Elon Musk criticised for wearing bandana instead of face mask during SNL rehearsals

Elon Musk’s invite to host this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live was divisive, and he’s already facing criticism before he’s taken the stage.

And it’s all because of his face covering.

On Wednesday, a photo was posted to the SNL Twitter account showcasing Musk wearing a bandana over his face, rather than the surgical, N95 or elasticated cloth masks that provide the most protection against Covid-19.

The bandana appears to be the entrepreneur’s primary choice of face covering, sparking an immense amount of backlash online.

Many have accused Musk of being irresponsible, arguing that a bandana isn’t the most effective form of protection.

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“So a bandana is like wearing no mask at all right?!? Science guy doesn’t believe in science or what?! Oh wait....maybe self-entitled billionaire trumps science,” wrote one user.

Another wrote: “Umm, no. And tying a bandana around your face accomplishes little. He can’t afford a mask?”

Musk isn’t a stranger towards controversy surrounding the pandemic. In March 2020, Musk claimed that ‘the coronavirus panic is dumb’, on Twitter, predicting the US would have ‘probably close to zero new cases’ by April 2020.

Musk might be skillful at many things, but predicting the future definitely isn’t one of his strengths.