Nintendo Was Reportedly Unhappy With Elon Musk's Saturday Night Live Wario Sketch in 2021

Nintendo was reportedly unhappy with Elon Musk’s 2021 Saturday Night Live sketch where he played Wario. In that skit, the nefarious character took the stand in a courtroom, accused of murdering Mario. Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, two former Nintendo PR managers, revealed on their YouTube show that the SNL skit "did not go well" with Nintendo at the time. The pair brought up the topic following recent Saturday Night Live sketches, noting that Musk's sketch was poorly received compared to current episodes. The former employees recalled being at Nintendo when the skit aired and stated that it was "not beloved." Ellis added that the timing was also odd, as there wasn't even a new Wario game or product available. Furthermore, he noted that the sketch pushed into "uncomfortable" territory for Nintendo, likely referencing risque jokes about Mario using cocaine, Luigi sleeping with Princess Peach, and featuring a video of Luigi's censored penis. It is understandable why Nintendo wouldn't be thrilled about its family-friendly characters being portrayed in such ways.