Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) might be facing financial struggles as some large advertisers, such as Disney, continue to boycott it over disagreements with Elon’s expressed views and content moderation choices, but Tesla had a huge week with the release of the Cybertruck, his EV pickup truck. Elon then appeared for an interview about the new vehicle and, during it, roasted Disney and its CEO, Bob Iger.
That interview as with automotive engineer Sandy Munro and, though it was mostly about the Cybertruck, which is bulletproof and has sleek, modern lines that many love, particularly those who like the futuristic aesthetic of other Tesla product, Elon and Munro delved into politics.
Particularly, Elon commented on the Disney situation and how he thinks Walt Disney would view the current company, saying, “You have to wonder. What would Walt Disney think of the company that is his namesake today? I think Walt Disney is turning in his grave faster than a drill bit.”
Musk also commented on political correctness during the interview, arguing that, in reality, political correctness is a form of censorship that forces people to keep their views quiet to fit into society. He said: “Politically correct is just another way of saying you have to lie to fit in.” Watch him here:
Musk’s current spat with Disney and Bog Iger kicked into high gear when he was being interviewed at the New York Times DealBook Summit on Nov. 29 with reporter Andrew Ross, who asked him about the advertising situation.
Musk, in response, said, “If somebody’s going to try to blackmail me with advertising? Blackmail me with money? Go f ‑ ‑ ‑ yourself. Go. F‑ ‑ ‑. Yourself. Is that clear? I hope it is.” Continuing, Musk then called out Bob Iger specifically, saying, “Hey Bob, if you’re in the audience. That’s how I feel.”
During that same interview, Musk commented on his disdain for those who care more about appearances than actually doing good. “Tesla’s gotten to where it’s gotten with no advertising at all… sells twice as much in terms of electric vehicles, more than all the carmakers in the United States combined. Tesla’s done more to help the environment than all other companies combined,” he said.
Continuing, he argued that he has done more than anyone to help the environment thanks to the success of his companies, saying, “It would be fair to say that as the leader of the company, I’ve done more for the environment than any single human on earth.”
Then, after a bit of back and forth with the interviewer, Musk got to his main point, which is that many of those who pretend to care about doing good while really not doing anything, or even doing evil instead. He said, “I’m saying what I care about is the reality of goodness, not the perception of it. And what I see all over the place is people who care about looking good while doing evil. F*** them.”
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