Elon Musk's Body Language With His Mom On SNL Reveals A Lot - Exclusive
On May 8, Elon Musk hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the sketch comedy show's Mother's Day episode. The show started with a cold open featuring that episode's musical guest, Miley Cyrus, singing "Light of a Clear Blue Morning," a track "written and recorded by Cyrus' godmother Dolly Parton," reported Entertainment Weekly. During Cyrus' performance, the majority of the "SNL" cast appeared with their mothers for small exchanges interspersed with shots of Cyrus. "The parent shots are amateurish and awkward," Entertainment Weekly wrote, "but fine for what they are."
The Mother's Day theme continued with Musk, who had a successful opening monologue where he divulged his Asperger's Disorder (although, according to Autism Society, Asperger's Disorder has been folded into "the umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder"). During his monologue, he invited his mother, Mae Musk, on to stage with him to wish her a Happy Mother's Day, which featured Elon's first mention of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, in a joke involving what her Mother's Day gift was. "I am excited for my Mother's Day gift," she said, via The Independent. "I just hope that it's not Dogecoin." The Tesla CEO announced that he was, in fact, giving her the cryptocurrency.
However, there was more to this exchange than a sweet mother-son moment. Body language expert Lauren Cohen, an executive and career coach, spoke to Nicki Swift about just what Elon's body language revealed when he spoke to his mom. Read on to find out what she said.
Why Elon Musk seemed 'less comfortable' with his mother
Body language expert Lauren Cohen, an executive and career coach, spoke exclusively to Nicki Swift about "Saturday Night Live" host Elon Musk's body language during his opening monologue. Specifically, Cohen focused on his interaction with his mother, where she said he looked to be a little "less comfortable than when he was standing and delivering his monologue alone." However, Cohen mentioned that Musk was seemingly slightly uncomfortable for a sweet reason.
While she said that when Musk "greeted and stood with his mother, he did a head turn and looked directly at her (she was looking at the camera) and ... he looked happy that she was up there with him," Cohen also said that he "looked like he was trying hard." She stated "it felt more like he was acting than in other parts of the monologue," though Cohen also indicated that this signified he "wanted his mom's part of the skit to be successful and was trying extra hard."
Although Cohen said "the trying felt a bit forced," she continued, mentioning that "their hug at the end was nice." She did say that "Elon did not seem comfortable hugging," but ascribed it to his autism spectrum disorder, stating people with that diagnosis "have sensitivity to certain sensory experiences." However, she concluded that "it was still obvious he was trying to be nice and was incredibly glad his mother was on stage alongside him."