San Francisco (United States) (AFP) – Elon Musk has urged his 227 million social media followers to cancel their Netflix subscriptions, accusing the streaming platform of promoting what he describes as transgender propaganda. In his latest culture war campaign, the Tesla tycoon joined a trend launched by conservative social media account Libs of TikTok that cited the animated series “Dead End: Paranormal Park” and Netflix’s corporate diversity efforts as a cause for dropping the streaming service.
The show’s creator, Hamish Steele, is accused of making social media remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September that were seen by conservatives online as disrespectful and led to the backlash. Netflix’s shares fell two percent on Wednesday when the controversy gained traction and were down as much as another two percent Thursday on Wall Street.
“Cancel Netflix,” Musk wrote in a Wednesday post on X, the platform he owns, quoting another post made by Libs of TikTok. That post shared screenshots of a Netflix company report that said it had increased the number of non-white directors and lead actors on its programs. In a later post on the issue, Musk encouraged his followers to “Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids.”
Steele addressed the controversy in a few Bluesky posts that have since been deleted: “It’s all lies and slander!” Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, has a personal connection to transgender issues. His eldest daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, publicly transitioned in 2022 and legally changed both her name and gender identity. Musk has claimed his child was “killed” by the “woke mind virus” instilled at an elite California school.
© 2024 AFP
