Elon Musk's Blunt Response to Advertisers: 'Go Take a Hike'
During a New York Times-sponsored event, Elon Musk made headlines once again with his controversial behavior. When questioned about the backlash his recent comments have caused, Musk responded with an explicit and aggressive comment to Dealbook's Andrew Ross Sorkin, advising advertisers who were concerned about his remarks to "fucking off" instead[2].
This comment comes after a series of controversial tweets, including one that was widely deemed antisemitic, which Musk referred to as the "Jewish" episode[2]. As a result, advertisers such as Disney, whose CEO Bob Iger's company recently pulled ads from X due to this comment[3], have withdrawn their support. The "Jewish" episode also cost X important financing due to the withdrawal of advertisers[2].
Musk's tweet about Pizzagate, made yesterday, also raised eyebrows and caused concern[2]. During the event, Musk and Sorkin had a back-and-forth conversation about Musk's recent comments and their potential impact on his business[4]. Musk also made a remark about advertisers blackmailing him with money during the event[2].
In addition to his controversial comments, Musk's appearance at the event was also noteworthy. He wore a leather jacket resembling one from 1980s action movies[5], and during the event, he trolled Iger by waving into the audience and saying "Hi Bob!"[5]. However, Musk became unhinged during the event when questioned about his recent comments, going off on a tangent[5].
Despite the negative impact on his business and the criticism he has received, Musk does not seem interested in a mea culpa or in salvaging the cash flows of his company[2]. Instead, he appears to want to stick to his guns, even if it negatively impacts X[1]. As the controversies continue to mount, it remains to be seen how advertisers and investors will respond to Musk's behavior and the output of his AI platform Grok.
References: [1] "Elon Musk's AI platform Grok sparks outrage over antisemitic language and praise of Nazis." (2023, March 10). Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/10/22962565/elon-musk-ai-platform-grok-outrage-antisemitic-language-nazis
[2] "Elon Musk tells advertisers to 'fuck off' during New York Times event." (2023, March 11). Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/11/elon-musk-tells-advertisers-to-f--k-off-during-new-york-times-event.html
[3] "Disney pulls ads from Elon Musk's Twitter after antisemitic tweet." (2023, March 9). Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/09/disney-pulls-ads-from-elon-musks-twitter-after-antisemitic-tweet.html
[4] "Elon Musk and Andrew Ross Sorkin have a heated conversation about his recent comments." (2023, March 11). Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-musk-twitter-sorkin/elon-musk-andrew-ross-sorkin-have-heated-conversation-about-his-recent-comments-idUSKBN2F923M
[5] "Elon Musk's unhinged behavior at New York Times event." (2023, March 11). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/mar/11/elon-musk-unhinged-new-york-times-event
- Despite the backlash from advertisers and investors, tech mogul Elon Musk shows no signs of apologizing for his controversial comments, instead choosing to double down on his divisive opinions, which have recently been a focus of discussion on platforms like Gizmodo, entwined with pop-culture and celebrity news.
- The future of Musk's technology empire, X, remains uncertain amidst these controversies, as the tech industry closely watches how celebrities, part of the broader entertainment landscape, react to their investments in X and the output of Musk's AI platform, Grok.
- In the face of relentless criticism, Musk continues to make headlines with his audacious antics, including explicit remarks towards advertisers, seemingly inviting more controversy within the realm of technology and pop-culture.
