Amid the announcement by Netflix the streaming service lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, South African business mogul Elon Musk was immediately ready to point a finger.
The reason, he says, is because the platform is plagued by "the woke virus."
The company also tanked in the stock market, dropping over 20%.
In response to an article about these plummets, Musk tweeted:
"The woke mind virus is making Netflix unwatchable."
Many are wondering whether the Space X founder understands the meaning of the word.
Some responded to his tweet with the definition.
"Define woke, genius."
"Since you can't, I'll let [Merriam Webster] do it for you."
Others are pointing out the more obvious explanation for the fall in Netflix's numbers.
One person replied:
"Ah, definitely the woke mind virus and not the 5 other major streaming services that have popped up during the last few years."
"I'm sure Disney and HBO have nothing to do with it."
His tweet was a dog whistle to his right-wing followers who share his distaste for progressive content.
With Twitter being Twitter, many began responding some really off-color ideas, to which Musk showed full support.
One person wrote:
"Woke mind virus is the biggest threat to the civilization."
Someone else replied:
"Not just Netflix."
"Movies in general, videogames, tv, it's all infested with current year trend woke garbage for fear offending a green haired freak next to the ban button ..."
Others put on the hard brakes for the billionaire's dismissive attitude.
The fact Musk's family's fortunes—which funded his first business ventures—were made in South Africa under the racist apartheid system wasn't lost on people.
Netflix isn't the only platform Musk is trolling.
He's made the same stink about Twitter after trying to buy it outright after having purchased billions of dollars in shares in an attempt to secure a hostile takeover.
One can only imagine what Twitter would look like under his ownership.
Someone tweeted:
"I’d be off Twitter in an instant."
Another person wrote:
"It will be the end of Twitter!"
"Certainly for me!"
Netflix has faced backlash over their plans to crack down on account sharing.
Despite Musk's claims and nostalgia for a more whitewashed, racist and bigoted era in entertainment, there are far better explanations for recent drops in Netflix subscribers.
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