Elon Musk has criticized Netflix for promoting LGBT+ culture to children through its animated shows. The billionaire’s campaign has led to a drop in the company’s stock amidst growing tensions over content aimed at young audiences.
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Campaign Against an Animated Series
In recent days, Elon Musk has urged his millions of followers to cancel their Netflix subscriptions. The controversy centers around Dead End: Paranormal Park, an animated series featuring a transgender teenager. Targeted at children ages 7 and up, the show has been criticized by Musk and several American conservative figures for what they call “transgender indoctrination.”
For instance, Musk shared a message from Libs of TikTok, an account known for its hostile stance against the LGBT+ community, claiming that such content is not normal
. Although the series was canceled in 2023, it remains available on the platform.
A Drop in Stock Value, Hard to Quantify
The calls for a boycott coincided with a drop in Netflix’s stock price: -2.33% on Wednesday and -1.23% on Thursday, marking the most significant weekly decline since April. However, it’s challenging to attribute this drop solely to the controversy, as Netflix is set to publish its quarterly results on October 21, amidst broader economic circumstances. The company, which no longer publishes its subscriber numbers, has not yet publicly responded to Musk’s criticisms.
A Controversy with Personal Resonance
Musk’s involvement in these issues is not new. The Tesla CEO, who advocates for “free speech,” regularly condemns what he calls “woke indoctrination” aimed at children. This stance also resonates with his personal life: one of his children, Vivian Wilson, is a 20-year-old transgender woman, from whom Musk has been estranged since her transition. He publicly disputes her gender identity and has claimed he was deceived
into approving transition treatments. Clearly, the atmosphere is tense.
A Tense Political and Cultural Climate in the United States
The controversy arises in a political climate marked by strong polarization over gender issues. The Trump administration, which returned to power in January, has issued an executive order requiring federal agencies to recognize only the sex assigned at birth. According to the GLAAD association, incidents targeting transgender people have increased by 14% in the United States over the past year. Meanwhile, Netflix continues to defend the diversity of representations in its cultural memo, without excluding content that may offend certain audiences.
What’s the Takeaway?
Behind Musk’s offensive, there’s a clear political marker being expressed. The debate extends beyond children’s content and is part of a broader clash over the visibility of minorities in the media. Musk, positioning himself as a defender of conservative values, uses a relatively obscure series to further crystallize ideological opposition. However, without an official response from Netflix, it’s hard to ascertain whether this campaign will have lasting effects, or if it’s just another episode in America’s ongoing culture wars.