive… the algorithm.”

Laughter turned to groans. Some in the audience exchanged glances. A few visibly cringed.

Satire or Personal Dig?

What separated Myers’ impersonation from typical celebrity satire was its intensity. Rather than focus solely on Musk’s eccentricities or business ventures, the sketch ventured into personal territory.

He mimicked Musk’s speech patterns with exaggerated hesitations and non-sequiturs, portraying him as a man lost in his own self-importance. He also jabbed at Musk’s personal life, including references to his relationships, children with unusual names, and even his acquisition of Twitter (now X).

A line that received audible discomfort from the crowd came when Myers-Musk declared:

“I bought Twitter to make friends. It turns out, I’m not even verified by my kids.”

The studio audience responded with a collective groan that was impossible to ignore. The sketch ended with Myers dramatically launching a miniature rocket that fizzled out on stage—a symbolic jab at Musk’s sometimes flawed ambitions.

Social Media Reactions: Divided

Within minutes, clips of the impersonation flooded social media, dividing audiences sharply.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) posted:

“Mike Myers just roasted Elon Musk into another dimension. Uncomfortable? Yes. Brilliant? Also yes.”

Another called it “cruel, unfunny, and out of touch,” adding, “Satire is fine, but mocking someone’s personal relationships for laughs isn’t comedy—it’s just mean.”

Several comedians and public figures chimed in. Sarah Silverman tweeted:

“Mike went hard on Elon. Reminded me why SNL still matters when it takes risks. Not everyone has to like it.”

But even among those who defended the sketch’s intent, there was acknowledgment that it walked a razor-thin line between satire and insult.

The Question of Intent

Was Myers’ Musk impersonation simply a sharp critique of celebrity billionaires and unchecked power? Or was it a personal attack thinly veiled in comedy?

Comedy historian Dana Ackerman weighed in during a segment on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour:

“What Myers did was expose the absurdity of Musk’s media persona. He held up a funhouse mirror to a very powerful man. But funhouse mirrors can distort reality, and if the audience sees cruelty instead of truth, the comedy fails its mission.”

There’s also speculation that Myers, known for immersive and character-driven performances, may have personally felt provoked by Musk’s growing media dominance and polarizing public behavior. Some insiders believe the sketch was “years in the making,” and part of a shelved project from 2022, when Musk himself controversially hosted SNL.

Elon Musk’s Response

As of Monday morning, Elon Musk had not directly responded to the sketch. However, he did post a cryptic tweet shortly after the episode aired:

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Unless it’s Mike Myers. Then it’s Canadian revenge.”

The tweet received over 200,000 likes and sparked further debate over whether Musk was truly offended or simply playing along.

SNL’s Legacy of Provocation

This isn’t the first time SNL has courted controversy with real-life portrayals. Alec Baldwin’s Trump impersonation was both lauded and derided. Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin became iconic. What Myers brought to the table, however, was an almost Shakespearean intensity—turning what could’ve been a goofy sketch into something unsettlingly personal.

Whether audiences see it as a misstep or a masterpiece, one thing’s certain: Mike Myers reminded us all that satire still has teeth. And sometimes, it bites.