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Former Nintendo public relations managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang revealed in a podcast episode that Elon Musk portraying Wario on Saturday Night Live in May 2021 did not go over well with executives at the company, Omelete reported. The sketch featured Musk defending the fictional character in a courtroom against charges of murdering Mario during a kart race. Krysta Yang stated No les gustó el sketch de Elon Musk de 2021
and added No sentó nada bien
, while Kit Ellis noted Nosotros todavía estábamos allí en aquella época
and confirmed it No fue precisamente muy querido
.
Why the 2021 Wario Sketch Displeased Nintendo Executives
Ellis noted on the podcast that the material came out of nowhere and lacked any accompanying video game release or product tie-in from Nintendo, stating that aquel sketch salió completamente de la nada
and No había ningún producto real de Nintendo relacionado con él
. Furthermore, the sketch pushed into uncomfortable territory for the company, with Ellis mentioning that Parte del material abordaba temas que resultaban incómodos para Nintendo
. Ellis and Yang recalled being physically present at Nintendo when the episode aired, confirming that the controversial portrayal of their family-friendly characters was not beloved by leadership.
Legal Protections and Copyright Boundaries
Despite internal displeasure over the depiction, Nintendo took no legal action against the production. According to Nintenderos, the broadcast was fully protected under the fair use doctrine of United States copyright law, which shields parody and satire from copyright infringement claims.
Comparing Saturday Night Live Gaming Parodies
The conversation regarding the Wario sketch emerged after Saturday Night Live returned to gaming satire by poking fun at the overlapping release windows of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and Grand Theft Auto 6. That recent segment featured Link and Jason Duvall debating which franchise delivered superior gameplay, trying to make GTA 6 seem like the cooler
game. Ellis and Yang suggested that the newer gaming sketch likely fared better with corporate leadership, if only due to the inherent publicity it generated. Unlike the 2021 episode, which relied on adult humor involving core intellectual property, recent television parodies engage more directly with the modern gaming marketplace, though SNL has parodied Nintendo other times, including a dark and gritty version of Mario Kart inspired by HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us.
What Remains Unaddressed by Former Staff
Neither former public relations manager specified whether current corporate leadership reached out to network producers following the 2021 broadcast. Official representatives from Nintendo have not issued public statements regarding either television segment.
