Elon Musk has called on parents to cancel their Netflix subscriptions, accusing the streaming giant of promoting what he described as a “woke transgender agenda” in children’s programming.
The Tesla and SpaceX chief made the remarks on X, the platform he owns, on Tuesday. He was responding to a debate that erupted after Netflix was linked to Hamish Steele, creator of the animated series Dead End: Paranormal Park.
Steele has long faced criticism from conservative activists over the show’s LGBTQ+ themes. The latest uproar followed a resurfaced social media post in which Steele referred to Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist who was recently killed, as a “nazi.” The comment drew fierce condemnation from critics who accused him of mocking Kirk’s death while advancing what they see as ideological content for children.
Musk amplified the backlash when he replied to a former U.S. government scientist, Matt Van Swol, who said he had cancelled his Netflix account in protest. “Same,” Musk wrote, a comment that quickly spread across the platform.
The controversy adds to a wider cultural battle over representation in entertainment, particularly in programming aimed at young audiences. Supporters of LGBTQ+ inclusion argue that diverse characters offer much-needed visibility and reflect real-life experiences. Critics, many of them conservative, say such portrayals amount to indoctrination.
Netflix has not commented publicly on Musk’s remarks. The company has previously defended its programming choices, insisting that it seeks to provide a broad range of content for different audiences.
Musk, meanwhile, has increasingly positioned himself as a critic of what he sees as political correctness in media and culture. His call to boycott Netflix is the latest in a string of interventions that blur the line between his role as a business leader and as a cultural influencer.
Whether the backlash will translate into cancelled subscriptions remains unclear. But the exchange underscores how streaming platforms, once seen as neutral purveyors of entertainment, are now at the heart of political and cultural disputes.
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