October 2025 — Elon Musk, the tech CEO and owner of X (formerly Twitter), has launched an aggressive campaign urging his 227 million followers to cancel their Netflix subscriptions, accusing the streaming platform of promoting “transgender propaganda” — especially in children’s content.
Trigger:
Dead End: Paranormal Park
The backlash was sparked after Musk reshared a post from the right-wing account Libs of TikTok, which criticized the Netflix animated series Dead End: Paranormal Park for including a transgender character.
Even though the show ended in 2023, Musk labeled the content “not okay” and claimed it was inappropriate for children. He urged his followers:
“Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids.”
He also reposted memes portraying Netflix’s alleged “transgender woke agenda” as a Trojan horse for children’s minds.
Fallout & Market Reaction
- In the wake of Musk’s campaign, Netflix stock dropped 2.9 % in one session.
- The company declined to comment publicly on the boycott calls.
- Analysts note that while short-term stock volatility is expected, the more serious threat would come from prolonged subscriber losses.
Responses from Creators & Public
The show’s creator, Hamish Steele, revealed he has begun receiving “very nasty” homophobic and antisemitic messages and said the harassment is “getting a little scary.”
Zach Barack, the voice actor for the transgender character in Dead End, defended the show, saying it had been life-affirming for some viewers and pushed back on Musk’s narrative.
Musk has also amplified his criticism by targeting other shows with LGBTQ+ themes, such as The Baby-Sitters Club and CoComelon Lane, accusing them of furthering an agenda.
Context & Implications
- This incident is part of a broader pushback by conservative voices against representation and “woke” content in media.
- Musk’s longtime skepticism of LGBTQ+ discourse has often drawn controversy, and this is one of his most public cultural interventions to date.
- The scale of his following gives the campaign wide visibility, and could influence how media companies balance representation, audience backlash, and market risk.
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