Elon Musk Just Told Advertisers, ‘Go Fuck Yourself’
WiredNov 30, 2023
Musk Directs Expletive to Fleeing Advertisers
Image copyright: UK Government/Flickr [via Wikimedia Commons]
The Facts
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who also owns X (formerly Twitter), has reportedly used an expletive to blow off advertisers who've left X over an alleged increase in antisemitic content on the social media platform.
In an interview with the New York Times, Musk said that he refused to let companies “blackmail” him by pulling their ads and used an expletive to tell them they’re not missed and shouldn’t attempt to return to X.
The Spin
Narrative A
Musk made a mistake liking the antisemitic post, but it's not representative of his views as a whole, and one error shouldn't lead to X's demise. He has the support of several high-profile Jewish figures, and the reaction of the companies pulling their advertising is just virtue signaling to appease overreacting elements of the radical left who are predisposed to disliking Musk and are dedicated to cancel culture.
Narrative B
Though he has rightly apologized for the abhorrent post, this behavior — which stretches beyond his agreement with one X post endorsing replacement theory — is becoming a pattern. He has spread other conspiracy theories about George Soros funding various projects allegedly aimed at ending Western civilization. Even in his expletive-filled interview, he accused prominent Jewish people of funding pro-Hamas demonstrations. Advertisers are right to distance themselves from this type of rhetoric.