Elon Musk has cancelled his Netflix subscription. His reason? The billionaire does not want to pay for a platform that employs people who, in his view, cross a line with their ideology and public commentary. Musk’s stance against Netflix comes in response to Hamish Steele, the creator of the animated Netflix series Dead End: Paranormal Park. The controversy around Steele erupted following one of his social media posts aimed at conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The backlash against Steele began when he posted an expletive-laden comment referring to Kirk as a “nazi.” The post came in the wake of Kirk’s killing, and it quickly spread across social media. Many accused Steele of mocking the death of a right-wing figure while using offensive language. Meanwhile, his supporters argued the remarks were being taken out of context, but screenshots of Steele’s older posts soon resurfaced, intensifying the debate.
Adding fuel to the fire, former Department of Energy nuclear scientist Matt Van Swol publicly condemned Netflix for employing Steele. In a viral social media post, Van Swol revealed that he had cancelled his subscription, writing: “If you employ someone who celebrated the murder of Charlie Kirk and makes content that pushes pro-trans content on my kids… you will NEVER get a dime of my money.” Musk directly responded to this post with a one-word confirmation: “Same.”
Musk’s stance against a platform or person is not surprising. He has often criticised anything that does not align with his ideology, and he has frequently spoken about his opposition to what he calls the “woke mind virus,” particularly on issues of gender identity. On multiple occasions, he has referenced his personal experience with his daughter’s transition, claiming that she was influenced by what he sees as ideological indoctrination.
Meanwhile, Dead End: Paranormal Park—Steele’s Netflix show—has also come under ongoing scrutiny. Clips from the animated children’s series began circulating on X, with critics alleging that it pushes ideological messaging on young viewers. Responding to one of these posts, Musk went further and labelled Steele a “groomer.” Supporters of Steele, however, defended the show’s LGBTQ+ themes as positive representation and dismissed Musk’s remarks as harmful rhetoric targeting queer creators.
So far, Netflix has not released any official statement on either Musk’s subscription cancellation or the wider backlash against Steele.
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