Katarzyna Petru
Elon Musk is once again causing controversy — this time directing his criticism towards Netflix. The richest man in the world accuses the platform of "promoting woke content" targeted at children, concerning topics of transgenderism and homosexuality.
From Disney to Netflix
This is not the first time Musk has spoken out against the so-called "woke culture" in the media. In recent 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 center stage.
Under pressure, Disney partially backed away from this course – Pixar reworked 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 is in the crosshairs. Musk pointed to the animated children's series Dead End: Paranormal Park, which he claims has a "transgender, woke agenda" due to a transvestite character.
He also mentioned other examples, including an episode of CoComelon, where "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 of 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 cancellations on social media.
This is not 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," aimed at making the company's content "even more woke."
Pressure is also emerging at the political level. The Trump administration is considering limiting DEI policies in corporations, and some Republicans are attempting to associate the term "woke" with the Democratic Party.
Netflix loses billions
After a wave of comments from Musk, Netflix lost about 13 billion dollars in value in just a few days. Although it's hard to definitively attribute this drop to his words, the media storm around the topic of “woke” once again demonstrates the significant impact Elon Musk's words have on the market — regardless of whether they're about rockets, cars, or animated films.
