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X users are jumping ship in their numbers since Elon Musk‘s DealBook interview where he slammed Disney and other advertisers for attempting to blackmail him over a supposed antisemitic tweet. The drama kicked off in full force on November 16 after Elon agreed to a tweet accusing Jewish people of “pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.” His validation of the antisemitic tweet led the Anti-Defamation League to tag him as an antisemite.
Ultimately, several top brands including Disney, Paramount, Comcast, Lionsgate, Warner Bros, and NBC Universal withdrew their advertising on X. The tech mogul considers this mass exodus as a bid to blackmail him into silence with “money,” which went against X’s quest for free speech.
Elon Musk Slams Disney and Other Advertisers for Blackmail Attempt
Granting an explosive interview at the New York Times DealBook Summit on Wednesday, Elon Musk slammed Disney and other advertisers who cut ties with his platform, asking them to “Go F yourself.” He quipped,
“I don’t want them to advertise. If someone is going to blackmail me with advertising or money go f**k yourself. Go. F**k. Yourself. Is that clear?”
Elon Musk proceeded to call out Disney’s CEO Bob Iger who also attended the DealBook summit on Wednesday. Additionally, he made it clear he had no problem with people hating him. According to him, caring about such things came with a certain level of weakness.
Despite his scathing message to Disney’s Bob Iger and other advertisers attempting to “blackmail” him, Elon Musk expressed remorse for his supposed antisemitic tweet during his interview at the DealBook summit. He described it as his dumbest social media post ever. His words seemed to work the magic on netizens. Within hours, many changed their opinion of the tech mogul who has voiced several controversial thoughts in the past.
Fans Rally Behind X Owner in Quest for Free Speech
Several X users showed their solidarity for Elon Musk by deciding to boycott some of the prominent corporations like Disney who played the blackmail card. According to them, the actions of these brands suggested they were anti-free speech. Hence, their decision to withdraw their subscriptions from these advertisers was their way of supporting Elon’s mission for free speech. They also called on others who supported the cause to join the boycott. User The Trump Train tweeted,
“Bob Iger of Disney is trying to blackmail Elon Musk by refusing to advertise on X until he permanently bans all conservatives/independent journalists. Disney won’t stop until all conservatives are canceled. Send Bob and Disney a message by boycotting ALL Disney products.”
Several users stepped in, confirming they already canceled their Disney Plus subscription in favor of Elon Musk’s X Premium Plus following the DealBook interview. Many extended the boycott to other big corporations like Paramount and Lionsgate who also paused their dealings with X following Elon’s controversial tweet. Favoring the cause, one user tweeted,
“Cancelled my Disney subscription!”
Another user wrote,
“I’m the biggest Frasier fan. But. Don’t forget to cancel@paramountplus as well. It hurt a bit as Frasier is so important to me, but I’m not going to give people money who hate me.”
A third tweet read,
“Yes! Cancel them! We do have power – If we choose to wield it.”
With several netizens turning up for Elon Musk amid the antisemitism drama, X’s mission for free speech has never been more gratifying. It appears history is about to be made!
