Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
A years-old animated Netflix show has enraged the Tesla CEO.
A years-old animated Netflix show has enraged the Tesla CEO.
What is happening?
Elon Musk caused a stir on Wednesday morning by telling his 226 million social media followers to “Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids“, Business Insider reports.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO shared the message in response to an animated Netflix series featuring a transgender teen character.
The show
The focus of Musk’s criticism is Dead End: Paranormal Park, an animated horror-fantasy series created by British cartoonist Hamish Steele.
Premiering in 2022, the show follows a group of teens—one of whom is a transgender boy—as they fight supernatural forces in a haunted amusement park.
Despite gaining a cult following, the series was canceled in 2023 after two seasons.
Musk amplifies boycott calls
Musk didn’t stop at one post. He reshared several accounts—most notably @LibsofTikTok—that had called on users to boycott Netflix.
These accounts claimed the streaming service was promoting “trans ideology” to children.
Allegations against creator
Some accounts also accused the show’s creater of posting offensive comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his death.
Screenshots circulated online, but Steele’s X-account have been locked making it difficult to determine the authenticity.
Steele has not publicly commented on those allegations, and no verified source has authenticated the claims.
Steele reacts subtly
In a low-key response, Hamish Steele posted on BlueSky: “It’s probably going to be a very odd day.”
The comment was shared alongside a screenshot of Musk’s retweet of @LibsofTikTok.
Online supporters show receipts of Netflix-cancellations
Following Musk’s posts, some X users said they had already canceled their Netflix subscriptions or were planning to do so.
Several users posted screenshots of their cancellation pages as proof.
The phrase “cancel Netflix” also began trending across platforms as supporters echoed Musk’s call.
Netflix stock dips
Netflix shares fell around 2% on Wednesday.
While the broader market was volatile, the timing led some to speculate that Musk’s boycott campaign might have contributed to the decline.
The company has not commented publicly on the situation.
No reaction from Netflix
Despite mounting calls for a boycott, Netflix has not released a statement responding to the controversy.
The platform has faced similar criticism in the past and typically doesn’t respond immediately to trending topics.
Musk’s history of public disputes with tech platforms
Musk has previously used his online influence to push back against companies he finds objectionable.
He once urged users to delete Facebook, called for defunding NPR, and even threatened to ban iPhones at Tesla over Apple’s OpenAI integration.
These public spats highlight Musk’s readiness to wade into political and cultural conflicts using his massive social reach.
Transgender daughter
Musk’s views on trans issues have drawn added attention because of his personal connection.
His 21-year-old daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, is transgender and has publicly distanced herself from him.
In a 2024 interview with Jordan Peterson, Musk claimed that a “woke mind virus” had “killed” his child—comments that drew widespread criticism.
Netflix’s past defense of creative freedom
In 2021, Netflix was similarly targeted for streaming Dave Chappelle’s comedy specials, which many deemed transphobic.
Co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended the shows at the time, stating: “We are trying to please a world that is made of people of different tastes, sensibilities, and beliefs.”
He added that Netflix supports “artistic freedom and the creators that work at Netflix”—a stance that may again be tested amid this latest backlash.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
