Elon Musk responded with amusement to John Oliver’s recent 30-minute rant, brushing off the comedian’s accusations of being “erratic,” “self-serving,” and “increasingly racist.” When a social media user reposted an article about Oliver’s segment on X (formerly known as Twitter), captioning it with “Oh no, how will Elon ever recover?,” Musk replied with crying-laughing emojis. He then fired back at Oliver, stating that the comedian used to be great but lost his sense of humor when he succumbed to “wokeness,” where humor is seen as politically incorrect.
In his late-night talk show, Oliver began by comparing Elon Musk to various movie villains such as Lex Luthor from DC Comics, James Bond’s adversaries, and Billy Zane’s character in “Titanic.” The audience responded with laughter as Oliver remarked, “Truly, the man has range.” The comedian then proceeded to highlight several of Musk’s career setbacks. He pointed out that ever since Musk acquired Twitter, it has been a series of fiascos. The most recent controversy arose when Musk tweeted his agreement with an antisemitic post.
Oliver also ridiculed Musk’s response to advertisers who threatened to withdraw from X due to the antisemitism backlash. He characterized Musk’s reaction as playing the “you’re not breaking up with me, I’m breaking up with you” card while donning a jacket from “Ralph Lauren’s midlife crisis collection.” Furthermore, Oliver highlighted some of Musk’s early business failures, including a bait-and-switch tactic used to sell Tesla cars at different price points. The talk show host also humorously criticized Tesla’s cybertruck, questioning who would want to spend up to $100,000 on a vehicle that resembles a child’s drawing.
Oliver didn’t limit his critique to Musk’s business endeavors but also expressed concern about his role in shaping world events. Referencing Musk’s company SpaceX, the comedian emphasized that having someone as erratic as Musk in charge of half the world’s satellites was problematic. He cited the potential impact of Musk’s personal opinions on global affairs. Oliver mentioned that Musk’s biographer, Walter Isaacson, described him as someone who loves drama. He joked about feeling uncomfortable when describing one of the most powerful people on Earth in the same way one would describe a television host during New Year’s Eve.
While Oliver’s sentiments about Musk somewhat changed during the course of his segment, he concluded by stating that it was unsurprising to find a middle-aged billionaire CEO with self-serving libertarian views, increasingly racist politics, and a messiah complex. Although Musk appeared unfazed by Oliver’s criticism, a writer who recently profiled him noted that the world’s richest man deeply cared about his reputation. According to author Ben Mezrich, Musk was affected when he was booed at Dave Chapelle’s show in San Francisco last December.
Elon Musk’s reaction to John Oliver’s critique reveals his ability to brush off negative comments and maintain a sense of humor. While Oliver raised valid points about Musk’s controversial actions and statements, it is important to approach these criticisms with a critical eye. The public should consider the broader implications of Musk’s behavior, as his influence extends beyond just the business world. It remains to be seen how Musk’s responses to those criticisms will evolve and whether he will address them directly. Nonetheless, as one of the most recognizable figures in the tech industry, Musk’s impact on society is undeniable, and it is crucial to scrutinize his actions and statements in order to promote accountability and responsible leadership.
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