Elon Musk is once again at the center of a cultural firestorm after weighing in on a viral clip from a Netflix animated series. On Monday, the Tesla and X (formerly Twitter) CEO reposted a video shared by the Libs of TikTok account that criticized Dead End: Paranormal Park, a now-canceled Netflix series, for featuring a transgender character. The original post alleged the show was “pushing pro-transgender on CHILDREN” and noted it was “advertised for 7-YEAR-OLDS.” Musk responded bluntly, “This is not ok.” His post quickly went viral, racking up more than 9 million views within hours and sparking a heated debate across social media.
Dead End: Paranormal Park premiered in 2022 and was based on Hamish Steele’s DeadEndia graphic novels. The show followed a group of teens working at a haunted theme park while navigating friendship, identity, and supernatural threats. Among its main characters was Barney, a trans teenager whose storylines addressed themes of belonging and acceptance. While the series was praised by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups for its representation, it also faced backlash from critics who argued the themes were inappropriate for younger audiences. Netflix canceled the show after two seasons in early 2023.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I tell you Dead End is over,” Hamish Steele revealed at the time. “Obviously, we never wanted this to be the case. In fact, we did a writers’ room for season three. We have scripts and designs and outlines ready to go. It was always the plan to give these characters the proper ending they deserve. But sadly, the power that be don’t want any more.”
He continued, “Honestly, we were lucky to make it through everything happening in the last few years. And I want to emphasize my gratitude to Netflix for commissioning the show and for giving us the freedom to tell this story. We made history together and I couldn’t be prouder of those twenty episodes and every single member of our crew.”
Elon Musk’s Influence on the Conversation
Musk’s comment has reignited discourse around children’s programming, parental choice, and LGBTQ+ representation in media. “They’re grooming kids,” one user claimed. “The scary part is how prevalent this is in kid’s shows. They’re infected.” Another urged, “Parents need to boycott Netflix, Disney, etc.” Someone else chimed in, “It’s not just asking why kids can’t have a normal childhood of Care Bears, Teletubbies, and cute shiny things. The more important question is who approves and promotes these bizarre contents.”
The timing of Musk’s remarks comes as broader debates over education, streaming platforms, and LGBTQ+ visibility continue to dominate headlines.
