Katarzyna Petru
Elon Musk is once again stirring controversy — this time directing his criticism towards Netflix. The world's richest man accuses the platform of “promoting woke content” aimed at children, concerning issues of transgenderism and homosexuality.
From Disney to Netflix
This isn't the first time Musk has spoken out against so-called "woke culture" in the media. Over the past few years, similar accusations have been directed at Disney, whose productions – according to critics – have increasingly focused on issues of identity and diversity.
Examples? "The Little Mermaid" with a new cast and altered message or "Lightyear," in which homosexual themes took centre stage.
Under pressure, Disney has partially backtracked from this course – Pixar studio revised the film "Elio," removing the storyline of the main character's homosexuality after the departure of the original director.
"Transgender agenda" in animations
Now, Netflix has come under fire. Musk pointed out the animated children's series Dead End: Paranormal Park, which he claims has a "transgender, woke agenda" due to the presence of a transvestite character.
He also mentioned other examples, including an episode of CoComelon, in which "a gay man encourages a boy to wear a tiara and a skirt," and the youth series The Baby-Sitters Club, where the theme of transvestitism appears in the background.
As noted by The Verge and Variety, Musk also pointed out that in Netflix games, players can choose genders outside the binary division.
Wave of resignations and political pressure
A billionaire has called for users to boycott the platform, and many subscribers responded by posting confirmation of their subscription cancellations on social media.
This isn't the first time Musk has tried to influence the direction of popular culture – in 2024, he published an April Fools' joke, declaring himself the "Chief DEI Officer of Disney," intending to make the company's content "even more woke."
Pressure is also emerging at the political level. The Trump administration is considering restricting DEI policies in corporations, and some Republicans are attempting to equate the concept of "woke" with the Democratic Party.
Netflix loses billions
After a wave of comments from Musk, Netflix lost around 13 billion dollars in value in just a few days. While it's hard to definitively attribute this drop to his words, the media storm surrounding the topic of “woke” once again shows how much influence Elon Musk's words have on the market — regardless of whether they relate to rockets, cars, or animated films.
