‘Cancel Netflix’: Elon Musk leads rightwing backlash over trans character in kids’ show | Elon Musk

Elon Musk, the multibillionaire and self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist”, has in current days skilled his consideration on getting individuals to cancel their Netflix subscriptions in protest of what he claims is the corporate’s “woke bias” and inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters.Musk, the richest particular person on the earth with a internet price of roughly $500bn, has repeatedly inspired his 227 million followers on X, the platform he controls, to cancel their Netflix subscriptions. Previously three days alone, he has posted or reposted calls to cancel Netflix for its content material at the very least 26 occasions.Musk’s anti-Netflix tirade started on Tuesday, when he posted “this isn’t okay” whereas reposting from rightwing activist account Libs of TikTok’s clip of the Netflix present Useless Finish: Paranormal Park, wherein the character Barney says he’s transgender.“Useless Finish Paranormal Park, a present on Netflix, is pushing pro-transgender on CHILDREN. This present is marketed for 7-YEAR-OLDS,” stated the Libs of TikTok publish, referring to Netflix’s TV-Y7 score designating the present applicable for viewers aged seven and older. Paranormal Park ran for 20 episodes in 2022, and was canceled by Netflix the next 12 months. The corporate shouldn’t be at present selling the present.Zach Barack, the voice actor for Barney and the primary overtly trans actor within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, rapidly rebuffed Musk’s narrative on X, writing: “you’ll be able to concern monger all you need, however youngsters & dad and mom have instructed me it saved their lives!!”Within the days since, Musk has reposted a number of tweets from different customers who declare to have canceled their subscriptions in protest of what he claims is an agenda to brainwash youngsters with content material supportive of LGBTQ+ rights.“Cancel Netflix for the well being of your youngsters,” he posted on Wednesday whereas quoting a meme depicting Netflix’s “transgender woke agenda” as a Computer virus being admitted to a fort labeled “your youngsters”.“True,” he wrote on Thursday over one other consumer’s tweet claiming: “Transgender propaganda isn’t simply quietly lurking within the background on Netflix. They’re actively pushing it on customers.” He linked to an article on Netflix’s Tudum media website titled “Have fun Trans Day of Visibility with These 16 Films and Reveals”.Musk has additionally known as out pro-trans themes in reveals akin to The Child-Sitters Membership and Cocomelon, superior rightwing arguments that Netflix has an “anti-white” hiring course of, and reposted false claims, together with that 100% of political donations by Netflix staff in 2024 went to Democrats.Moreover, Musk commented “Cancel Netflix” on a Libs of TikTok publish about Netflix’s 2023 report on its variety and inclusion initiatives.Musk is the daddy of a trans daughter, Vivian Wilson, who has publicly criticized her father’s anti-trans vendetta. In her 2022 petition to legally change her identify and gender, Wilson wrote: “I now not reside with or want to be associated to my organic father in any manner, form or type.”Musk has since stated that he “misplaced my son, basically” and claimed that he had been “tricked” into permitting gender-affirming take care of Wilson, whom he claimed was “useless, killed by the woke thoughts virus”.Netflix, an organization whose executives have repeatedly invoked freedom of speech when confronted with backlash for content material on its platform, has not publicly responded to Musk’s taunts. This isn’t the primary time the corporate has come underneath fireplace from the proper; in 2020, outrage over its movie Cuties, which depicted underage actors performing sexualized dance routines, led to a spike in US buyer cancellations, although it receded inside days.In 2021, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos cited free speech when defending comic Dave Chappelle, whose anti-trans feedback in his particular The Nearer led to an worker walkout at Netflix’s California headquarters. Sarandos has additionally stood behind the corporate’s choice to fee three specials from rightwing comic Tony Hinchcliffe, whose racist feedback calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of rubbish” at a Trump rally final 12 months drew widespread consternation.Musk’s requires mass cancellation of Netflix subscriptions comes on the heels of an unrelated free speech firestorm in Hollywood over Disney’s indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talkshow underneath stress from the Trump administration. After backlash from celebrities in addition to clients cancelling their Disney+ subscriptions, the corporate allowed Kimmel again on the air.